#Rescued from an Eagle's Nest

[littleblood]

[sayxit]

body within the soul

[cannibalhellhound]

Wings AU character bits

Hi this is me trying to get a grip on writing again and getting the characters while also adding the wing bits.

Ice Harpy Eagle

Likes having long nails (harpy eagles have fuckin huge talons), keeps them shaped and neatly painted if he's in the mood when on leave

Likes to keep his nest cool and clean (comfy but practical)

Tall nesting! He always claims the top bunk! 

His childhood bedroom had one of those tall beds with a desk under them because he kept piling stuff up to sleep atop of them and it could fit multiple people 

Sad because Navy bunk beds are small :(

Strong as fuck (he's smaller than Sli but can bench press almost as much) (harpy eagles grab animals as big as them like sloths and carry them) (can carry others while flying if needed just not for lengthy flights)

Very keen eyesight so sunglasses for light sensitivity (maybe reading glasses for near sight focus? I like him with glasses)

Very good hearing (don't shit talk near him he'll definitely hear it)

Hair moves very slightly, similar to feathers (kinda like their facial disk and feather crest) 

*Baby feathers are almost all white with some light gray. They molt usually once a year (sometimes twice) and it takes 5 years to get the adult coloring 

Ice's stayed in a middle coloring and he got insecure. His mom suggested matching his hair and that's how the frosted tips came to exist :D

He's a provider by nature but his little sisters have made him very nurturing and affectionate too (Slider knows this firsthand and thinks it's hilarious how fussy Ice can get)(the others learn with time but first baby goose)

Leaves feathers around the house (perfectly placed thank you very much)

Slider Bearded Vulture

Lämmergeier means “Lamb vulture” (wrong because they don't prey on sheep but shhhhh).  Slider calls Maverick “Little lamb” as a joke because he loves annoying him and wants to eat him up

CAN ACTUALLY EAT BONES!!! (Bone soup is a thing!) Will chew on them till it's painful to watch and will take anyone's bones off their plates to pick the marrow off them

The bone dropping shows a lot in him just throwing stuff. He does it. A LOT.

He also likes to have a tennis ball around to fidget dropping it and catching it when it bounces

Has an actual nest bed. The mattress is on the harder side but it has a shit ton of blankets and pillows (to the point you can't feel the mattress)

There are old feathers around the nest tucked in between pillows (don't tell Ice!!) ⁠(⁠ ⁠⁄⁠•⁠⁄⁠-⁠⁄⁠•⁠⁄⁠ ⁠)

Very involved into the life of the ones he loves (helpful, affectionate, etc) (this includes parenting looks at baby goose)

His feathers only dye red when visiting his family or on vacation with family because they frequent iron rich waters (his mom loves her red feathers and looking at her baby look like her makes her teary eyed)

Maverick Peregrine Falcon

Very lightweight!!!

He's beauty, he's grace, he'll dive down and kick you in the face (literally, peregrine falcons kill prey by punching them with their closed talons when dividing)

Very keen reflexes (both at ground and on air), will grab anything you throw at him even if distracted

Very! Good! At courting!!!! (Looking at the beginning bar scene)

Small but comfy nest. Very soft and also bunk bed! is perfect

Has a favorite blanket that he will ALWAYS take everywhere, even on deployment 

Cracking his head fuckin open more than once as a kid because he's a menace and small and tried to dive from places he climbed (not his best idea)

crying because he's so small he can't carry goose after the accident and can just grab at him until they get rescued

Now this would be for trans! Mav

To everyone's surprise Mav is as big as he can get (Female birds of prey are bigger than males= bigger wingspan, human height is genetic so for avians is a bit mixed)

Wings don't allow binding (for obvious reasons) but kinesiology tape exists! 

He already used KTape before joining the navy and top surgery so he's used to just strutting around shirtless (we stan a short confident king! It's honestly so freeing to tape and be shirtless I might just leave him pre surgery for next fanart pieces)

Goose Emden Goose

Literally a Mother Goose™

Has learned to deal with Maverick and not only does he not get surprised by his antics, he can predict them and is already prepared for them (aka get ready to scoop tiny ass Mav if he gets in trouble or hurts himself)

The good part is that it has made him baby proof. He can deal with a child he's been dealing with Mav!

Terrified. Absolutely terrified. Because his beautiful baby gosling is as much a little shit as his wife and best friend. If his wings weren't already white they'd for sure be by now ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ

I need to think more about Mav and Goose but that involves looking for Peregrine Falcon and Geese facts

Edit to take out the divider because I don't like it

[ily-sunghoon]

The Omen of Sterling | PROLOGUE

Pairing : vampire!enha x fem!oc

Genre of this chapter : vampire, surprise visit! (almost ends up as a dinner though!)

POV : Jestel’s

Words count : 1.8k

WARNINGS : wanting to eat oc..., mentioned of blood, hunting, slight argument, heavy content and world building, the boys kinda patriotic here if you squint [eagle voice] KHAAAKKK (let me know if i miss anything)

Note : thank you for the excitement! never would i thought that the simple character introduction would have over than 150 notes... i am very thankful, thank you guys... it means so much to me (feel free to send ask if you have any confusion about the character or world building!)

MASTERLIST

TAGLIST : @nshmrarki @capri-cuntz (let me know if you want to be added)

PROLOGUE: SURPRISE GUEST

“What is our feast for today?” Ricardo stares at the ceiling with boredom, waiting for dinner time, or hunting time—if I asked him to hunt today.

“What do you want to eat?” I asked all of them.

“Stray human.” Jasper answered easily.

“Well, unfortunately, they’re very rare. Almost never encountered, to be honest. They can only reach our kingdom if we brought them in, or they’re really really lost their way. It’s almost impossible to enter our borders.” Jusarlie sighed. Fake sigh.

“You’re learning how to breathe now?” Sarco laughed at Jusarlie’s attempt to fake breathing.

“I was bored, so I learnt how to do it.” Jusarlie answered sheepishly.

“It’s unnatural, try it again slowly.” Jasper guides him.

Jasper is a new member in our kingdom. He’s a new vampire that we found in the wood while we were doing a monthly patrol, we have no clue who turned him as one of our kind, so irresponsible of them. Jasper could’ve turned into a wild vampire and that’s not fun to handle. He was starving, lost his memory, and definitely very angry. Unfortunately for us, he is also very strong. It was a bit handy when we rescued him, but we named him Jasper afterward because it suits his face.

Well, he is now under our training. Good for my nation, since we’ve lost a lot of important people during the Red War, including both of my parents. So, to our advantage, Jasper is a really good start for us to build stronger soldiers.

Besides from the fact that he is a new vamp and his energy is over the limit, I’m pretty sure he’s already strong as a human. We’re all a little worn-out while training him, they always hand over Jasper to me and Hiael when they’re tired. With that strong gaze, I’m pretty sure he’s important to humankind. I wonder how they felt when Jasper disappeared.

“I want reindeer.” Saine finally speaks up.

“Reindeer sounds good.” Hiael nodded.

“We’re hunting after dusk.” I agreed with their request.

“Jestel, is that what I think it is?” Sarco stares down at the street, a bit far from us. I walked over to his spot and peeked at the big window.

There’s a human. Walking on the street like a lamb whose willingly walks into a wolf’s nest. Poor little baby.

“She smells unbelievably good. Is that normal? All humans smell like this?” Jasper asked.

To be honest, he’s not alone. My head is also spinning due to her smell. This is far from normal.

“I’ll pick up our dinner.” Saine looks so excited. He’s the best at deceiving people, no matter humans or vampires.

“Take me with you!” Ricardo is as excited.

“No, take me with you instead!” Even Jusarlie’s eyes are sparkling right now.

“Me!”

“No, you will instantly eat that human at the sight.” Jusarlie can totally read Ricardo’s behavior.

“Just because you love to read, doesn’t mean you can read my personality or behavior.” There you go, our youngest is kind of… bitter.

“Take note from your professor, will you? Read your books so that little undeveloped brain of yours could develop and work normally.” Jusarlie spat back. Oh, don’t worry, this is a normal fight in our house.

“Come again, Professor?” Ricardo scoffed.

“Maybe if YOU read your goddamn books, your little UNDEVELOPED brain could develop and work normally.”

“That’s enough, no one is coming with Saine.” I stopped their little argument.

They scoffed, totally annoyed at my choice. Saine nodded at me and quickly left to pick up our delicious dinner.

“Don’t give me those expressions. You’ll choose your favorite parts today.” I said without staring back at them who are giving me angry and sulky expressions.

Their eyes are sparkling again as they go back to excited mode. What a child.

The delicious, sweet, intoxicating, and irresistible smell is getting closer and closer as we wait in our living room. I saw Jasper was getting furious. Hiael is right next to him, ready to hold him down whenever needed.

“Hold it in, Jasper. Don’t let hunger wins over you.” I said to that poor new vamp. Must be hard for him to do that. He’s better than me, if I was a new vampire like him, I would’ve just run off to that human and sucks her dry. Huge respect for Jasper.

I can hear Saine opening the doors. Oh, we were so ready to strike until I saw Saine enter the house before the human does. It’s supposed to be the other way around. That’s odd. What happened? Does he not want to eat that human anymore?

I told everyone to hold their positions while I’m trying to reach Saine through our mind links.

Our dinner is clumsy enough to almost fall because her little foot tripped over our carpet. Luckily, Saine holds her steady, so she doesn’t bleed. Won’t be my fault if Jasper strikes at sight.

“Are you okay?” Saine giggles. Oh, interesting! I can’t contact him at all.

“All good, thank you.” She sounds a little nervous.

They entered the living room and the six of us were so ready to eat, but Saine quickly stopped us using mind links.

DO NOT, I SAY, DON’T YOU DARE! LET ME TALK TO JESTEL FIRST! Wow, he sounds very serious.

“Jestel, we need to talk.” Saine is smiling.

“About what?” I asked coldly.

“555.” He said the emergency code. How emergency is this?

“Alright,” I agreed. “Sarco, follow me. Ricardo and Hiael, you take care of Jasper. While Jusarlie… be polite to our guest.”

I hate you, Jusarlie said it through our mind links.

They followed my orders. Saine, Sarco, and I went upstairs to the closest working room for this emergency matter.

What could possibly happen?

“You’ve been acting odd. What is the matter?” I asked Saine.

“This letter will explain better than I do.” Saine gave me a letter. To my surprise, it was written in our ancient language. Old Krashovien.

I read the letter thoroughly with Sarco.

“She came with this letter?” I asked Saine again.

He nods quickly.

“I want to hear your opinions according to this matter.” I wait for them to speak up.

“Turn her to a vampire, duh? She’s the last Sterling. We need her.” Sarco, as usual, is a man of logic.

“No, no, no. Let’s train her first. Give her some free will, no?” Saine is a little opposed to that idea.

“The sooner the better, Saine. Human age so rapidly, we can’t lose a chance to have a Sterling for our nation.” Sarco frowned.

“Give her some time, Sarco, you heartless bastard. She just went through a lot.” Saine is showing his sympathy to her.

“Wake up, Saine. Just because she’s beautiful, don’t forgot the fact that she’s a Sterling, Saine. A fucking Sterling, she’s anything but a feeler. She’s far more heartless than I am.”

“It’s risky! Do you remember why Sterling left Krashoviel?” Saine still stands on his ground.

“She’s that child?” I joined the conversation again. Could it be?

“My father warned you, Jestel.” Saine said to me. “At least, let’s ask him first.”

“Fine. Let’s train her to our best, gain her trust, and finally turn her into a vampire. Done.” Sarco’s idea is still about turning her into one of our kind.

This is very confusing.

I called the others—except Jusarlie—to join us in our emergency meeting.

I looked at them with a heavy heart. “We’re haunting today. We will not eat our guest.”

“Oh, man!” Ricardo and Jasper are clearly annoyed.

“May I know why?” Hiael asked.

“Well,” I paused and showed them the letter. “Ricardo, translate it for us.”

“Dear, King/Queen on the throne of Sinflame. I, Tearle Sterling, gave this girl to your hand. She is my daughter, Iolana Sterling, the one that caused some trouble twenty-one years ago due to her sweet smell. By the time you read this, it means that all of Sterling is already gone and she’s the last one we have. Slevado and Axadel have been terrorized and tried to kidnap us a few times. Iolana is smart, she knows the basic history of Krashoviel. She speaks Old Krashovien. She is curious, keen to learn something new. She is also good at fighting with any kind of weapons, I teach her by myself. I left this girl to Krashoviel, you can do whatever you’d like to her. I’d rather have her end up as your feast than to be kidnapped and used as a weapon to tear Krashoviel apart. I miss my home. Sincerely, Tearle Sterling.”

“Who’s Sterling?” Jasper frowned.

“Unlock that at 3rd semester with Jusarlie.” Sarco giggled.

“They’re not some urban legend?” Ricardo is surprisingly dumb.

“Urban legend is crazy.” Hiael laughed at him. “One Sterling equals five Jestel.”

“Nice one, Hiael.” Jasper and the youngest laughed.

“He’s not joking.” Sarco’s serious face made their laughs disappear.

“Oh.” Jasper and Ricardo are kind of scared now.

“But she’s a human?” Jasper is still confused.

“Long story, ask Jusarlie later.” Sarco shook his head.

“So, we’re turning her into a new vamp? Who’s strong enough to be her host vamp? I’m not.” Hiael quickly retreats after his own question.

Every new vampire needs a host vamp. They need their host’s blood to be able to feel full. If not, they can be a little destructive and drink a lot of blood than a usual vampire. Just like Jasper. He needs five big bottles a day, while we only need two or three maximum, and no! It is not a small matter, they crave human blood almost all the time as well.

“Not me.” Ricardo shook his head too. “She smells so sweet it’s very sickening. Jusarlie is better than me.”

“He’s still talking with the girl?” Sarco asked curiously.

“They’re sitting next to each other!” Jasper couldn’t believe it too.

“We haven’t decided yet.” I answered honestly. “Her host vamp.”

“So… we’re going to train her first?” Hiael asked us confusedly.

“Yes.” Saine nodded. “We’ll see later, maybe she will also choose a host along the way.”

“It’s settled then.” I nod and stand up. “Hiael, Jasper, Ricardo, Sarco, you’re in charge of hunting. Fetch us a healthy delicious reindeer. Jasper, do you still remember how human food taste?”

“I don’t know?” Jasper is confused. Doesn’t matter, I’m pretty sure he still remembers.

“Great, you’re going to oversee the food. You can guide and order around our chefs and maids about the food for our special guest.”

Jasper nods hesitantly.

“Dismiss.” They obey my orders and quickly move to do as told. I went downstairs again with Saine.

“Apologize for making you wait.” I smile at our guest, Sarco is right. She’s beautiful. I offer my hand to shake hers, “Jestel Sinflame.”

“I should be the one who’s apologizing, Mr. Sinflame.” She smiles back at me, her eyes are smiling too. She shakes my hand, “Iolana Sterling.”

TO BE CONTINUED...

; YOUR CUTE REBLOGS AND COMMENTS MAKE ME FEEL REALLY GRATEFUL <3

; FEEL FREE TO HIT MY ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION ABOUT THE WORLD BUILDING OR CHARACTER!

© ily-sunghoon, 2024

DO NOT COPY, STEAL, PLAGIARIZE, OR REPOST ON OTHER PLATFORM

DO NOT TRANSLATE WITHOUT PERMISSION

[laf-outloud]

Link

Now, CBS has released loglines for Padalecki’s other two episodes, “Not Without My Birds” airing November 22 and “False Alarm” airing December 6. (A new episode will not be airing the Friday after Thanksgiving.)

In “Not Without My Birds,” when a fire breaks out in a park containing an eagle nest, Station 42 and Three Rock work to rescue the protected species and prevent the fire from spreading into town.

Then, in “False Alarm,” Station 42 responds to a false alarm call that escalates into a dangerous hostage situation. The photo above offers a look at the latter episode, with Bode and Camden in what looks like some serious trouble.

Episode descriptions (and a new photo) are out for Fire Country 3.06 and 3.07!

[moandieu]

James Searle Dawley: “Rescued From an Eagle’s Nest” 1908

[squidsinashirt]

How often do you respond to distress calls from the Eagle’s Nest Sinkhole (and other similar underwater caves)? What’s your reaction when you get a call and its from places like that?

Haha - I had a bet on how long it would take someone to recognise the origin of that sign! Good ol’ Florida, starting trends.

Oh man, yeah, not my favourite shout to get. One, because it means it’s something beyond the capabilities of local services. Two, it’s not likely to be a beginner that’s in trouble and that… makes me very, very uneasy. If another technical diver is in trouble, there is every chance it’s me next. Until you have eyes on, you’ve got no idea what is waiting so…

I mean, dozens of people have died at Eagles Nest. It deserves every ounce of respect it’s garnered. There’s a reason divemasters whisper about it.

That’s your route in and out. It’s tight.

Deep, disorienting, almost vertical in some sections, with passageways just wide enough to scrape your shoulders… and that's before you hit the areas where visibility drops to zero. It’s basically a stone labyrinth flooded with pitch-black water and zero room for error. There’s this one vertical chute in Eagle’s Nest they call the “Chimney.” I’ve seen drones get stuck in there - drones.

We don’t get distress calls from there often - and thank goodness for that. It’s the kind of place divers go when they’re either extremely experienced or dangerously overconfident. But when a call does come in from a place like Eagle’s Nest, or Devil’s Cave, or the Blue Hole off Belize - any of those high-risk, high-stakes dive spots - my stomach drops. Fast. You know the feeling when you miss a step on the stairs and your heart just plummets? It’s like that, but it doesn't stop. Because I know what kind of situation we're heading into, and I know how little room there is for error.

But ultimately, they’re like any other rescue. We’re calm, we’re prepared and we’re methodical about what’s getting done. Sure, I don’t have Four with me in there, and I usually have to abandon most of my kit to get through gaps. But my Grandma’s favourite saying sticks with me - it’s not the gear that rescues people, it’s the Tracy. So long as I’ve got air, a dive knife, a light and some rope, everything else I need is up in my head. It’s just basics.

And someone’s relying on me to know what to do so - better have the answer, y’know! 🙂‍↔️

[moved-to-slayfk]

A Letter From Banner Elk

by Chris Davis

An intro from slayfk: Banner Elk is a small municipality in Avery County, North Carolina. It’s right near Boone, Valle Crucius, and Blowing Rock—that whole area. It’s a cute town that is home to a large amount of elderly retirees and many local shops. Hurricane Helene completely cut Banner Elk off from the rest of the world. Residents have no internet, no power, no way to get out. It is only accessible by air. The bridge that connects it to the rest of the world looks like this now:

Banner Elk is a beautiful town full of kind people and they need help. Chris Davis, a resident of Elk River in Banner Elk, wrote a plea to the outside world and managed to get it through. I will paste it below, as it’s incredibly important to read.

“Inside the Elk River community of Banner Elk, we are stranded. No power, no water. All day Saturday we cut trails through the trees fallen over the roads, in hope small vehicles can move around and we can check on each other.

If we reach the bottom of the mountain, we understand that the bridge over the Elk River is out. We are stranded. But, we do not know how stranded everyone else is.

We need intelligence; status of the outside world. Infrastructure. For instance, it would help to know when roads will be repaired so that help can come.

There are 20 horses at the barn. They probably have water for three days. Horses will drink 10 gallons of water a day. Do the math.

There are elderly people on the mountain. One lady has so many trees to her house we cannot see our way to cut through to check on her.

It seems as if a flood washed out the bottom and a tornado took out everything else.

Some homes have generators. That does not mean people whose generators are running are actually here. I hear them running. It is only a matter of time before fuel runs out.

I am able to connect with you because one neighbor, if he stands in the right place on his deck, has use of a telephone that allowed me to reach my wife.

She connected with my out of town neighbor who has a generator who shared her Wi-Fi password that I can at least come to their house charge batteries and send you this note.

We hear rumors of helicopters coming in to rescue people.

It is probably worse somewhere else. We will continue to try to clear the roads in our community to support one another and be ready for an evacuation.

Obviously, the Mountain communities will need all the help they can get. Immediately and later.

In the meantime, basic facts matter a lot. We just need to know what the situation is so that we can make rational decisions.

I’m only getting bits and pieces of information from other people such as Newland is flooded and the National Guard is there; mud slides block the Eagles nest community from getting out; the road to Boone is washed out…”

An outro from slayfk: This is not a unique story. Towns all across Appalachia and the southeast states are cut off from the world or utterly decimated. Asheville is the most notable, but there’s also Chimney Rock NC, Marshall NC, Junaluska NC, Swannanoa NC, Biltmore Village NC, and more. Entire towns are ruined. People are trapped. People are trapped with no way to escape and they don’t know what’s going to happen to them. People are starving, animals are starving, 600 people are missing and 100 people are dead.

Appalachia is suffering. No one in power cares.

Talk about us. Donate to rescuers and aid funds. Don’t let the government sweep us under the rug again. We are here and we need help.

[televisionpromos]

Fire Country 3x06 "Not Without My Birds" Promo (ft. Jared Padalecki) - When a fire breaks out in a park that contains an eagle nest, Station 42 and Three Rock work to rescue the protected species and try to prevent the fire from spreading into town.

[walkergirlsposts]

Fire Country Season 3 Episode 6 Review: The Eagles Have Left the Nest - TV Fanatic

Great review from tvfanatic!!! Imagine getting hate for not like Gabriela and Bode's relationship?? Like, it's their opinion, people! I didn't like it either. Gabriela doesn't know what she wants yet. Everything is spot on. We know Camden isn't supposed to make friends, that's why he's there. If nobody likes him that means he's doing a damn good job. Loved Katie in this. I hope we see her again. Another potential spinoff mention. It'll be interesting to see if they give him a redeeming arc for it or if he plays the same Camden. I cannot wait to find out.

[frozenartscapes]

What crossover do you think would be the coolest/funniest/saddest for FE3H? ATLA? Sailor Moon? Etc.?

So... This may not be what you're thinking, but I recently had an AU idea (that I probably won't write but I just want to share). Having recently watched the Wild Robot, I had a thought:

Hegemon Edelgard as Roz

Ok, so the story would have to change a fair bit, but essentially, following the events of Azure Moon, it is revealed that Edelgard survived and escaped into the forests of Adrestia. She's not completely transformed - think her more human form in Heroes - and she has to come to terms with this. This transformation has not only altered her body, but she now has new abilities she needs to learn. On top of trying to survive in the wilderness, she also has to process the fact that everyone she knows and ever cared for is dead.

She's alone, in the wild.

Being half beast allows her to understand the other animals, however none of them are especially welcoming to her at first (and she isn't either). On top of that, she has new instincts she needs to fight and is completely lost on what her new motivation should be. (Which is a problem in itself because Edelgard's primary coping mechanism for all of the trauma she's faced in the past is to double down on a big goal - something to keep her mind occupied so she doesn't run the risk of thinking too hard about just how much her heart actually hurts. The old "if I stop and think about this for more than two seconds I'll go insane" trope.)

Then, through a series of events involving having to defend herself from an angry demonic wolf and haphazardly thrown fireballs, she hits an eagle nest. To her horror, she discovers the family has all died - except for a single egg. To stop herself from becoming completely consumed by guilt, she decides to take care of the egg. It hatches soon after, and taking care of an egg turns into taking care of the chick inside.

She meets other animals and forms bonds with them along the way. A solitary raven she saves from a trap, who decides he is in eternal debt to her. A songbird who offers the most advice in how to raise a baby bird. A stag who is always trying to challenge her at first, until he realizes she makes a better friend than competition. A wolf who teaches her how to properly hunt and fend for herself in the wild. A mouse whose kindness outweighs her terror to show comfort to Edelgard when she was obviously on the verge of a breakdown. A badger who takes it upon himself to fight off any predators who may try to harm them, no matter the size difference. A possum who, despite seeming rather lazy, offers a lot of advice about foraging techniques and building comfortable habitats.

It is revealed that the eagle would have been the runt and likely would have died had nature been allowed to take its course. There is still tension when she learns just how her family died, but she realizes that Edelgard did everything possible to make up for it.

Along the way, Edelgard becomes more and more in tune with her wild side, and starts to learn more about what the Hegemon can really do. She can give herself wings, and she and the eagle learn to fly at the same time. Her claws she once thought monstrous now protect the things she cares about. She incorporates her tail into fighting. She uses magic now - magic that is wilder than anything she learned in school and allows her to feel more in touch with the forest. It isn't long before she feels more at home in the woods than she ever did in civilization, and she is happy to let this life be her new one forever.

Until the Agarthans learn she's still alive.

Dimitri and Byleth might have killed Thales, but a new leader took his place and succeeded in evading the King's attempts to snuff them out. Once the Agarthans learned that one of their most powerful weapons was still alive, they tracked her down and captured her (not without a fight, mind you). It then falls on her animal companions to stage a rescue mission, led by the eagle Edelgard saved, who rallies not just the main animals but many of the forest inhabitants as well.

The Agarthans tried to force Edelgard to obey them, going so far as to push her transformation to what Thales had originally envisioned for the Hegemon Husk (I always thought the Hegie we get in the game was still a transition stage, and that the true form of the Hegemon Husk would be like a twisted version of the Immaculate One - or an approximation of what Sothis' dragon form would look like). The eagle finds her while the others are stalling, and thanks to the Power of Love, snaps Edelgard out of her rage state. She then turns on the Agarthans, and succeeds in wiping them out. However, as she kills the leader, he wheezes out that there will always be more, and they won't stop until they have their weapon.

The animals celebrate their victory, but Edelgard can't get the Agarthan's words out of her head. Their forest home sustained heavy damage in the attack, and a number of animals died. Even amongst her main group, the stag had suffered a close call while charging an enemy mage, the badger broke his leg, and the wolf has a permanent scar across her eye. She makes a decision, then.

King Dimitri is in his castle in Faerghus, busy trying to work out a peace deal between Fódlan and Almyra. Suddenly a guard bursts into his study, stating hurriedly that there's some strange forest witch demanding to see the king. Dimitri, exhausted by paperwork, decides to humour this and heads for the audience chamber.

That's when he comes face to face with a ghost - or maybe demon. She wears an old, torn cloak covered in moss and a dress that looks to have come from the forest floor itself. The tips of golden horns peak through the hood of her cloak. A black eagle sits on her shoulder. She offers a cordial bow, revealing hands armed with obsidian claws. "Dimitri," she says in a voice he has heard countless times in his nightmares, "It has been a long time."

"...Edelgard?" he breathes. Goddess... What has become of her?

Edelgard smiled, revealing a glimpse of her fangs. "I come to you today with a proposition," she stated, "How do you feel about finally ridding the shadows of Fódlan of the wretched snakes that dwell there?"

[gumnut-logic]

The Hurt

Thanks to @idontknowreallywhy for reading through ::hugs::

Dumps and runs.

-o-o-o-

He’d left his dirty uniform on a bench in the locker room.

The random thought surfaced amongst a sea of emotion he couldn’t afford right now.

He was clean at least, hair still wet from the shower, and standing at the edge of the caldera. His feet were half covered in warm sand slowly losing the heat of the day.

The water lapped rhythmically against the shore and his heartbeat attempted to meet it, slowing, only to be caught up in the emotion again.

It thudded in his chest.

Slow.

Rhythmic.

He closed his eyes and focussed on what he could hear.

Again, the water, gentle, repetitive, forever.

The wind. Rustling trees. The red blossoming pōhutukawa behind him, its sound more the roar of a distant crowd than the yapping of the palm leaves high above.

Birds.

He counted three…no, four different kinds at least. The ever-present petrels and squabbling tui, silver gulls and a distant sea eagle.

Water seeping into the sand.

The sudden consumption of them all as Thunderbird One swooped in above the Island and righted herself in a roar of engines as she disappeared into her hangar, the pool swallowing her and her soundscape in one.

A moment of silence…

Before the Island came alive again. The petrels protesting, the tui defending their trees…

The wind cooling a tear on his face.

Virgil scrubbed his cheek, wiping it away and stabilising himself.

He started the ritual again.

The sand between his toes, the water lapping…

He let his shoulders settle and his eyes close.

Focus.

On the music.

Just another day. Just another shitty day. He did everything he could. He saved lives. It was done.

Images flashed, and he gasped his eyes open again.

Water rippling across the caldera greeted him.

He followed the waves, tracking them, predicting interference and pattern only to have wind wipe it all away.

It was just another day.

He had done everything he could.

That was the sense of the matter, the logic and reality.

But it hadn’t been enough and it hurt regardless.

He let himself fold down onto the sand, his butt hitting the soft mix of pulverised rock and coral, his elbows landing on his knees and his head in his hands.

It really wasn’t worth getting upset about. It wasn’t the first time, wouldn’t be the last and he should be stronger than this.

Stronger.

All the excuses, the psychological training, the reasoning behind his reaction…it was all there.

Yet, still it hurt.

He scrubbed away another tear.

Goddamnit.

A gentle hand landed on his shoulder and he jumped.

“Hey.”

Scott.

Concerned blue eyes stared at him a moment before his brother sat down on the sand next to him.

There was only the noise of the Island for a long moment.

“Do you think there are more nests this year?”

Virgil blinked. Looking up he found Scott staring across the caldera at Mateo and the petrel colony there.

Virgil stared himself for a bit. “Maybe?” A frown. “I haven’t done the count this month yet.”

He battled to remember the date. Was it today, yesterday or tomorrow?

He had no idea.

He should probably fix that.

“I found Dad out here once.”

Virgil’s eyes darted back to his brother. “What?”

“Early on. You weren’t here at the time. You and Gordy were on the mainland for one of his swim meets, I think.” Scott looked down and dragged a finger through the loose grains of sand between his knees. “It was one of our earliest rescues gone bad, and I have to say, that I swear he was speaking to Mom.”

“What?”

Scott arched an eyebrow. “He did that sometimes. When things were really bad.” His brother looked away. “And that was definitely a bad one.”

Virgil opened his mouth, but Scott held up a hand.

“Don’t start cranking up your medical expertise, Virg, he was fine. It was just a coping mechanism. We got it checked out. Dad was fine.”

Virgil pressed his lips together. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

His big brother shrugged. “Nothing to tell. Rarely happened. Maybe twice the whole time he was here.”

The ‘was’ hurt.

But then that was a simple hurt of existence.

“Why are you telling me now?”

Scott sighed and wrapped an arm around Virgil’s shoulders. “You’ve had a bad one. It’s okay to be upset.”

Virgil looked away and didn’t answer.

“There is no shame in caring.”

And there it was, the knife that cut through all the reasoning his brain could throw at him.

His throat tightened. “I shouldn’t care so much.”

“If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be my brother. You wouldn’t be you.”

Another tear crept out the corner of his eye and he rubbed at it.

The arm around his shoulder tightened and Scott curled his hand into Virgil’s hair, guiding his head to his shoulder. “It’s okay, little brother, it’s okay.”

Of course, that was enough to break all the control he could manage and before he knew it, he was sobbing on his big brother’s shoulder. Scott had his arms around him and everything was messy and embarrassing and god, it all hurt.

Reassuring words and a hand rubbing his back. Somehow he was now five and being hugged by his big brother because he’d fallen over and scuffed his knee.

And all those people had died.

All those children.

Emotion swamped everything.

-o-o-o-

Eventually the wind returned, the water lapped at the shore and the tui started another argument in the pōhutukawa tree at the head of the beach.

Scott was stroking his hair.

Virgil swallowed and pushed himself upright.

His big brother did not let go, his hand still on Virgil’s shoulder.

Virgil scrubbed his face. “Shit, sorry.”

Scott’s voice was painfully soft. “Nothing to be sorry about.”

There was something in his brother’s timbre and Virgil looked up at him.

Scott was intent on Virgil, but there was pain in those eyes and the evening light was highlighting the greys in his auburn hair.

Virgil grabbed his brother and hugged him ever so tight.

“Virg?” It was half strangled.

Virgil didn’t answer.

He just returned the love.

-o-o-o-

[locus-desperatus]

Hi, I just wanted to share some cemetery photos cause this stuff doesn't get talked about a lot

There are tons of wildlife in cemeteries, especially wooded ones like the one I work in. This is one of six coyote pups living in our woods this year. Mom is around, but apparently does not have a strict bedtime. Other animals I have encountered include: salamanders, frogs, possums, rabbits, and beavers, as well as blue jays, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, crows, hawks, eagles, and so many more.

Also pictured is our 1954 Massey-Ferguson TO-35, it has a massive front loader attachment on it. Affectionately nicknamed "Tractorsaurus Rex"

This one is just 🤌🏼

Some progress photos of a marble monument I'm working on restoring.

Did you know that the USPS ships cremated remains? This person passed in another state, and was shipped back to us to be buried beside their spouse.

This is a concrete block with a name stencil blocked into it. It was likely made by the cemeterian at the time (<1950). There are hundreds of these all over the cemetery. Since they're small, it's easy to lose them, so I'm glad I was able to rescue this one.

Two more monuments I'm restoring. The first one has to be cleaned, re-levelled, and infilled with mortar. Then, I can re-attach the tablet. The second tablet was hit by a car and snapped. I used knife-grade epoxy to secure the pieces back together, and now it's almost good as new!

This is a worst-case scenario... We were digging a grave right next to the drainage line. Unfortunately, the drainage line is a corrugated pipe that's old as frick and filled with roots, so it was continually pouring water into our hole. We were pumping water for four straight hours, and we still weren't able to keep it from filling the burial vault once it was placed. Thankfully, the family was very understanding of our struggle here.

Birds like to rip the flags off of gravesites and use them to make nests. This one fell out of a tree after a storm.

Anyway, if you've read this far that's pretty cool have a good day!

[aquagirl1978]

Rescue Me - Jin Grandet x Reader (Ikemen Prince)

A/N: Part of the Late Summer Rendezvous hosted by @xxsycamore - this is a gift for my dear friend @randonauticrap, I hope this little bit of Jin brightens your day!

Pairing: Jin Grandet x Reader

Prompt: sexy life guard

Tags: NSFW; Minors- DNI

The summer rays were warm on your face as you relaxed in your chair; the sun, high in the sky, shined down on you as you read your book and sipped iced tea. Digging your toes in the sand, you turned the page, anxious to see whether love would bloom between the heroine and her love interest.

A group of small children ran by, laughing and shouting, causing you to put down your book for a moment. Oh, to be young again. Your gaze followed them down the beach, your eyes lingering on the tall lifeguard tower.

Seated atop the tower like an eagle perched in his nest, dressed in red swim trunks and dark sunglasses, was a man. A very handsome man with broad shoulders and sculpted abs. You watched as he blew a whistle and called to some people to not swim so far out.

Oh, how you wished he would blow that whistle and call out to you.

You’d come running to him, your body wet from swimming in the ocean. Pressing your palms on his bare chest, you’d watch with lidded eyes as drops of water, glistening in the sunshine, trickled down his chest. He’d tease you for getting him wet like that, and maybe, if you were lucky, he’d grab you by the wrist and take you somewhere more private.

You glanced further down the beach and saw an outcropping of rocks. “We can stay hidden there,” he would say, as he held your wrist firmly in his large hand, his thumb pressing on your pulsepoint, as you panted, trying to keep up with his long strides in the sand. 

Peals of laughter broke your fantasy, your eyes quickly finding the source of the sound. A flock of teenage girls had surrounded the lifeguard’s tower and were loudly chatting with him. The lifeguard was friendly in his responses, his eyes, however, were locked on the ocean. 

Picking up your beverage, you took a long sip, the cool liquid refreshing on your tongue, however, doing nothing to temper the heat growing inside. Biting your lip, your mind wandered once more, allowing those long, strong swimmer’s arms to wrap around your shoulders.

“You should be punished for distracting me while I’m working.” His tone was serious, but the way he looked at you – garnet eyes aglow with wicked mischief – told a different story. Holding his gaze, you remained silent, waiting for your punishment. 

He dipped his head towards yours, capturing your lips in a fiery kiss. Your wet body pressed against his as the tip of his tongue probed open your lips, seeking entrance into your mouth. Moaning softly, your tongues met, twisting and twirling, as he hands began to wander down your back. 

His fingers would easily pull down the straps of your bathing, allowing your breasts to spill from the tight fabric. You could feel the smile in his kiss as he cupped one breast in his hand, his thumb massaging your nipple. The roar of the ocean grew louder, masking your moans, as the water splashed around your ankles.

Tearing your eyes away from the lifeguard's tower, you reached for your book, desperately needing a distraction. You focused your eyes on the words on the pages, following the escapades of Mitch and CJ and friends. Of all the books you owned, why did you pick the one book you owned about lifeguards?

You picked up your glass, now only half-full, although you would need enough iced tea to fill an Olympic-sized pool to quench your thirst this afternoon. 

The whistle blew once more; your head turned to find the lifeguard flying off his post, running straight into the water. The water slowed his movements as a small crowd stopped to watch as the lifeguard scooped the young boy in his arms, swiftly returning to the beach. He brought the boy to his tower, where he offered him a dry towel and a brightly colored lollipop. A frantic couple came running; reuniting with their son, they thanked the lifeguard profusely for saving their son's life. 

"Just doing my job," you heard the lifeguard say before popping a blue lollipop into his mouth. This one here truly was the complete package – strong, handsome, kind, and a hero. 

He was also soaking wet, head to toe. He ran a hand through his hair, pushing his damp bangs free from his face, his breathing only slightly heavier after his heroics. 

The book fell from your hands and into your lap; there would be time to finish the story later.

"This is good," he'd say, stopping when the water reached just below his shoulders. Scooping you in his arms, your bodies free of your bathing suits, he pulled you close, your legs wrapping around his waist. Your body shivered with excitement as he plunged a finger inside you, quickly adding a second. Tilting your head back, the water helped keep your body afloat as he continued to finger you.

His name was but a whisper on your lips as he entered you, your hands slippery as your nails tried to dig into his back. Was it the water? The position, maybe? Or perhaps the thrill of making love at the beach? Either way, your senses were heightened, enhancing your pleasure. 

It wasn't long before your bodies melted into one, the state of your bliss euphoric yet ephemeral.

The skies turned a shade of cotton candy pink as the sun started to set; the lifeguard blew his whistle one more time, marking the end of his shift. You watched him leave wistfully as you packed your bag. It would be dinner soon, time to head home. 

With your bag slung over your shoulders, you made your way to the parking lot. It wasn't hard to find your car as most had already left for the day.

After tossing your bag into the trunk, you slid into the front seat next to a handsome, familiar face, a long, white tee shirt covering some of his red swim trunks. 

"Hey, babe," Jin said, greeting you with a kiss on the cheek. "Ready to go home?"

Tagging: @redheadkittys @alixennial @rhodolitesroseforclavis @kissmetwicekissmedeadly @chaosangel767 @queengiuliettafirstlady @queen-dahlia @ikehoe @ikemen-writer @talfollowingstuff @kpop-and-otome @kisara-16 @altairring @lucyw260 @lordsisterxotome @umi-adxhira @bellerose-arcana @yarnnerdally @crypticbibliophile @tele86 @nightfoxqueen @melodiousramblings @wendolrea @aceuuuu @randonauticrap @aria-chikage @nightghoul381 @itsjudesfault @maries-gallery @xbalayage

[ronmerchant]

RESCUED FROM AN EAGLE’S NEST (1908)

[let-the-sunset-rise]

House of Fingolfin pet headcanons

Fingon: Despite him being my favourite character, I didn't think about what kind of pets he would have yet. Now that i'm thinking about that, it would be pretty iconic fof him to have an eagle as a pet (*cough* the Thangorodhrim incident *cough*). Think about it: He was friends with all the eagles after the rescue of Maedhros. One time he was out on his balcony, just chilling on a chair reading a book. An eagle built a nest over his balcony. Suddenly, one of the eagle babies gets thrown out of the nest by one of his siblings. High king Fingon, cool as he is, reacts fast and catches the eaglet before it hits the ground. The mother eagle is very grateful that he saved her baby. Over time they become friends and the mother eagle sometimes brings letters to his friends and fellow aristocrats (politic letter stuff from Doriath and Nargothrond. Idk how all of that works). The eagle doesnt really count as a pet but i'm counting it anyway. In Valinor he didn't have any pets and mostly looked after his siblings' pets, since they tended to not be very good pet owners. In Beleriand, additional to the eagle, he got a dog from Maedhros, who got him (the dog) from his brother Celegorm, who had a bunch of them. The dog was dalmatian and was terrible at hunting and cowered alot, so Fingon kept him inside most of the time and only went out with him for walks and visits to the vet.

Aredhel: Had a bunch of dogs from Celegorm, but also bred dogs herself. All hunting dogs, loved to cuddle with her and were very affectionate. Also had a tortoise in Valinor, but was terrible at caring for him. Fingon did all of the pet care for her, probably out of pity for the poor tortoise.

Turgon: Koi person. 100% koi owner. Number 1# koi fan. They are beautiful, gigantic, very expensive, super difficult to care for and Ulmo's personal favourite fish species. The last point is the most important one, since Turgon is an Ulmo stan. Turgon was actually a very good pet owner and cared for his kois, unlike his siblings (*cough* Aredhel). He even gave his kois names. His mother was always annoyed at him when he didn't come to the dinner table but ate outside at his koi pond and watched them swim. In Beleriand, kois were not native and none of the noldoli, including Turgon, brought kois to Beleriand since they are fish and very difficult to transport; Turgon kept goldfish in Gondolin as a replacement for the koi fish, and although he loved his goldies, he always wished he had brought his koi fish with him.

Argon: I am deeply convinced Argon was the baby child in the family. He's the youngest child, he died early, he literally gets zero text in the silm and nobody gives a shit about him. So what kind of pet does he get? Exactly. A rat. Who the fuck gives a shit about rats? No one, except me and maybe Fingon and Argon. Ron Weasley vibes. Uses two in one shampoo. His favourite movie was Ratatoui. Tell me this kid wouldn't have a rat as a pet.