#The First Pebble: That Means So Does Nessie

[attractthecrows]

rerjjrjjrkkkjrrk god damn it. now i need to rework ALL of my Dalish designs

[tangerinenotions95]

So Much For Normal - A Seth Clearwater FanFic (Chapter 6)

I walked along the with Seth, glancing in his direction every now and again, catching him doing the same on more than one occasion. 

Talking came easy to Seth thankfully as I was much more quiet until I got used to people. He chatted away telling me things about school and the reservation. He told me all about how he and some of his friends love going cliff diving. He told me about his mum Sue and sister Leah, he even told me about what happened to his dad Harry.

"He had a heart attack a couple years ago" He explained, the smile from his face falling slightly for the first time since I had met him. I watched as he kept his eyes focused on the small pebble he was kicking along the damp sand. I didn't know what to say so I walked over to a large group of stones and sat on one, Seth sat down beside me.

"You don't have to tell me all of this you know" trying to reassure him, he looked up at my face and smiled again, "I know but I can't help it, I want you to know everything about me" He beamed and then suddenly became shy realising what he had said.

I giggled, "That means a lot, thank you" I told him. We smiled at each other until I turned my gaze towards the ocean watching the waves coming in and out.

"My mom died when I was little" I said suddenly in a soft voice.

"That sucks" was Seth's reply. I turned and looked at him funny, not the reaction most people gave me when I mention about my mom but it was perfect, "You are right it does suck" I agreed causing us both to laugh slightly.

"I should be getting home though" I told him noticing how low the sun was beginning to get. He nodded, "Of course". He walked me back to my jeep and held the door open for me.

"Hey so next weekend we are having this thing, we do it every couple of months where we have a bonfire on the beach and Jake's dad tells us stories about our ancestors, it's actually kinda cool and eh would you want to come?" He asks me nervously, "and before you say no Nessie will be there so you will know someone" He stuttered. 

I smiled at him and he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck waiting for my answer, "I would love to if I'm not intruding"

He shook his head fiercely, "No you are very welcome" He said grinning from ear to ear. 

"Well then, I'll see you next weekend" I told him and giving him a peck on his cheek. I could see the red rise to his cheeks under his tanned skin, "Bye Seth" I told him closing my door and driving off. I glanced in my mirror and could see him jumping excitedly completely unaware that I was watching him.

****

'BEEP BEEP'

It was the following weekend, the night of the bonfire where I would hear all about the Quileute tribe and most importantly see Seth. I zipped my jacket up and tightened my scarf around my neck because it was going to be cold out. I ran downstairs and said bye quickly to my parents on the way out the front door.

I walked over to the Mini Cooper and hopped in beside Renesmee.

"Hey" I said to her.

"Hi, I'm so excited you are coming tonight" She squealed as we headed down the road. 

I laughed at her, "Are you sure it's not weird that I'm coming?" I asked feeling nervous. She shook her head, "No way you are meant to be there" She said sounding sure, "Besides Seth would be heartbroken if you didn't come" She said glancing at me smugly before she went back to watching the road in front of her.

"Oh shut up, Seth and I are just friends" I told her defensively. "Mm Hm" Was all the reply I got so I just rolled my eyes and fell back into my chair.

"Seriously though, nothing has happened?" She asked me looking surprised, "Nope nothing" I said shrugging.

"Is that disappointment I hear in your voice?" She asked me and I sigh, "Maybe but if Seth just wants to be friends that's okay now I'm done with this conversation" I told her.

"Okay okay, we are here now anyway" She told me as she pulled unto Jacobs driveway and parked. We got out of the car and I straight away noticed an orange glow on the beach opposite the house. The door behind us then opened, "Ness" I happy voice boomed as Jacob came bounding down the driveway and pulled my bestfriend into a bone crushing hug, "I missed you" He told her, "Yeah yeah it's been like eight hours" SHe told him but was as equally happy to see him really. They pulled apart and he turned to me, "Hi Y/N".

"Hey Jake, thanks for letting me in on your tribe secrets" I told him and he looked at me in shock for a minute, "It was just a joke" I explained, "Oh right of course" He said and forced a laugh.

"Well come on I want to get some snacks before the boys eat eveything" a voice came behind Jacob.

"Y/N this is my Billy, resident storyteller and also my dad" Jacob said introducing us.

"It's nice to meet you Billy"

"Likewise Y/N" He said smiling, "Now come on, I was serious about the food" He said as he wheeled himself towards the beach, the three of us following.

We headed along the beach and as we got closer the scene before me became more clear. There was a large golden bonfire surrounded by many people. There were mainly guys who were built like Seth and Jacob, there were some girls who seemed to be with some of the guys and some older people like Billy who I guessed were more parents.

As we got closer I saw a familiar body jogging up towards us, a smiled immediately formed on my face.

"You made it" Seth exclaimed happily pulling me into what was the warmest hug ever, like literally he is hot. In more ways than one.

"Well I did hear there would be food" I told him causing him to laugh. He let me go and said hi to Nessie and Jake, "Come one lets go" Jake said and they headed towards the bonfire, Seth and I following. I held my arms around my torso instinctively as we walked.

"You okay?" Seth asked me looking concerned.

"Just a bit nervous" I admitted. He nodded understanding, "Don't be I promise, they are all big softies really" he told me.

"Hey I heard that" a male voice shouted over to us, "Sorry Embry" Seth called back causing a few of us to laugh. We were near the fire when a woman walked over to us smiling happily.

"You must be Y/N, It so good to meet you Seth has told me so much" She beamed.

"Oh god seriously mom" Seth said face palming. I giggled, "All good things I hope" I replied and she nodded, "Of course" She winked at her son, "I'm Sue by the way".

"It's nice to meet you" I told her ans smiled.

"Oh and you too dear".

"Come on before this gets even more embarrassing" Seth said grabbing my hand and pulling me over to who I presume were his friends causing me to laugh. "I like your mom" I told him, "I do too but I don't want her to scare you away yet" He told me.

We stopped in front of a group of people,

"Guys this is Y/N" He said introducing me and all I could do was give a small wave as they all looked at me.

[commanderquill]

Don’t Be Chicken!

Because my readers are the most patient, lovely people on earth, here’s a little treat: Remember that side story to One Step Closer I mentioned, where Tim and Jay spend a day chasing chickens around Gotham? Well, it’s slowly but surely being made a reality, and here’s a sneak peek!

Hope you guys enjoy! It’s the most fun I’ve had writing something in a while.

So, it starts like this:

...Actually, scratch that, Jason has no idea how it starts because he has no idea how anything starts with Tim. One moment he’s just minding his own business, the next his best friend is knocking at his window and telling him they’re going to the haunted clock tower.

It isn’t that Jason thinks ghosts are real or anything. It’s just that Tim has the tendency to trip over his own shoelaces, and it would be a shame if he fell off the clock tower and died.

Tim has his camera with him, but it’s the nice one this time, and he eventually explains that he wants to take photos for his school’s photography contest. Jason suggests that submitting a photo of Robin might give him a better chance at winning, but Tim clarifies that the theme is ‘Haunted’ and shuts the idea down.

Personally he thinks ‘Haunted’ is a shitty theme, but he supposes it’s a fitting one for the abnormally unfortunate city they call home.

There’s a bus stop a block away from the clock tower, so they don’t have to do too much walking when they finally get there. A good thing, too. He’ll deny it except on pain of death, but this part of town gives him the heebie jeebies.

The cobblestone that gives Old Gotham its distinguishing mid-19th century look wobbles beneath them as they make their way down the main street, gas lamps flickering in the late morning light. There’s a low fog over them and the walls of the buildings glisten with dampness, although it hasn’t rained for at least a few days. It’s just like that.

“What’re they working on?” Tim asks as they pass an alley that offers a clear line of sight to the harbor. There’s a construction zone marked off on the way there, blocking off the sidewalk and the half finished building beside it. Wood panels criss cross each other where there should be steel beams. No workers are anywhere to be found.

“I don’t know,” Jason answers honestly. “They’ve been working on it for as long as I can remember.” The last time he was here was three years ago, and it doesn’t look any different. It’s as if Old Gotham is constantly suspended in a state of purgatory.

Tim shivers as a cold gust of wind sweeps past them from the harbor, but makes no additional comment. They walk a little faster.

The clock tower is old. Not old enough to be made out of wood, or for the stone’s harsh edges and spiky points to have smoothed out, but it’s jarringly out of place compared to the relatively modern Catholic Church beside it. The structure doesn’t extend into the sky easily. It makes its way there in steps and levels, each with a platform that seems like it might have been a porch, if there were any visible doors. In the place of doors, tall arched windows allow the slightest glimpse of the pitch black interior, guarded by gargoyles with gaping mouths. Spires extend at every interval, getting thinner and shorter with the exception of the long, thin lightning rod on top.

The clock face itself is written in Roman numerals, large and impossible to miss but, for Jason at least, just as impossible to read. However, he can still tell the hands are at six o’clock. It’s ten.

“We can’t get in,” Jason says.

“Why not?”

“It’s locked.”

“You haven’t even tried.”

Neither of them move.

“Maybe--” Tim begins, but Jason doesn’t get to hear the end of his suggestion, interrupted as he is by distressed shouting splitting the air.

It doesn’t sound like a cry for help, more like a vehement argument, but it’s strange mostly for the fact that Jason was subconsciously convinced no one’s lived here for at least a few thousand years. A quick glance beside him makes him reasonably sure Tim’s thinking the same thing, and when he moves towards the sound, Jason gratefully follows. He isn’t procrastinating going into the clock tower. Really. That would be stupid.

The shouting comes from about a block away, and even without the noise it would draw the eye. Nestled between two apartment complexes is a stout little house surrounded on all sides by a white picket fence and lush green grass. The five foot long walkway branching off from the sidewalk is paved in white pebbles and the sky opens directly above it, the first break in the clouds they’ve seen all morning. The sunlight streaming through is being enjoyed by a particularly fat tabby cat.

They stare, bemused. The house is painted pink with white trim, and a large white sign above the front door names this surreal establishment the Little Gotham Daycare.

As they watch, the front door opens so fast it nearly slams into the wall, and a white-haired older woman in a floral red skirt swishing past her distinguished hips stomps onto the porch and sits with a huff on the top step.  Jason takes that as a sign to go. Tim takes that as a sign to speak. “Are you okay?” he calls, and Jason resists the urge to groan aloud.

The woman raises her head, but it takes a moment for her to find the two of them. When she does, she squints, then slumps with what Jason considers to be a very melodramatic sigh. “No, no, no, oh dear, everything is going wrong today! First the chickens eat their own eggs again, because of course Donald didn’t remember to take them out this afternoon, and then he forgets to lock their cage and they disappear without so much as a goodbye!”

“I don’t think chickens are supposed to talk,” whispers Jason loudly to Tim, who ignores him.

“How many chickens?”

“Four,” she says, dejected, and then hides her face in the crook of her arms. The boys stand together awkwardly. Finally, she looks back up at them and pats her thighs with a deep breath. “But nevermind all that, you boys must be hungry. Where are your parents? Oh, it doesn’t matter. No one around here has parents anymore anyway,” she mutters, standing up and beckoning them over.

“Tim…,” Jason pleads as Tim, predictably, takes a step forward. The woman has already disappeared into the odd little house, presumably expecting them to follow. “I don’t trust any old lady who says stuff like that and owns a daycare. There’s something really, really wrong with that.”

“She lost her chickens, Jay,” Tim chides. “She’s lonely.”

“She’s weird,” he grumbles, which does nothing to move Tim from his already decided course. With great reluctance, he follows his best friend into the quaint daycare.

It’s to his relief that the inside does, actually, look like a daycare. They step past scattered toys and half-broken crayons crushed permanently into the carpet, and Jason yelps when he steps on a lego, instantly regretting taking his shoes off. Tim, the jerk, doesn’t even look back at his cry of pain, too intent on cataloguing everything about their surroundings.

As much as it sucks to be ignored, he can admit to being proud of that particular quirk. After all, it’s a habit his best friend only picked up when they became friends. Although, he isn’t entirely certain if Tim does exactly what he tried to teach him and actually spends the time making note of all the exits and escapes, or if he’s just looking for clues like a bona fide Sherlock Holmes.

Jason supposes the keeping-track-of-stuff-that-actually-matters job, as usual, falls to him.

“Oh, the children will just be so devastated when I tell them what happened…,” the lady despairs, entering the kitchen to look into the fridge. She pulls out the basic sandwich fixings and two cold bottles of water.

“Will you have anyone look for them?” Tim asks innocently, but no. It isn’t innocent, because Jason knows exactly what that tone of voice means, and his answer is no.

Unfortunately, Tim rarely takes his opinion into account, so he doesn’t bother voicing his objection. But maybe...

“They’ll tell me just to adopt new ones, but Nessie’s been with me for a while, you know? And Lara, and Tommy -- she’s a lady, my grandson named her -- and Jane.”

“That’s all of them,” Jason points out.

It only makes her sigh sadly at her tomatoes.

“Maybe we could--” Tim starts, but Jason jumps in:

“You should put out a reward for them.”

Tim glares, but the woman suddenly seems contemplative. She looks distantly out the window while spreading mayo on the second bread slice. “Perhaps that could work…”

“Oh, it definitely does. People do it for their cats and dogs and… chickens all the time. Trust me.” When she continues to mull over her decision, he adds: “When we lost our goat, we put out a $200 reward and someone found it the next day.”

Tim gawks. It’s Jason’s turn to ignore him.

There’s a long silence, and Jason holds his breath as the odd woman places their finished sandwiches on separate paper plates for them to take, then proceeds to scrutinize them very carefully. Jason makes sure to wear his biggest and brightest smile. Tim makes sure to step on his toes. He fights back a wince.

Suddenly, she claps her hands together and smiles at them. “Well, that just sounds like a splendid idea!”

Tim pales. “Oh, Mrs… um.”

“Duvall.”

“Mrs. Duvall, you don’t need to--”

“--worry at all,” Jason assures her, bulldozing right over the rest of Tim’s sentence. “Someone will find them safe and sound! In fact--”

“Do you suppose $100 is enough? I don’t have much--”

“Well…,” Jason begins.

“Yeah,” snaps Tim.

“Great! Could you boys help me print out posters?” she asks hopefully.

Tim has the audacity to hold a palm up to Jason’s face before he can answer. “Actually, I was going to say that we can look for your chickens.”

“The reward would help a lot. You know, buses are getting pretty pricey these days…,” interjects Jason.

Mrs. Duvall positively glows at the suggestion. “Oh, of course! I would be so delighted if you could help. Really, truly, you boys are just the sweetest… Let me just make you some proper packed lunches to take with you.”

When she swivels back around to the fridge, Tim hisses: “Seriously?”

“What?” Jason replies, voice high and innocent. “You were gonna do it anyway, who says I can’t get something out of it too?”

“You don’t have to come with me,” Tim mutters petulantly, but it’s half-hearted. They go everywhere together.

They stand awkwardly in the middle of the kitchen while Mrs. Duvall stuffs two paper bags with everything in her cupboards. When she’s done, she holds them both out, but doesn’t let go when they grab at them. “Before I forget, I should let you know that my chickens have trackers. I can’t remember what the neighbor’s girl said about using my phone, though…”

Jason sighs in relief.

To be continued...

[robertmcangusgroup]

The Daily Thistle

The Daily Thistle – News From Scotland

Wednesday 13th September 2017

"Madainn Mhath” …Fellow Scot, I hope the day brings joy to you…. This morning, unlike most morning’s it was a struggle to get up, Yes, I woke at the normal time, it was just difficult to get out of bed and walk Bella, Bella seemed to sense that all is not right with the world and me.. we did our usual walk, but on arriving back at the house I was greeted with the onset of a pounding headache, no drink was involved just bloody old age I think….

‘SUPERGRAN’, 76, BAGS EVERY MUNRO - FOR THE THIRD TIME…. A super-fit gran has climbed all 282 of Scotland’s highest hills at the age of 76 – for the third time. Munro-bagger Elsa Yates started with late husband Bobby in 1988 when they scaled Ben Lomond. She and Bobby completed their first round of Munros - mountains over 3,000ft - within four years. The couple, from Edinburgh, went on to complete all 282 for a second time by 1996. Bobby passed away in 2005, but Elsa’s love of hillwalking continued. She became a “triple Munroist” in June this year. She finished with two peaks in the Big Six at Fisherfield in the north-west of the country. And while Elsa says she cannot imagine life without the hills, she does not think she will make it up and down them all again for a fourth time.

£5M SPEYSIDE DISTILLERY TO CELEBRATE ILLICIT WHISKY HISTORY…. Work is expected to start next year on a new Speyside distillery which uses historical methods of distilling and bottling, after plans were approved by the Moray Council this week. The £5.3million visitor attraction will celebrate Scotland’s illicit whisky history, while creating new jobs and training opportunities. The distillery will be located in the wild and remote Cabrach area on the southern edge of Moray, said to be one of the birthplaces of the Scotch whisky industry and famed for illicit stills and smuggling in years gone by. Research is well underway into the distilling, maturation and bottling of a unique whisky, using the blueprint of an early 19th-century distillery with traditional methods. Construction work is set to begin next summer, with production getting underway in 2019 and the first bottling of mature whisky from the historic distillery made in 2024, with 150,000 bottles expected to be produced each year. A share offer will be announced next year, giving supporters the chance to get involved at an early stage and own a small piece of whisky history. The distillery and heritage centre, shop and cafe will be run by the Cabrach Trust, transforming the existing Inverharroch Farm into the visitor attraction with the aim of putting the Cabrach on the tourist map and marking its place in the story of Scotch whisky.

AIRMAN’S MONSTER SWIM ON LOCH NESS IN MEMORY OF MUM…. FLIGHT Lieutenant Ian Smith, the media and communications Officer at RAF Lossiemouth, has completed a monster of a challenge when he swam the 23 mile length of Loch Ness. Ian is raising money for the charity Ovarian Cancer Action after his mother, Kathleen Smith, passed away in February this year after a brave battle with the disease. Ian swimming past Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness. Picture: Contributed Ian had been training regularly for the 23 mile challenge with lengthy swims in the River Spey as well as the Moray Firth. But the distance wasn’t the major challenge for Ian, he had to overcome an almost phobic fear of dark water. Before stepping in to the loch Ian said: “I know the distance is more than I’ve ever swum before, but the depth of the water, and not being able to see what’s in the water, means this is more of a ‘mind over matter’ challenge for me.” The challenge began at Fort Augustus when the water was calm and the sun was just beginning to rise. A two man support team kept an eye on Ian’s route and health during the swim across the UK’s largest lake by volume – Loch Ness contains more fresh water than all of the lakes in England and Wales combined. Ian took regular food and drink stops to keep up his energy-sapping effort. By mid-day he was passing Urquhart Castle, where tourists no doubt wondered if they were witnessing an appearance by Nessie. After around 14,000 strokes, at 6 o’clock in the evening, Ian reached the north end of the loch where he was met by his wife Helen and daughter Amelia, as well as his sister Alison. Despite swimming for 13 hours Ian was able to gingerly walk out of the loch on to the pebbly beach alone. After recovering from the epic event, he said: “I’m feeling not too bad, but I’m so glad it’s done. Getting in to the loch before sunrise and getting under the water for the first time really was one of the hardest parts of the swim. A lot of it came down to mind over matter and just having a conversation with myself about what isn’t in the water. There were a few times when the water magnified leaves and bubbles in the murky water and that really focused my thoughts for a little while.

ABERDEEN LADIES LUNCH RAISES £57K FOR CHILDREN’S HOSPICES…. LADIES of Aberdeen dug deep to raise an incredible £56,971 for Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) at the city’s annual Ladies Lunch. Scots singer Michelle McManus hosted the fifth annual event at the city’s Marcliffe Hotel where guests enjoyed a two-course meal and fizz reception, live music from Feeva, fundraising games and the hotly anticipated silent auction. The live auction, compered by radio broadcaster, Steve McKenna, sent the ladies pulses racing as they bided for prizes such as a Maserati for the weekend, Pittodrie Private Box and a money can’t buy CHAS canvas, donated by the Veitchi Group to Robin House and lovingly decorated by the children using the hospices services. Guest speaker of the night, Bruce Edmond, made an emotional speech about his two year old son, Jack, who will always be remembered as a happy, playful boy with a beaming smile. Jack and his family used CHAS at Home and Rachel House in Kinross and credit CHAS for helping them during the most traumatic time possible, to make every moment count for Jack’s short life. Diane Alton, Events Co-ordinator at CHAS said: “Aberdeen folk are notoriously fantastic supporters of CHAS and always get fully behind our fundraising efforts. “We’re so grateful for their generosity and without them, we could not raise the vital funds needed to provide these hospice services, which children and families across Scotland rely so heavily on.

METHADONE MICK’S DENTURE MAKER CONVICTED OF BEING UNREGISTERED DENTIST…. THE man who made the famous teeth donned by Still Game’s Methadone Mick has been found guilty of working as an unregistered dentist. John Nicol, 73, owner of Speedy Dentures, known locally as Glamorous Geggies, has made false teeth for other Craiglang characters customers over five decades. But, he was caught practising as a dentist in March 2015 when a private investigator arranged for a woman to carry out detective work. Lyndsay Grant, 46, took her mum who had a problem with her plate to see Nicol who suggested he could fix it or give her a new one - for a cost and offered to “impression her up”. After a trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court, Nicol from Johnstone, was convicted of breaching the Dentist Act 1984 by holding himself out to be a dentist while not registered as a dentist or dental care professional. Nicol - who was registered with the General Dental Council until 2011 - was fined £1800 for his crime.

On that note I will say that I hope you have enjoyed the news from Scotland today,

Our look at Scotland today is of Still Game’s Methadone Mick….

A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it's always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of "Colombian" Coffee and wish you a safe Wednesday 13th September 2017 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming Jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00 am…on the streets of Estepona…

All good stuff....But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in

Be safe out there…

Robert McAngus