#Ah well c'est la vie I suppose

[pushing500]

Randy Random decided that Salvatore the cat was not enough for our colony and sent us eleven chickens, a brachiosaurus (we hunted it for the fifteen units of kibble and three silver it was carrying), and a feralisk migration (which we steered well clear of).

AND THEN Randy sent three caravans in rapid succession, one which had Socks' wife (Socks is in prison atm), and one with Vasso's biologically-older, chronologically-younger brother.

We sold all our male chickens to one of the caravans, I didn't pay attention to which one it was, and now we are down to four out of eleven chickens, which is much more manageable.

A man named Purple Shark crashed near us, and we deigned to rescue him, but if he wants to stick around he'll be treated to the same fate as Socks and Blackdragon.

Speaking of Socks and Blackdragon...

They tried to break out together (how the tables have turned from Blackdragon holding Socks prisoner!!), and we decided now was as good a time as any to begin our violent conversion while our guest Purple Shark slept in the background.

Blackdragon was first up, and he saw our "reasonable ways" (what reasonable ways??) and converted. So it looks like we won't be eating him anytime soon, but he is still in jail until we can recruit him. We do have to wait twenty days before we can do the ritual with Socks, but if she converts in those twenty days, we'll just recruit her and be done with it.

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[sightofsea]

prompt number 25 for those good omens bitches please AND thank you

thank you so much!!! tried to go for angst but failed. ah well, c'est la vie. it's the spirit of the thing.

25. “It hurts…” “what?” “Loving someone who doesn’t love you…”

“Well it does hurt, is the thing," Crowley says, restarting an argument that had been born outside the theater, raised on the way to the restaurant, and had been on a quick gap year over canapés.

Aziraphale stops fussing with the sleeves of his coat. “What?” 

“Loving someone who doesn’t love you, it hurts," Crowley clarifies. 

Aziraphale goes back to fussing. "Yes, I suppose it does," he says, then shakes his arms out. Perfect. "But I don't see what that has to do with how dreadful that production of Cyrano was."

Crowley holds the door open for him, and all the warm air inside the restaurant is quickly replaced with a brisk chill that bites the nostrils. Aziraphale says a quick thank you, and Crowley goes back to arguing. He walks along with a small jump in his step, shoulders to his ears as if trying to lift himself off the sidewalk. Aziraphale loops an arm around the demon's elbow, to keep him grounded.

"I'm just saying," Crowley says. "I'm all for criticism. Love criticism, me, but I don't think he was being that overdramatic. It really does feel like that sometimes."

"He was wailing!" Aziraphale argues back. "Rending his garments, throwing himself at the walls--I'm just saying, there's something to a subtle performance."

"Sub--subtle performance?" Crowley lets that percolate in delighted disbelief. "Bit rich coming from you."

Aziraphale's jaw pops open, feet's coming to a standstill, and he unhooks himself from Crowley's arm. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asks. It's intended to come off as mildly offended, but lilts a little to the left. Crowley stares at him, and Aziraphale tuts. "Oh...!" He stomps back up to Crowley and hooks their arms together again, bringing them back to their familiar trot. "That is besides the point."

"No it's not," Crowley says. "You love drama. You love those books where they go on in the hillside, waving poetic and, and diving off of cliffs."

"Yes, but that's books," Aziraphale says. "That's fiction in its purest form. This is performance, it must have some grounding in reality. You can't honestly say you've ever acted like that in the name of unrequited love."

Crowley hums, and is quiet for a few moments. They turn into a nearby park, and everybody considered mugging the flash bastard and his posh twat boyfriend suddenly find their wallets heavier and their thoughts elsewhere.

"Maybe I have," Crowley says, all mumbled and high pitched. "Who's to say?"

Aziraphale does a double take. "Really?" Crowley nods, looking straight ahead. Aziraphale hesitantly points to himself. "Over...?"

It's now Crowley's turn to do a double take. "Wh--no, over Napoleon. Yes, over you!"

"Oh, well that makes me feel terrible!" laments Aziraphale, who is beginning to feel something rise up within him that he's too proud to admit to but most would call 'flattered'. "That you did all that screaming and wailing over me."

Crowley shifts as if trying to shed his skin. "Mm."

"All that--all that rending of garments and throwing yourself about." Aziraphale puts his free hand on Crowley's hooked arm. He tuts. "And over me."

Crowley lets put a creaking sound of embarrassment, and tries to wave away his confession with his free hand. "Okay, that's not--"

"That you were overcome by...by such enormous affection and love," Aziraphale continues, near giddy with it now. "For me!"

Crowley stares at him, deadpan. "You're enjoying this."

"I'm not," lies Aziraphale. He schools his face as best he can--which is to say, quite portly. "I'm feeling...quite guilty."

"That's not your guilty face," Crowley says. "That's your...that's a different face. A smug face."

"Not smug," says Aziraphale, smugly.

"Delighted, then."

Aziraphale tuts, shaking his head. "Not in the least. I'm quite overcome with agony, as I imagine you were." Crowley hums in disbelief. "Again, over me."

"Alright, alright," says Crowley, who does his best to gesture wildly with one arm lovingly held captive. "I take it back. I take it all back. There was no wailing or garment rending or any of that. I was perfectly fine with it." He expects a response to come. When it doesn't, he turns to see Aziraphale looking distinctly put out. Something seizes in Crowley's chest, and the words come out before his brain can bar the door. "Okay, I screamed at a tree once about it. Does that satisfy you?"

"Mm," says Aziraphale, still displeased.

"Maybe had a...good cry, or three," admits Crowley.

Aziraphale softens. "Oh, did you really?" he asks, curiosity sliding from smug to concerned.

Crowley bristles at the genuine emotion. "Oh, what, and you didn't?" he asks defensively.

"No, I have," says Aziraphale, soberly. He blinks up at Crowley before surveying the landscape, no doubt imagining lonely nights and cold mornings scattered over many the millennia. Crowley imagines them as well.

"You...so...yeah," he says. He supposes he's won the argument, but it doesn't feel like it. "We both..."

"We've both suffered over each other," Aziraphale says. His voice is heavy with guilt, and not for the first time, the two of them think of the same thing. 

Crowley distinctly remembers the slam of the bookshop door, and winces at it. Sounds get clogged in the back of his throat. "Y-Yeah," he says. They walk along another few steps, before stopping. "Not...not any more, though," Crowley adds, half statement and half question. He brings his free hand over Aziraphale's.

Aziraphale squeezes his arm lightly and smiles. "No," he whispers. "Not any more."

Crowley smiles back--because it's dark and there's plausible deniability, because he's in love, who's to say--and moves to cup Aziraphale's face. Aziraphale's already ahead of him. The kiss to short, soft, and simple--a reassurance, more than a declaration. For a moment, there's a break in the chill night air, and all is warm.

They part, and continue their walk in tandem. "You still think the play was shit though, don't you?" Crowley asks.

"Not in so many words," Aziraphale admonishes, which is to say, yes.

[theladyragnell]

Number 2 for the leverage ot3? Thanks :)

(Eye contact across a crowded room! This one was weirdly hard to write, because it mostly came to me as a little episode snippet but unfortunately I cannot download videos from my head to yours, but ah well, c'est la vie.)

Eliot knows what it’s like to have a team.

Been a long time since he had one, since he got weaned off having a team when they realized his killer instincts were more useful on offense than defense, and everything since then has been temporary, based on contract or control or cash, but it still comes back. He’ll never say it, doesn’t even want to think it, but it’s his natural state, standing between someone else and trouble. He’s been doing it a long time.

Some of the finer points, though, those get lost in a long time away. The way he gets really damn annoyed when he’s trying to listen to a job plan and someone won’t stop making judgy comments about his guacamole not being like their Nana used to make it. The way he wakes up sometimes feeling like he missed a step on the stairs because he’s not sure where one of them is. The way, in a room full of people, he always knows where they are, like markers on a map.

This isn’t a hard part of the job. Eliot is just there as backup for Sophie, and everybody else is playing safe roles, the kinds they can just disappear into, service staff mostly, but Eliot still knows where they are without looking. Parker by the drinks table swapping out a tray. Hardison badly fixing the event space’s sound system that he sabotaged earlier so they’d have to call him in. Sophie doing that annoying socialite laugh that follows her from identity to identity. Nate pretending to be messily drunk but having to pretend less than he should, getting ready to spill something on the mark.

They’ve all got their own ways of keeping eyes out, Eliot doesn’t pretend that’s some superpower only he’s got, but he’s pretty sure, with the kind of comfortable knowledge of his own skills that his training gave him, that he’s the best at it. Hardison might think he is, but Hardison needs an earbud and a screen to do it.

That’s why he knows a second before everybody else does that the job is about to go wrong. He knows Parker’s too far from an easy escape route, that Sophie’s too close to the mark’s security, that Hardison’s in a nest of wires that will trip him, right when Nate does his trip and Eliot realizes the most competent security guard, who was supposed to be off tonight, came in with food poisoning.

Sophie isn’t blown. Nate isn’t blown. But Parker and Hardison, they tend to do the little one-note grifts to set up the bigger con, and this guard is the kind of person who makes note of new delivery drivers on his routes, an intern who only lasts one day. Eliot looks at Parker first, and finds her looking back, already waiting for him to make the play. It’s taken more than a year for her to trust him like this, but she does, she’s Eliot’s responsibility and he’s not going to leave her out to dry.

“Catering emergency in three,” Hardison says in Eliot’s ear, and Eliot glances over at him, too, finds him looking back. Of course his facial recognition would pay off a second after Eliot figured it out. He’ll even be smug about it later.

But they’re all fast. That’s why they all make a good team, and especially why the three of them make a good team. Eliot might have known first, but he doesn’t have to explain it to any of them. They all know how to handle this. It just takes a moment of connection to make sure they’re on the same page, and when Hardison looks away, it’s to catch Parker’s eye, all three of them syncing up while Nate starts drunkenly stammering his way through an apology to the mark.

“Two,” says Hardison.

“I’ve got the guard,” says Eliot, already moving, taking his eyes off Parker and Hardison, trusting them to get through the next steps.

“One,” says Parker, already moving when the kitchen fire alarm goes off, Hardison using the excuse to panic and flail and sever a wire that kills some of the event lighting, and Eliot moves into the well-practiced dance knowing he’s standing between them and danger.

[valdaycare-au]

The Halloween Update! (since we Mateo Vincent??? forgot to update the blog.) Part 4

Ah, right. Vincent attended the party (but it was quite obvious that he didn't want to be there). That Frenchie thinks he's—wait, what are you—!

Ah, there we go. I cannot let Mateo badmouth me again. Non, non, such a bad subordinate he is, really. Alors, if we have to answer then at least let me do it myself. (He threw me off of the computer! Que penjedo!)

I appreciated Sasha's offer to make a costume pour moi but alas, I already have it with me. It's a pirate costume from a while back and it's quite the surprise that it still fits me! I suppose I am still in pristine condition if I am still able to wear clothing from a decade ago. Also, s'il te plaít, ne m'appelle pas babygirl.

As for my favorite Little Wonder? Well, I will let you in a little secret, oui? I... really do not like kids. Surprising, non? I do not have experience taking care of them—I am still learning up until now. There was a point where I gave up and told Madame Ling if there were other positions I could work on instead of taking care of kids and I was in administration for a while but I do not know what it is... Maybe it was the time that Sasha was doing little puppet shows for the children and seeing how Jamie's eyes sparkled and giving Novikov ideas—something in me told me that maybe it's a good time to show off to this kid and make him like me. Jamie is a very passionate kid, I will admit, and even if I cannot keep up with le petit garçon's energy, I think... mm, oui. I believe I admire him. He has a good future ahead of him, and I try to entertain his creative thoughts every once in a while.

Klara est un incroyable prodige. But despite that, I do believe that the other sitters and I believe that she should have a proper childhood. I am incredibly thankful for her father who lets her be a child rather than pushing her to excel out of her own will. I definitely do not want her to end up like me, and I am very glad that she didn't have to fight for his approval. Quel enfant chanceux. She has a good head on her shoulders, and I am very honored to be the one she seeks out for when she has questions that needed logical answering. The fact that she trusts me the most in that regard is oddly... heartwarming. C'est très sympa, vraiment.

And of course, Ryo. Like Klara, the kid also has a good head on his shoulders. The only thing is that he doesn't join the others in playing, and it seems that he likes himself enough to only offer his company to his own. I couldn't help but feel for him. There's just... something about him that I couldn't quite place. But he allows me to be in his company—or, better yet, he wants my company. He doesn't tell me much, he only answers to me sarcastically when I ask questions (which is rather surprising for a kid his age! Trés impressionant!) But overall, he's truly nice. I do find it odd that he has not taken his adoptive father's surname, but that's not for me to pry on. There are things in life that aren't meant to be out in the open. C'est la vie!

...

Ah... apologies, I did not intend to get too sentimental, but I suppose that it's quite a nice thought to get lost in. Thank you for asking me this, merci beaucoup.

And Tala? Oh, dear. Our beloved Lady of Lightning does not like moi. They did ask me to include her here for some reason.

Oh, I am also getting the feeling that the parents do not like me.

[strawberrymilk-sunshine]

The Jade Leech vore tease. I refuse to give this an actual name.

I'm sorry for what you're about to read.

Warning(s): vore tease, NOTHING BAD HAPPENS TO YOU but uh Jade sucks on you like a candy (sorry I just sorta wrote this on impulse. The idea entered my head and I started writing it with no second thoughts whoopsies)

"Oh dear..." Jade said to himself. "This was an... unexpected... turn of events."

"Jade, what the hell just happened-?" You asked, coughing.

"Well, (Y/N), I appear to have..." Jade looked nervous, uncharacteristically so. "...um... shrunken you, with the potion we were making."

"You... y-you what?!"

"I don't understand..." Jade said to himself. "I've never once messed up a potion this severely... our potion was meant to shrink an object and have no effect on living creatures, but... here you are, the size of a figurine!! Where did we go wrong, (Y/N)?!"

"How am I supposed to know?! I'm not from this world, Jade!" You yelled. "Also, Professor Crewel is going to kill us!"

"...we're going to fail." Jade said. "I can't let that happen...! I need to get you back to normal as fast as I possibly can, and fix this potion, and-" He suddenly got a certain look on his face. "Crewel's coming this way. I have to hide you."

Jade looked around everywhere in a panic, trying to find anywhere to hide you.

Then he lifted you up, and you know what he did?

Do you know what that moray eel man did to you?

He. Stuffed. You. Into. His. Mouth.

"Ah, my little water pup. I assume your object-shrinking potion is coming along well?" You heard Crewel ask. Jade nodded while (you assume) smiling politely. "...where is (Y/N)?"

"They... had to use the washroom." Jade responded, barely moving his lips.

"What are you doing, Leech?" Crewel asked.

"...I'm practicing ventriloquism in my spare time, Professor." Jade responded. "For fun."

"Alright. I suppose I can't question the hobbies of my pups. Feel free to continue practicing your ventriloquism, water pup. And let me know when that potion is completed."

The moment Crewel walked away, Jade spit you out into his hands.

"You tasted like chemicals." He told you with a disgusted face.

"Yeah, that'd be my lab coat..."

"You look... wet, (Y/N)." Jade told you. "Are you ok?"

"No, Jade, you just put me in your mouth to hide me from our Professor!" You said, wiping the spit from your safety goggles. "How are you going to fix this, Jade?"

"...well... all I need to do is hide you from Professor Crewel until I fix this, right...?" Jade asked, a wide, malicious, predatory grin on his face. "I think I know exactly where to hide you, (Y/N)~"

"What are you planning, Jade...?" You cautiously asked.

"You know full well what I'm planning. I am an apex predator, after all~"

"JADE DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE-!"

You know what he did?

Jade stuffed you right back in his mouth. Though more... violently than before.

You know, thank goodness you're wearing your labwear right now. Keeping the rest of your clothes dry... that's a bit of a positive.

He swished you around in there, rolling you from one side to another, making sure not a single part of your body remained unlicked.

And you know, aside from the taste of chemicals you had on your lab coat... you actually tasted really good.

This went on for quite a while. Jade continued... playing with you for five. Whole. Minutes. Do you understand how long that is when you're in a really tight moist and humid space? It's SO long...

Also, he just tilted his head back. Ok. Guess he's gonna eat you. Not exactly how you wanted to die, but, you know, c'est la vie.

...

Then, he tilted his head downward once more and let you fall out of his mouth and into his hands. He did do one last thing to you, though. He stuck the top half of your body back into his mouth and sorta... sucked on you like a hard candy for a few seconds before FINALLY giving you a break from all that.

"A growth potion is very easy to craft. I thought it would be fun to... mess with you while I was making it!" Jade smiled.

"...I'm pretty sure you swallowed my safety goggles." You told him, feeling your head.

"Oh. My mistake. Don't worry, (Y/N)! I'm sure we'll be able to craft a good lie for Professor Crewel." Jade assured you. "Preferably one that he believes."

"Whatever. Just give me the potion, alright?"

"It feels good to be normal sized again." You said, still very wet. "Uh... how're we gonna explain why I'm soaking wet?"

"...I don't know, (Y/N)." Jade admitted to you. "Let's try to correct our potion now!"

"You, uh... you don't have molars, huh?" You awkwardly asked.

"No, us morays have no need for them."

"Why not?"

Jade stared at you for a moment, before winking.

"Because us morays swallow our prey whole and alive~"

Oh.

Well that's always good.

Knowing that he does that, and could have done that to you and was going to do that to you... that's fun. That's good. That's cool.

...

Note to self... stay away from Jade Leech if you ever get shrunk again.

[live-love-laugh-lesbian]

HIII this is probably gonna be the last ask i send as your swiftie exchange anon haha! also i dont know what timezone you are but ive scheduled it for 6am gmt for tomorrow if i remember correct skdkekdfk (but also you said quid which means pounds i think so im taking a wild guess that you are somewhat the same timezone as me haha)

yep im in uni! honestly kinda harsh kakdkekxfj ive got tests on the first week back but i suppose that's to ne expected haha! it is quite stressful but like c'est la vie yk? good luck on your exams!!

oh also im so glad youre feeling better!! i hope you feel awesome soon!

oh yeahh that makes complete sense! you dont have to show them to me if you dont want to btw but once i reveal myself and you are okay w it you can dm me! (only if you want tho no pressure at all!!)

yeahh thats so real actually! people always want what they dont have and that makes me kinda sad but also im one of those people so ajdeksjd i cant really say anything abt it akfkekdjf

yeahh hypocrisy is so linked like to everyday stuff!! and what you said makes more sense than what i ever couldve ajdjejsjfn and inflation is HORRIBLE ive witnessed price of stuff like cheese go up by so much and it appals me! and that is a ridiculous difference from your phone bill!

oohh i wish i was you id love to meet my online friends!!

yeah!! like the main problem with fast fashion isnt the cheap quality (i mean perhaps it is) but also the PEOPLEEEE WHO BARELY GET PAIDD!!

thats such a thought out and good answer!! climate change and the way politicians handle shit is so real like it NEEDSS to be addressed!! and i hope you get to see your doctors!!

and same im such a pushover like i wish i could not be but alas it is but a dreamm!! i think for me what you said is basically my answer and like people being assholes and thinking theyre funny? lile people who think its okay to make offensive jokes or say a slur bc they think theyre funny annoys me soo bad!!!!! and also people who manipulate other people like ewwww and just like horrible people in general. also thats horrible!! why does anyone think its okay to do that???

hmm... honestly rename strawberries fluffleberries and making bananas rainbow sounds like an awesome idea sjdjekdn hmm this is hard kakdkdskf maybe i would replace car honks with goose honks hehe i feel like thats such a silly answer but tbf i am but a silly goose!! what about you?

and my question to you: what are some things you are grateful for (see i say things not people bc i feel like people is a very general question ajfjrjdjf but you can tell me people too if you want!!)

thank youu!! i had an awesone time chatting with you you're lovely <3

have an awesome day!!!

-swiftie spring exchange anonnnnn

Hello! My country change timezones slightly I think based on clocks, but I think we're currently BST? I can never remember, a bit embarrassing imo XD It's cool that we might be close in time zones!!

Ah I have no exams cause I'm not in uni, but I am tutoring kids for exams so does that count? XD I hope your tests go well!!

Cheap quality sucks, but it'd improve if companies were willing to give up just a teeny tiny bit of their profits...I've become so increasingly anti company over the last like 5 years I think XD And thank you!! Honestly the "offensive is funny" type is SO annoying. I've met a few that were like "uhhh it's dark humour" and I've been like. You do not have dark humour, you just want to be rude.

I did however get a cookie once from a guy who realised that I had been upset by his stupid joke (I can't remember what exactly it was, but I think it was like...either homophobic or misogynistic. The apology was nice to get because it was unexpected. Alas at the time I was unable to eat gluten so the cookie part was awkward.) And manipulation just sucks?? I feel like people get away with it a lot because it's not obviously awful until you realise what's going on.

Silly answers are encouraged for that one!! (And always tbh) XD And honestly I would get rid of sparkling water. I feel like it's like marmite - people love it or hate it. And I hate sparkling water, I literally cannot handle the texture. And one time I accidentally got some instead of regular water. The memory haunts me. So yeah I'd wind up half the world by getting rid of it altogether and just watch the chaos XD

My final answer (also I know who you are now cause of when I logged on BUT I'm gonna answer this anyways on here) would be my cats (haha not people so they slip through...not things either but not people), the way life has turned out (it's not perfect, but I'm in a much better position than I ever expected even just like 2 years ago), and my art abilities (because I like that I can draw, and draw pretty decently, it's a fun and usually relaxing hobby!)

I had the time of my life answering questions with you, and I look forwards to hopefully talking more with you!!

[dionysiospsychas-photography]

PHOTO TRIP: VANCOUVER ISLAND, PART 3

… Firstly, there are lots of nice things to recount about our trip to Vancouver Island, which is why the story is divided in a few posts. And because there are many photographs that I would like to share with you here.

Secondly, an important item to have during a vacation away: un bon café. It is that intermediate spot between home base and the field to help start the day, and maybe even go to at the end of a day exploring. And by café I mean with baked goods. The photo amigos already know about the hilarious frustration I am about to tell: Zoë's Bakery and Café in Ucluelet. But all good things I assure you… During the planning for the trip, I of course looked for possible coffee shops on review web sites and saw the neat pictures of the café. And during our traverse Colin showed me a review of Zoë's Bakery that essentially stated that they had like the best croissant. He showed me that because he knows I lurv coffee and croissants, and I am "French" (well, Québécois). I bet I smiled and told him that we totally had to go there. Inside, I actually thought "we'll see about that, islanders, we'll see…" Our first morning in Ucluelet we were out of luck, the bakery was closed for the day. And like too-chill cats, we did not check their open hours… So the next morning, bummer, it was again closed. Colin and I laughed frustratingly, Sharon was like "c'est la vie, that's just the way it goes", and Syd was more concerned about parking… You know, we always made coffee for all of us after we got up and we had breakfast very early, but we wanted second breakfast and snacks… We did go across the street to Foggy Bean Coffee (the cutest little coffee shop) in some desperation to have another warm cupof, and their coffees were sooh good… And so the next day, very sure that the bakery would be open we stopped by again, and since we got up and out very early we were the first ones in line, and excited for no practical reason. Once inside, looking at all the baked goods, we had a little trouble deciding what to eat because it all looked and smelled so nice. When I saw the croissants and how they looked I was committed; I got two, bien cuit as I like them. The coffee was good, but the croissant… f!… putain délicieux (ah, you're not going to look it up). They were properly crunchy and flaky on the outside, smelled toasty, they gave a little when squeezed (to adequately put in my mouth), had a nice swirled structure on the inside (that pâte feuilletée tourée), were chewy (yes, chewy; you are not supposed to eat oiled air), rich, nutty, very slightly sweet, and light. Bravo. The size and shape of a croissant are less important. So in summary, the croissants and the other breakfast goods the amigos had were sooh delicious, the service genial, and the interior cozy that we would stop by every day after that. And that is our bakery story.

It was a cloudy morning again, thankfully, and the coolness felt very nice. We wanted to explore Pacific Rim National Park more, and see more rocky beaches and windswept trees under that soft light, so we decided to explore the area around the Kwisitis Visitor Centre (meaning the "other end of the beach" in the Nuu-chah-nulth language, and used to be called the Pacific Rim VC) and take the Nuu-chah-nulth trail to Florencia Bay. I had read that the forest trail was beautiful and the views of the bay were pretty.

Rock outcropping, Wickaninnish Beach, 2022

Incoming surf on Wickaninnish Beach, PRNP, 2022

When we got to Wickaninnish Beach the weather cooled enough that a cozy inner fleece was justified and it was definitely tuque mode. There was a very light rain or mist, and it felt refreshing. But not for my camera, so it stayed in my pocket. From the south end of the beach I could view it stretching northward and disappearing, and gazed at the broad carpet of rippled sand, the many parallel lines of incoming waves, and the soft, undulated cloud cover. We all went off to explore the beach first. I spent time observing the wave patterns and found incredible rock formations.

The visitor centre is a beautiful building, a set of gabled roofs set on the rock above the beach and clad in greyed cedar. We admired the panorama from the deck: the thinning line of the dark green fringe forest fading in the mist, between the wave whitewater and the gray cloud cover… And since the visitor centre was closed because it was so early, we took off on the forest trail. To be safe we took out our bear bells. It took us a while to get them to ring properly, but hiker/alpinist Syd fixed them for us.

Looking out onto the ocean from Lismer Beach, PRNP, 2022

Seagulls on the rocks of Lismer Beach, PRNP, 2022

Shortly along, I saw an opening in the shrubbery, peeked thru and saw it that it looked pretty, so I went down to the beach and called the others because it really was very pretty. This was Lismer Beach. There were lots of different ground cover like contours of brown seaweed and driftwood chips, carpets of mussel shells, cushions of green and yellow moss, more rock outcroppings, even one with tiny evergreens, and lots of gulls. From one high point, sitting a while amongst the rocks and looking out at the waves and the gulls flying about, I noticed a metal trap on the beach, and I suddenly felt like a castaway and that happy-calm. I was not "here". I was like those birds, looking out into the distance, feeling calm, enjoying the expanse, and maybe hoping for a sudden lost snack.

The little monolith on Lismer Beach, PRNP, 2022

We found an odd, marvellous piece of worm-eaten wood. We did not want to take it out of the park, so we all posed it and photographed it. Altho not a big deal I think, I did take a charcoal colour, rounded, triangular pebble I came across because it reminded me of someone, somehow, and I do not regret it.

Along the South Beach trail, PRNP, 2022

Back on the trail there was a nice boarded trail up the hill canopied by tree branches, and at one point a fallen tree arching over the path. At an intersection, I either gave bad directions or we decided to take the shorter trail to South Beach. The boardwalk trail and the trees were nice, but not spectacular, I thought. But down at the threshold of the beach… Wow! And I stepped down eagerly. There were big, rugged, black lava outcroppings in the sand and a set of boulders as a gate, perhaps marking a consecrated space. When I circled the quadruplet of boulders, the fine khaki sand transitioned to a greyscale of granules and pebbles.

Gateway to South Beach, PRNP, 2022

More seagulls on the rocks of South Beach, PRNP, 2022

Driftwood trapping rocks on South Beach, PRNP, 2022

Windswept trees on rocky outcropping in South Beach, PRNP, 2022

At one corner, I sat to observe the surf come in and crash lazily against the rock. The seagulls again were standing about, looking outward. And it was so nice to just watch the rhythm of the waves. This was the place I liked most in PRNP so far. I enjoyed the coarse sand, the huge buried boulders, the windswept trees, and the intimate setting under the overcast sky. Is not "windswept" such a wonderfully connotative word?

The sun was popping thru the clouds, so that soothing light changed to HDR and we suddenly felt like having a snack. So, blah, blah, etc. we went for a deserved lunch and I did not share my french fries with the murder of crows hanging about. We had more coffee. And then we finally went to Long Beach.

Rough rock and moss covered rock on Long Beach, PRNP, 2022

There were layers of clouds. The high, shapeless cloud cover hid the sun again, and there were large, low, rounded clouds, some alien-looking. There was light drizzle too that did not keep people away from strolling on the beach. The waves were coming in faster, higher, and in quick succession now, so there were many surfers swaying and riding the waves, and surf boards about the beach. It was new to me and cool, and even tho there a few days it was also the same. I walked along the beach for a little while, watching everything go by, but decided to sit on a log and watch the waves. I slipped over my jacket hood for comfort. The sound of the waves crashing was pleasant, as always for me of course, but the swift cadence was soothing whispering to me. A surfer came onto the beach, set their board on a log before me, and knelt in the sand beside it. Like me they sat there for a long while. As I settled while listening to the shushing I became more aware of the images in my mind popping in, drifting, and disappearing. I saw… I thot about… I cried a little and thot a little more. And then I let go of myself and continued to cry softly for a while. And I swear it was relieving, there before the vast ocean.

Driftwood shelter on Long Beach, PRNP, 2022

Driftwood shelter on Long Beach, PRNP, 2022

Found object art on Long Beach, PRNP, 2022

The photo amigos were in the distance. I could tell because they were the only tiny figures stopping often and holding up something to their heads, and with objects rising from the bulges on their backs. So I slowly walked in their general direction to meet them.

There is an important surfing culture in Tofino. Hell, it is the surfing capital of Canada, and Long Beach one of the most popular surf spots. We saw young and old surfers, even parents and their children surfing together. And along the edge of the fringe forest just down on the beach there were all shapes of shelters and lean-tos made from driftwood. They were of various degrees of sophistication, and some would be best described as found object art. I have never seen such things before, they were fascinating, so I walked along the beach just looking and photographing them. They were imaginative structures. And there was even more driftwood on Long Beach than I have seen so far. I had a lot of fun photographing their shapes and texture. Yup, I lurv driftwood.

We did not stick around for the sunset. Feeling we had a long fruitful day we decided to head back to base and relax. So, we sat around the fireplace conversing about the day, having a drink and snaking, and Mr C grilled us delish salmon. A little later on, I gladly drifted on to the land of nod.

How about you; have you visited the beaches of Pacific Rim National Park? What did you like about it? Send me an email and tell me what you think.

DP, 2023-02-12

[alastors-radioshow]

There was a soft chuckle from the demon in disguise, head tilting to the side just a little as he listened to him speak. He was a keen listener, Alastor. Even if most believed him too vain to even care about what other people had to say. Quite the contrary, really. But it never hurt to leave people in the dark about that, hmm?

However, Terzo would be able to see that he was interested. That he paid attention. Maybe he was letting his guard down a little around him. But then again, he was considering him a friend. Someone he could trust and converse openly with.

He didn't mind him seeing.

"I consider myself quite special, then. To be able to experience something that others cannot." He started, dark gaze softening some. "I see nothing wrong with platonic outings. One can call it a date, one can call it an outing. Granted, I do not experience them often, seeing as my outings usually consists of just myself. Ah, well.. One does not have many friends, nor a partner in life. C'est la vie~"

He'd chuckle a little, offering him a softer grin. "Well, I suppose one can call it a guilty pleasure of mine. That, particular picture show is quite delightful~ And as you yourself remarked, it is near impossible to remain cross when watching it."

The crimson-clad Overlord would pause a little at the next question, thinking it over with a slight hum.

"Hmm. It is not a guarantee. The Lwa picks those they see fit. Some cannot handle the strain of being a vodouisant. It is mentally and physically taxing to be in contact with the Lwa, you see. Even if they belong to a family of practitioners, it is not a guarantee that the child has the same abilities. Only a Manbo or Houngan can invite you, and if they say that you do not belong, then you do not belong. It is not a birthright."

Terzo offers him the softest grin, borderline a smirk, but it doesn't quite have the edge required for it. Alastor can see the mask Terzo wears, and the man underneath it. He's used to only Primo and Secondo seeing that aspect of him. Not even his father sees it, and Imperator finds him... intimidating, or perhaps a threat. He's not entirely sure these days.

"Well, count yourself amongst the few, Alastor. All the world's a stage for an Emeritus, and he is but a player. ...This could be a date, si, even just between friends. I am no stranger to outings of a platonic nature, especially with my Ghouls and crew members."

He was no stranger to more sexual outings either, but he was cautious to call this a date, even though Alastor had named it first. He didn't entertain romantic partners, most of those who fell into bed with him were simply scratching an itch, the same as he was. He had favorites that came to his bed repeatedly, but... it wasn't romantic, and it was mutually defined as such by all parties.

A soft snort at his commentary once he'd finished conversing, able to give Alastor his full attention once more.

"Someone is familiar with a few Earth movies it sounds like, my friend. I cannot say that Disney is in ready supply at the Abbey, but it certainly is hard to remain in a bad mood watching one of those films."

A small pause, thinking over how he wanted to ask his next question.

"I understand it is invitation only, yes, but does that extend to those who are born into families of practitioners? If you are understanding, a child of two vodouisants might not be invited or contacted by the Lwa? Is it not... guaranteed by the right of birth?"

[kae-karo]

marianas trench: phantoms

the absurd album overanalysis, commentary, and ranking nobody asked for

first, my personal ranking (don’t get me wrong tho i love the entire damn album):

1. wish you were here 1. don’t miss me 1. the death of me 2. your ghost 2. the killing kind 3. only the lonely survive 3. echoes of you 4. glimmer 4. i knew you when 4. eleonora

the album as a whole: oh such an awesome story and so awesomely inspired by the horror genres?? i think some of the non-singles hit the horror mark better but like oh my god it’s such a cool vibe the whole entire thing???? i know the concept was like,,,,,,descent into madness but you can totally feel this struggle with it and with the idea of a doomed/dead relationship, it’s just so so well done??? my one complaint is that i’m not musically inclined enough to recognize where all the references are bc unlike in no place like home and dearly departed, there aren’t really as many lyric references to other albums/songs, it’s more the music. and i know it well enough to go ‘oh that’s familiar, for sure’ but i can’t for the life of me figure out where from (in most cases)

eleonora: i mean the title is based on the short story by edgar allan poe (x) true to theme from the beginning, which (long story short) is about a woman the narrator falls in love with (well, his cousin) but she’s ill and will die, blah blah blah she does and the narrator vows never to marry anyone else but later he does and his first love comes back from beyond the grave to give her blessing for the new marriage - already basically i’m getting vibes of like,,,,,,a genuine desire to move on? which is great imo and like a step forward from previous albums? plus the whole acapella delivery is super reminiscent of so it goes (x) and the layered voices reminiscent of the intro to end of an era (x). plus we have the direct ref to the raven (x) by poe with ‘midnight dreary’. also the idea of ‘don’t hush’ which is later touched on as ‘just hush’ in the killing kind? oof interesting v v interesting

only the lonely survive: a bop a massive bop but! also! just a very intriguing take (at least to me) on a doomed-to-fail relationship, the idea that you can actively acknowledge a relationship is hurting both parties but...choose to stay. i also like the idea (which i might just be extrapolating) that to truly live, to have a really poignant relationship, you have to sort of give yourself over to it? ‘only the lonely survive’ - only those who isolate themselves truly ‘get out alive’ if you will but like, that’s the beauty of putting yourself out there? is like, you truly feel everything, i guess. ‘it hurts like hell to love this well’ sort of touches on that same idea for me. anyway the whole thing goes hard as hell and i love it. ‘he’ll never know you / not the way that i knew you’ we love intra-album references !!!

echoes of you: okay didn’t love this at first bc it felt repetitive (and it was coming on the heels of only the lonely survive which i adored) but it also felt really unique and a little different? when the released it as a single, it’s the first time i thought of this album as truly horror-inspired and totally picked up on the tell-tale heart vibe (x) which was just so interesting, i love how stories like that have turned into these really fresh songs that still call back to these kinds of madness-inspiring stories - that a love can inspire that kind of madness, even when it’s gone. i also wonder if the idea of ‘can’t stop myself from falling now’ has less to do with falling in love (which is, for me, the immediate connotation) and more to do with ‘falling into madness’. the verses and the tempo are so well-paced as well, like this frantic feeling? then the chorus comes in with this suspenseful set of chords? and the theremin in the background!!!! the best way to give a truly Spooky™ vibe. the idea of tell-tale heart, the story, too, is that the narrator is trying to sound completely sane, and explain the murder they’ve committed and why it was justified - that goes along with the theme of this album, too, where there’s this undercurrent of trying to insist that the doomed relationship is somehow justifiable

don’t miss me?: oh i adore this and the idea of ‘oh hah yeah no i don’t miss you like at all,,,,,,,,,,,,,do you ‘not miss me’ too?’ and like this,,,,,,not obsession but the idea of trying to actively move past missing someone? but just constantly getting caught up on it? unrelated to the meaning but oh my god the little background vocals, adore it. ‘some people try to raise the dead / some people try to live instead’ is like. that’s one of those things that i lowkey would love to get tattooed on my body or something. just really good words, because that’s what it’s like moving on from a rough relationship - and it’s hard to like, see that when you’re in the thick of it? bc like imagine losing a loved one and trying to bring them back to life - we’ve all heard the story, it’s never what’s expected, it’s never quite right and the same goes for relationships. and so, the idea of living instead, of moving on. also the vocal run up to the high note toward the end (x - look idk Music Words) reminds me of something but i can’t quite place it. also ‘i don’t remember why we stayed’ and then in wish you were here, we get ‘i don’t recall now why we’re buried’ which is a fun contradiction

wish you were here: that middle-of-the-night madness that goes alongside one love (x) like,,,,,if you took it one step on the other side of madness and entertained the idea of reviving a relationship that should be dead. except it’s such a bop unlike one love, like it sounds a lot like it could be on astoria, and it’s got that back beat matching this means war (x) in fact, it feels like the exact polar opposite of this means war (like...instead of ‘lmao i’m totally awesome without you’ it’s like ‘i’m,,,,,maybe not doing so great without you, shit i really wish you were here, wish we were together’)? but with the same sort of vibe in terms of the music itself? and the outro (x) reminds me hardcore of something else i can’t quite place

your ghost: this one also reminds me a lot of the general vibe of astoria with hints of like. modern touches? this one reminds me a lot of wildfire actually? (x) but a bit more upbeat? like that guitar style i think is what does it. it feels a lot like there’s this...almost unwilling pull toward the idea of ‘madness’ that they’re focused on, like....a sort of awareness of the descent? also the softer bit toward the end where it’s just josh and the guitar (x) reminds me a lot of something that i once again cannot place for the life of me

glimmer: oh no,,,,,,,,,okay first this (it’s just audio but tumblr won’t let me add audio on its own in a post like this):

so my first and most important comment is that all i can think about when i hear this song is ‘halo by beyonce halo by beyonce halo by beyonce halo by beyonce’ and it tends to run over everything else lmao. but! i think conceptually it’s more of that descent into madness, into seeing some sort of trace of a relationship, like some sort of residual glimmer that sticks to things, to people. ‘it’s funny what you find when you go without’, like the idea of....probably hallucinating in a sense, but starting to see the relationship/the other person everywhere, on everything, when you’re missing them? even to the point that, when the person comes back, maybe the memories of that relationship stick around too - ‘you’ve changed but it’s not enough / and doubt is insidious / creeps up on you softly / i can’t get it off me, i can’t get it off me now’ like this idea that even though it’s something wanted, to come back together (no matter how bad it might end up), memories and the past can’t really be forgotten - ‘you’ve changed but it’s not enough’ - very reminiscent of wildfire (x - ‘so now you show up when you’re alone again / but we haven’t changed, but now you’re interested) ngl too the overall feeling of the song reminds me of one love? (x)

i knew you when: so this song sorta came out of nowhere to me, like it felt weird and off-kilter like...i knew you when? when what? but like. now it makes a lot more sense, in this sort of...well, twisted way. it feels like things have been twisted around. it comes off the back of glimmer, too, and i think that’s like - oh, these memories are here, lingering, and this is almost a deep-dive into them? it tells a bit of a story and i think it’s less abstract, but it definitely harps hard on the idea that ‘i’ve been loving, loving you too long to just sudden-suddenly move on from this’ that sort of encompasses the entire album really cleanly. it’s interesting, actually, it almost feels like a very sincere moment of clarity and specificity amidst a mess of this drifting toward ‘madness’, but still hinting at that little bit of ‘okay but if you want to....i’ll know you then’, this like concession to that madness, an indulgence in it? 

the death of me: oh catch me melting over the transition between songs, utterly seamless. love it. this one is another one that like....feels like a breath of clarity in awareness? like this acknowledgment that there’s something off, this lingering desire for someone from the past, that there’s an emptiness, that this new thing isn’t right, even if it’s something wanted. because other wanted things (or people) make it impossible. i think it’s also the first time in a while where another party (ie not them nor the person they’ve got this tangled relationship with throughout the album so far) is mentioned which is v interesting. i think this track does an excellent job of bringing a ghostly vibe to it, the echoing vocals and background sounds, they almost elicit this feeling of like. the person is drifting away from the person they’re trying to make a new start with, like literally drifting? almost being pulled in by the ‘madness’? and it’s a heartbreaking song, too, bc there’s this emanating desperation to like...move on? and make things work? but this acknowledgement that...maybe that’s not happening? maybe it’s not possible? maybe there’s too much baggage, in a sense? there’s also that very long outro that starts off a little intriguing, adventurous almost, and then descends into this frightening crescendo (x - that also has a hint of something else in it) before these voices come in, crescendoeing again into this sudden stop and then you’ve got josh saying ‘save me from myself’ which i feel like is a reference?????? also cannot believe they made me download that and reverse it so i could figure that out lmao

the killing kind: it wouldn’t be a mt album without a song that’s all over the place and somehow still cohesive and intriguing, huh? oh big mood for the intro, with the very great imagery of wandering a haunted house at night, staring into the shadows, and then ‘the killing kind’ - i think the whole thing is a super interesting concept, again, this acceptance of some of the fault in a failed relationship? ‘but you’ve been haunted too’ and yet not all of it, i think a lot of media represents things as black and white, with all the blame on one person, when that’s rarely the case? anyway, it’s interesting it’s addressed. ‘nevermore’ of course being another edgar allan poe reference (disclaimer there may be other references i’m missing since i’m not massively well-read in the horror genre) i’m also intrigued by ‘can’t get out / from under it / nevermore to leave here’, is that a lover dearest (x) reference? bc that’s what came to mind, honestly. again, excellent with the background vocals giving that eerie vibe. and then the stephen king ‘it’ reference with ‘we all float down here’. ngl that one feels a little forced but again, i’m like. not well-read in the horror genre so there may be more layers to that one than i know. ‘it gazes back / sings to me / i know my love can be the killing kind’ - i think this is interesting that it sings back, that feels very much like a callback that maybe their own previous songs are hinting at the love being ‘the killing kind’. also ‘you should never be here’ makes me think of something (x) the hard guitar/violins in the background during ‘here and now / this is it’ etc remind me of something else. and then ofc we have the astoria run/vocals (x) and then the ref to echoes of you (although it sounds like the slightest pitch lower than in echoes of you?) and then the whole bit with ‘don’t love the bottle’ i swear on my life it sounds like it comes from somewhere? same with the background melody? but i have no idea where, it just sounds like a reference. and then we have the background little melody (x) after he says ‘a hidden melody’ so it’s like reinforced that it’s a reference but idk where from rip lmao. edit: ty to the lovely anon who mentioned it’s from masterpiece theater!!!!! and once again a++++ use of a theremin in the background for max spooky vibes. also ‘evermore’ is totally a reference to ever after (x) along with the little lift after that (i assume) and then the whole acapella bit calls back to eleonora and the ‘now’ bit to something (x) plus the ‘hear me now’ from something wow i’m great at this game lmao as well as the ‘don’t you hear me’ part. ‘we could be together here / forever we’re together bound in madness’ i think again a lover dearest and then ofc we have the vocal runs from something (x) and then the strong background violin from another thing (yeah yeah i know they’re all references i just don’t know what from) and then he says ‘just hush eleonora’ which, as previously mentioned, is a very intriguing development from ‘don’t hush’ like this,,,,,,acceptance of the madness? and then ofc he says ‘eleonoria’ in ref to astoria. edit: also the whole ending is so so similar to the ending of ever after

[nyalternatehellkitten]

"Bonjour, father." IT'S THE KID. Don't worry, Amber didn't FORGET HER *SOBS* "I know it's Mother's day, and we're supposed to celebrate it with him, and you technically didn't birth me, but I do want to give you something for these troubling times."

"Here you go, father. I did my best to cook these eggs for you. C'est la vie, it's extremely hard to negotiate with people in Gensokyo, very barbaric."

Simple, yet perfect eggs, thrown in with some salt and black pepper. Very simple, yet juicy! It's just eggs though, but SHE TRIED.

"A-ah... Thanks, sweetheart..."

It's Shirayuki again- Nyalter has no idea how to deal with her. But then again, the cat feels like it's pretty normal not to know how to deal with someone who claims to be your daughter from the future, and occasionally breaks out into a language that you don't even know exists.

"I uh... I really appreciate the thought. You didn't have to go through any trouble for this..."

Truthfully, she has no idea if Shirayuki did go through any trouble. The eggs look fine enough, they taste nice, and Shirayuki did indicate that she knows how to cook. Maybe Nyalter's overthinking it, and she should just treat this as a simple mother's day gift from her future daughter-

Yeah no she still has no idea how to respond-

"Mmmm... I mean, eggs are usually well if they're seasoned quite simply... but it does taste nice! These are chicken eggs, right?"

She's a little bit confused as to why Shirayuki mentioned negotiating with people, so she's hoping that these are simple, normal chicken eggs or something, and Shirayuki didn't have to go through too much trouble to get them...

[mseirtaku]

most crucial personality indicators

Tagged by @shithole-state to participate in this!

1. when u binge-watch tv, do u skip the intro theme song or watch it?

If I'm by myself, I generally just let the intro play, since I'm usually multitasking like drawing. If I'm with other people, I'll watch the intro on the very first episode, and then skip it for the rest of the viewings. Gotta maximise episode watching time after all!

2. did u prefer dinosaurs or monsters as a kid?

I was super into monsters as a child, absolutely obsessed with vampires and werewolves and wished I was either. Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman/Frankenstein were my childhood favourites~ Not to mention, my favourite expansion pack back then was the Sims 3 Supernatural! I also had a huge phase of being into zombie media, mainly The Walking Dead, Left 4 Dead and The House of the Dead. My monster interest mixed a lot with Hetalia and I was super into them being vampires and werewolves and such so. Even wrote self-indulgent self-insert cringe fanfiction that are lost to time, thank God. To be honest, the interest in monsters is probably what led to my interest in horror and dark media altogether~

3. how many and what kind of collections do u keep?

I don't really have any collections. I just have stuff that interests me like manga or all my old DS/Wii games, several NEO magazines and manga. I guess I have a tiny thimble collection that consists of only 6 thimbles. Perhaps I should make that a proper one in the future lmao

4. ya’ll r gonna hate this but ur major actually says a lot about u as a person. whats ur major?

I'm currently majoring in forestry. However, the choice to do this course was a compromise between my parents and I to do a course that'll actually get me a job once I finished it. The course is alright, but I'm not incredibly passionate about it at all. I've always wanted to do an art or animation course. Unfortunately, that isn't really viable for me, and I got so much discouragement to do it that I never even tried to make a portfolio and just go for it in the end. Ah well. C'est la vie!

Uhh, I suppose I'll taaaag~

@resoyani

@bluelobstersdev

@la-rosa-scura

[demongemz]

bejcwcled​:

“ah i’m sorry that’s happened to you. yeah i don’t like most of them either and not just because of the whole mortal enemy thing. i suppose i could. what would you like to know?” talking about aziraphale was easier than talking about themself. they could easily go on for hours if given the chance to. “on another person? you know someone else with eyes like mine. i thought- well it doesn’t matter what i thought.” they shook their head. the man likely wouldn’t care to hear their sob story and they weren’t really in the mood to tell it. “that’s fascinating. i can’t believe i’ve been around for so long and didn’t know about beings like you.” maybe they did need to get out more. if there were warlocks and part angel beings here who knows what other kinds of creatures crowley could run into. it would certainly break up the monotony of looking for and failing to find aziraphale. “i didn’t realize we could- er they could reproduce. supposedly? do they not do a very good job of it? or perhaps they’re not a good judge of what’s evil?”

“uh i’m not really a people person. i wouldn’t do good selling things to people.” well they probably could if they tried. it’s just another form of tempting them right? but they didn’t really want to. they didn’t want to have anything that could take up time that they could be spending with aziraphale when they finally found him. when magnus failed to answer their question they weren’t sure how to feel. did the lack of an answer mean he was ashamed? was he ashamed of them? they didn’t think they had any children but the eyes comment. besides they didn’t know any other demon with eyes like their own. “nothing wrong with being unholy. holiness isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.” they couldn’t help but start to get defensive. they nodded and accepted the handkerchief putting it back in their pocket. “your parents- i-” crowley sighed and shook their head unable to find the right words. “even after all these years humans still manage to amaze me with their cruelty. i’m sorry you had to go through that. if i had known i would have… i’d have protected you.” maybe if they apologized magnus wouldn’t feel as ashamed of them. “i think you’re lucky to have found him. i don’t show mine regularly either not since sunglasses were invented. i know how special it is for them to be complimented.” they had almost forgotten what they had originally come for. they had gotten so caught up in magnus’ story. they stared at the slip of paper dumbfounded for a few moments. “uh thank you.” @demongemz

“C'est La Vie, as they say, everyone has their bridges to overcome, mine has always been too much for one species to handle. Anything you’d be willing to share, what type of hobbies do they enjoy taking part in? Or how you two became such close friends?” Magnus was curious If anything it sounded like an interesting story of how the two became close but he wouldn’t push after all the other didn’t owe him anything. “In all your life you’ve never seen another to bare your eyes?” he asked curiously the demon had been to Edom that much was certain but to have never come across another with cat-like eyes must have meant his father didn’t exist in that world. He didn’t really know but smiled softly “Yes, and I’m set to be around even longer, I’m immortal, I’m not surprised, not many demons or angels should be procreating with humans.” He mused before chuckling softly “Really? Well, it’s nice to see that everyone can learn something new each day. A lot of them think they are a good judge of what’s evil but then again they also thought everyone with dirty blood was around just for them to keep in line. Alexander has made so many changes in these last years where things aren’t so bad for us downworlders but it was a long time coming if honest.”

“Really? Well lucky for you people are my personality, I enjoy talking to people every chance I get, but then again, it's always best to learn a person’s intentions quickly rather than later at a more inconvenient time” Magnus mused telling the other about his past had been something he hadn’t expected, something about Crowley had him opening up in ways he hadn’t done in years. Maybe it was their shared eyes or maybe something even deeper “Tell me about, what did it matter where I came from, I wasn’t some horrible cruel thing, I was his son until my eyes changed…yet he turned on me the moment I showed myself different” he mused looking at the other for a moment he hadn’t expected their answers if he was honest. “Those experiences molded me into the person I am…though I would’ve loved to have seen your protection, I assure you I was quite the cute kid” he teased before his face fell once more his fingers going towards his wedding ring where at one point it would’ve lifted the weight off her heart but now it seemed as a tightening cord to someone who no longer remembered him. “I was lucky…he doesn’t remember me here anymore, all those years and kind words seemed to exist only in my memory. But listen to me prattling on like some hopeless fool, You can always be free to show your eyes around here, might even get me to reveal mine more often, after all, glamours take so much out of a person.” he mused smiling softly “you’re welcome, sorry to have bored you with my troubled life but I hope your reunion with your friend goes well.” @bejcwcled​

[starfaring-princelotor]

Welcome (kinda almost) back my emperor! It's so nice to see you on this blog again! I hope that despite all the crazy things happening that you've been able to find moments of peace and joy, and that whenever you find time, your moments on this blog make you smile <3

Crazy is an understatement. 

I bought a moped. It was enjoyable to ride, really. It only went as high as 35 mph, but that just meant I get to steal the bike lane for myself. Second night of my move to another place, it was stolen off the street. 

Oddly enough, I am a little upset, but not overly so. People are desperate, I suppose, and by now I am sure that little joy ride will be striped of parts to be sold off. Not sure why anyone would want a used moped with a horrible paint-job with 4 different colors capping at nearly 5,000 km, but, ah, what do they say? C'est la vie.

Though I do hope that thief gets caught regardless. 

However, peace is always an option, and I have a small preview under the cut for my dear readers. 

"Why are you here?" he asked. Straightforward. To the point. Perhaps with a smidge of well-concealed contempt. 

"I'm here to save Earth."

"A little too late for that." Ah, at least he kept his bluntness from you. "Try again."

You almost wanted to laugh. "I'm here to save Voltron." 

Also a little too late, you thought to yourself.

James scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the wall with his rifle discarded besides him. He lingered in silence for a few seconds, finger tapping his elbow in thought. If he didn't know you any better, he'd think you were lying a second time. But there was something about the way you avoided what he really wanted to hear from you. 

He smirked, head tilted down as his bangs fluttered right above his brow, "You're still as I remembered you, doc."

[roi-des-voleurs]

The Cats Out of the Bag || Self Para

Summary: Remy takes on a job to steal a package for a crime boss, and ends up with some unexpected new friends

Word Count: 2085

Warnings: A little violence and some allusions to animal neglect/mistreatment

Takes place prior to the travel ban being instated. Not that it would have applied to Remy, but after this, he definitely would have chosen to stay at home for a while!

Though he treaded the mostly straight and narrow these days, Remy did still do thievery jobs from time to time, if the money and the job was right. He would never steal from someone who could not afford or did not deserve it. But when one crime boss contacted him and asked him to steal from another crime boss? Yeah, that would work. And if they went at each other later, would that be a real loss? Remy did not think so. Besides, if any of them rubbed him the wrong way, he could always drop an anonymous tip to the police.

"So dis package? What's in it?" he inquired after agreeing to the job. He was aware it would be something illegally acquired, but he was not keen on picking up weapons or something else which could be used to hurt innocent people later on.

"I'm not paying you to ask questions, thief. Just do your job," snapped the crime boss.

Clearly Remy should not have expected civility, or an explanation. But most people usually let him know what he was going to steal, just to make sure he got it right. That made him more leery of what he was going after, but he was willing to give a little leeway for now. Hopefully he could get a chance to peek at the contents of the package before having to deliver it, and thus could choose not to deliver it if it was something too questionable.

"Pardon, pardon." Remy held up his hands, showing he would remain silent for now. "Jus' askin'. Ok, I'll have it here at ten tomorrow night."

"And not a minute later. Otherwise you'll regret it."

Hmm, definitely not a flexible customer. And probably up to more than just pissing off his rival. But Remy said nothing; instead he bowed politely and backed out of the office. Now he was quite curious as to what he was going to steal, and definitely ready to give the police an anonymous tip if things went south.

~*~*~*~

The target building was a warehouse, naturally. And it was guarded, naturally. But then the crime boss would not have hired one of the best in the business if this was simple snatch and grab, so Remy had expected no less. Still, unless there were guards stationed on the roof, things might still be pretty simple. 

Leaping from the roof of the building next door, he landed noiselessly on the roof of the warehouse and headed for the nearest skylight.

Equally quietly, Remy worked to slip the glass out of the opening, smirking to himself when it came off easily. As he set it aside, however, a shadow suddenly fell over him. "Ah, maybe not quite so easily, den," he muttered, correctly assuming a guard had come up.

"Stand up--slowly--and raise your hands. Otherwise I'll be kickin' you down into that hole," came the gruff voice behind him. 

"Don't t'ink I can argue wit' dat, homme."

Remy did indeed start to stand slowly...before halting and whipping his leg around to knock the man behind him off his feet. Caught off guard, he toppled backwards, mercifully not making as much of a thud as he could have. He was not quite knocked out, though, so Remy gave him a whack to the head, putting him out of commission. 

"Still not much o' a challenge," Remy commented before slipping into the open skylight and lowering himself down with a cable. 

Once he dropped down to the floor, he unhooked the cable and started off towards the office, where his client had assured him the package would be. Glancing up, Remy saw there were cameras around, but he was good at blending into the shadows, and he fancied he could make it to the office without getting noticed.

He was not wrong. When he was almost to the office, Remy smirked at having done so unnoticed--until he glimpsed into the window of the security room and saw the guard watching the video feed was sound asleep. Though he was glad that would make things really easy, he had to confess to being a little disappointed that he would never know for sure how well he had avoided the cameras. Oh well. C'est la vie.

Creeping towards the office, Remy found it was, naturally, locked. He did know how to pick a lock, but since there clearly was no one watching, he went for the quicker option--touching the lock, giving it a small charge, and opening the door once it sizzled and gave a small pop.

Remy had not been sure what he would find inside, so he was glad when he saw that his prize was sitting right on the desk. Without hesitation, he picked it up, though he paused when he thought he heard the sound of rustling within it. Yet he did not really have time to wonder about it now, so Remy strapped the box to his back and slipped out of the office. 

Judging by the sound of voices coming from nearby, the sleeping guard had woken either of his own volition or by someone else's, which meant Remy needed to go--and fast. Hurrying back to his cable, he climbed back up, pulling it up along with him. When he climbed out of the skylight, he could see guards gathering below, and he rolled onto the roof just in time to avoid the first shot. The initial guard he had encountered was still knocked out, so Remy waved at his prone form before taking off, getting away onto the other building before the rest of the guards had a chance to muster the search. 

~*~*~*~

Once back at his apartment, Remy set the package down and observed it. As he had made his escape, he became more convinced there were noises coming from within it, so he knew he was going to have to take a look inside. Gazing at it now, he could see small air holes cut into the box, which meant there was a living thing inside. And despite not being a weapon, that seemed like something he would have second thoughts about delivering.

Slowly, he opened the top and peered down into the box--and saw three small cats peering up at him. One white, one grey and one orange.

"Mon Dieu...chats?" Remy breathed. 

The cats did not move at first, but the longer they looked at him, the more curious they became, and soon all three were attempting to climb out of the box.

"Aw, you wanna come out, mes amis?" Smiling, Remy proceeded to take them out one by one, smiling more as they did not hesitate to start crawling onto him. "Hey, you sure a rambunctious lot! What were you doin' in dere anyway?" Were they valuable? He could not imagine why else the crime boss had been after them. But he was certain of one thing. Remy was not going to give the cats up without a fight.

"Don' worry, garçons, I ain't gonna let anythin' bad happen t' you," he said, rubbing two of the cats behind the ears, "I'll jus' hafta have some words wit' a certain client, an' den we'll see if we can't find somebody t' take you in, hein?"

The cats he was rubbing purred, and the one who was not being rubbed promptly pushed his way in to try and get similiar treatment. Chuckling, Remy said, "Sacre, I only got deux hands! You'll hafta wait your turn, glouton!" His chiding did not dissuade the cat, who only started to rub his head against Remy's hand more in response. He chuckled again and started to rub him, making sure to give all of them a scratch in turn. They were such sweethearts. What did that connard want with them? Well, whatever had happened to put these poor little guys in his crosshairs, Remy was damn well going to get to the bottom of it. 

~*~*~*~

"So, care t' explain dis?" 

Remy was standing in front of the desk in the office of his "client," with the box sitting on said desk, open to allow the cats to peer out at the crime boss just as accusingly as Remy was doing.

"You weren't supposed to open it, asshole!" the man fumed, "I contracted you to retrieve it and bring it to me--no questions asked, and no looking at the merchandise!"

"Merchandise! Dese are livin' creatures!" Remy fumed. Ok, animals sold in pet stores were technically merchandise, but he was pretty damn sure no one who worked in a pet store would refer to them so callously. 

"They are merchandise. I make money off of them, and I don't appreciate when they are stolen from me. That fucker is lucky that I only had them stolen back, because I could have made things much more unpleasant for him. And I still might."

So that was it. Illegal animal sales were part of his crime racket. And obviously his rival's as well, if he had stolen the cats originally. And now Remy had delivered them back to a jerk who did not give a shit about the cats. He only cared how much money he could make off of them. That was not what he had been expecting when he had taken on this job.

"So you sell dem, den," Remy said, more a statement than a question.

"Uh, what did I just say, dipshit?" The crime boss frowned. "You keep asking questions and you're not gonna see any of the money we agreed on."

"Keep it."

"What?"

"Keep it," said Remy, more firmly this time, "I don' wanna get paid for havin' any part in somet'ing so cruel."

"Cruel? What, you worried about the poor widdle kitties? What the hell kinda thief are you?"

"De kind wit' a heart, homme. Lots o' dem, in fact." His cards were in his pocket, but if he charged any of them now, he might hurt the cats. "But tonight's your lucky night. You won' get t' see 'em, 'cause I'm gonna let you off easy."

The crime boss and his two thugs by the door all laughed.

"Oh, that's mighty generous of you, sir. So generous that I just might repay you in kind," the crime boss said, shaking his head.

Remy noticed the movement of the thugs, and he was quick enough to dodge the first. But the second landed a punch to his stomach, and when he doubled over in pain, the first landed a punch to his jaw. Remy fell backwards, but the thugs grabbed him and pulled him back to his feet as the crime boss approached them.

"Looks like you might get off easy too, because I'm going to let you live." Then, to the thugs he said, "Show him the way out."

They nodded and dragged Remy out of the office and out of the warehouse, dumping him unceremoniously on the pavement outside. He groaned at the fresh wave of pain from the fall, taking a while before managing to get back on his feet again. He glared at the now closed door of the warehouse, angry at the assault on him but feeling much worse about having been tossed out before he could retrieve the cats. There were a hell of a lot of mistakes he had made in his life, but this one at least he could correct. Smirking a bit despite his pain, Remy staggered off, muttering, "Maybe you...ain't gonna get off so easy after all, connard."

~*~*~*~

Later that evening, acting on an anonymous tip, the police raided the warehouse, arresting the crime boss and his thugs and confiscating hordes of stolen merchandise...except for a box containing three cats.

That was safely in Remy's arms as he watched the scene from a roof a short distance away. Hearing a meow, he looked down to see one of the cats trying to paw open the box. Chuckling, he lifted the flap and waved at them. 

"Don' worry, mes amis, you'll be outta dere soon." He had been planning to take them to a shelter, but the more time Remy spent with them, the more he began to change his mind. They were growing on him, and now he did not think he wanted to let them go. In fact, he knew he did not want to. Smiling down at the cats, he said, "Come on, garçons, let's go home."

[sweet-beezus]

Same faces, just more feral :3c

Ladies night, but there's a 50/50 chance you might die

[athelari]

Last line tag meme

@fizziefizzco thanks for the tag! Since I'm participating in the Mass Effect Trilogy Week, the last thing I wrote was tonight's entry, heh; usually I queue my entries in advance, but I only just cooked this one up last night due to work getting in the way. Ah, c'est la vie, non ?

She raises her rifle, peers through its scope, and fires.

Well, that… tells you nothing, I suppose. Ah, well! It's also literally the last line of the piece.

@shaicarus @tinawiththeglasses Care to join and share the last lines you wrote? No pressure, though; feel free to opt in or out as it pleases you.