#Putting Greens in Perth

[australianartificialgrass]

Putting Greens Perth

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[bitethedevil]

Strange Bedfellows (Lae’zel X Raphael): Chapter 1

Link to this fic on AO3

Summary: Lae'zel stayed on the Material Plane after the defeat of the Netherbrain. She vowed to rid Faerûn from Vlaakith's filth. She found plenty of allies to aid her cause, but not many people stand a chance against the ruthlessness and efficiency of the Gith, and she soon finds herself struggling.

Though she is not the only one who is struggling: Raphael has been left crownless, and he has angered the Lich Queen herself with his actions. He is in desperate need of assistance from someone who knows how Gith work and think.

Author’s note: I give to you: the cursed ship of Raph'zel (or Hell Frog, if you will). You're welcome and I'm very sorry. It makes sense to me. Both Gith and devils are lawful creatures, though still in very different ways...and I like to put characters who would hate each other's guts in a box and shake it violently <3 Also: the part about Raphael and Vlaakith and a certain object isn’t something I made up. You can find the slate in the Astral Plane.

I would strongly suggest that you read this on AO3 because there I have included a little Gith dictionary at the end.

After the defeat of the Netherbrain, Lae’zel had ventured out to wipe out every Vlaakith stronghold on the Sword Coast. She had vowed that she would not stop until every sarth and kith’rak had been defeated. She had found plenty of new allies to join her cause. People who she grew to trust and who she could call ‘friends’.

They were, however, not as efficient as her former group of allies. Her new friends were capable fighters, but no one else but her was Gith, and they stood little chance against the warriors who had trained all of their life. In the beginning they had been lucky and wiped stronghold after stronghold, but now, she was beginning to lose more people than they managed to kill. Morale was dwindling fast.

This time she had lost two dear friends when they had tried to storm what they thought would be a small camp. They were caught off guard and they only barely made it out alive. They had regrouped in a nearby tavern after.

“Lae’zel…” Tasar said in a gentle voice from beside her. “We couldn’t have known, so stop blaming yourself. Olyssa and Perth knew the risks and they still insisted to go in first. They wouldn’t want you to beat yourself up for it like this.”

She lifted her head to look at the elf. Tasar was a capable ranger and the one out of the group that always managed to stay positive no matter what. Even he looked like hell with the blood in his blonde hair and the tinge of sadness in his green eyes, even though he tried to hide it.

He was being strong for her and despite her appreciating the thought, she did not appreciate the gesture. She was not to be coddled. Though there was no reason to snap at him. No reason to make a bad mood worse. She only made a grumbling noise and turned her focus back to eating again.

She looked around the room. Her companions were dealing very differently with what had just happened. Murnum and Gulmin, the two twin dwarven paladins were drinking in silence. Grace, their tiefling bard, was drunkenly talking to strangers at the bar. Vincent, their human wizard, had been staring at a map and picking at his food for a good half hour by now. Tasar was still just staring at her in worry. It annoyed her to no end.

“We will set up camp soon,” Lae’zel said to those around the table. “Whoever is sober will keep watch. We will leave tomorrow at first light.”

Murnum and Gulmin took a gulp of their ale at the same time at her words, wanting to avoid being the ones to take the night watch. Vincent nodded a bit without ever taking his eyes off the map.

“I’ll take the first watch,” Tasar piped up. “You get some sleep tonight, Lae’zel.”

She gave him a short nod before going back to tearing apart the piece of chicken in her hands. Her eye twitched when she heard Grace’s high-pitched drunken laughter from somewhere in the tavern.

“Someone is talking with your girl, Vince,” Tasar said and looked at Vincent.

Vincent briefly looked up from the map to look behind him at the highly intoxicated tiefling woman. He sighed and looked back at the map.

“She is not ‘my girl’,” Vincent mumbled. “Let her drown her sorrows…We all mourn differently.”

“Mhm,” Tasar hummed and leaned over the table. “It looks like she’ll drown in that fancy lad’s brown eyes if you don’t do something. Come on, Vince…you like her. You should say something.”

“You should mind your own business, Tas,” Vincent retorted with a tightlipped smile.

They kept talking. It was irking Lae’zel how they could talk about such trivial matters when two of their friends were dead. They had lost many people, but it was angering her how desensitized they were all becoming.

There was one more high-pitched laughter from Grace behind her over the bickering of the two men, and that made her snap. She hammered her fist down into the table. The sound of it and her fiery gaze was enough to silence the whole table.

“Tasar, go out and scout for a place to camp,” she ordered cooly and then turned around. “Grace!”

Grace turned around two tables away from them with a lazy smile on her lips. Lae’zel froze for a moment when she saw who she had been talking to before her eyes narrowed at the man. A wide smile spread over Raphael’s face and his eyes lit up in recognition when he spotted her.

Lae’zel stormed over to them. She made a sharp gesture towards their table to Grace.

“But—”

“Now,” Lae’zel hissed at her.

Grace’s face was like that of a child that had just been told ‘no’, but she complied. She smiled politely at Raphael before moving to their table as she had been asked to. Lae’zel stared down Raphael.

“Lae’zel of K’liir…” he said with a charming smile. “Fancy seeing you here. One would expect that you—”

“No,” Lae’zel interrupted him with a sharp gesture. “No talking. Leave.”

Raphael’s smile got slightly tighter at getting interrupted.

“Now, now…” he said in a low tone. “There is no reason to get so defensive, my dear. My grievances are with your former leader, not you. Whyever, would I harm you for the sins of someone else? Perhaps—”

“I will harm you if you ever speak to one of mine again, chraith,” she warned coolly.

Raphael chuckled at that, though it was a cold sound. He did not like how little he was in control of the current situation. Lae’zel was not Tav, and she would not give him the time of day.

“You have grown quite sentimental, it seems,” he said. “How unlike you. Though I suppose it is only natural with how your little crusade is progressing…I hear that your allies are dropping like flies…”

Lae’zel walked away from him. She went outside to retrieve something from their packs. When she came inside again carrying the Orphic Hammer, a few of her allies got up from their seats. They only saw her carrying a big hammer and walking towards a man in a very determined manner, so they looked prepared to fight.

She dropped it at his feet. Raphael did not look particularly impressed. He glanced down at it with a bored expression and then smiled lazily at her.

“I was wondering what became of it,” he purred. “Is this supposed to bribe me to stay away?”

“Yes,” she said in a cold tone with a small smile and narrowed eyes. “If that is insufficient, perhaps a sword through that horned skull of yours might persuade you. I don’t deal with devils.”

“Ah, I see,” he said with a smirk. “You merely get others to do so for you, isn’t that so?”

Her hand moved to the hilt of her sword in warning. This was not the day to test her.

“Don’t forget who is responsible for you ever getting your hands on that silver sword of yours and who assisted you in freeing your people,” he said and then made an expression as if just remembering something. “Or, of course, who now owns your dear Tav’s soul because of it. In a fair world, would it not be yours instead, Lae’zel?”

Lae’zel drew her sword and the whole tavern fell quiet. Raphael looked at her with that grin of his and then at the patrons around them. He glanced down at the sword and then took one last look at her face.

“See you soon,” he purred and snapped his fingers.

The patrons gasped when flames danced around him, and he disappeared. He left the Orphic Hammer behind.

A few days passed. Lae’zel was seated on a bench a bit outside camp while she watched her companions train. She was eating her second lunch while looking at the map beside her, planning their next move.

“Does it get tiring?” she heard Raphael’s voice behind her, making her pause her chewing. “Eating enough for two simply to stay alive in a realm that you were not made for? Your body disagreeing with you constantly as it is dealing with a world it has not adapted to? And, worst of all, aging…”

Lae’zel finished chewing, placed the bowl of food beside her on the bench and reached behind her for her sword. She grabbed the hilt and pulled, but felt Raphael’s hand on hers, stopping the movement.

“Tsk tsk,” he tutted. “I only wish to speak with you. Just a little talk between former unlikely allies, and then I will leave you alone for now. I promise.”

“G’lyck,” she groaned in annoyance. “Speak if you must, devil, but do not expect me to listen to your mindless chatter.”

Raphael moved the map that was sprawled over the bench to sit down beside her. He crossed one leg over the other and leaned his arm on the backrest as he looked at her.

“I have always admired the Gith,” he said. “They are without a doubt one of the worst mortal races to make deals with, but I admire them all the same. In truth, your societies are not much different from those of the Hells.”

She stared at him with a blank expression.

“It is clear that you have failed in all of your dealings with Gith if you begin by insulting them,” she grumbled. “We’re not the same.”

“No?” Raphael asked. “We both believe that strict adherence to order, laws, and hierarchy will uphold our societies and cultures, do we not?”

“A devil might be orderly compared to a demon, but a devil’s order is nothing short of chaos.”

“For an outsider with no real understanding, perhaps,” he mused. “We wield order like a sword, and like a sword, it does not need to have pretty adornments or modifications to serve its purpose. As long as it works. I am sure a pragmatic woman like you would agree.”

“A sword, yes…A curious metaphor for someone who does not know how to wield one.”

“Pardon?” Raphael said, sounding slightly offended. “I am perfectly capable with a sword. I have fought in the Blood War, same as any devil.”

Lae’zel gave him a dismissive gesture and took a bite of her food.

“You are a bard,” she said once she was finished chewing.

“Of some, as I am sure you are aware, use swords,” he said in a slightly annoyed tone. “I am still quite proficient with a rapier even though it has been centuries since I was last on the battlefield, I can assure you.”

“You would call a rapier a sword?” she asked.

“It is,” he said. “I have never seen much sense in hacking and slashing away at a target, when one well-placed thrust could do the trick. I do, of course, know how to handle a longsword as well.”

She shook her head and finished her bowl of stew. She folded the map and put it in her pack.

“I am returning to camp,” she said. “I do not have time for chatter about your lack of martial prowess, istik.”

His eyes narrowed at her and his nose was wrinkled in annoyance when she started to walk away from him. Lae’zel discarded the bowl into a bucket and drew her sword as she walked towards her tent. Raphael appeared in front of her in a flash of fire.

“I will talk, and you will listen,” Raphael grumbled. “We have a common goal, you and I. You want to rid Toril of Vlaakith’s influence, do you not?”

Lae’zel sat down with her sword in her lap and looked up at him with a bored expression.

“You do not care about the liberation of the Gith,” she said. “You cared about the Crown of Karsus. I do not have it. Leave.”

His jaw clenched and he looked around as he noticed the stares he was getting from her companions who recognized him from the tavern. Lae’zel raised a hand as to dismiss them from taking action and kept cleaning her sword.

“I would not waste my time here if our interests did not align,” Raphael said in a low voice to her. “Your little merry band here are not suited for the task they have been given. I could lend you assistance. Soldiers whose sole life purpose is to fight.”

Lae’zel looked up at him again. She studied his face. His tone was off.

“You are afraid,” she said as if it was simply fact. “Why?”

His already sour expression soured further at the accusation.

“Careful, Lae’zel,” he warned in a dangerous tone. “You do not want to make an enemy out of me. Especially when I might prove to be your best ally in this little endeavor yet.”

She got to her feet, sword still in hand.

“Do you think me so naïve, devil?” she asked. “Do you think that I would give my soul for an incompetent group of devil soldiers? We have nothing more to discuss.”

“I am not asking for your soul, you stubborn child,” he hissed. “I am asking you to do what you set out to do and kill every last trace of Vlaakith’s vermin on this plane. I am asking you to—”

He was interrupted by the loud sound of Lae’zel’s silver sword getting sharpened on the grindstone. He saw red. He grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and snapped his fingers.

Lae’zel’s eyes were furious when she saw that she was in the House of Hope. She grasped for her sword, but it had not been transported there with her. A flash of fire danced around Raphael as he took his devil form. His wings spread out behind him and his eyes bored into hers as he adjusted his clothes and schooled a smile onto his features.

“Please, take a seat,” he said in a dark but calm tone and gestured to a chair at the table.

Lae’zel did not budge. She stared him down from where she was standing.

“You will send me back,” she hissed. “Now.”

“No,” he said in a warning tone. “You will sit down. You will behave and you will not leave the Hells before you have listened to every word I have to say. That can take minutes, hours, days, and it is entirely dependent on your behavior, my dear.”

She gave him a low growl of discontent before dragging out a chair and sitting down.

“Speak,” she ordered sharply.

Raphael sat down in front of her and crossed one leg over the other as he studied her for a moment. He would not be rushed in his own home.

“Did you ever wonder why I had the Orphic Hammer in my possession?” he asked.

She just kept staring at him with narrowed eyes, waiting for him to get to the point.

“I suppose not,” he said. “You and your dear friends were no doubt too busy at the time to ask the right questions. Had you done a little digging, you would have learned that you, in a sense, owe your miserable lives to me.”

She raised an eyebrow. There was a glimmer of something in her mind. An inscribed Githyanki slate that they had found in the Astral Plane. It depicted Vlaakith and a devil making a deal for the Astral Prism.

“Continue…” she hissed.

Raphael smiled at her.

“Come now, Laezel,” he said. “One must know a lock intrinsically in order to make a key to said lock, do they not?”

Her suspicions were proved correct, and she felt her blood boil at the revelation. Her nails dug into the armrests of the chair. She wanted to kill him.

“You made the Astral Prism…” she said in a fiery tone. “You helped Vlaakith enslave Orpheus, and you ask for my help! I should drive a sword through your skull for what you have done!”

Raphael held out a hand in a gesture to calm her.

“And I helped free him as well, did I not?” he countered. “It was business. I made most of my fortune from that deal, but I did not enslave your prince myself. Your former queen did. I did however make the Hammer as an insurance policy after I saw the mess she made. It was merely a question of time before her little scheme would be discovered.”

“And now she wants your head for defying her,” Lae’zel replied. “Should I return to the Astral Plane, then I will make sure that every living Child of Gith will want the same thing for what you have done in the first place.”

“I have done what you say,” he said. “But as I have told you, our interests align. You need allies to your cause, not enemies. I am motivated to help you.”

“Chk,” she scoffed. “You are motivated to help yourself, devil.”

“You need all the help you can get, Lae’zel…”

“You need my help,” she said. “Or else you would not be here filling my ears with your drivel.”

Raphael’s fist hit the table so hard that she thought it might split in two. She looked at him with an unimpressed glare. He leaned closer to her with fire in his eyes.

“I am being hunted for sport by Gith on the Material Plane,” he said in a low, angry voice. “I have Tiamat’s dragons circling my home here. I would never have given you or your friends the Orphic Hammer to break your precious prince’s chains, had I known you would not keep your word. The Crown of Karsus was my insurance that this would never happen. Had Tav kept her word, Vlaakith would have been snuffed out long ago.”

Lae’zel sneered at him but that did seem to calm her down for some reason.

“It was not my idea to snub you of it,” she said.

“I know,” he grumbled. “I admit, I should have made the deal with you instead of her. A mistake that will haunt me for millennia.”

She huffed in response.

“I am offering you soldiers,” he began in a softer tone. “Some who will be from the Material Plane and others from here in the Hells. In return I am only asking for you to lead them. I will guide you, of course, but you will lead them. Laws prohibit me from directly interacting in such a manner on the Material Plane.”

“I will not do it,” she said and shook her head. “Find someone else.”

Raphael looked at her with the disbelief of someone who was absolutely certain they already had the deal in the bag.

“What do you mean you will not do it?” he asked.

“What I said.”

“I can’t ‘find someone else’,” he said in an annoyed tone. “You know how Gith fight, where they hide, how they think. You will fight them regardless and I am offering you help to do so. Why would you not accept?”

“Would I sign a contract?”

“Obviously,” he said impatiently. “Though it would only be a necessary formality. I have to abide by Infernal laws.”

“Then your offer does not interest me. I will kill every last one of them, and I do not need your help, devil.”

Raphael’s claws dug into the arm of the chair to the point that she could hear the wood creak, and his jaw clenched. He raised his fingers to snap.

“Perhaps you will reconsider once more of your new friends die to your incessant stubbornness,” he grumbled. “Insolent child…”

He snapped his fingers and sent her back.

[harley-sunday]

Feels Like Home [01]

Summary: When an unexpected three-week break between Monza and Singapore finds Daniel back on his farm in Perth he’s desperate to use this time to clear his mind, figure out his future in Formula One, and find his way back. He didn’t expect a new neighbour, a sassy two-year old, and three alpacas would make him realise that sometimes, what you’re looking for is right in front of you.

Pairing: Daniel Ricciardo x reader (unnamed OFC)

Warnings: Language

Word count: 2.7k

AN: Yes. Hi. Hello. Believe it or not but I started writing this fic because I desperately needed some good guy!Daniel being cute with kids in my life. The idea was just a short one shot. Ha. Who was I kidding? Because here we are, six months and nine chapters later... I really hope you like it, please come yell at me in the comments, on anon, or in my DMs about any and all things about this story you want to yell at me about. I probably deserve it. ♥

Masterlist

There’s something about being here, on his farm outside of Perth, that he doesn’t experience anywhere else in the world. Not in Monaco, not in Los Angeles, not even in Austin, or Montana. 

Because here- Here, he doesn’t have to be Daniel Ricciardo, Danny Ric, DR, or the Honey Badger. He doesn’t have to be a Formula One driver, an eight-time race winner, the most beloved driver on the grid, and the fan favourite. He doesn’t have to be Red Bull’s wild card, Renault’s saviour, or, most recently, McLaren’s scapegoat. Here, he is Daniel. And it’s enough. 

Or, at least, it used to be.

Lately, there's been a yearning in his heart that he's unfamiliar with. Or he pretends to be anyway because he’s not ready to put it into words yet, not ready to speak into existence what he really wants from life. Afraid he'll jinx it if he does. 

And so he keeps it to himself and lets his heart ache for something more in silence while the life he does know slowly keeps on falling apart around him.

***

Daniel rests his wrists on the handlebar of his dirt bike and lets out a breath he seems to have been holding in ever since he retired on lap forty-five of the Monza Grand Prix four days ago. Looking out over the valley below, he feels more grounded than he has in a long time and he hopes that the next two weeks will give him the peace he so desperately needs after the shitshow that has been his season so far. 

The sun’s already low in the sky, casting a golden glow over the somewhat still barren trees and shrubs even though he can tell winter is slowly coming to an end from the sprouts of green that have started to grace the landscape with their presence. There’s a kookaburra laughing somewhere in the distance and he takes it as his cue to fire up his engine again for one last run around his dirt track before it gets too dark. 

He knows technically he isn’t supposed to ride his bike during the season, knows technically McLaren could issue him a hefty fine for breaching his contract, but if they ever were to find out he figures they can just take it out of the settlement they’re due to pay him at the end of the year. He’s promised Zak he’ll do whatever it takes to score as many points as possible in the last six races but he also decided early on that he’s no longer going to let the team dictate what he can or cannot do in his time away from the track. 

There’s a meeting tomorrow, with Blake and Michael, where they’ll try to figure out his future in Formula One. There have been a few offers, both from teams who want him as their second driver and from teams who want him to become their reserve driver, but he’s still undecided, not sure if he wants to settle for another midfield team or stay in Formula One without really being in Formula One. 

By the time he completes his lap his head is somewhat empty, too busy instead to focus on keeping his bike under control and not ending up in the dirt. It’s almost dark now and so he opens the throttle wide and guns it home, a race against an invisible clock that, unlike this past season in Formula One, he wins every single time.

Once his bike is safely back in the shed he makes his way over to the house, hosing his boots down before he takes them off at the back door and leaves them to dry on the shoe rack his Dad made for him when he bought the farm. He changes out of his gear in the mud room, making a face when he takes his socks off and catches a whiff of the smell but laughing then because he remembers them smelling so much worse after a race in, oh let’s say, Singapore. With nothing but his boxer shorts on he steps into the kitchen and heads straight for the fridge, taking out an ice cold bottle of water. The sigh of relief when he rolls it against the back of his neck almost obscene. It might be winter but temperatures in western Australia are still as high as a beautiful spring day in Monaco.

It’s then the intercom rings and for a moment he debates ignoring it, not sure if he’s up for telling yet another local journo looking to make it big by trying to get an interview with ‘shunned McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo’ that now really isn’t a good time  and that any requests for interviews should be made through Blake anyway.  

Plus, he gave his family and friends the access code to the gate when it was first installed, so he doubts any of them are waiting for him to open it, not in the least because they know better than to just show up without a text or call in advance.  

In the end, his curiosity gets the better of him and so he walks over to where the control panel of his alarm system hangs in the living room and pushes the button needed to connect to whoever’s at the gate, “Hello?”

“Hi,” the screen comes on then, the black and white image showing a woman wearing a Stetson hat. She’s staring somewhere into the distance, her face obscured by the shadows the brim of her hat casts under the streetlight, but her voice comes through loud and clear, “Sorry to bother you this late-”

“It’s seven thirty,” he shoots back almost effortlessly.

“-but I wondered if I could maybe ask you to keep it down with the dirt biking a little?” 

“I’m sorry, what?”

She looks up and into the camera then, pushing her hat a little higher so he can finally see her eyes, “It’s just- We’ve got a flock of alpacas over in Eagle's Nest and they tend to get a little jittery from all the noise. Especially when they try to settle in for the night and-”

“I’m sorry,“ he can’t help but grin, running a hand through his hair, “but I’m going to need a little more context here.”

She laughs and he thinks it’s the most beautiful sound he’s ever heard and so he’s a little distracted but then he sees her taking her hat off, revealing her face and- Fuck. She’s gorgeous. He watches her as she shakes her head, a smile tugging on the corners of her lips, “Shit, sorry. I probably should have given you a bit more to go on.” Putting her hat back on she straightens up and points to somewhere over her shoulder, “Your neighbour on that side, Oscar Linton? He’s my granddad. I think you know him, right?”

“Old man Linton!” He smiles and nods, “Of course I do.” When he first bought the farm he made sure to introduce himself to his neighbours and while he likes to think he has a good relationship with all three of them he’s always had a soft spot for the elderly man further up the road. So much so that he always makes sure to drop by for a chat whenever he finds himself back in Perth. It’s then he connects the dots and recognises her from some of the pictures Oscar has up in his living room. All of a sudden he feels guilty for not going to see his neighbour yet even though he has been home for two days already but maybe he can do that tomorrow or-

“He fell a few days ago-” her voice pulls him out of his thoughts unintentionally and his guilt triples in a matter of seconds. There’s a sad smile tugging on her lips which makes him prepare for the worst. 

Surely they would have let him know if- He remembers the pile of unopened letters waiting for him on the kitchen counter then and curses quietly, “Shit.”

“He’s ok,” she’s quick to reassure him, as if she knows what he was thinking. “He spent a couple of nights in hospital and still has a long way to go but at least he’s home again.” She takes a deep breath, “They had to replace his hip and he’s got a broken wrist but,” she shrugs, “it could have been worse.” 

It’s then the absurdity of the situation hits him, with him in his boxers in his living room and her on the other end of his kilometre-long driveway, talking into a metallic box. He shakes his head and pushes the button that opens the gate automatically, “I think maybe we shouldn’t have this conversation over an intercom. I could make you a cup of coffee if you want? Or something stronger? I make a mean-”

She bites her lip and seems to hesitate.

“Just a quick cuppa. It’s the neighbourly thing to do, right?”

He sees her nod, “Yeah, ok.”

He can’t help the grin that spreads across his face, “Happy days.” 

***

The house is not at all how you expect it to be, much more modern and open-planned than any of the other farm houses in the area. The west-facing wall has been completely redone in glass panels, offering a stunning view of the valley and surrounding paddocks and you can’t help but admire the interior design of both the kitchen and the living room, which is masculine but still inviting. You wonder if he decorated the place himself or if he hired some interior designer to do it for him.

“Here you go,” Daniel, who told you ‘You can call me Dan’ when he greeted you at the door with a bright smile and an outstretched hand- offers you a cup of steaming hot coffee and motions for you to join him at the kitchen table. He’s wearing white sweatpants and a matching white sweater that look incredibly comfy and that make you want to wrap yourself around him and hang onto him like a koala bear. Wait. What? 

You take your hat off to try and keep from ogling him, placing  it on the chair next to you before you sit down and smile at him, “You know, all these years I thought you were called Danny Ric because that’s what Granddad keeps calling you. I’m not sure I can get used to Daniel.” 

Daniel laughs, the laughter lines in the corners of his eyes even more prominent now, “Trust the old man to keep that gag going.” He shakes his head then, “I can’t believe he fell though.”

“Yeah,” you agree quietly, blowing into your coffee. “We’re lucky Mrs Mackenzie found him when she did or-” You let out a ragged breath and see him nod, his eyes kind, and it makes you continue, “His hip was completely shattered and his wrist is broken in three places so it’s going to take a while before he’s up and running again- I mean, if his new hip ever heals completely- He’s already seventy-eight so-” You hear yourself starting to ramble and so you fold your hands around your cup and try to calm down a little. You’re not even sure why you’re even telling him all of this, but he’s a friend of your granddad and so you figure he’s good people. “Mum and Dad wanted to come back from New Zealand to help out but-” you look up at Daniel and shrug, “I spent a lot of time on the farm as a kid, right until I left for uni, so it made much more sense for me to move in with him for the time being.” 

“That’s a pretty big thing to do,” Daniel says with a kind smile, a warmth to his brown eyes that you can feel yourself get lost in. “You sure your family can miss you that long?”

You don’t really know what he’s getting at, whether he’s talking about your Mum and Dad or the husband and kids he thinks you might have left behind to come back to Mundaring, and you don’t really know you want to tell him your truth either, after all you’ve just met him, so in the end you shake your head and settle on an honest, “I’ve got everything I need right here.” 

He eyes you suspiciously but doesn’t push it and instead he says, “If you’d have me I’d love to come over to see him some time. I’m still here for almost another two weeks  and-” 

“I’m sure he’d like that,” you offer with a smile. “He always tells me what a nice bloke you are.”

Daniel leans back in his chair and grins, spreading his arms, “Can’t say I blame him. I’m the best.” 

“He says the same thing about the postie,” you tease with a casual shrug, “so don’t get too excited.” 

“Ouch,” Daniel brings a hand to his chest, “that hurts.” 

You pout, “So sad.” 

“Very,” Daniel agrees quietly, trying his best to keep a straight face. He puts his arms on the table then and leans forward, “Before you stomp on my ego some more, why don’t you tell me the real reason you’re here. What’s up with that eagle’s nest over in some paddock?”

“Oof,” you pull a face and shake your head, “you were so close.” You can’t help but laugh when you see him pretend to be hurt at your comment. You take a sip of coffee before you explain, pointing in the general direction of your paddock, “Your dirt track borders Eagle's Nest, the paddock Granddad uses for the alpacas in September and October, and I guess normally it isn’t a problem because you usually aren’t home during this time of year but I heard you yesterday and today and-”

“Yeah, we had an unexpected three-week break this year so I figured-” Daniel waves his hand around for you to continue then.

“It’s just, we have three pregnant females this year and- I don’t know if you’re at all familiar with alpacas?”

He shakes his head, “I didn’t even know you guys had alpacas. Your granddad and I just tend to talk shit about Mrs Mackenzie and them over a cuppa but I've never really asked him about the farm to be honest."

You throw him a look, knowing all too well your granddad doesn’t drink coffee.

He quickly backs down, “Fine, I drink coffee, he drinks tea.” 

“There you go,” you mouth with a wink. “Anyway, alpacas are basically scared of everything, even their own shadow, so you know, someone riding a dirt bike close by doesn’t really help with keeping them nice and calm during these last few weeks of their pregnancy.” 

“Gotcha.”

“They’re usually out on the other side of the paddock during the day, so anything until five in the afternoon is fine” you offer, not wanting to deprive him of his hobby completely, “but we have their feeders and the shed they can hide in during the night out over in your corner, so-”

“You’re giving me a five pm curfew, basically,” he says with a raise of his eyebrows.

“Just until the end of October.” You bite your lip, “I’m sorry, it’s just-”

“Nah, no worries,” Daniel puts his hand on your forearm and gives it a squeeze to let you know he means it. “I’d do anything for old Oscar.” Then, with a grin he adds, “And his girls.” 

You can’t help the heat that rises to your cheeks and try to hide it with a smile, “Thank you.”

He squeezes your arm again, “He’s gonna be fine by the way. He’s tough, that one.”

“Speaking of Granddad,” you risk a quick glance at your watch, letting you know it’s almost eight fifteen, “I should probably head back.” You push your chair back and grab your hat, putting it on as you tell Daniel, “Thank you for the coffee.”

“Anytime,” he says with a grin as he stands up as well, following you to the front door. “Tell him I’ll come by soon, ok?”

“Will do.” You turn around then and smile again, something about not getting your hopes up but doing so anyway when you ask, “I’ll see you around then?”

Daniel tips his imaginary hat, “Yes ma’am.” 

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

New SpaceTime out Friday

SpaceTime 20241108 Series 27 Episode 135

Could Uranus' moon Miranda have a sub-surface ocean

A new study suggests that the Uranus' moon Miranda may harbour a liquid water ocean beneath its strange jigsaw like surface.

Red rocks with green spots found on Mars

NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover has discovered strange red rocks with green spots as it continues its journey up towards the rim of the red planet’s Jezero Crater.

The first humans could be walking on Mars in 2035

NASA says it could send humans to Mars potentially as early as 2035. The 402 million kilometre round trip could take up to 14 months of travel time with the crew staying on the red planet for up to 500 days before returning to Earth.

The Science Report

Children exposed to cannabis in the womb more likely to have behavioural issues.

A new study of ancient human DNA shows two genetically distinct populations divided by Caucasus.

Airbnbs are associated with more crime.

Skeptics guide to using AI to combat conspiracy theories

SpaceTime covers the latest news in astronomy & space sciences.

The show is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through Apple Podcasts (itunes), Stitcher, Google Podcast, Pocketcasts, SoundCloud, Bitez.com, YouTube, your favourite podcast download provider, and from www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com

SpaceTime is also broadcast through the National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio and on both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

SpaceTime daily news blog: http://spacetimewithstuartgary.tumblr.com/

SpaceTime facebook: www.facebook.com/spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime Instagram @spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime twitter feed @stuartgary

SpaceTime YouTube: @SpaceTimewithStuartGary

SpaceTime -- A brief history

SpaceTime is Australia’s most popular and respected astronomy and space science news program – averaging over two million downloads every year. We’re also number five in the United States.  The show reports on the latest stories and discoveries making news in astronomy, space flight, and science.  SpaceTime features weekly interviews with leading Australian scientists about their research.  The show began life in 1995 as ‘StarStuff’ on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) NewsRadio network.  Award winning investigative reporter Stuart Gary created the program during more than fifteen years as NewsRadio’s evening anchor and Science Editor.  Gary’s always loved science. He studied astronomy at university and was invited to undertake a PHD in astrophysics, but instead focused on his career in journalism and radio broadcasting. Gary’s radio career stretches back some 34 years including 26 at the ABC. He worked as an announcer and music DJ in commercial radio, before becoming a journalist and eventually joining ABC News and Current Affairs. He was part of the team that set up ABC NewsRadio and became one of its first on air presenters. When asked to put his science background to use, Gary developed StarStuff which he wrote, produced and hosted, consistently achieving 9 per cent of the national Australian radio audience based on the ABC’s Nielsen ratings survey figures for the five major Australian metro markets: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth.  The StarStuff podcast was published on line by ABC Science -- achieving over 1.3 million downloads annually.  However, after some 20 years, the show finally wrapped up in December 2015 following ABC funding cuts, and a redirection of available finances to increase sports and horse racing coverage.  Rather than continue with the ABC, Gary resigned so that he could keep the show going independently.  StarStuff was rebranded as “SpaceTime”, with the first episode being broadcast in February 2016.  Over the years, SpaceTime has grown, more than doubling its former ABC audience numbers and expanding to include new segments such as the Science Report -- which provides a wrap of general science news, weekly skeptical science features, special reports looking at the latest computer and technology news, and Skywatch – which provides a monthly guide to the night skies. The show is published three times weekly (every Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and available from the United States National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio, and through both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

[thefrontofmymind]

Special (matty healy x reader blurb)

a/n: hello hello! this is a little fic-let to go with this ig blurb. hope you enjoy :)

australian!reader take matty and his band to their favourite spot in Perth (450 words)

The wind was chilling you to the bone, even with your denim jacket wrapped as tightly around you and you could manage. Though you hardly cared, the excitement coursing through your veins was enough to keep you mind off it. After a lengthy dinner last night with your entire extended family, your boyfriend and his bandmates, the pièce de résistance of your trip home with your boyfriend was not the fact that he was meeting your family for the first time, not the fact he and his band were playing one of their biggest tours in the continent over the next couple weeks, but the trip to Rottnest you’d planned. The place you spent every Summer on your grandparents’ humble mini yacht, the place you visited for a week of celebration after your final exams, a personal favourite of yours for New Years in your youth–and you felt so privileged to let the man you were very close to loving into the place that meant so much to you. 

You looked over at Matty, sitting across from you on the small ferry, looking worse for wear–though you could hardly blame him, you were used to the rough waves on the 30 minute trip to the island, but that had come with years of experience. You smiled to yourself when you noticed almost the entire group breathing heavily with faces tinged with green leaning over the edge of the boat. Even though it had been years, the island was just as beautiful as you remembered. The white sands, the lush bushes–exactly as you pictured it.

After a classic bakery lunch and selfies with only the friendliest quokkas, you all settled for a relaxing afternoon on the beach. Even in the chilly, mid-Autumn air, the sun shined enough to keep you warm. It was a perfect, perfect day.

You laid, relaxing on a towel on the sands of the small beach–a picturesque scene. You could just about fall asleep, with comfort from being in the arms of your love.

“Thank you for this,” he said after a couple moments of silence between the two of you–just watching the rest of your group mess around in the inflatable dinghy that was floating a few feet from the shore. He put an arm around your shoulder and pulled you close. “Like, really.”

You looked at his face–as sincere as you’ve ever seen him–and felt no battle in the smile that grew on your face. “No problem, babe. Just wanted to show you something special.”

He kissed the top of your head in your embrace, and buried his face in your hair, taking in your scent he’s grown to love so quickly. “You’re special enough.”

[scotianostra]

September 28th 1396 saw the Battle of the Clans between clans Chattan and Kay on the North Inch, Perth, in front of King Robert III.

Also called the Battle of the North Inch, this is one of my favourite stories, this was more of a “gladiatorial” contest than a battle. They even built some sort of makeshift grandstand for the King to witness it from!

The clans in the highlands of Scotland were an unruly lot. They were constantly feuding with their neighbours and regularly raiding into the low fertile lands of Moray, Perthshire, Angus,

Aberdeenshire, and Stirlingshire. The king’s laws meant very little to this warlike, tribal society. In 1396, things were so bad between Clan Chattan and Clan Kay, who were forever raiding each other’s lands, stealing livestock, and burning down houses, that King Robert III sent an army north to deal with the problem. The commander of this army knew it was likely that when he marched into the mountains, his forces were in danger of being ambushed by the men of Chattan or Kay – or perhaps both clans would unite. The outcome could be the massacre of the royal army.

So, he came up with a plan and sent messengers to speak to the two warring clans with a proposal. This was a chance to sort out the problem in one day, sparing countless lives. The commander of the king’s army suggested that the two clans each send thirty men to Perth for a fight to the death on the city’s North Inch. The clan chiefs agreed and when the king heard of this plan, he was so delighted, he decided he and his court would come to Perth to watch the spectacle.

A large brightly coloured pavilion was put up for the royal party and benches were laid out for the people of Perth to sit on. The crowd waited expectedly in the warm summer sun as the skirl of the bagpipes drew closer and closer. Then dozens of warriors took up position on the inch in front of the king’s pavilion.

As the two clans lined up, a referee counted the men on both sides, but a problem was found. Although Clan Kay had thirty men, Clan Chattan had only twenty-nine. They must have miscounted before they left or lost a man on the way to Perth. Royal heralds walked amongst the crowd holding up a gold coin for anyone who would take up arms and fight for Clan Chattan. The city population murmured amongst themselves and fidgeted as the king, looking on like a Roman Caesar in the Colosseum, waited patiently. Just as it seemed no one would take up the offer of gold and Clan Chattan would have to forfeit the contest, a voice boomed from the benches: “I Sir Herald will take that coin and fight for Clan Chattan!”

The voice belonged to the city blacksmith, a giant of a man, strong and powerful. His name was Henry, better known as Hal o’ the Wynd. Hal was given a sword and took up his place amongst the Chattan clansmen.

The king gave the signal to start and arrows were fired between the two sides. Then the men, screaming their clan slogans in Gaelic, charged into the affray. The sunlight danced on sword and axe blades as they cut through the air, slicing into flesh and bone. The green grass became crimson red and sticky from the flow of blood as the screams of the wounded echoed around the inch. The referee called a halt to the battle and the two sides parted. Sweating, panting men, soaked in blood, gulped at the water given to them and used it to wash blood from slippery hands. They likely used their few minutes of rest to glance around, looking for friends or kinsmen, counting how many were still alive compared to the enemy. Wounds were quickly patched up with strips of torn cloth before the signal to fight came again.

The Chattan’s and Kay’s got stuck into each other once more. As the two sides slogged it out, it became clear that Clan Chattan were gaining the upper hand and in the end, all but one of Clan Kay perished. The sole surviving Kay jumped into the River Tay and swam to safety. Hal o’ the Wynd was said to have fought bravely. He was permitted to keep the gold coin and earned his place in Scottish history.

Please note some accounts say the Battle of the Clans was fought between Clan Chattan and Clan Cameron, but most say Chattan and Clan Davidson the pics show the three clan crests respectively.

The most interesting, to me anyway, is Chattan, it is distinctive in highland clan history in that it was acknowledged to be a community or confederation,of twelve separate Scottish clans. who each had their own clan chief recognized under Scottish law, but who were united under and bound to a superior chief of the confederation for mutual solidarity, sustenance and protection in the Middle Ages and early modern period in the Scottish Highlands.

Prior to the 14th century, the Clan Chattan was a conventional Scottish clan. However it evolved into an alliance or confederation of clans which was made up of several clans including firstly of the descendants of the "blood" or the original clan (Clan Cattanach, Clan MacPherson, Clan MacPhail and Clan MacBean (or McBain), secondly of the Clan Mackintosh and their cadet branches (Clan Shaw, Clan Farquharson, the Ritchies, and Clan MacThomas) and thirdly of families who were not originally related by blood (Clan MacGillivray, Clan Davidson, the Macleans of Dochgarroch ('Clan Tearlach'), the MacQueens of Strathdearn, the MacIntyres of Badenoch ('Clan an t-Saoir') and the MacAndrews ('Clan Gillandrish').

18Susan Lever, Georgia Drummond and 16 others

[janujaja]

Thai BL Favourites Tag List Game

Of COURSE @lost-my-sanity1 want me to partake in this and I am doing it for that wee little child only.

Favourite BL

I mean, it was a tight competition between THE 2 - MSP and BB. But as I have screamed out into the void before, BB just takes the cake, man. That show viscerally changed me as a person. I am a NEW BEING after BB. It's the way in which it came during the pandemic with its amazing acting and directing and music and STORY and chemistry and all that and more. MSP is a close second but my uni bois have a special place in my heart.

[p.s I love nanon and his entire face in this scene so much I cannot even descRIBE]

Favourite Pairing

The pretentious me hates how I am following the mainstream and not thinking of some obscure pairings but yeah TinnGun genuinely deserve it. I am sorry but I still get butterflies whenever I watch the last scene of ep 4. That kind of chemistry is super hard to come by and GemFourth did such a good job, I love them. 🥺 I wanna forget ever having watched MSP and watch them all over again.

Some noteworthy mentions are obviously patpran, everything maxtul plays, akkayan, biblebuild, etc.

OH I do infact have a not THAT mainstream pair! It's whatever couple name mark and perth acted as in the [admittedly not a BL] show, The Stranded, on Netflix.

Favourite Character

Tinn. I relate so much to that boy, especially his awkwardness. Also he is super cute and I am super cute. He is also super simpy and I love that in a man. I truly don't know if I want him or want to be him.

[ANOTHER noteworthy mention is Pleum in Ghost Host, Ghost House cuz again, mans is a walking green flag and a simp. ALSO hella awkward. *gasps* I have a type].

Favourite side character

This position is shared by 2 of my fav comic reliefs who are also very pure hearted I love them to bits - Tiwson from MSP and Tankhun from Kinnporsche. The series truly wouldn't have been anything without them and I stand by it.

Favourite Scene

If I could say the entirety of ep 5 of BB, I would have. But if I had to choose. This.

Nothing surpasses this. Paof told them to make it award fucking worthy with the angst and they fucking did it. Ohm in this scene does so many things to me I cannot even I shall be kicked out from society if I ever open my mouth. I can't even stand seeing that gif cuz my knees will buckle down that very second. It also paved the way for the rooftop kiss TM so.

Favourite Line

I mean. I warned you about this in the previous question so. It's more to do with the way he says it but it's still my fav cuz it was done right.

Underrated Actor:

SING who plays the role of the villain in Not Me. It is time that he got some main character roles, gmm.

Most anticipated BL and why:

1. Dangerous Romance cuz I have missed seeing Perth and Chimon, another 2 actors that can ACT, in a main role.

2. Only Friends cuz

3. I feel you linger in the air cuz plot looks interesting and they r both hunks.

Healthiest relationship in a bl:

Tinngun. Aint even have to put up a fight.

Most toxic relationship in a bl:

I mean, there are lots, girlie. If you immediately thought of that one pairing after seeing this question, then yeap I am going with that pairing too wink wink.

Guilty Pleasure Series:

Tonhon Chonlatee and that too only the first few eps. I love khaotung man what do I do.

Bonus! Most underrated series:

I think khun chai is pretty underrated in the sense that it's very telenovelaesque and mayhaps not fully bl so people r put off by it but I LOVED that show to bits.

YYY was a comparatively underrated series too even though I loved the romantic moments as much as the weird and comedic ones. It truly sits in a league of its own.

OOOKIE thassit for now. I have exhausted my typing abilities and I am pretty sure I left a lot of good series and scenes off cuz my brain couldn't conjure them up while I was typing.

I welcome anyone else who wants to try this out honestly, but if @ashedddaisy and @gaylittlepieceofsh1t could contribute their think pieces, I would LOVE to read em.

[kaitaiga]

CoD MW OC: Captain Lachlan Jones

G'day everyone! Today I can *finally* introduce you to my second oc, Lachlan! This post will serve as his profile and what not so I hope you like him and look forward to seeing more of him soon! (ᵔᴥᵔ)

*click for better quality!

Edit: also, just realised I forgot his sidearm. Gave him the mags but no gun to go with it HAHA 🤦🏻‍♀️ I’ll add it in soon.

Profile under the cut!

Basics

Name: Lachlan Jones

Nickname(s): Lachie/Lockie, Jonsie, Cap, Boss, old fuck.

Birthday: 1982, aged 40 (2022) in Perth, WA.

Nationality: Australian

Face Claim: Henry Cavill

Height: 194cm

Weight: 96kg

Occupation: 2nd Commando Regiment, B Squadron.

Rank: Captain

Call Signs: Bravo 0-6

Family: Talullah Jones (wife), two children – two daughters, Ava (13) and Mia (8).

Appearance: Brown hair, green eyes, chevron moustache + stubble, thin scar across the left eye that splits into two all the way down to collar bone, large rose tattoo on right side of neck.

Accessories: AMCU Operator cap with Aus patch, Oakley Batwolf sunglasses worn backwards on his head.

Personality and Traits

Look overall once you’ve got to know him a bit and have a few chats, he’s a pretty chill guy, easy-going. Loves a bit of chat or whinge every now and then over a few drinks. You wouldn’t know this at first though since he looks so done with everything and everyone in conjunction with his gruff voice constantly sighing or telling people to go fuck themselves.

In reality, if you catch him at a time when he’s not busy, he’ll be happy enough to have a chat with you (as long as you don’t get on his nerves), same applies for everyone else in the unit. Just for fun, I see him as a guy who likes listening to drama even though he says otherwise - “I don’t have time to care about stuff like that” as he recalls the info the next day.

Though don’t get me wrong, he can lash out quite easily thanks to his developing anger issues after being in the military for so many years as well as family issues I suppose…but he tries his best to control it and is seeking help over it, for the sake of himself and being a good role-model to others and his children.

Speaking of his unit, he can be an absolute hardass on them, putting them through the worse of the worse scenarios so that they’re prepared for anything as well as being an outstanding solider on the field. He just wants them to have the best chance of survival out on field, and all while being one of the oldest members in the unit, shares his many years of experience with them. In short: when training or on operations, he shows little to no mercy on his men, will yell and scream at them to get on top of their shit, and if they don’t, suffer consequences later.

With that being said, he just cares a lot for them like they’re his own, especially the more time they’ve taken to grow and work together. He will check in on them and see how they’re doing like mentally since he knows how taxing this job is on the mind. Sometimes when they’re back in Australia, he’ll take some of them out on trips (like fishing or like driving to a nice Airbnb somewhere) or to grab food.

Pre-MW

Lachlan was born in Perth, WA to his father (who was an ex-SASR solider) and his mother who was a primary school teacher. His upbringing was pretty standard, not much to comment on, went through school pretty smoothly and was in the Aus Army Cadets in high school.

The start of his military career started when he was young. His father was still in the SASR for majority of his childhood and so when he wasn’t on deployment, he would take Lachlan to base a lot, showing him the various equipment, medals and even letting him have a go on the range once he was old enough. After hearing stories from his father and seeing all his achievements, he really was influenced by him to sign up once he was old enough to.

He enlisted at 17/18 (2000), into the Aus. Army where he served as an infantryman for a couple of years before going for commando selection, approximately at age 22 (2004). His father wanted him to go for SASR selection instead to follow his own footsteps, but Lachlan decided that the commandos were more his style.

Sometime during the mid years of him joining the commandos, Lachlan marries his wife and has two children whom he loves dearly. Few years later, they do separate on good terms due to the both of them not being able to sacrifice time for one another, along with Lachlan’s long departures and just the entirety of his line of work in general. He was paranoid about something happening to his family just because of their ties with him. When on leave, they all do meet as much as they can, especially his children who he’ll take care of. In short, he loves his children so very much and does hope to rekindle things with his ex-wife once he leaves 2CDO.

Current Events – Modern Warfare

Just like Damien, he spends most of their time out in the Middle East – Urzikstan – following orders dished out from the Ministry of Defence, unless specifically called upon by Price.

2009: Lachlan joins Lieutenant Price alongside other SAS members to raid a Russian chemical lab whilst also saving Farah and her brother, Hadir.

2019: Seen in Piccadilly and Clean House alongside Damien, Gaz, and Price. Returns to Urzikstan with Damien.

2022: Violence and Timing: help rescue Kate Laswell from AQ fighters.

Sometime in the future: Lachlan states he’s getting a little old for the full-time commando job. He plans to retire from 2CDO and transition into 1CDO (reserve commandos), where he will primarily work in the West Australian Police Tactical Response Group (WAPOL TRG), focusing on domestic counterterrorism.

Involvement with 141

As previously stated, he doesn’t particularly work alongside TF141 very often UNLESS Price specifically asks for his and/or his team’s aid. He’s met some of the members before with Damien, but very rarely do they work together with the full task force.

The two actually go waaaaay back! They’ve been good friends for years, ever since they met at an exchange exercise between 2CDO and SAS when they were both just sergeants. I think they admire each other in the sense that they both hate following certain rules/orders that go against their own morals, so they’re both willing to go against them. They’ve worked together in many operations over the years, either side by side or across the globe, and have earned each other’s trust. In general, they do have similar personalities, but Lachlan is a bit more hot-headed.

In their downtime though, they love bantering. Particularly poking fun at each other’s hats…

 Lachlan has also gotten to know Gaz pretty decently too since he���s always by Price’s side in recent years. He and Price are always talking about Damien and Kyle like proud fathers ;’)

Another interesting note to add is Lachlan’s relationship with Simon Riley, rather than Ghost. There was a line in MWII suggesting Price knew Simon before he became Ghost, so taking reference from this, Lachlan has definitely met him before and has worked with him/trained him.

He could see that Simon was different from the rest of the SAS members in the sense that he was more quiet and observant, but above all, incredibly skilled in a multitude of things. He really took a liking to him – often calling him ‘kid’.

I don’t know Ghost’s lore in the reboot/if it’s the same as the OGs, however, you could imagine when Lachlan met up with Simon after a while he was taken aback by his new identity as Ghost. Of course, he was naturally inclined to ask why Simon had suddenly just changed, but he stopped himself when he looked at his overall demeanour. He knew something had bad happened but ultimately decided it was up to Ghost if he wanted to share.

Again, I don’t know how much Price knows about Ghost’s past but if he does, then Lachlan would too sometime later, either through Price dropping subtle queues or Ghost just outright telling him.

That’s all for now! This post may or may not be updated over time (bc I am incredibly indecisive, and things change over time) so keep a look out 👁️👁️

[bl-inded]

Our skyy 2- Wrap Up

Since this is an anthology and I, being the simp that I am, have watched all of the original shows, I thought it'd be fun to rank all the episodes.

The thing is, even though I have watched all of the shows, my opinion on these episodes are very reliant on my opinions of the original show as well. Meaning if I loved the original show and the our skyy episode was meh, it might be ranked lower than shows I didn't feel so highly about, but the our skyy episode delivered. Anywho-

7. Sky in your heart (ep 3-4)

Tbh I wasn't the biggest fan of the original show, but this episode was very in tone with said show. It was overall, cute. The greenflags were greening with the communication and lack of jealousy. You go boys! Live your happiest life.

But I did miss the other pair of the show (idk if you can technically count it as this show since they were two 7 episode series, but I would have liked to see even a cameo from them). Good vibes. I liked it.

(what i didn't like in a side note is the chunky ring design)

6. My school president (ep 9-10)

To anyone who hasn't already, you havvvveee to go watch the original show. It is so sweet it will give you diabetes. And I loved the concept of this episode.

As a fanfic author I was mostly here for the validation that all our headcanons are canon. But, it felt like a highlight reel with roles reversed. Which is interesting but 2 episodes wasn't enough time to develop that story.

For what they attempted they did aight! I kinda wish we got something more post canon in their universe, happy cute boyfriends™, but yk. It's okay. More Fourth and Gemini always makes me happy. Plus the cast seemed to have fun filming it if the behind the scenes are any indication.

5. A boss and a babe (ep 11-12)

Listen, half the excitement of our skyy is missing these characters. So it was surely a choice by gmm to time this episode riiiighhhttt after the finale of the show.

That being said, this episode was pretty dang fun. Am I still mourning the loss of multiple unresolved storylines from the show they set up and literally forgot about- yes (Drake, you deserved better🤧). But considering our skyy 2 is the biggest "who took my FANFIC out of ao3 and into YouTube" plot ever, I'll overlook it.

This episode managed to do what neither enchanté nor abaab did- show me the appeal of forcebook. They are very cute in light-hearted settings. I'm yet to see them thrive in the drama, but only friends is happening soon... Soooooo

4. Never Let Me Go (ep 1-2)

Now thiss was a perfect soulmates AU for TV (or YouTube in this case) if I've ever seen one. We got the time travel, the drama, the classism all wrapped in a ball of all fluff and no angst. They understood the assignment.

Again. I missed my second couple (I am Perth Stan, I can't help myself. The 6 of us who demanded justice for Chopper, I see you!) But I didn't miss them too much, coz the premise was fun.

(I also loved the house set that they had!! I wanna go visit it if it's real!)

3. The Eclipse (ep 5-6)

These two episodes are single-handedly responsible for increasing the average number of kisses in Our Skyy. I wasn't even expecting this many? Even if it was basically just prep for Khao and First in Only friends, I'm still here for it.

It was also surprisingly an episode that caused a lot of debate about Akk and/or Ayan being out of character, which I didn't expect, but have my opinions on.

But overall, it was an extremely sweet episode with political and social commentary that the show had, but commentary lite. The locations were fantastic! I honestly just want more First and Khao in everything, please and thank you.

2. Bad Buddy x A Tale of a Thousand Stars (ep 13-16)

(please don't kill me)

Speaking of who took my fanfic out of ao3, OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD. I knewwww we can trust in P'Aof for delivering a story. BUT DID I EXPECT HIM TO PUT ALL MY FAVS IN THE SAME SCREEN AT THE SAME TIME???? What great times we're living in *sighs in bl*.

Watching EarthMix slip back into phuphatian was a pleasure. Ohm and Nanon are sooo awesome! I missed Pat and Pran so much. The crossover could have easily gone into the forced-for-fanservice territory, but they had a plot for it!🤌🏼

They brought back characters that felt like home. Even the conflicts were so lived in. It is self aware in what small things can blow out of proportion.

Watching Pat and Pran in their college years hiding their relationship after reading countless fanfics about it- just, tears. Thanks! I love them. I missed them. I'm living for this. I see why this was at the end. Worth all the hype and more.

Still screaming about this, and have been for two weeks. Will keep you updated on when or if I stop.

Buuuut the reason I didn't rank this at the top is because we didn't get enough bad buddy in the crossover. I loved both the shows, but i feel like pat pran were slightly overshadowed. I was lowkey cringing by the end too with the second atots recreation of the series!? Oh god. But we got a proposal! And the confirmation it's an open secret?!? And whatever tf it was that korn and wai were doing backstage🤡. So it was almost in the number one spot, it's just that I preferred my actual number one spot episode more.

1. Vice Versa (ep 7-8)

Did I expect vice versa to be this high on my list, nope. Did I fall and virtually adopt this kid as soon as he came on screen... Maybe👀. Are Jimmy and Sea climbing up on my couples i can't wait to see more of this yes- also maybe.

But even otherwise, I think this episode had the most solid and cohesive storyline. Everyone felt familiar and acted in character. They even wrapped up the whole random-kid-showed-up-at-our-front-door plot surprisingly well. Like if you watched the episode, they left very clear hints.

They even kept the colour theme (even though multi colour isn't technically a colour, would have gone with white or black maybe, but that's just me).

I did not expect this to be my number 1. Actually, i was barely even looking forward to this episode. But it was a pleasant surprise.

And I was shooketh, considering my biggest complaint about the original show was that they left too many threads loose.

Jimmy and Sea were so good! Got me even more excited to see them in Last Twilight (in P'Aof we trust).

***

Now that that is over (and if you're reading this far) can we talk about how many birthday plots there were??? I feel like every other week there was a birthday. Just confused about it, that's all.

[nriacc]

NRIACC: Chapter Summaries

🚨 SPOILERS 🚨 SPOILERS 🚨 SPOILERS 🚨 

!DO NOT READ IF YOU’VE NOT READ THE FULL FIC!

I realise that not everyone is as sad as me and remembers every tiny detail of this rollercoaster of a fic, so I’ve put together chapters summaries that I've tried to make as concise as possible. Hope this helps with those rereading, love you all. Thanks for reading x

Part 1: Only Ones Who Know ~ The walk home. The night. The morning after.

Part 2: House is a Circus ~ Matt’s house party. Spin the bottle, shots, saucy times in Matt’s room. Fuck Josh.  

Part 3: The City ~ Wheels goes to Manchester and meets boys. Pool antics. They teach Wheels how to skate over the summer. Matty is a simp.

Part 4: Despair in the Departure Lounge ~ Wheels gets her fishnets and she takes her skateboard back home. Everyone’s at the park, Alex led her on, Wheels’ spot in the park. Peter is a gem and cheers her up but Josh is a dickhead.

Part 5: Heart Out ~ 2004: Wheels’ 18th birthday. 2005: Skating and Wheels gets her nickname. 2006: Never have I ever, club night where Matty takes wheels home early. 2007: Matty’s 18th, his house party where he and Wheels kiss. Matty drives her back to Sheffield.

Part 6: Hiding Tonight ~ Alex and Bestie comfort Wheels at Alex’s birthday party. The Fab Four (Wheels, Bestie, Al, Matt) night in, Wheels and Alex kiss just after midnight on her birthday. Matty turns up at Wheels uni flat with her birthday present and they agree to spend their summer together.

Part 7: Sex ~ Matty and her have their summer fling. Alex isn’t happy about it. Wheels and Matty have their fair ground date. Get tattoos and Wheels goes back to Sheffield.

Part 8: Dance Little Liar ~ Wheels starts to like Alex as more than a friend and they start dating but don’t address it. Favourite Worst Nightmare tour. Alex is a cheater. Wheels leaves and Matty comes to get her and comforts her.

Part 9: An Encounter ~ Wheels memories of her and Alex in her house make her move out into her flat. Both bands meet each other, bar antics, Alex tells Wheels he’s moving to NYC with Alexa.

Part 10: Do I Wanna Know? ~ Alex and Alexa split, he comes to live with Wheels. She shows him her spot in the park, he catches feelings, has a wet dream, and moves out. Alex and Matty both show up at Wheels flat and they chat whilst making her show them her dress for the wedding. The wedding.

Part 11: Settle Down ~ Movie night with Alex. Night in at Wheels flat, Alex wants to ask Wheels out properly but realise she already really likes Matty. Wheels back in Manchester and her and Matty are getting closer, Matty plans to ask her out and gets the boys to help him with grand ideas. The gig, Matty and Wheels are official. Alex cuts his hair then finds out about the new couple. Wheels does everyone’s eyebrows. MCU marathon. Matty’s parents divorce, his nana dies. Alex takes Wheels to the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony. The 1975 get the green light for releasing their album.

Part 12: Head.Cars.Bending ~ The 1975 release EPs, Matty asks Wheels to be in a music video but she turns it down. Wheels and Alex talking album release dates, Wheels goes to catch the end of the Girls music video. Matty and Wheels argue. The accident, the hospital, and chapter ends with Alex finding Matty taking him to the hospital.

Part 13: Do Me A Favour ~ Wheels recovering. Matty’s a cheater. Alex looks after Wheels, AM gets number 1 album dethroning The 1975. Matty changed his number, Adam collecting Matty’s things. Alex and Arielle split up. Ben D*tto being a bellend, 75 boys come to save the day, Matty ends up ruining it.

Part 14: R U Mine? ~ Christmas flashback, Wheels gets upset at Matty’s presents, she smokes, Matty leaves and she brings him back. 2014 Brit Awards with Alex and the Monkeys. Brits afterparty.

Part 15: Separate And Ever Deadly ~ Andy’s wedding. Start of the AM tour. Wheels finds out about Matty and Alexa, Alex takes her around Perth to cheer her up. Matty and Arielle, Wheels leaves him a drunk voicemail. Wheels goes to see The 1975, Adam tells her about Matty and Halsey.

Part 16: One For The Road ~ Wheels has nightmares, Alex helps her. Wheels tries to draw and can’t, Alex comforts and talks to her, cosy bunk morning. Jealousy at the festival, Alex being cute on stage. Pick out new perfume. One For The Road music video and Wheels and Alex kiss. Breana loses Wheels bikini in the sea, Alex is the cutest.

Part 17: Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High? ~ Alex and Wheels get high and it gets heated, they go to the beach and they both reflect on the past, bunk antics. Wheels shows Alex her skating. Alex takes her around Vegas and they get their tattoos.

Part 18: Somebody Else ~ Alex and Wheels watch the sunset on the decking as she writes a poem. Wheels extra happy and Alex knows why. Wheels’ brain jumps to wrong conclusions about pictures of Alex and his ex. Starry night with the Monkeys, shoulder tap happens here. Leeds Fest 2014 with The 1975 and Arctic Monkeys, afterparty disaster.

Part 19: How to draw / Petrichor ~ Back home from tour, The Fab Four have a drunk night in. Fun times but then the phone rings and Alex reveals he’s moving to LA. Time skip to 2015 Wheels having a boyfriend and her first gallery that Matty crashes. Alex tells Wheels to dump her boyfriend. Wheels reconciles with Matty.

Part 20: UGH! ~ Wheels baking at 75 boy’s flat, Matty sees her bracelet, Matty names their second album. Wheels goes to LA and listens to ILIWYS and misinterprets songs and watches the videos. Alex lets Wheels listen to EYCTE.

Part 21: The Birthday Party ~ Wheels’ 30th birthday party… Aftermath with Alex at the park, then at the flat with Matty.

Part 22: Settle For A Draw ~ Redo of 30th at a bar and both bands attend. Wheels kisses everyone. Adam’s house warming where Wheels gets very drunk and George carries her to bed. The day after where there’s an Alex v Matty ceasefire and Wheels and Bestie threesome reveal, Jamaica NDA reveal, and lots of band banter.

Part 23: What Should I Say ~ Wheels drunk on twitter, baiting Alex into phone sex, hangs up to chat to Matty. Everything revealed to her the next day, and George takes her out for Valentine’s Day. 2017 Brits with The 1975, and afterparty. Never Have I Ever at Wheels’ flat.

Part 24: Be My Mistake ~ Alex comforts Wheels about Matty being in rehab. During her trip to London, Adam gives her the letter from Matty. Wheels and Matty talk everything through and he tells her to give Alex a shot. Bestie’s boyfriend reveal. Wheels joins the Monkeys on tour and after listening to Only Angel they reveal how they feel and decide to try again.

Part 25: D is for Dangerous ~ Alex lets George take her out for Valentines so he can set up a cute date. Wheels and Bestie’s wine night with Alex ends with spice. Bestie teasing them the following morning. Wheels flat hunting in London with Alex. Wheels attends George’s sisters party with the 75 boys, meeting Matty’s girlfriend. Alex stands Wheels up and he says obscene things because he’s a drunk jealous twat. Wheels finishes things with him.

Part 26: It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You) ~ Wheels’ gallery, 75 boys are there and Alex shows up. Matty is single again. New Years with Alex and the Monkeys. Decorating gingerbread houses at Christmas with Matty. Matt Helders is a cheater. Wheels drives with Alex from London to Sheffield for the last date of The 1975’s UK tour. Matty’s a little shit on stage and Wheels leaves to go McDonalds with Alex, arrangements are agreed upon. After gig drinking in a bar, bathroom antics, Wheels and Alex leave together.

Part 27: Star Treatment ~ Wheels receives star treatment from Alex. The day after they talk, Wheels shaves Alex’s head, Alex cuts Wheels’ hair on Instagram live.

Part 28: From The Ritz To The Rubble ~ Another George and Wheels Valentines date. Matty says the wrong thing at the 2019 Brits, he and Wheels argue, Adam and Bestie end the arguing. Alex has a girlfriend, Wheels and Bestie go to Paris to see them, Alex’s girlfriend is a fucking bitch, Wheels is a bilingual legend. Ross and Wheels heart to heart, he makes her see sense. Alex doesn’t show up to Wheels’ birthday. Wheels tells Alex about what his girlfriend said, he doesn’t believe her so he gaslights her.

Part 29: Playing On My Mind ~ Leeds Fest 2019, Matty and Wheels reconcile, amazing afterparty. Matt Helders’ redemption arc, Alex listens into his and Wheels phone call and doesn’t apologise so he puts Alex in his place and tells him to fuck off. Wheels on US tour with The 1975. Matty and Wheels talk about love and they’re adorable. Wheels and Matty in Tennessee and they meet Ella and Matty buys cowboy boots and a hat. When back in London, Alex turns up at Wheels’ flat and apologises.

Part 30: Frail State Of Mind ~ Wheels and Bestie in Me & You Together Song music video. Wheels and Alex go to jazz club, end up dancing, get coffee afterwards before walking home. The 1975 O2 show where Wheels, Bestie, and Alex are in the crowd, they dance to Too Shy and cry at Guys. Back in Whee’s old flat, mystery caller turns out to be Peter, Party games and Bestie gets engaged. UK lockdown starts, Wheels is really struggling with it and she makes her decision and calls the man she can’t live without.

I Wanna Be Yours ~ Alex’s ending.

Me & You Together Song ~ Matty’s ending.

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

Happy reading besties, love you all x

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"YOUNG NEWTON BOYS MISSING ONCE AGAIN," Toronto Star. June 1, 1943. Page 11. ---- Intrepid Wanderers Last Seen on North Yonge Street Saturday ---- The Newton boys are on the loose again …

On Thursday Kenneth, nine, and Lorne, six, sons of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Newton, Perth Ave., started out on "a walk" after school. They were found at noon Friday in Sunnyside after wandering through High park all night and subsisting on a free bun and a ride on the roller coaster. Earlier in the day they had been rescued from a tree in the flooded Humber river and sent home, but went to Sunnyside instead.

Taken home, the brothers were put in bed for punishment, but at 10 a.m. Saturday they pulled on their shirts and trousers - no underwear or sox - and started their wanderings again.

Last reports received at noon Saturday placed the boys on Yonge St. near St. Clair Ave., headed north. The brothers are both fair-haired. They are wearing green shirts.

[railwaysofbritannia]

ROB: The Star & The Atlantic

The young Railinite looked down the road towards the small railyard. On the track closest to the yard entrance, she could see a large green tender engine sitting on the line. Its smokebox was swung open & blank, indicating that the “Host” was in their Railinite form.

She didn’t need to look far to find them however, for she could see the back half of them behind the smokebox door. As the yard seemed quiet, and the fact that the gates were wide open meaning anyone, Human or Railinite could just wander in! She decided to go down to see what the Railinite could be like.

“After all”, she thought. “LNER engines can’t be as bad as my siblings say.”

As she walked down the stone covered path, the bottom of her dress rubbing slightly against the larger stones. She could hear the voice of the Railinite who currently had his head inside the smokebox of his engine. He appeared to be singing a song to himself. 

“Roamin' in the gloamin' on the bonnie banks o' Clyde,

Roamin' in the gloamin' wi' ma lassie by ma side,

When the sun has gone to rest,That's the time that we love best,

Oh, it's lovely roamin' in the gloamin.” 

To the 15 year old female Railinite [1], the voice was one of the most beautiful things she had ever heard. The mere sound of his voice made her heart beat faster, although she wasn’t sure why.

Finally, she came up to the engine. She stared in awe at its great looming boiler. The sheer size of it could put the King Class to shame! The apple green paint work, although dirty on the top of the boiler, the paint still seemed to shine. The letters L.N.E.R stood proudly on the tender, as did the number 9901 painted on the cabside.

Then she noticed the name, “St. Johnstoun” also proudly painted on the front splasher.

“What a handsome name.” She whispered to herself.

“Thanks miss!” A male voice called that made her nearly jump out of her body. She looked to her left and saw him, the Railinite of which the singing voice belonged to.

For one, he was tall. About 6ft in height. His bright green humanoid form suit was covered in black soot from the smokebox. However, his golden L.N.E.R badge still shone brightly. But the most striking thing about him was his eyes.

While other green engines would have some type of green eyes. His eyes were a bright sky blue.

He looked over at her, and smiled. “Sorry lass, did i give you a fright?”

“N-no, I’m fine.” She said, regaining herself. “Well, a little bit, um, John is it?” She asked, her heart racing still.

He chuckled. “Nope, name’s Sam.” He extended his arm out. “Nice tae meet you, um?”

“Oh! Sorry,” She chuckled nervously. “I’m Alexandra, a GWR Star class Railinite”, “Nice to meet you Sam.” She shook his hand, some ash going onto her fingers.

Sam raised an eyebrow, but smiled still. “And what’s a pretty Ten Wheeler like yerself daein all the way up here?” He added very quickly, “Forgive my forwardness lass, Its just, i haven’t seen a Western Railinite up here before.”

Alexandra’s cheeks went bright red, she giggled at the Atlantic’s accidental flirting.

“It’s fine.” She said, trying not to blush harder. “Me & some of my siblings are using some of our holiday days to travel to different areas of the country!”

“And where are the rest of them?” Sam asked curiously.

“Down by the LMS Shed.” Alexandra said, gesturing her arm down the line. “Trust me, my brother, Malvern Abbey will have probably stabbed one of them by now.”

She then realised how bad that sounded. Which made her blush even harder still.

“I-I like your locomotive!” Alexandra stuttered, trying to change the subject. “W-what type is it?”

“NBR H Class.” Sam replied, “Pride Of Perth we call her.”  “What shed you from then?”

“Laira," she said, smiling. “It’s in Plymouth”, “You know it?”

“Aye, I do.”  The Atlantic replied.

“Say, how would you & your siblings like to come round to our place for dinner?”  Sam asked, looking away from Alexandra gaze.

“S-sure!” Alexandra all but shouted out. “Sounds lovely”, “I’ll tell the others when I meet back up with them. 

She turned to leave, but smiled back at Sam. “See you later ," she said.

“Aye!”, “See you about 5:30,” he waved back, before climbing back onto the running plate. 

Alexandra waved back as she walked up the path from the yard. She turned around the corner, and was soon out of sight.

The pair were both looking forward to that night.

First ROB story, Woooooo! Any questions, head to the ask box.

Constructive criticism is welcomed.

NOTE: [1] Although she was built/born 15 years prior, becaue how Railinites work, Alexandra has the body of a 24 year old. 

[secondhandofficefurniturefinds]

Top 10 Unusual and Fascinating Office Furniture Finds at Perth's Secondhand Shops

When it comes to outfitting your workspace, secondhand furniture shops in Perth are treasure troves brimming with distinctive and captivating pieces. From vintage marvels to quirky designs, these stores offer items that infuse character and history into any office setting. Let's explore ten of the most unusual and intriguing office furniture pieces discovered in Perth's secondhand market.

1. The Iconic 1960s Egg Chair

A blast from the past, the retro egg chair embodies the futuristic vibes of the 1960s. With its bold hues and space-age curves, this chair adds a playful twist to any workspace. Its cocoon-like design creates a cozy nook ideal for focused brainstorming or a relaxing pause during a hectic day. Beyond comfort, its sculptural form serves as an artistic centerpiece that sparks conversation and ignites creativity.

2. Antique Typist's Desk

There's nothing quite like a solid wood vintage typist's desk to add character to an office. Complete with original ink stains and brass fittings, these desks often feature multiple small drawers perfect for storing office essentials. The aged patina and meticulous craftsmanship harken back to an era when furniture was built to endure. This desk is more than a workspace; it's a statement piece that brings warmth and authenticity to modern settings.

3. Classic Architect's Drafting Table

Drafting tables from yesteryears are both fascinating and remarkably versatile. Adjustable in height and angle, they're typically made from sturdy wood or industrial metal, adding an industrial-chic aesthetic to contemporary offices. Perfect for designers or those seeking a unique workspace, these tables are ideal for sketching, brainstorming, or even serving as standing desks. Their distinctive form and function inspire creativity, making them a standout piece in any studio.

4. Rotating File Cabinets

Echoing a time when office organization emphasized ingenious, space-saving designs, rotating file cabinets are both practical and conversation-worthy. Their ability to swivel for easy file access adds an element of fun to document management. Robustly constructed, these cabinets not only offer durability but also introduce a touch of vintage flair, keeping important documents within effortless reach.

5. Mid-Century Modern Office Sofa

Mid-century sofas are timeless finds, especially those showcasing clean lines and classic upholstery. Bringing a dash of sophistication and comfort, they're perfect for waiting areas or relaxed office corners. Often adorned in shades like grey, olive green, or mustard yellow, their sleek wooden frames and minimalist design make them elegant additions to any workspace. Whether in a reception area or as casual seating for collaborative meetings, these sofas exude retro charm that puts everyone at ease.

6. Ergonomic Kneeling Chairs

For those seeking a modern yet unconventional seating option, ergonomic kneeling chairs offer a health-conscious alternative to traditional office chairs. Designed to promote better posture and reduce lower back strain, they also enhance core strength. Their unique appearance not only stands out but also piques curiosity, making them both functional and a great conversation starter. Ideal for long hours at the desk, these chairs contribute to overall well-being by alleviating common discomforts associated with prolonged sitting.

7. Repurposed Singer Sewing Machine Tables

A delightful find, vintage sewing machine tables often find new life as compact office desks. Featuring wrought iron legs and solid wood tops, they bring a touch of vintage craftsmanship to modern offices. The treadle base adds a unique detail that inspires creativity, and their compact size is perfect for smaller workspaces. Blending history with practicality, these desks are ideal for those who appreciate fine craftsmanship and desire a unique environment.

8. Vintage Telephone Benches

Once a household staple, retro telephone benches with integrated side tables make charming additions to office spaces. Their compact nature offers a perfect spot for impromptu calls or client seating, while their nostalgic design adds whimsy to the workspace. Combining seating with a small tabletop, they're ideal for quick tasks like jotting down notes or resting a cup of coffee. These benches add a touch of charm to reception areas or serve as quirky alternatives in meeting rooms.

9. Standing Globe Bar Cabinets

A standing globe bar introduces a peculiar yet enchanting element to creative offices. Originally intended as a bar, these globe cabinets are perfect for storing small office supplies or simply adding a vintage world-traveler vibe. Eye-catching and sophisticated, they bring an eclectic touch to any space. Whether housing stationery, displaying small plants, or serving as a decorative piece, a globe bar ignites imagination—ideal for offices aiming to exude adventure and creativity.

10. Upcycled Pallet Standing Desks

Upcycled pallet standing desks are testaments to sustainable innovation. Crafted from reclaimed pallets, they introduce an industrial, eco-friendly aesthetic while promoting the health benefits of standing work. Each desk is unique, bearing imperfections that tell a story of its previous life. Perfect for those who prefer an active work environment and value sustainability, the raw look of pallet wood pairs well with modern accessories, creating a balanced and innovative workspace.

Conclusion

Perth's secondhand furniture shops offer a wealth of unique and fascinating office furnishings that can transform any workspace into something truly special. Whether you're on the hunt for a quirky ergonomic chair or a vintage drafting table, the selection of secondhand office furniture in Perth is sure to bring character, history, and functionality to your office.

Next time you're in Perth, don't miss the opportunity to explore these secondhand shops—you never know what unusual and captivating items you might discover. If you're searching for secondhand office furniture in Perth, you're bound to find pieces that make your workspace stand out from the rest.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

New SpaceTime out Monday

SpaceTime 20240819 Series 27 Episode 100

The origins of Stonehenge’s Alter Stone revealed

It’s long been considered an ancient astronomical calendar, now new research has revealed Stonehenge’s monumental six-tonne Altar Stone, long believed to originate from Wales, actually came from Scotland.

Perseverance begins the long climb up Jezero Crater’s Rim

After spending some two and a half years exploring Jezero Crater’s floor and river delta, NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover has now commenced its journey to an area where it will search for more discoveries that could rewrite Martian history.

Tomorrow’s full moon is a blue supermoon

Tomorrow morning’s full moon is not only a perigee or so called supermoon, it’s also a blue moon; the sturgeon moon; the red, corn, green corn, barley, herb, grain, and dog moon depending on your preferences.

The Science Report

Mpox starting to spread beyond Africa.

Australians living longer than people in other English speaking countries.

Increasing coastal erosion is reducing the Arctic Ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide.

Skeptics guide to baby back cracking

SpaceTime covers the latest news in astronomy & space sciences.

The show is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through Apple Podcasts (itunes), Stitcher, Google Podcast, Pocketcasts, SoundCloud, Bitez.com, YouTube, your favourite podcast download provider, and from www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com

SpaceTime is also broadcast through the National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio and on both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

SpaceTime daily news blog: http://spacetimewithstuartgary.tumblr.com/

SpaceTime facebook: www.facebook.com/spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime Instagram @spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime twitter feed @stuartgary

SpaceTime YouTube: @SpaceTimewithStuartGary

SpaceTime -- A brief history

SpaceTime is Australia’s most popular and respected astronomy and space science news program – averaging over two million downloads every year. We’re also number five in the United States.  The show reports on the latest stories and discoveries making news in astronomy, space flight, and science.  SpaceTime features weekly interviews with leading Australian scientists about their research.  The show began life in 1995 as ‘StarStuff’ on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) NewsRadio network.  Award winning investigative reporter Stuart Gary created the program during more than fifteen years as NewsRadio’s evening anchor and Science Editor.  Gary’s always loved science. He studied astronomy at university and was invited to undertake a PHD in astrophysics, but instead focused on his career in journalism and radio broadcasting. Gary’s radio career stretches back some 34 years including 26 at the ABC. He worked as an announcer and music DJ in commercial radio, before becoming a journalist and eventually joining ABC News and Current Affairs. He was part of the team that set up ABC NewsRadio and became one of its first on air presenters. When asked to put his science background to use, Gary developed StarStuff which he wrote, produced and hosted, consistently achieving 9 per cent of the national Australian radio audience based on the ABC’s Nielsen ratings survey figures for the five major Australian metro markets: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth.  The StarStuff podcast was published on line by ABC Science -- achieving over 1.3 million downloads annually.  However, after some 20 years, the show finally wrapped up in December 2015 following ABC funding cuts, and a redirection of available finances to increase sports and horse racing coverage.  Rather than continue with the ABC, Gary resigned so that he could keep the show going independently.  StarStuff was rebranded as “SpaceTime”, with the first episode being broadcast in February 2016.  Over the years, SpaceTime has grown, more than doubling its former ABC audience numbers and expanding to include new segments such as the Science Report -- which provides a wrap of general science news, weekly skeptical science features, special reports looking at the latest computer and technology news, and Skywatch – which provides a monthly guide to the night skies. The show is published three times weekly (every Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and available from the United States National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio, and through both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

[thoughtswordsaction]

Getting Dumber Released New Single "Dried Flowers"

Photo courtesy of the band. Perth’s favourite clock-rockin’ trio, Getting Dumber, struck the local scene in late 2022 putting their own spin on melody and power-chord driven punk inspired by the greats of the genre such as The Ramones, The Clash, The Replacements, Jawbreaker, Green Day and Rancid.  After a self-released demo EP in 2023 and gaining excited fans playing increasingly bigger shows…

[scotianostra]

September 28th 1396 saw the "Battle of the Clans" between clans Chattan and Kay on the North Inch, Perth, in front of King Robert III.

Also called the Battle of the North Inch, this is one of my favourite stories, this was more of a "gladiatorial" contest than a battle. They even built some sort of makeshift grandstand for the King to witness it from!

The clans in the highlands of Scotland were an unruly lot. They were constantly feuding with their neighbours and regularly raiding into the low fertile lands of Moray, Perthshire, Angus, Aberdeenshire, and Stirlingshire. The king’s laws meant very little to this warlike, tribal society. In 1396, things were so bad between Clan Chattan and Clan Kay, who were forever raiding each other’s lands, stealing livestock, and burning down houses, that King Robert III sent an army north to deal with the problem. The commander of this army knew it was likely that when he marched into the mountains, his forces were in danger of being ambushed by the men of Chattan or Kay – or perhaps both clans would unite. The outcome could be the massacre of the royal army.

So, he came up with a plan and sent messengers to speak to the two warring clans with a proposal. This was a chance to sort out the problem in one day, sparing countless lives. The commander of the king’s army suggested that the two clans each send thirty men to Perth for a fight to the death on the city’s North Inch. The clan chiefs agreed and when the king heard of this plan, he was so delighted, he decided he and his court would come to Perth to watch the spectacle.

A large brightly coloured pavilion was put up for the royal party and benches were laid out for the people of Perth to sit on. The crowd waited expectedly in the warm summer sun as the skirl of the bagpipes drew closer and closer. Then dozens of warriors took up position on the inch in front of the king’s pavilion.

As the two clans lined up, a referee counted the men on both sides, but a problem was found. Although Clan Kay had thirty men, Clan Chattan had only twenty-nine. They must have miscounted before they left or lost a man on the way to Perth. Royal heralds walked amongst the crowd holding up a gold coin for anyone who would take up arms and fight for Clan Chattan. The city population murmured amongst themselves and fidgeted as the king, looking on like a Roman Caesar in the Colosseum, waited patiently. Just as it seemed no one would take up the offer of gold and Clan Chattan would have to forfeit the contest, a voice boomed from the benches: “I Sir Herald will take that coin and fight for Clan Chattan!”

The voice belonged to the city blacksmith, a giant of a man, strong and powerful. His name was Henry, better known as Hal o’ the Wynd. Hal was given a sword and took up his place amongst the Chattan clansmen.

The king gave the signal to start and arrows were fired between the two sides. Then the men, screaming their clan slogans in Gaelic, charged into the affray. The sunlight danced on sword and axe blades as they cut through the air, slicing into flesh and bone. The green grass became crimson red and sticky from the flow of blood as the screams of the wounded echoed around the inch. The referee called a halt to the battle and the two sides parted. Sweating, panting men, soaked in blood, gulped at the water given to them and used it to wash blood from slippery hands. They likely used their few minutes of rest to glance around, looking for friends or kinsmen, counting how many were still alive compared to the enemy. Wounds were quickly patched up with strips of torn cloth before the signal to fight came again.

The Chattan’s and Kay’s got stuck into each other once more. As the two sides slogged it out, it became clear that Clan Chattan were gaining the upper hand and in the end, all but one of Clan Kay perished. The sole surviving Kay jumped into the River Tay and swam to safety. Hal o’ the Wynd was said to have fought bravely. He was permitted to keep the gold coin and earned his place in Scottish history.

Please note some accounts say the Battle of the Clans was fought between Clan Chattan and Clan Cameron, but most say Chattan and Cameron.