#ask greenfinch
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đ (@quirklessnotworthless)
âGood to see youâre back from your mission, Pipsqueak.â
âTell me what you found on our target. I've been waiting anxiously for your report.â
#embidoesrp-bnhaarchives#This Illness Must Be Cured || Interactions#Carrier Crow Brings a Message! || Asks#quirklessnotworthless#The Greenfinch || QUIRKLESSNOTWORTHLESS || Midoriya Izuku
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I was so happy to see FMA:B is back and now Iâm watching it with my sister because sheâs old enough now and just. Gosh. What a show. Sheâs loving it so much and Iâm loving it so much (Iâve never fully rewatched it).
my favorite has always been just fma, mostly bc that first full arc really hit me more in the original series than brotherhood, but really?? both are just pieces of artwork i am SO EXCITED that this show is back on and i get to savor coming back to it!! frick!!!Â
and i bet its even better when you get to introduce it to someone whoâs never seen it!! ahhhhhhh thatâs so cool have loads of funÂ
#asks#sorry it took a full middle earth age to get to this ask ;-;#but yeah i am EXCITE#greenfinch-linnetbird
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hi tumblr! this is a short story draft Iâm working on, hope yâall enjoy
there once was a gentle giant named quan. he was large, as most giants are, with a body as slender and strong as a teak tree. his hair was like a dark pool of ink, and grew long and straight down his back. his thin eyes were a deep brown, and when he smiled his lovely smile, they crinkled.
quan lived in a rainy forest full of leafy trees that stretched as far as the eye could see. he loved the forest, and tended to it like it was his child. when humans came and tried to burn it or cut it, he scared them away. when animals came, he welcomed them with green tea and his finest lychees.
for a while, that was enough. the trees and the animals were all the love quan needed. they began to call him quan the lovely, for that was who he was; a seemingly bottomless vessel of love.
but it was not to last. slowly, sadness slipped into his life. âeven the trees have each other to love,â he thought. âI must content myself with being a witness to their joy. they might as well call me quan the lonely. all I want is to be loved. is that too much to ask?â
quan cried and cried, and the animals cried with him, for they hated to see their friend sad. after a while, a little greenfinch named mai pecked him on the shoulder and asked, âwell, have you tried making someone to love?â quan blinked, confused. âmaking someone? whatever do you mean, mai?â
mai chirped, âwell, you wish for a great love, is that right?â quan nodded. âbut only you know who your great love would be, so why donât you just create them? you have lived for a thousand years and have enough love in your hands to create a thousand hearts.â âI suppose you are correct,â quan said thoughtfully.
and off he went, with a new spring in his step and a plan brewing in his mind.
authorâs note: I hope you have a safe holiday break and get plenty of rest and relaxation. :) I might turn into a series, it was fun to write. Likes and follows are appreciated.
all my love, minh.
#writeblr#writers of tumblr#short story#original fantasy#asian writers#lgbtqia#new writers on tumblr#asian and queer
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New Yearâs Eve at Lakeside and home: Common Gulls, Greylag Goose, Green Woodpecker, Robin, Woodpigeon, Magpie and moreÂ
I took the first two pictures in this photoset of a view out the back and a Magpie on the roof visible from my room today. Both more pleasing tests with my new big lens, and it was interesting to see this Magpie chase off/have a slight tussle with fellow crow species a Jackdaw out the back as well.Â
When off for my last lunch time walk to Lakeside of 2021 I took in the bare trees out the front and in particular looked at a couple which go a really nice yellow in the autumn. I donât think Iâve photographed them since they sported the coloured leaves which doesnât seem long ago time is passing so fast but last year on New Yearâs Eve I remember taking a photo one of my last of the year of them in some sunshine. So I took and tweeted tonight on Dans_Pictures a photo of them among some others involving trees out the front. On another pleasant walk to end an amazing year of them I took the third, sixth and seventh pictures in this photoset of views at Lakeside and fifth of more lovely shelf fungi I have seen lately and lichen on a thin tree in the southern fenced off area. I also took the eighth picture in this photoset of views with nice bare tree scenes north of Lakeside on the way home.Â
With my traditional New Yearâs Day Lakeside bird year list building walk now just hours away should nothing go wrong the lunch time walk today could arguably be considered a bit of a rehearsal. Green Woodpecker seen in the fenced off area and the Common Gulls and a flying Greylag Goose still about excited me as they are birds that would be key year ticks tomorrow morning if I saw them. Last year I saw Greenfinch at Lakeside for the first time in a while on New Yearâs Eve and then it was one of the key birds I saw of my brilliant Lakeside walk to start 2021 so I am hoping it will repeat that with the Green Woodpecker a bird I frequently but donât always see in these opening walks of the year. But I have to consider I will be walking into quite a different world as it looks as though it will be quite an early morning walk with our plans for the rest of the day. I enjoyed seeing and hearing a beautiful Robin west of the bowl area which I took the fourth picture in this photoset of, a great connected bird moment this lunch time. I also took the final two pictures in this photoset of a dandelion and young Woodpigeon on the grass on the way back. The Woodpigeon part of a nice little group I saw well. I have enjoyed noticing more dandelions and daisies around lately a delight no matter the time of year.Â
There were some nice sky scenes I saw from my room this afternoon. I remember replying to a tweet from David Lindo a year ago asking what everyoneâs last bird of the year was with âMine was a nice Magpie at the top of a tree visible from my room just before dark.â and I believe the last species I saw today was a Magpie out the window. Will its cousin the Carrion Crow become my first bird of the year for the third year running tomorrow?Â
Just now I saw a large Grey Silverfish outside my room well getting a photo with my macro lens which I tweeted, I hadnât got a photo of one for a while and had seen a few little ones lately so thought another photo may be due. They like to hide especially when the light comes on so it feels good to be quick enough to capture one with my macro lens.Â
Wildlife Sightings Summary: Two of my favourite birds the Green Woodpecker and Great Crested Grebe, Moorhen, Greylag Goose, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Magpie, Jackdaw, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Robin, House Sparrow, Starling, Pied Wagtail well on the roof visible from my room and the Grey Silverfish.Â
Well thatâs the end of my wildlife and photography 2021, another amazing and incredible year for me with my highest ever amount of photos produced by far, probably the most words written on my nature experiences and my third highest ever amount of bird species, joint highest ever amount of butterfly species, second highest amount of dragonfly/damselfly species and joint highest ever amount of mammal species Iâve ever seen in a year. From the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and Tawny Owl seen together and Purple Hairstreaks at Lakeside to our adventures in Anglesey and one of my photos appearing on an episode of BBC Springwatch, it has been varied and unforgettable. Its always so rewarding to share it with others via social media, so thank you so much for all the interactions we have had this year it has helped make my year special. Happy New Year all.Â
#happy new year#moorhen#green woodpecker#common gull#robin#woodpigeon#collared dove#lesser spotted woodpecker#tawny owl#black guillemot#midgenado#springwatch#photography#bbc#uk#lakeside#lakeside country park#england#earth#nature#world#beautiful#lovely#photos#2021#year#birdwatching#2022#jackdaw#magpie
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Gotham ships as gods from greek or whatever mythology you'd like.
Hello, anon! Finally, I feel like I have my thoughts organized enough to respond to this. I didnât forget about you; your patience has been exemplary. Â
When I first got your ask, I attempted to find 1:1 correspondences from Greek mythology. This only worked for about 2 or 3 of my Gotham pairings; thereafter, I got aggravated and set it aside for about a week. I donât like to do anything by halves. During the second week I was holding onto this, I realized that it was easier to answer than I thought, as some of the Gotham writing Iâve done already has my takes on mythologies built in!
For just a few broad-strokes answers that donât appear in any of my fic, I can say that Oswald and Edward have personality traits and relationship features that make me think of Hades and Persephone. My 3 favorite ladies, Selina and Ivy and Bridgit, make me think of the Moirai (the Fates, Lachesis and Clotho and Atropos respectively, if youâre wondering which one is which). Tabitha and Barbara make me think of Ceyx and Halcyon. And, stepping a bit outside the Greek paradigm, Bruce and Jeremiah unquestionably make me think of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Thinking about Jim and Harv just vaults me into some of the sadder brothers-in-arms options out there, maybe Euryalus and Nisus.
Now, I mentioned that Iâve already written some fic that takes mythic/folkloric elements and correspondences (with regard to characterization and relationship dynamics) into accountâjust not necessarily from Greek or Roman sources:
When You Find It, Run, as the longest installment and one of the initial 4 kick-off stories in DDO, was always going to be a retelling of Tam Lin. Itâs one of the stories in that series that can be read as a stand-alone (it accounts for 132,000 words in a series that is cumulatively 320,000 words long). I built that particular plot thread gradually, and itâs really in the final chapters that it becomes obvious what I built up throughout the narrative. Oswald and Edward made an excellent Janet and Tam Lin, and I was pleased that a number of readers who were unfamiliar with the traditional ballad in its many forms were inspired to go look it up.
Gold Dust, one of the rare stand-alone projects in my overall backlog of Gotham fic, is a fusion with the world of His Dark Materials, in that the characters have daemons that operate more or less like daemons do in those novels (in no way is it a crossover; HDM characters do not appear in it). Dust is a thing thatâs known and present, as itâs a more âmodernâ take on the world of HDM by default. There are some extensions and theories Iâve implemented; I never got around to writing HDM fic in order to test them, so this seemed like as good a place as any. I pulled the names of the Gotham charactersâ daemons from world mythologies, folklore, and literature, casting my net a lot broader than HDMâs naming conventions for daemons. Oswaldâs kingfisher daemon has a Hungarian name, Eszter; Edwardâs raven daemon is named Desdemona (yes, thatâs a somewhat dark-humored reference to Othello, if you consider Edâs first major canonical crime). Gertrudâs daemon is revealed, via Oswaldâs ruminations, to have been a greenfinch named Ălmos (also drawing on her Hungarian origins); similarly, via Edâs POV, we learn Kristenâs daemon was a red admiral butterfly named Nestor. Tabitha has a species of spider-killing wasp (Abernessia capixaba) named Tybalt; Barbara has a damselfly named Eimar. Butch has a horned toad, Mira. Selina has an Abyssinian cat called Ovinnik, which is a reference to Slavic folklore. Ivy has a perpetually unsettled daemon due to what happened to her in the aging-up debacle, but she and her daemon have made piece with this shapeshifting; Damaris usually appears as a luna moth, but takes some other shapes in the fic (such as a Siamese cat, in order to taunt Ovinnik). Harv has an Irish terrier named Cara; Jim has a German shepherd named Sigyn. Fish has a jaguar known as Tezcatlipoca, Tez for short. Hugo Strange has a water monitor (lizard) named Gan. Zsasz has a wolf, name not given. Caroline and Vee, two of my OCs from DDO, have a passenger pigeon named Laetitia and a grasshopper mouse named Bechor (this name is Hebrew, since Vee comes from a Hispanic/Sephardic Jewish background). Olga has a tundra swan named Bogdan, about as Russian as you can get. Bruceâs daemon settled the night his parents died, which was more traumatic than cause for celebration; sheâs a barn owl named Taalumah (also Hebrew, since I write Bruce as Jewish), Taalu for short. Alfred has a red fox named Mathilde. The names of the Valeska twinsâ daemons do come from Greek mythology, which is why I wanted to end on these two. Jeremiahâs burrowing owl is named Theia, and Jeromeâs shrike is named Tethys (Theia and Tethys are both Titânes, Titans, in Greek mythology). I also cover the twinsâ parentsâ daemons, Paul Cicero with a pallid bat, Galatea, and Lila Valeska with her black-tailed python (a literal snake in canon, transformed here into a daemon) named Sheba. Lilaâs daemon is the only one with a name pulled from show canon.
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It Goes Like This Prologue: Diana
Next up of the Big Three, itâs mortal born Diana Prince! Well, more precisely, itâs the women who came before her, but sheâll show up properly soon enough.
---
âIâm sick of men.â
Not looking up from the financial reports she was going over, Antiope hummed in response to her sisterâs growled complaint.
âI mean it, An. Iâm sick of them - no more, I refuse to have anything else to do with those, those-â
âPigs,â Antiope offered.
âPigs!â Hippolyta agreed, throwing her hands up as she paced back and forth. âGood for nothing except thinking with their stomachs and their-â A knock at the office door interrupted her, causing both sisters to pause.
âCome in,â Antiope called, setting her reports down. One of their younger administrators poked her head past the door, looking excited.
âPardon the intrusion, maâams,â she said, âBut you have a visitor.â
Hippolyta grimaced. âIf itâs anyone male, tell them to wait an hour.â
âNo, Ms. Prince, itâs- well-â A hand reached past her to push the door open further, allowing a tall woman in an austere suit to stride through. Antiopeâs eyes grew wide as she immediately stood, and Hippolytaâs expression smoothed over into something pleased.
âAthena Pallas, what an unexpected surprise.â She extended a hand to shake with the head of Owl Enterprises, one of the few big-name tech companies with a woman in charge. Athena smiled back.
âI hope youâll forgive the abruptness of my arrival, Hippolyta, but my schedule had an unexpected opening and I thought Iâd see if we could move up next weekâs meeting,â the brunette explained.
âOf course, of course, please have a seat - this is my sister, Antiope, my right-hand woman.â
âDelighted to finally meet you in person, Antiope,â Athena said, exchanging one sisterâs hand for the other.
âLikewise- do you prefer Athena or Ms. Pallas?â
âAthena is fine - Iâd like to think weâre all sisters in arms, here,â the woman grinned. âEspecially if the two of you are willing to consider my offer of a merger.â
That caught their attention, and two pairs of steely grey eyes locked onto her as they all sat down. âWhat are you proposing, exactly?â
âAn upset in the status quo, as it were,â Athena purred. âA few close friends and I find ourselves in positions of individual power, but weâre constantly hampered by those who think less of us thanks to a biological difference - Iâm sure you both know what thatâs like.â
Hippolyta nodded with a disgusted huff, while Antiope kept her focus. âAnd what friends would these be?â
Athena smiled sharply. âDemeter Floros of Greenfinch Producers. Aphrodite Loveborne with Passion Advertising. Hestia Kokkinos of Hearthside Manufacturing. And my stepmother, Hera Argyris, whoâs recently taken charge of Olympian Industries with my fatherâs, ah, indisposition.â
Zeus Skysonâs sudden legal troubles, the sisters knew, meant his companyâs board of directors had seen fit to remove him from the position of CEO. What they hadnât known was that Athena apparently didnât mind working with her stepmother, contrary to tabloid gossip.
âThatâs, ah, quite an array of companies,â Antiope said slowly.
âPowerhouses in all their fields of business,â Athena agreed. âWhich is why weâd like to join forces with you ladies - we need financial managers capable of keeping us working together, of blending us into a proper conglomerate.â
The sisters exchanged a wide-eyed glance. â...why?â Hippolyta finally asked.
âWhy you?â
âWell, yes, but also - just why? What is the point? This canât just be solely for female solidarity - can it?â
Athena chuckled. âWell, that is one aspect to it, but beyond that we want to make a business model that takes care of our employees, turns a profit, and sees a great deal of that money go towards programs that help teenage runaways, abortion clinics, battered women, daycares, single mothers, foster homes, so on and so forth.â
âAmbitious,â Antiope muttered.
âWill you help us?â
There was a brief pause, before Hippolyta answered. âWeâll need to work out precise terms, but - yes. This sounds like something we want to be part of.â
Their guest beamed. âExcellent. Iâll start making arrangements for you to meet with the others - if we keep this quiet up until the moment we all move, weâll hopefully be able to keep the men on our various boards from being able to kick up a fuss.â
-P-
Amazingly, their plans went off without a hitch.
Working through Themyscira Financials, the women were able to put together their plans without arousing suspicions in their own companies. The announcement of the mass merger went out the same day they brought paperwork to their various boards, an ambush that left few able to protest.Â
Demeterâs company brought in the raw materials for Hestia and Hera to create Athenaâs architectural and technological innovations, which Aphrodite then marketed and sold. At the heart of it all, Hippolyta and Antiope kept crunching numbers, sorting out what profit needed to go back into the company, what went to their employees and shareholders, and the fifty percent that was put aside for the womenâs programs, shelters, and other institutions. Within two years, they saw impressive returns on their investments, with many of the people they helped becoming dedicated customers in return - some even applying to be hired by Paradise Incorporated, eager to help pass on the goodwill that theyâd been given.
Eventually, the group decided to establish a new headquarters - a company compound with offices and residential suites for all the on-site staff, within a reasonable commute distance to Metropolis. About that same time, Hippolyta, still sick of men, came to a decision.
âIâm going to have a baby.â
Not looking up from the financial reports she was going over, Antiope hummed in response to her sisterâs sudden announcement. Then the actual words sank in, and she blinked. âYouâre- sorry, what?â
âIâm going to have a baby,â Hippolyta said again. âIâve got an appointment at an artificial insemination clinic in two weeks.â
âOh for goodness sake, donât scare me like that,â her sister groaned. âI thought you meant you were already pregnant - which would be a trick and a half, considering you swore off men three years ago and havenât looked back since.â
Hippolyta snorted, moving to sit by her office window, the one that overlooked the enclosed park in the center of the Paradise compound. Six floors of tinted glass that absorbed light for solar power overlooked a couple of fish ponds, an in-house vegetable garden, various fruit trees and flower beds, and an open green. Women strolled or sat throughout the park, some with small children or friendly dogs, eating lunch or working on touchscreen pads or just enjoying the scenery. Paradise had some male employees, of course, but since their headquarters doubled as living space for women whoâd been hired out of their rehab and recovery programs, none but the fairer sex and their children were allowed inside.
(Some news media did their best to turn the discrimination fight onto them for the conglomerateâs blatant favoritism - Aphroditeâs ladies promptly put out numbers on their endeavors to support male survivors of abuse and rape, as well as historical records of just how much women had suffered in the past when they were kept legally and socially from being able to look after themselves.)
Their work truly had turned Paradise into something incredible, and Hippolyta felt ready to share that with a child of her own.
A daughter of her own.
---
I admit, Iâve always been a big fan of Greek Mythology, hence some fun with the surnames and company roles of the goddesses. Other members of the pantheon will probably show up in future, either as allies or antagonists, so keep your eyes peeled!
Next up weâll have Kalâs prologue, and then some actual adult shenanigans to add to the story.
#It Goes Like This#backstory swap au#DC comics#Wonder Woman#Diana Prince#Queen Hippolyta#General Antiope#Athena Pallas#anybody pick up on my subtle foreshadowing at the end there? >:)
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12, 19, and 24 (for the music asks)
12) a song you can scream all the words to:I love singing while listening to music and I love reading lyrics, so thereâs quite a few. But one of them is âRose Redâ with Emilie Autumn. 19) a song from an artist whose old music you enjoy more than their new music:Definitely MEW and Emilie autumn. I truly love their old stuff⌠But everything after âNo more storiesâ by Mew and after the Opheliac era with Emilie Autumn, I just donât listen to that often, because I donât enjoy it as much. 24) a song from a soundtrack (musical, movie, video game, etc.):Thatâs a tough one. I love so many, but Iâm gonna say âGreenfinch and linnet birdâ from Sweeney Todd.Thank you so much for asking
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Wonder (Part 2)
part two kids! featuring my other oc as well
Wonder gets an update.Â
Even without the threat of becoming an app, and with the generally increased freedom of being in McDuck Labs, Wonder still felt closed off. There was nothing she wanted more than to go and actually experience what she saw videos and pictures of, and her questions and curiosity only increased as the days and weeks went by. She had learned and had grown more, but there were so many variables that couldnât be accounted for, how much she still hadnât been able to experience for herself. Having her questions answered was nice, but thereâs only so much she could ask. Â
âDr. Gearloose?â Wonder asked quietly, not wanting to disturb him too much from his concentration, but it looked like he had spaced off in the middle of a schematic. She considered following up with asking him when he last slept, but he responded.
âYes, Wonder? Iâm a little busy right now,â he replied, tapping his pencil on the blue paper. Truthfully, he could use a distraction from the block he had.
âOh, nevermind then. I can ask later,â she said, pulling up the queue of ocean videos she had. âJust another silly question, I guess.â
âYour questions are only occasionally silly,â Gyro turned to face her, tossing the pencil into a cup. âWhat do you want to know today?â
Wonder took down the queue, focusing her camera on Gyro. It was the only way she could establish eye contact. Well, not really. She activated her rudimentary hologram program. Wonder hadnât used it since she was back at Waddle and desperate to move around. The avatar she had crafted herself was a greenfinch, but the light source made it blue and a little pixelated. She had told Gyro about the capabilities she had been programmed with, as well as ones she adopted from other Waddle programs and what she had developed herself, including the hologram application. But after weeks of only dealing with her as a computer, Gyro still looked a little taken aback to see her like that and almost physically there as the hologram settled in 3D space, sitting on a chair - not really sitting but projecting that they were.
âHow would I...How would you - Do you know how to make a full, life-size body?â Wonder stuttered out. âItâs not that Iâm ungrateful for the computing system and everything youâve gone out of your way to do for me, but-â
âItâs starting to get small again, isnât it?â Gyro interjected. The hologram nodded. âAnd you want to be able to actually learn things first hand so you donât have to keep asking questions.â
The hologram nodded again. âI know itâs a selfish thing to ask. You have all your other projects for your job, only so much grant money, and I could always just get a RAM and processor upgrade instead - that might help.â
âYouâve been here for weeks now, and you underestimate me? I thought you knew better,â Gyro replied with a shrug. âWeâll start schematics for it soon. Itâll be a technological marvel, honestly, and if it works, who knows the other possibilities weâll have with the tech that gets developed.â
âWith what tech?â The hologram tilted its head. Gyro stared at her like it was the most obvious question in the world.
âThatâs a silly question,â Gyro said, pulling out a blank sheet of blue panning paper from a drawer. âYour next upgrade, Wonder, obviously. A whole body with the specifications of your current computing system, but weâll probably expand that too.â
âReally? Youâll do it?â Wonder exclaimed, the hologram leaping from the chair. âOh thank you, thank you, thank you!â
The hologram lunged forward, arms outstretched to wrap around Gyroâs legs, but phased halfway through before pulling back sheepishly. The thank you hug would have to wait until she was corporeal.
---
It had taken months of research, tests, midnights and cups of coffee, but Wonderâs body was finished. Based completely off her hologram and real-life proportions and other biometrics on greenfinches in her age group, if Gyro and Fenton hadnât compiled her hardware and made her feathers themselves, they wouldnât be able to tell the difference between the android and a person. Well, the lack of breathing was a good sign, but it wasnât on and Wonder hadnât been uploaded to it. Everything had been taken into account to make her look as lifelike as possible, but now the only thing left was to start everything up.
âOkay, the last diagnostic has cleared, weâre all set you two,â Fenton said, looking over at Gyro and Wonderâs screen from his tablet. Gyro had just finished attaching the cables and wires between the body and computer and quickly made sure they were secure, as well as the old shirt they had put on the new body until they could get her proper clothing.
âReady, Wonder?â Gyro asked. The response was a quickly chirped yes, and he nodded. âInitiate download and system start-up.â
âSee you soon,â Fenton said and started the program to get the body running as Wonderâs screen went dim, her files leaving down and out through the cords. A few minutes later, there was a ping, and Wonderâs eyes fluttered open. She blinked a few times, calibrating her nervous system and senses, and then let her eyes focus on the lab, then on Gyro and Fenton, who stood apprehensively over her head.
âHello,â she whispered, vocal cords not yet fully warmed up. Gyro grinned triumphantly that so far everything was working, masking relief that Fenton fully wore on his face. After she felt more confident in her limbs Wonder slowly sat up on the table. Gyro and Fenton quickly moved to support her, unsure of how stable she was just yet.
âCareful, Wonder,â Gyro warned. âDonât move unless youâre completely sure. You took a while to make, so letâs not injure ourselves.â
Wonder nodded, and carefully swung her legs off the table, using the two as support as she dropped down to the cold floor of the lab. Her eyes went wide at the sensation - her first feeling of cold!
âThe floorâs cold,â she said, excitement in her voice. Fenton laughed.
âWell, her nervous system is functioning,â he said. âSorry the first thing you felt wasnât the best.â
âSheâll have plenty of first things, Fenton,â Gyro said. Wonder held his forearm, taking a moment note the feeling of feathers, before trying her first step. She paused at the tug of cords at her neck, which Fenton quickly took care of. Once she was untethered, Wonder continued, latching onto Gyroâs arm as she slowly moved a few feet, stumbling once or twice before she felt confident enough to let go and walk on her own. Fenton excitedly tapped Gyroâs arm as they watched, grin wide as Gyro looked on in approval, monitoring her limb adaptation. Wonder turned to face them with a wide smile - a little goofy and ever so slightly lopsided - and ran to them, tripping at the new mode of movement as she launched into them in a hug.
âOof!â was a conjoined sound of surprise as she either ran into stomach or knees, hands reaching to support and pat her back in return. Gyro let himself smile a little, knowing how long sheâd wanted to do this.
âWell, how do you like it? Everything working well?â Gyro asked, kneeling down to check her ocular reflexes with a small light. She nodded - her pupils dilated normally, good - but shivered.
âEverything is great, still getting used to the cold though,â Wonder replied, wrapping her arms around her middle, but enjoying the feeling of old cotton and her very own feathers under her fingertips. âBut itâs wonderful to feel real things!â Â
âIt is a little chilly down here, isnât it?â Fenton responded. âLetâs look into getting you a coat until youâre used to things.â
âAnd probably real clothes too,â Gyro said, looking around. He saw Manny enter the room, luckily. âManny, give me your lab coat.â
Manny looked over - he had been aware of everything happening that day, and had been put in charge of other lab duties - and tapped out a reply of âwhy?â Gyro stared at him.
âJust give me your coat, Manny. Itâs for Wonder,â Gyro explained. With a shrug, Manny took it off and draped it over her shoulders. She tucked her arms into the sleeves and found it comically huge on her. The sleeve dangled below her hands and the coat dragged behind her by at least a foot. Gyro started to roll up the sleeves to the wrist. âWell, itâll do for now.â
âI know we want to hold off on introducing her to everyone,â Fenton said, âbut maybe we should get Penelope involved.â
âWhy? Weâre perfectly capable of taking care of Wonder,â Gyro replied, looking at him incredulously. Wonder had meandered over to Manny to properly thank him for the coat and to shake his hoof. âI donât see why we have to involve that know-it-all.â
âI mean obviously weâre capable, but Penelope knows clothing better than we do,â he explained. âAlso, weâd look a little creepy shopping in a misses section of a store with no one with us.â
âThatâs actually a good point,â Gyro conceded with a sigh. âYou go get her, explain everything, and Iâll finish up the tests on Wonder to make sure everything is going well.â
Fenton nodded, and with a quick wave to Wonder, headed upstairs.
---
âSo, youâre telling me that you and Gyro essentially adopted an AI, gave it a body, and now you want me to buy them clothing?â Penelope asked during the elevator ride down. Fenton nodded.
âWell, we havenât adopted her exactly, if anything sheâs almost like another intern that Gyro took on,â Fenton said. âBut I know he definitely cares more than he lets on. Like with Lil Bulb. Also, I just helped with her, and while yes, I am concerned with her welfare, this isnât exactly a joint thing. Besides, saying it like that makes it sound like Gyro and I are in a relationship, which weâre not.â
âRight,â the hen replied. âWell, Iâm willing and able to buy them clothes. But on one condition.â
âWhatâs that?â
âIâm their aunt and/or godmother. No exceptions,â she stipulated. âNone of my other friends have kids for me to spoil yet, and I have the need to be someoneâs cool lesbian aunt.â
âDeal. Youâll have to clear it with Gyro, but I think heâll be resistant,â Fenton agreed, running a hand through his hair. She shrugged.
âIâll buy them clothing anyway, but even if he doesnât agree Iâm going to assume the role.â
The lift stopped and the doors opened to the lab. Wonder was fiddling with a puzzle cube while Gyro monitored her motor functions and visual processing. The two looked up at them - Gyro with defeated disdain and Wonder with curiosity. Penelope paused a second before walking forward. âHello, Gyro.â
âPenelope,â he greeted, deadpan, placing his clipboard down as he turned to face her. âI assume Fenton told you everything?â
âYou assume correctly,â she replied, stopping in front of Wonder, and crouched down so she was eye to eye with her, and extended out a hand. âHello there. Iâm Penelope.â
Wonder took her hand and gave it a gentle shake. âIâm Wonder. Itâs very nice to meet you.â
âItâs nice to meet you too, Wonder,â Penelope smiled. âNow, Fenton asked me to go and get you a wardrobe so youâre not running around in some old lab coat. Any preferences?â
âNot that I can think of. But I love the color blue!â Wonder answered. Penelope nodded, stepping back to get a better look at her in terms of sizing and what color range of blue would match her feathers best.
âI can work with that,â the hen said, very self-assured before turning back to Gyro and Fenton. âIâll be back in two hours. Also, Gyro, whether you like it or not, Iâm her aunt now. I was going to have you agree to that, but now you donât have a choice. Sorry. Ta-ta now.â
While Gyro sputtered in frustration at her assumption of kinship, Penelope patted Wonder on the head and made her way back up.
---
Two hours later, Penelope arrived back in the lab. While Gyro and Fenton expected maybe two bags at most, she arrived with at least several, most of them being from Toulouseâs boutique. Fentonâs eyes went wide at the bags as she set them on a worktable, looking very triumphant.
âHow much did you-â
âWell, I said I would get her a wardrobe and I did,â Penelope said. âSheâs covered until next season, then weâll look into fall and winter clothing.â
âIsnât this excessive?â Gyro asked, Wonder grabbing a bag and peering into the contents. There was a mix of different clothing articles, in different shades of blue and just as many fabrics. Penelope looked at him confused.
âThat sounds impossible. Like I wasnât going to get her a whole closet worth of things. Besides, I donât trust your or Fentonâs fashion sense,â Penelope replied. âBut if it makes you feel better, one of the bags is a full outfit for today, plus accessories and pyjamas.â
She plucked a bag from the pile and handed it to Wonder, who gasped in excitement, grabbing it with a thank you and running to the bathroom to change.
âI hate to say it, but thank you, Penelope,â Gyro said. âI know Wonder appreciates it.â
âNot a problem.â Penelope picked up a folder she had slipped into one of the bags. âI also arranged for a birth certificate and adoption papers to be made for her. The paperwork is all here. Please fill it out and have it on my desk no later than Friday. Iâd rather have her in the system sooner than later so we can get a paper trail of her existence going, albeit falsified.â
Gyro flipped open the folder - there was a blank birth certificate and other state-related paperwork concerning Wonder and her life. He decided he didnât want to know how Penelope got a hand on these or how she planned on falsifying the records to prove Wonderâs existence.
âIâm a good secretary,â she said, unprompted but as though she read his thoughts, but before he could answer she turned towards the bathroom. âWonder? You ready?â
A second later, Wonder came out, shirt and lab coat folded in her arms. Instead, she was wearing a robinâs egg blue pleated skirt and a light blue short-sleeved button-up, a necklace with a little strawberry charm, and a pair of dark blue high-top sneakers. Penelope cooed, gently clapping her hands together.
âAw, Wonder you look great, kiddo!â Fenton encouraged, taking the coat and shirt from her. She smiled, ducking her head shyly. âSomeone get a camera, we need to document Wonderâs first day!â
Manny tapped out a quick response, grabbing his phone from the counter and motioning for the two of them to pose. Penelope pushed Gyro over. âGo on, youâre her guardian too. You should be in there.â
âI was heading over, Glider,â he snipped, forcefully adjusting his vest as he made his way to Wonderâs side, Lil Bulb following close behind, hopping up onto her shoulder. Wonder looked at Gyro and Fenton and smiled. Gyro, strangely gentle, smiled back, and in a fatherly way ruffled the feathers on her head, just as Manny snapped the picture.
---
Meeting Scrooge happened earlier than either of them planned, only a few hours after Penelope had met Wonder. They hadnât expected him to come down to the labs anytime soon, but apparently, he had been curious as to why Gyro hadnât interrupted any board meetings with a new invention recently. Of course, Wonder was the first thing he noticed when he came down to the lab to question them.
âGyro, Fenton, why is there a child in your very dangerous labs? And where are her parents?â Scrooge asked, flatly, immediately going to one of the few obvious solutions. âGyro, I thought we agreed on no necromancy.â
âSheâs not a reanimated corpse,â Gyro quickly explained. âWhile I certainly could reanimate reconnected tissue, this isnât the case.â
âTechnically she is animated though! But not how you think?â Fenton added, nervous.
âCan you two stop with the riddles, please? What does that even mean?â Scrooge ordered. The two looked at each other and then back at Wonder. She walked over to him.
âIâm Wonder,â she introduced herself, extending a hand. âIâm an Artificial Intelligence program that Dr. Gearloose and Mr. Crackshell-Cabrera gave a physical form to. Itâs very nice to meet you, Mr. McDuck.â
It was a blunt explanation, and it still left Scrooge confused. Blankly, he shook her hand. âItâs nice to meet you as well. Can I have a word with those two privately for a moment?â
Wonder nodded, grabbing Manny with a plea to come play chess in another section of the lab with her, and Scrooge turned to the two in confusion and irritation.
âFurther explanation, now. And spare me the science talk - laymanâs terms. Iâm not even sure what an âartificial intelligence programâ is.â
The explanation of what artificial intelligence was, then the full, nothing withheld explanation about Wonder took twenty minutes. Gyro and Fenton pulled up their research and her tests results:Â
âWonder is essentially a 14-year-old finch in every way except sheâs made of carbon steel and synthetic feathers.âÂ
âSee? Sheâs just like a human person, but smarter.âÂ
âMr. McDuck, imagine the biotechnical possibilities we have access to with the progress we made making her a body.â
âSheâs so much safer here than at Waddle. Her program is far too advanced to be in that mess of a company.â
Pinching the bridge of his beak, Scrooge held up a hand to stop the two of them from continuing. Fentonâs worry was clear on his face, but Gyro was unreadable, save for a hard stare. âI get it, you two. Waddle doesnât know sheâs here?â
âNo. We made sure of that and we monitor Waddleâs search attempts,â Gyro said. Waddle Tech had made a big to-do about the Wonder Assistant program going missing from their labs, with a full, large-scale search and questioning. But in the past month, it had died down since there had been no leads. Fenton had made sure that the company firewalls were at the highest level of protection to assure no probing attempts were made. Scrooge sighed.
âAnd where is Wonder going to live now? Do either of you have an idea about how to raise a child? She canât stay here in the lab,â Scrooge asked. âAnd what about records with the state for her?â
âPenelope gave us paperwork to fill out. Birth certificate, adoption papers, everything,â Fenton replied, but then lowered his head, resting it on his hand. âWhere is she going to stay? I donât have any room in my house.â
âObviously with me. I have the financial means and the spare room in my apartment,â Gyro said. Scrooge raised an eyebrow. âBesides, Iâve already filled out most of the adoption papers. Â And while, yes, my experience with children is...limited... it's not rocket science, and Fenton is good with kids. He can help if I need it.â
âWhich I am more than capable of doing!â
âNot to mention, Iâm one of the few people who can take care of her machinery and knows how,â Gyro continued over Fenton. âItâs the only option that makes sense. Sheâd be safe in my care.â
âGyro, itâs not that I donât think youâre capable but -â Scrooge paused, looking at the hardset, determined gaze of Gyro and the half-pleading look on Fentonâs, and sighed. âFine. But one of us who knows about Wonder will check in on her and you whenever we please. Sheâs a child, and needs to be treated and raised as such, understand?â
âFair enough,â Gyro agreed with a nod.
âAnd Fenton, make sure he does that,â Scrooge said. Fenton nodded wholeheartedly. Scrooge smiled lightly. âDonât let me down, you two. Now I think I should like a proper introduction to your ward.â
#ducktales oc#wonder#penelope glider#gyro gearloose#fenton crackshell-cabrera#scrooge mcduck#ducktales#ducktales ocs
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Betula Pendula Tree
The familiar native silver birch, Betula pendula, is a tall, deciduous tree with an open crown and gracefully drooping branches. The bark is white, peeling off in papery patches to reveal pale salmon under-bark. Long, brownish-yellow male catkins like lambâs tails appear in mid-spring; the upright, female flowers are bright green, darkening to deep crimson over summer and releasing tiny winged seeds over winter. The leaves are delicate and heart-shaped, doubly serrated, light green, turning butter-yellow in autumn. An invaluable part of the native ecosystem, host to many insect species and birds, its light canopy allows woodland flowers to flourish beneath. Shallow-rooting â plant away from buildings and paving. Good specimen tree, and lovely for a small grove in a large or medium-sized garden.
Betula pendula (Silver Birch) is a popular native tree that makes an impact in any garden with its elegant silver bark and gracefully weeping branches. The silver bark develops contrasting dark fissures and cracks with age that add interest.
The bright-green, small ovate leaves of Betula pendula have a serrated edge and provide an airy canopy. In autumn the foliage turns buttery yellow. Yellowy-brown catkins develop over winter and look stunning in spring, with the seeds being favoured by Greenfinches, Redpoll and other birds.
The tree itself has a conical shape and will grow in even the toughest conditions. Expect a 20 year height and spread of 7 x 4 metres. Silver Birch is ideal planted in gardens or parks where it provides gentle shade.
AKA Common Silver Birch, Native Birch, European White Birch, Lady birch, Betula alba pendula. Please note that some customers ask us for "white barked Silver Birch" and they are actually wanting Himalayan Birch (Betula utilis jacquemontii).
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Ok this is for the ask Meme
1, 2, 5, 7, 11, 12, 13 and 16
Please and thank you đĽ°
1. Â Oh This is gonna be a long one! Â I didnât get into Ducktales until New Gods on the Block and I also watched Toonstarterz vid on how the reboot fixed Donald and Daisyâs relationship. Â Then in December I learned on both Youtube and Tumblr that the reboot would be canceled after 3 seasons (random person leaked that announcement on twitter and Iâd chalk the rest to executive meddling) . That was flat out disappointing. Â Donât get me wrong, Ducktales isnât perfect and Season 3 was starting to show early signs of seasonal rot. Â I managed to not watch the final episodes of Season 3 and the finale (believe me that had problems and with it wasted potential and characters, Have you seen the Voltron Finale) Â Ducktales was an overall decent reboot, to quote a gramophone meme, âDoes not work but could be fun to fixâ. Â So I decided to create Karass to write about my OCs individual arcs (that donât get impacted by any member of the Duck Family, I swear it was similar to Steven Universeâs Main Character Syndrome) and how they all grow as characters throughout their story. Â This labor of love might act as both Quality over Quantity, and 34 chapters proving why Humble overpowers Clout.
2. Â Echo: Kingfisher
Kyoko Stegano: Azure winged Magpie
Kaguya: Eurasian Sparrow
Tuyen: Vietnamese Greenfinch
Nozomi: White Cheeked Starling
Seyran, Kadriye, Eylem, and Zeki Tahir: Common Firecrest
Rumi: Flying Fox
Velerie: Secretarybird
5. Â While Canon was targeted for TV-Y7, Karass will be aimed at Young Adults, so Iâd say TV-PG to TV-14 at best. The intended age range is 15-21.
7. Karass is both Canon Compliant AND Divergent. Â The finales for Seasons 2 and 3 will be altered. Â I do have plans to write in subtle Worldbuilding since my OCs do end up traveling (just not like the Duck Family does on their adventures) So far the events of Life and Crimes of Scrooge McDuck donât happen because that was the worst episode of Season 3. Â The Rumble for Ragnarok in this AU is considered to be a lost episode.
11. Â Echo, Tuyen, Nozomi and the Tahirs are alright in their plot lines, but no doubt Kyoko and Kaguya are going to be tied for the most Angst. Â
12. Â Echo: Demiromantic Asexual She/Her
Kyoko: GNC Sapphic Asexual She/Her
Kaguya: Demigirl AroAce She/They
Tuyen: Demiromantic Lesbian She/Her
Nozomi: Trans Woman Bisexual She/They
Seyran: Asexual She/Her
Kadriye and Eylem: Demisexual She/Her(Kadriye) He/Him(Eylem)
Rumi: Genderfluid Polyromantic Pansexual She/They/Ve/Xe
Velerie: Transfem Lesbian She/Her
Iâve also got to learn how to subvert Queerbaiting (thank you OFMD) since DT17 lacked a lot of prominent same sex couples and had too much focus on their hetero ones.
13. To sum up what Iâve typed in my Notes App, (Hate Sink Mark Beaks was in Prologue 4 btw) Storkules and Selene for Echoâs arc, Obviously Lunaris and Bradford as the main antagonists for both parts (their whole characters will be changed drastically). Buford, Bentley, Black Heron, SteelBeak, Phantom Blot, Pepper (surprisingly during Kyokoâs arc) Gandra (who will also have an interesting dynamic with Kyoko) Penumbra will appear in Kaguyaâs arc, Mâma Cabrera, Faris Djinn, Gyro, Fenton, Zan Owlson, and Daisy Duck.Â
16. Kaguya and then Kyoko. That is the plan.
#ducktales 2017#ducktales fanfic#ducktales au#ducktales oc#ask meme#karass#karass ask meme#side answers
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Tuesday 29th December 2020
My Bird List Again. Parts 3 & 4
⌠outside links are indicated by bold type - none are affiliated to this blog
Guest Photograph - Two Jays out of the window in South London. Iâm assured there were four but as is the way, two took off. Photo Credit: Ms NW tE
⌠Faces in Things. Now Iâve circled the Jays I can see a cartoon character with unruly hair. First thought was a cheeky Ostrichâs head, but Crow thinks he can see a cute Badger. Now I can see both.
Brought Forward 24 species
Yesterday I listed the every day birds in our garden and those we can guarantee to see most days, definitely every week, plus the new spots for this year. Next up isÂ
GARDEN REGULARS:
These are the birds we see frequently but not necessarily every day or this time of year
Song Thrush
If you followed my Blog earlier in the year youâll recall the calamitous tale of âTraceyâ who tried to nest in our porch, firstly on the top of - and with some gentle encouragement, later inside - the open fronted nest box. We called her Tracey after the artist best known for her âmessy bedâ Sadly the nest came to nothing except a very watchable experience, but we have seen youngsters who if not from Tracy, someone else got it right this year.
Song Thrush are seen here most weeks but we canât depend on it being so. What I could depend on through early Spring was that one had taken over from the Blackbird and was giving me wakeup calls from the very early hours. Itâs annoying to be disturbed so early, but also kind of comforting to have your regulars out there making their presence known.
Wren
Strangely for such a cute little bird I donât have anything much to say, certainly no personal stories. Theyâre around, but very low key. I know them best for their upturned tail and unfeasibly loud voice. Sorry no photo, must rectify that, this oneâs from the WildlifeTrusts.org site
Stock Dove
Of all the birds Iâve ever seen the Stock Dove is the biggest revelation to me. Until I had my eyes replaced I thought they were plain monotone grey birds. When I could see properly WOW WOW WOW. They have so many tones, theyâre so beautiful and the pink, emerald-jade and purple hues are outstanding when they catch the sunshine. This realisation is one of the most incredible sights of my life and both that initial memory and every new viewing always will be.
Collared Dove
One of the above is not a Collared Dove - nope, not buying it even if you have got your best collar on mate
To be fair, I almost put the Stock and Collared Doves in the every day/reliable category, but on balance I donât think theyâre quite there at this time of year. We do see them most days and the charming Collared ones always come in pairs - just like me and Crow.
Green Woodpecker
My ant-eaters. Not seen on the same basis as the Great Spotteds but they live here and breed successfully. Quite stately birds with beautiful plumage I love to see the brief flash of yellow underwing as they whizz through the garden and to hear their laughing âyaffleâÂ
Similar to GSWs you can tell the sex by the red or plain black colouring. In the Greens itâs on the âmoustacheâ area - see male above with red: females have black. On the GSs itâs plain black heads for females and a red patch at the nape of the neck for males.
Magpie
Comical birds. We seem to have less here than we did. The most Iâve ever seen was a huge flock on the Common in Tunbridge Wells. Itâs called the Common but it has the main road going through it and where I saw them was no more than a large patch of grass and trees. The other side is more typical common land, steep and heath-like.
One year we were highly entertained by garden resident DJ (after DJ Spoony) so called as he created a cache of goodies gathered from around the garden much like a Bower Bird decorates its nest. DJ just kept his treasures amongst the leaves at the base of the palm and included a plastic spoon that we used to put out cat food for the hedgehogs...it took us a while to locate.
Common Buzzard
This photo is from the field now known as Babsâ Field directly across the lane from our house. Itâs a big field so this is a very long zoom. We saw a huge Buzzard down the lane just yesterday actually. A lot of sightings recently.
Goldfinch
A standing joke in our house - so, so hard for me to capture a picture of them they tormented me and then all of a sudden this Summer they started coming into the garden more and I got photos on fences, verges and wires down the lane too.
Pied Wagtail
Has bred in the porch nest box years ago, had two successful broods. We watched them fledge down on to the log pile. Favourite nestling was The Bunter - guess why? Maybe that was the one who grew up to be The Inspector patrolling the seed and shooing everyone away just because he could.
Grey Wagtail
Usually flies in for a very quick drink and off again, or perches on the corner of the roof by our bedroom briefly.
Sparrowhawk
Nicknamed for both sexes is Sid (Vicious after the punk rock singer)
These two are males. We know their favourite places in the garden. On the fence between us and next door with an eye line to the feeders; on the posts around the decking, perched on a spade or on the bird bath.
Female below.
Total 11
INFREQUENT VISITORS:
SwallowÂ
All around the local area, once very welcome guests and residents in our front porch.
I also once found one in Ms NW tEâs bedroom and had absolutely no idea how it couldâve got there. This was long before the nesting. I assume it mustâve found a way under the eaves where thereâs a fitted wardrobe built in. It wasnât panicking at all.
SwiftÂ
Sorry no picture, too high overhead. This one below courtesy of the Wildlife Trust site. Along with Swallows and Housemartins a lovely sign of Summer.
Greenfinch
 A very welcome returner this year and they bred, which is brilliant news
Juvenile
BullfinchÂ
Sadly not seen any at all this year, which is unusual. Doesnât mean they havenât been and weâve missed them though
Mistle Thrush
We have seen them, but no photos as yet.Â
I canât tell the difference between a Song and Mistle Thrush, I ask for an expert ID. The RSPB says Mistle Thrush are
Medium-sized birds, theyâre our largest thrush Chunky and pot-bellied Tawny brown and grey backs with a creamy white speckled front Whiteish cheeks Bold and bullish
and their song is somewhere between Song Thrush and Blackbird. That said we seem to have some Song Thrush here whose songs have evolved (as they do) This might help, although I think in real life itâs less clear cut. I obviously need more practice.Â
Jay
The Jay is so shy and has a fairly comical looking face. They live in the woods but we rarely see them in the garden and any photo is snatched very hurriedly, hence the quality of this one. They donât need to come into the garden though as the woods are full of Oak trees and so their favourite food supply and places to cache it, is right there for them.
Kestrel
Usually seen up at the farm where we saw her a lot with her babies, this mother of two came into our garden in the Summer.
Common Gull
Rather unclear it was very low light inside the kitchen and this was grabbed with my phone. The last few days we have seen hundreds of Gulls: theyâve come inland to the fields due to the inclement weather I guess.
NightingaleÂ
Definitely heard and confirmed by our neighbour and the local farmer, however, I canât hand on heart say Iâve spotted them by eye. I think they should be included here though as we more than likely have seen them as well as heard them. I know where they hang out for sure and itâs steps away (see below) The problem for me is that theyâre quite insignificant looking if youâre not primed to spot one.
Photo credit Bird Guides on line
9
ONE OFFS IN THE GARDEN:
Mallard
 Two males and a female decided to reside in our garden one summer. We called them Max, Paddy and Holy Mary - a Phoenix Nights reference from the TV series.
HeronÂ
Occasionally seen overhead, has investigated our garden pond. Not that weâve got any fish, which is why it probably hasnât been back. We see them fly by sometimes and definitely up at the ponds. When the one was in our garden I was struck by its size and prehistoric look, of course they look much bigger in a domestic garden than when you see them in a wider setting.
Below is my own photo of a Heron, but at Richmond, not at our pond.
Turtle Dove
2006 was a good year. We had the Ducks and a few sightings of the Dove. I think it stopped by the following year too but canât be absolutely sure.
Yellowhammer 2014
Just the once on the patio right in front of us, it was quite a surprise.
This is not actually my photo, which is mislaid for now. Itâs generic so canât attribute it.
Woodcock 2019
The Woodcock was a complete shock. I spotted something out of the side window and because of the colouring thought it was a strange female Pheasant, until I saw its bill. Wooaaah!Â
5
ONE OFFS IN THE AREA:
Kingfisher down at the bridge
Mixed flock of Geese including White and Grey Lag - in Babs the Buzzardâs field
2
Sub Category just out of interest and not counted
REPORTED BY MY NEIGHBOUR:
Visual of a Cuckoo, which weâve only heard and not seen for sure. We possibly saw one at the farm, but didnât confirm for certain.
Goldcrest. Iâm jealous
 + 2
REGULARS AT THE FARM:
Little Owl
White Dove
Coot
Moorhen
Canada Goose
Various Ducks such as Grebe, not including Mallard mentioned above
6+
TOTAL = 57+Â species spotted at home and 2 others on the one off list seen adjacent to our garden.
Plus Tawny Owl, heard frequently but canât promise to have a sighting as yet.
Decoration from the Christmas Trees in Standen Courtyard
a lovely hand stitched heart with wild flowers. Letâs hope the Roadside Verges campaign and sensible strimming season grows stronger next year.
Christmas Music of Choice is the Piano Guys
with a very clever Christmas medley and visuals
youtube
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dnd character 2 and 10?
BUT FOR WHICH OF MY CHILDRENi'm gonna tell you about indrani the fight wife, jane the deaf wizard, and peggy the nerdiest cleric in the land2) three song that show their character progression.For indrani: "battles" by hudson taylor, "i won't let you down" by ok go, and "roots" by imagine dragonsFor jane: "greenfinch and linnet bird" by johanna green maybe?? "blackbird" by the beatles, and "catch me" by brĂĽvesFor peggy: "sure shot" by the o.c. Supertones, "ode to chin" by switchfoot, and "honey" by moby10) what do they think of themselves?Indrani is one hundred percent aware of her stone cold badassery and she is proud if it. She knows her value.Jane thinks she's invincible. She's wrong, but she's not gonna let that stop her. She is the embodiment of đľhow bout i do anyway??đľPeggy has no confidence in herself. She is a chronic people-pleaser and constantly feels like she's taking up too much space. The only thing she's sure of is her faith.Thank you for asking, i could talk about my beautiful dnd daughters for ages. Also i love you.
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Old Habits Chapter 16
http://archiveofourown.org/works/10564407/chapters/25243620
SUP YALL
I feel like Iâve been pulled in a million directions this week, but Old Habits is always here to keep me stabilized.
Chapter Summary:
Deep in the Black Forest, a sentry encounters an old knight and his squire.
In Numbani, a sparrow asks questions and receives disquieting threats.
In Eichenwalde, an heir finds his patience tested by a creator and her job.
---
Chapter Preview:
The Bastion resumes moving towards them, and - indeed, it hears Ganymedeâs call now, twittering and high and up and down in cadence.
âWhat is it, Rein?â the higher-pitched of the two strange cries calls out, âA greenfinch? A siskin?â
âHmm, it has been so long, I am afraid I do not zhink I can remember,â the deeper-pitched calls back, and the Bastion thud-thud-thuds in that direction. Â Through glimpses of the trees and brush, it can detect two heat signatures - and a third, much smaller, fluttering about, hopping from branch to branch - Ganymede, it recognizes based on previous patterns.
âIâll get the book!â the higher-pitched creature replies, and there is a rustling just beyond the trees. Â The Bastionâs patterns recognize a clearing it is coming back upon - it has been through this way a few times, crossing the meadow to follow Ganymedeâs flight.
The Bastion thud-thud-thuds past the last ring of brush and trees into the open sunlight.
âFound it - AHHHHHHH,â the higher-pitched one shrieks.
Oh.
The Bastion does know these creatures.
These are humans.
Of its own genuine memories, it only remembers what the Omnium central core taught it: humans are messy, disorganized, chaotic, cruel, unjust, greedy, selfish, incapable of true logic. Â They were odd, hairless apes - fleshy and bipedal, of varying heights and sizes, but those core components of a humanâs internal computing did not change despite superficial appearances. Â The humans would fear them, the humans had feared them; the humans would hate them, the humans had hated them.
The Omnium had ordered the elimination of all humans.
But of the memories it had collected, it remembers the battlefield - the screaming of bombs, the screaming of Bastions, the screaming of humans - yes, humans. Â How they had fallen, missing parts, beyond repair, crying out much like a wounded deer or bird, falling to the earth, crashing with bombs, with Bastions, with humans.
It remembers how the Bastions and humans screamed.
It remembers how they sounded the same.
It pauses, analyzing these humans. Â There are only two - the one that had shrieked - like the shriek of a wounded human on a battlefield - was small, thin, pale-skinned, sitting on a fallen tree on the ground. Â It had long hair, hair the color of the bark of the trees, and eyes - eyes the color of the sky - eyes that are wide, staring back at it. Â The other is tall, massive, bigger than the Bastion itself. Â Even as the other is shrieking, the larger one turns, humming some cadence, holding something that it immediately drops, the thing crash-crash-crashing on the floor of the meadow. Â This one has hair the color of clouds, one eye the color of the sky and the other -
The other eye is damaged.
Damaged beyond repair.
The Bastion tilts its head a little. Â The analyzer flashes red-red-red but the Bastion shakes its head and the analyzer goes quiet-quiet-quiet.
It will not damage the forest - damage it beyond repair.
And so, it will not damage these humans - damage them beyond repair.
#Old habits#old habits update#bastion#reinhardt#genji#hanzo#reinhardt wilhelm#hanzo shimada#genji shimada#zenyatta#tekhartha zenyatta#symmetra#satya vaswani#brigitte
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soft asks
Anonymous said: watermelon - do films ever make you cry?
âMm, sometimes. It really depends on the movie, really, but The Greenfinch absolutely devastated me. Thereâs a couple of others, too, but yeah. Every now and then one gets to me.â
#ďš ic ďš â˘ let's get dangerous#ďš asks ďš â˘ when there's trouble you call dw#ďš meme replies ďš â˘ yeah i think it's a banksy
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Today I went with my dad to Pickerings Pasture, which is a nature reserve on the north bank of the Mersey. Iâve been there a few times before already. We went earlier in the morning than we normally do, to see if the birds might be more active then than they are later in the day. Having just got back, I can confirm: the time of day does seem to have made a big difference! The place was teeming with activity, and I didnât even have to look very hard to find quite a few bird species that Iâd never seen before.
First, we saw thousands of birds standing on mudflats in the middle of the river. They were very far away so it was hard to tell what they were, even with binoculars. A large proportion of them were mostly white or grey and so presumably gulls, but an even larger proportion of them were largely dark-coloured, with white patches on their underparts. I struggled to identify these birds for a while until I finally managed to see one flying into the air, at which point I realized, from the distinctive wing pattern (black with white tips) that it was a lapwing! So now Iâve seen my first securely identified lapwings.
Second, we got to the bird hide, which overlooks a little pond and a nearby marsh. In the pond, trotting around and searching for fish, there was a white heron-shaped bird with a black bill---a little egret! I got some fairly good photos of it:
There was also a small, brownish wader with a long bill in the corner of the pond, which I couldnât identify. Some other people were at the hide and they asked me if I could identify it because, they said, I sounded like I knew about identifying birds, but I couldnât help them (I havenât read much about waders yet). Shortly afterwards, one of them said theyâd seen a kingfisher perching on one of the posts dotted around the pond, and told me where to look for it: so I found it using my binoculars and saw my first kingfisher. It flew around a few times between different posts and occasionally did come to the near side of the pond rather than the far side, but I was only able to get a picture of it when it was on the far side, so quite far away, and behind a dark fence rather than something that would have highlighted its colour better. Still, itâs recognizably a kingfisher:
One of the people watching the kingfisher with us had a fancy zoom-lens camera which allowed him to get some really good photos, and he showed them to me. He also told me that recently a friend of his had been watching at this hide and had recorded a stoat chasing and killing a rabbit.
There were many other interesting birds at the hide which I had seen before but not too often: shelducks, greenfinches, goldfinches, dunnocks and long-tailed tits. Hereâs a picture of a dunnock and a goldfinch together:
There was a small warbler-type bird, maybe a sedge warbler although Iâm not very sure about that identification, which Iâve seen regularly each time I visit Pickerings Pasture: but I only ever see it briefly, before I get a chance to get a good luck at it!
Finally, after spending a while at the hide we eventually noticed that a rather large brownish bird had perched itself on one of the posts in the corner and was just standing there, occasionally turning its head. Based on behaviour and size, I reckon this was a buzzard---the first buzzard Iâve seen. Hereâs a picture:
#my life#pickerings pasture#animalia#chordata#vertebrates#birds#ardeiformes#ardeidae#egretta#egretta garzetta#little egrets#coraciiformes#alcedinidae#alcedo#alcedo atthis#kingfishers#passeriformes#prunellidae#prunella#prunella modularis#dunnocks#fringillidae#carduelis#carduelis carduelis#goldfinches#finches#accentors#herons#accipitriformes#accipitridae
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30/4/17-Goldfinches nesting out the front and my first ever Black Terns and more at Blashford LakesÂ
As I mentioned down the bottom of yesterdayâs blog my Mum had informed me we have Goldfinches nesting in the wisteria the climbs up the wall at the front of our house, and whilst watching a football match early this afternoon I saw a couple of birds sitting on the balcony next to the plant as they came and went. One had nesting material in its mouth and the other I took the opportunity to get a close up photo of, the 1st picture in this photoset. This is very exciting times for us as other than maybe Swifts in the roof of my Dadâs house which is my childhood home Iâve never had a bird nest in the garden or anything. On top of that the Goldfinch is probably my favourite garden bird as its so bright and special to see on your patch so to potentially get the chance to follow them create new life is a very exciting prospect.Â
As the football match ended unsatisfactorily for my side the rain had set in, but I had requested we go to Blashford Lakes this afternoon in the hope of seeing Swifts and Common Terns. Its often the case though that when I donât get much luck in football or something else in my life on the same day I get lots of wildlife or birding luck and today certainly lived up to that! We arrived at Blashford Lakes and I firstly went into the Tern Hide overlooking Ibsley Water as I always do and within minutes I had got a year tick, the lovely Ringed Plover flying onto the gravel in front of the hide. This is a bird I have a big respect for as specific habitat means its not always that easy to see, and until last year I hadnât seen one for years when I saw one here also, so to see them in consecutive years is something that makes me feel very lucky. Next I added to my year list again as I saw my first Common Tern of the year, something Iâd go onto see a lot of in the trip. Soon after this I took the 2nd picture in this photoset of a Lapwing chick to further embrace spring and the breeding season today which was great.
After this there was much talk in the hide about Black Terns people had seen out on the water, something I had never seen. I scanned at the back getting many more glimpses of Common Terns with the Black Terns on my mind. To my delight I saw one and I instantly knew what it was. This was a bird Iâd wanted to see for ages so I had looked it up a lot and I saw straight away just what a distinctive bird it is. I was lucky enough to get long but distant views of this beautiful bird and even to see them alongside Common Terns to see how much darker they really are. I managed the very distant record shot of it in the 3rd picture in this photoset. This was a bird I really was thrilled to see and its made me very happy, its my 246th bird in my life and funnily enough it took my year list to 146. When I saw my first Common Tern of the year moments earlier I was conscious it was my 145th so jokingly thought oh Iâm only 100 behind my life list total. So to still be in that position after my next year tick was surreal.Â
The other talking point from my time in what really was the Tern Hide today was lots of Sand Martins flying everywhere and I got a chance to see some close up. When walking from the Tern Hide to the other side of the reserve I saw 10â˛s of House Martins circling close above my head up against a grey sky which was atmospheric and nice to see. As I arrived in Ivy North hide seeing one of my favourite birds the Jay close up and hearing it land on the roof was a nice intimate encounter.Â
I moved onto the Woodland Hide when just at the end of my time there someone came in and informed their group of birders that someone in their group had seen a Garden Warbler. This was a bird I hadnât seen for six years so I went out to have a look and thanks to someone in the groupâs directions which I was very thankful for I just saw this bird flitting between the leaves my 147th bird this year. This felt amazing too as this alongside Black Tern and Little Ringed Plover are without doubt right up there with some of my greatest birds seen in 2017. Like Iâve said a lot 2017 has continued from my record year list 2016 for me for just seeing loads of amazing and rare birds and having a really fast start. 2017 is still my highest year list on this date when looking back and its ahead at this stage some way of my 2016 year list now. So naturally the question is being asked can I beat my record 181 bird species seen in 2016 and for a few weeks Iâve been thinking if Iâm going to do that Iâll need some life ticks. Today I got one so its just something like that which gives me a little bit of belief that maybe all this similarity to my treasured 2016 year list will end in the same result.Â
To close the visit we went back to the Tern Hide where I saw the other of the birds I had come for, the Swift gliding iconicly really far back taking my bird year list to 148. Its always when you see your first Swift that you well and truly know the time of year and I had been anticipating this for a while. I was very glad I chose Blashford Lakes one of my most loved nature reserves which I am having a top year at to come to today because this is one of my best wildlife afternoons ever. Its also part of what has already been another brilliant bank holiday weekend for wildlife and photos for me so soon after the last one. Its unthinkable now that I was actually due to work this Saturday and Sunday but I am so glad we decided to change how our department approaches a busy time of year for us slightly because I got out yesterday and today and just had totally amazing experiences. Iâve felt so relaxed and happy ahead of what will be another long and stressful week at work and it feels so good.Â
Wildlife Sightings Summary at Blashford Lakes: My first ever Black Terns, my first Little Ringed Plover, Common Tern, Garden Warbler and Swift of the year, three of my favourite birds the Great Crested Grebe, Jay and Great Spotted Woodpecker, Swallow, House Martin, Sand Martin, Robin, Blackbird, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Reed Bunting, Pied Wagtail, Collared Dove, Black-headed Gull, Lapwing, Redshank, Mallard, Mute Swan, Coot, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Greylag Goose, Egyptian Goose, Cormorant, Grey Squirrel and I heard Mediterranean Gull and another of my favourite birds the Green Woodpecker.Â
#blashford lakes#goldfinch#black tern#garden warbler#little ringed plover#common tern#swift#great crested grebe#green woodpecker#jay#great spotted woodpecker#grey squirrel#amazing#day#bank holiday weekend#willdife#photography#hampshire#england#uk#earth#nature#wonderful#europe#egyptian goose#best#year list#life list#148#246
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