#Singapore Branch

[shuttershocky]

Do you know anything about the distinction between Hypergryph and Gryphline?

Hypergryph is the developer, and the publisher of Arknights is Yostar.

Gryphline is Hypergryph's new international publishing arm, which they're using to publish HG's new games under their own label. So Arknights: Endfield, Popucom, and Ex Astris won't be published by Yostar, but by Gryphline.

[tsukikoayanosuke]

I wish every Twisted-Wonderland En player good luck for the potential Halloween/Glorious Masquerade back-to-back.

[what-the-fuck-khr]

I’ve been hearing about the TikTok ban in America and man. wow. like genuinely wow

[knightofleo]

Finalists of the 2023 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

Dispute by Jacek Stankiewicz from Kraków, Poland: 'I caught this scene while watching birds in the Bialowieza Forest. Young greenfinch was still fed by parents. However, from time to time birds looked like having argument. My friends interpret this scene in two ways: A young naughty kid is arguing with a parent. Or one kid is reporting to the parent that its brother did something wrong: "Look he has broken the glass in the window"'

'Excuse me sir but I think you're a little too young to be smoking' by Dakota Vaccaro from Victor, United States: 'While I was working deep in the Virginian woods, a family of grey foxes took up residence under the deck of the abandoned cottage next to my work housing. One day while practicing their hunting skills on bits of moss and branches, one of the kits lunged at a small chunk of wood and started rolling around with his prize. Tired after his hunt the kit lounged on his belly still holding the wood in his mouth which gave the strong resemblance of a cigar. I was very envious of the kit at this moment cause who wouldn't want to just lay around all day relaxing'

The Rainforest Dandy by Delphine Casimir from Brussels, Belgium: 'This picture was taken in the monkey forest in Ubud, Bali. This place is a crazy place where monkeys are king! Sometimes they give a show, sometimes they climb on you to look for fleas or steal the piece of biscuit you are trying to eat'

Otter Ballerinas by Otter Kwek from Singapore: 'An arabesque smooth coated otter'

Picture me! Picture me!! by Dikla Gabriely from Yokneam, Israel: 'A brown bear in Finland who definitely did everything to make me pay attention to him and focus on him and not the other bears'

Boing! by Lara Mathews from Melbourne, Australia: 'Taken at Westerfolds Park, a beautiful and surprisingly wild pocket of land in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, famous for its kangaroo population. The mob was enjoying some morning sunshine when this joey decided to get silly and try his hand at boxing'

Living the Moment by Kawing Chiu from Staten Island, United States: 'Relax, lay back and enjoy the warm sun... This seal is scratching its face and it is seen lying on the side while his head is supported by his flipper. This image makes the seal like the reclining Buddha statue'

[chawsl]

The Executive: An Elected Dictatorship?

[crevicedwelling]

fun Singapore moment: I was walking along the trail at Bukit Timah, eyes to the ground looking for flatworms in the drainage channel, completely oblivious to the fact I was about to walk directly into a 3-meter long keeled rat snake. I’d thought it was a branch until I realized it was staring at me.

it was very polite though, and after I apologized for not noticing it returned to calmly foraging for a meal in the leaf litter. I followed it for a few minutes until it decided the other side of the path might have better food.

an impressive animal, probably the largest wild snake I’ve ever seen. I hope it found a skink or perhaps a juicy frog

(Pytas carinata)

[gguk-n]

if you still take requests would you like to write an oscar x reader where they got to know by a coincident and the reader knows absolutely nothing abt f1 and also not oscar so when he was like I drive for f1 she was like wtf should I do with that information??

She doesn’t like cars

{Reader’s POV}

I met Oscar at a grocery store after I had moved to Monaco. The company I worked at were establishing a new branch here and wanted me to help smooth out the process. Who was I to say no to an opportunity of a life time? But being away from friends and family got very difficult when you enjoy being around people.

I only got the weekend off; so I had to make the best of the situation. I was grabbing milk at the grocery store when another hand grabbed the same carton. I looked at the tall, handsome man next to me; “I grabbed that first” I said. “Sorry” he quietly apologised and moved on. We kept running into each other in different isles and the more I stared at him and his toned thighs I found myself drooling. Well, it’s not everyday an attractive man keeps running into you. So, I did what any rational single woman would do and asked him out. To my surprise, he said yes. I doubt myself too much sometimes, I had thought.

We started going out on dates and spending time together. He was rich and had a pretty decent apartment he owned, from what I gathered. He must make quite a decent amount or he comes from money since he’s constantly away on what I assume are business trips over the weekends every few weeks. Did I ask what he did? No. Did he ask what I did? Not particularly. But I did give him my business card.

We were cuddling on one of these days while Oscar was raking his fingers through my hair; “You always help me feel normal” he whispered. “You make me feel rich” I giggled. “What’s mine’s yours babe” he retorted. “Sure, darling” I muttered. “I’ll be gone over the weekend, again” he said stopping his hand movement. “Again? Don’t you think your boss hates you or something with how much they make you go on trips or maybe they love you” I voiced my concern. Oscar laughed a deep laugh which sent vibrations through my body. “Baby, I know this year’s schedule has been a little more hectic with more races” he lamented. “What races?” I asked. “Formula One races” he replied quizzically. “What’s that?” I asked narrowing my eyes. “You don’t know?” He questioned. “Don’t make me feel stupid for not knowing” I whined.

Oscar sighed before speaking, “so, what you’re saying is all this time you had no clue that I was a Formula One driver?” he asked. “Do you test cars or something. I thought they had dummies for that” I quizzed. Oscar was now sat up an amused expression on his face. “No baby, I drive for McLaren” he explained. “Good for you?” I said slowly, I didn’t want him to feel bad about his job or the fact that I knew nothing about it. But since when did they pay test drivers so much?

Oscar started laughing, “that’s it. Take the weekend off. We’re going to Singapore” he announced. “Not this suddenly” I said. “It’s next week. We’ll fly together. Can’t have my girlfriend not knowing what I do for work” he announced kissing my lips.

My interest was piqued so I ended up googling Formula One. My jaw was on the floor when I realised that Oscar was one of the twenty drivers; he was crème de la crème when it came to motor sport. We’d been dating for a while and I knew nothing about what he did, no wonder he owned a place in Monaco; I couldn’t help but laugh. But in my defence my country isn’t huge on motor sports, so I’m sure Oscar can forgive me.

“You didn’t tell me you won 2 races” I announced after finishing dinner that day. “Oh! Did you google me?” He asked. “Nope, I google formula one and you were on top of the list for the previous race. Then I googled you” I explained. Oscar nodded. I sat down on Oscar’s lap, facing him. “Can’t believe you make so much money and let me pay for our meals” I said shaking my head. “That was one time and you insisted” Oscar explained. “Still” I whined. “Can’t wait to watch you win, people say you are really good” I smirked. “Yeah” he said. “Cocky much.” I laughed. “Maybe you can show me how good you are, now” I winked. “I can show you how good I am in everything” he smirked. “I love you, race winner Oscar Piastri” I said kissing him. “Love the ring of it. Gonna have to win more now” he whispered. “Can’t wait to watch you” I mumbled pulling him in for another kiss

[probablyasocialecologist]

In 1940s Britain, at a time before fast food and ready meals were staples of the British high street and in a country struggling to deal with the ramifications of war, a popular new restaurant chain was established. It served high-quality meals at reasonable prices, attracted customers from the full spectrum of British society, and grew at a rate of 10 new sites a week at its most popular. The brains behind the operation? The British government, led by the prime minister, Winston Churchill. Churchill’s British Restaurants, a chain of government-funded canteens offering nutritious price-capped meals, were intended to counter inflation in food and fuel prices related to the war, as well as to boost community spirit. At their peak, there were more British Restaurants across the UK than there are branches of McDonald’s or Wetherspoons today. Now a new report is calling for the return of a “national restaurant service” in some form, as a way to tackle contemporary issues such as health inequality, food insecurity and even climate change in the UK. A forthcoming report entitled Public diners: the idea whose time has come, by food policy NGO Nourish Scotland, marks the beginning of a campaign to introduce restaurants as a new piece of national infrastructure, a call backed by politicians and experts. A public diner, according to the report, is a state-subsidised eatery serving quality and ethically produced food at affordable prices. Crucially, says Nourish Scotland, they are neither charity nor a treat, but rather everyday eating places for entire communities to access.

[...]

Last year hospital data showed the number of patients in England and Wales being treated for nutritional deficiencies had tripled in a decade while a January 2024 survey by the Food Foundation found 20% of UK households with children reported experiencing food insecurity. And, Nourish Scotland says, ingredients could be sourced from organic farms, reducing unsustainable food production practices and food waste, and stimulating local economies. Public diners have already been realised elsewhere in the world. In Poland, government-funded “milk bars” (bar mleczny) gained popularity in the communist era as a way to serve traditional home-cooked food at low prices, and remain numerous today. Singapore’s “hawker centres”, market-style community dining rooms, emerged as part of the nation’s urban redevelopment following independence, and bring an array of street sellers under one roof to ensure vendors’ access to ingredients and space, as well as food hygiene standards and choice for consumers. The call for state-subsidised dining in the UK comes amid a growing international movement for public restaurants as key infrastructure.

31 August 2024

See also I Dream of Canteens, by Rebecca May Johnson

[turndecassette2]

I do remember those magic knight people! Every once in a while I go back on your blog to try to track down those drawings because I like them and the concept in the description so much. I would love to hear more about them. Do you have a story planned out?

yeah, vaguely. so for the cosmology; there's this dystopian city I desperately need to draw a map of built above the fossilised remains of an ancient hell. the city mines the hell for 'hell-flesh', a semi-sentient magical substance that's kind of the physical container of the souls of the damned. I suppose this is like fantasy rare earths for fantasy compute or w/e. this has been going on for a while and the city is, kiruna-style, gradually falling down the pit. also as more of the hell is laid bare, semi-autonomous demonic creatures are let loose, maybe as a kind of immune response against human incursion.

(imagining this sort of thing + branching passages. but in the middle of an italian intra-feuding city-state w a population ca modern day singapore)

a kind of grid of bridges and fortresses has been built above the pit to protect the fancier, upper parts of the city from the decaying/descending bits below. the lower city is mostly miners etc & due to the fucked up mutagenic influence of living near a hell & touching hell stuff all day the people in the upper city treat them with suspicion. there's a 'join the US navy-army-whatever to get health insurance & education & basic human dignity' or like french foreign legion situation where by joining the elite magic army manning the little fortresses, ppl from the lower city can gain some access to the upper. in the reverse I guess for the upper city ppl it functions a bit like 'the wall' in asoiaf where criminals, noble bastards etc go to maybe redeem themselves or die horribly.

the fire magic used by the guards to fight demons etc is derived from the burning corpse of a god that is said to have been there since before the founding of the city (presumably the entity responsible for the hell situation in the first place). by swearing fealty to this dead(-ish) god one gets the ability to summon his divine flame but you forfeit your chance at an afterlife, or maybe you go to hell (no-one is quite sure). everyone kind of assumes once the body is fully burned the god will return/reincarnate (and either save or destroy the city, depending on who you ask).

the politics part; at its founding the city was part of some empire that has since collapsed (pretty recently). the city is dependent on trade to stay viable/fed and to appease the new warring states/mini-empires that have sprung up around it. the current ruler is a reclusive young queen & she has her favourite lord/advisor, an ageing academic who is sort of trying to liberalise the place or make it superficially less fashy. other lords dislike this & are working to either find her a proper king or hasten the return of some deity or other that will return the place to its former glory.

I guess the story? has this noble child bastard protagonist from a shady family* of word-mages who is sent to the 'centre' fortress & works her way up to become the apprentice of some hero-knight demon slayer guy with a possibly shady past (I think rn the name I have for the guy is Chaimé & idk if this is a good name? like the spanish jaime but w more e, & the tiny bastard is Myia I think). I imagine her being the sasuke to a happier, more popular girl who saves her from a demon (embarrassing) then is outed as a half-demon herself (she's the redhead in the drawings) & Myia warms up to her as she (demon girl) becomes increasingly isolated from the outside city (being supposedly dangerous or too powerful? I don't think Myia has much natural magic or w/e in her aside from being a nerd & very persistent).

sorry there's a lot here that would be SPOILERS if I ever actually made this into something coherent enough to be an actual comic ha ha. the knight/mentor guy gets dragged into a kind of fantasy 'business plot' & I guess part of that would be like, seeing to what extent he goes along with it & if he's actually a good person ha ha. + there's a bunch of other characters w stuff going on that I haven't figured out the looks of yet but. they're important in my head. the big bear-ish bf guy who gets sent on an expedition down the pit etc

* I have a distinct image of these people living hidden away in some gormenghast-style estate. they've habsburged themselves into being mostly deaf but the only ones around who can fully read/write the divine language that lets them do word-based magic & the other houses kind of have to put up w their weirdness. also scheming nobles in dune using sign language is 1 of my favourite things in the new film adaption & I like the idea of outsiders being forced to learn to sign (or else being cut-off from higher level magic) as some sort of power move? I don't think they involve themselves that much in politics since that's below them but are def part of the 'bring the gods back' thing, for better or worse. anyway after 'avas demon' (GUILTY PLEASURE I know it has such pretty colours but comes from such an unhinged part of the internet, will never stop apologising for this) started posting again I realised it had a character w the same look & vibe so will try and re-design protag girl to look more like this cute person I saw in a fashion post on IG

... let's see how this goes. came up w all this BS after some viz lady at comicon asked me if I wanted to make them a manga but it's grown from being too little to being too unwieldy to pitch. will see after I finish up my current projects. how much blood, swearing & genocide can a story have before it stops being YA. I think chainsaw man is sort of YA but dorohedoro isn't

[anonymousewrites]

Pearl of the Sea Chapter Twelve

Found Family! PoTC Cast x Teen! Reader

Platonic! Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, Jack Sparrow, Tia Dalma x Reader

Chapter Eleven: Captured by Cannibals

Summary: (Y/N) and Will go in search of Jack, and they find him and his crew in quite the predicament.

            “Captain Jack Sparrow? Owes me four doubloons. Heard he was dead.”

            “Singapore, that’s what I heard. Drunk with a smile on his face. Sure as the tide, Jack Sparrow will turn up in Singapore.”

            “Jack Sparrow? I haven’t seen him in a month.”

            “When you find him, will you give him a message?” Slap!

            “Can’t say about Jack Sparrow, but there’s an island just south of the straits where I trade spice for, mmm, delicious long pork. Cannot say about Jack, but you’ll find a ship there. A ship with black sails.”

            It took a several boat trips and bribes, but Will and (Y/N) found Jack’s trail and tracked down the Black Pearl on a small island. The sailor who’d seen it gave them passage to the isle, and (Y/N) gazed at the grounded ship warily. Jack wouldn’t avoid the sea, let alone ground the Pearl, so something was going on.

            However, as a sailor rowed Will and (Y/N) towards the shore, he stopped abruptly, still quite a ways out.

            “What’s wrong? The beach is there,” said Will, frowning.

            The man replied in rapid French, and (Y/N) tilted their head. Their French was rusty—Elizabeth had to learn a second language, so (Y/N) listened in at times—but they got the gist of it. (Not to mention, one word, ‘dangereux,’ was clear)

            “I believe he said it’s too dangerous,” relayed (Y/N).

            Will frowned, but, since they pretty much expected Jack to bring trouble (pirates, you know), he stood and jumped into the water.

            “Merci,” said (Y/N) to the sailor, diving in after Will.

            They swam quickly to shore and straggled out onto the beach. The stranded hulk of the Black Pearl loomed over them.

            “Jack!” shouted Will. “Jack Sparrow! Cotton! Gibbs!”

            “I don’t think anybody is here,” said (Y/N).

            “They must have gone farther into the island,” said Will.

            “Then we must go, too,” said (Y/N).

            “I’ll lead,” said Will.

            They stepped into the forest of the isle, and the trees instantly closed in around them. A wild squawk caused them to jump, but it came from a parrot they knew quite well.

            “Ah. A familiar face,” said Will.

            “If it’s here, then Cotton must be, too,” said (Y/N). “The question is where and why they’ve all separated from the Pearl. Jack fought to get her back. He wouldn’t leave her easily.”

            “Don’t eat me!” squawked the bird.

            “We’re not going to eat you,” said Will.

            “Don’t eat me! Don’t eat me!”

            Will and (Y/N) walked forward, leaving the cawing parrot behind. They pushed through vines and leaves and clambered over roots, but they found no trace of the pirates they searched for. That was, until they found a flask hanging on a branch.

            Will picked it up. “Gibbs.”

            “It’s attached to a string,” said (Y/N), following it.

            The pair tracked it until they reached a frayed end—the end of the trail. They frowned.

            “Rah!” A man in black painted jumped out from a tree.

            (Y/N) and Will cried out in surprise and stepped away.

            Thwip!

            Two ropes tightened around their ankles and dragged (Y/N) and Will into the air. They yelped, and their swords clattered to the ground below. A whole group of men came out of the forest, painted in camouflage.

            “Oh, sh—”

            Two darts landed in (Y/N) and Will’s necks, and they were out in a second.

l

            (Y/N)’s eyes fluttered open, and they groaned as the bright sun shone down on them. Quickly, though, they forced themself to stay awake and assess their situation. They were hanging from a bamboo pole, tied to it by their ankles and hands. Will was in a similar situation beside them, and tribesmen were carrying them across a rope bridge to a village. When they finally stopped, (Y/N) looked around, and their eyes widened. A familiar face sat on a makeshift throne overseeing the village. It was Jack! He wore strange paintings of eyes across his face, but it was unmistakably him.

            “Jack?” said (Y/N) in confusion, still slightly woozy.

            “Jack Sparrow!” said Will. He chuckled dizzily. “I can honestly say I’m glad to see you.”

            Jack didn’t respond, but he rose and walked towards them. He poked Will, and (Y/N) frowned.

            “Jack, it’s us!” said Will. “Will Turner and (Y/N) Swann!”

            Jack faced one of the men carrying them and spoke in their native language. They responded before bowing their heads. Whatever was going on, they clearly had some sort of respect or deference towards Jack.

            “Tell them to let us down!” said Will.

            (Y/N) nodded furiously. “I would like that.”

            Jack gestured at the pair, still speaking in the native language. “Eensy-weensy.” He nodded to Will. “Eunuchy. Snip-snip.”

            (Y/N) groaned. They had a sneaking suspicion that wouldn’t help.

            “Teeny-ager,” said Jack, gesturing to (Y/N).

            The natives nodded and gazed at the pair, but, unfortunately, they were not cut down. Jack walked back past them, and his compass swung from his belt. Will jerked at the sight.

            “Jack, the compass! That’s all we need!” said Will.

            Jack paused.

            “It’s for Elizabeth,” said (Y/N), seizing on the bit of his attention. “She’s in danger. We were arrested for helping you.” And they all knew the consequences for that.

            Jack turned and faced (Y/N).

            “She faces the gallows. We face the gallows,” sad (Y/N), gazing at him intensely.

            Jack looked at them for a long moment before looking at the natives and speaking in their language once more, this time rapidly. “Savvy?”

            The tribesmen looked confused, and Jack sighed and shook his head. At that, the natives cheered and stamped their spears. Jack leaned down towards (Y/N) and Will.

            “Save me,” he whispered.

            The natives began walking once more, taking (Y/N) and Will with them.

            “Jack, what did you tell them?!” said Will in alarm.

            “What’s going on, Jack? Jack?” called (Y/N) as they were carried away.

            Jack’s heart tightened at the confusion in their voice. He had tried to get the tribe to release them, but just as with every other pirate on the Pearl, they had refused to. To tell the truth, even Jack was in danger.

            However, that didn’t mean he didn’t want to help them. To see someone’s freedom taken away was something Jack didn’t like, and he didn’t want it for that teenager in particular. He sat down on his throne and furrowed his brow. He really should be focusing on himself and escaping. Jack didn’t have time to worry about others.

l

            (Y/N) and Will found themselves in a round cage suspended over a large canyon. It was filled with familiar faces from the Pearl, and more pirates filled a second cage.

            “Why would he do this to us?” said Will. “If Jack is the chief—”

            “Aye, the Pelagostos made Jack their chief, but he only remains chief as long as he acts like a chief,” said Gibbs.

            “So he’s a captive like us,” said (Y/N). “But in another way.”

            “Worse, as it turns out,” said Gibbs grimly. “See, the Pelagostos believe Jack is a god in human form, and they intend to do him the honor of releasing him from his fleshy prison.”

            (Y/N) grimaced. “That can’t be good.”

            “They’ll roast him and eat him,” said Gibbs.

            “Where’s the rest of the crew?” said Will.

            “These cages we’re in weren’t built till after we got here,” said Gibbs, leaving out the finer details.

            The meaning was clear enough, and (Y/N) made a disgusted face. From above, the sounds of cheers and drums echoed into the canyon.

            “The feast is about to begin,” said Gibbs. “Jack’s life will end when the drums stop.”

            “We can’t just sit here, then,” said (Y/N), swallowing and focusing.

            “What do you suggest?” said Will, looking at them.

            Gibbs recognized the look in their eyes from when the Interceptor had gone up against the Black Pearl. They were preparing for a plan.

            “We swing for the wall and climb,” said (Y/N). “It’s not much, but it’s all we can do.”

            “Any plan is better than waiting to be eatin’,” said Gibbs.

            The group in their cage leaned back and then leaned forward. The cage swayed.

            “Again!” said Will.

            They repeated the movement, and the cage swung farther. Over and over, they forced momentum into the cage until it wildly swung towards the canyon wall. The other cage copied their movements, and, soon, they were all swinging close to the cliffs. Finally, they managed to grab onto tough, viny roots and hold themselves up.

            “Put your legs through! Climb!” ordered (Y/N).

            They all grunted from the effort, but with all of them climbing at once, they began to make progress.

            “Come on, men! It’ll take all of us to crew the Black Pearl!” said Will in encouragement.

            “Actually, you wouldn’t need everyone,” said a pirate from the other cage offhandedly. Everyone slowed as he spoke. “About six would do.”

            Everyone froze and looked at one another. That was the precise amount in each cage.

            “Oh, dear,” said the pirate.

            (Y/N) looked at Gibbs. He shrugged and nodded.

            “Hurry!” shouted (Y/N), pulling up the vine faster.

            “Come on!” encouraged Will.

            “Is that all you got?!” shouted Marty. He was too short to help climb, but his enthusiasm was helpful.

            “Wait, stop,” said Will, noticing a Pelagosto crossing a bridge.

            “Eh?” said Gibbs.

            “Ssh,” shushed Will.

            The other group paused, and everyone was frozen, fearful the Pelagosto would turn and spot their attempted escape. However, slowly, the other group began climbing.

            “What are they doing?” griped Gibbs.

            “Stop,” hissed Will. They’d be caught.

            The other pirates jeered quietly as they kept climbing. That was, until one reached for a vine and instead picked up a snake. It hissed, and the man shouted.

            “Snake!” he cried. He jerked away, and it disrupted the balance of the cage.

            The pirates scrambled for a hold on the vines, but they fell back uselessly. They screamed as they plummeted downwards. The vine holding them snapped, and they fell towards the canyon floor below. Their screams disappeared as they fell into a fog, and a crash of tree branches signaled the end of their lives.

            (Y/N) grimaced. What an unfortunate end. However… They looked up.

            Of course, the Pelagosto had heard the screams of terror and looked down. He could see them climbing out of the canyon.

            “Move!” shouted (Y/N).

            “Go, go, go!” said Will.

            The group clambered as fast as they could up the cliffs and vines. The Pelagosto ran back towards the village, undoubtedly to warn the tribe they were escaping. It was a race to survive, now.

            Luckily, before the tribe returned, they managed to reach the top of the cliff. Unluckily, they were still stuck in the cage, which was tied to the vine that had suspended them.

            “Cut it loose! Find a rock,” ordered Will.

            “Here!” said Marty, finding a sharp enough rock.

            Will grabbed it and hacked at the vine. It began to fray, snapping apart, but not before the whoops and shouts of the Pelagostos reached them.

            “Roll the cage!” shouted Will. Momentum would have to do the rest.

            “Come on, come on!” said Gibbs, pushing at the cage.

            “Let’s go!” (Y/N) threw themself forward, and the cage lurched.

            The vine snapped, and the cage rolled forward. The natives shouted angrily and pursued.

            “Bloody—” Gibbs’s words were cut off as they went over a vine and faced a long, steep hill.

             They teetered for just a moment before tipping forward. Then, they shouted in alarm as the cage rolled down the hill. It threw them around, and (Y/N) groaned as they hit the sides of the cage, people, and the ground. The bruises after this would be innumerable. They hit a small hill, but their momentum carried them over it. They soared through the air before hitting the ground and continuing to roll. The pirates screamed as they were thrown about.

            Bam!

            The cage hit a tree, rolled up it, and fell. Finally, it stopped. The pirates were left a heap on the ground, groaning and dizzy. Unfortunately, there was no time for collecting themselves. The natives were approaching.

            “Lift the cage!” said (Y/N). Then, they could run.

            “Come on, lads. Lift it like a lady’s skirt!” said Gibbs.

            (Y/N) rolled their eyes at the comparison, but if it worked, they weren’t going to complain. They all lifted the cage and stuck their legs through to run. Once again, poor Marty was just being carried along for the ride, cursing and shouting at them to go faster as the Pelagostos pursued.

            “Run, run!” urged Will.

            Gibbs shouted as he tripped. He fell, and the cage lurched to the side. (Y/N) tried to pull back, but they were swept off their feet. The cage rolled to the side, over a ledge, and plummeted into a crevasse. The group screamed as they fell between sharp rocks and ledges. For a moment, they were all forced to come to terms with dying by smashing into the ground.

            Splash!

            Instead, the cage fell into a river at the bottom of the tiny canyon. Finally, the cage rocks beneath the surface and broke apart. Vines snapped, bones shattered, and it cracked like an egg. Will pushed to the surface and gasped for air. Gibbs did the same, and all the pirates swam out from the remnants of the cage.

            (Y/N) let the water envelop them for a moment. Still underwater, all the fear they had felt while fleeing felt faraway. (Y/N) nearly lost concentration and stopped holding their breath. However, a strong hand reached down and pulled them up.

    ��       They were dragged back to the surface by Will, who gazed at them. “Are you alright? Are you hurt?!” he said worriedly.

            “I’m fine,” said (Y/N), nodding to him. They weren’t lying. They hadn’t been afraid beneath the water, and they hadn’t been losing strength. They’d been perfectly fine.

            Thwip!

            Their thoughts were interrupted as an arrow pierced the water next to them. The pirates pressed against the edges of the canyon as Pelagostos fired arrows and threw spears from above. They swam forward, ducking beneath the surface as often as possible to confuse their attackers and prevent them from having too many targets.

            “Take cover!” shouted Will, finding a small cave to hide under.

            The others followed him, and (Y/N) pressed themself against the rock as the natives clamored above. Will’s hand reached over and pushed them behind him for an added layer of protection. They weren’t going to be hurt, not if he could help it.

            Suddenly, a boy appeared and spoke to the tribe. As soon as he finished, the Pelagostos rushed off the way they’d came in alarm.

            “Go,” said (Y/N), moving first.

            Will almost cursed and swam after them. (Y/N) swam farther until the river opened up into the bay. The beach was at their side, and the stranded Black Pearl awaited them. Instantly, every pirate found renewed energy at the sight of their salvation. They straggled out of the water and ran across the sand towards the ship.

            Strangely, Ragetti and Pintel, who (Y/N) recognized from when Barbossa had been captain, were present and already trying to get the ship into the sea. Now, they would question that and be upset that they were taking the Pearl for themselves, but (Y/N) and the other crew members needed an escape—a quick one at that—so who were they to complain that Pintel and Ragetti had readied it for them?

            “Excellent!” said Gibbs, voicing their opinion. “Our work’s half done!” The ship was in the water again.

            “We done it for you, knowing you’d be coming back!” said Pintel, completely lying.

            “Make ready to sail, boys!” shouted Gibbs.

            “What about Jack?” said (Y/N). They still needed the compass, and Jack didn’t deserve die. Sure, he was a trickster who double-crossed everyone, but he had his redeemable moments. Occasionally. Sometimes. Rarely.

            Whatever, (Y/N) didn’t want him to die.

            “We won’t leave without him,” said Will. They’d come this far to get the compass and save Elizabeth. They wouldn’t give up.

            “Oi!”

            Everyone whirled to see Jack rounding a corner on the beach. He was running full-tilt at them. Will’s eyes widened in relief.

            And then the entire tribe of the Pelagostos rounded the corner behind Jack. They all held spears and were shouting as they charged after Jack.

            “Time to go,” said Will, pushing (Y/N) towards the rope to climb onto the Pearl.

            “Cast off those lines!” said Gibbs.

            (Y/N)’s eyes widened as Jack ran with the natives on his heels. They started climbing onto the Pearl, but as the others climbed up around them, they hesitated.

            “Make ready to cast off!” said Gibbs.

            “Oi!” shouted Jack, still trying to catch up.

            “(Y/N), come on!” said Will, trying to pull them up.

            (Y/N) just stared at Jack. The Pelagostos were catching up. Their heart seized. No. No! If he died, then, one, he’d be dead, and (Y/N) didn’t want that. Two, Beckett would kill Elizabeth and Will, two more people (Y/N) cared about. The storm of emotions swirled in (Y/N), rising like a wave in their heart.

            As they watched Jack run, the waves sloshed around the Pearl. They rose and fell with increasing rapidity. They swelled and crashed into the beach. Jack pushed through the shallow waters towards the ship. The Pelagostos raised their spears.

            Splash!

            A wave crashed over them, knocking them off their feet. Jack swayed as he grabbed onto the rope ladder to climb onto the Black Pearl. Everyone’s eyes widened as the Pelagostos straggled to their feet, spears washing away from them. They scrambled to grab them, but it was too late. Jack and all the rest were escaping.

            “Yes!” (Y/N) whooped and grinned as the waters settled around the Pearl once more.

            Will reached down and grabbed them. He lifted them properly into the Pearl while Jack climbed up. Will hugged (Y/N) tightly, relieved they were alright, especially after they hesitated on the rope bridge instead of getting aboard.

            Jack let out a breath as he stood on the deck of the Pearl. The entire crew panted, wiping dirt and seawater from their faces.

            (Y/N) stood and stared at the water. Then, they grinned. They had escaped. They had survived. They had found Jack.

            They had every piece they needed to save Elizabeth.

Taglist:

@slytherinroyalty16

@aew-kun-age-regression

@grippleback-galaxy

@andsoigotabutterfly

@insomniacneedssleep

@painstakingly-juno

@kitkatlover015

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@snowy-violet

[buffetlicious]

When Fluff Stack opened it first outlet in Singapore, people have been raving about their soft as cloud Souffle Pancake (舒芙蕾松饼) stacks. I did finally make my way to try it out three years later one fine afternoon after the queue had long disappeared. :D You see, Singaporean just like to be one of the very first to try out the new stuffs when they first landed locally but I am the exception mainly because I hate the time-wasting queues.

At their Northpoint City branch, I chose one of their most popular items on the menu - Mango Passion Fruit Souffle Pancakes (S$16.50++). Got to wait for a while as they made it on the spot after you ordered but it was well worth the wait as the stacked dessert was placed in front of me. Twin fluffy-looking pancakes stacked with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprig of mint leaves on top. Also on the plate are two mango halves cubed with skin on and a drizzling of passion fruit puree to complete the gorgeous looking dessert. It is really the lightest and fluffiest pancakes I have ever had. The passion fruit brightened up the soft pancakes flavour while the mango sweetened the deal. Yum…

Northpoint City shop image courtesy of Fluff Stack.

[tomorrowxtogether]

Tomorrow X Together’s Yeonjun to release solo mixtape later this month

'GGUM' will mark the first solo release from a TXT member since their debut

Tomorrow X Together (TXT) singer Yeonjun is slated to release his first solo mixtape later this month.

The K-pop idol’s solo debut project was announced yesterday (September 8) with the release of a “mixtape intro film” by his label Big Hit Music. The trailer features Yeonjun against city night lights, as he embodies a sombre, rebellious streak that seems to hint at the concept of his upcoming mixtape.

Revealed to be titled ‘GGUM’, Yeonjun’s first-ever solo track is due out on September 19, although it remains unclear whether the song will be part of a larger body of work from Yeonjun.

The upcoming release of ‘GGUM’ will mark the first time any TXT member has branched out to solo projects since their debut in 2019. The group – completed by Taehyun, Huening Kai, Beomgyu and Soobin – last released music as a full unit earlier this year in April with the mini-album ‘minisode 3: Tomorrow’.

In an interview with NME, Taehyun said of the record: “At the end of the day, we thought of tomorrow or the future – the fact that you always get a new tomorrow seemed like another miracle to us”.

TXT are currently in the midst of their 2024 ‘Act: Promise’ world tour, with their latest show being at Singapore’s Indoor Stadium on September 8. They have since completed both the US and Japan legs of the tour, and are set to continue the Asian leg in cities such as Jakarta, Taipei and more in the coming months.

The quintet also have their first-ever virtual reality concert, dubbed ‘Hyperfocus’, showing in five cities in the US, with the movie now currently showing in Houston, Texas through to September 22. The concert will then move Chicago and New York in order, with a final show date on November 10.

[dougdimmadodo]

Flask-Shaped Pitcher Plant (Nepenthes ampullaria)

Family: Typical Pitcher Plant Family (Nepenthaceae)

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

Most species of pitcher plants are carnivorous, using jug-like, fluid-filled traps that protrude from their leaves to capture small animals and digest their bodies, absorbing the nutrients released (particularly nitrogen, which is needed to produce chlorophyll and which is scarce in the soil around them due to intense competition with other plants) across the trap's inner walls. The Flask-Shaped Pitcher Plant, however, is unusual among its relatives in that it is seemingly essentially a herbivorous plant - found in damp, dense forests, it grows as a woody vine that creeps along the ground or through the lower branches of larger plants and uses its unusually short, wide pitchers to catch leaves that fall down from the trees above it, digesting them to make use of the nitrogen and other nutrients they contain. Widely distributed across much of Brunai, Indonesia, New Guinea, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore and reportedly quite common in damp, humid environments throughout their range, members of this species are dioecious (meaning that each individual plant is either "male", producing pollen-producing flowers, or "female", producing pollen-receiving flowers that develop into seeds once pollinated,) and produce dense clusters of small, petal-less flowers relatively high in their "branches", typically far from their traps to avoid accidentally trapping pollinators. Once pollination has occurred, "female" flowers produce numerous tiny, lightweight, hair-like seeds which are carried away from their "mother" on the wind.

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Image Source: Here

[chawsl]

[garmmy]

2024 jp trip report (food edition)

i had originally planned to visit tokyo in 2020, but covid happened and...finally this year i managed to go on the trip! ;w; i rarely go overseas but it was really fun just walking around and stumbling upon things. i want to save up for the next japan trip already...

i'm making the post mostly to remember where i've been! i'm splitting up the food and the sights because of tumblr's image limit per post 🙄 will be posting the food here!

(sights edition here)

Day 1 (13/5/2024)

we arrived at night so pretty much everything was closed, but before i went to bed i had some cold haikara udon...i love cold udon so much and wish there was a way to get it cheap back home 😭 i also added some chilli oil with garlic, but it wasn't spicy..only the first day in and i miss singapore's spicy food 😂

Nakau なか卯 (chain store, multiple outlets)

Day 2 (14/5/2024)

we spent day 2 at ikebukuro and nakano...mostly browsing weeb shit 😭

started the day with some breakfast at komeda's coffee, they have a morning set and auugfhjhghh the bread used in japan cafes' toast is always so soft and fluffy..obsessed

Komeda's Coffee コメダ珈琲店 (chain store, multiple outlets)

at nakano broadway, the basement had some supermarkets/grocery stores and one of them sold sashimi. i didn't end up buying from here, but...LOOK at this sashimi, for 580jpy?? omg 😭😭😭 i want

we had lunch at a hayashi rice place near nakano broadway! i had curry omurice myself while my friend got the hayashi omurice. the omelette was sooo good...society if i could cook an egg like this on my own

Hayashi-ya Nakano-so ハヤシ屋中野荘 164-0001 Tokyo, Nakano City, Nakano, 5 Chome-55-15

and for dinner we had monjayaki at ikebukuro..we've never tried like, actually cooking the monjayaki before? so it was a fun experience!

Monjaya Mon もんじゃや紋 170-0013 Tokyo, Toshima City, Higashiikebukuro, 1 Chome−12−10 ヤンズビル 3F

Day 3 (15/5/2024)

on my morning walk i decided to try a canned drink from a vending machine. satsuma-imo milk! so in singapore, there was recently a 'nutri-grade' rating introduced mandatory for all drinks to indicate the sugar level in the drink. i didn't think i would miss it in japan LOL i'm sorry but drinking this drink was like drinking sugar syrup T_TT i think as i got older my sugar tolerance has drastically dropped..

we started at akihabara, and had brunch at niku no mansei (yes the well-known building with like 10 floors of meat before it closed, i think it split into a couple of places?) we went to the akiba place branch for their hemborger hamburg steak...how am i supposed to go back to eating it in singapore after this?? 🫠 IT'S SO GOOD (i'm also laughing at the token broccoli though)

Niku no Mansei Akiba Place 肉の万世 アキバプレイス店 101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 3 Chome−15−1, Akiba Place, 3F

after akiba we went to asakusa, and since it's asakusa we had to have some tendon..we just went into one of the tendon places we spotted but i didn't realise it was akimitsu!? we have akimitsu in singapore too 😂 but loved the tempura eel!

Akimitsu 秋光 111-0032 Tokyo, Taito City, Asakusa, 1 Chome-29-11

Day 4 (16/5/2024)

i got some plum onigiri from famima for breakfast on my morning walk. oughgkhghjh i already miss conbini onigiri so much...affordable yet tasty! i really love onigiri, but our convenience store onigiri in singapore is a bit overpriced, which wouldn't be so bad if the onigiri itself wasn't also terrible with cold hard rice :')

we started the day at tsukiji outer market. SEAFOOD..... we finally got some sashimi today, my beloved,,, we had engawa truffle salt sushi and also a sashimi bowl of the day. and also it was my first time trying shiokara! apparently it's squid in a kind of sauce made from fermented fish/sea animal innards. i'm not sure if it might be an acquired taste, but for a seafood lover like me it was so good 🥺 the lady serving us food was also really nice and we had a little chat even with our terrible spoken japanese lol.

Taneichi たねいち 104-0045 Tokyo, Chuo City, Tsukiji, 4 Chome-9-5

i also found shirako in the market! it was my first time eating it (i think it can be found in singapore? but not particularly common). other than the shiso leaf it was served plain though, while i like the taste i kinda wish i had rice or something to go with it.

also we got some matcha latte from the market before leaving! i got the 'less sweet' which was perfect, when a lot of times the least sweet (without being zero sugar) option from drink stores are too sweet for me..

Matcha Stand Maruni マッチャスタンドマルニ 104-0045 Tokyo, Chuo City, Tsukiji, 4 Chome−14−18

some ramen for dinner at ryogoku! admittedly i'm not a super into ramen person 😅 but butter in noodles is always such a nice combo!

Tadokoro Shoten 田所商店 (chain store, multiple outlets)

and some parfait for supper. look at their logo!! so cute 🥹🥹🥹

Mayonaka Farm (Ryogoku Yokozuna Yokocho outlet) 真夜中牧場 両国横綱横丁店 130-0026 Tokyo, Sumida City, Ryogoku, 3 Chome-22-8

Day 5 (17/5/2024)

started the day with some zaru soba. it was nice but cold soba was kind of a mistake because it was raining that morning and so COLD lol

Yudetaro ゆで太郎 (chain store, multiple outlets)

we started at shinjuku today and walked our way down to shibuya. with my friend's recommendation we tried blue bottle coffee? the latte was nice and even had this natural sweetness(?) to it despite not adding sugar.

Blue Bottle Coffee ブルーボトルコーヒー (chain store, multiple outlets)

and then we went to takeshita street. i think marion crepes is the most well-known one, but the queue..??? so we ended up going to another crepe store. it's still a treat and has a variety of flavours! i got the regular strawberry whipped cream.

Santa Monica Crepes サンタモニカクレープ 150-0001 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Jingumae, 1 Chome-16-16-8

late lunch at yomenya goemon! i had the tarako butter one and i really liked it...i think i could try buying some mentaiko from donki back home and trying it out myself..

Yomenya Goemon 洋麵屋 五右衛門 (chain store, multiple outlets)

Day 6 (18/5/2024)

conbini haul for the morning. i would like to shoutout to famima's pudding in particular; i feel a lot of store-bought pudding tend to be closer to the jelly-like consistency, but i prefer my pudding to be closer to the creamy? eggy? like consistency and famima's pudding is perfect for the price ;w;

we went to miura peninsula in kanagawa for the day using the misaki maguro ticket (it's so worth!! highly recommend if you want a day trip from tokyo). for breakfast we had some coffee and toast at coffee house poem. their signature blend (kaigan blend) in particular was really unique and nice..kinda regret not ordering that for myself 😂 love the rustic interior too!

Coffee House Poem (Miurakaigan outlet) ぽえむ三浦海岸駅前店 238-0101 Kanagawa, Miura, Minamishitauramachi, Kamimiyada-3130

nearby there's a souvenir shop selling mainly jams, and pickles (including daikon, one of miura's specialties). did you know that i hated eating radish until japanese daikon changed my life 🤣 i also got some persimmon jam to try since i'd never really heard of it! and also some honey+daikon candy.

Temiyage Iroiro Miura Store 手土産いろいろ 三浦ストア 238-0101 Kanagawa, Miura, Minamishitauramachi, Kamimiyada-3255

and finally we got SUSHI...i could cry the maguro here is so good 😭😭😭😭😭 the place is called 'kaitenzushi kaisen', but the sushi does not actually 'kaiten'/revolve, the chefs just serve it 😂 we used the maguro ticket on this so we got some maguro and some local catch!

Kaitenzushi Kaisen 廻転寿司 海鮮 238-0101 Kanagawa, Miura, Minamishitauramachi, Kamimiyada-3372-18

we then took the train to misakiguchi station, and the bus to misaki port. there's a market there called urari marche, which sells seafood and veggies mainly. we got some skewer hotate (scallop) and maguro karaage there! i was not a big fan of the maguro karaage though..i still think maguro is best as sashimi lol

Urari Marché うらりマルシェ 238-0243 Kanagawa, Miura, Misaki, 5 Chome-3-1

right next to the port was a cafe i used my ticket on, for some danish loaf with pistachio ice cream and a coffee drink. the ice cream goes so well with the fruity loaf!

3204 bread&gelato 238-0243 Kanagawa, Miura, Misaki, 3 Chome-12-10

Day 7 (19/5/2024)

went for a short walk at ueno park in the morning. there were some food stalls there! we tried some of the freshly roasted hojicha, and also some mitarashi dango. there's some skewered fish that looked good but i didn't try because i was scared of the bones 😅 and other kinda matsuri-like foods such as kakigori and yakisoba, a bit higher priced i guess because of the tourists there but i'm not a fan of yakisoba so 😆

also there was an asian food festival going on near shinobazu pond! i didn't try the food (it seemed largely SEAsian food, we can get cheaper thai, viet food etc in singapore anyway), but also for some reason there is a food truck for US food? and the representative food is 'american long potato' 😂 is that a thing in US? (ok but i know US is huge)

i met up with a friend for lunch at akiba and they recommended ootoya! a restaurant chain for teishoku. i got the recommended fried fish and veg in sweet vinegar sauce and 🥺 the taste mix is so good! i also wanted to randomly bring up something i'll miss about japan: pretty much every eatery, whether cafe or restaurant, serves free water, or even green tea! you rarely get free water in singapore eateries even though we have friggin drinkable tap water here 🙄 (except in japanese chains like saizeriya or sukiya..lol) you'll have to buy overpriced bottled mineral water or something even if you just want water to go with your meal.

Ootoya 大戸屋 (chain store, multiple outlets)

after some walking around akiba (i.e. combing weeb stores), we stopped for some thick fluffy toast and drink (mine was cinnamon toast and almond cafe latte) at vault coffee. true it was a sunday, but we were surprised that it was some random cafe hidden in third floor of what looked otherwise like a normal commercial building on the outside, and it was still soo crowded, we had to wait a little while to be seated!

VAULT COFFEE 101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 4 Chome−5−1 3F

and this marks the end of our week-long food journey in japan 😆 i had to save a lot of funds for my splurging on weeb and stationery stuff LOL, but i hope the next time i come i can focus more on sightseeing and food maybe! but for now it's back to capitalism to save up first 🏃

[fredwkong]

Hey there, my country sucks rn and I’m tired of working a 9-5 in this freezing cold. Can I get a vacation as a Singaporean hunk?

Thanks for your booking with FWK Vacations. We hope you enjoy Singapore!

You wake up in the shade of a huge tree. Past the canopy, you can see the metal branches of the Supertrees, and even in the shade, you’re pouring sweat. You sit up and take off your sweat-stained shirt, exchanging it with the tank top in your gym duffel.

As you jog out of the garden, you see people turn to look at you. You know you give off a distinctive, spicy musk as you sweat in the extreme humidity, but it’s not like the government’s banned smelling bad… yet. A couple of cute little fashion boys taking Instagram pictures watch avidly as you wipe down your sweaty face with the hem of your shirt. You give them a superior smirk, hoping they’ll show up at the gym later.

Speaking of the gym, the monsoon’s gonna start soon, and you spend the hours of daily rain pumping up your muscles. You can’t wait to drive everyone else out of the free weights area with your Singaporean musk.

Enjoy your vacation!

Want to go on vacation? Book via my ask box!