#Thunderbirds in isolation

[adobealmanac]

The magic of scissors ✂️

There are many often negative superstitions surrounding scissors, from the Indigenous idea that using scissors during a wedding will cause the groom to become impotent to the notion that breaking a pair of scissors is a bad omen of arguments and distress in the home. However, in colonial New Mexico there was a vastly different notion, that being that scissors can be a positive and protective amulet.

In brujeria and curanderismo, scissors, specifically made of iron, are seen as deeply protective objects. While often said to be protective against witchcraft, modern pagans are welcome to use them as a general protective tool. Typically open scissors are used to protect against malevolent entities and fairies, however they may be used while closed too. Cutting the cord in a cord cutting ritual with iron scissors may aid in cutting off a psychic vampire.

Some superstitions from here include cutting spider webs with iron scissors to prevent the witches in the form of guajalote (the turkey) from sucking the blood of your children. It is also common to see a pair of open or closed scissors hung above the entryway to prevent evil from entering the home. This tradition is one of my favorites, as the scissors always feel so powerful and protecting whenever I walk beneath them. They may also be placed under the bed to prevent bad dreams.

New Mexico is an interesting place for folklore such as this to exist, as we tend to be very isolated from other cultures other than our Indigenous neighbors, which causes many of our own traditions to persevere for quite some time, along with our cultures blending with that of the natives who belong to this place. While in recent times it has become easier to travel here, it is still a relatively unpopulous place, with roughly 2.1 million inhabitants spread out over 121,280 square miles. With such space and isolation comes many tales.. such as that of the chupacabra, el coco, thunderbirds, and skinw**kers. If you choose to wander into our land, do, proceed with caution. That being said, we do have some phenomenal natural wonders such as white sands and cool festivals such as the balloon fiesta in ABQ. It's worth the trek, but be prepared and be safe.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved on our archive! (follow the link to find the full article text as well as over 1,000 news and opinion articles about covid and more!)

Not the worst covid FAQ published this year. Head on over to this board (covidsafehotties.boards.net/board/23/isolation-protocol) for *ACTUAL* advice on how to stop covid from spreading in your home. Additionally, the zero mention of masks with an undue focus on fomites and handwashing is typical but frustrating.

Caroline C. Boyle for USA TODAY

Around the globe, a new strain of COVID-19 is spreading exponentially.

The COVID-19 XEC variant is derived from Omicron strains KS.1.1 and KP.3.3, says Dr. Francesca Torriani, MD, an infectious disease specialist with UC San Diego Health. XEC was first detected in Europe earlier this year, and it's now reached the US. “We expect this could become the next dominant variant,” she says.

As health officials prepare for a potential uptick in COVID-19 cases this fall, we asked the experts to answer your FAQs. From understanding how COVID-19 is transmitted, to what precautions you should take to protect yourself from the virus, here’s what you need to know.

How is COVID transmitted? So far, it is understood that the XEC variant behaves similarly to other strains of the virus, Torriani says.

Exposure to COVID-19 is most likely to occur when you are in close proximity to someone who is infected with the virus, because “the main mode of transmission is through respiratory particles,” says Torriani.

When an infected person speaks, coughs or sneezes, they send infectious particles and droplets of respiratory fluid into the air, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. When you inhale these particles through your nose or mouth, or get them in your eyes, there is “a possibility of the virus entering the body,” Torriani says.

Because COVID-19 particles can linger in the air, transmission of the virus is still possible at distances greater than 6 feet, per the EPA. Depending on the ventilation, COVID-19 particles can stay airborne anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, says Dr. Nezar Dahdal, Hospitalist at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center.

How long does COVID live on surfaces? While surface transmission of COVID is possible, it is less likely than transmission by inhaling infected respiratory particles. The live virus cannot survive on surfaces for long, because “the virus needs a host to actually be effective,” Dahdal explains. “It needs to be in the human body to multiply and spread.”

In the event that you do touch a surface that is contaminated with live COVID-19 droplets, if proceed to touch your nose, eyes, or mouth, you are “taking the virus from the surface and transferring it to your mucous membrane, where it then enters your system,” Dahdal says.

On “surfaces such as glass, or tabletops, or steel, the virus can last outside of the human body anywhere from one day to about four or five days, depending on how porous it is,” Dahdal says. The virus can survive on cardboard surfaces up to one day, and on wood surfaces up to four days, per Cleveland Clinic.

Can you live with someone with COVID and not get it? It is possible to live in close contact with someone with COVID, be exposed to the virus, and not necessarily get infected, Dahdal says. It’s “going to depend on a person's immune system, the variant itself, and then also the sanitary practices of the person,” he says.

When living in close proximity with someone infected with COVID, the key to avoiding infection is to be proactive about protection, he says. “If a person is frequently washing their hands, sanitizing their hands, wiping down or [disinfecting] surfaces, you have a much better chance of avoiding being infected,” Dahdal says.

How to prevent the spread of COVID Washing hands, wearing masks, and frequently sanitizing surfaces are simple measures that can limit the possibility of being exposed to COVID-19, Dahdal says.

It’s also important to stay up to date on COVID vaccines, especially if you are immunocompromised or aged 65 and older, he emphasizes.

There is a question of whether the updated COVID vaccine will offer protection against XEC. Because the latest vaccine targets circulating variants of Omicron, it should “also provide coverage and [decrease] the risk of complications in people who get infected,” Torriani says.

Additional precautions against COVID include keeping windows open to promote airflow, and when possible, spending time with people outside rather than indoors, Torriani says. This “increases the turnover of the air, and therefore decreases the number of particles that might be still in the air that we might inhale,” she explains.

[silverslate221]

Kwamis

An Updated List of all my Kwamis including the Canon Kwamis some of which I've altered to fit my Headcanons since I've realized my old list was very outdated xD. (Just something to keep in my mind I'm horribly indecisive and all of these are subject to change)

Mother Box-

Tikki the Ladybug of Creation (Alpha)

Plagg the Black Cat of Destruction (Alpha)

Trixx the Fox of Deception

Pollen the Bee of Subjection

Wayzz the Turtle of Protection  

Duusu the Peacock of Manifestation

Nooroo the Butterfly of Transmission

Mullo the Mouse of Multiplication

Stompp the Ox of Determination

Roaar the Tiger of Confrontation

Fluff the Rabbit of Evolution (Timekeeper)

Longg the Dragon of Acclimatization (Elemental)

Sass the Snake of Repetition (Timekeeper)

Kaalki the Horse of Migration (Spacekeeper)

Ziggy the Goat of Imagination

Xuppu the Monkey of Derision

Orikko the Rooster of Illumination

Barkk the Dog of Loyalty

Daizzi the Pig of Love

Great Plains Box-

Kiikaa the Thunderbird of Electricity* (Elemental)

Maii the Coyote of Wisdom

Katta the Cougar of Passion

Liiri the Eagle of Freedom

Rummpa the Buffalo of Prosperity

Lokko the Wolf of Detection

Sorren the Falcon of Victory

Amikaa the Beaver of Innovation*

Livv the Deer of Vegetation

Pekk the Woodpecker of Dimension (Spacekeeper)

Slipp the Salmon of Apathy

Grizz the Bear of Soul

Ommen the Raven of Probability*

Hoppi the Rattlesnake of Beauty*

Tyyto the Owl of Truth

Honnk the Goose of Cooperation

Zibbi the Otter of Jubilation

Banditt the Raccoon of Avarice

Wandering Box-

Tangg the Mantis of Order (Alpha)

Kastorr & Poluxx the Hydra of Chaos (Alpha) **

Kirrin the Qilin of Light* (Elemental)

Rassi the Spider of Destiny* (Timekeeper) **

Slikki the Snail of Stagnation* (Timekeeper)

Deed the Stick Bug of Distribution (Spacekeeper)

Etterni the Salamander of Resurrection

Mikka the Ant of Conflict

Renn the Crane of Peace

Fianna the Koi Fish of Perfection

Finn the Shark of Fear

Døddie the Moth of Scarcity

Deuill the Dove of Mercy

Jellos the Jellyfish of Corruption

Hunduu the Cicada of Ruination

Taachi the Weasel of Secrets

Murrae the Eel of Elongation

Zodiac Box-

Flikker the Firefly of Hope

Emburr the Phoenix of Combustion* (Elemental)

Atticus the Sparrow of Oblivion (Spacekeeper)

Gemm the Chameleon of Transformation

Gloss the Ibex of Friction* (Aries)

Urazz the Aurochs of Preservation (Timekeeper) (Taurus) 

Oskrr the Squirrel of Duality (Gemini)

Cerra the Crab of Emotion (Cancer)

Rroy the Lion of Action (Leo)

Duchess the Swan of Dreams (Virgo)

Vivvy the Vulture of Justice (Libra)

Scorro the Scorpion of Vengeance (Scorpio)

Spikke the Porcupine of Precision (Sagittarius) 

Akwaa the Seahorse of Perception (Capricorn)

Nøkk the Kelpie of Hydration* (Aquarius)

Nerrea the Whale of Compassion (Pisces) 

Savannah Box-

Gaale the Griffin of Air* (Elemental)

Zipp the Dragonfly of Progression (Timekeeper)

Taamus the Hippo of Gravitation

Snapp the Crocodile of Adaptation

Parra the Giraffe of Confusion*

Equus the Donkey of Mathematics

Duune the Camel of Transaction

Mnemmi the Elephant of Memories

Kuuji the Gorilla of Connection

Irris the Hawk of Vision

Gorrge the Hyena of Consumption

Kallik the Jackal of Guidance

Azuure the Scarab of Thought

Keraas the Rhino of Substance

Zella the Antelope of Elusion

Gnuu the Wildebeest of Courage

Purr the Cheetah of Agility*

Grevyii the Zebra of Clarity

Chatter the Lemur of Negotiation

Jungle Box-

Tonna the Quetzalcoatl of Earth* (Elemental)

Legmm the Sloth of Isolation (Spacekeeper)

Saffi the Frog of Purity

Belaa the Jaguar of Imperception*

Ecco the Parrot of Communication*

Vammp the Bat of Absorption

Rivver the Piranha of Contempt

Bubiic the Mosquito of Plague

Ravanna the Skunk of Despair

Clikk the Dolphin of Sound*

Flairr the Toucan of Pretension

Ocellus the Stingray of Immersion

Charmm the Angelfish of Gentleness

Polaritti the Gecko of Magnetization

Tropical Box-

Allcy the Kingfisher of Sacrifice

Prrysm the Platypus of Distortion* (Spacekeeper)

Dontii the Pufferfish of Expansion (Spacekeeper)

Kicc the Kangaroo of Endurance*

Aumm the Koala of Relaxation

Lekyys the Pelican of Zonation

Alliss the Frilled Lizard of Extortion

Dideea the Shrimp of Patience

Xiphiaa the Swordfish of Honor

Prikk the Echidna of Boundary

Conkky the Wombat of Temperance

Tazz the Purinina of Temptation

Arctic Box-

Shaade the Grim of Darkness* (Elemental)

Tawnii the Lynx of Intuition* (Timekeeper)

Maarus the Walrus of Realization

Demiis the Penguin of Glaciation

Fawnna the Elk of Wilderness*

Attlantis the Octopus of Choice*

Frijj the Snow Leopard of Silence

Curri the Narwhal of Wonder*

Pinna the Seal of Altruism

Sotaa the Wolverine of Aggression*

Hidden Box- 

Vitaa the Panda of Life* (Alpha)

Shii the Crow of Death* (Alpha)

Uunice the Unicorn of Magic* (Elemental)

Italic- Canon Kwamis

*- Any kwami marked with an asterisk either belongs to my close friend @graaythekwami or draws from elements of one of their kwamis that I'm incorporating into my own headcanons

**- Any kwami marked with two consecutive asterisks draws inspiration from @this-wildchild-writes and their original kwamis

[winnipegwinterpeg]

Access For All. Period.

Free pads and tampons are now available throughout Manitoba as part of the Access for All Period program, led by the Manitoba government. This program is focused on ending period poverty by providing equal access to menstrual products for all.

What is period poverty?

Period poverty is the inability to access or afford menstrual products, preventing youth and adults who menstruate from participating in their everyday lives.

Why is this important?

Removing barriers to access menstrual products is crucial to the physical and mental health of all who menstruate. A lack of proper access can result in dangerous situations, leading to both short and long term physical harm, as well as mental health issues including anxiety, depression and self-isolation. For students, it can negatively impact attendance and participation, affecting long-term achievement and resulting in missed educational and employment opportunities.

How does the program work?

The Manitoba government, in partnership with Shoppers Drug Mart, is providing readily available pads and tampons free to those in need. Products are available to all Manitobans in schools and community organizations as listed below. Free menstrual products are also available at participating shelters throughout the province through the Access for All Period program.

Where can I go?

You can access free menstrual products at the following locations (38 total, 26 in Winnipeg) under the cut:

* Andrews Street Family Centre, 220 Andrews Street, Winnipeg

* Blue Thunderbird Family Care, 998 Sargent Avenue, Winnipeg

* Acorn Family Place, 222 Furby Street #202, Winnipeg

* Canadian Muslim Women's Institute, 61 Juno Street #201, Winnipeg

* Community Ambition, 266A Linwood Street, Winnipeg

* Elmwood Community Resource Centre, 545 Watt Street, Winnipeg

* Family Dynamics, 393 Portage Avenue #401, Winnipeg

* First Nations Family Advocate, 286 Smith Street #200, Winnipeg

* The Food Vault and Community Resource Centre, 24 Hampton East, P.O. Box 881, MacGregor

* Fort Garry Women's Resource Centre, 1150A Waverly Street, Winnipeg

* Holy Names House of Peace, 211 Edmonton Street, Winnipeg

* Interlake Women's Resource Centre, 87 - 5th Avenue, Gimli

* Lakeshore Family Resource Centre, 9 Main Street, Ashern

* Madeline's Closet, 40 Main Street, Inwood

* Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre, 445 King Street, Winnipeg

* Marlene Street Resource Centre, 27 Marlene Street #6, Winnipeg

* Men are Part of the Solution (MAPS), 117B Commercial Place, Thompson

* N'Dinawemak, 190 Disraeli Freeway, Winnipeg

* Ndinawe, 472 Selkirk Avenue, Winnipeg

* North End Women's Centre, 394 Selkirk Avenue, Winnipeg

* North Point Douglas Women's Centre, 221 Austin Street North, Winnipeg

* NorWest - A Woman's Place, 945 Notre Dame Avenue, Winnipeg

* NorWest - Community Health, 785 Keewatin Street, Winnipeg

* Pluri-elles, 114-l420 Des Meurons Street, Winnipeg

* Samaritan House, 1610 Pacific Avenue, Brandon

* South Winnipeg Family Information Centre, 800 Point Road, Winnipeg

* Steinbach Family Resource Centre, 101 North Front Drive, Steinbach

* Swan Valley Crisis Centre, 119 9th Avenue North, Swan River

* The Counselling Centre, 335 9th Street, Brandon

* The Pas Family Resource Centre, 103 Edwards Avenue, The Pas

* Thrive Community Support Circle, 3-406 Edmonton Street, Winnipeg

* Wahbung Abinoonjiiag, 225 Dufferin Street, Winnipeg

* Winnipeg Central Park Women's Resource Centre, 400 Edmonton Avenue, Winnipeg

* Women's Safe Haven, 228-35 Main Street, Flin Flon

* West Central Women's Resource Centre, 640 Ellice Avenue, Winnipeg

* Western MB Women's Regional Resource Centre, 729 Princess Avenue, Brandon

* YMCA Winnipeg (Downtown Branch) 301 Vaughan Street, Winnipeg, (West Portage Branch) 3550 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg

[thunderbirds-showdown]

Which Thunderbirds Are Go episode is better?

Vote on which episode you think is better. Episode synopses below the cut.

The Hexpert: Professor Alice Lungren accidentally locks herself inside a vault which is being used to store unstable matter. There is only one person who has successfully broken into a vault like this - Parker. Colonel Casey of the GDF recruits Parker for the job, but the safe cracker ends up locking himself and Lady Penelope inside as well. Virgil and Scott transport the vault to an isolated area on Thunderbird 2, where Parker and Penelope must try and free themselves and the scientist before the anti-matter explodes.

Tunnels of Time: A few months after International Rescue uncover an ancient temple in South America, Lady Penelope, as a representative of World Heritage, visits it along with Parker, Gordon, and Professor Harold, an archaeologist of a dubious reputation whom Penelope suspects of stealing artefacts. On entering the temple, everyone become trapped inside except for Harold, who manages to escape but refuses to call for help, not wishing the temple to be destroyed. Suspecting something is wrong, Scott and Virgil head to the scene to provide assistance, as Gordon, Penelope and Parker attempt to escape from the temple's many traps.

[pareidoliaonthemove]

Having just re-watched the original Thunderbirds, I’m going to go all out and suggest that it wasn’t Jeff that relocated the family to Tracy Island, it was the boys!

Twice he breaks “operational security” in order to bring children to Tracy Island, and International Rescue’s base (Tony and Bob in ‘Cry Wolf’ and Nicky in ‘Give or Take A Million’) and Jeff is all over them. Tony and Bob get the full tour, and Jeff orders all stops out to entertain them; and he seems to be attached to Nicky like a limpet – every time the kid is shown on Tracy Island, Jeff is right next to him.

The one time he doesn’t seem to be enamoured of the child, in ‘Security Hazard’, he is kept physically separated from Chip as his sons ‘break security’ by showing Chip their respective craft. The second he gets physically close to the boy, Jeff is all over him like the proverbial rash, letting him sit in his seat, and explaining in detail how his set-up works.

So I’m gonna suggest that Jeff (father of five, remember) likes kids. Really likes kids. As in Nanna-level oh-baby-look-at-the-baby-talk-to-the-baby-give-me-the-baby likes kids. (It’s a thing. My Nan had to be gently prompted to return the baby, as unsuspecting parents grew visibly more anxious. Woman was better than a bloodhound at detecting babies.) To the point when he makes public appearances, someone has to be tasked to run interference to make sure he doesn’t accidentally ‘surprise adopt’ some random kid. This is not a problem the Space Agency had ever anticipated having to deal with. (Hmmm … ideas.)

And of course, Jeff interacting with children leads to the dreaded question. Grandchildren. Namely, when is Jeff gonna get some (and preferably by the busload)? The boys couldn’t cope with the stress. Hence, Island, isolation, and very carefully monitored trips to the mainland, with minimal – and heavily supervised – access to children.

[mymiraclebox]

The Kwamis

Alpha Kwamis: Vitaa the Panda of Life Shii the Crow of Death Tikki the Ladybug of Creation Plagg the Black Cat of Destruction Graay the Wolf of Order Prrysm the Platypus of Chaos Stellar the Firefly of Space Koree the Raccoon of Void

Elemental Kwamis: Swaar the Dinosaur of Gravity Longg the Dragon of Storm Tonna the Feathered Serpent of Earth Zeffyr the Griffin of Air Duskk the Grim of Darkness Nokk the Kelpie of Water Emburr the Phoenix of Fire Matto the Pterosaur of Aether Kirrin the Qilin of Light Kiikaa the Thunderbird of Electricity Uunice the Unicorn of Magic Ziima the Yeti of Glaciation

Timekeeper Kwamis: Antiqq the Aurochs of Reversion Shaash the Bear of Preservation Sass the Cobra of Opportunity Zipp the Dragonfly of Progression Allta the Frog of Change Keena the Lynx of Intuition Frostt the Penguin of Stagnation Fluff the Rabbit of Evolution Apple the Red Panda of Lineage Passtel the Snail of Patience Faae the Spider of Destiny Mataara the Tuatara of History

Delta Kwamis: Harmonee the Ant of Cooperation Sannar the Axolotl of Restoration Fangg the Bat of Fatigue Chaapa the Beaver of Innovation Pollen the Bee of Subjection Maggi the Binturong of Magnetism Yanna the Bison of Victory Blancca the Blackbuck of Inversion Nooroo the Butterfly of Generosity Duune the Camel of Perspective Milli the Chameleon of Emotion Purr the Cheetah of Agility Reef the Coral of Sensitivity Dess the Cougar of Apathy Remmi the Coyote of Despair Snapp the Crab of Adaptation Llucie the Crocodile of Clarity Fawnna the Deer of Wilderness Barkk the Dog of Detection Clikk the Dolphin of Sound Olivv the Dove of Peace Liiri the Eagle of Freedom Tuskk the Elephant of Memories Florra the Elk of Growth Sorren the Falcon of Observation Trixx the Fox of Deception Elle the Gecko of Equality Parra the Giraffe of Confusion Ziggy the Goat of Imagination Karrma the Goose of Justice Verr the Gorilla of Sacrifice  Spikke the Hedgehog of Precision Taamus the Hippopotamus of Density Kaalki the Horse of Migration Ravenna the Hyena of Scarcity Gloss the Ibex of Friction Izzy the Isopod of Instinct Niisha the Jackal of Connections Belaa the Jaguar of Imperception Jellos the Jellyfish of Hatred Kicc the Kangaroo of Avarice Vexx the Komodo Dragon of Corrosion Valoree the Lion of Courage Donna the Llama of Attention Vollee the Locust of Invasion Xuppu the Monkey of Disruption Allces the Moose of Evocation Duux the Moth of Hope Baash the Mouflon of Strength Mullo the Mouse of Abundance Currio the Narwhal of Wonder Attlantis the Octopus of Choice Jiicho the Okapi of Dimension Fleet the Ostrich of Guidance Ziibi the Otter of Transformation Tyyto the Owl of Secrets Stompp the Ox of Determination Lynn the Pangolin of Boundary Ecco the Parrot of Communication Duusu the Peacock of Psyche Daizzi the Pig of Love Glaace the Polar Bear of Endurance Anjjel the Quail of Mercy Habuu the Rattlesnake of Beauty Ommen the Raven of Probability Mannta the Ray of Immersion Kaanda the Rhinoceros of Augmentation Orikko the Rooster of Vitality Finn the Salmon of Navigation Aynna the Scarab of Reflection Verriti the Scorpion of Truth Daante the Seahorse of Fear Selkee the Seal of Elusion Flairr the Secretarybird of Passion Poppy the Shark of Joy Yuume the Sheep of Dreams Frijj the Snow Leopard of Silence Tinni the Squirrel of Diminution Noodle the Stoat of Elasticity Prrince the Swan of Loyalty Acce the Thylacine of Isolation Roaar the Tiger of Force Scuut the Tortoise of Knowledge Wayzz the Turtle of Protection Teer the Vulture of Sorrow Sotaa the Wolverine of Conflict Drill the Woodpecker of Expansion Divvi the Zebra of Duality

[skymaiden32]

Hi everyone! This isn't a very happy post, but it is very serious. Something happened yesterday and I just need somewhere to vent.

(No members of the Thunderfam are involved; it's about people I know IRL.)

I used to have this friend. My closest childhood friend. Our parents were also friends and had the two of us around the same time. I remember he used to have a lot of Thunderbirds toys. I guess that makes him the first friend I ever had in the fandom, even if we had no clue what fandom was back then. 

Something I should get out the way is that we grew up in a religious background, and we were in the same congregation as kids. Later on when we were teens, we had a trio with another boy, who beta-read my stories for me for a while. During COVID, all our religious activities moved online, and we drifted apart. I’ll call my former bff ‘Z’ and our other friend ‘J’. 

The longer the isolation went on, I started noticing that Z was no longer attending the online meetings, and whenever his parents were there they had these weird looks on their faces. Well, one day Z organised a Zoom call between the three of us and told us he’d moved out of his parent’s house and had converted to Islam. Me and J supported his decision, there were no hard feelings, and we promised to keep in touch.

Well, we did keep in touch for a little while. Z and I met up a couple of times, but that’s pretty much it. When the pandemic ended, me and J stayed in our congregation without him there. J got baptised and Z was there. J left for university, and my communication with him broke down as well, but that’s another story. At this point, I decided to change congregations for reasons unrelated to Z and J, which I’m not gonna get into here but let’s just say there were issues. I’m happy in my new congregation, but back to Z.

My mum and her husband are still in that old congregation to this day, and once I was there visiting them. That’s when I saw Z. He must’ve come with his dad. His mum wasn’t there for health reasons, which I’ll get into in a bit. That’s when he told me that he’d met someone at university. Mind you, he’d been at university for just about a year, and they were already engaged, talking about having kids, the works. He even told me they were planning on moving to another country. He showed me a picture of his fiance, and told me I’d be invited to the wedding. That was last April.

Now, I’m already annoyed at him because we’ve barely talked up until now, and any conversation we do have is by text, extremely short, and initiated by me. Honestly, if I hadn’t seen him in person, I doubt he would’ve told me he was engaged. I’m even more annoyed.

We get to his mum now. Z pretty much cut his parents off when he left, and his mother was understandably beside herself with worry. His mum is a lovely person. I adore her and when we were younger, she was like another mother to me. When I’d come round to his place she made me feel like part of that family. Hearing that Z’s hurt her so much really drives the wedge further.

Fast forward to yesterday. I wake up early because I had a congregation meeting at around ten. I open up TikTok. I see that Z has posted something, so I click on it. It’s a slideshow post with him and his fiancee goofing off. I look at the caption. It says, “marriage has changed me”.

…

She’s not his fiance anymore. She’s his wife. 

He said, to my face, that I would be invited. I wasn’t. I was heartbroken. I still am. Not because I was interested romantically, but because I’d realised I’d lost one of my best friends. I went to that meeting, because I needed to be around people I trusted after what I just saw. But I kept thinking about it over and over. Eventually, I decided that it was a lost cause, so I sent him a congratulations on TikTok, and blocked him. I made a vent post on TikTok too. It’s still up, but I may set it to private at some point. The bridge was already burnt; I just cut the rope because there was no way to repair it.

20 years down the drain. No one ever mentions how painful friendship break ups are. He was like a brother to me, but I can’t be friends with someone who treats me like that. Like those two decades didn’t happen. I honestly think I'll be upset over this for the rest of my life.

Z, if somehow you’ve found this post and are reading it, I want to thank you for the friendship we had while it lasted, and wish you and your wife the best. May you have many happy memories together...

[kari-go]

Boxes!

So, in my au the boxes are all completely different.

The first layer kwamis are in their respective pairing and in separate boxes as seen above. Each pairing has a name for what they represent:

Ladybug+Black Cat- Matter duo

White Lion+Hellhound- Energy duo

Caladrius+Bat- Conciousness duo

Unicorn+Stick Bug- Existence duo (thanks @hades-999 for the idea!)

The pairs were kept in one of the 4 (technically 5) temples. They were barely mixing and a pair was always released together. The Guardians believed if they didn't the universe will be unbalanced.

The other boxes usually had a second layer kwami who was in charge/above the others. I'm gonna call them alpha for now. They were mostly like this

Emotion box

Peacock of Emotion (alpha)

Pig of Jubilation

Bull of Aggression

Griffin of Leadership

Dolphin of Intercommunication

Swan of Temptation

Parrot of Communication

Sense box (mostly just Vision)

Fox/Kitsune? of Illussion (alpha)

Arctic Fox of Elusion

Tiger of Stealth

Scorpion of Hallucination

Opossum of Evasion

Owl of Observation

Sheep of Dreams

Chameleon of Perception

Falcon of Precision

Skunk of Pollution

Identity box

Butterfly of Transmission (alpha)

Wolf of Imitation

Rabbit of Elongation

Ox of Determination

Frog of Prosperity

Rooster of Pretension

Mouse of Multiplication

Octopus of Adaptation

Jaguar of Flexibility

Betta Fish of Isolation

Goose of Intimidation

Ant of Cooperation

Monkey of Derision

Seagoat of Eradication

Timekeeper box

Snake of Repetition (alpha)

Snow Leopard of Caution

Orca of Affection

Crow of Precognition

Elephant of Recollection

Bear of Preservation

Potency box

Bison of Vibration (alpha)

Salamander of Magnetization

Turtle of Protection

Goat of Elation

Crab of Penetration

Koi of Gravitation

Squirell of Mischief

Movement box

Dragonfly of Motion (alpha)

Dog of Adoration

Horse of Transportation

Flamingo of Balance

Ferret of Curiosity

Panda of Transaction

Spider of Stagnation

Jellyfish of Transparency

Axolotl of Reflection

Bee of Subjection

Elemental box

Penguin of Temperature (alpha)

Phoenix of Combustion

Seal of Fluidity

Pegasus of Passion

Thunderbird of Electrification

Otter of Crystallization

Dragon of Storm

Shark of Liberation

Now, these weren't like this most of the time. It honestly depends on who was in charge of the box arrangements at that time. For example, the Snow Leopard was constantly being moved from the Timekeeper box to the Elemental box, and the Consciousness duo was in the Emotion box before they separated the duos.

[secret-library-of-tracy-island]

These are fics that are both beautiful in themselves but even more gorgeous as a pair.

Can’t find on tumblr so here are the AO3 links (sign up for an account if you can’t access the second one, it’s definitely worth it!)

Possible tissue warning and triggers for parental loss / isolation.

By @gumnut-logic

By @onereyofstarlight

[bethanythebogwitch]

Previously I’ve discussed the real-life inspirations for all fish Pokémon, all other aquatic Pokémon, and all starter Pokémon. Now I’m going to cover all of the legendary and mythical Pokémon. I’ll be going through each generation on its own, so strap in, this is gonna take a while.

Generation 1 starts with our first legendary trio; the legendary birds Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. Uniquely among legendaries, they have regional variants in the form of Galarian Articuno, G Zapdos, and G Moltres. The Galarian versions have less lore than the originals, who are considered heralds of the season of winter (Articuno), spring (Zapdos), and summer (Moltres). While some legendary and mythical Pokémon are definitely unique beings, it seems possible that the legendary birds may have populations and enough diversity for a group to become genetically isolated in Galar and diverge from their counterparts in other regions over many generations. Alternatively, the similarity of the original and Galarian birds may be a coincidence and they are actually unrelated. The birds are all based on different legendary bird creatures in mythological traditions from around the world and on real bird species.

Articuno is the one that’s hardest to pin down to a specific real-life myth. It seems to be more of an original creation made to fill in the trio as compared to Zapdos and Moltres having very distinct mythological bases. That being said, it could draw inspiration from a few myths of more benevolent birds who live on mountains, including the Persian simurgh and Chinese fenghuang. In terms of real birds, it most closely resembles the white-throated magpie-jay, which shares the light blue and white coloration and the three-pointed head crest of Articuno.

(image id: a white-throated magpie-jay. It is a songbird with a light blue back and wings and a white face and underbelly. A black line goes around its neck. It has a medium-length pointy beak. A tuft of blue feathers comes from its head)

Its long tail feathers look like those of a male resplendent quetzal, but blue instead of green.

(image id: a male resplendent quetzal. It is a bird with bright green feathers and a red underbelly. Its tail feathers are exceptionally long and white and green)

Interestingly, both of those species live in central America. Galarian Articuno is still fairly similar to the original and probably has the same real life birds as a basis. Its facial feathers also look like a masquerade mask. The mythical bird Galarian Articuno is based on is a cockatrice, an English monster that is a hybrid of rooster and retile. G Articuno can fire a beam from its eyes that paralyzes enemies and the cockatrice had the power to petrify other beings by (depending on which version of the legend you’re listening to) touching, breathing on, or looking at a target.

(image id: a cockatrice carking on a window. It looks like a dragon with a long, thick tail, bird-like hind limbs, a pair of bat-like wings, and the head of a rooster)

Zapdos’s mythological basis is the thunderbird, originating from a legends shared by many Native American cultural groups of North America. The thunderbird is a giant bird who brings storms, with some versions of the legend saying that the beat of its wings creates thunder and lightning flashes from its eyes. The thunderbird is usually viewed positively, as a symbol of strength.

(image id: a totem pole, the top of which features a carving of a thunderbird. It is a highly stylistic depiction of an eagle with black and white wings and a large head and large, curved beak)

By contrast, another mythical bird associated with lighting that may also have inspired Zapdos is the Zulu impundulu or lightning bird, which is considered a monster. These birds were born when lighting strikes the ground and had magical powers and a thirst for blood. This certainty fits Zapdos’s violent nature more than the Thunderbird does. As for real birds, I initially thought of some kind of crane or stork, but between its long beak, short wings, and violent nature actually points to a hummingbird of all things. Yeah, hummingbirds are pretty violent. When you need to eat 2-3 times your weight in nectar every day you’ll end up having to fight over flowers just to survive. In fact, hummingbirds are so violent that the Aztecs associated them with Huitzilopochtli, god of war and the sun.

(image id: an Allen's hummingbird. It is a very small bird with a long, skinny beak. Its head and most of its body are a dull orange color. Part of its chest is white and its throat is red. Its wings are in motion and obscured by motion blur)

Galarian Zapdos is a ratite. Ratites are a group of primitive flightless birds that include ostritches, emus, and cassowaries among others. G Zapdos’s long beak points it toward one particular ratite: the kiwi. Yeah, Zapdos likes to be a badass version of now very intimidating birds. G Zapdos fighting mainly with kicks is fitting as most ratites are capable of delivering very powerful kicks. Its speed references roadrunners, who can fly but are faster while running. As far as I can tell, G Zapdos isn’t based on any myths.

(image id: a kiwi standing in grass. It is a small bird with a round, brown body and no visible wings. Its head is small, round, and brown. It has a long, skinny beak)

Moltres is based on mythical flaming birds like the phoenix, firebird, and the vermillion bird. The phoenix appears in Greek mythology and is an immortal bird that dies in fire and is reborn from its own ashes. The phoenix may have been inspired by the older Egyptian god Bennu, a god of the sun, creation, and rebirth that appeared as a bird. The firebird features in Slavic folklore where it either glows like fire or is actually on fire. It can be a harbinger of both good and bad luck, like how Moltres heralds the coming of summer but can also start wildfires.

(image: a painting of the firebird by Boris Zvorykin. The bird is similar in appearance to a peacock, with a long neck and a head with three feathers rising from it as a crest. The tail is long and features many eyespots. The whole bird is red and orange, making it look like it is made of fire. It holds a fruit on one foot. The background is a castle behind some trees)

The vermillion bird is one of the four symbols of Chinese mythology, legendary animals that are associated with cardinal directions and constellations. The vermillion bird represents south and the element of fire in the Taoist five elements. It is said to look like a red pheasant that is cloaked in flame. In terms of real birds, Moltres’s long beak and neck makes it look like a heron.

(image: a gray heron. It is a large bird with a grey and black body and wings. Its legs are long and orange. Its neck is as long as its body. The neck and head a re white and it has black above the eyes. Its beak is long, pointy, and orange. It is standing on the ground in a marsh)

Herons are associated with wetlands, a bit ironic for a firebird like Moltres. Galarian Moltres mostly just looks like the edgelord version of Moltres, but its new beak shape makes it look like a cormorant. Another aquatic bird for the fire birdy. Its ability to inflict exhaustion seems to be a pun on the phycological condition of burnout. Like G Zapdos, G Moltres doesn’t seem to be based on any particular mythological bird other than an evil phoenix or the darker aspects of the firebird.

Finishing out gen I is the Mew duo consisting of Mew and Mewtwo. Fun fact: the reason why Mewtwo comes before Mew in the Pokedex is that Mew was originally not going to be present at all, but some last-minute data cleanup freed up enough space to fit a new Pokémon in. There was not enough time to make a way to encounter it, so it became the first mythical Pokémon when special events were set up to give it out. And so a tradition was started that meant if you weren’t in the right place at the right time, it became impossible to actually catch ‘em all.

Mew is based on an embryo in reference to evolutionary developmental biology or evo devo. This is the field of study that examines development in different organisms to infer their evolutionary relationship. One method of doing this is comparing embryological development. By examining how embryos develop you can infer some things about that species’ history. For example, because human embryos develop a tail and then reabsorb it, it can be inferred that our ancestors had tails. You can also compare the embryos of two separate organisms to get an idea of when their ancestors diverged by seeing when their embryological development changes. For example, the embryos of mammals and reptiles stay similar for longer than the embryos of mammals and fish. This can tell us that mammals and reptiles diverged from each other more recently than either diverged from fish.

(image id: a scientific diagram showing the embryological development of multiple species of vertebrate at different stages. The depiscted species are a fish, a salamander, a turtle, a bird, and some kind of mammal. The diagram points out similar features in the earliest stages: gill slits, tails, and eyes. Source)

One of the earliest versions of this science came from the scientist Ernst Haeckle’s idea that ontology recapitulates phylogeny. He studied embryos and noticed that the embryos of more similar animals diverge later than those of less similar animals. He thought that an embryo would pass through all the stages of its ancestors. For example, he thought that a mammal embryo would become a fish, then become and amphibian, then become a reptile, before finally becoming a mammal. He was incorrect, but wasn’t that far off and his ideas helped pave the way for evo devo as a field. Mew allegedly being the ancestor of all Pokémon makes it the Pokémon world’s last universal common ancestor. LUCA in real life was a unicellular organism that gave rise to all current life. LUCA wasn’t necessarily the only thing alive at its time. Other organisms likely existed but their descendants died out while LUCA’s descendants survived. Mew could also be the first universal common ancestor, which would make it the first living organism from which all others diverged, both those who survived and those who went extinct. It weird that the Pokémon world’s LUCA or FUCA is apparently a mammal while plenty of its descendants are not only not mammalian, many aren’t even vertebrates, aren’t even animals, or are inanimate objects or supernatural beings. Mew looks like a jerboa with its large hind legs and long tail, though its head looks like a cat’s.

(image id: a jerboa standing on sand against a black background. It is a small mammal with a round body and a large head. Its hind legs are very long and hold it off the ground. Its forelimbs are very small and are held off the ground. Its tail is long and slender. Its fur is sandy on top and white on the underbelly)

It was confirmed in an interview that its name does not come from the English onomatopoeia for a cat sound. Mew was also designed as a simpler version of Mewtwo, an inverse of how it happened in-universe.

While the birds may be legendary Pokémon, Mewtwo is THE legendary Pokémon. Mewtwo retains many of the embryo characteristics of Mew, but it is much larger and appears more mature. This is due to its origin as a modified clone of Mew. It was modified using recombinant DNA. This occurs when methods such as CRISPR are used to insert gene sequences into a DNA strand to create new sequences that would not have occurred naturally. Because these gene sequences do not occur in nature, they can be used to produce artificially modified creatures such as goats that can produce spider silk proteins in their milk or cats that glow in the dark. DNA recombination is mostly over my head as I don’t know much about genetics, but as the technology improves, we will start seeing some potentially world-changing new technologies and organisms and will have to face some tough decisions about what the technology should and should not be used for. Mewtwo being so powerful and violent points to stories where genetic engineering is used to create monsters. Think Stories like Biohazard (AKA Resident Evil) where genetic engineering is used to make undead and mutates monstrosities or Star Trek, where genetically-engineered supermen battled for supremacy in the eugenics wars. Genetic engineering being played for horror more than it is played for good in fiction. This leans over to real life where genetically engineered crops are helping combat starvation worldwide yet are demonized as frankenfoods. Interestingly, the note you can find about Mewtwo says that Mew gave birth to it. This is closer to real-life cloning where cloned animals are born normally. In all other depictions, Mewtwo goes with the common fictional depiction of cloning where it is born as an adult in a tube. Mewtwo also drawn from stories of aliens, especially the common grey alien, which are often depicted as being psychic. This grey alien origin is more prominent in mega Mewtwo Y. Y also takes more after Mew in being more embryo-like and I think it might also draw from the starchild in 2001: a Space Odyssey. Mega Mewtwo X goes the other direction and appears to be more mature than the original, with increased musculature.

[gumnut-logic]

Under the beach tent

This one is for March of the OCs and @gaviiadastra​ It is not much, just a rambling scene that wrote itself. It doesn’t go anywhere or do anything, but it is Gordon and Sam and some friends and brothers.

Kermadec AU, after Minerva and before Kermadec Whales, but with no whales or dolphins involved (though I was tempted :D ) Also, I should add a warning for romance with Scott/OC, but they are really only scenery...much commented on scenery.

I hope you enjoy.

-o-o-o-

“So, do you think they’ve forgotten we’re here?” Gordon took a sip of his mocktail and stared out into the surf.

“Who?” Sam had his foot up on the edge of the blow-up pool. His other foot was dumped on the sand to his left, lest it catch the plastic and put an end to their spa.

Well, it wasn’t really a spa. More of a kids inflatable swimming pool half buried in sand and topped up with a mixture of sea and hot spring water, courtesy of Raoul’s highly active volcano.

Gordon shifted where he sat, a smile curving around the bamboo straw in his mouth. “Oh, Scotty and Mel.”

Sam snorted. “Forgotten, no. I think they just think we can’t see them.”

The surf was on the calmer end of Oneraki Beach’s wave action spectrum. A simple solid swell, built somewhere near Tracy Island or Tonga beyond, that was rolling in at a regular beat. It was perfect for surfing and along with the equally perfect weather, had made up a perfect day to drop in on some friends.

Even Johnny had come down, and after spending sometime showing off in the body surfing stakes, was now snoring in Thunderbird One’s shadow.

Earlier Gordon had slipped past him and gently placed a large sun hat on his face.

Because he could.

The knocked-together spa Sam and Gordon were currently lazing in was also in One’s shadow. Not the most orthodox use of one of the world’s premiere rescue vehicles, but it did make a great beach tent.

Secretly Gordon thought Two made an even better one, but he was saving that line until he needed it. Had to have two elder brothers in the same room to get that argument up and running.

He grinned to himself nonetheless.

“You know, I really think she’s fallen for your big bro.”

Gordon arched an eyebrow at his friend. “You think so?”

Sam turned to look at him. “Well, it’s been, what, six months?”

A calculation in his head. “I guess.” Come to think of it, he wasn’t aware of Scott straying anywhere else during that time. Hadn’t even picked up any new phone numbers. Even those thrown at him.

“He’s been very patient.” Sam slurped his drink, an orange and purple concoction that Gordon was determined to try next.

“What do you mean?”

“You know. She’s been alone this long for a reason.”

Gordon frowned. “What reason?”

“Her job. The isolation. Her obsession with these islands.”

“She can be challenging. I’ll give you that. Only person I ever saw Dad back down from.”

“Really?”

“Yep. That was a day.” He grinned. “Why do you think he sent me to liaise when we moved in and didn’t do it himself?”

“Weren’t you like fourteen or something when you moved out here?”

“Yeah. Don’t worry, Virg played escort.” He sucked on his straw. “Half the reason why she wanted to climb him like a tree.”

“Well, she’d climbing another one of your brothers right now.”

“I think I’m scarred for life.” He screwed up his face. Those two definitely thought they couldn’t be seen standing in waist deep surf and behind One’s fuselage. His brother was obviously distracted if he was making such a tactical error. Not that they were doing anything risqué, but they were definitely very involved with each other.

Gordon was happy for the both of them. They were both lonely and if they found something together, it couldn’t be anything but a good thing.

“How’s things with you and your ladyship?”

He glared at Sam. “Fine, thank you very much. And her name is Penelope.”

“Oh, it’s like that is it?”

“Yes, it is.”

Sam giggled.

“Shut up.”

“Why? It’s so entertaining to see you squirm.”

“Do I need to chat to Liam?”

“To what? Find out all our secrets?” He snorted. “Go for it.” Sam went back to his drink.

“God, no. I’m traumatised enough with those two out there.” He waved his hand in the general direction of his big brother and his scientist friend who were now attempting a mutual tonsillectomy.

“You should have invited her over. We would love to spend some time with her.”

“And what, tell her all my secrets?”

An arched eyebrow. “You have secrets?”

“What? I live on a secret island!”

“From which you launch rockets, on the Kermadec Ridge, one of the most seismically active and most monitored regions on the planet.”

“That’s exactly why we’re here! Camouflage!”

Sam grinned. “Calm down. I’m not after your secret stuff.” He twisted his lips. “Though you might want your genius engineer to double check that camouflage up against our latest sensors. I’m guessing it is Thunderbird Three that is messing with the readings.”

Gordon stared at him. “What?”

Sam took another sip of his drink. “Not worth panicking over. We only noticed it last week when the first of them were installed. Not one hundred percent sure, but worth checking. And before you think we’re into Tracy Island espionage, we just matched the readings up with the news reports. We think it’s Three, but I could be wrong.”

“Thanks.” It was a sobering thought.

“But today is a work free zone, so I’m changing the topic. Mel has probably reported it to your commander via Morse code on his uvula anyway.”

“Thank you for that gross image.”

“You’re welcome.”

Gordon stretched out in the water, wonderfully warm. The day was a beautiful one, but relaxing in volcanic springwater was something to be done down here at any time.

On his pile of dry sand, further under One, John snorted and rolled over, dropping the sunhat and face-planting into it.

Well, there was the benefit of wearing a sunhat in the shade. So kindly supplied by a younger brother.

Turning in the opposite direction of his sleeping brother, Gordon spied two figures finally returning from their walk up the beach.

Virgil had traded his usual flannel for a linen shirt and his jeans for swim shorts. Both arms were sporting the forearm crutches he still had to use in the wake of his leg injuries from months before. The crutches had been fitted with sand traction and he still seemed to be moving okay.

Scott had refused to let him wander up the beach alone with his camera, hence Alan walking along beside him.

It would have been Scott in Alan’s place, but a quick word to Mel had her distracting his overprotective brother.

Gordon had been prepared to go with, but Alan jumped in and off they went, Virgil muttering something about foliage, black sand, and colour contrasts.

Alan was likely to come back with a degree in colour theory.

But the two were talking animatedly and Virgil had that look that usually pre-empted his next series of amazing artwork.

Gordon found himself smiling.

“Looks like the plein-air partnership has returned. Give me a hand prepping their pool.”

“Sure, gimme two.” Sam reached over and grabbed his foot, sliding it smoothly over his stump and strapping it on.

Gordon clambered out of the warmth of the springwater and grabbed his towel. “Bucket duty time.”

The hot springs gushed naturally out of the sand at the top of the beach. The water was quite hot, so had to be mixed with a little sea water to lower the temperature to a comfortable level. Earlier in the day, the brothers, Sam and Mel had dug a couple of depressions in the sand, plopped in a couple of inflatable pools and filled them with a mixture of hot and cold water. Gordon loved to sit his butt in the mineral rich warmth. The steam coming off the beach was atmospheric - particularly on cold and cloudy days where it fogged up.

Today there was just a little steam and the sunshine. But the pools did need a little maintenance and for one of the thankfully few times in his life, Virgil wasn’t up for much heavy lifting.

So Gordon and Sam did the bucket carrying and by the time Virgil and Alan were within hearing distance, a fresh, warm bath awaited.

Virgil did look like he needed it.

Gordon had availed himself of these springs in the past for a very similar reason. It had been Sam and Virgil doing the shovelling and bucket carrying back then.

Out in the surf, Scott had turned and moved to where he could see the shore.

Gordon ignored him and hoped Mel could distract him back into tonsil hockey.

Virgil is fine. Take a break. Maybe get a room.

Apparently, Virgil was more than fine, the grin on his face fit to split something.

“Find yourself some pretty pictures?”

To Gordon’s surprise, it was Alan who answered. “You should see it, Gordy! So many coloured flowers against the black sand.”

Gordon stared at his little brother. Maybe Alan did get an art education on the beach. “Yeah?” He looked at Virgil.

“I found it inspirational.” Yes, there was light in his brother’s eyes.

“Great!” He gestured at the second pool as Sam emptied in a last bucket of hot water. “Take a load off?”

Virgil grunted, his shoulders dropping. “Don’t mind if I do.”

Both Gordon and Alan helped him down into the water, Alan talking about bindweed and pokey trees and birds the entire time.

It wasn’t often Alan took a lot of interest in wildlife, but apparently today it was the topic.

Gordon was hard pushed to hide the smile.

Second biggest brother now happily situated, Alan still babbling beside him, Gordon stepped up to the makeshift ‘bar’ - a storage crate from One’s cargo hold with a handful of mocktail ingredients stashed on it - and concocted a drink their resident artist would enjoy. He handed that and Alan’s favourite to his reclining brothers.

He then refreshed Sam and his own and returned to his little cocoon of lovely warm water.

Virgil relaxed back and sighed, drink in hand. “This is the life.”

Gordon held up his drink. “To Raoul and all her wonderful inhabitants and conveniences.”

Sam, who had plopped in beside him, again throwing his foot back onto the sand, held up his glass, paper umbrella and all. “To Raoul!”

Both Alan and Virgil shouted, “To Raoul!”

John rolled over onto his belly and began drooling into the sunhat.

Scott was now in even deeper water and much more distracted than even before.

Gordon couldn’t help but grin even more.

“To Raoul.”

-o-o-o-

[the13thtraveler]

The True History of Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

With the new wizard game recently released, I wanted to share a re-write of the history I created for Ilvermorny before JRK got her mitts into it. My version has been re-done to conform more with what canon I could use (Houses, location) but attempts to make it better. FYI I am not First Peoples so hopefully my representations of them were respectful. And as always, much love to @americanwizarding for inspiring me to make my own American canon (and letting me use some of their own creations for my canon too).

Born in 1603 Elias Sayre was the youngest child of William and Rionach Sayre, an Irish Pure-Blood Family. The Sayre’s traced their history back centuries and counted among their ranks the legendary witch Morrigan on William’s side and Salazar Slytherin on Rionach’s. While they did not share the same level of rabid blood supremacy as other members of their extended family did, the Sayre’s were not the type to mingle with Muggles and Muggle-Borns.

Elias’ first disappointed his family when attending Hogwarts as he was sorted into Hufflepuff, breaking the long tradition of Sayres being proud Gryffindors. His time at Hogwarts was unremarkable as he did not try out for Quidditch and excelled at charms and transfiguration over battle magic and curses. Most of his family wrote Elias off as a black sheep and expected nothing much from him except to not embarrass the family name. Unfortunately Elias failed at this too.

Graduating from Hogwarts in 1619 he traveled to London and took up with the Muggle-Born community there. Elias became a strong advocate for Muggle rights including votes for Muggle and Magical women, abolition, and general equality. While his parents were able to overlook his bleeding heart approach, his extended family could not bear to extend him the same courtesy. His great aunt, Gormlaith Gaunt, especially hated Elias viewing him as a blight on the family tree. It was when Elias made a public proposal of marriage to a Muggle woman that Aunt Gormlaith took matters into her own hands.

The Sayres and the Gaunts had a substantial fortune between them and Gormlaith used some of the money to hire mercenary wizards to murder her nephew Elias. What Gormlaith (and Elias’ parents) did not know was that Elias was a Seer, a mage with the power to see the future. Elias had witnessed his Aunt’s betrayal and so forewarned withdrew a large amount of money from his family’s Gringotts account and fled England for the new world on the easiest ship to board: the Mayflower. Giving the fake name of Elias Story, Elias traveled across the Atlantic to hopefully find a new life in the New World.

During the long journey Elias realized that he would find no friends or allies among the Puritans and so the 18 year old fled Plymouth Colony for the western wilds of Massachusetts. He had heard about the various native tribes that lived in the Americas, but seeing how they were treated by the colonists led Elias to be fearful of them and so for three years he avoided all contact with anyone, hiding himself with his magic. Elias made his home atop the tallest point in Massachusetts, Mount Greylock, in a stone cottage well protected from detection both magical and mundane. He christened his new home Ilvermorny after his own childhood home, and was determined to make it a place of hope and love like he had never known.

During his isolation Elias learned about and even befriended several magical creatures of the region. He had a few polite conversations with Pukwudgies, had pet and ridden a Snallygaster, and beheld the magnificent migration patterns of the Thunderbird. The Thunderbirds held a special place in Elias’ heart as they used Mount Greylock as a roost during their travels across the continent. While at first weary of him, the Thunderbirds grew to trust Elias and he was able to harvest some of their tail feathers for study.

It was during one of his foraging expeditions that Elias came upon a group of No-Maj Mohican hunters (No-Maj is the American term for Muggle, short for No-Magic) who were being set upon by a Hidebehind. This beast had already killed several of the party as its pelt and natural invisibility made it almost impossible for No-Majs to fight it. Elias however made short work of the monster and dispatched it with his magic. The hunters, while obviously and rightly suspicious of a European with magic, thanked Elias and asked him to accompany them to speak with their chief Etow Oh Koam. It was with great trepidation that Elias agreed.

Elias found that he had little to worry as he was warmly welcomed by the Mohican tribe of western Massachusetts. Etow Oh Koam had three children who were all No-Maj-Born and was delighted to learn that there were other practitioners of magic from other parts of the world. This moment would be life-changing and some would argue world-changing as Elias’ eyes set upon the chief’s daughter Tahawus. It was love at first sight for both and Elias would make a point of meeting with the tribe as often as possible to have a chance of meeting Tahawus. The perfect opportunity provided itself for Elias to visit often, for Etow Oh Koam suggested a trade of magical knowledge and Elias was all too glad to accept.

While Elias had never before made a wand he knew of the process and already possessed a wide range of magical supplies. North America was full of new magical creatures from the dragon-like Snallygaster to the noble Horned Serpent. Elias had collected a sizable amount of suitable cores and so for a whole month made five wands for the Mohican’s magical members. Widely accepted as the first American made wand, the wand of Red Maple and Horned Serpent Horn that Elias presented to Tahawus was said to be as powerful as it was beautiful. Elias had poured his heart into it and offered it as a token of his love, which was happily accepted. When Elias asked Etow Oh Koam for his daughter’s hand in marriage the chief was confused for Tahawus was in fact two-spirit, they were one of few who though born of one gender preferred the social customs and responsibilities of the other. Elias was unfazed and history records his reply as simply “my heart has never led me astray”. Tahawus, who had been frightened that Elias would respond with revulsion and horror, was said to have produced magic of such beauty and joy with their wand that those who witnessed it believed that the spirits themselves were blessing the happy couple. They were soon married and Tahawus moved in with their husband Elias into their cottage.

Their marriage was a joyous one and as they could not have children of their own they adopted two young Mohican mages whose parents had died due to a magical disease. Elias and Tahawus took care of Alawa (girl) and Ahanu (boy) as if they were their own, and Elias taught them the ways of wandwork and European magic. It was here Elias found his calling and began offering his knowledge to all magical members of the tribe as well as those from neighboring tribes that had pacts with the Mohican. For all of them Elias made wands and taught them spells of protection and concealment so that they might preserve their own tribes from No-Majs coming to steal their lands. Elias found a use for the stolen money he had brought with him and purchased land on Mount Greylock for himself. 

Alawa and Ahanu had always been enchanted by their father’s stories of Hogwarts far across the ocean and so desired to have their own version here. Elias agreed and so Tahawus suggested they each found their own house, not named after themselves but after their favorite magical creatures. Fierce and fiesty Alawa chose the Wampus, calm and thoughtful Ahanu chose the Horned Serpent, kind and gentle Tahawus chose the Pukwudgie, and adventurous and wise Elias chose for himself the Thunderbird. For a while the school flourished among the native tribes of the region until a magical explorer stumbled upon the cottage after fleeing a Hidebehind. Amazed by what he saw he traveled back to the Colonies and shared his information. Not long after this tales of a school of magic hidden in western Massachusetts reached the ears of magical colonists up and down the coast and soon Elias found European families petitioning him to educate their children too. Realizing what was happening Elias and Tahawus used their magic to grow their home from a humble cottage into a large castle atop a mountain. While it would undergo numerous renovations in the coming centuries Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry would open its doors officially in 1630, becoming the first European styled school of magic in North America.

Unfortunately, word of the school passed beyond the Colonies and back to the old world. When Gormlaith Gaunt heard the tale of a young man Elias who was married to a two-spirit (a Native American and a No-Maj-Born at that!) she became apoplectic with rage. Horrified that this indignity would destroy the name of her family she herself set off to the New World with the intention of hunting down her nephew, destroying him and his “unnatural” family, and ensuring that his legacy never be tied to the Sayre or Gaunt names. She disguised herself as William Sayre and traveled to the new world upon the Bonaventure, after which she stole into the American wilderness and headed north to Massachusetts.

It was on a late summer night in 1634 when Gormlaith Gaunt reached Mount Greylock and Ilvermorny. Traveling up she called out to her nephew, lying that she had come to seek forgiveness for her earlier transgressions. In his kindness Elias stepped out to see her and then she struck. It is said that the battle lasted for almost an hour. As soon as Gormlaith attacked Elias, Tahawus burst from their home roaring with rage and joined the battle, along with their adopted children. While they fought four against one, Gormlaith proved herself stronger and more dangerous. Elias and Tahawus fought to not only stop her but to protect their children, and Gormlaith used that against them. Targeting the children with a dark curse Elias threw himself in front of them taking the full brunt of the blast which almost killed him. One down Gormlaith moved forward for the kill, and that is when the Thunderbirds arrived. Witnesses to the battle from afar noted that the early stages looked like a thunderstorm atop the mountain, and that its finale was like a storm of fury and rage. Called by their supernatural sense for magical danger the Thunderbirds swarmed Mount Greylock and with a mighty and collective flap released a bolt of lightning so powerful and so concentrated that it reduced Gormlaith Gaunt to dust in a moment. All that remained of the wicked Aunt was a charred stick that had been her wand and a few twisted bits of jewelry.

Elias made a quick recovery tended by Tahawus and his children and the winds scattered Gormlaith’s ashes to the four corners of the world. Elias felt such a strong dedication to the Thunderbirds that saved his family that after his recovery he built permanent nesting grounds for them and to this day a flock of Thunderbirds still call Ilvermorny their part-time home.

News of the battle quickly spread and made its way back to England. Elias’ parents were shocked by the brutal actions of Gormlaith, but they were also proud of how their son defended his home and his family. While they didn’t openly approve of his marriage or his views, a letter to Elias arrived a few months after the battle. His parents had written to him an apology for never believing in him and for driving him away. Though they knew they would most likely never see each other again, they wanted their son to know that they were proud of him, proud of the family he loved and protected, and proud of the school he built. Elias would never speak of the letter but it still hangs preserved and framed in the Headmaster’s office to this day. 

Elias and Tahawus lived well into their hundreds, staving off Arcane Governor William Stoughton and his Scourers during the American Wizarding Revolution and witnessing the founding of the Magical Confederation of the United States of America. When they passed away together in 1718 President Charity Wilkinson (Wampus) declared a national day of mourning and remembrance for the two beloved educators. Alawa and Ahanu both went on to form their own families who produced children of magical power. Today, the current Headmistress Isabella Ingersoll is a direct descendant of Ahanu and the Sayre line.

[abyssalthreads]

It would appear Yaval had vanished after his near-death experience. after he scuffled with a fallen, among a few other things that happened shortly after...

And seemed to have returned a changed man.

But something about his presence seemed to have darkened. A strange sense of innocence that was stripped away during his time being isolated from everyone.

With a glance in those eyes, anyone could tell that a storm was brewing deep inside.

Something just wasn't right.

The thunderbird has returned...

[gloryundimmed]

@rotinthedark continued from here

The hitman hitched a dark eyebrow as Sebastian told him off, a hint of a smile curling his lips. This guy was sort of a prick, but he didn’t mind— it was nice to have a smoking partner, willing or not. He took a drag of his cigarette and let it out into the crisp mountain air.

“Ok, ok, if ya really don’t want to talk, I won’t make ya talk.” He shrugged, knowing just how deeply family could hurt someone. It was an intimate knowledge of the subject, one that kept him up at night. “But ya don’t own this smokin’ spot. I’m pretty sure I can smoke wherever th’ hell I want to.”

Kai took the last drag of his cigarette before putting it out on the bottom of his boot. “Plus, what’s wrong with a little company now and again, huh? Pelican Town is isolated as fuck. I get you’re upset, but I’d expect anyone here t’ be chompin’ at the bit to meet someone new. Especially someone with the same hobby.”

He was, of course, referring to smoking, but Kai had an inkling they were more alike than Sebastian would be willing to admit. “I’ve seen ya ridin’ your bike, too. It’s pretty fuckin’ sweet, but not nearly as sweet as my Thunderbird.” The hitman gave the other man a smirk, trying to egg him on a little. Maybe he’d open up if they talked about their wheels. After all, in a town this small, striking up conversation with the locals was one of the few pastimes available.

[mrmustachious]

For Gordon’s birthday, I decided to put together a rec list of a bunch of Gordon fics I love! There are so many more I could rec, so these are just a few of the amazing fics out there. Feel free to add your faves too, whether that be your own ones you’ve written or fics by others you love! I’m sure Gordon would approve of sharing the love 💛

List below the cut because it got loooong

AO3

-Stars in the Sea by Fyoex

The Tracy family thought the hydrofoil accident had been left far behind them. But head trauma is a fickle beast that isn’t quite ready to let go.

-Scenes from Gordon’s Bedside by @gaviiadastra

One-shot exercises, connected by a family grieving, hoping, and trying to make sense of why. Blended Universe

-Gordon & Explosive Device & Storage Unit by @strongerwiththepack

Gordon's in trouble when an underwater storage facility explodes with him still inside.

(Note: I requested this so I am a little biased!)

-Risky Rockpools by @strongerwiththepack

The Tracy family get a reality check when they remember that living on an isolated island in the middle of the South Pacific ocean isn't actually all that safe.

-Being Gordon Tracy by @psychoseal

Gordon’s life story!

-Malfunction by shadowfox8

Gordon is enjoying some time in the ocean when Thunderbird 4 decides to play some tricks, giving our loveable prankster decompression sickness.

-Where the mermaids live by @fallenfurther

Gordon decides to cheat on an important test but is caught by the school bullies. They are happy to let him keep the grade as long as he does something for them. Gordon knows he's getting in deeper than he should, but the consequences go far beyond what he expected.

-The Most Dangerous Game by @godsliltippy

Scott and Gordon find themselves unwilling participants.

-Motionless by @godsliltippy

One can never expect a rescue mission to go smoothly when Langstrom Fischler is involved. Gordon knows this and yet, that information does him no good when lives are at stake and it's his job to get everyone out safely.

-Every time it snows by allandmore

A simple mountain rescue goes wrong for International Rescue. Gordon battles the elements and his memories, and Scott has a tough decision to make.

-An Aquanaut Walks Into a Bar... by Corby

Gordon has a conversation in a bar, and Virgil has strong opinions about that. Childhood memories, and the stories we tell ourselves and others.

-Picnic by ThatGirlSix

Every Tracy has a type of job they hate, be them car crashes, hotel fires, mine collapses, whatever. Gordon absolutely hates tornadoes with a passion. No, really, he hates tornadoes. His life would be so much better if they never did another tornado job ever again. The rest of the family is starting to think so, too.

-Consequences by @tracybirds

Gordon is in a bit of a bind, and the older bros will need to help him out of it in a big way.

-Tears Of The Ocean by @janetm74

The ocean is a harsh mistress and Gordon has been burned by her. Will Scott be able to help him get through this? A pre-iR, military bro's fic.

FF

-No Accidents by Glazier Blue

Gordon thought the Hydrofoil crash was behind him. But there was a lot more to his "accident" than his family realised. It looks like the past with WASP has come back to finish what it started. Now Gordon's life hangs in the balance. Can his family stop history from repeating it self?

-Conformity by Figure in black

It was nothing...just a small boy grasping onto his understanding of language. He would soon grow out of it...

-My Brother’s Pain by FABThunderbird

Virgil and Gordon are both exhausted after a dangerous rescue. On their way home Virgil notices that Gordon is not only dealing with an injury, but he sees his brother struggling to open up about what he had witnessed during this rescue.

-Look Before You Reach by nhsweetcherry

Gordon experiences trouble on a rescue - all because he dropped his watch!

-A Tangled Web by crystalquirt

Something has caused heat and trace amounts of radiation in the deep sea. Thinking it volcanic, Gordon takes Thunderbird Four to be sure after John detected an unusual amount of dead sea life in the area. The water around the phenomenon has turned brownish yellow, all the way up to the surface. One species still thrive there.

My Fics!

Well I couldn’t make this without dropping some of my faves that I’ve written!

-Birthday Surprise

It's Gordon's birthday and the first one since his dad came home. He deserves a great day, doesn't he? Maybe not.

(Note: It’s his birthday, I had to include this one!)

-Into the Spider’s Nest

When Gordon comes across something he was never meant to see, he ends up tangled in a potentially deadly web made up of his worst nightmares. His chances of getting out dwindle with each passing day, but when he finds someone just as stuck as he is, they may end up becoming each other’s lifeline, as well as their only chance to make it home.

-Not Ever

Gordon has a confession to make, and Penelope feels like the worst girlfriend ever.

-Just Keep Swimming

A nice, relaxing day on Tracy Island leads to Gordon discovering something that shouldn't exist.

-Breathless

The one scene that was missing from the finale, plus all the scenes that led up to that moment.

-these drugs, they separate me from my mind

Gordon has big dreams. He is going to make it far, and knows he has what it takes to get there. Until one day he is offered an easier, faster way to get to where he wants to be. The only problem is it goes against everything he believes, but maybe he should take the opportunity whilst he has it?

-Sleep Under the Fish

One day, a strange boy appeared on Penelope's beach. And then he disappeared. Little did she know about the world that lived beneath the sea, and what that one encounter would open her up to. A Thunderbirds/Luca AU

To-read Recs

So I have yet to read any of these, but they are just a few of the fics I have marked for later that seem interesting! And I thought it would be fun to rec them in case others find them interesting too (yes I am behind on a lot of fics!)

-Live and learn by Scherzandro

Scott and his brother have been at odds since Gordon joined International Rescue a couple of months back, but when the pair are stranded in hostile territory they might just learn a thing or two about each other, if they live long enough...

-One Word by alchemistsarego

If Gordon Tracey was asked to describe his current situation in a single word, that word would be ‘uncomfortable’. Now of course being trapped in a volcanic cave with only his radio as a source of light while covered not only in his own sweat but his blood also, the word didn’t quite do what he was experiencing justice. In fact, there were many other words that would describe it better. Claustrophobic. Terrified. In agony, perhaps.

-Tracy Seaside Orchard and Farm by @gaviiadastra

An alternate universe. Gordon has a successful farm... and seems to have nothing to do with this International Rescue thing.

-The Heart of Te Fiti by Eraman

So this is gonna be a major AU which will mostly follow the plot of Moana/Vaiana with many changes. Gordon hears the sea calling him, but with his three older brothers missing and his father forbidding him from going near the ocean what is Gordon to do? He knows there is something he and Alan has to do, something only they can do but how can they when they are not allowed to leave?

-Terrors in Space by @godsliltippy

Just a routine space rescue. Sure. "Routine"

There’s soo so many more fics I could add here, but I need to stop at some point lol. But like I said, if anyone else has any more recs, they can drop them below. I’m sure there’s many fics even I haven’t read yet! Anyways, I hope at least someone found something here they like, and if you did, be sure to drop a comment on whatever you read 💛💛