#and a specific intersection

[chaoticneutralgood2627]

Respectfully to Michigan, I'm also claiming this for Pennsylvania bc oh my gods. You can tell *immediately* when you cross state lines bc the roads are that bad.

County roads

Full of holes

On the route

I need to go

Road construction

Lane obstruction

Let me go

County roads

[one-sunny]

Warm Welcome

Portgas D. Ace x reader

Summary: After a long mission, Ace is there to welcome you back home and help you decompress. Use of the name doll and darling.

Masterlist

You were exhausted.

The mission you were sent on was supposed to be straightforward and in the shadows. Weeks of sleeping on your hard ground, silently tracking your target, and getting the information you needed to aid Whitebeard and your crew. Weeks that ended up not being as straightforward as everyone believed. It with a blade to your throat and a fight that nearly ended your life.

Seeing the Moby Dick in the distance floods your body with relief and nearly makes your knees buckle within your small boat. Docking was quick and you were met with enthusiastic greetings as your family welcomed you home.

As much as your crew mates warmed your soul, they weren’t the one that you were buzzing to see. Despite how utterly sore and exhausted you were, energy fills you as someone pushes through the other pirates, shouting your name.

Ace runs to you with a bright smile, wrapping you up in his arms without a second thought and twirling you around. You groan as he squeezes you tight but you cannot bring yourself to protest. “I missed you, doll.” He presses a kiss to your forehead.

“Missed you.” Your arms hook around his neck and you feel weightless in his arms. The warmth and comfort he brings is instant. Your eyes begin to sting and you can feel the exhaustion catching up to you. “Gotta talk to Pops.” You groan as you press your face into Ace’s shoulder.

His laugh runs a shiver down your spine, “Go on then, i’ll be waiting for you, kay?”

You press a tired kiss to his lips before moving to walk off, when Ace catches your wrist. He tugs you back over to him with that mischievous smile on his lips, catching you when you stumble slightly, and crashing his lips to yours for a passionate kiss filled with the longing of weeks away from each other. You hold each other in the embrace until your lungs burn. As you pull back, Ace chases you to place another quick peck to your lips.

“You better go.” Ace places another kiss to your lips. “Check in with Pops,” He pecks you again. “So you can hurry and come to bed.” A low sigh pushes past his lips, “Beds not been as warm without ya.”

You laugh at this, “Ace, you’re literally made of fire.”

“ ‘M trying to be all sweet but you just gotta make fun of me, huh?” A grin pulls to his lips and he nudges your shoulder. He hears the low groan at the action, your brows furrowing and a pout pulling to your lips. His expression immediately morphs into one of concern, “Hey, doll, are you okay? Did something happen?” There’s a flood of questions as he takes a step back to take in your form.

“I’m okay,” You’re quick with the answer. Maybe a little too quick as Ace raises a skeptical brow. “Well, things didn’t exactly go as planned, so i’m just a little bit sore.”

Ace steps in close to cup your cheeks in his hands, “I’ll tell Pops that you’ll check in with him in the morn-“

“I’m fine.” You groan. “Just really happy to see ya now, Fire Fist.”

He rolls his eyes at your teasing tone, “Flattery will get you everywhere.” Hands tilt your chin forwards as warm eyes meet your gaze. “Promise me you’ll be quick? Then I can take care of ya, darling.” His smile is sickeningly sweet and you can’t believe just how much you missed that look.

“Promise.”

Ace finally allows you to break away from him. Your conversation with Whitebeard is relatively short as the fatherly figure had more concern for your wellbeing and the fight you encountered than the information you held. He allows just what Ace had originally suggested, to give him the run down in the morning. To rest.

You enter the second division commanders room to find it completely dark, aside from two flickering candles at the bedside. There, you can make out Ace’s form in the dim light. “There ya are.” He sits at the end of the bed, calling to you, and pulling you to stand between his legs. You can barely make out the way he looks up at you before you feel a hand tugging at the end of your shirt, “Take this off.”

“Ace,” You mutter, brushing the curls from his face. “Told you I’m pretty sore, not exactly in the mood-“

“Not for that, darling.” Ace laughs as he gently nudges you away from him so he can stand. Warm fingers lift the end of your shirt in a silent question, one you give a nod to, and Ace is quick to aid you in undressing. “Now lay down on your stomach and get comfortable.”

You teasingly raise an eyebrow, and Ace playfully rolls his eyes. Sinking into the mattress and getting comfortable was more than easy after so long sleeping on the hard ground. A content sigh leaves you as Ace rummages about the room.

He finally sinks in at your side and you feel his warm hands placing on your shoulders. A sweet, floral smell fills the air as Ace massages the lotion into your skin. Gentle hands, careful not to press too hard into your sore body, rub and massage over your back. Devil fruit powers heat up his hands to your own content, taking instructions of when to turn the heat up or down.

Ace takes his time in taking care of you, deft fingers massaging over your entire body and willing any soreness out of your muscles. Weeks of being on high alert drains from your body. You are fully surrendered to the man massaging your calves in silence, fully trusting and completely safe.

Sleep nips at your mind as you are enveloped in the comfort of Ace.

You’re not sure when he joins you in laying down, but you feel his lips pressing into your shoulder before he is pulling you into an embrace. “How do you feel, doll?” His voice is low and strikes an emotion deep inside of you.

You’re not even sure if your voice still works, but you manage out a small, “tired.”

Ace aids you in settling against his chest. You feel yourself teetering on the cusp of sleep as Ace holds you close. This. This is exactly what you were missing during your time away. “Sleep, doll. ‘M right here.”

This was exactly what you needed to allow yourself to surrender to a deep sleep.

[schofielded]

"Is God here, Captain? Any god? It doesn't matter. This place is beautiful to me, even now. To see it, with eyes like a child's. There is wonder here, Captain." - Harry Goodsir, The Terror (2018), S1E10: "We Are Gone" // 1917 (2019) dir. Sam Mendes

[masochist-marmot]

If anyone out there is interested, this is a direct quote from the Finnish national epic Kalevala (or more precisely, its English translation by John Martin Crawford in 1888). Here it is in Finnish:

Siitä jauhoi uusi sampo, kirjokansi kiikutteli, jauhoi purnun puhtehessa: yhen purnun syötäviä, toisen jauhoi myötäviä, kolmannen kotipitoja.

In the Finnish mythology, the Sampo is a magic mill forged as a gift for the mistress of the North (Louhi) in exchange for one of her daughters. The Sampo can be used to grind grain, salt and gold out of thing air, which is probably where our favourite con artist gets his name. Koski is a fairly common Finnish last name that literally translates to a "stream" but doesn't have any direct relation to Kalevala. Although, eventually the Sampo is stolen and ends up sinking to the bottom of the sea, so there could be a tenuous link to that.

And for any fellow linguistics nerds out there, most of Kalevala is written in trochaic tetrametre, meaning that every line consists of eight syllables (or four feet) where a stressed syllable is followed by an unstressed one. We actually call this "the Kalevala metre", and you could take almost any line from the epic and ask a (musically inclined) Finnish person to sing it. It was made to be sung. And what makes me incredibly happy is that the translation keeps the same metre: "Well the Sampo grinds when finished, to and fro the lid in rocking."

This also means that what Sampo is singing in this (regrettably unvoiced) scene adheres to the same rhythm, and the melody would probably be some variation of this: https://youtu.be/XRdCsEVFd4I?si=YDjFIVTFYwAsa8U7

[a-very-tired-jew]

In all my deep dives of Brant Rosen I didn't think it would take reddit for me to find out that he is the director of a Quaker organization called American Friends Service Committee and has long been associated with the Quaker community. Even going insofar as to talk about Quaker practice, theology, belief, and its relationship to Judaism and how it has influenced him. I would hazard a guess that Rosen is likely a Jewish Quaker but maintains the "As a Jew" cover so that he can dismiss claims of antisemitism and deny that he's essentially a Messianic now.

Of course I have no concrete evidence of him being a Jewish Quaker, but considering the timeline of his radicalization towards thinly veiled antisemitism as anti-Zionism, him essentially being kicked out of his original congregation for this same rhetoric, and his open disdain for other Jews...I think it's more than likely.

If you view all of his rhetoric and actions through the lens of a "Jewish Quaker" then it makes sense as to why JVP's rabbinical council has members who openly engage in neo pagan practices and avodah zarah. It makes sense as to why Rosen said what he did about Jews in the NPR article and his veritable hatred for the rest of the community.

[phaedraismyusername]

This is possibly way too specific BUT for any of my urban/contemporary fantasy or magical realism type reader girlies who are also eagerly following the whole Kendrick dragging Drake situation then BOY do I have the rec for you

White lady steals a magical golden comb from the Jamaican river spirit River Mumma to open a Jamaican restaurant in Toronto, consequences occur, and she gives the comb away and our protagonist has to set off on a Wizard of Oz style quest across the city to try and get it back from (and i swear I'm not lying lol) DRAKE who's refusing to return it because he's a fucking hack lol.

Yes it's a weird book but I really enjoyed it and I genuinely don't think there will ever be a better time to recommend it lol

[kiyomitakada]

like i don’t even know if light is a woman but i am dead certain light isn’t exclusively a man. i can’t prove this but i am sure in my bones

[madisoncounty]

you and i have just one second and a million miles to go

[sysig]

Talk yourself into it (Patreon)

[croszukis]

listen, do your fandom to your happiness i guess but the trend of fandom culture in hockey shifting to yanking these dudes out of the context of their teams / to the point where you disparage the team they love and are embedded within the very fabric of makes no sense its like genre breaking???

[daphneblakess]

"why is shauna acting like this" well you see jackie had 'influence' but couldn't translate that into being a leader in the wilderness. natalie was a great leader but could have only become influential in the wilderness. shauna has never possessed either of these traits but convinced herself that being antler queen would give her these things, because what she's really wanted both before the crash and in the wilderness is control. also girl the post partum depression

[floorpancakes]

back on my bullshit (xxxholic gender thematic analysis on a saturday night)

[hunxi-after-hours]

"Nevertheless, to maintain popularity and financial success, xuanhuan writers often walk a fine line between creative storytelling/dreaming and market demands. This tension between creative exploration, subversion and commodification underscores the complex nature of xuanhuan fantasy fiction as both a product shaped by commercial considerations and a catalyst for unsettling dominant narratives through the creation of alternative worlds...Underneath xuanhuan's beautified oriental spectacles, these grassroots reimaginations of tianxia reflect a crisis in contemporary society, one that cannot be satisfied by official nationalism and patriotism."

—Cui Qian, "Reinventing Tianxia Coming-of-Age in Xuanhuan Fantasy Fiction," Digital China: Creativity and Community in the Sinocybersphere

[wtowingedtragicobsidian]

More JJK Fragrance HCs

~Kinda a continuation of this post~

Maki (and Mai):

They share the same base, a fresh evergreen scent that was pervasive around the Zenin clan mountains. Maki is more chypre; a commanding, energized scent that leans decidedly unisex. Mai is more floral and feminine, with sultry undertones and a softer finish.

Maki's Notes: violet, juniper, vetiver

Mai's Notes: jasmine, lavender, sage, patchouli

Shared notes: cedar, cypress, white musk, nutmeg, bamboo, mountain iris

Inumaki:

Very, very strong/distinct scent, almost unappealing. Citrus forward in an artificial soda pop flavoring kind of way. Underneath, providing frankly bizarre complexity, there's a vintage medley of gentle herbaceous scents.

Notes: Soft sunny smells from grandmas herb garden (lemongrass, thyme, rosemary, mint). Next to it the linens drying on the clothesline (soapy old people smell included). Sparkly carbonation from club soda, refreshing cucumber, and bright lime (nice version). Mountain Dew (honest version). Pool chlorine

For a flattering designer spin on this One Summer 2012 & One Summer 2015 by Calvin Klein

Yuta:

Smells clean and masculine with a slight nod to boyishness. Chic but completely unremarkable. He's definingly the type to buy with the trends but also never really expand into anything interesting. After he did his semester abroad in Africa he has the faintest whiff of something warm and exotic(compared to his previous standard) but its unplaceable.

Accords: cool aquatic, department store man smell (only slightly derogatory), fresh bright ephemeral scents like the breeze or sunshine, fabrics and detergent, a hint of sweet/smokey oud.

Note are from SeaZone by AVON (which sounds like a genuinely beautiful fragrance, so don't let it's simplicity be misleading)

Nobara:

Rose heavy with femininizing white florals and sweet/tart fruit, but there's an uncanny edge to it. Frequently layers perfume samples she gets from her shopping trips, which can make her overall scent toe chypre from time to time. Her favorite brands would be Confessions of a Rebel and Juliet has a Gun.

Notes: vanilla, green chypre top and base, sun-ripe red fruits, white florals, rose, metallic notes, pink peppercorn

Yuji:

(Lovingly) he smells exactly like a teenage boy would smell. His deodorant and bodywash/shampoo save him a little bit, though. In a obviously masculine way he smells bright and citrusy with a childish sweetness to it.

United Dreams One Summer by Benetton and Citrus Circus by Snif are the nicer versions of what is realistically probably (axe body spray) some convenience store products.

[wardensantoineandevka]

I keep thinking and laughing about this person who was really mad that I said that the insistence on "destroy the Veil" is a desire for a specific power fantasy and they cheered a frankly tepid rebuttal to my post with "OP having 'New Yorker' in bio like that's an ethnic identity and not a city is killing me, Americans need to be sedated", which is just such an incredibly funny attempt at a dig.

First, it isn't at all abnormal for people who live in major cities, regions, or countries to list them in their bio using the demonym form, especially when they lived there all their life. I've seen all sorts of demonyms that aren't denoting ethnic identity, or national for that matter, but a place association. Second, and even funnier, the precise next thing in my bio is "Pinay", an ethnic identity.

Like, this is a legitimately funny thing to say and think you're actually accomplishing anything clever or making a deep point. I keep thinking about it because it's just so incredibly misguided and hilarious. Like, truly thought something was being said there.

also, especially because it has no relation to any discussion about, like, Solas, the collapse of the Veil, or even narrative construction across the series

[breha]

i'm reading crescent city girls: the lives of young black women in segregated new orleans by lakisha michelle simmons and one detail in it is about how although the french quarter during the first half of the twentieth century was overwhelmingly white, a black order of nuns owned a building there, at what's currently the site of the bourbon orleans hotel, from 1881 to 1965. they lived there and ran an orphanage and a school for girls (the order and the school still exist, just in a different neighborhood). i think it's an affecting image that 1132 royale street was so close (a 7-minute walk, just down the street and around the corner) to a high school claudia was pointedly not attending. she probably walked by the building hundreds of times, at night when it was shuttered and quiet. she walked by it when she was 14, 15, 16, 17, just like the girls who studied there, but she was fundamentally separated from them forever. she could go there, even slip into the classrooms or the dormitory where the nuns slept, but she could never get there, across the veil to the place it was during the day. and at first she didn't really grasp what any of this meant because it was novel, even a little exciting, it made her feel special – "i've gotta go to bed when the rest of the world wakes up, so there's less kids to play with..." – but you know it sank in eventually. as the students moved from grade to grade, graduated, grew up, and were replaced by new girls, claudia stayed the same. her and the building, its balconies, its arched windows, the cross against the night sky, unchanging. singular. forever. fuck!!!!!!!!