#A Tiger in the Zoo online learning

[solvednotes]

Ultimate Quiz on A Tiger in The Zoo

Quiz on A Tiger in the Zoo is here to help Class 10 students master this beautiful poem by Robert Frost while preparing effectively for their Board exams. This interactive quiz is thoughtfully designed to cover essential aspects of the poem, including its themes of freedom and captivity, the poet’s use of vivid imagery, and key poetic devices like alliteration, personification, and rhyme. By…

[houndsinhades]

2024 in Fanfiction

2023: 0 words

2024: 118,553 words

Acca Larentia | E | Hope Lupin/Lyall Lupin | 16/24 | 111K

My firstborn child. Twenty-ish years of exploring the magical world from a muggle’s eyes, the rise of Voldemort, and what it could have been like to raise the world’s coolest werewolf.

The First Train Home | T | Remus Lupin/Sirius Black | 5K

Three Wolfstar scenes (post-prank, post-Azkaban, post-veil). A good dose of hurt/comfort and a fun little diddy I wrote to try out a new style.

Way to Go, Tiger | G | Scorpius Malfoy & Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter | 2K

Draco takes Scorpius to the zoo for his seventh birthday. Harry keeps an eye on them. Is it Drarry? Is it not Drarry? The world may never know. (Pls. It’s so obviously drarry.)

Thanks for the tag @wolfpants 🩷 you’re the reason I started writing, and one of the best parts of this fandom - and my whole life.

My first year writing! (Okay, technically I started in December 2023, but for the sake of this post let’s give me three weeks of grace time).

I started writing when I was stressed and overwhelmed with grad school, and I was exhausted from the constant work - study - work - study - work cycle. I wanted to do something just for me, to bring myself some joy, even if no one I knew was aware of it and no one online even read it.

It was hard at times, no doubt. I’ve deleted thousands of words (utter shite), had months-long writers block, or (worse) months where I wanted desperately to write, but didn’t have the time or energy to get the words down. I’ve learned some difficult lessons, and got hurt in ways I didn’t see coming.

But even when it was tough, I can honestly say it was worth it to try. I’m so happy I decided to start writing after years of telling myself I wasn’t good enough, or that there were enough stories out there, or asked myself who would even want to read this? To that girl, I say now - it doesn’t matter. It’s okay to be an imperfect writer. It’s okay if there are similar stories already. It’s okay if no one reads what you write. Do it for you, and have fun with it.

I feel like I’ve learned a lot about myself this year. I can slowly but surely see places where I’ve improved in the last few months. I’ve written some things I’m really proud of (and some things that make me cringe). But most importantly, it gave me a much needed creative outlet and a purpose outside of work and school. Writing has also led me to the most amazing community, and that’s been the greatest gift of all. I love the friends I’ve made through this fandom dearly, and if you’re one of them, I hope you know how loved you are.

My goals for 2024 were to just write. And good golly Miss Molly, I did it. Yeehaw! I put those words in the doc and I uploaded them to the archive. Pats on the back for me. Go girl!

In 2025, I want to finish my WIP and start posting my next long fic (similar to Acca, a female POV rare pair). I also want to write more one shots for fun, and explore new pairings and plots (muggle AU maybe? Drarry maybe? One of the dozens of ideas I have locked in a note on my phone?) And I want to leave a comment on every single fanfic I read.

Im glad I took the chance in 2024! And as I wrap up the year I want to say - thank you for being a part of mine 🩷

[cutepastelstarsalior]

Silly spiderverse headcanons

Gwen has a WIDE range of music. Something it’s alternative rock, sometimes it HipHop, sometimes it’s a generic pop songs.

Gwen likes listening to rock bands the most becomes she try’s to replicate the drummer’s speed or style. Or something listen to emotional screaming help her deal with all of her issues™️

Gwen and hobbie like to listen to each others music taste. Since cds came out in the 1980, someone gives Hobie one and he loves it. He learns how to burn music onto it

he and Gwen make each other playlist and cds.

They also make playlist for their friends. (They both gift givers)

Gwen picked her name after her favorite tv character

Autistic Gwen!!! Adhd Miles and Pavtir!!!

The Spider Gang™️ have friendship kandi bracelets.

Peni is Lesbian, Miles, Gwen, and Pavtir are bisexual, Noir is gay, Margo is Demi-aromantic, and hobie is aromantic + gay.

Gwen, Pav, and Hobie are all trans.

Miles has bad anxiety

Once Miles tells his family he’s Spider-Man, his mom immediately teaches him first aid, just in case.

Pavtir is naturally happy and energetic. But kind of hate it when other thinks he’s faking it or being native

Margo favorite food is steak tacos and she like binge eating anime

Margo comes from a big family and is the middle child

Peni favorite food is ramen and she tried to teach the others how to make it

Peni favorite anime in Ergo Proxy

Gwen has a special interest in penguins and she loves to see them at the zoo.

Gwen collects penguins and cute plushies

Noir also like penguins, E-42 miles like pumas, Pavtir like giraffes, Miles likes sea lions. Margo likes tigers, and Hobie likes pandas.

E-42 Miles (Gonzola) and Miles have a sibling “twin” bond

Every time they’re online the 2 like to spam each other kaomoji

both roleplay with each other

Adult headcanon

Miguel is trans, Jessica is pansexual, Peter is polygamous bi, and MJ is omnisexual polygamous

Miguel has ocd and self destructive tendencies

Peter has adhd and very bad depression

Jessica being a new mother gets a bit nervous leaving her baby at home with her husband, but she won’t dare bring her kid to HQ

She ends up bring her baby to HQ

Both Jessica and Peter talk to each other about being first time parents + child having spider powers. They both fins it helpful

Jess’s baby and Mayday grow up to be childhood friends :)

Ben Ridley and Superior Spider-Man have lot of philosophical debates…that sometimes leads into physical fights

Miguel like flan (strawberry specifically) since his mom taught him and that like the only positive moment the two had.

When Miguel was 13 his mom bought Gabriel a cat even thought Miguel was allergic

When Miguel was 8 and Gabe was 6, Gabe help Miguel picked out his name

Lyla like to dress up in different outfit because it help tricks humans into believing she not a computer and thus they tell her their emotional problems

She also like old fashion she thinks it’s fun she and Margo bond over it

Lyla he,so Miguel with his anger issues and ocd

The HQ has really good medical program and free healthcare

The HQ also has a way to make money for different dimensions.

[travelloverr]

Hogshaw Farm & Wildlife Park: A Fun-Filled Farm Adventure

Prepare yourself for an enjoyable day filled with animal interactions, outdoor activities, and an opportunity to establish a connection with the natural world if you're considering a trip to Hogshaw Farm & Wildlife Park. With its laid-back vibe and abundance of interactive activities, this family-friendly location is ideal for both children and adults to explore.

Location:

Hogshaw Farm & Wildlife Park is a family-friendly attraction located in Buckinghamshire, England. It offers a unique blend of farm animals, wildlife, and exciting activities for visitors of all ages. Whether you're looking for a fun day out with the kids or a peaceful escape from the city, Hogshaw Farm has something for everyone.

What to Expect at Hogshaw Farm & Wildlife Park

When you visit Hogshaw Farm & Wildlife Park, you can expect to:

Meet adorable farm animals: Get up close and personal with a variety of farm animals, including cows, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, and rabbits. You can even feed some of the animals!

Explore the Wildlife Zone: Discover a diverse range of wildlife, such as deer, owls, and meerkats. Learn about their habitats and behaviors from knowledgeable staff.

Enjoy thrilling activities: Take a ride on the go-karts, bounce around on the bouncy pillows, or test your skills on the adventure playground.

Relax in the peaceful surroundings: Take a leisurely stroll through the park, enjoy a picnic, or simply relax in the beautiful countryside.

Indulge in delicious food: The Farm Kitchen offers a variety of hot food, kids' meals, drinks, and snacks. You can also grab a coffee and cake at the Farm Café.

More related Article

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Combe Martin Wildlife & Dinosaur Park

Walby Farm Park Carlisle: Family Fun & Adventure

Explore ARK Wildlife & Dinosaur Park Stickney

How to Reach Hogshaw Farm & Wildlife Park

Hogshaw Farm & Wildlife Park is easily accessible by car. It is located just off the M1 motorway, making it a convenient destination for families living in London and the surrounding areas.

How to Plan Your Visit

To make the most of your visit to Hogshaw Farm & Wildlife Park, it's a good idea to plan ahead. Here are a few tips:

Check the opening hours: The park's opening hours vary depending on the season, so be sure to check the website before your visit.

Book tickets in advance: You can book tickets online in advance to avoid disappointment, especially during peak times.

Pack a picnic: You can bring your own food and drinks to enjoy a picnic in the park.

Wear comfortable clothing and footwear: You'll be doing a lot of walking and exploring, so it's important to wear comfortable clothing and footwear.

Check the weather forecast: If the weather is forecast to be rainy, you may want to bring a raincoat or umbrella.

Why Choose Hogshaw Farm & Wildlife Park?

There are many reasons why you should choose Hogshaw Farm & Wildlife Park for your next family day out:

Affordable: The park offers excellent value for money, with affordable ticket prices for both adults and children.

Educational: The park provides a fun and educational experience for children, teaching them about farm animals, wildlife, and the environment.

Family-friendly: The park is designed to be enjoyed by the whole family, with activities for all ages.

Beautiful surroundings: The park is set in beautiful countryside, offering stunning views and fresh air.

Friendly staff: The staff at Hogshaw Farm are friendly, knowledgeable, and always happy to help.

Nearby Things to Do Around Hogshaw Farm & Wildlife Park

If you're looking for more things to do after your visit to Hogshaw Farm & Wildlife Park, there are plenty of other attractions nearby:

Woburn Safari Park: This safari park is home to a variety of exotic animals, including lions, tigers, and elephants.

Whipsnade Zoo: This zoo is one of the largest in the UK and is home to over 3,500 animals.

Bletchley Park: This historic site was the home of the Government Code and Cypher School during World War II.

Milton Keynes: This modern city offers a variety of shopping, dining, and entertainment options.

Popular Hotel & Resorts

Fishing Lodges in Yorkshire with Hot Tubs

Discover Bliss at Coral Beach Leisure

Hogshaw Farm & Wildlife Park is a fantastic day out for the whole family. With its wide range of activities, beautiful surroundings, and friendly staff, it's no wonder that it's a popular destination for families in the UK.

FAQs About Hogshaw Farm & Wildlife Park

.

Q: What are the opening hours of Hogshaw Farm & Wildlife Park?

A: The park is typically open daily from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Check the website for seasonal changes.

Q: Do I need to book tickets in advance?

A: It’s recommended to book tickets online, especially during peak seasons or for special events.

Q: Are there any age restrictions?

A: There are no specific age restrictions; the park is family-friendly and suitable for all ages.

Q: Is there parking available at the park?

A: Yes, there is free parking on-site for visitors.

Q: Can I bring food and drink into the park?

A: Visitors are welcome to bring their own food, but there is also a café on-site offering snacks and meals.

[luca10086]

Post31—forefront

"Zootopia" is an animated film produced and released by Walt Disney Animation Studios. This film is an excellent animated film and has won many well-known international awards such as Annie Award and the Oscar Award for Best Animated film. The animation mainly tells the story of Judy, a bunny girl from a small town, who perseveres and overcomes many difficulties. Finally realized the dream of becoming an excellent police officer, its main story seems to be similar to most Disney animations, but this animation can have such a high popularity, the reason is that advanced production level brought fresh visual effects, excellent character design and reflect the real world and metaphor of the real society of the profound theme. As an animator, the character design of this film is very attractive to me. In terms of image building, the production team spent 18 months observing various animals, and the details of different animals in different states were recorded in order to achieve a more realistic effect. In terms of shape design, the designer has endowed each character with personality art, which is derived from our real life and can directly touch the hearts of the audience. Yax Yak is a naturalist, and the designer has designed a messy and messy hair style for him, and he also wears a beaded necklace for him. Chief Cowl's uniform can't be buttoned up because of his developed pectoral muscles to reflect the character. However, some of the characters have this huge contrast, for example, Mr. Big, the gang boss of Zootopia, is actually a very small shrew. This contrast design adds the humor and sense of contrast to the animation and makes the audience quickly attracted by the film. Such character design is worth learning for me. Excellent character design is a non-important element of an excellent animation. I also designed two characters in this project. In the design process, the advantages of these excellent animation works are also referred to. In addition to the excellent character design, symbol design is also a plus point of this film. Animated films use symbols extensively, which helps to express the deep meaning of the film. The symbol design of the film is excellent, which not only increases the entertainment of the film, but also brings emotional resonance to the audience. In addition to the real advertising partners in the film, many familiar brands are implanted in the film. For example, the street slogan "JUST ZOO IT" is a copy of the well-known clothing brand NIKE's slogan "JUST DO IT", the fake iPhone with a carrot bitten off the logo, and the Ipaw used by the tiger on the train is a fake iPad. The implantation of these copycat brands not only did not cause the audience to dislike, but let them constantly harvest surprises in the process of watching the movie. These familiar symbols in the life of the audience added a lot of jokes to the movie, which is undoubtedly a very good creativity.

Pinterest. (2024). Tradigital drawing | Character design, Zootopia concept art, Disney concept art. [online] Available at: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/578220039680397270/ [Accessed 21 Aug. 2024].

‌

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

sorry for the downer, but: any thoughts on the death of Eko the tiger? I guess I can't blame the sheriff for shooting him, but poor Eko was just literally being exactly what he is, which is a wild animal, but the whole thing has me so upset. (I see people online saying things like "should've let the tiger have him" about the cleaner, but I can't wish death on the human, no matter how stupid and foolish he was.) ugh.

To quote the President CEO of the Naples Zoo: "I think the lesson learned is that you can't 100% prevent people from making really, really horrible decisions. I don't know what to say other than that."

I keep typing things to say that are coherent and eloquent but it comes down to this: like pretty much everyone in the zoo world right now, I'm angry, I'm exhausted, and I'm grieving a beautiful and critically endangered animal who should still be alive and isn't because of human arrogance and hubris.

I don't know how much more I want to say on that topic, beyond that.

But a few relevant thoughts and details, for folk who are interested.

A few years ago, when I did research into safety incidents involving captive big cats in the US, barrier breaches were by far the most common cause of injuries. Intentional or accidental, reaching through a barrier into a big cat enclosure (or god forbid, going into the enclosure) is one of the most dangerous things you can ever do.

The individual involved in this incident wasn't in behind-the-scenes areas at the zoo, which wasn't clear from the original reporting. It sounds like he jumped the barrier along the guest pathway to get close to the primary fence. This might have some USDA implications around appropriate fencing. I wrote a thing about that and then deleted it, because honestly, this whole thing sucks and I don't care about regulatory implications right now.

The deputy who responded to the scene did the exact right thing - and I can't imagine what he went through in the moment. As a colleague of mine put it: running through a dark zoo into an unknown situation where someone has been injured by a tiger without any other details? Not knowing where the tiger is, or what's going on, just that someone called 911 screaming they'd been attacked? That's a scenario right out of a horror movie.

It sucks that the deputy shot Eko, but it's what members of the dart/gun response team have said they would have done. There's a lot of logistics that go into responding to a dangerous animal incident (here's a good twitter thread from today about that, if you're interested), but the general rule is that human life is prioritized. This situation was really bad because it occurred after hours - so the people trained and prepared to deal with that type of situation weren't on grounds. I assume zoo security was present, but they're not usually trained for animal response situations (and I think it's not common for them to be armed). The deputy was the first on the scene, and he had to make an incredibly hard decision in a split second. He made the right - but horrible - choice.

A new article came out today with a lot more details about the incident, including a lot of what I've mentioned above. You can find the link here - TW: it contains detailed descriptions of the incident and animal death, although not graphic detail about the specific injuries to human or tiger.

My final thought is something I posted on Twitter this morning. The media discusses the fact that the zoo could bring criminal charges against the individual involved: I'd like to know why purposeful barrier breaches like this aren't charged with violations of the Endangered Species Act. The ESA makes it illegal to among other things, "harm, harass, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill..." listed species. These prohibitions apply even to captive endangered animals. Accidents are one thing - purposefully making an irresponsible, arrogant, entitled choice that results in the death of an endangered animal seems like entirely another.

[thegleeacademy]

If we want our character to get a pet with the pet fair, do we just say it happened or is there something we need to do? Is there a weight limit for dogs or anything like that?

I'm getting to this a little late, I ended up going out with friends for few days and just left the internet. Whoopsies. Usually, I'm pretty relaxed when it comes to things. I feel like I have to be a stickler for things like drugs and alcohol and who gets to play staff because if I'm not, history has proven to me that shit will go absolutely bonkers and it's just too much. But when it comes to pets, not only have I never allowed pets at TGA so I don't have history with it, I figure... it's rp. The one place you can have any pet you want. So long as we all know that this is fantasy and not how real life should work, you can literally get a tiger baby for all I'll restrict you. Joe Exotic, look out. It's a fun reason to start researching different animals too, and learning more about what they need. When it comes to more wild animals like this, they would be domesticated obviously. We'll say their wild animal parents were rescued from bad zoos and they were born in the rescue or something so they're all just super chill and unrealistic but like I said... this is rp. I've seen people do pet monkeys and little, tiny wild cat things in school rp before. Also, this would be one of those reasons why people might end up with a bigger suite, or a suite with more customized wild cat stuff, like hobby trails or something. I will also be putting up outside space for animals to be put outside safely and comfortably with enough room to hang out and vibe while students are in class. Obviously, I don't really expect anyone to decide they want a tiger, but the point is that I'll make whatever work.

We're still going to stick with the one pet per person rule so things don't get too crazy, especially with claims being a thing. Imagine claiming two subs and you've got 10 cats, one sub has 12 monkeys, and the other sub has 20 dolphins. Have fun in that suite. So we'll stick with one each, I think that's fair. If there are circumstances where someone wants 2, they can talk to the Headmistress about it. That will definitely be allowed in certain cases, like if someone wants 2 mice or other such small pets. Service animals are also an option here. And the pet fair will end at some point, which means there will no longer be a vast array of animals just chilling on campus for your characters to go pet and play with, but the academy will continue a contract with the animal shelter for future characters that also want to adopt; they can just say they looked online at their website to pick and adopt if they're interested after the fair is gone.

So no weight limit. As for how it happens, you can go ahead and talk on the dash about visiting the pet fair. You can even para it out with other people, or do like... text or dash chats where you're talking to each other about what kinds of pets you might like to have. Then you just say it happened, yeah. I'd suggest posting a picture to social media to announce it so it's canon on your blog.

[tornrose24]

While Covid-19 is doing a lot of damage across the world, there have been very VERY few silver linings, especially for many people. However when it comes to the entertainment industry, I’ve seen the following:

-No one could immediately go straight to any of the zoos from Tiger King and give those awful people their money. Even if you could now, all the zoos are still under a negative eye.

-Delaying Mulan 2020 not only allowed an increase on the declaration to boycott the film and increased awareness in what’s happening in Hong Kong, but those who paid $30 on Netflix to watch it made many of us us all aware of the awful things that have happened that the filming locations in China. Not only is the film not doing so great right now, (and might put an end to live action remakes) but its drawing more attention to how Hollywood (and Disney especially) is trying to especially please China just to make more money. 

-Much of Hollywood is likely suffering financially by pushing their film releases.

-Cuties has caused numerous cancelations for Netflix for allowing it on their platform in the first place. However, a real win is that the numerous cancelations, plus common decency, plus the fact that a number of schools are currently online means that several girls will NOT get to see it/learn about it from their peers, and try to copy whatever they'll see from the film. 

It’ll be nice when the virus passes and everyone’s lives can be a lot safer once more. However I’m glad that the corrupted side of the entertainment industry had to suffer HEAVILY this year.

[goldenavenger02]

Peter Parker's Day Off

This story is for the @friendly-neighborhood-exchange and my giftee is @avengersincamphalfbloodstardis so I hope you like it!

Before anyone draws comparisons between this and the fic @marvelous-writer posted a few weeks ago, we've already gotten it worked out, so go read her fic after mine!

Editing and cover credits go to @clover-roseee!

And now, on with the story!

Peter groaned as he woke up, and tried to force himself awake as Morgan jumped the end of his bed again. "I'm up, Morg, I'm up," he replied as rubbed his eyes, forcing himself to sit up. His body and head felt heavy, and he had that general sick feeling, so despite how much Morgan's excitement tended to rub off on him, it didn't this time. In fact, Peter wasn't even sure how he could be excited when his chest was tight and his nose was so stuffed up.

Morgan didn't seem to pick up on how he was feeling, though. "Come on, Petey!" she instead insisted, before hopping off his bed and running out of his room. "Daddy's making blueberry pancakes before we go to the zoo!"

The trip to the zoo had been planned for weeks, and Pepper had even taken a day off to come with (which was a rarity in itself). May had gotten held up at the hospital, too, so it was perfect timing that he stayed with the Starks for the first week of spring break; but while he really wanted to see Morgan lose her mind over lions, tigers, and birds, he still couldn't shake the sick feeling from his body.

"Come on, Petey! Daddy's making blueberry pancakes before we go to the zoo!" She insisted before running out of his room, singing about the trip.

Grabbing his bathrobe off of his closet door, Peter wrapped it around his shoulders and tried to regain some body heat before shuffling down the stairs. The smell of pancakes hit him as he went into the hall, and he knew immediately that his senses were in overdrive.

When he finally made it to the dining room, Morgan was going over some facts she had learned about lions for a school project and Pepper was looking at the news on her phone, but looked up when she saw Peter sit at the table. "Are you alright, sweetheart?" she asked, upon seeing his pale face, and the thin layer of sweat on his forehead.

Peter started to respond, but instead let out a harsh cough into his elbow. That was enough of a reason for Pepper to get up from the table in search of the thermometer. Meanwhile, Morgan got up from her chair and ran into the kitchen area. "Daddy!" she exclaimed, "Petey's sick!"

Flipping the last few pancakes on to the large serving plate, Tony cleaned his hands with a dry washcloth and turned the stove off. Then, once that was done, he turned his attention to Peter and, with Morgan tagging along behind him, made his way over. "See!" Morgan repeated. "He's sick!"

"Yeah, I definitely see what you're talking about." Tony ruffled Morgan's hair before placing a hand against Peter's forehead. "And that's definitely a fever." He sighed before looking down at his daughter. "Sorry, Morguna. Looks like the zoo is gonna have to wait for a few days."

"But we have to go, Daddy!" Morgan fought back. "Mommy took the day off and everything!" Just as it looked like that Tony would have to deal with a tantrum at eight thirty in the morning, Pepper came back in the room with the ear thermometer and gently inserted it into Peter's ear. "Mommy, we have to go to the zoo!"

"Morgan's right," Peter agreed, receiving an enthusiastic grin from her. "I mean, you did take the day off to go with her to the zoo…"

Pepper looked skeptical. "I don't know. I don't feel comfortable leaving you here by yourself."

"Then how about Mr. Stark stays with me?" Peter proposed, taking a moment to cough into his elbow. Pepper, in return, placed a hand on his back. "You guys can send us pictures, and it'll feel like we're right there with you."

Pepper looked to her husband. "Tony? Are you okay with this?" she asked, as the thermometer beeped. She took it out and sighed when the reading revealed Peter had a temperature of 101.8. "Staying here with Peter?"

"'Course. I've got the spider kid, you two go have fun," Tony insisted, before leaning forward and kissing his wife's cheek. "Like he said, just send us lots of photos. Maybe let Morgan feed a giraffe while you're there, too."

Pepper broke apart from the kiss, and went over to grab her tote bag with her sunglasses, camera and Morgan's change purse full of nickels and pennies. "Alright, try and have a good day," she said, after slipping her shoes on. "Feel better, Peter."

Morgan ran up and hugged Tony tightly, and did the same to Peter before heading outside to the car, with Pepper following closely behind. When the car pulled out of the driveway, Tony turned to the resident sick kid. "So, how does crashing on the couch and watching some Star Wars sound?"

"Can we watch something else? I'm regretting getting Morgan obsessed with it," Peter spoke as he stood up from the table, trying to force the sudden headache that was building behind his eyes.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you want," Tony insisted as Peter shuffled over to the couch and grabbed the remote. "We should probably get you some Tylenol, though."

Peter nodded, starting to scroll through Netflix. Since Morgan preferred Disney+, he knew he would probably find something he wasn't sick of on there. But his vision was going in in and out, and starting to get spotty, and he was fighting every bone in his body in order to stay awake.

Suddenly Tony appeared beside him, and Peter distantly wondered how he did it. "Here," he said, pouring three white tablets into Peter's right hand, and swapping the remote for a bottle of blue Gatorade with the other. "Take that, and go to bed, kid. I'll find something to watch, you look exhausted."

Dropping the pills into his mouth and washing it down with a swig of Gatorade, Peter wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his bathrobe before doing what he was told. Tony's taste in movies was often better than Morgan's or Pepper's anyway, so he let himself relax and, feeling a blanket being draped over him, allowed the music of whatever Tony had picked lull him to sleep.

•••

"So, what do you wanna see first?" Pepper asked her daughter, as the two climbed out of the car doors. They had spent a little over half an hour driving, and Pepper already had the online map on her phone all ready and set-up. Knowing her daughter, though, she'd probably want to see more of the cuddly animals first, before going to see the creepier ones.

"Hmm…" Morgan hummed and tilted her head as she thought. She definitely wanted to go see the lions, but she was also wondering if they had a penguin exhibit, and maybe a snake one, too. "I dont know! Can we go see the dolphins? Please?"

"Sure." Pepper smiled and gently grasped her daughter's hand in hers, before they made their way inside. "And then we'll go feed the giraffe, like your dad wanted to. Sound good?" She verbalized the plan, trying to make it stick in Morgan's head, but, in reality, she was just wanting to spend some much needed time with her daughter. It was always a rarity when she was able to take time off, and she wanted to make the most of it.

Morgan nodded, but the period of silence was broken by her stopping in front of the snake exhibit. "Mommy, look!" she shouted, bouncing on her heels giddily. "Can we look at these first? Please?"

"Of course." Pepper nodded, took her camera out of her bag, and watched as one of the exhibit employees, per Morgan's request, placed a boa constrictor around her shoulders. "Say cheese on three, sweetie!"

•••

When Peter woke up on the couch, he felt like he could barely breathe through his nose, and could feel the intensity of the pressure in his head. Then, sitting up, he glanced around the room, before trying to peer into the kitchen. "Mr. Stark?" he asked, the stuffiness having apparently spread to his voice with how nasally he sounded. "Are you here?"

"In the kitchen!" the stay at home dad called back. Sighing and flopping back on to the couch, Peter re-covered himself with the blanket Tony draped over him, before he heard a "Shit, that's hot!" and the man himself appeared in the doorway. "Okay," he announced, as he walked over to his sick kid, "I've got good news and bad news. Which do you want first?"

Peter smirked. "What's the bad news?"

"Bad news," Tony explained, as he set a plate of soggy charcoal-coloured toast on the table, "is that I burnt your toast, and put too much butter on; so, it's kinda ruined now, kid."

Peter chuckled, as he sat up and, despite how terrible the toast looked, took a bite from it. 'At least Tony tried,' he thought. "And the good news?" he asked.

"The good news is that I ordered soup for later—don't look at me like that!—and that I did manage to make sure your Gatorade stayed cold," Tony said, as he set the half-full Gatorade on the coffee table, right beside where the plate previously was. Then, he had taken a seat near the sick teen's feet and patted his knee. "But, it doesn't matter now. How're you feeling, Pete?"

Peter sat up a bit to place the soggy toast beside the Gatorade, and laid back down against his pillows. "My head still hurts," he muttered, trying to warm himself up as he buried himself beneath the blanket, "'nd I've been kinda feeling sick. There's no other medicine I can take, right?"

Tony shook his head. "'Fraid not, kiddo. And, even if there was, I don't wanna give you mixed medications and have to take you to a hospital, so it's not gonna happen."

Peter groaned.

"But, what I can do is let you see all the pictures Pepper sent me of Morgan." Tony smiled as he pulled out his phone, and swiped on over to his 'Messages' section. "There's even one of her holding a boa constrictor, if you wanna see it."

Peter shook his head, remembering his very bad experience with a snake from years ago. "I think I'll pass on that," he said, before sitting up and glancing over Tony's shoulder. "But is there one of her with a penguin? Or a giraffe?"

Tony nodded, as he passed the phone over, and adjusted the two of them, so Peter was leaning against his side, with his head on his chest. "Oh, yeah," he replied. "Third and fifth one in. My personal favourites, though, are the ones with the sloths and otters."

In response, Peter yawned, and, after scrolling through all the photos, gave the phone back to Tony. He was getting exhausted again, and assumed, as he buried his head into his mentor's chest, that Tony had moved on to watching the videos Pepper had sent him, so he shut his eyes and allowed Morgan's excited squeals to lull him back into a peaceful sleep.

•••

"Alright, honey," Pepper said, smiling, as she fished Morgan's change purse out of her tote bag, "you can pick one thing out from the gift shop, and then we're going to head home." She held her daughter's hand as they approached the small gift shop, located back at the entrance. She was thankful she hadn't lost her daughter when they were visiting the exhibits, but if there was one place where she would lose her, then it was definitely the gift shop.

Morgan took her change purse from her mother's hand, and looked up at her, pleadingly. "Can I get something for Petey, too?" she asked with her adorable, wide eyes. "He's sick and we can get something to make him feel better!"

"Nothing fragile," Pepper negotiated, "and nothing made of glass. Otherwise, you can go nuts and get whatever you want. Deal?" She held her hand up for a high five.

"Deal!" Morgan exclaimed excitedly, as she returned the high-five. Unfortunately, Morgan was five, and that meant she was still rather small, so the high-five ended up being one of those off-beat ones, where they missed each other and ended up mostly slapping the air instead. Pepper still smiled, though, and watched as Morgan made a B-line for the stuffed animals.

'That's a good idea,' she thought to herself. 'Peter would probably prefer cuddling one of those instead of a rubber snake, anyway.'

•••

"Daddy, Daddy, we're home!" Morgan announced, a little over forty-five minutes later, before she slipped off her shoes and bright yellow leather rainjacket at the door. Then, she had resumed running into the kitchen, where she wrapped her arms around her dad's legs. "Mommy and I saw penguins, and sloths, I got to hold a snake!"

Setting down the knife he was using to chop up the peppers and celery, Tony had then dried his hands with a washcloth, before turning and giving his full attention to his daughter. "That's great, Morguna," he replied, as he kneeled down to her level and planted a small kiss atop her head. "But you'll have to tell me everything when Peter wakes up, okay? He still doesn't feel so good, and he needs a lot of rest to get better."

"Okay!" Morgan agreed, happily, before she pulled a grey and white ovaloid object out of her little purse. "We got him a penguin!" She exclaimed, enthusiastically bouncing on her heels once more. "Do you think he'll like it? I hope he likes it!"

Tony nodded, as he ran his hand through his daughter's messy brown hair. "I'm sure he'll love it, Morguna."

"Now, go wash your hands, okay?" Pepper said, as she came up behind her daughter and gently nudged her towards the bathroom. In response, Morgan did as she was told, and Pepper took that chance to heave the groceries up on to the counter, and started putting them away. "Morgan insisted we get juice pops for Peter," she explained, as she opened the freezer and stuffed the box of popsicles inside. "How did things go at home today?"

"Pretty good. He's gotten a bit better since you guys left, but he told me he was feeling sick, so we'll have to keep an eye on him tonight."

"Alright." Pepper smiled and put up the last of the groceries before turning to her husband. "I'm gonna sit in there till dinner is ready." She planted a quick kiss against Tony's cheek before sitting in the armchair that was beside the couch Peter was asleep on, and started to go through some files on her laptop. Days off were always a rarity for her, so she wanted to transfer the photos to her phone, so she could look at them while she was at work.

She looked up when she heard a rustling noise, only to see Morgan come in with the stuffed penguin and put it under Peter's right arm before climbing on the couch and curling up next to him. Watching as Peter unconsciously wrapped his left arm around Morgan, Pepper smiled and waited until her daughter's eyes closed to take a picture.

She'd be thanked, later.

[magnoliawhetstone]

h e a d c a n o n s, pt. 1

( tw: mentions of eating disorder )

When Lia is drunk/ tipsy she likes to act our favorite movie scenes—even if she’s alone.  Most recently was the titanic scene (where she also got her knee suck in the balcony). She can quote all of the legally blonde courtroom scene and definitely knows the mean girls Christmas dance as well.

When Lia bakes, she has this small habit of humming or singing when she does so. Interestingly enough, for how involved baking is, she’d done it for so long she’s relatively good at shutting her brain down for a while when she does it. Or, at least, it takes all her energy to bake instead of overthink. It’s why she stress bakes so frequently and it’s also why she hums/sings when she does it. It’s mindless and she’d be embarrassed if anyone heard it–but she doesn’t always realize she’s doing it.

Surprisingly, while Lia’s favorite book is Pride and Prejudice, her favorite movie is Love Actually. She can quote most of the movie–as she can with most things she loves–and her favorite scene is when Hugh Grant dances to “Jump (For My Love)” by the Pointed Sisters. This is another scene she sometimes recreates when drunk.

Lia is not the biggest fan of Harry Potter. She doesn’t even know what house she’s in (its Ravenclaw but she can’t remember that). She never got into the series, never found it to be that interesting–magic didn’t quench her thirst the way some other books did…

Yes, that’s right. Magnolia Barnes was absolutely a Twi-Hard. You could not pull her away from these books–it was even worse since, at age 18, you’d think she would have had better taste. But no, she was #TeamJacob all the way. And yes, she did go see the movies when they came out. And yes, she did cry at the end. Don’t judge her.

Lia loves watching home renovation shows, though she literally has no reason to watch the show. She’s never had to do a home reno in her life. But she likes to imagine a day when she would–she thinks she’d be quite good at it. Sometimes about being able to use her hands in a meaningful way strikes her as soothing–its why she likes baking so much. She doesn’t have proof she’d be good at it, but she has a feeling she’d be pretty good with her hands if she can make delicate pastries so well.

Lia loves college football. Like absolutely adores it. Big Clemson gal, Tiger Rag is her jam. She remembered spending fall weekends at their Lake Keowee home so they could easily drive over to Clemson and go to a home game. Hates the Gamecocks with a passion. Rivalry weekend was her favorite time of year growing up–it was so full of excitement and energy. In fact, the most heated you might ever see Lia out of an argument is walking a Clemson football game. And yes she knows exactly what’s going on down on the field and if you ask her one more time if she’s sure–she will throw a piece of pie in your face.

Speaking of Clemson, Lia wanted to go there for college–get her degree in English. But she also had high dreams to be the baton twirler on the field–the one who dots the i with whatever family they’re celebrating that day in the pregame ceremony? Yeah, she wanted that. She thought that maybe she could mix the two worlds of hers, her two areas of interest–but no, that was never to be the case.

Lia grew up going to State fairs every summer–but never an amusement or theme park. She has never been to a planetarium, and her first trip to an Aquarium was with Beckett. Her first trip to a Zoo was with Ryder. So sure she’s ridden some rides, but it’s never been like most people have. It’s her dream to go to DisneyWorld one day and somehow, someway, stay in the Cinderella Suite. she’s watched enough youtube videos to know that not one gets to stay there but contest winners and celebrities, but still–a girl can dream.

While her peers took their vacations in Paris, Nice, Monaco and Italy, Lia’s father preferred north–like Amsterdam. Which, to be fair, was really very nice and Lia liked going. She even had a friend, Tess, who she’d hang out with when they would go on holiday as they called it. Tess was cool–she was into collecting model trains and really liked to read also. But then Tess’s parents sent her to boarding school after they had found out that she had been chatting with people online that she shouldn’t have been. Lia thought that sounded awfully harsh and hoped her parents would never do something like that to her. (Oh, irony)

When she’s sick, she doesn’t want chicken noodle soup, she wants wonton soup. Why? She doesn’t know, but she’s never liked chicken noodle soup. She thinks its the mushy carrots and celery. But wonton soup is essentially the same thing, but with a wonton and better flavor. She likes hers with spinach.

If toast is cut diagonal, she can’t eat it. Vertical squad for the win.

Big Bon Appetit fan. The quickest way to make her smile is to make her watch an episode of “one of everything” or “gourmet makes”. she might have a small crush on alex delany but we don’t talk about that.

Lia believe in aliens but not ghosts. She’s not big on conspiracy theories either–but she might be tempted by the stories at Denver Intentional Airport. She just can’t accept that humans are the only living things in the universe. That’s a lot for her–but she doesn’t go actively searching for them. Ghosts, on the other hand–she just never believed in them. Why would anyone want to haunt someone? Seemed like a weird power play to her. And no, despite what some people at the Malnati think, the moon is not made of cheese.

Lia is obsessed with spreadsheets. If you asked her what the dorkiest thing about her was–she’d tell you it was her planner and spreadsheets. She has a spreadsheet for probably every aspect of her life. her planner–which is really a bullet journal–is how she keeps track of things when she can’t get on her computer, but she has one for chores, her books, work, her bucket list, hell–even a bachelorette watch party she had a few years ago. She loves being organized.

Office supplies are her kryptonite. She absolutely loves blank notebooks and pens. She has a favorite pen for different things. Pentel RSVP RT Retractable Ball Point in black for everyday items, Staedleter fine tips felt pens for her bullet journal, sharpie pens for when she wants her notes to stand out, Zebra Mildliner for headers in her bullet journal or giving the pages shape. She is incredible persnickety on who can borrow what pen, and even keeps less important pens in her pencil bag just to lend out. And under very few circumstances will you ever see Magnolia Barnes using a pencil unless she has been required too. She hates the darn things.

Lia doesn’t swear–her mother taught her ladies don’t swear and while she doesn’t believe language as a gatekeeper for femininity anymore, the expectation still holds. So if you do hear her use a curse word, something is very very wrong.

Go to coffee order, you ask? Easy. Grande White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha with Blonde Espresso and Almondmilk and yes whipped cream. Sometimes she’ll get it with Raspberry instead. If its iced, it’s a tall and no whipped cream. However, she can also be bought over with a Venti Iced Guava Tea Lemonade with 8 pumps sweetener.

Lia has seen the Chatworth House–the house used as Pemberly in the Kiera Knightly version of Pride and Prejudice. While its not her all time favorite movie, she sure loves it still and begged her parents to take her one summer. They relented and it was everything she had dreamed of seeing.

It’s well known that Lia cannot dance–she often tells people she can only line dance and Viennese Walz, and the former only happens when she’s tipsy on PBRs.

Lia loves sleeping with windows open because she can’t sleep in silence. The white noise of the city helps relax her and and makes her sleep easier.

However, she must read in silence–any noise will distract her and she gets relatively grumpy if anyone interrupts her reading. She also adores reading by a window. She likes the way the natural lights illuminates the pages.

Words are some of Lia’s favorite things–she thinks they’re magic. So loves the way they sound and likes to think about the way they feel in her mouth and how they roll off the tongue. She does her best to take her time when speaking too–because if words are so important, its better to get them right the first time. (Although perhaps she would learn that getting it right may not always be nearly as important as saying something at all).

(tw: eating disorder) Not many people know this, but after the book incident, Lia has begun to go to therapy. Her counselor, Tonya, has been helping her try to work through what things are Lia and what things are Lia’s mother. They haven’t gotten to the eating disorder conversation yet–and Lia dreads it. because Lia has never used the term out loud–in fact, the only time it was ever spoken was by the doctor the night of the incident. She has never named it and technically never claimed it out loud–though she knows its true in her heart.

Lia hates pickles. Don’t know why, but she thinks they are gross. Also parmesan cheese.

Magnolia loves horses–perhaps not the extend of others, but she had grown up riding them and when she rode them, she always sensed a freedom that was just out of reach at home. Perhaps that was because who was always riding wit her, but she doesn’t like to dive deep into that. It complicates things (that maybe needed to be complicated, just sayin’). Leaving her childhood horse Butternut was like leaving a pet (something the Barnes did not have as Lia grew up). Butternut and her went on a lot of adventures together, usually along side Buttersquash and Jack. It was good squad.

Lia’ favorite dessert is Mrs. Whetstone’s peach cobbler–and she has pour her life’s work into recreating it since she never asked for the recipe before she left. Every time she tries, she feels like she gets a little closer, but its never quite right. But it does remind her of home and its one of those memories she loves dearly. Anyone who asks her, though, what her favorite dessert is, she’ll say cheesecake because nothing even compares in her mind to that cobbler and she doesn’t want something to try to do something that will never reach what she expects. And she does love cheesecake.

Favorite flavor of yogurt? Chobani Raspberry Lemonade. Its only available in the summertime, but boy is it worth the wait.

[ladyhistorypod]

Episode 9: Monkey See, Monkey Do

Sources:

Helen Martini

Museum of the City of New York

IMDB

British Pathé (YouTube)

New York Heritage Digital Collections

Further Reading: My Zoo Family,  Cubs in the Tub, Mother to Tigers

Dian Fossey

Biography

BBC Earth

National Geographic: The Renegade Scientist Who Taught Us To Love Gorillas

Zoologist Dian Fossey: A Storied Life With Gorillas

Lady Science

DW: Made For Minds

Alana’s Surprise Lady

The Age

SF Gate

Kokoflix (YouTube)

PBS

Gorilla Foundation

New York Times

NPR

Washington Post

ABC News

National Geographic

National Geographic (YouTube)

60 Minutes Australia (YouTube)

Attributions:

birdsong, water splash, Zoos & Young Animals, Under Water

Click below for a full text transcript of this episode!

Haley: A brief warning about the following episode of Lady History: this episode contains sensitive topics such as murder, violence, and racism.

Archival Audio: Gorilla at Large! The most murderous, destructive beast man has ever seen! Gorilla at Large! In 3D and color by Technicolor!

Lexi: Alana, do you want to share your good news?

Alana: I do, I have very good news. So, in– I think it was episode five– we very subtly mentioned that GW had to let me into school so that Lexi and I could live together and um… Actually the same day that episode seven came out, we found out that GW let me into grad school.

Lexi: Woohoo!!

Haley: I feel like that's a universe telling you like “here is why” if it aired on the same day.

Alana: Yeah, definitely. I really think like. My dad was like “did you put– did you talk about your podcast on your application” and I was like yeah. I listened to– the suffragist episode? I listened like four times the day it came out. I was like this is so good. We're so good at this.

(Lexi laughing)

[INTRO MUSIC]

Alana: Hello and welcome to Lady History; the good, the bad, and the ugly ladies you missed in history class. I’ve run out of ways to say that we're on Zoom but Lexi what's the difference between monkeys and apes?

Lexi: Like. You want me to scientifically give you the difference?

Alana: Sure.

Lexi: Monkeys have tails.

Alana: Monkeys do have tails.

Lexi: There's a lot more but like monkeys do have tails. And that's the easy way to tell. So please, when you take your child to the zoo do not call the chimps or gorillas or orangutans or bonobos monkeys. As someone who previously worked in a zoo, and witnessed mothers and nannies telling their children “look at the monkey sweetie” to an intelligent ape, I… Nope. Mm. Okay.

Alana: That's why I picked that question for you. Also, Haley. Haley, what’s your favorite zoo?

Haley: I am a zoo connoisseur. I love zoos. Love me some animals but I'm going to have to go with my hometown, my first zoo ever was the Bronx Zoo. I have many memories, some scary, some pleasant, some very confusing but generally just like would ten out of ten live there.

Alana: And I'm Alana and my personality is fifty percent I love aquariums.

Haley: No.

Alana: Why are you shaking your head at me Haley?

Lexi: I also love aquariums.

Haley: Fish freak me out.

Lexi: Aquariums freak you out?

Haley: Fish and birds like, scare me on a personal level.

Lexi: Those are my favorite animals! I had a fish tank in my nursery as a baby. I think that's where my parents went wrong because I got a degree in museum studies and I just want to work with living collections that would be fantastic, so hit me up, any zoo in America. Actually, any zoo in the world. I am mobile. I am single. I do have a parrot so if your country does not allow parrots to come in from foreign countries please consider me off your list. But if I can bring a parrot into your country and you want me to work in a zoo or aquarium hit me up.

Haley: Cal Academy is right for you, that's where I– very close to where I currently live and they have like their live collection. I thought their penguins were fake. Like I did not realize because the way– Okay, the way the Cal Academy is set up is that when you walk in you’re greeted with this like giant forest– like what is called, atrium? Aviary is for the birds, right? So this is just like a whole encapsule of foliage and you can see some like butterflies go around and you can see the beginning of the aquarium, and the whole bottom floor is the aquarium and it's really really cool. You also have like an albino or white alligator. I forget what the guy's name is called, but it's like a white alligator that they have to– if he ever gets hurt and like he starts bleeding, since he’s white it's very noticeable they have to like hide him to not scare the children it’s a whole thing. Oh, the penguins. The penguins are in like their African, early human wing which are all taxidermy animals or like faux bones those like display of human origins like the Smithsonian and then one wall it's just penguins and then they started moving I truly just jumped out of my skin. This was like at a…  the first time I went was at like an adult night, 21 and older, you get a drink, you walk around the like, museum.

Alana: That’s sexy. I want to go to that.

Haley: I had like a beer in me and then the penguins started moving. People have like very mixed feelings on the Cal Academy but it's mostly people who like hate zoos, and like don’t understand that like some zoos are actually decent. Like it’s– we're not talking about GW Tiger King zoo, we’re talking about like–

Lexi: That's not a zoo. That's just not a zoo.

Alana: That’s not a zoo!

Haley: The amount of people who have fought me when I'm like “I love zoos” they're like “animals should be wild” and it's like “no. You do not put a hurt penguin back with its herd.” Like the elephant missing a tusk? Is not going to do well. Like GW Tiger King zoo? Not a zoo. That’s just–

Lexi: Science is important.

Alana: Science is important!

Lexi: The zoos on Tiger King, not science. When you go to a zoo, or are considering going to a zoo, look up what their contributions to scientific research and animal welfare are. If they are not AZA certified, do not go there. There was an incident recently in which the Pittsburgh Zoo, which used to be AZA certified, became un-AZA certified. It’s still an okay zoo but like in general look for AZA certifications. But the thing about AZA zoos is they follow a species survival plan, which means they don't decide when and where the animals go. There is a larger conglomerate that decides when animals need to be moved around. And so if one zoo needs a gorilla that will breed with another gorilla because that is what is best for gorillas all over the world, they will move the gorilla. They get a private plane and they take the gorilla with the keeper to meet its new keeper and that's where the gorilla moves because it's all about the science and the species preservation.

Alana: I really like the New England Aquarium and I'm not just saying that because I hope Erin Keif is listening. Um, even though I do hope she’s listening. Hi, Erin! We think you’re really cool!

Lexi: The aquarium in your homeland is beautiful.

Alana: It's so cool. I love the big old tube and then you like walk up around the tube. I think that's dope. I love that. That's like their main exhibit and I think it's so cool. I also saw like– I was in Boston maybe ten years ago; little more, little less, and there were like jellyfish! Right off the docks! Because we’re killing the turtles! That’s what I learned at the New England Aquarium!

Archival Audio: The llama family and cousins are all in the market for babysitters. While Mrs Helen Martini serves in that capacity for 3 little tiger kittens, born of parents themselves born and raised at the zoo, the triplets are concerned mainly with calories and vitamins and rather resent the working press. They're not up to scratch, yet, but they sure know the proper facial expressions. What a picture they make! (Tiger cub meowing sound)

Lexi: So, Haley, we were talking about your favorite zoo in the world. What was that zoo?

Haley: The Bronx Zoo.

Lexi: And do you know much about the history of the Bronx Zoo?

Haley: I probably used to, you're gonna have to fill me in on this one.

Lexi: Do you know who the first female zookeeper of the Bronx Zoo was? 

Haley: Your lady?

Lexi: Yes! Helen Martini!

Alana: Her name is Martini? 

Lexi: Yes, her name is Martini. So like, wonderful. We’re already off to a great start. But yes that is when talking about today so I thought it was very relevant that you mentioned how much you love the Bronx Zoo, that it's your home turf, because it was her home turf too. So a quick preface to our upcoming story, finding digital sources on Helen is extremely difficult. I had a really hard time with it. It appears very little has been published about her, particularly online and she doesn't even have a Wikipedia page, so for information about her life I had to use an IMDB page that exists for her, which I'm not sure if it's accurate and I'm not sure why it even exists, she was not a movie star. So take all this info on her early years with a tiny grain of salt. Once she actually starts being involved with the zoo that's when the information gets a little more accurate. Helen Martini was born on June 5, 1912 in Newfoundland, Canada. Her father, Matthew Delaney, was a merchant seaman and Helen was born with an eye problem that doctors told her parents would result in her eventually going blind. After father's death in 1925, her mother took her to New York to undergo eye operations. These operations helped protect her sight. Some attribute her caring personality to this turning point in her life. As an adult, Helen married a man named Fred. He worked as a jeweler and the couple lived in an apartment in the Bronx. Fred and Helen decided to have a baby, but unfortunately lost their child due to miscarriage. Helen was told by doctors that she would never be able to have a child. Helen turned her attention to caring for fur babies instead. She and Fred became diligent pet owners and avid animal lovers. The couple also lived close to the Bronx Zoo, and frequently visited the furry friends that lived there. One day, Helen saw an ad for an open position at the Bronx Zoo. At the time, American zoos only hired men as zookeepers. So Helen did what any sensible woman in mid-century America would do. She encouraged her husband to quit his job as a jeweler and apply to become a zookeeper. Fred had no formal training or experience in zoology, but he got the job. Fred became the keeper of the lion house, which was home to an array of big cat species. In 1942, a lioness had a cub and refused to care for it. Worried it would die, Fred decided he needed to enlist the help of the best animal mom he knew- his own wife Helen. Helen took in the cub and named him Macarthur, in honor of General Macarthur. Helen cared for the cub in her and Fred’s apartment, following the zoo’s protocols for care. At the age of 2 months, Macarthur was thriving and he returned to the zoo to live among other lions. Two years later, the zoo’s female tiger gave birth to three cubs. She abandoned all of them, refusing to nurse or care for them. Helen, who had successfully saved Macarthur, was again called upon to care for the baby big cats. She cared for the three cubs in her apartment, just like Macarthur, but the zoo had no set protocols for abandoned baby tigers. There was no guide for her to follow, as the Bronx Zoo had never successfully raised orphan baby tigers before. Helen, determined to succeed and help save the animals, used her own motherly instincts, her previous experience working with lions, and extensive research to develop a method for rearing the cubs. Much of her method was improvised, and used trial and error. Eventually, she developed the perfect diet to get the tigers fit; milk and water in the early days, then the addition of chopped meat as they grew. All three cubs became strong and were able to go back to the zoo. Helen had become a successful zookeeper, all without ever being paid or rewarded in any way. So the Bronx Zoo decided to do the unthinkable- hire a woman. Helen was officially hired as a zookeeper and became America's first woman to work as a professional zookeeper. Her role was to care for baby animals, and she established the Bronx Zoo's first nursery. She converted an old storage space into a place for orphaned and abandoned baby animals. Helen still cared for the youngest babies who needed round the clock care in her apartment, but the older couples are able to thrive in a space all their own. In 1945, Helen was a household name in the Bronx, known by many as a woman with tiger cubs in her apartment. Photographers from Look magazine visited her home, documenting the unique situation of her and her husband. Baby tigers rummaged through the fridge, sat in Helen's armchair, and even rummaged through the cameraman's bag. Helen did not stop at just lions and tigers. She knew other baby animals at the zoo would not be able to thrive if their mother stopped caring for them. Throughout her career, she also raised black leopards, marmosets, jaguars, gorillas, deer, antelopes, and even skunks. Her favorite of this was still, of course, the tigers. Before her retirement in 1960, she had raised 27 tigers in total. In 1951, newsreel video of Helen shows her caring for a baby gorilla named Mambo and refers to her as an “ardent disciple of Spock and Gessell” two child care experts of the era. In the video, Helen feeds baby Mambo from a bottle and sets him in his crib for a nap. You can watch this clip on YouTube and I will include the link on our Tumblr. In 1953, Helen and Fred published a book of photographs and stories which they called “My Family Zoo.” In this book, Helen mentions personal accounts of her favorite animals- Bagheera the leopard, Ugly the howler monkey, Zambezi the lion, Dolly the deer, and Dacca, her beloved tiger cub who went on to have cubs of her own, making Helen a tiger grandma. Unfortunately, this book is out of print and extremely rare. The cheapest copies seem to cost around $60 today. Helen has also inspired several modern children's books including “Cubs in the Tub” and “Mother to Tigers” which are both about her raising the three initial tiger cubs. Helen's work establishing a nursery at the Bronx Zoo was revolutionary in the world of zoology and zoo management. Through her efforts, dozens of vulnerable baby animals were saved and went on to live healthy lives as ambassadors for their species. Her observations of their behaviour and reflections on the issues of raising baby wild animals in captivity provided a foundation of understanding for future zookeepers. Helen, who brought motherly kindness and a caring nature to the zoo, is proof that sometimes a woman's touch is all an industry needs to progress. Also, I just wanna make a quick plea that if any of you are skilled Wikipedia editors, please help my girl Helen get on there and link it to the Bronx Zoo page so that people can find her because she is so cool and there are not many resources on her out there.

Alana: I have a question. Is Bagheera named after The Jungle Book Bagheera?

Lexi: I believe so, but it could just be a coincidence. But it sounds like it, probably.

Alana: It seems like it.

Lexi: Yeah.

Alana: I remember people were talking about the… it's like my mom's favorite song from Jungle Book, where King Louis, the orangutan king, is like singing with Mowgli and people are like “that's racist” and I'm like. I have bad news for you guys. About the Jungle Book. Bad news about Rudyard Kipling.

Lexi: Ruining their childhoods.

Alana: Yeah, for real. It’s like I… I… I have bad news, you know that guy, the guy who wrote The Jungle Book? He also wrote something called “The White Man's Burden” about how it's white people's job to civilize people of color. So maybe… beating a dead horse a little bit.

Archival Audio: In a land, in a forest grim and grand, where the chimpanzees and the cinnamon trees live a simple life with the simianese, a big gorilla he.

Haley: Born in 1932, she is known as the woman who gave her life to save the gorillas. Dian Fossey lead an incredible life and this story is definitely a roller coaster. Honestly guys this might have been the like hardest story for me to write because one, there's so much information about her out there, a lot of that information is conflicting. Based on the author's bias. It is also something that like. Like 1932 is not that far away it's less than a hundred years and it's not like she was– she… born and died between like before 1950. She's kinda more relevant. She knows Jane Goodall, we'll get into all of that. A lot of that information was hard to dissect. Let's– let's hope I did a good enough job for y’all. Please don't come out– come after me if I left something out. I could honestly go on for hours this could have been like a two parter for me. Alright. Let's start this history book at the beginning. Dr Dian Fossey was born and raised in San Francisco, California and she grew up in an environment surrounded by animals. So much so that she wanted to be a veterinarian, and fun fact she was an avid horseback rider so we got a horse gal for us here. Fast forward a little bit. Dian Fossey didn't really study veterinary, but she was still in the whole helping people, helping animals– because like humans are animals– and graduated with an occupational therapy degree. Moved to Louisville, Kentucky where she was the director of the Kosair Crippled Children’s Hospital as an occupational therapist or she was the head of that department. This was in 1955 hence the dumb name. I really hope that wasn't the name but it was in 1955. There she also was living on a farm so she couldn’t super get away from animals because she did own some, had the whole farm life. But it wasn't enough to fulfil her adventurous side, and as the years went on, she was kind of itching to do something more and going back to animals seemed like the obvious choice. So in September 1963, Dian went to Africa for the first time ever. This trip not only cost her her entire life savings, but also an entire bank loan had to be taken out just so she could like go to Africa and do some research. Well, this clearly paid off because while visiting Kenya, Tanzania, and other places, she met paleoanthropologist Mary Leakey and her husband archaeologist Louis Leakey. And this is a side note like snaps they introduced her as Mary Leakey and her husband and my jaw just dropped I was like yes I was going to do this anyway! It was also the relationship that she had with the Leakeys, that she met up with Jane Goodall. And the Leakeys at this point wanted to find ways to make sure other areas– because paleoanthropology is the study of like really really old things, fossils, before human life– they are the guys who did Lucy. Af- Afric– Africanus– what was it–

Alana: Australopithecus

Haley: Austro– Someone please say it.

Lexi: Australopithecus africanus, right?

Haley: There we go. Yes, that is Lucy. It was also this relationship with the Leakeys that she was able to meet Jane Goodall. And Jane Goodall was part of this whole Leakey corporation, society, relationship, business type thing, because the Leakeys as paleoanthropologists were really interested in studying primates and how they worked genetically, historically, all that stuff with our ancestors as Australopithecus Africanus etcetera etcetera etcetera. We can truly visit this for hours and hours and hours. However, we don't have the time. So Dian kind of got the gorilla side of it and she also met with native wildlife photographers who were working on a documentary about African gorillas, and it was there that Dian was like “yes, I love gorillas, I really want to continue this, this is where I was meant to be.” And back in the States Dian kept thinking about Africa, endangered gorillas, and how she can get more involved. She ended up accepting an offer which allowed her to live among the mountain gorillas in the Democratic Republic of Congo and then Rwanda, because of like the civil war that was happening she had to move around, be safe. In Rwanda, she established the Karisoke Research Foundation in Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park to be like the base camp for her research. She grew her name in the primatology field and was the leader on the physiological and behavioral side of mountain gorillas. So really looking at how they interact with each other, and what individualistic qualities they resemble, so not seeing them as purely these hungry animals that will rip you from limb to limb. How did they act with their children, how did they act with their others like the male versus female, how do they act with other species in the area, all that good stuff. And her work also extended to the protection of our furry comrades by shedding light on how poachers kill gorillas and the violence against them overall. This opened up for international recognition of her work and the work to protect specifically the plummeting numbers of gorillas. So by this time, a lot of people knew her name. During this time, as she was building her framework for her research foundation, doing research herself, she obtained a PhD from Cambridge and then was now Dr Dian and continued more research through Cornell University. However, here on Lady History we have to cover the bad or the ugly. And… So… Look at the show notes for more, but I'll just give you the gist of why her as a conservationist wasn't necessarily a great woman. Like the two didn't have to blend. You can be a great conservationist but a shitty human being. Because in the eyes of the local Rwandans, they were often offended by the way she treated them. This is really like, reading this back I feel– I am getting such– just nervousness I– these are not my words, these are hers. So she would kind of call like a group meeting and go down the list of things and she just turned to locals and be like “my Africans.” It's not great. Even if it's like a little bit racist, it’s still racist. There's also instances of people not being paid on time, but I couldn't find concrete evidence more on like the foundation and research headquarters as a whole, because like she obviously, while was the head, she's not the only person in charge of things, like that’s not how like, a budding foundation worked. Many people– this is like a heavily debated topic in the fields of like how much praise do we give her because she had… she was racist at times, and she was discriminatory. But she did make these huge contributions and the lives of like endangered gorillas. She did devote much of her life to protect the “gentle gorillas” as she would call them from the human and environmental hazards. Unfortunately, her life was cut short because on December 26, 1985, she was found hacked to death. And a lot of this was kind of like circumstantial because they have not found the guilty party and prosecuted them for murder, but they believe that she was murdered by poachers at her Rwandan forest camp. Yeah, Alana’s face is dropped. It took a turn.

Lexi: You’ve never seen Gorillas in the Mist?

Alana: No!

Haley: So I watched Gorillas in the Mist, and I get to that, it's in her legacy. But my mom like turned it off or somehow– I don't remember this ending. I didn't remember that she died. And I read it again and I was like racism… Murder!

Lexi: She did that classic mom thing where you turn off the bad part of the movie.

Haley: I really think that’s what happened.

Lexi: I didn’t know there was a second VHS tape to the Sound of Music for twenty years.

(Alana laughing)

Lexi: Because the Nazis! And I’m German, so I wasn’t allowed to know there were Nazis.

Alana: Oh, that’s such a big problem!

Haley: Yeah, yeah. As you all know I like to just add a little bit of the legacy, and her legacy is still living through the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, formerly named the Digit Fund, that's also linked in the show notes. Otherwise the book she wrote in 1983, Gorillas in the Mist, was turned into a movie, as Lexi said, which starred Sigourney Weaver in 1988. I don't know. I'm kind of stuck on this girl, on whether like, I think she's a great– she's definitely not a great human, personally, but like her contributions to science. But I just want to provide all information and be like… and let's respect that she did help the gorillas out, but probably did it in a way that we all cringe now.

(Archival music)

Alana: We've been talking about zookeepers, zoologists, primatologists, you know, that's the theme of the episode. But I feel like we're leaving a key demographic out of this discussion. So my lady for today is Koko the gorilla.

Haley: What?

Alana: Yeah.

Lexi: Fantastic.

Haley: I'm so on board for this.

Alana: Gorilla ladies are ladies.

Haley: I'm speechless

Alana: I’m so glad.

Haley: Bravo. This is fabulous, I’m excited.

Alana: Thank you. I'm also excited. So Koko was born on July 4, 1971 and her full name was Hanabi-ko which means fireworks child. And as I'm saying it I'm realizing that that's a Fourth of July reference… like, fireworks. I just got that. Isn’t that fun. And she was born at the San Francisco Zoo. She was a western lowland gorilla who– they have the best Latin name ever it's gorilla gorilla gorilla. And another woman, Dr Francine “Penny” Patterson, started working with her on sign language in 1972 when Koko was only a year old. And then Dr Patterson started the Gorilla Foundation in the Santa Cruz Mountains in 1979. Koko learned a lot of sign language. She knew at least a thousand signs and probably understood about two thousand words because Dr Patterson would talk while she was signing. And that's about the vocab of a toddler. but also like what are non human animals but toddlers? Because I walk a dog, her name is Missy, I love her very much– if she won't leave the park with me, you do that thing that you do with three year olds– “okay bye Missy”– and you walk towards the gate. And what does she do, every single time, she comes running up to me. I say “bye Missy” then she comes. Really what are animals but toddlers. She had a companion named Michael who was rescued from the jungles of Africa and they were supposed to be a breeding pair because it seemed like Koko really wanted a family, in addition to western lowland gorillas being an endangered species. And that's that whole thing about gorillas getting on airplanes with the keepers and private jets, that we were talking about earlier. They didn't actually end up breeding they just became best friends. Like just best friends and they were playmates and it was very fun. He was also learning sign language and potentially learned how to tell the story of watching his mother get killed by poachers. Which… you can learn a little bit more about that I'll leave a link to that in the show notes. So Michael died of a heart condition that's very common in gorillas, and they brought in a second breeding partner whose name was Ndume... also learned sign language. Koko did get pregnant, but she had a miscarriage and couldn't get pregnant after that. So, similar to Lexi’s lady. So instead they got her kittens. Lexi is so happy about this. This is the best story ever. In 1984– 

Lexi: Kittens… I’m sorry.

Alana: I know!

Lexi: It’s just so cute!

Alana: I know! In 1984 she adopted a kitten named All Ball that she named, by signing, because she apparently loved rhyming words in sign language. And that inspired a book called “Koko's Kitten” and it's a little kids’ book and it's still in elementary schools all over. But then the cat got hit by a car and died, which is too bad. But for her forty fourth birthday, in 2015, they got her two more kittens and she named them Miss Gray and Miss Black because they were gray and black. Here's where the story gets maybe not as fun. In 2005 Koko kind of got Me Too’d? Three employees at the foundation, three other keepers claimed that Koko asked them to lift their shirts and show her their nipples, which Dr Patterson encouraged. They settled out of court, but like they were sued. That is kind of weird, but– and I was a little bit in disbelief– but also Robin Williams, who famously met her in 2001, talked about her doing that to him. It's just– it's jarring. So that's all very Tiger King, except Dr Patterson is actually like a scientist and has published real papers and isn't horrible. When Michael died, Koko actually expressed grief for him, the same thing when Robin Williams died. The Nat Geo article announcing her death, they had a quote from some guy who really had the audacity to talk shit about zoos while they were talking about how Koko died. And this person was like “yeah she did all these cool things for science but also she shouldn’t have been in a zoo.”And I was like oh my god… Let the people mourn an icon. But she is also– Koko herself has had a lasting legacy. She expanded how we think about animals and language. Like humans have to keep adding to the definition of language so that we can exclude how other species communicate. And some people think that she was only mirroring Dr Patterson or Dr Patterson and her associates were projecting, but Koko signed to herself and there's video in a 60 Minutes Australia segment where she's signing to herself. She has a hat, that is a flowered hat, it's a flower bucket hat. It's real cute, it's something baby Alana would absolutely have worn. And so she's signing “flower” and “hat” to herself. She would also invent signs. Like, she didn’t have a word for “ring” so when she saw Dr Patterson wearing a ring, she signed “finger bracelet” which is pretty much what a ring is. So I just think that Koko… it's a lot that we can learn about grief, and how animals express grief, and how we express grief, and how we can communicate with things. Because animals absolutely learn words. Like we teach dogs words. We teach them– you know– sit, stay, all that. So they know some human words. You can teach animals words in whatever language you speak. There's a dog who comes to the park who speaks Spanish. His name is also Coco! I don't think it's the same kind of Koko though, but. Yeah so that's the story of Koko. I'm so glad you guys liked my surprise.

Lexi: I love it. I'm a big nerd about the whole Koko situation because I am a big nerd about animals talking. Linguistic anthropology has always fascinated me, and I think it extends to animals, and a lot of anthropologists don't think it should extend to animals. But I read this book in high school, because I was reading all the books about birds I could possibly find because I had one, I have one still. And the book is called “Alex and Me” and–

Haley: I know that book.

Lexi: The person who is the scientist in that story was inspired by the Koko experiments to do something similar with a bird, and because birds don't have hands, it was vocal- completely vocal communication. And the bird learned to say phrases and even once asked an existential question. So… he asked “what color Alex” which is technically an existential question. And that's how he learned what the color gray was, because he was gray. So that's really interesting that animals do that stuff.

Haley: So my grandparents, I believe I've talked about this before, basically got a male and female cockatiel, started breeding them, and would often give them to their friends as like “hey you're really old, you live alone, here's a friend.” And I remember visiting one of their friends who had one of these birds and the bird would just start talking. And like she taught the bird how to speak, I– at least Spanish, because they're all Spanish speakers. And the bird I think was like a bilingual bird. Because I think he would respond to me and I'd speak English to it. And this bird would just like talk and be like “hello. How are you?” And I just remember as like a small child being like “this bird's talking to me. I thought this was just in movies.”

Lexi: There’s actually a lot of evidence that birds know their names too because parrots, specifically, their moms give each baby a name that's a sound, and while they don't sound like human names, each baby has a sound that is associated with them. So when we raise a parrot in captivity and we call it it's name, it learns it has a name which is–

Haley: Yes.

Lexi: Really, really cool.

Haley: We had them–

Alana: That is amazing.

Haley: –before cockatiels.

Lexi: You can find this podcast on Twitter and Instagram at LadyHistoryPod. Our show notes and a transcript of the show will be on ladyhistory pod dot tumblr dot com. If you like the show, leave us a review and tell your friends, and if you don't like the show, keep it to yourself.

Alana: Our logo is by Alexia Ibarra, you can find her on Instagram and Twitter at LexiBDraws. Our theme music is by me, GarageBand and Amelia Earhart. Lexi is doing the editing. You will not see us, and we will not see you, but you will hear us, next time, on Lady History.

[OUTRO MUSIC]

Haley: Next week on Lady History, it's the witching hour. We’ll be casting a spell on you and discussing some women of witchcraft, women of vampirism you name it, it's spooky season, and we're here to celebrate.

Alana: Dogs are liberal because they love people, cats are liberal because they're smart.

Lexi: Yes. Mhmm. All animals are liberals. 

Haley: I also believe dogs can't be evil.

[sagesparrow394]

Blush Blush AU

I made a post about this a while ago, explaining that I was playing Blush Blush and ended up starting to come up with a Sanders Sides AU for it. So... here it is!

Because I know this isn’t a well known game, here’s a storyline summary before I go into the whole who’s who:

The game is a Dating Sim mixed with an Idle Game. It’s the grand opening of the new local zoo, and you work there at a confections stand. However, some of the customers are rather cute guys, and you get so distracted by their handsomeness, I guess, and accidentally sell them the wrong water! You didn’t sell them normal water, but magic water, but you don’t realise until they all start transforming to animals before your eyes. Most run off in the panic. You now have to find all the guys and change them back to normal with the power of love!

Anyway, I swear I’m not a furry. I just played this because I saw Markiplier did, and I got bored. Now I’m weirdly invested, it might be one of my fandoms, and here we are. Now lets get into the Sanders Sides AU!

Emile is the main character, for the soul reason he’s the one character who didn’t line up with any of the guys in the game.

Logan is Nimh. He was transformed into a rabbit, and is the first guy Emile comes across, as he goes to him to ask for a refund (which is the most Logan thing ever). He’s very smart, but socially awkward. The closer Emile gets to him, the more he opens up and the softer he becomes.

Virgil is Volks. He was transformed into a wolf, and is the second guy Emile comes across, meeting when he saves Emile from a bear while in the woods. He’s rather gruff, and a loner, often preferring to be alone than with others. However, Emile manages to soften him a little, even if Virgil refuses to admit it.

Remy is Kelby. He was transformed into a rooster, and is the third guy Emile comes across, Remy having saved him from drowning. (Just because he’s a rooster doesn’t mean he should ditch his job as a lifeguard). He’s very sporty, his Instagram being filled with pictures of him working out, playing basketball, and on duty at the beach. He gets along with Emile from the beginning pretty much.

Roman is Eli. He was transformed into a Pegasus, and is the fourth guy Emile meets, having met at a karaoke night. He’s very extroverted and a hedonist. Just lives to have fun and make the most of life. He’s very flirty with Emile, and actually really likes his animal form with the bright rainbow colours.

Deceit is Anon. He was transformed into a lemur, and is the fifth guy Emile meets, at an internet cafe. He’s a hacker and is rather introverted, preferring to just avoid society and spend his time online. He is a little hostile towards Emile at first, annoyed at him for turning him into a lemur, but warms up to him as time goes by.

Patton is Garret. He was transformed into a bull, and is the sixth guy Emile meets, when Emile rescues a cat from a tree, that Patton has been trying to save, but couldn’t because bulls can’t climb trees. He’s a lumberjack, and volunteers at an animal shelter on the weekends usually. Despite his strong and ripped exterior, he’s very kind and soft, and immediately considers Emile a friend.

Remus is Dmitri. He was transformed into a boar (how fitting for the trash man), and Emile met him when he went to a pottery class Remus runs. He’s also a poet, and a romantic, but also has his good old Remus dark, gross and explicit side. He learns to be a bit less explicit by spending time with Emile, though.

Thomas is Ichiban. He was transformed into a tiger. He’s Emile’s favourite YouTuber, and Emile met him at a local convention. Thomas is very kind and open, not shying away from making videos and meeting fans just because he’d been cursed into a tiger.

And that’s all of them! I know there’s a new character that was introduced to the game, William I think his name is, but I haven’t gotten to him to the game yet, and his page isn’t on the game’s wiki yet, so I wasn’t able to apply him to the AU. Oh well.

[saywhatjessie]

So now that it’s been three full ass years since the events of this tumblr post, I figure it’s time to give y’all the full story.

The year was 2016. I went home to see my brother in his high school musical and, having done musical myself in high school, I knew the traditions. After the Saturday performance, the cast and crew always go to Applebee's. Now, I'd been out of high school four years at this point, so I wasn't sure if I should tag along with the kids. Turns out, a friend of mine who'd also already graduated wanted to go with them and asked me if I would come. I went. 

Somehow, my friend and I, Woody, got picked by the lead in the play, Carmelo, to sit with him at his table. Now, this kid is five years younger than me, so it shouldn't have been a big deal. But I don't care how long ago you've graduated: the lead in the musical picks you personally, you're gonna get excited.

Now, the post is a little misleading, because besides me Woody and Carmelo, the other three kids weren't really competing. It was my brother, his friend, and their other friend who were 15, 15, and 12 respectively. They knew they were too young so it was really jut three of us. But STILL.

Our waitress's name was Megan and she was SO FUCKING CUTE. Upon first sitting down, Woody noticed she had a big tattoo on her arm, a half sleeve, and he asked her what it was of. She pulled up her sleeve and showed him it was Hogwarts! I got really excited and told her I also had a Hogwarts tattoo on my ankle. She also thought that was exciting.

So throughout the night, Carmelo was flirting with her, calling her by her name, refusing to use the table POS thing that they have at some Applebee's because he wanted to talk to Megan, flirt with Megan. I told him she was too old for him (he was 17) but he was like, nah, I got this, I got this.

He told us by the end of the night he was gonna get her number. Woody laughed at him, telling him that if anyone was going to get her number, HE was.They were squaring off and I told them "Gentlemen, please... it's gonna be me." So the challenge was set and we all knew who was playing. 

Game on.

I asked her how old she was and she said she was 20 which made Woody really excited because he was also 20, but IMMEDIATELY AFTER, she singled me out to show me her full tattoo and talk Harry Potter with me. Carmelo jumped in and tried to ask what house she was and she said Pottermore sorted her into Slytherin and I told her that was cool! But she said she was disappointed so I was like "Well, only you can know how you identify: what do YOU feel like your house is?" And she said that her friends tell her she's like Luna. So me, I get excited, because I'M a Ravenclaw, so I tell her "Come up to the common room, welcome." And she BLUSHED.

Now at this point, I'm clearly winning, and Carmelo and Woody KNOW IT. So it was towards the end of the meal when she was splitting the checks and double checking who got what. She read off Carmelo's order and he said "Yes, Megan, that is what I got, but you know what I didn't get? Your phone number."

She blushed again and the three other boys at the table start oohing and it was a good line and he DID THE DAMN THING so I gave him props.

Apparently, though, at that time he was seeing someone. Which I didn't know but Woody did, so Woody came back with "Now hold on, he is 17 and taken," And then he moved his chair closer to her and hit that smolder. "I, however, am 20 and single."

The boys ooh again, I gave props, she blushed.

She was laughing, she knew what the game was, she knew we were all competitively flirting with her so she told us Carmelo was out of the game. "I didn't know you were with someone, that's shady dude."

Carmelo still wrote his phone number on his receipt, but we all call him out and she ignored it.

It's down to me and Woody now and she was ACTIVELY staying by our table, just talking to us. I don't remember how we got on the subject, but she actually pulled her phone out to show me pictures she took at the Philadelphia zoo. I told her I had recently been to the central park zoo and my Snapchat story was just FULL of stupid animal pictures. She told me hers was the same way. It was a moment.

At that point, my brother came over, because he's a huge geek who wants to see pictures of animals. He complimented a picture she took of a tiger (one that I had already complimented) and I guess she noticed how similar we look because she asked me if he was my brother. I told her yes, my youngest, and I wanted to support him in the musical. She told me that was sweet. Another moment.

Woody at this point was floundering so he took a stab. "You go to school? What school do you go to?" She told him she went to Penn State online.

CHECK. FUCKING. MATE

 "No way! I go to Penn State! I'm graduating actually in a couple weeks."

"Oh, but you go to main campus?"

"Yeah, so I'm leaving tomorrow, but I'll be back here after *wink*”

We talked about classes we were taking - apparently we took the same Women's Studies Course - and she learned I was an English major. She turned to Woody and the rest of the table and told everyone. "I like her."

SO I WON!

She actually had to continue working at that point so we all handed over our receipts (tipping very very generously) and she left the table.

At that point, Carmelo was stunned. He put his finger to my forehead and accused "But you're straight."

I snorted and said "No, I'm not."

So then he started bitching about pansexual charm and unfair seduction. Sore loser.

I was pretty satisfied with my win; I felt like I'd achieved something. But as we were leaving, Kevin, my brother's friend, asked me if I got her number. And I told him I hadn't but I won. And he said I should still ask her.

So I did.

She was at another table, wiping it down. Most everyone was gone so there was no one around. I walked up to her, my phone open to the dial screen.

“Hey... so it was mostly a joke... but if you want to put your number in my phone...?"

And she blushed again, said okay, and put her number in my phone. I gave her a hug and let her get back to work, walking back to my table-mates with my phone out feeling like a gangster.

Three years later, we’re friends on Facebook and Snapchat and I text her updates about how the post is doing. She’s honored to have been a part of it.

[war--lords]

Hi lovely! I have a (bullet point) request, please write it if it inspires you, if not feel free to ignore it~! We know it's possible for people from the past to travel into the future... What would Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Masamune (as MC's s/o) think of/like when they travel to the future? If you could include both some broader topics and details (like foods or technology) that'd be wonderful quq Thank you so much, have a wonderful day!! I can't wait to read more of your things ❤️❤️❤️

Hi! Interesting ask you have here! I’m gonna do this as a warm-up before I write for the event, and I hope you don’t mind me assigning them to different categories!

(EDIT: DID YOU INTENTIONALLY PICK 3 OF MY MOST FAV CHARACTERS ;V;)

Nobunaga— Politics

Nobunaga canonically picks up on things quickly, even those that are of faraway concepts. Combine that level of intellect and logic with his general interest in politics, and you have a very curious warlord. 

All the better if you can talk to him about systems like capitalism, discuss countries with closed door policies like North Korea, explore the effects of religion on the governance of certain countries, etc.

Let’s be honest, if you weren’t with him in the future, he’d borrow all books on politics and law (domestic and international) in the library and read every single one of them.

Thinks that maybe he should be the boss of United Nations lol

He’ll appear to be that Guy™ who works too hard even on vacation, what with his studious efforts like going to the library or reading the daily paper or watching Crash Course videos online. Even so, he still makes sure to take it easy and enjoy life with you. After all, there are so many other things in the modern world that he just has to experience.

Supplementary interests include: going to the candy store and trying all sorts of sweets (in moderation—he always shares with you), a Japan tour to scope out the land he is supposed to rule and experience the strengths of each province (he wants to understand how they can thrive and overcome potential problems), and just. Lounging around in the hotel with you. Or hanging out somewhere, preferably with a balcony, so he can hug you from behind as if the two of you were back in his tenshu again.

Hideyoshi— Art & Architecture

Hideyoshi marvels at the physical forms that take up the surrounding space. Buildings are tall. Very tall. And things don’t catch on fire or get destroyed as quickly. Not only that, it gives him different feelings. A particularly curvy skyscraper may give him an eerily futuristic vibe. He’s interested in buildings built during the Meiji/Taisho/Showa periods because of the Western influence in the design. 

Takes lots of pics after you taught him how to, acts like a total tourist. He picks up on some camera skills quite fast! There will be lots and lots of museum or bookstore dates. It’s kind of adorable watching him geek out at the visual art history or poetry.

Often worries if he’s tiring you too much, since he’s practically dragging you everywhere just to visit and stare at buildings. Will feel guilty until you tell him that you’re genuinely enjoying yourself. In return, he’ll take pictures of you with buildings or architecture, and though it takes some practice at first, at the end of the day you’re gonna have a shit ton of aesthetic pics to post online.

Supplementary interests include: Going to the zoo to look at animals that are not introduced during the Sengoku era yet (like how often do you get to see a lion in Japan? Lions don’t freaking live in Japan. Neither do penguins! He freaking likes seeing you gush over things), getting his hands all over you because he can

Masamune— Culinary 

Obviously, am I right? Since fighting and weapons are illegal, he doesn’t have any other source of entertainment other than cooking (and you, of course. You’re his greatest source of amusement). But the future and the resources available in the future are just so fascinating to him. Imagine bringing Masamune to a local grocery store and feeling like you’re babysitting a three-year old—except he actually knows some of the produce. 

BINGE-WATCHING COOKING SHOWS. BAKING SHOWS. TUTORIALS. MasterChef, The Great British Bake Off, freaking Tasty from Buzzfeed. Everything. And boy is he gonna learn! He’ll be so eager in asking you to involve him in the kitchen. You’re not surprise to find him a very adept learner, and soon enough he’s going to be cooking for you.

Lots of eatery dates. You two need to watch your health. He’s going to eat, eat, eat, eat. And when he eats, he expects you to eat too. You have a shit ton of food photos on your phone, as a result. Also: the two of you are that Couple™ who feeds each other parfait. Sickeningly sweet, inducing jealousy from people around you. 

Moms and aunties at the grocery store notice him. A lot. Refers to him as the hot hunk that goes shopping, presumably (and unfortunately for them) to cook for his spouse. They can only hope.

Supplementary interests include: other than porn technology in general? Games, arcades, VR stuff, gym equipment, memes, mukbang videos. Tours Japan for each region’s special dish. Amusement parks (to win you a tiger soft toy!!!) and weird game shows, including the Japan mascots competition. Thinks Barii-san is cute.

P.S. I recommend that they watch Bill Wurtz’s ‘history of the entire world i guess’ and ‘history of japan’ when they arrive in the future. 

P.P.S. I love Bill Wurtz

[bittysvalentines]

Zoo Date

From: @eatallofthepumpkinthings

To: @secretgeniusshittyknight

Content: Ransom/Holster, established relationship, canon compliant

“Good afternoon”

“Hello there young man. How many?”

“Two, please” he responded. He glanced over at Ransom who was vibrating out of his skin. His eyes were huge, his lips pursed in concentration, and his back stretched to try and get a peek past the gates. He'd spent a month creating and refining a spreadsheet that “perfectly maximizes our animal exploration time.” Their itinerary he now clutched in his large hands. Holster couldn't help but smile at his boyfriend's excitement.

“That'll be 35.95” He handed the woman his credit card and turned towards Ransom again. When Holster had suggested this a month ago, it was before a bombardment of new customer meetings, budget realignments, new team member onboardings, and all manner of project delays and hiccups. He couldn't wait to get in the gates and put the month behind him. He smiled again as Ransom saddled up beside him.

The admissions lady passed Holster back his card and a receipt which he signed. She slid him two maps. Before he could grab them, Ransom had snatched one away and was ripping it open.

“Excited, aren't we?” the lady asked. Holster chuckled.

She began to speak again but startled a bit at Ransom's boisterous “Woo hoos” He had grabbed Holster's hand and was tugging him towards the gate.

“Well before you guys head in there, do you have any questions?”

“No I think we have everything covered. Thanks!” He let Ransom tug him about a foot.

“Have fun and welcome to Franklin Park Zoo.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**************************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Whats up next babe?” The first section they had gone through was the “Serengeti Crossing” where they had spotted porcupines, zebras, ostriches, and warthogs. They'd just finished the “Kalahari Kingdom” section where they got to see some lounging lions and a tiger that was bathing its cubs.

They had stopped to read every info graph and inscription by each animal, plus Ransom had shared some pretty sweet, and sometimes, sick facts about each animal they saw. Holster was endeared to Ransom when he realized that his partner had spent extra time on the zoo's website and online in general to learn facts about all the animals just to share with him. But he realized they were running about 15 minutes behind schedule and wasn't sure how Ransom would react once he realized.

Holster bit his tongue as he watched Ransom review the itinerary and then look at his watch.

“We are running behind, but that shouldn't matter much right? The plan was to be out of here before closing but if we stay til then... There wasn't something you needed to get home to do right?”

“No, nothing. I got my work done for the K&R project last night so I haven't anything to do tonight. Well except maybe you” He waggled his eyebrows at him.

Ransom laughed as color rose in his cheeks. “Well then...” he wiggled his eyebrows back at him. “Lets just stick to the plan of action, but not worry too much about the time.”

“Sounds good to me!” Ransom dropped Holster's hand and unfolded the map holding it against some siding.

“If we continue down this path, we should come to the Tropical Forest building. It's what's next on the list and it's inside so we can take a quick break to cool down and to reapply sunblock to your forehead.”

Holster guffawed “Its only been an hour and a half”

“Bro, and you're already lookin' like a lobster.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**************************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two hours later they sat at an empty pavilion table near the “Things Wild” gift shop, taking massive bites out of Bitty's PB&J sandwiches they had packed. Holster was thanking his stars for the forethought to pack 4 sandwiches instead of just two, and he was already daydreaming about the crock pot pork they had waiting for them at home when he looked over at Ransom who was scrolling through the SMH group chat.

They had now gone through the Tropical Forest, “Bird's World”, and the “Outback Trail”; seen what felt like hundreds of different animals; and took what felt like a million different photos. When they finally sat down for their late lunch, Ransom sent some of their better photos to the group.

Tango: Can we get an ocelot for the Haus? Its so cute!

Chowder: I agree with Tango! :D

Ollie: I also agree on the condition that its Haus trained

Wicks: Did you know that ancient Australian war lords kept trained emus in their armies?

Ford: I'm not sure you guys are cut out for taking care of an animal

Tango: C'mon!

Chowder: Aww :'[

Ford: also Wicks that is like 100% false

Ollie: Nah its totally true

Ollie: do you think a monkey could hang from our lights?

Whiskey: you mean the chandelier in your room?

Chowder: totally! But monkey's aren't heavy. And look lemurs are tiny too. They could both probably hang from it

Wicks: Swawesome

Ollie: Swawsome

Ford: NO

Bitty: good lord thats a disaster waiting to happen

Bitty: yall couldn't handle a stuffed ocelot. Let alone a live animal

Tango: I could def take care of a stuffed ocelot. It doesn't even need to eat!

Chowder: Are we talking cute stuffed or weird on the wall stuffed?

Lards: Way to talk them down Bits

Jack: Thats a great shot of the flamingo. Its very difficult to get an action photo like that on a phone.

Bitty: #masternegotiator

Whiskey: That is a good shot of the flamingos guys

Nursey: yeah yeah great shots, haus pets, blah....but did none of you notice how that red kangaroo looks like Poindexter. Its like a spitting image

Dex: sdkj;fjkdsa;kdf Nurse!

Tango: Ears

Lards: EARS

Bitty: EA RS

Chowder: eARs

Shits: that Capybara is giving me good vibes guys

Shits: good vibes

“You forgot the best one babe,” Holster brushed his hands over Ransom's and then quickly grabbed his phone.

“Hey!” Ransom laughed, and so did Holster. “Which one are you sending?”

“The one with us and the hippo!”

They had just walked into the Tropical Forest building when they came face to face with a smiling hippo. A group of school children were on the opposite side of the tank and tapping on the glass. Before the children could run up to the other side of the tank, Ransom and Holster had slid their backs against the wall, locked lips, and snapped a selfie with the hippo. Holster had thought the hippo looked like it was blowing a kiss of his own, but Ransom had cheerily admonished him for anthropomorphizing the hippo. When they had gotten to the side of the tank where the children had vacated, they found a plaque informing them that the hippos name was “Fred”. Holster held back a smug face, but winked at Ransom and his scrunched up nose.

When he sent the picture to the group chat the response was near instantaneous.

Chowder: CUTE!

Tango: OMG so adorable

Wicks: Niceeeeeeeeee

Ollie: Nice!!!!!!!!!

Dex: Noiceeee

Nurse: Why does he look like a priest at your wedding?

Shits: Is that hippo ordained?

Jack: Congratulations!

Chowder: congrats!!!!!

Bitty: <3 <3 <3 oh im gonna cry

Lards: Can't believe you got hitched without us

Whiskey: Nice

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**************************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before heading off to the last three sections of the park, Ransom guided him into the gift shop. He perused the shelves of books, knickknacks, and stuffed animals. He found a pink stuffed hippo and immediately grabbed it from the shelf. He snuck up behind Ransom and rubbed the hippos face against his cheek. “Mwuah”

Ransom jumped but turned and laughed at him. “Oh stop it you... you...”

“Me...”

“Cutie hippo butt face!”

“That was lame bro.” Ransom's cheeks colored more and Holster leaned over to give him a smacking wet kiss himself.

Ransom laughed and wiped his cheek. “So are we getting that?” he said pointing at the hippo.

“Hell yeah! See anything you like?”

Ransom gestured to the stuffed lemurs in front of him. “Look at this.” He grabbed the arms of the lemur that were clasped together and separated them. When he let go they snapped back together. “Magnetic”

“Oh man, the frogs are gonna love that.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**************************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They made it through the rest of the zoo in an hour and a half. They saw goats, butterflies, prairie dogs, and even some cute fuzzy red pandas. Holster grinned as he thought about Ransom's face as one of the zookeepers brought over a llama for them to pet. When Ransom had stroked the llamas hair his eyes had lit up like stars and his shoulders had relaxed. It was one of the few moments all month where Holster had seen Ransom relax.

He looked over at Ransom now. Took in his drowsy form, cuddling his new stuffed hippo. His eyes drifted closed ever so slowly, and reopened even slower. He doubted that he would make it home before falling asleep. It had been a long exciting day and they were both exhausted. Holster gently took one of Ransom's hands and laced their fingers together. “You had fun babe?”

“Yeah. Can't wait to get home and cuddle though.”

“Me too.” He smiled.

Notes

Zoo website: https://www.zoonewengland.org/franklin-park-zoo/

Zoo map: https://www.zoonewengland.org/media/1517583/map-fzoo-winter-2018-hd.pdf

I implore you to look up images of and learn a little bit about all the animals mentioned! Red Pandas are my favorite.

[cassiemortmain]

Planning ahead

It’s the end of the financial year here, which means I am taking stock of things - even though I don’t work in the accounting industry any more (yay).

Coming to my blog to post to myself about some key things I want to get done in the next six months, and sharing to keep myself accountable.  Under the cut, as usual.

I’ve come across the wheel of life which is a handy way to tackle this review.  Focusing on one area at a time:

- career - really just want to do as well as I can in my contract role, for the rest of the year, impress the hell out of them, and then see in 2020 if it can be extended or even made permanent.

- finances - saving, saving, saving is the key.  Those of you who have followed me for a while will know I’ve had some lean years income-wise, so I am still catching up.  Plus getting my tax return done as soon as I can, to get whatever refund I am due.  Boring, but important.

- health - again back to basics - keep moving, and doing my best to eat healthily.  Need to book an eye test and a dentist visit, too - again boring, but important.

- social - being an introvert in a happy marriage, this is easy to let slide - so I want to make an effort to connect more with my friends, online and IRL, than I have been doing so far this year.

- romance - date nights and other adventures with Mr CM (aka getting off our arses and doing something fun together), and planning for a holiday later this year to celebrate our significant anniversary.

- personal growth - my problem is, I am always interested in so many things, it’s hard to choose!  So my challenge to myself is - pick something and focus on it for a while, rather than not choosing anything.  This will be around developing my writing, both trying to earn money from it if I can, and learning how to do it better.

My writing to do list - as far as my fic is concerned, I want to try and finish WIPs I already have, rather than starting new stories.  Finishing is such a satisfying feeling, and I really want to do more of it.

So I am holding myself accountable on the stories I want to finish this year - 

Heir to the Throne (mediaeval AU) and Just like Honey (forbidden romance modern AU) - Sybil x Tom,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit (post season 4 AU) - Morwenna x Drake, and

Swift as a deer, Quiet as a shadow series (season 8 and post canon, mix of canon fix-it and AU) - Arya x Gendry.

Plus there is an Annamis one-shot I have had in draft forever, which I really want to finish.  I was struggling for a while, I lost my smut mojo, but since ep 8.02 of GOT it’s been back and I’ve been writing it again - so I hope I can do this idea justice.

There’s also a Gendrya fandom event coming up in August which I really want to take part in - I used to do a lot of those, back in the heyday of DA, and they were so much fun!

And - I really want to finish the next draft of my novel which has been WIP for a couple of years now... which is really hard, but it’s something I’ve always dreamed of doing!  Even to get it to an editor would be so satisfying.

- fun and recreation - a bit like some of the other items above - planning and doing things, rather than waiting for inspiration.  For example - there are tiger cubs at the zoo right now - if I don’t go to see them soon, they will grow up and not be cubs any more.  And who can resist baby big cats!

- physical environment - focus on decluttering, starting with clothes and papers, which are building up at home.  In theory this should be so easy to do, but man, it’s hard!  When I would much rather be doing fun stuff, or indeed almost anything else.  All part of adulting, isn’t it!  And I do know it will be very satisfying to get it done.  Maybe setting aside small slots of time will help.

Sounds like a lot, doesn’t it!  I don’t have to do it all tomorrow... even making the decision to do one thing, and then doing it - that’s the key to success for me.

Speaking of which - tomorrow I start another round of my 30 day writing bootcamp, which is an aim to get as many words down on paper as I can this month, based on my to do list above.  Wish me luck!