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December 2023 witch guide
Full moon: December 26th
New moon: December 12th
Sabbats: Yule December 21st-January 1st
December Cold Moon
Known as: Drift Clearing Moon, Frost Exploding Tree Moon, Moon of the Popping Trees, Hoar Frost Moon, Snow Moon, Winter, Aerra Geola, Maker Moon, Heilagmanoth, Long Night's Moon, Oak Moon, Wintermonat, Moon of the Long Night, Little Spirit Moon, Wolf Moon & When the Deer Shed Their Antlers Moon
Element: Fire
Zodiac: Sagittarius & Capricorn
Nature spirits: Snow, Storm, & Winter Tree faeries
Deities: Athena, Fates, Hades, Hathor, Hecate, Ixchel, Minerva, Neith, Norns, Osiris & Persephone
Animals: Bear, deer, horse & mouse
Birds: Robin, rook & snowy owl
Trees: Fir, Holly & Pine
Herbs: Bay, cedar, chamomile, cinnamon, English ivy, evergreen, fir, frankincense, holly, mistletoe, myrrh, pine & sage
Flowers: Christmas catus, holly & poinsettia
Scents: Cedar, cinnamon, frankincense, ginger, lilac, myrrh, nutmeg, patchouli, pine, rose geranium, rosemary, saffron, violet & wintergreen
Stones: Bloodstone, blue topaz, cat's eye, garnet, jacinth, obsidian, peridot, turquoise, zircon, ruby & serpentine
Colors: Black, blood red, gold, green, red, silver, black & white
Energy: Alchemy, darkness, endurance, death & re-birth, higher education, publications, reaching out to others, religion, spiritual paths, travel & truth
Today, Decemberâs full Moon is most commonly known as the Cold Moonâa Mohawk name that conveys the frigid conditions of this time of year, when cold weather truly begins to grip us.
This full Moon has also been called the Long Night Moon (Mohican), as it rises during the âlongestâ nights of the year, near the December winter solstice. This name is doubly fitting because Decemberâs full Moon shines above the horizon for a more extended period than most full Moons.
In Europe, ancient pagans called the December full Moon the âMoon Before Yule,â in honor of the Yuletide festival celebrating the return of the sun heralded by winter solstice.
Yule
Also known as: Alban, Arthan & Winter Solstice
Season: Winter
Symbols: Baskets of clove studded fruit, Christmas catus, decorated evergreen trees, evergreen boughs, gifts, gold pillar candles, hung mistletoe, poinsettias, wreaths & Yule logs/small Yule log with three candles
Colors: Gold, green, orange, red, silver, white &yellow
Oils/incense: Bayberry, cedar, cinnamon, frankincense. Myrrh & pine
Animals: Bear, boar, deer (stag), pig, squirrel & tiger
Birds: Eagle, goose, kingfisher, lapwing, owl robin & wren
Stones: Bloodstone, garnet, ruby, alexandrite, blue topaz, cat's eye, citrine, clear quartz, diamond, emerald, green tourmaline, jet, kunzite & pearl
Foods: Caraway cakes, cookies, eggnog, fruits, ginger tea, nuts, pork, spiced cider, turkey, wassail & lamb's wool (ale, sugar, nutmeg & roasted apples)
Herbs/plants: Bay, bayberry, birch, blessed thistle, cedar, chestnut, cinnamon, evergreens, fir, frankincense, ginger, holly, ivy, juniper, mistletoe, moss, myrrh, oak, pine, rosemary, sage, valerian & yellow cedar
Flowers: Chamomile, poinsettia & yarrow
Goddesses: Alcyone, Aphrodite, Ameratasu, Bona Dea, Brighid, Cailleach Bheur, Demeter, Diana, Fortuna, Frau Holle, Frau Perchta, Frigga, Gaia, Hel, Great Mother, Idunn, Isis, Ishtar, Kolyada, La Befana, Maat & Tiamat
Gods: Apollo, Attis, Balder, Bragi, Dionysus, Divine Child, Green Man, Helios, Holly King, Horned one, Horus, Janus, Lord of Misrule, Lugh, Mabon, Marduk, Mithras, Odin, Ra, Saturn & Surya
Issues Intentions & Powers: Darkness, divination, light, messages/omens, purification, rebirth/renewal & transformation
Spellwork: Earth magick, happiness, harmony, love & peace
Activities:
⢠Set up & decorate a Yule altar
⢠Clean, organize & cleanse before decorating your home
⢠Make witch's balls to hang on your tree (protective & pretty!)
⢠Decorate & bless & Yule tree
⢠Stay awake until dawn to observe the cycles of nature
⢠Give gifts tomyour family & friends
⢠Donate your time or helpful items to charity
⢠Go caroling
⢠Hang mistletoe in your doorways
⢠Make Wassail
⢠Prepare a Yule Log
⢠Host a Yule feast
⢠Craft your own decorative wreath
⢠Decorate your house with Yule colored candles
⢠Welcome the Sun
⢠Go on nature walks & leave offerings to nature
⢠Meditate & reflect on the passing year
âYuleâ comes from Old English geol, which shares a history with the equivalent word from Old Norse, jĂłl. Both these words referred to a midwinter festival centered around the winter solstice, which traditionally marked the halfway point of the winter season. After the solsticeâthe shortest day of the yearâthe days again begin to grow longer, so itâs thought that Yule was a celebration of the re-appearance of the Sun &the fertile landâs rebirth.
The celebration of Yule is one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world. Ancient people were hunters & spent most of their time outdoors. The seasons & weather played a significant part in their lives. The customs and traditions associated with it vary widely.
Scholars have connected the original celebrations of Yule to the Wild Hunt, the god Odin, and the heathen Anglo-Saxon MĹdraniht ("Mothers' Night")
Some believe it marks the rebirth of the Sun (the God) from the Earth (the Goddess) & the cold days of winter will soon begin to wane. The Goddess is seen in her virgin Maiden aspect
In towns and cities throughout Sweden during the Christmas season, large goats are constructed out of straw. It is thought that the tradition originated in ancient times, perhaps as a tribute to the god Thor, who was said to ride in a chariot pulled by goats. In Sweden the goat came to be associated with the Christmas celebration, and the Yule goat is now considered by many to be a companion or counterpart to Santa Claus.
Related festivals:
Christmas- An annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ as the son of God, primarily observed on December 25th
Hanukkah- A Jewish festival commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem & subsequent rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE.
Hanukkah is observed for eight nights & days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar. The festival is observed by lighting the candles of a candelabrum with nine branches, commonly called a menorah or hanukkiah.
Kwanzaa- An annual celebration of African-American culture from December 26 to January 1st, culminating in a communal feast called Karamu, usually on the sixth day. It was created by activist Maulana Karenga, based on African harvest festival traditions from various parts of West & Southeast Africa. Kwanzaa was first celebrated in 1966.
A Kwanzaa ceremony may include drumming and musical selections, libations, a reading of the African Pledge & the Principles of Blackness, reflection on the Pan-African colors, a discussion of the African principle of the day or a chapter in African history, a candle-lighting ritual, artistic performance & finally, a feast of faith (Karamu Ya Imani).
Saturnalia-
is an ancient Roman festival and holiday in honour of the god Saturn, held on 17 December of the Julian calendar & later expanded with festivities through to 23 December. The holiday was celebrated with a sacrifice at the Temple of Saturn, in the Roman Forum & a public banquet, followed by private gift-giving, continual partying & a carnival atmosphere that overturned Roman social norms: gambling was permitted & masters provided table service for their slaves as it was seen as a time of liberty for both slaves and freedmen alike.
A common custom was the election of a "King of the Saturnalia", who gave orders to people, which were followed & presided over the merrymaking. The gifts exchanged were usually gag gifts or small figurines made of wax or pottery known as sigillaria. The poet Catullus called it "the best of days".
Other celebrations:
Feast of Epona-
Eponalia is the feast day of Gaulish Goddess Epona, the Divine Mare & in the time of the Roman Empire it was celebrated on December 18th.
Epona is known to be one of a very few Gaulish deities whose names were spread to the rest of the Roman Empire. This seems to have happened because Roman cavalry units stationed in Gaul followed Her & adopted her as their Patroness. This may have started because many of the cavalry troops were conscripted from Gaul as they were superb horsemen. From Gaul the Romans took Epona with them including to Rome where She was given her own feast day on the 18 December. They worshipped her as Epona Augusta or Epona Regina & invoked her on behalf of the Emperor. She even had a shrine in the barracks of the Imperial Bodyguard.
Hunting of the Wren-
A traditional custom carried out on the Isle of Man on the 26 December, St. Stephen's Day. It consists of groups of people going around villages and towns singing and dancing a traditional song and dance around a decorated wren pole.
The earliest and most common folklore story accounting for the origin of hunt the wren tells of a fairy/enchantress/witch whose beauty lures the men of the Isle of Man to harm, for which she is chased and is changed into the form of a wren. It is therefore in punishment for her actions that the wren is hunted on St. Stephen's Day
Sources:
Farmersalmanac.com
Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines
A Witch's Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs
Llewellyn's 2023 magical almanac: practical magic for everyday living
Wikipedia
Encyclopedia Britannica
#correspondence#cold moon#witch guide#december 2023#winter solstice#yule#witchblr#witch community#wiccablr#paganblr#witch tumblr#witchcraft#witch tips#beginner witch#baby witch#witch stuff#spellbook#grimoire#book of shadows#spellwork#sabbat#wheel of the year#traditional witchcraft#witchyvibes#witches of tumblr#witches#witchcore#GreenWitchcrafts#witchy things
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African bush elephant Loxodonta africana
With western cattle egret Bubulcus ibis (middle left and right) and long-toed lapwing Vanellus crassirostris (back left)
Observed by cuihenggang, public domain
#Loxodonta africana#African bush elephant#Elephantidae#elephant#non-ungulate#Bubulcus ibis#western cattle egret#Vanellus crassirostris#long-toed lapwing#bird#pelecaniform#charadriiform#Africa#Kenya#juvenile
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QUICK, WORDS OF WISDOM!!!!
Pretz's Little Instructions~~â¨ď¸â¨ď¸â¨ď¸â¨ď¸â¨ď¸â¨ď¸â¨ď¸
⢠Don't go touching mushrooms if you don't know which species they are
⢠Don't EVER go ANYWHERE near a Lapwing's nest. NEVER. Not if you value your life.
⢠Be a funny silly fella, this leaves a mark in people's lives :3
⢠Don't bathe during thunderstorms. Apparently it can kill you. (Source: my parents)
⢠When walking alone, use reflective surfaces like shop windows to subtly check if you're being followed.
⢠Also never use your phone in public if you're not paying full attention to your surroundings. That's how you get robbed
⢠In case you're wearing a backpack while standing up on a full bus, hold it in front of you and make sure to always leave a hand over it. That way, it's harder to steal your stuff uwu
⢠Be kind to most strangers. You never know when you'll need to ask one of them for help
⢠Be your true self even if its the cringiest shit ever, as long as it doesn't hurt you or anyone
⢠Learn fun insults. Leaves your enemies with no ground to fight back as they are dumbfounded by your words
⢠Walk confidently and look as intimidating as you can, while also being super attentive to your surroundigs so you always know what's approaching you
⢠As soon as you enter your car, get it running and leave wherever you are so there's no time to someone else to enter. Also, if suspicious people start approaching while you're on a red light, break it. Fuck it. Just go and beep like crazy-
⢠Have no enemies but if you do, feed their corpse to the pigs
⢠Don't let pigs into the wild
#Most of these are just things you learn by being in Brazil long enough tbh#đĽ¨đŞś#I'm a big wisdom haver
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Clean and Unclean Animals
13 And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray, 14 And the vulture, and the kite after his kind; 15 Every raven after his kind; 16 And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind, 17 And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl, 18 And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle, 19 And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat. â Leviticus 11:13-19 | Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB) and King James Version (KJV) Orthodox Jewish Bible Copyright Š 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International and the King James Version Bible, which is in the public domain Cross References: Leviticus 11:11-12; Deuteronomy 14:12-13; Deuteronomy 14:15; Deuteronomy 14:17-18; Psalm 104:17; Isaiah 2:20; Isaiah 34:11; Zechariah 5:9
#animals#clean#unclean#Leviticus 11:13-19#Book of Leviticus#Old Testament#OJB#Orthodox Jewish Bible#KJV#King James Bible
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You can blame Geoffrey Chaucer for Valentineâs Day.
No matter how you personally feel about Valentineâs Day (which is this week, in case you hadn't noticed), don't forget that you can blame Geoffrey Chaucer.
Chaucer, you say? What does Chaucer have to do with it? After all, St. Valentine was a third-century Roman martyr, whose saintâs day is February 14. Hence, Valentine's Day. Simple, right?
Not so much. According to Professor Lisa Bitel, no fewer than three (3) different martyrs named Valentinus died on February 14th, all of them during a two-year period towards the end of the third century. Jack B. Oruch reports that the name was so popular that over 30 Valentines, not to mention âa few Valentinas,â ultimately achieved sainthood. However, no matter which Valentine you look at, their traditions and texts actually have . . . absolutely nothing to do with love or courtship.
As Oruch has noted, despite the claims of some critics, there is no evidence of any âValentine conventionâ (as we understand it today) in âliterary or social customs, before Chaucer.â Instead, St. Valentineâwhittled down to oneâbecame known in the centuries after his (their) death(s) as the patron saint of epilepsy. And beekeepers.
And that was that, just looking after bees and seizures, until one Geoffrey Chaucer stuck his pen in.
The earliest known suggestion that Valentineâs Day was a day for lovers comes from Geoffrey Chaucerâs 14th-century poem âThe Parliament of Fowls,â in which âSeynt Valentynes dayâ is the day âwhan every foul cometh ther to chese his makeâ (i.e., in case itâs been a long time since AP English, when birds come to choose their mates). Considering Chaucer was basically the equivalent of a Kardashian in his day, the peopleâstarting with his friends, of course, notably poets Oton de Granson III and John Gowerâfollowed his lead and began to use the feast of St. Valentine for their romantic purposes.
The earliest surviving explicit âValentineâ we have is from about a hundred years laterâin February 1477, Margery Brews wrote to her fiancĂŠ John Paston, calling him her âright well-beloved valentine.â
Why Chaucer thought spring was in mid-February is another matter. Itâs still cold, my dude. Possibly it was due to the fact that âthe date of the beginning of spring was far from being set firmly in the 14th century,â Oruch writes. Calendars were wildly different from each other, and in Chaucerâs day, if you looked at a calendar, you âprobably would have found the beginning of spring marked at February 7 or 22 or (much more likely) at both.â
At the very least, Chaucerâs February 14th would have been more like our February 23rd, which at least gets us within spitting distance of March. So was Chaucer was just really ahead of his time on the whole global warming idea, or is this really is when birds choose their mates? According to Oruch, âquite a few birds do pair during February in England, including the missel thrush, raven, partridge, rook, heron, grebe, lapwing, and blackbird.â Okay, then.
Poets like William Shakespeare and John Donne continued Chaucerâs tradition in their poetry, Bitel explains, further cementing St. Valentineâs reputation as a patron of romantic love. And, she writes, âby the 19th century, English consumers were ready and eager for cards with poems already printed on them, preferably decorated with love birds, hearts and Cupid (rather than the image of a headless Roman bishop).
The London Journal of 1858 supported the custom of exchanging observance love tokens on Valentineâs Day, declaring that it was both ânaturalâ and âproperâ that, at the start of spring, âthe predominating sentiment in the human mind should be the sentiment of love; and to this accordingly the anniversary of our saint is directed.â However, the publication preferred home-made cards to mass-produced Valentines, about which the editors opined: âIf we were to give a general character, we would say they are very trashy and not a little vulgar; and . . .the production of mercenaries for hire.â
So whatever your hippie parents say, rebelling against the corporate nature of Valentineâs Day isnât exactly new. But now at least you can blame all the lovey-dovey stuff on Chaucerâwhether that makes you ignore or celebrate it depends entirely on your own temperament.
from
Literary Hub
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#NotAdvent Day Eight. Enjoy the poetry of Annest Gwilym. For December go against the flow with me, instead of an Advent Calendar I am having an online Disappearance poetry calendar. Thinking of Extinction events, disappearing wildlife, disappearing homes due to war, thinking of the missing during Christmas. Eighth Day.
Diego Delso, delso.photo, License CC-BY-SA Annest Gwilym Bios and Links Annest Gwilym Author of three books of poetry: Surfacing (2018) and What the Owl Taught Me (2020), both published by Lapwing Publications. What the Owl Taught Me was Poetry Kitâs Book of the Month in June 2020 and one of North of Oxfordâs summer reading recommendations in 2020. Annest has been widely published in literaryâŚ
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#Big Lorraine, by PD Lyons - a ghost poem
#Big Lorraine, by PD Lyons â a ghost poem
Big Lorraine I dreamed my love had found me my children gathered too put down all their weapons eased their hearts cried their fill then they began to play like they did when they were young and when I woke Iâd forgotten all my dreaming days were done. I went down to make the coffee sat by the open window ran my fingers through my hair thought I heard somebody talkinâ voices carry on theâŚ
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Two Ekphrastic Collections - David Pollard and Seamus Cashman
Two Ekphrastic Collections â David Pollard and Seamus Cashman
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My earlier postings on ekphrastic poetry â poems inspired by visual art â have proved astonishingly popular and, when Agenda magazine asked me to review two collections with exclusively ekphrastic intentions, I leaped at the chance. Iâm posting this now because the reviews have just appeared in the latest Agenda, a journal well-worth subscribing to.As will become clear, in what follows I am moreâŚ
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#Agenda Magazine#Caravaggio#David Pollard#ekphrastic poetry#John Ashbery#Lapwing Publications#Michelangelo#Parmigianino#Rembrandt#Salmon Poetry#Seamus Cashman#Self Portrait in a Convex Mirror#Sistine Chapel#The Sistine Gaze#Thomas Traherne#Three Artists#trompe l&039;oeuil
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Bostwana Wildlife Private Luxury and Personal Service
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For an extravagance private luxury and personal service safari tour, there could be no greater objective - Botswana untamed life safaris and visits are probably the most incredible on the planet. However, where will your journey for the best family safari occasions lead you? As your carefully prepared Africa safari specialists, let us assist you with the ideal decisions and encounters for your Botswana wildlife safaris and tours.
You might have known about the Okavango Delta Botswana, the huge spans of the Kalahari desert, the dreamlike salt container of Makgadikgadi, and the world's biggest populace of elephants at Chobe National Park. Here is your lowdown on the best real life experience safari.
Settled in the core of Southern Africa, Botswana is a quiet country, her kin finding satisfaction in the straightforward life spent in the midst of wild monsters that meander her compasses. Living together as one with the land is the main mantra: holding onto an amazing number of public parks, preservation stores and confidential concessions, practical and capable the travel industry are the explanations behind Botswana's pristine regular excellence.
Set in the verdant north of Botswana, this superb water world is the best prologue to Botswana. Chobe National Park offers an extraordinary mix of wild meadows, open fields and wandering streams, all simultaneously. For elephant aficionados there could be no greater jungle gym - Chobe is home to in excess of 120,000 elephants and then some, what with exile elephants pouring in from adjoining nations regular.
You may simply awaken to marvelously immense crowds of these delicate monsters sauntering around your campground. Afterward, bounce into a safari visit vehicle and set out looking for the enormous ones - lions and panthers subtly following their prey by the riverside, bison brushing in the shade of mopane trees, and hippo families discreetly rising in the water. Under according to the crocodiles, African Fish Eagles plunge in to grab prey from the jaws of furious Spoonbills while the Long-Toed Lapwing watches from its cozy roost on an elephant - there's a lot of show going around! Move on board a boat and journey delicately down the Chobe waterway and you will be compensated with seeing many creatures scrounging and skipping on the banks. Indeed, during your excursion you will find green season summer itinerary that will make you enraptured.
#Private Luxury and Personal Service#Real Life Experience Safari#Botswana Wildlife Safaris and Tours#Green Season Summer Itinerary
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Cork in Verse | Ana Spehar interviews Rosalin Blue
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Rosalin Blue is a poet from MĂźnster, Germany, performing since 1995. Since 2000, she lives in Cork, where her poetic home is Ă BhĂŠal, and she has performed in many Cork venues, as well as Limerick, Galway and Dublin. Her poetry has been anthologised and published in magazines including Southword, Revival and CrannĂłg. Since 2020 she facilitates the Blue Mondays Writing Group.
Publications: âIn the Consciousness of Earthâ (Poetry), Lapwing, 2012; August Stramm, âYou Lovepoemsâ (Translation from German): University Library (ULB) MĂźnster, 2015. Find her on YouTube and Facebook.
Being bilingual, would you write in both languages? Do you find it easier to write in English or German?
I started writing poetry in my teens in German, years before my English became fluent. Then in my exchange year in the US age 16/17, I began to write in English. Since then I have written in both languages, often translating poems from one to the other. Nowadays, living in Ireland for 16 years, I find that the words come easier in English, but sometimes the odd poem does pop out in German.
Who is your favourite author/authors?
In my childhood, I was much influenced by the stories and poems of the Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren. While in the US, I fell in love with the poetry of William Wordsworth and the English Romantics. During my study years, I came across the German poet August Stramm, whose Futurist poetry influenced my writing, and I wrote my thesis on his poetry and later translated it into English. Nowadays, I love listening to all the poets around us and have no particular favourites. My favourite fiction genre is phantasy.
Where do you seek inspiration from?
I find inspiration everywhere in life: Nature (trees, the sea...), people, animals, music, art... Emotions can inspire the best of poetry, so I get inspired by my own and other people's experiences.
You are an excellent performer. What advice would you give to someone to overcome stage fright?
Thanks very much! Even after over 25 years performing on stage I still get the nerves, sometimes the fright hits so hard that my shaking knees make the page tremble in my hand. What helps me best is to be well prepared, with my set thought out, practised and rehearsed, ideally for a fortnight before an event. I also take homeopathy 20 minutes before I perform to take the edge off the stage fright, allowing me to use the kick of the adrenalin whilst keeping up my concentration. Further, I make sure I keep breathing well when the adrenalin hits, and remind myself to keep a slow pace in performing.
What are you reading at the moment?
At the moment I am studying for a diploma in translation, so I rarely read during my leisure time, but if I do, I am indulging in the German translation of Peter V. Brett's epic 'Demon Saga', Volume 3 "The Daylight War" (2013), a series that whisks me away into a very different world.
The Writer
I am a writer who does not write,
as everything everything is repeat repeat
all is analyzed, criticized, specified
all explained, defined, described
all expressed and talked and captured.
What can I say, whatâs left to write,
what does remain?
I'm a paper without a pen,
I am a writer who does not write.
I am the ear that does not hear.
Just noise of cities echo, echo
waves of traffic through the air,
ads and news and ads and lies
seduction, war, deceit and more.
I no more hear the voice
that sounds in silence.
Drowned in the flood of words around.
So I'm a voice without a song,
I am a writer who does not write.
I am a mouth that does not speak.
Too much talk, empty talk,
words with holes, the goal is gold.
Blasting âround earth, zipping thru space,
web-babbles leaking, cybertext whizzing,
computer, computer, computer, www.
Who listens and whose answers matter?
Opposing opinions an ongoing battle.
What party do your poems push?
I am a mouth that does not speak.
I am a writer who does not write.
I am the eye that does not see.
Clouded by the Isms of academy
as formalism blocks the mind,
rationalism with theory blind,
no sense for reality â what do we see?
Bombs, corruption, catastrophes,
global warming, money laundering,
the cuts â youâre fired, no job, no home.
Not one word counted, no justice to see
in the stronghold of names playing games.
I am the eye that does not see,
I am a writer who does not write.
I am the hand that does not do.
When politics do their âpolitricksâ,
everyday everyday politics touch us.
Whittling down into homes
rattling families to their bones,
keeping us busy busy and down,
as they make wars elsewhere.
So "There is suffering" suffering suffering.
Oh, the damage done, when one
hand washes the other and the left
does not see what the right hand does.
So what is there for me to do?
I am a writer who does not write.
I am the writer whoâs writing these words.
What is the power of poetry?
Let's be analytical, critical, political!
Keep the muscle flexing, get the music singing
get the rhythm swinging â and get the point across.
Speak the mind that comes to see
old mistakes repeated from last century,
take on the spiritual responsibility
of shaping life to the consciousness of Earth.
The Spider
Spider, Spider in the night
looming lurking in the shadows
crawling out from creepy cracks,
dusty corners, darker nooks,
spooking under sofa-burrows,
from behind my racks and hooks
Spider, Spider in the night,
you flit forward into sight!
âEeek!â I screech. You scramble on,
quick to speed, your eight legs fumble,
nimble feelers finger forwards.
In the depth your hairy thorax,
fangs and digits, front and hind
set for your sharp deadly bite.
You stare at me with many eyes
Spider, Spider in the night.
On the walls and outside windows
spinning, weaving nets so fine,
tunnel traps, like eerie hair
or tangling sails to cut the air,
webs for creepers, crawlers, flies
magic patterns, sticky lines:
You sit and wait and feel and stay
Spider, Hunter, lure your prey!
You lunge forward, strike your catch
And the icky fly is trapped!
âEeek!â I freak and jump away,
startled, from my watching patch.
You jolt and grab to hide your prey!
â Spider, Hunter, I respect you,
let you sit and will protect you!
Spider, Spider in the night â
Just don't come close or I'll take flight!
Published in: Rosalin Blue. In the Consciousness of Earth, Lapwing 2012
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My Brothers, Corrupted
Chapter Three : Section Five : Two Truths and a Lie
Chapter One l Chapter Two l Chapter Three
After a few harrowing days, we tie up loose ends and answer questions, while Anti goes searching for answers in a less orthodox way.
Trigger warnings for sudden distress, physical abuse and restraint, mentions of cutting and blood (not self-inflicted), and emotional manipulation.
Section Five of Chapter Three: Two Truths and a Lie
Okay I usually try to save questions I donât get to for the next time I get to the boys but weâre just going to have some miscellaneous question time lol so I can clean out my inbox! you can ask anybody anything right now. Iâll probably just clear everything out and then later or tomorrow Iâll set a scene
I do think I want to come back towards more casual answering like we used to at the start, so if I start answering questions at more random times instead of like in two-hour chunks bear with me :)
Except Trick heâs not taking questions D:
pixie-in-trebleland asked: Hey Dap! You feeling any better?
Dap is still cozied up in his blankets, holding you between his pale palms as he rouses himself. He sets you down on his lap.
âFeel very tired,â he confesses. âBut not so much in the no-energy way. More like the no-interest way.â
âNo interest in what?â asks Red softly, coming over off-screen to set a cup of water on his bedside table. Dapper doesnât answer, rubbing at his sleepy eyes.
âGlad your colorâs up,â says Red, though you can hear the frown in his voice. âYou come back much quicker than Blue, honestly. Maybe you didnât use as much power as I thought?â
Dapper shrugs and his stomach growls, but he doesnât complain.
Anonymous asked: Hey boys
âHi,â waves Dapper, smiling for you. âHow are you, camera?â
Red chuckles and shuffles around the room.
âIt talks to me,â signs Dapper dreamily. âLots of voices. Cameras, brothers, bears, empty rooms. It talks to me.â
aether-mae asked: Magicians! can you either tell us your location, or tell us a location near you? Are you still in Peru?
âWe are in Peru,â says Emmanuela. âIt may not be safe to be more specific than that.â
pixie-in-trebleland asked: What are you two up to?
âIâve got to go get him some breakfast here in a minute,â murmurs Red, coming to set you on the desk in the corner of the square little room, so you can see them better. Thereâs water damage making the ceiling sag and Dapper scratches on a little red bite on his neck, hugging his filthy white bear to his chest.
âI shouldnât have spent so much on getting a room for a couple days,â sighs Red. âBut he needed to lie down. And I have to admit itâs nice not sleeping on the street for a night.â
spicydanhowell asked: dap, red, when you're up, have you noticed maybe some churches or other places in local communities that have food donations? or actually, all kinds of fruit grow in peru. if you can find some kind of garden or orchard, you could snag some fruit when nobody's around. either of these would be a lot better than shoplifting or robbing houses :(
âYouâre probably right,â mumbles Red morosely, dragging his hands through his hair. âI donât trust those food donation places though. Fucking cops could be hanging out. Scumbags. Worse than American cops, here. Maybe.â
âThat only happened once,â says Dapper. âNow youâre paranoid.â
âWhat?â
âIt only happened once,â repeats Dapper, frowning. âThat the cop followed you home after you went to get food from the nuns. And then Anti handled it. Youâre paranoid.â
Red pauses, his mouth opening and shutting once.
âDap⌠bud, you know I donât remember farther back than Norway, right?â
Dapper doesnât say anything, picking at the dirt on his bearâs ears.
âThereâs no gardens around here that I know of, weâre right in the middle of this ugly city and everythingâs apartment buildings and run-down businesses. Iâm going to try and find a restaurant that throws stuff out or something before I steal anything, I guess. But Iâm scared to be out in public and I just⌠I just wish we hadâŚâ
He kneads his thumb into his palm and goes quiet, his head down from the weight of it all.
cest-mellow asked: hey dok! how are you feeling with the magicians now? any safer than before?
He slept in his own bed tonight, curled up beneath the covers, but when he comes back to you, he looks upset, maybe even tearful.
âIâm sorry,â he croaks, holding you very tight again, rubbing at his wrists. âBut I woke up afraid today and I - I - â
He pauses, staring around him, his mouth shuddering.
âI donât know, I felt safe yesterday, but Iâm worried they did something to my head.â
He pushes his palm against the side of his skull and closes his eyes, biting down hard on his lip.
âDonât know what kind of powers they have,â he whimpers. âWhat sort of things they could make me think. I never trust anybody but my family anymore⌠one time Anti said I could go to the synagogue, but I was too scared even to go⌠everybody is a threat.â
pixie-in-trebleland asked: They've made a vow to us that they won't harm you, Dok. Don't be afraid :) we got your back
Dok breathes out a low sigh and swallows.
âOkay. Okay. They havenât hurt me yet. Or the ones Iâve met, anyway. I donât think that Old Man likes me, JP said⌠and the medic girl, she doesnât like me. I donât want her to touch me.â
He wraps his arms around himself.
pixie-in-trebleland asked: What have you been doing to keep busy, Dok?
âI sleep⌠Iâm so tired. I havenât really been⌠coherent enough to do much of anything this last week, but nowâŚâ
He chuckles, rubbing his arms. âWell, I confess a little boredom, but thatâs the least of my worries, really.â
cest-mellow asked: magicians, did you guys do something to dokâs head?
The magicians seem to have found a way to share JPâs little network for your messages across devices, because you find yourself looking through a phone camera at Genesis and Hermann.
âOh, yay, it is working,â he says.
âTo his head?â asks Genesis.
âOh, no, no, certainly not,â says Hermann. âWhat, hit him or hypnotize him or something like that? No, heâs okay. Is he scared of that?â
âItâs not surprising for him to be confused,â says Genesis.
And then, after a moment, she adds, âIt was the same way with me, when I started to realize I hated my parents. Itâs like - what, am I really thinking these things? Is this really all true? I think it would have been almost a relief to wonder if someone was hypnotizing me, so I didnât have to admit what I was thinking.â
Hermann gives her privacy to say it, turning away and busying himself with whatever theyâre working on. A moment later, he straightens up with his arms laden with bags and boxes and a backpack thrown over his shoulder.
âGood news, though,â he says, smiling at you. âWe finished going through all the things they had in the car, so now the medico can see everything that didnât seem dangerous. Do you think heâll like having his stuff back?â
âWe think this is his,â adds Genesis, holding up Dokâs nice white doctorâs coat. âYeah?â
pixie-in-trebleland asked: Where'd you find that? I'm sure he'll love to have it back!
âThey left their car behind,â says Genesis. âSo everything that wasnât on the backs of the others is with us now!â
nikkilbook asked: Could have sworn Marvin had a Lapwing tattoo...? Pretty sure he was in the Irish order. And just in case, check for the name âMarvin McLoughlin.â Not sure if thatâs the one, but I figure itâs worth a shot.
âOh, I do,â mumbles Blue.
You find him laid out in a new bed, dressed in white, looking very tired, but cozy beneath his covers.
âYes, I think thatâs what it is. A lapwing. I donât remember wellâŚâ
âââââââ
âOh, Lapwing,â says JP, nodding at his computer. âOh, excellent. Oh, perfect, thank you, thank you. An Irish magician. I will find him.â
Anonymous asked: Hello Marv, how are you feeling?
âA little zoned out,â he mumbles, closing his eyes. âThey gave me something different. I donât mind, though. It calmed me down. Now Iâm not so upset. I felt like I couldnât even handle last night. But now Iâm just driftingâŚâ
He shivers, once.
âIâm just scared of what Anti will do to me⌠to TrickâŚâ
bupine asked: what else was in the car, magicians?
âWell, we did find some creepy stuff,â confesses Hermann, frowning. âLike⌠masks and stuff.â
âChains.â
âYeah, things to torture people, you know, like - blowtorch?â
âYeah, thatâs the word. And this weird electric set-up. Like these bars that could shock you. Really fucked up stuff.â
âBut then the rest of it is just normal stuff!â Hermann puts his hand in one of the boxes and rifles through. âGames, toys, books, art stuff. Mostly clothes!â
âWeâll let the medico look through the rest of it.â
bupine asked: hey anti, is trick ok?
Anti glances up at you, a warning in his eyes.
Heâs sitting on his bed, eating cold red curry out of the take-out box while he works on his computer. It looks to be late afternoon with that much light coming in the window.
He doesnât answer, but he doesnât move you, either, and you can see a figure laid out in the bed beside him, his messy hair fluffed against the pillows, breathing deep and steady as he sleeps.
aether-mae asked: Hey magicians, i was wondering if we could lead the other brothers who are also separated from the demon to you. Is there a location we could ask them to meet you at?
âOh, please do,â begs Hermann, eyes wide. âPlease bring the other boys here. We would really keep them safe, I do promise. I⌠I donât know where we could meet them, Iâd have to ask Emmanuela.â
âGood look convincing them,â mumbles Genesis, looking unconvinced, but sad too, because she knows even better than Hermann the way that they were living.
pixie-in-trebleland asked: You need to take care of him, Anti. He can't deal with your crap, okay?
Anti chooses to type his answers back to you. Actually, he doesnât look to be typing at all, but his words show up on your screen nevertheless.
âWhat about this makes you think Iâm not taking care of him?â
scunneredzombie asked: Y'know Anti... as horrid as all the things you're doing are, I'm starting to notice something. In your own weird way, you really do adore your brothers. You've said before you're incapable of love but, honestly? I doubt that. You love them. You want family just as much as they do. Why not give it to them, Anti? Why do you have to hurt them, why not allow you all to be a family? A normal, healthy, family?
Antiâs mouth opens angrily, and then he blushes dark, realizing heâs been caught red-handed showing mercy to one of his puppets.
âI do not adore him,â he sends you, eyes flashing. âHeâs a guard dog. But if you want to believe Iâm secretly a soft, loving, lonely little boy, hey - go right the fuck ahead.â
He smiles meanly at you.
âFamily is a manipulation tactic. Trickshot is a pet.â
Anonymous asked: âWhat about this makes you think Iâm not taking care of him?â Because you're you. Do we even have to elaborate?
âI can be nice,â types Anti, and gives you a mocking smile.
Trick shifts on the bed next to him and Antiâs face returns to apathetic concentration, putting another chopstick-full of curry in his mouth.
âAnti,â mumbles Trick, half asleep. Anti reaches back without looking to rub his back and Trick sighs warmly.
Anonymous asked: Magos, your goal is admirable, but you should know that it's futile on its current course. Do any of you have phones? Computers? Radios, even? Do you ever leave base? Do you have family, friends, with those things who live off-base? Then you're not secure enough to hide from the demon. He'll find you all, kill you all, and take Dok back for himself. If you can't find and save ALL the brothers soon, you'd just as well drop Dok off where the demon can find him, and maybe you'll survive longer.
Genesis has a fight in her eyes and she opens her mouth to speak, but before she can, Hermann is speaking, louder than youâve ever heard him.
âWell, maybe so!â he says, scattering the birds from the trees.
He puts his head down and repeats it.
âMaybe so. Maybe the monster will find him again. Maybe the monster will find us and take him away. But I think⌠I think a week, two weeks, a month of being treated like a human being, as long as we can give him or his brothers being treated like a human being, with kindness, with respect, with basic needs - thatâŚâ
He nods his head, slow.
âThat is worth it. That is worth whatever happens. That is a cause to die for. You hear about tragedies, sometimes, from afar, and so many people must have felt so hopeless⌠alone, even as they died. A moment of mercy is worth it. Maybe I canât save them, but⌠I can help. I know that the magician is alive because of me. And that was worth it. I believe that, I do.â
He stares at the floor for a moment, and then, a little reddened from the passion of it, he turns to smile at Genesis and mumbles something about bringing Dok the first of his things before turning to shuffle away.
Genesis shoots you a look.
âHermann is a man of God,â she says. âBut I will fuck your shit up! Your monster was a little bitch on the shore of that river, there, I said it! Ran with his tail between his legs! Fuck it! Weâre going to do the best we can. And if that doesnât work, well, Iâll leave it to over-invested poets like that dumb-ass to make it okay.â
She beams fondly after Hermann and scoops up the rest of the boxes and backpacks, but as she moves, you see the smile on her face flicker away into worry.
Anonymous asked: Hermann, I think the glitch might be hiding somewhere in Asia, from what I can see.
âOh, tell Emmanuela!â calls Hermann, when Genesis catches up to him.
âOh, I donât remember what JP said about sending the messages.â
âThereâs like a button that - that one?â
âI donât - oh, and then, Emmanuela - oh, itâs gone!â
âIs it with her?â
âIs it - yeah, I donât know.â
âOh.â
âOh.â
They pause, looking at each other.
âIâll text her,â says Genesis.
âââââââââ
You find Emmanuela in a small white office, flowers blooming on the shelf beside her. Sheâs writing something. She barely looks up as the message reaches her computer.
âThank you for telling me,â she says.
The dark sheen of her hair glows in the morning light, falling down her back.
âYou were right to mention it. You seem to be right. The sunbirds were a young order. Small and intimate. Not someone Iâve communicated with before, but someone I know of. Caleb was their leaderâs name.â
She pauses for a moment in her writing. Her expression does not change. She stares ahead.
âThe sunbirds are dead,â she says, and continues her work.
immabethehero asked: Red, Dap, if we said we could get you somewhere safe and off the streets, but away from Anti, would you take it?
Red glances at the camera, his eyebrow quirking up, a deep frown on his mouth.
âThat sounds suspicious,â he says, getting a cup for water. âAnd Iâm trying to get back to Anti, not farther away from him.â
He canât keep a little irritation out of his voice.
bupine asked: we kind of do know why anti stole the brothers away. it's to do with a man called jack, who anti used to be friends with. we think he's still alive, but even anti doesn't know where he is. the brothers used to be friends with him. we don't know what happened to him, but all this revolves around this man.
âHm, okay,â says JP, working at his computer, books stacked around him. He stretches his wrists, thinking. âI guess I could look for a Jack in the Lapwing records too. Ireland has a large magical order, though, even bigger than the whole of Peru.â
Anonymous asked: Hey Blue? Trick is... taking a social media break from us so we can't talk to him. I'm sorry he didn't take things well but you're right in taking care of yourself first. We need you to have your head on straight and you're heading in the right direction and we support that. We'll help you however we can.
âA social media break,â says Blue, and a laugh starts before the rest of the message registers.
âWhat⌠he wonât even talk to you?â
He pauses, staring at the wall.
âGive him time,â he mumbles finally, grief in his voice. âIâm sure heâll⌠Iâm sure heâll come around, right?â
For a moment, there is nothing but the movement of footsteps in the hall and the buzzing of the lights.
And then, weakly:
âHe didnât⌠come to see me this morning. He comes to see me every morning⌠so Iâm not alone all day.â
Swish, swish, click. Footsteps past his door. Thrumming lights. The largeness of his room and the smallness of himself inside of it. He rubs his own arm.
bupine asked: we're not trying to hurt trick, anti. we just want to know he's alright. how has he been? he won't talk to us anymore.
âOh, I know youâre not,â types Anti, now not even looking at you, playing with Trickâs hair. Trick hums contentedly and scoots closer to Anti, relief so great it looks painful flickering through his face. âI know how attached you are to all of them. Some more than others, sure. But I know.â
He scratches his hand across Trickâs scalp. Thereâs a faint meowing outside the door, confused.
âHe just needs a rest. Not like him to come begging to me, so I know he must have been really upset. Dokâs not here to comfort the little baby, so Iâll have to.â
Anti pauses, scratching beside Trickâs ear, humming a little as the light pours in. A big pink flower blooms on the headboard, but Anti hardly seems to notice.
âThen again, it is nice to have someone all sweet to myself again. I miss sleeping with my Dapper. And Trick is just so - â
The typing pauses. Trick has slid an eye open, staring wearily, brokenly, lovingly up at Anti.
Anti runs his thumb down his face. He looks so much like him. Anti had almost forgotten. Itâs been a long time since he spared Trick a glance. It used to upset him, the similarity there. But nowâŚ
Anti scratches gently through his beard, watching his boy. Maybe heâll cut his hair today.
aether-mae asked: Dok! You need to get the magicians to find Red. We can try and get his location as best we can but we need to get him to you asap before he can get to anti
Dok recoils, holding his shoulders. âWhat - lead Red here? No, no, no, Red should be with Anti. We all should. I should be with Anti. Nobody here understands! Even if they are nice, they donât understand and they never will! And Red - Red killed one of them. If there are people here who donât like me, I can only imagine what they might think of him. No, no, keep him far away. I bet itâs easier for Anti to find him if heâs not here. Anti will get Red and then Anti will get me, too, and everything will be okay.â
pixie-in-trebleland asked: How do you all protect yourselves from attacks? Do you even get attacked, magicos?
âAh, well,â says JP, continuing to type. âWeâre in a very secure location, I can tell you that. Itâs hidden in more ways than one. No one has ever attacked us at our home base, except one time when she was young Juana was possessed! But that hasnât happened since. Something would have to get inside that was already a threat. And to be fair, there are quite a few powerful magicians here. Emmanuela, Christof - â
He blanches and cuts himself down, a sudden grief twisting up his mouth.
Anonymous asked: Hey Anti can you let Trick feed his cat please? I know you won't do it but someone should.
âHe feeds that cat just fine. It can wait another half hour for him to wake up.â
He is smiling down at Trick, watching him drift sleepily besides him. He doesnât know why he suddenly feels so fond of him. Been too long since he had Dapper. Or anybody. Heâs just been watching Blue sleep all week. Trick doesnât even know youâre there, and Anti does not give it away.
Anonymous asked: Blue, you're going through a fucking lot right now. I can't imagine what it's like for you. But! What I can imagine is you at least getting to see everyone again! Don't ask me how, but I know there are currently people (good and safe people) out there researching on what's happened, how to help you, and even who you used to be. Please don't give up, there is hope out there, and we'll do our best to support you and let you know what's going on with your brothers.
Blue clasps his hands together, nodding slowly, too tired to cry.
âThank you. Iâm⌠Iâll do my best.â
He rubs at his face and breathes out a shuddering breath.
pixie-in-trebleland asked: Blue? Do you trust the magicians??
âI donât know,â he says, very small and very tired. âI donât know anything anymore. Magicians are just people. And people can always turn out to be hateful. I donât know.â
Anonymous asked: Anti, please just let Trick rest for the night... He feels really dejected because Blue wouldn't come with him, as you see, and he's really not doing well without any brothers, besides yourself, to help take care of and to live with.
âI think it has been hard for him, being away from everyone,â agrees Anti. âSo needy.â
He smiles, but then a flash of anger rises on his face.
âOf course, thatâs why Blue was supposed to come home. So Trick could have someone to take care of and be taken care of by. Guess Iâll just have to keep him in line myself.â
spicydanhowell asked: hey red? anti's actually quite close to finding dok, and the magicians have kept him healthy and fed, so if you go to them they will give you protection from the police, food, and medicine, and anti will come get you soon, And dok is missing you both so much :( anti will never find you if you run around like this. the magicians are really harmless. it would be best for dap to go there right now so he can be fed and medicated and get back to anti quickly. love you hunny, be safe.
Red squirms, standing close to Dap protectively. âI donât know what they would do to a kid as powerful as him,â he says. âAnd even if theyâre nice to Dok, we - we both hurt them. I killed that guy with the book and Dapper stabbed one and tortured the other.â
Dapper stares at his bear, seeming to not even hear.
âI donât know. I donât like it. I donât - I just - I just want to go back to Anti!â He clutches his fists, overwhelmed. âAnd we canât go anywhere now anyway. We donât have a way to travel until I get more money and I got this place for another couple nights. As long as the cops donât find us. And I think Iâm even more wanted in Peru than I am here. I just - I want - â
He cuts himself off again, biting down on his lip.
spicydanhowell asked: marv, chase is just sleeping, okay? i think he's really worn out from all the emotion. he's okay though. anti is being kind to him. he hasn't been punished. please don't worry dear.
âOh, good,â breathes Blue, closing his eyes. âHeâs not hurt. And maybe - maybe heâll come see me when he wakes up. If Anti lets him. He wouldnât choose not to come see meâŚâ
Anonymous asked: How are you feeling right now Marvin? It might be good to get it out there if you're feeling up to it.
âPlease donât worry,â he murmurs. âIâm just tired. Iâm starting to think this fatigue wonât go away. I canât even walk today. The nurse has to help me. Still got this in my nose.â
He tugs wearily on his nasal cannula.
âJust feel⌠alone. And pretty pathetic. And Iâm angry, Iâm angry, Iâm so angry.â
He covers his face with his hands.
âAt everything.â
Anonymous asked: how long is the psychiatric hold supposed to last? were you evaluated yet blue? sorry if that's personal, but i guess this is actually a fib so maybe not.
âSomeoneâs supposed to come talk to me today. I just had an entrance exam. The only asked me like five questions. I think the doctor had been waiting for an admission like this. I donât know how long they can keep meâŚâ
spicydanhowell asked: its okay if you want to stay away a little longer red, but the magicians have told us that theyd happily take care of both of you. there are no hard feelings. they really, truly care about your family, and it is the best way to get back to anti. he is going to get there soon, and he'll be glad you took dap to a safe place
âI donât need anyone taking care of my little brothers for me!â snaps Red, heat and shame rising in his cheeks. âAnd Anti would not want us to be there. No matter what choice I make I know that much for certain.â
pixie-in-trebleland asked: What else did you find?
âHey, medico?â
Thereâs a knock on his door and Dok jolts up, blinking ans clutching you to his chest. Hermann pokes his head in a moment later, smiling gently.
âHey, weâve got some of your stuff from the car you guys took. Do you want to see it?â
Some of his stuff?
Dok blinks and then nods slowly, trying not to get his hopes up.
Genesis and Hermann bring him two backpacks, two boxes, and his own little draw-string bag. Relieved, he opens it a finds all of his own clothes inside.
âThank you,â he gasps, clutching one of his three shirts to his chest.
âWe got rid of anything electronic,â says Genesis. âFigured that was safer.â
A worm of distress wiggles through his chest, but heâll take what he can get. âI know the way you think about my brother. Iâm glad to have - oh!â
His coffee! From Trick!
He nearly drops you to hold it, squeezing his hands around the bag.
âWeâll let you look through it,â laughs Genesis.
âYeah, let us know if you need anything,â adds Hermann, smiling.
They leave and shut the door behind them.
The lock does not click.
Dok stares up at it for a moment, thinking.
But heâll focus on this for now.
Most everything is either his or Dapperâs or Blueâs. He hopes Red and Trick have most of their things. He has Blueâs clothes and more jewelry than he expected in one of the boxes, stuff heâs never even seen Blue wear before. Dapperâs clothes are here too - thereâs more of them than Blueâs and Dokâs combined, hot sweatshirts and starchy dress shirts, nice pants and tight black shoes, even though he never leaves the house. One of the backpacks has paper, sketchpads, watercolors, colored pencils, chalks, and erasers. Dok puts a sketchpad beside him to look at later. Dapâs puppet toys are here too, and some nice red cloth and fairy lights. Dok can tell some stuff has been taken out, like collars and wrist restraints.
aether-mae asked: (For the magicians) Great! Yes! We would be more than happy to bring them to you, but we just need a location to ask them to come to. I was thinking we tell them anti is going to collect them there
Emmanuela drums her fingers along her desk, tilting her head at you.
âIf there are others who can make it back - and if we can confirm that they arenât possessed by the monster - your friends can come to the Church of Santo Domingo. We could meet them there. We are not far. They could wait by the skull of Santa Rosa inside. Be cautious not to lose their trust.â
pixie-in-trebleland asked: Hey Dap! Does the Church of Santa Dominigo ring any bells?
Dapperâs head perks up.
âRed and Blue would not let me see her!â
âAre you talking about that day you ran off?â frowns Red.
âI went to the convent, and I hid in the corner, and across the street was the church with her skull, and I wanted to see. In Saint Dominicâs Church. But we had to go rob a car instead.â
He puts his head down on his hand.
âYou got a churro, though,â says Red uncertainly, confused by his mood. âThat was good, right?â
Dapper stares at the wall, eyes downcast.
Red glances at you. âItâs, uh. In the middle of the city. Hard to miss. Iâve passed it many times.â
spicydanhowell asked: red... i don't want to upset you... but how else is he going to find you if you keep running around like this? the rule of thumb when you're lost and waiting for rescue is to stay in one place, and the best place to be would definitely be the place anti is going to go to once blue is out of the hospital. you might be there a only a few days, and you won't have to go hungry, or lock dapper up in a room or handcuff him to a church pew. you'll be safe. you'll get home, i promise hunny.
Red lets out a frustrated huff, trying to pretend heâs not considering it. It would be so nice to feel like Dapper was safe somewhere, even if they were prisoners.
âAnti⌠Antiâs going to find us. He is.â
They could have plenty to eat, they could sleep in beds, they could -
âWell, I donât know that,â he interrupts himself, scowling. âWeâre both much more wanted than Dok is. I donât know if he has a criminal record at all. They could just turn us over to the police. For all I know, youâre one of them!â
He scuffs his foot against the floor, irritated by his own helplessness.
âNever mind,â he grumbles. âI gotta focus on right now. Dap, Iâm going out, okay, Iâll be back in a couple hours.â
Dapper jumps out of bed, alarm on his face, and races towards his shoes by the door.
âDap! No. You could have another snap at any time. You need routine, right? A steady environment with no surprises. Youâre staying here.â
Almost panting, Dapper tugs his right shoe on, tying the laces tight, tight!
âDapper, come on, are you kidding?â Red stalks over to him and snatches the other shoe out of his hand before he can put it on. âI could get in a fight! Itâs not safe. And Iâll be more discreet alone.â
But Dapper isnât listening, or if he is, he doesnât agree. His hands scramble up for the shoe, once, twice, but when Red doesnât give it to him he grabs his brotherâs jacket and looks up at him with big puppy eyes, desperately sweet, and once again Red feels his skin crawl from the falseness of it, and he knows that his brother is trying to manipulate him.
âIs Anti the one who taught you to act like a fucking two-year-old to get what you want?â he asks, before he has thought the words through. âOr have you always been this much of a baby?â
The expression slides off Dapperâs face. Now he stares dead-eyed at Red, his big eyes cold and motionless. He seems suddenly hollow, like his heart was pulled out of his chest, like he doesnât remember what it is to emote, like he feels nothing at all, and this time, it is the truth of the expression that makes Redâs heart clench in his chest.
He backs slightly away from his little brother.
Jameson keeps staring at him, those pale eyes fixed like a dead thingâs upon him.
aether-mae asked: Hey Red, weâve been talking with Anti and arranged for him to pick you up at the Church of Santo Domingo. he will collect you if you wait by the skull of Santa Rosa. Then youâll be back with your brothers!
Red stares at you, expression uncertain. He glances down at Dapper, on the floor on his feet.
âRight,â he says slowly. âAnti would definitely pick a very public, very Catholic, very close-to-where-we-were-when-the-magicians-found-us church to meet me at.â
Red stares down at Dapperâs shoe in his hand for a second.
âSorry,â he says, but you donât know who to. âJust⌠forget it.â
Anonymous asked: If family is a lie then you wouldn't kill people just to keep them safe. If they're just pets you wouldn't care than half of them are gone right now. If you didn't love them you wouldn't hold onto them so tight. You may not be a uwu secret softy, but even a bastard like you has weaknesses. And you have five of them, Antisepticeye.
âPlease.â Anti scowls as the words appear, letting Trick get up beside him, rubbing at his eyes as he starts his late day. âYou wouldnât care if someone stole three of your dogs? The dogs that greet you every day when you come home, the dogs that sleep next to you and keep you warm, the dogs that guard your door when youâre in danger and wag their little tails when you pat them on their dumb little heads?
âAnd secondly, I love killing people. I donât know what youâre talking about. Iâd kill one of them if I had to, I would!â
He stares after Trick, moving around the room.
âI would. I could. Wouldnât even hurtâŚâ
Anonymous asked: Ohhh whatâs this Anti? Is Marvinâs magic making you all soft and feel-y? Better be careful, love.
âAw, you are all some real fuckers today, arenât you? You know what, Trick was right!â
He flicks you off unceremoniously, smiling smugly.
pixie-in-trebleland asked: Dap? Are you comfortable with leaving on your own if you needed to?
Dapper sighs a very long sigh, so his whole chest seems to deflate. He doesnât even look at you.
âNo point.â
Anonymous asked: Anti your lack of self awareness is kinda hilarious. Mr. "no one will take my boys, stay away from my family" claiming he could ever kill one of them.
The message never reaches a camera, but Anti is too hooked up to his system to not receive it himself. You see his ears redden a little and he takes his hand off Trickâs back, where heâd been rubbing it, but Trick, apparently safely and blissfully convinced that Anti is in a good mood with him, is already leaning forward to wrap his arms around Antiâs neck and put his head down on his shoulder, murmuring something you canât make out.
Antiâs canât push him away. His expression is a little angry, but not at Trick.
aether-mae asked: Dap if you go, red will surely follow after. Heâs already starting to realise anti is treating you all badly, and with more brothers away from him than with him, thereâs more of a chance than ever to be free. Do it for them, Jamie
âAlways just go back to Anti,â mumbles Jameson, slinking back towards his bed. âI donât even feel like a person anymore.â
Red looks disturbed by the sudden change in mood, but heâs grateful Dapperâs not trying to leave anymore. He nods to himself and starts putting on his own shoes and jacket.
âAlmost want to run away just to spite him,â JJ confesses, staring at his brotherâs back. âBut itâs not him who wants to do anything that he does - say anything that he does - treat me the way he does. Itâs just Antiâs influence on him. I know what that feels like. I wanted to keep him safe from this, when I was young, the way he kept me safe. Made me feel safe. Let me live a real life, if only for a short time. Now I donât think I have the strength to save anyone. Anyway, itâs so hard to trust myself when Iâm psychotic. Iâll have lost track of everything again soon.â
He lies back, staring at the ceiling.
âProbably better that way. Itâs difficult to remember⌠difficult to see who I am now. Look at this place⌠look at me. He broke me in just like he always told me he would. Iâve never known a fatigue like this.â
Anonymous asked: I know this isnât the time for this, but it is beyond refreshing to see you Jameson.
Jameson manages a real smile at that - wide and white, laughter making his chest shake.
âI wish I had my medication. I could be so clear. I canât remember the last time I felt this clear. How⌠cold it is.â
âIâm, uh, leaving,â says Red. âYou okay?â
âJust go,â signs JJ wearily. âYour mind is set.â
Red looks at you. âYou want to come with me or stay with him?â
pixie-in-trebleland asked: Red, you better get going. The more you dawdle, the less focused you're gonna be
âYeesh, I get it,â he says. âEverybody likes the little guy. Bye. Dap, two hours max. Iâm locking the door out here. Handcuffâs attached to the handle and the beam here. Better than your wrists, right?â
His brother looks at him but doesnât wave him goodbye.
Red leaves him alone.
cest-mellow asked: dapper, i think you should go to the church, be with dok and have a safe place to eat and sleep, have routine. even if itâs without red, we could get him there, too, heâll surely follow you once he knows. and if anti tried to take you again you have tons of magicians to keep you safe. i really think you should leave once red is gone.
âHeâs locked me in. Maybe I could rip the beam off the wall or sneak out later, but⌠I donât know. What would you have me do? Iâll be back in my own head again soon. Iâm hallucinating right now and most of the time, lately. My paranoia is unbearable, I donât even trust Red. It would take me days to get there, on foot or stealing so I could take a bus. I could go into a catatonia again and then authorities would get involved and Iâd go to prison.â
He rubs slowly at his face.
âWhat⌠what would you have me do? Would you have me go? Maybe it doesnât matter⌠Maybe I could try.â
aether-mae asked: Jamie please, we will guide you, we promise. Youâre so close, so so close. If you reach the church we can reuinite you with doc AND get you a warm bed, warm meals and protection from anti. You can do this, you can be strong just for a little longer
âComfort means little to me. It never lasts. I donât believe anymore that my strength has any bearing on what happens to me. Nothing is in my control. This life is not mine. Easier to be Dapper.â
He laughs a little, splayed out on the bed.
âWhen I forget I want to remember again, but when I remember, I know itâs better to forgetâŚâ
He stares at the ceiling.
âCould leave the city and begin walking again, I suppose. Itâs a long walk. But pain is just pain, it passes, and then it means little whether or not it passed, itâs in the past. Iâd like to see Henrik, even if he is a ghost, Iâd like to see Henrik and have my medication and hold onto him when he was scared. He doesnât like to admit it but heâs often scared, shh. Iâd like to see him again.â
pixie-in-trebleland asked: There's always a point, Dap. Maybe you can save your brothers If you got away....even for a little while
Jameson stares up at whatever he sees for a long time. His finger reaches up to trace the lines of it, branching and broken, back and forth, stuttering or whole.
âI think⌠itâs cruel that Anti lets you watch,â he says after a moment. âBecause⌠you have hope that none of the rest of us have. And I think the most likely thing is that one day, youâll see us give the last dregs of it up, and maybe some of us will die. Or maybe thatâs just⌠my hope⌠Maybe Iâd just like this last part of myself that still hopes for something I can never have to die.â
He puts his finger down and touches his heart, his eyes weary.
âIf youâd still like me to run⌠tell me again in a few hours, when Red is back and sleeping, and we can try, perhaps, if Iâm well enough. If only to remind him⌠if only to remind myself⌠that I still possess the ability to make choices for myself. That I am still an adult.â
He turns on his side, curling his arms around himself. âPerhaps Iâll sleep a while. I can hear something coming down the hall towards me. Iâd like to be unconscious before my mind decides it is a monster.â
spicydanhowell asked: hey marv? sorry to bug you again but- since you have your head on a little straighter right now, and jameson is remembering himself better at the moment, is there anything you want to say to him? from the real you to the real him? he could definitely use a bit of encouragement.
âOh, is he feeling okay?â murmurs Blue. âPoor suffering little hideaway.â
Heâs sitting up in bed now, a little color back in his cheeks and, speaking of color, heâs got a little box of pencils and a coloring book. Heâs filling in a little ocean scene with fish.
âUm⌠just⌠if you could tell him⌠I love him and Iâll find him again.â
He pauses, staring at his own wrist for a second where the white hospital band hangs.
âIf not in this life, then in another one.â
He bites down on the back of his pencil.
âNo, donât say that, Iâll scare him. Iâll find him again. Iâll see him again and I love him, I do.â
Anonymous asked: blue, being suicidal was a lie, right?
âI⌠oh, donât worry. Yes, Iâm⌠just⌠quite sick.â
You can see his coloring page. He hasnât been able to stay within the lines, but whether itâs from his trembling hands or his damaged eyesight, you canât say.
âAnd I donât know what Anti will do to me if I canât be his anymore. And I donât know if theyâre so far away Anti wonât find them. Or if theyâll be arrested. Or if maybe itâs better for them to be where they are and never see me again. Or if it would be easier to die.â
He adjusts his nasal cannula, sniffling. âCanât die til I know theyâre all going to be safe without me⌠but I feel, already, like Iâm dead. I donât know how Iâm ever going to escape this place.â
pixie-in-trebleland asked: Hey Anti, how's Trick holding up? Can we see him?
Antiâs got you on his shoulder again, so you canât see much but his hands, examining the price tag on a bright blue hoodie with white strings. He glances at you and scoffs, but obliges you, taking the hoodie off the rack and heading down a few aisles.
âHow do you like that?â he asks, holding up the sweater.
Trick startles and turns away from a row of wine, plucking at his white t-shirt. âOh! For me?â
âIf I donât have to buy Blue new shit, might as well get my good one something fun.â
He ruffles Trickâs hair and makes him laugh, shoving back at Antiâs hands. His face has a nice warm color to it and his hair is clean and soft.
âMaybe Iâll dye your hair,â says Anti suddenly.
âOh - yeah?â
âYeah. You used to have it dyed. I didnât mind.â
Trick is willing to take just about any form of Antiâs attention and even the thought of having his hair dyed makes his face light up. He touches his fringe hopefully and smiles at his brother.
âGet yourself some snacks,â says Anti, playing with his hair again as he passes him. âWhatever you want.â
âOkay!â
Anonymous asked: Marv donât give up hope so soon, thereâs still so much we can do.
âIâm sorry,â he says. âI think itâs just hard to be alone in the hospital.â
His eyes water and he turns away from you.
âBut!â he says a second later, turning back with a smile. âI have a coloring book! So Iâm just going to think about fish for a while. Oh, and a counselor lady came to talk to me yesterday and it went well. Really nice. I wish Trick could talk to her. And she kept going âgiven what Dr. Siong saysâ so I think theyâre talking about keeping me here a while. Because they know I might not be safe at home.â
pixie-in-trebleland asked: Marv...if Dap had a chance to get away from Anti...would you be upset with him?
âUpset with him! No, never. Fuck, I understand, donât I? Iâd run away with him if I could and the two of us would go live somewhere nice where we were safe with each other - home to Ireland, maybe. I donât even remember the sight of it, you know. Not the smell or the taste in the air. Itâs a foreign country to me. Or Iâll take him to England and he can have tea like he likes and there will be other people who speak BSL so he doesnât feel so apart from the world. Weâd go out on walks everyday and heâd never have to see his door closed again if he didnât want to. Find jobs and buy him a violin with the money. A violin and charcoal and clothes and food and everything he wanted. Pets, I donât care, anything he wanted.â
He laughs and puts his hand over his heart. âOh⌠upset, no⌠but even if he has to go now, and I could never see him again⌠it would be worth it to know that he was safe. At least one of them could be safe.â
Anonymous asked: Thatâs good that others are trying to help! Yâknow marv, I recently started baking and I made macarons for the first time! I made them entirely too sweet lol but due to my stubbornness I ate them all anyways haha. It was a fun experience! Thatâs what matters, anyways. So when you get out of here and away, what would be the first thing that you would make?
âOh, macarons, those sound good right now. And fun to bake, yeah⌠geez, what would I make? I donât know. Oh⌠brown butter noodles. With the bread crumbs. Or pecan pie, maybe, or⌠oh, I would die for some of Chaseâs - â
His mouth pauses on the word and his eyes darken, a vague memory sitting in the place of the word.
âOh, I canât⌠remember.â
He chews on his nail for a second.
âBrown butter noodles,â he says after a moment, shaking it off and smiling again. âParsley and bread crumbs and so many carbs. Iâd eat a whole box of it.â
Anonymous asked: Thatâs good that others are trying to help! Yâknow marv, I recently started baking and I made macarons for the first time! I made them entirely too sweet lol but due to my stubbornness I ate them all anyways haha. It was a fun experience! Thatâs what matters, anyways. So when you get out of here and away, what would be the first thing that you would make?
âOh, macarons, those sound good right now. And fun to bake, yeah⌠geez, what would I make? I donât know. Oh⌠brown butter noodles. With the bread crumbs. Or pecan pie, maybe, or⌠oh, I would die for some of Chaseâs - â
His mouth pauses on the word and his eyes darken, a vague memory sitting in the place of the word.
âOh, I canât⌠remember.â
He chews on his nail for a second.
âBrown butter noodles,â he says after a moment, shaking it off and smiling again. âParsley and bread crumbs and so many carbs. Iâd eat a whole box of it.â
Anonymous asked: Um actually I donât think weâve asked you this yet, but do you want to be called Blue? Or Marvin? Does either bother you at all?
âI donât remember being Marvin at all,â he says, a little wistfully. âThe name doesnât mean anything to me anymore. Blue seems strange, knowing Anti gave it to me⌠but itâs also the name my brothers know me by. So Iâll be Blue for them, as long as I can. Maybe someday I could be somebody else. But you can call me either, I donât mind! Iâm glad to have that old name in my memory.â
bupine asked: what colour are you thinking of dying trick's hair, anti? not blue, red, or green, i assume. gonna complete the set of colours and go for yellow?
âNo,â mumbles Anti. âI donât answer to you, you can wait and see.â
Anonymous asked: Wait, a blue hoodie with dyed hair... I'm assuming you're thinking green for the color? Wouldn't that be a very "familiar" sight, uh? >_>
Anti ignores you, though, once again, you see a little color rise to his ears. Heâs sitting with Trick on the bus and you can hear his little brother chattering about some game he heard about at the store. He doesnât mind the sound of him ranting, even though theyâre by far the loudest group on the bus.
âOkay, go,â nudges Anti when a stop comes, and Trick gets up obediently.
âBye, Anti!â
âBye, bud.â
Oh! Bud! Trick grins. âYouâll come home later?â
âYeah, just give me a little while.â
âI could cook you something!â
Anti glances down at his hands. Even he isnât sure how corporeal he is these days.
âUm⌠sure.â
Trick claps. âOkay! Okay, yeah, cool, whatever.â He calms himself down and gives him one more wave, heading off the bus.
Anti lets himself continue, waiting for his own stop, pulling out his phone and typing away. Youâre on his shoulder so you can see that heâs hacking into a police database in Ecuador right there on his phone.
âSick of trying to split myself in half trying to go back to Peru and look for them in form,â he sighs, a little sing-song. âFrom now on my investigations are happening from right here. Red and Dapper are sure to have run into trouble already⌠just have to find the right criminals.â
Anonymous asked: Marvin, how are you doing? Do you feel more safe now that the hospital is holding you?
âI⌠still feel scared about whatâs going to happen - with my health and with going home and to Trick and the others - but⌠yeah, I do, I actually do. Iâm just trying to focus on being here, while Iâm okay. Having a good couple days, if I can, just sleeping and trying to find stuff to do.â
He laughs wearily.
âIs Dapper this bored and alone all the time? Cause I - â
Someone knocks on his door. He looks up, startled.
âHi, Matthew.â
âHi,â he answers the nurse, finding a smile.
âYour brother Connor is here to see you?â
Blue lights up with hope, his hands coming together.
âOh! Yeah, you can send him in.â
The nurse smiles and opens the door wider before turning to leave, revealing his brother standing in a red t-shirt with a backpack slung over his shoulders, his healthy hair, cut just the same as Dokâs, beginning to get low over his eyes.
âHey B-blue,â he says, shuffling his feet.
âTrick,â melts Blue, tears rising to his eyes. âListen, Iâm sorry everything got so out-of-control so fast. Sweetheart, itâs not because of you, okay? I still - â
âYou donât have to apologize,â mumbles Trick, running a hand through his hair before slinking over and sitting down beside him, still staring more at his feet than at Blue. âCan you just⌠explain?â
bupine asked: tell him about how anti's lied to him, marvin. he has to know, even if he won't believe you.
âIâll tell you everything,â swears Blue, reaching out to touch the side of his face, his voice shaking with the love of it. He knows every freckle on Trickâs face that no one else has, knows the small scar at the bottom of his chin and the small stammer of his voice. His little brother. âI love you so much and that will never change. It wasnât about you, of course it wasnât. I just need you to listen, alright, and even if it doesnât make sense at first, you have to try to believe me. Okay?â
Trick nuzzles against his hand a little, his big eyes wide and trusting. âOkay, Blue,â he says, his mouth trembling a little. Blue knows sometimes itâs hard for him to hear that heâs loved, but he means it.
âI didnât have a stroke,â he croaks.
Trickâs eyebrows lower. âYou didnât?â
âNo, Trick, listen, you remember how my hands had been hurting me, and how Anti had been forcing me not to use my magic?â
âBecause it could lead people to us, because he couldnât hide your signal.â
âRight. Well, he found a way to strip that power out of me and take it for himself so he could hide it beneath his own. I know it sounds crazy! But you know magic is real and you helped Anti drag me down to the river, didnât you? It was some sort of spell, some really dark spell. He cut my arm and he took my power from me. Itâs why his power has been so erratic lately! Mine and his are struggling inside him.â
Trick stares at Blue, then at the ground. At Blue, at the ground. Swallows hard. âOkay⌠okay, letâs say thatâs true for a second. I still donât understand why you wonât come home to meâŚâ
âTrick, Iâm just - â Blueâs voice breaks. âIâm just scared, okay! I know heâll keep hurting me!â
âBut you⌠youâre my big brother, shouldnât you come home and protect me?â
âI - Trick, please, Iâm sick, Iâm really sick, and Iâm scared, I just - â
âEven though he did this to me when he heard you wouldnât come home?â sobs Trick, and he pulls up his shirt and reveals thick swathes of bandages wrapped messily around the whole of his torso, blood welling on to white.
Blue is speechless, choking, staring at his chest.
âHe wonât let me see Noodle,â Trick sobs, collapsing onto the bed. âHe said he took him into his room but I canât hear him meowing, not ever! I think he killed him!â
He unravels into weeping, clutching at Blueâs bedsheets. Blue cannot speak at all.
âI think heâll kill me too if you donât come home!â
pixie-in-trebleland asked: Trick, listen to your big brother. He wouldn't lie to you.
âMaybe Anti does hurt me sometimes, but he still loves me!â shudders Trick, sobbing as Blue leans slowly down to rub his back. âWhat would we even do, if we tried to get away? Have you thought about it at all?â
âI donât know,â whispers Blue. âI donât have magic anymore, so he couldnât track me through it. I donât think Iâm well enough to run right now, though⌠Maybe we could soon. We could try and get your cat and then⌠I think the doctor here would try to help us.â
âReally?â
âWe could maybe get to another country, live with electronics, hide, find a way to stay away from him.â
âWhere would we go?â
âI⌠donât know. Anywhere. Back home, maybe⌠but maybe thatâs too predictable. Somewhere I speak the language. America, maybe, or Spain, or back to South America. Maybe I could even hurt him, before I went, so he couldnât catch us.â
âH-how would you do that?â
âYouâre with him at the house. He trusts you. Even if we could just get one blow on him before he gets awayâŚâ
Anonymous asked: Oh g-d Trick...what if you just ran? Got as far away as possible where there are no cameras for him to find you? We could get someone to help you if you wanted.
âSomeone could help us,â whispers Trick.
âIf I told the doctor and the counselor, they might be able to keep us both away from him! What if you told them you needed to be monitored too, Trick? We could get police involved. Weâd be in the records, people would watch out for us. Maybe we could even contact the magicians in the area! Or the ones who took Dok!â
Anonymous asked: I donât like the feeling about this, forgive me for being apprehensive, but Trick werenât you just excited about Anti dying your hair? Do you actually want to leave or are you trying to get information?
âHe was just scaring me, Iâve been trying to be goodâŚâ hiccups Trick, simpering fearfully and reaching for Blueâs hand. âBlue, he looks at me like heâs going to kill me, Iâm so scaredâŚâ
âHe dyed my hair too,â he laughs morbidly. âI remember it, just a little bit⌠waking up with my hair blue, not knowing my own nameâŚâ
Anonymous asked: As comforting as that would be, I donât think the police or medical staff would be enough...you would need the magicians
âRight, right,â murmurs Blue, chewing on the nail of his thumb.
âHow would you contact them, Blue?â asks Trick, with his big puppy eyes.
âOh, I think I used to remember a wayâŚâ
âBut youâve forgotten it now?â
Blueâs face falls. âYeah. Iâm sorry, honey.â
âItâs okay, Blue. Itâs not your fault. Anti must have really wiped your memories. So we canât contact them unless you remember. What else could we do?â
bupine asked: blue. marvin. while trick's here, get the doctor's here. show them what anti did. make sure he doesn't go back home.
Blue nods swiftly and grabs the call button, pushing it quickly. He beckons for Trick and pulls his brother into bed beside him, wrapping his arms around him and holding him close until he hears Trickâs breathing begin to calm.
âMy little brother. You donât have to go home ever again if you donât want to. Iâll look after you, IâŚâ
He pauses, breathing in, glancing at Trick.
âWhat?â mumbles Trick, slumped wearily against him.
Blue pauses again and then laughs. âItâs stupid. I think you got a new shampoo is all. Haha, rose smell.â
âOh, yeah,â giggles Trick. âFlower smell.â
spicydanhowell asked: yeah actually that's a good point uh.... chase.... i don't mean to upset you hun but where the hell are your loyalties rn?
Trick buries his face in Blueâs shoulder.
âI just want everything to stop hurting,â he chokes. âI want my twin and my cat and for everything to feel okay. Youâll make it better, Blue, wonât you?â
âIâm doing everything I can, I am, I am.â Blue smothers his hair in kisses. Trick smiles, clutching on to him.
Anonymous asked: Blue... it might be best to go to the house with Trick. I know, trust me, how scared you must feel, going back to your abuser, your near murderer... But you need to be there for him. You need to be there for your little brother.
Trick stares up at him with his big eyes. âOh, Blue, maybe it would be safer if we made him think you had come around⌠You could act really sick and I would take care of you and he wouldnât be angry with either of us, and then, when you were better, we could attack him and get Noodle and just run. Wouldnât that be easier? To make him think everything was okay, so neither of us would get beat?â
Blue tilts his head back and forth, thinking. âMh⌠maybe⌠he knows Iâm angry with him but I could be too tired to fight, and then one day⌠element of surprise might be better than him trying to get to us here while I recovered.â
âI know heâd let me take care of you.â Trick snuggles warmly against him. âWeâd be okay for a little while.â
Anonymous asked: Hey Trick does Anti know youâre here?
âOh, no, I told him I was going to get food⌠stalls are close, remember?â Trick smiles up at Blue.
A little too wide.
Blue looks back, beginning to frown.
Anonymous asked: Blue... I really don't... know if that's Trick... We haven't seen Anti hurt Trick or Noodle lately, and Trick shouldn't have been able to believe what you said with how much Anti's been hypnotizing him. Be careful what you say. Anti could change his shape even before he took your magic.
âTrick,â says Blue slowly. âWhy would the cameras have seen something different than what youâre telling me?â
âThey lie!â Trickâs eyes flash with hurt. âO-or th-they didnât see, he did it late at night! Look, look!â
He pulls up his shirt again, and the bandages too, so Blue can see thick, weeping cuts. Blue turns away, nauseated. He canât bear even to think about Trick getting hurt like that.
pixie-in-trebleland asked: What exactly was Anti off to do, Trick?
âHe doesnât tell me where he goes, most of the timeâŚâ
Anonymous asked: Trick that's such a smart idea! Good thinking, good job. Maybe consider it Marvin? Just playing up being weak and sick for a while to keep you both safe? Either way, probably not a good idea to discuss this on Anti's system. Remember, he see and hears everything the camera does.
âYeah, we could just hide,â says Trick. âWe could just pretend for a while. You should have come with me yesterday, shouldnât you have!â
âI⌠I donât know. Maybe.â
pixie-in-trebleland asked: Wait! I thought you wanted nothing to do with the voices in the camera, Trick.
âI got a little freaked out last night.â He rubs at his eyes. âItâs⌠hard to believe things like what youâre telling me.â
âYou⌠came around pretty fast today,â mumbles Blue.
âAfter he c-c-cut me like this!â
bupine asked: shit, chase, what did he do to you? did he stab you?
âHe just wouldnât stop cutting my chest up.â Trick reaches out to grab Blueâs wrists. âIsnât that awful, Blue, isnât that just awful? Why would I deserve that now, let me ask you? Why would anyone be bad for Anti when he could do this at any time? Even in the hospital, if he really wanted to, donât you think?â
âTrick,â breathes Blue, trying to pull away. âTrick. Too tight.â
âWell, sorry, Blue, I think Iâm just having another b-b-b-b-breakdown, isnât that too bad? How Iâm always c-c-c-crying?â He squeezes down hard on Blueâs wrist above his IV and Blue yelps, struggling against him.
Anonymous asked: Blue DO NOT look at Trick's eyes, keep your eyes up to see the nurse, keep alert to protect your brother. Okay?
Blue scrambles for the call button again, trying to get the nurse, but his brother just sneers at him.
âOh, puh-lease, you think Iâd let a call go through? You canât even call for help when Iâm around, you really think you can run away from me? America, Spain? Youâll never make it out of this fucking room before I saw that you were gone! Iâm everywhere, kitten! Youâre as stupid as you always were, thinking you could run away from me forever! You couldnât even stop me from stealing your brothers in the first place and now you think you can steal them back from me? Youâre pathetic!â
Anonymous asked: Blue, Blue, Marvin, Marvin, that's not Trick, Anti is in your arms, that is NOT Trickshot!!!
âGet away from me, Anti!â Blue screams, ripping out his IV, his cannula, and his heart monitor as he tears out of bed, but the steady beeping rhythm on the screen does not change for a second, alerting no one at all. âYou fucking liar!â
Anonymous asked: oh just fuck off Anti. Horrible actor honestly.
âSecond time you fell for it,â Anti jeers at Blue, crossing his arms on the bed, and then his form shifts, and heâs red-haired and freckled, with dark, worried eyes. âOh, Blue, Iâm right here, Iâm right here⌠big brotherâs going to keep you safe.â
âFuck you!â snarls Blue.
âKeep your voice down⌠wouldnât want me to have to possess whatever nurse comes through the door, would you, kitty?â
pixie-in-trebleland asked: Marvin, get the HELL outta there!
Blue wrenches the door handle, but it has an electronic lock for psychiatric patients who might try to run, and Antiâs already beat him there.
âUh-oh,â sings Anti.
Anonymous asked: Not really sure that's Trick. No offence if it is you, bud. He's not acting like himself. And we haven't seen him get hurt at all. In fact Anti's been practically in love with him the past few days.
âOh, I get it, I get it,â laughs Blue, almost hysterical. âCanât have Dapper as your puppy so you gotta find someone else to make into your little baby. Makes sense. No one really loves you so youâve got to force someone to pretend. The younger and more malleable, the better.â
Rage flickers through Antiâs eyes, but he does not move.
âSeem to remember you being pretty in love with me a couple times there, sweetie.â
âShut the fuck up. None of it is real, Anti. You will never get what you want from us. You will never know what it really is to be loved.â
âMust be missing out on so much.â Anti rolls his eyes. âStupid cat.â
âStop calling me that! I donât even like cats!â
âYes,â says Anti, his mouth curling up. âI made you not like cats, my deer. Your obsession was so annoying. And when I came to torment you all, and found my way back to you, I strung your little idiot cats up by their throats outside of your little portal and listened to you weep over their tiny bodies. Athanasius and Queenie. You donât even remember now, do you?â
Blue is stopped short, wheezing like heâs been punched in the chest.
He doesnât remember.
But the feeling of it - the emotion of it - is still with him and he feels it again now.
âOh, oh, oh,â he weeps, crumpling. âYou killed my cats, you killed them!â
âI been haunting your steps for a long, long time, Marvin,â says Anti, getting to his feet and circling him. He transforms again and now he is a small, green-haired young man in a black t-shirt and ripped jeans, his throat open. âAnd you really think you could ever get a step ahead of me?â
âI hate you so fucking much,â chokes Blue.
Anti steps down gently on the back of his throat.
âI know.â
Anonymous asked: antisepticeye hurts the boys the same way Jack hurt him because he's an edgy toddler, more news at 11 đ
âShut the fuck up,â snarls Anti, backing away again. âLike you know anything about what he did to me! Shut the fuck up.â
Anonymous asked: Anti, do you seriously think you'll ever be powerful enough to keep all of them under your wraps? Are you that far up your own ass? Your level of un-self-aware egoism is astounding.
âWell,â laughs Anti, his eyes burning like an effigy. âIâm not willing to give up yet.â
He leans closer into Blueâs space, teeth bared.
âI never will be.â
Anonymous asked: Anti you are the definition of annoying now would ya fuck off for a bit?
âI let you have your little talk with Trick last night,â scowls Anti, crossing his arms off his chest. âGeez, you act like Iâm not your favorite character!â
Anonymous asked: Marvin throw stuff around, break stuff, make as much noise as possible to try to get the attention of anyone around there!
âOr you could not do that!â pipes up Anti, and thick vines burst out of his backpack and wrap themselves around Blueâs body, making him shriek and pinning him back against the wall. A flower blooms inside his mouth and makes him choke, effectively gagged, while Anti hums, trailing forward with his knife flipping up and down.
âPoor thing,â he says.
With his cannula gone and his mouth full, Blue canât seem to get enough oxygen. The blood rushes painfully up to his head, blinding him for a second, and he all but faints in the grip of his own magic, shuddering.
âJust be good for a second,â says Anti. âItâs so much easier.â
Anonymous asked: Anti you taking your master-issues out on these boys is quite the spectacle. Your entire existence has *revolved* around just getting back at Jack for how long now? "Long long time" is right. He created you acting like this, and now all you do is act like he made you to. Never stopped being a puppet.
Anti stomps his foot like a kid, his mouth filling up with fangs and antlers budding on his skull again. âPlease! He would be horrified to see what Iâve become! He never would have expected this, not in a million years! Oh, JJâs my little puppet, huh, was that a fun bit for all of you, thinking of the little baby tucked up in his box, just a body for me to use? Well, I took it a step further, and then another, and another! Now heâs much more than a vessel and I stole all five of his boys! Whereâs his little hero, now, huh? Music pumping behind him in his stupid video, that dumb outfit all fixed up from the first time. I was supposed to be beatable. Iâve overcome everything he ever planned for me.â
He grits his fists hard, panting.
âAnd now he doesnât even seem to know it⌠wonât even try to stop me, like he doesnât care! Fucking Jack!â
Blue stares at him, panting through his gag.
Anonymous asked: Doing this will not solve your problems, Anti, in fact it will make them worse. The boys will kill you for this, donât make this mistake.
âThere are some things worse than death,â hisses Anti, stalking forward.
Anonymous asked: Trick, I know you don't want to talk to us, but Blue is in trouble at the hospital
Trickâs cameras are deactivated for messaging, so they receive nothing at all.
whydoilovesomanyvillians asked: Oh I dont think that's trick at all
âSure you donât want me to pretend again?â asks Anti sweetly, turning back into Trick. âIsnât it easier this way?â
âNot real!â Blue screams through his gag.
âBut it felt real for a moment, right?â
He chokes on a sob, not wanting to admit it.
âI know it did. And that feeling that everything would be okay, and that you were safe, and that you were with someone that loved you? Kitty, I can do that again so easy. Fit right back in your head where I belong and make the whole thing seem understandable. Or I could just wipe you clean again⌠youâd be so content, just like you were for those first few weeks. Now that the magicâs gone, thereâs no conflict at all between us! Everything could feel okay. Sometimes things go bad with us, itâs true. But Iâll always set them right again. Okay?â
Blue shakes his head frantically, tears sliding down his face.
âWell, youâll come around,â coos Anti, stroking his cheek. âEveryone always does for me.â
Anonymous asked: How many times are you going to try to do this Anti? Itâs the same song and dance literally every other week, donât you get bored? Why not start a garden? You can trample as much life as you want there :)
âYouâre the ones always playing the same song and dance,â he growls. âYou say the same things every time you see me. Arenât you tired of circles? I was. But I guess youâre a lot more helpless than I was back then.â
Anonymous asked: None of this is *fun* Anti. When have any of the cameras, specifically us, wanted you to do shit like this? Since when have *your* viewers, not his, wanted this? You think you're a favourite, special boy. You're an entitled child who takes out his feelings about his own abuse on his master's other toys.
âEvery time you saw me you were so excited,â he protests, looking almost taken aback. âI know it was fun for you because you kept coming back. Once, I just - oh, I just glitched for one moment! Over his eyes! You talked about it for weeks, that one glitch. It was always easy to get your attention. You wanted me. And I was the favorite, I was! Even he said so. Wouldnât put me in polls because he knew Iâd win.â
He laughs, running his hands through his hair, a little mollified, actually. âFuck, it all felt so stupid at the time⌠but things were a lot easier, back then, in some ways. I just wanted one thing. I donât know, it makes me want to just kill them all and keep pretending I could ever get to him. Oh. What a time we had.â
Anonymous asked: What the fuck?? This is not going to happen! Where is Trick?? Surely there is a camera at home that we can get him to talk to us on. Trick??? Please man we need you! Blue needs you!
There is a camera at home. In the kitchen, you can see Trick, swaying back and forth as he stirs up satay noodles, singing to himself. Cavetown. Noodle swims around his legs, chirping happily and begging, and Trick leans down to give him a bit of his namesake, stroking his head, cheeks rosy.
Anonymous asked: oh trick baby if that camera's receiving messages i'm so sorry, i feel like you're about to get a lot of people yelling at ya
No worries, it isnât. Trick doesnât want to talk to you. He has Anti!
Anonymous asked: You hate circles? Then why are you perpetually going in them? Literally everything so far has been a circle! Same old same, every single day. Break them, they regain everything, break them again, they regain it all. Circles, circles, always and forever, Antisepticeye.
Anti scowls and crosses his arms over his chest. âWell, Iâve won both times, havenât I? Be quiet, Iâm about to turn you off. Trying to have a talk here, thanks.â
Anonymous asked: this time you made the circle yourself. you have become what you hate. good going, jerk.
âGood going, jerk,â repeats Anti, giggling. âWhy - why is that so funny to me? Is that the worst you can think of to call me? Blue, canât you think of something worse?â
Blue spits the flower out. âDick-faced pig!â
âThere you go.â
Anonymous asked: Marvin, I know you don't remember Jack, but he made you into more than just a magician. Magic or no magic, you are strong and you are clever, and you don't have to put up with this. Jack made you and your brothers to be actors but this isn't your only role.
Blue stares at you, his chest convulsing. Fuck, but he wants that to be true.
âSappy,â critiques Anti, shoving you away.
asexualzucchini asked: Back off anti your time is up. They don't want to be with you
âMy patience with this conversation is the only thing thatâs up,â says Anti, throwing his knife up and catching it. âIâve said my piece. Youâll think about it, Blue, wonât you? Well, you will, whether you want to or not.â
He snaps his fingers and the vines retreat towards his backpack. Blue gasps desperately and crumples to the ground.
âYou want to stay here, fine, whatever,â says Anti, yawning. âI can get you back whenever I want to. Just sneak in here and possess you, or fake the signatures from the doctor for your release, whatever. And now I know every escape plan you were thinking about, so how about we just donât bother? Iâm in the camera out in your hall, through the hospital, etc, whatever, so running isnât going to get you anywhere. Also, Iâm the name on your insurance, and I could pull it at any time, so why donât you keep that in mind. Me, Iâll just be chilling at home, finding my missing boys, Trick in my lap, adoring me⌠doesnât sound too bad. Youâve accomplished nothing, Blue. But, uh, yeah. Have fun with your fish.â
He picks up the coloring book and chucks it at Blue, letting it flop against his chest.
âWait a second, I skipped a message, hold on.â
bupine asked: trick, blue. a little while ago, the magicians who have dok arranged for a place to meet red and dapper. the church of santo domingo, by the skull of santa rosa. i don't know if there's a way you can get there, but if you can, you'll see dok again. he's pretty happy there, and would love to see you both again. especially you, chase. we don't know if red and dap will go, or at least red, but you guys would be safe with the magicians. if you can get there safely, of course
âAh,â says Anti, very slowly, and lets his teeth click together for a second, closing his eyes. âAh.â
A smile blooms like a crescent moon across his mouth.
âThe Church of Santo Domingo. Yes, in Lima. We passed by it many times. I know exactly where it is. I know exactly where it is.â
His eyes open again. Smiling at Blue.
âHenrik is still in Lima.â
Anonymous asked: Okay with the acknowledgement that this is completely desperate and outright stupid on my part: NOODLE! I know you can't read but look! Blinky light! Come play with the camera! It's shiny and important and what a shame it would be if anything happened to it and Trick had to take it from youuuu
âMrr?â Noodle leaps up onto the counter, looking at the camera in the corner of the ceiling, but Trick just laughs and scolds him, plopping him back on to the floor.
Anonymous asked: You call this winning? You're literally missing more than half the set, two of your so-called pets have almost regained themselves completely, you're full of magic that's killing you, and one of your only dogs is biting you every time he sees you. If you call this "winning" I find that hilarious.
Antiâs mouth twists. He crosses his arms over his chest and scowls.
âYour⌠ears blush?â coughs Blue, staring at him, wide-eyed. âYouâre so physical now⌠you have real blood in you, donât you?â
âShut up!â
whydoilovesomanyvillians asked: You act so big and strong but you only have 2 boys not even
âSounds like Iâll find the others soon enough,â snarls Anti, hefting his backpack and stepping over Blueâs body. âI donât have to talk to any of you, you knowâŚâ
âYou canât even handle c-cameras,â pants Blue. âWait til itâs the five of us telling you youâre pathetic.â
Antiâs foot connects with his nose. Blue wails as blood pours out, clutching at his face and collapsing on to his side.
âSoon as youâre well enough to travel,â glowers Anti. âWeâre heading back to Peru to get all three of your brothers.â
Anonymous asked: Anti you dumbass, leaving physical evidence. Blue, the doctors will know what happened now. Don't let him convince you he can "fix" this too, he literally broke your nose and beat you up.
âVines are gone,â says Anti. âHeâs obviously collapsed and busted his nose trying to get up too fast. Guest registry has Connorâs name on it, so by all means have him banned.â
âTheyâre right, though,â whispers Blue. âYou will never make this right between us. Too much hurt, Anti. There are things the heart remembers.â
Anonymous asked: (This was still your magic, Blue... Can you reach out to it? Would it still know you? Something small, even?)
Anti opens the door, glancing back to him, perhaps just savoring the sight of him in pain. Blue stares back, salt and copper on his face, shaking.
His magic, his magic. His warmth and his strength and his sight and one missing piece of his shattered heart.
Flowers and flame, life and warmth, cupped like butterflies in his hands. Magic tricks for two small, dark-haired children. A bouquet of roselilies for Red to take on a date he doesnât remember. Heating Dokâs numb hands between his own after a twelve-hour surgery. Weaving dandelions into Dapperâs hair. The protection of flame. Crocuses growing up through the floorboards.
Reach, Blue. Reach, Marvin. Itâs yours.
His fingers unfurl. His eyes watch him go. He holds out his hand and tries to remember what it was to make it all move. His magic.
Nothing.
Blue crumples on the cold linoleum of the hospital floor, silent, and Anti is gone.
End Section Five of Chapter Three: Two Truths and a Lie
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29/08/2020-Yellow Wagtails and more at Workmanâs Lane and Cowes Lane at Hook-with-Warsash and Farlington Marshes: These pictures different to the ones I tweeted
I came to new spot for me off of Workmanâs Lane here today I had been to Hook-with-Warsash before, as one of my primary bird targets this year Yellow Wagtails had been here this week seen by my Mum and her husband yesterday, we checked out cowes lane later on to no avail for a Pied Flycatcher seen which we couldnât. There were some nice views here over the farmland and also over the coast to Fawley Power station and an in-flower New Forest heath was visible as the sun came in and out with it feeling a little autumnal again in places which was nice. I took the first, second, third and fifth pictures in this photoset of views over this place. All of these ten pictures for Twitter friends are seperate to the ones I tweeted earlier as I produced over 30 again today between the two locations and at home this evening.
Very soon into our walk along Workmanâs Lane today we studied a group of cows in a field through a fence the Yellow Wagtails are very typically found around grazing animals especially cattle. And sure enough as well as Starlings we spotted some Yellow Wagtails flying and on the ground in long grass. I was happy to see them again getting binoculars views. Yesterday and as reported on the goingbirding site today though they had been with horses in the fields so we walked through a gate onto a public right of way quite a few other birders were about at a safe social distance. We were delighted to see some more and seemingly a bigger group of these handsome yellow birds which have become a cornerstone of my late summer/early autumn. We got some great views getting photo opportunities too I took the fourth in this photoset of some and rather comically every time we looked at them in the optics they seemed to be right in front of the horsesâ faces picking on the ground and it looked funny as the Yellow Wagtails were so dwarfed by these relatively small ponies. A fantastic sight to see.
It is one of my birds of the year a crucial one to see my sixth ever sighting of one in my life after a nine year gap of seeing them thatâs now four year lists in a row I have recorded one in which I am very happy with we are doing well with scouting and finding them now. It continued my surge in seeing birds for the first time in my year lately to take my year list to 173 at that time as I write below I did end the day on 174 birds for the year, this was bird 183 at Pennington in September of my 2019 and bird 182 of my 2018 at the same place. Like 2019 Yellow Wagtail came as a year tick after Manx Shearwater and Chough on the Cornish coast last year the day after our September Cornish holiday this year a week after the Cornish piece in our Devon long weekend away so a little earlier seeing them this year.
We then moved onto Farlington Marshes where we do rather frequent in August and September today where Whinchat was a target we had looked for them here previously this year, some nice views of the landscape seen again here in patches of sun I took I took the sixth and eighth pictures in this photoset of some great to see swatches of red in the landscape with so many red berries on the trees like at Lakeside lately. As we walked around I was delighted to see a Wheatear my second of the year after seeing my first of 2020 two weeks ago at Hayling Island nearby meant I had seen my bogey bird for this year. A nice second of the year for me I am having a good autumn migration for them. An interesting bird to see today too as when I saw my first ever Yellow Wagtail at Keyhaven/Pennington in 2008 I saw my first ever Wheatear that day too. I have also had a close relationship between Wheatear and Whinchat over the years seeing them together and rather associating them with each other like with Yellow Wagtail.
As we walked on to the corner just beside the lake where there are loads of fence posts as we had done for three years prior to this one we caught sight of a spectacular and well marked Whinchat flying from post to post. I had seen it again, my first of the year another crucial bird in years for me and I love seeing them. I got very nice binocular views of it but could not quite get a photograph. We walked round and you often see them all along the fence posts and on shrubbery and grass here. We soon saw another but it didnât seem to look my day for a photo of one with at quite a distance in a bit of wind neither my DSLR with big lens or bridge camera could focus. But as we saw a few more along here in the vegetation and grass I was pleased to get some pictures of this really special bird including the seventh in this photoset.
There were cows nearby in this area and something spectacular happened next when we spotted some more Yellow Wagtails at Farlington Marshes flying and scuttling at the cowâs feet. We spent a glorious few minutes marvelling at them and watching them, they did upstage the Whinchats here slightly but we still got nice Whinchat views afterwards. I must have expected this with Yellow Wagtails reported at Farlington too actually but I assumed over the other side had I not been successful at seeing them earlier on at Hook-with-Warsash I may have looked harder. It was exceptional to see both together in the grass. I have noticed the last few years getting a year tick and then seeing that bird again as the year went on. Yellow Wagtail this did happen with last year as we saw some at RSPB Lodmoor, Weymouth in September too. But I donât remember the last time other than in early New Year with very common birds ticked off that we actually saw a dayâs year tick at a different place on the same day! Reflective of the fact there is a big influx of these birds in Hampshire currently which it was great to be a part of today.
Linnets adding to a good stock of traditional farmland birds I loved seeing today. I also liked seeing a Kestrel landed as we often do at Farlington fairly close I took the ninth picture in this photoset of one. When home I had a delightful evening, firstly I managed to notice my first great sunset in a few days with the sun crawling back to the area I love seeing it set lighting up the distinctive trees visible from my room the further right it sets the closer we get to 21st June from my room then it goes back left and its now setting between the buildings that can block out the best bits of the sunset so its nice to see it. I took the tenth and final picture in this photoset of that among others.
But the best moment was when my Mum excitedly told me a Sparrowhawk was in the garden. This is something I have been waiting for for months as my Mum saw one in the garden earlier in the year before coronavirus even hit the UK really showing how long ago which I just found spectacular and longed to see them. Iâd seen a Sparrowhawk in the garden as a boy at my Dadâs house but never here even though Iâve long known of and seen one in the neighborhood including over the garden. So I just longed to see this and really had an strong wishing to see this bird in the garden. Being downstairs with my memory card in my laptop and my big lens upstairs I rushed to get everything together and by the time I could join my Mum in the back room it had flown. But luckily not too far and it landed on a neighbouring fence. A bit further away I then used my bridge camera which I used for the Kestrel luckily sat downstairs at that time having had images from that taken to process. This is one of my most amazing garden birds and wildlife moments this year and ever and almost should have been expected really due to the amount of Starlings and House Sparrows so potential prey we have coming in the garden. What a fantastic day of birdwatching this late summer/autumn today was with other great moments too.
Wildlife Sightings Summary for Hook-with-Warsash: My first Yellow Wagtails of the year, nice views of one of my favourite dragonflies the Southern Hawker with one looking us in the eye as they are famous for in summer and a gorgeous Small Copper butterfly, Meadow Brown, Large White, lots of Starlings and Swallows, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Robin and I heard one of my favourite birds the Buzzard.
And for Farlington Marshes: My first Whinchats of the year, one of my favourite birds the Little Egret, Wheatear, Yellow Wagtail, Linnet, Starlings gathering looking close to murmurating really which was nice, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Kestrel, Lapwing, Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, early Teals, Mallard, Moorhen, Coot, Canada Goose, Black-heeded Gull, Herring Gull, Grey Heron, Small White butterfly, rabbit, moth and wasp.
#rabbit#moth#wasp#grey heron#birdwatching#photography#butterflies#dragonflies#uk#earth#nature#world#beautiful#redshank#black-tailed godwit#whinchat#yellow wagtail#wheatear#linnet#buzzard#small copper#large white#small white#southern hawker#starling#lapwing#canada goose#photos#life#summer
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Public alert after 'cruel' blow dart attack in park
New Post has been published on https://petn.ws/VsJma
Public alert after 'cruel' blow dart attack in park
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RSPCA Queensland is calling for public assistance to find those responsible for shooting a blow dart through a native birdâs throat. X-rays show the projectile entered the masked lapwing through the right side of its neck and pushed through the other side. The bird is lucky to be alive. The unfortunate creature was found on [âŚ]
See full article at https://petn.ws/VsJma #PetCharitiesNews
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Ireland: The Emerald Isle of Europe
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Top o the morning to yah!
A little lapwing sung that you are curious about the place where four leaf clovers cover the land and leprechauns dance at the end of rainbows. Come and explore the islands of Ireland!
An overview of IrelandâŚ
Ireland is an island nation on the westernmost edge of Europeâit is the second largest island of the continent next to Great Britain. It is known for its vast green fields, earning the title of the Emerald Isle, and breathtaking places, such as the Cliffs of Moher.
Ireland has two regions, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland (now a part of the United Kingdom), separated for nearly a century that started during the Irish War.
The official languages of Ireland are English and Gaeilge (the Irish language). Moreover, the religions in Ireland are diverse (Catholic-Christian, Anglican, Muslim, Orthodox, and the like), and there is religious freedom.
The Irish CultureâŚ
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Welcoming and Courteous - The Irish are friendly and kind. A common phrase heard during conversations is âWhatâs the craic?â the word craic in Irish slang means news, gossip, and conversation. The art of striking conversations and storytelling is essential for the Irish to create a genuine atmosphere and a common way to build relationships. Moreover, public display of emotion and affection is widely accepted.
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2. A heart of gold - When drinking out at pubs (public house), the Irish take turns to pay for each round of drinks. Furthermore, the pub serves as a place where people come and interact with one another. Pub sessions are a tradition in Ireland where musicians across the city come together and play traditional Irish music as others socialize; this is an informal eventâanyone invited is welcome to participate in the festivities.
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3. Artistic and Culture centered - A human being is an art; her culture is the artist. One's culture makes up who she is as a personâ it builds her beliefs, moral values, and character making her unique from others. Literature paved the way for Irish artists to preserve their culture and history by performing dances, writing poems and songs, telling tales, and painting. Additionally, children are taught the Gaelic language and play traditional musical instruments keeping the ancient Celtic tradition alive. As stated by Marcus Garvey, A people without the knowledge of their history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots
Trivia about Ireland...
Irelandâs Patron Saint Patrick was not Irish. He was a Briton. As a teenager, he was kidnapped by Irish pirates and was forced to work as a slave herding sheep. He turned to God during this time
The Titanic was built in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Popular Irish expressions
FĂĄilte (pronounced âfall-chaâ) â the Irish word for âwelcomeâ
Craic (pronounced âcrackâ) â the Irish word for âfunâ
SlĂĄinte (pronounced âslawn-chaâ) â means âgood healthâ and is used as a toast before taking a drink.
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Britain has lost half its wildlife. Nowâs the time to shout about it | Michael McCarthy | The Guardian
Ever been on a protest march for the environment? If youâre young and you care about things â if youâre old, for that matter â you may well have been, and I bet I can guess the theme of the demo. It was probably about climate change, and quite right too, global warming being an unparalleled threat to our very existence. It might have been about nuclear power and its expansion; it might perhaps have been aimed at major pollution, or the loss of some local well-loved amenity. But Iâll bet you a pound to a pinch of snuff that it wasnât about farmland birds, or the disappearance of insects.
No one, young or old, marches in the street to protest about the impoverishment of our countryside; no one hoists banners crying out against the turning of our green fields into sterile wildlife wastelands. Yet in the past 50 years in Britain, through the intensification of agriculture, we have destroyed well over half of our biodiversity, and the populations of birds, butterflies and wild flowers that once gave the landscape such animation and thrilling life have been utterly devastated â the figures are there.
Most notable is the case of farmland birds, which by the governmentâs own admission declined by 56% between 1970 and 2015; it is estimated this represents a loss of at least 44 million individuals. Over huge swaths of the land, once beloved species such as the lapwing, the spotted flycatcher, the cuckoo and the turtle dove, as well as many once common butterflies such as the pearl-bordered fritillary and once familiar blooms such as cornflowers, have simply vanished. The fields may still look green in spring, but it is mostly lifeless scenery, apart from the pesticide-saturated crops: it is green concrete.
This is a quite remarkable historical event; it has altered the character of Britain just as profoundly as the other changes of the past half-century, such as the end of social deference, the rise of multiculturalism and the coming of sexual equality. Yet its most remarkable aspect is this: people still do not perceive it. In the past decade, specialists in conservation have come to understand the magnitude of the loss, but for the public at large, and indeed for most politicians, it is simply not on the radar; we are faced with a sort of mass cognitive dissonance, a nationwide unawareness of what is obvious.
Most Britons remain blithely unaware that since the Beatles broke up, we have wiped out half our wildlife. Yet we are not alone. Last week, the French woke up in a dramatic way to the fact that their own farmland birds, their skylarks and partridges and meadow pipits, were rapidly disappearing: Le Monde, the most sober of national journals, splashed the fact across the top of its front page. French bird populations in general, two reports indicated, had fallen by a third just in the past 15 years, and the next day scientists said that this was symptomatic of a future facing Europe as a whole, of âbiodiversity oblivionâ.
Intensive farming is the problem. Three generations of making agriculture more industrial have given Europe cheap food on a mammoth scale, but a terrible environmental price has eventually been paid, which we are only now understanding. The heart of the matter is universal pesticide use: we benefit from farming wholly based on poison, which has exterminated more and more of the insects at the base of myriad food chains in the natural world.
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Wombwell Rainbow Interviews: Tristan Moss
Wombwell Rainbow Interviews: Tristan Moss
-Tristan Moss lives in York with his partner and two youngish children. Over the past 12 years, he has had many poems published in online and paper magazines, such as Magma, Ink Sweat & Tears, Obsessed with Pipework, Snakeskin, Dreich, Poems in the Waiting Room, London Grip & Shadowtrain. He has recently had a pamphlet published entitled The Cold War (Lapwing Publications). It can be purchasedâŚ
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