#bird cage online

[mesopetshop]

https://www.mesopet.com/shop-online-bird-products/cages-accessories

Buy Bird Cages Online at Best Price

Create a comfortable and stylish home for your feathered friends with our collection of bird cages. Browse a variety of sizes, designs, and materials, and conveniently purchase the perfect bird cage online. Give your birds a safe and delightful living space today.

[squidinkarchives]

Fish Shaped Bird Cage, Vintage 18" x 27.25" x 12.5" Source: Glendale, AZ EJ's Auction & Appraisal

[gonzodangerfeels]

It's Rays because if it was ra's it would have to be down in the keys

[joynagarermoa]

Some Fascinating Information About Bamboo

Buying bamboo baskets online can now double as a decorative object, much like a cane laundry basket. Let's learn more about bamboo items and gather some useful knowledge. https://online-joynagar-sweets.mystrikingly.com/blog/some-fascinating-information-about-bamboo

[servantofthefates]

How to Find Lost Things With Lenormand

Simply ask your question, and pull three cards. 

RIDER

Stables, warehouse, garage

CLOVER

Plant pot, coin purse, casino

SHIP

Docks, airport, vehicle

HOUSE

House, bedroom, with a loved one

TREE

Greenhouse, hospital, pharmacy

CLOUDS

Bathroom, bar, mental asylum

SNAKE

Basement, bushes, secret places

COFFIN

Cemetery, box, drawer

BOUQUET

Salon, flower shop, mall

SCYTHE

Shed, hardware store, toolbox

WHIP

Broom closet, vault, brothel

BIRDS

Cage, roof, porch

CHILD

Nursery, trinket box, with a child

FOX

Study, den, in something red

BEAR

Zoo, with your boss, with an older woman

STARS

By the computer, online, in a messy area

STORK

Kitchen, pantry, with your mom

DOG

Doghouse, pet store, with a friend

TOWER

Building, courthouse, police station

GARDEN

Garden, park, backyard

MOUNTAIN

Rooftop, attic, top floor

PATHS

Doorway, entryway, pathway

MICE

Trash can, compost bin, under the floorboards

HEART

Your purse, your pockets, with your lover

RING

Office, jewelry box, with your contracts

BOOK

Library, bookstore, inside a book

LETTER

Mailbox, on your desk, by the printer

MAN

With you — in your person (if you are a man)

WOMAN

With you — in your person (if you are a woman)

LILY

Linen closet, in something white, with an older man

SUN

Outdoors, beach, theme park

MOON

Body of water, photo box, near your camera

KEY

Cash box, in the ignition, in the doorknob

FISH

Aquarium, market, bank

ANCHOR

Buried beneath other things/underground, underwater

CROSS

In the church, by your altar, a place that starts with T

So then…

Question: Where did I leave my keys?

Answer: Letter + Ring + Anchor. “Your keys are on your desk in the office, buried under some documents.”

[kedreeva]

Eris (top), Citrine (middle), and Bismuth (bottom).

What you can notice here is the same thing I'm usually on about- leg length in peafowl. These three birds share a father, and the latter two share a mother as well. Eris was hatched and raised for the first 3 months of her life on a farm that was using a low-protein chow (18-20%, with peanuts for treats, but they're feeding better now!) and kept here in quarantine in a 10x10 for the next month (we're working on a bigger quarantine pen), vs Citrine and Bismuth being raised here on 28% + fresh foods and scratch grains in a 1200ft+coop pen. I don't think that there's anything wrong with Eris' genetics (I've seen her mother, too, and I would be highly surprised if she produced short birds), but this is a PRIME example of how early care can affect these birds for their entire lives.

I have gotten into far too many arguments with people about peafowl care and nutrition. I hear parroted all the time that "high protein twists their legs" when that's 100% not the case. It's not the protein alone. They NEED the protein to grow appropriately. But they ALSO need the SPACE to grow out properly. When people keep them in tiny spaces (brooders, rabbit hutches, 10x10 "run") AND feed them high protein, they have the protein to grow but not the space. When people keep them in large spaces but DON'T give them enough protein, they have the space but not the resources to grow into their legs. I've seen people keep these birds in rabbit hutches until they are 3+ months old. I have seen people keep breeding adult TRIOS in 10x10 cages- the minimum space requirement for them is supposed to be *500* square feet for that many. Once they grow up in that small of a space, there's no recovering from it later in life. They won't ever put on more leg length.

Another thing I want to speak about is tail shape. There are many people online who will tell people bogus ways to sex young birds (particularly whites). Barring/no barring by 3 months (Spaldings can keep it longer, some over a year), spurs/no spurs (plenty of hens have spurs), leg length (a nice hen will have long legs, too), leg thickness (a domestic blue hen will have thick legs, too), chest/neck lacing (I have seen males with this as well), face shape (come on now), "center stripe" chest feathers on males (hens can have this too). There's a lady on FB who thinks she can vent sex peafowl (you cannot, their reproductive junk is too far inside the body).

One of the ways people claim to sex birds on is tail shape. Girls will have an even tail arch, like Eris up there, and boys will have middle feathers on their tail that are taller than the ones to either side.

Except... if Citrine were a white bird with no feather markings, that would get her sexed as a male.

While it's TRUE that ADULT females have a crescent tail and males have a spade tail, until they are 2+, hens can still have the same kind of tail as the males. They're dropping so many feathers so fast as they grow, it can look like anything along the way, and by the time it stabilizes into a proper yearly molt schedule, the male's train feathers will have begin to differentiate.

The most accurate way to sex baby peafowl is blood/DNA sexing, or the LOSS of barring on the backs/wings. Barred wing males do not EVER lose their barring. For solid wing birds, it's blood/DNA sexing or looking for the arrow feathers; hens do not EVER get arrow feathers in their saddles. Anyone that ever tells you otherwise IS guessing- they might be very good at guessing, and some of the stuff it's unusual to see the opposite sex have whatever characteristic (it's /unusual/ for males to have scalloping on their neck, but it CAN happen when they're young), but it's still a best guess until you see a loss of barring or the presence of arrow feathers.

Citrine, by the way, kept her barring til she was almost 6 months old.

[tigergirltail]

TIGER HRT CHAPTER 6 - MONTH 6 - THE CAGED BIRD

CONTENT WARNING - This chapter contains mentions of medical injections, bigotry, child abuse, self-harm, and attempted suicide. Reader beware.

FIRST - PREV - NEXT

I had my six-month check-up with Dr. Erian, an online appointment just like last time. No particular medical issues this time around, bloodwork checks out, genetic reconfiguration is stable. We can't do a thorough physical exam over the internet, but according to him, I am "the very picture of health, by the standards of your species". I'm a bit curious what standards those are, given that I have yet to hear about any other tiger therians. Hopefully there ARE standards, and he's not just giving me empty reassurance.

We also spent some time going over dietary concerns - am I getting enough meat, am I reducing my fruit and grain intake appropriately, that sort of thing. I assured him that I'm eating real meat with every meal, just like the booklet said to, I've been limiting fruits and vegetables, and I don't even have an appetite for anything grain-based. I'll probably miss what fresh bread used to be like, but I just can't bring myself to want it anymore. Apparently not every therian is following the diet they're supposed to, but the doctor didn't have any concerns about me, "assuming your answers are honest, Miss Alexis". What, does he think I'm about to lie to the one person who knows how species transition works?

At one point during the discussion I thought I heard him mutter something about a "foolish undine", but I must have misheard. Undines are water spirits or elementals or something - a fictional creature. Then again, so are dragons and lamias, but the first well-known humanity remover was a dragon-girl, and I've been hanging out and playing online games with a lamia. At this point you could tell me there's someone out there transitioning to Sonic the Hedgehog, and I might actually believe you.

I've hit the point of full fur coverage, so no more awkward bald patches! Unfortunately, this does mean I need to start taking my estrogen in a form other than skin patches, because there's nowhere left to stick them. After a lot of agonizing over the pros and cons of potential liver damage from pills versus facing down my needle phobia, I opted to ask my endocrinologist to train me on injectable estrogen. She made a somewhat tone-deaf joke about not being trained in veterinary medicine, but she was otherwise very patient and reassuring, so I let it slide.

I do want to state for the record that I am a big scary tiger who's not afraid of anything and I only cried a little bit the first time I injected myself.

My ears are definitely becoming much more sensitive - I keep hearing really annoying high-pitch noises when I'm around heavy machinery, and that happens a lot more often than you might think. My office at work is right next to an elevator, and whenever someone uses it, the motor lets out this gods-awful whine and I have to plug my ears until it stops moving again. My local grocery also has a few freezer units that give off a similar sound, constantly, and I've had to start wearing earplugs to go on food runs.

As for visual changes, I can see in the dark reasonably well, but I've also started getting headaches and discomfort when I squint or try too hard to focus on something. I guess I should probably just… try to not do that. I have spent a significant portion of my life staring at a screen, so my eyes probably aren't in the best shape overall.

Now that my physical changes are pretty much done, most people just assume I'm wearing a very intricate costume - at least, until they get close. No costume has mouth movements or facial expressions this realistic, and believe me, our top furry scientists and engineers have tried.

At one point there's a conversation on the humanity removal chat server about the political climates in our respective areas towards therians. Obviously, a lot of the right-wing talking-head shows have been shitting themselves inside-out about the idea of people giving up their humanity, especially the ones with a more religious bent. "How dare these freaks forsake God's holy image", "Humanity is a divine blessing and must be cherished", "We call on the one true God to smite these worshippers of the Beast", and so on like that. Excuse you, but I've never worshipped your discriminatory god and I'm not beholden to their 'holy image'. My goddess is one of beauty, love, and artistic expression, and the entire reason I'm changing myself in the first place is as an expression of self-love.

Most of us agree, though, that the absolute worst of the 24-hour news cycle doesn't have anything to do with how regular everyday people see us. In fact, we're rare enough still that a decent proportion of people don't believe we exist - they think that tabloids made us up to sell more copies. I don't know if that's better in terms of acceptance, but I'll take it over a torch-and-pitchfork mob running me out of town.

The conversation shifts to us sharing our locations, those of us who are comfortable doing so at least. We generally keep it vague, but most of us are at least alright with saying which country we live in. I narrow it down to a province for myself, mainly because my province alone is larger than some countries, but also because once we start to get noticed by the media and the world, there'll probably be no stopping our locations becoming known.

It's also going to get interesting if anyone starts asking how most of us are going to the same medical provider when he requires that consultations be done in person, or why the location he operates out of - Hyper City - doesn't appear on any map. Truthfully, I'm still trying to wrap my head around it myself.

The next day, I get a private message from the girl with the corvid avatar:

"Hey I saw your post when everybody was talking about where they are! I live there too!! We should totally meet up sometime ^v^"

…This is a dilemma. Obviously, I'm worried about the optics of a teenager meeting up with a 39-year-old she met on the internet, there's all kinds of ways that could be taken the wrong way, but dammit, I still don't know anyone like me in this part of the world, who knows if I'll ever find anyone else who's local? …I really want to try, but I should at least give her a warning, and a judgement-free out.

"Uhh I get wanting to meet up, but I'm more than 20 years older than you, would your parents be anywhere near cool with that??"

There's a long pause. I see her start and stop typing multiple times. I'm worried I've upset her. Eventually, she sends another message:

"I don't give a fuck what they think"

I'm taken aback by the harshness of the reply, and don't manage to type anything before another series of messages pops up:

"and they don't care what I do anyway so it's whatever" "if anyone asks I'll just say you're my weird aunt" "you have no idea how bad I want to meet someone who GETS IT" "humanity is a curse and I want to be free"

'I want to be free'. Something about that phrase hits somewhere deep, in a source of pain that never fully healed. Freedom from pain, freedom from self-hatred, freedom at any cost, even if it meant my life. I remember how that desire for freedom feels.

The only thing I can think to do next is ask if she's okay. Her response is to ask if I can go on a voice call. I'm not sure if she wants some confirmation that I'm a real person or if she just doesn't want the next part of the conversation preserved in the text log.

"Hey…", I begin cautiously as the voice call starts. "Can you hear me okay?"

There's a suppressed sniffle on the other end. "Yeah… I hear you."

For a moment I entertain the thought of going all 'when I was your age' and explaining that I was always cautioned against talking to strangers on the internet, but it's probably not the time for that. Read the room, Alexis.

She's not saying anything. I'm going to have to start this off, I think. Something harmless, something value-neutral…

"So from your icon, I'm guessing you want crow HRT? Raven HRT, maybe?"

"Crow HRT.", she states simply. "Crows are everywhere here, and I've always loved them, always been jealous of them. They get to go anywhere they want, do anything they want…" She lets out a groaning sigh. "Augh, this is stupid. You probably think I'm stupid for wanting this."

I can't hold back from giving a little bit of a laugh. "Hah! Young lady, one year ago I went to a doctor and told him to his face that I wanted him to turn me into a recessive-gene variant of an endangered species that doesn't even live on this continent, and then I threatened to bite him if he wouldn't do it. Fantasizing about being a crow is just about the normalest thing I can imagine compared to that."

"…You said you'd BITE him?"

I grin, though without a camera set up she can't see it. "Every one of us who seeks out humanity removal therapy is already a little bit inhuman, even if we don't fully know it yet. After all, why would we remove something if we felt emotionally attached to it?"

Another audible sniffle. "Holy fuck, you DO get it…"

"I sure hope I get it, it's not like I can un-grow the fur and the tail."

She gives a laugh, then there's a long pause. "…Does it hurt? Is it scary?"

"Sometimes. My fingers were REALLY sore while my claws were developing, and having your entire facial structure rearrange is no joke. As for scary, well, I sure get stared at a lot more, but I think I scare people a lot more than they scare me."

"Heh, maybe I want to be scary."

I frown a little. "I don't. I just want to be true to myself."

There's an awkward silence. After a while, I decide to bring up something I was curious about:

"So I remember you asking if there was a way to get species HRT without your parents noticing. I'm guessing they're not exactly supportive?"

She lets out an uncomfortable groan. "Mmmngh… They watch a lot of those news shows, you know, the ones that only run angry sensationalist bullcrap? Dad gets furious at the idea of anyone changing themselves, something about the 'holy sanctity of the human body' or whatever. He even thinks tattoos are blasphemy. Mom says it's the most horrific thing she can imagine, she nearly fainted when she caught me watching a stream of this one dragon girl talking about her changes."

"And here you are, wanting to be a bird… I'm sorry, that sounds really rough."

"It… It is." I can hear her voice faltering. "Hearing nothing but how terrible a waste it is, and how awful and horrific they are, and the whole time knowing that I'd give ANYTHING for it to happen to me, I just… I'm sorry, I just…"

"Hey, you don't need to apologize… I'm not going anywhere."

"I just… don't know how much longer I can take it!"

"…Take what?" I'm afraid to ask my next question, but… I just have to. "…What are they doing to you??"

Somewhere deep inside her, the dam just… breaks. She starts sobbing as she tells me about how her parents yell at her over every single mistake, how she gets shoved or hit just for being in the way, how she hurts herself just so the pain gives her something to feel and to focus on, and how she… How she once climbed up to the roof of her building and took a flying leap off. She had every intention to end her own life, but in the moment her feet left the ground and she felt the air under her arms, she experienced a rush of euphoria, for the first time she can remember.

…And a moment later, she broke a leg and several ribs when she hit the ground.

She explains that she spent over a month in hospital, a captive audience for her parents to yell at more, when they even bothered to show up at all. I'm too stunned to even react.

She's spent the years since then chasing that high, climbing trees and jumping off, finding rooftops and hilltops to go stand in the wind, looking up online videos of parachuting and wingsuiting and hang gliding, and when she first heard rumours about medical treatments that can alter one's very species, she started frantically researching. That's how she started finding other therians to reach out to, how she got involved in the group chat.

"Have you… had an appointment with Dr. Erian yet?" I have a feeling I already know the answer - something something, 'letter from a physician, two psychologists, live as your preferred species for at least a year'. The same horseshit I had to listen to.

"No… I tried to get one, but he won't see anyone under 18 without parental consent, and fat chance of ever getting that."

Huh. I hadn't expected that, it feels surprisingly principled for him. Though at the end of the day, it's probably just another liability thing - ol' Teddy Erian covering his own ass as usual.

"I just…" She's started crying again. "I just want to turn into a beautiful black bird and fly away from all this, forever… I just want to live my life on the wind, going wherever I want, never having to see a single human again…"

I can feel my own tears welling up, and that's the moment I make my decision. I'm going to meet up with this girl, and I'm going to find a way to help her. Maybe she doesn't need humanity removal, maybe she just needs to know someone who understands.

We decide on a place and time to meet up. There's a little cafe I like nearby, run by a trio of neurodivergent queer women. It's a public place, and about as safe for weirdos like us as you can get. Corvid-girl tells me she'll be the one with a feathered headband and a crow-skull necklace. I tell her I'll be the one with white fur and a tail. That manages to get a laugh out of her. I choose to take that as a victory.

There's something about the way she laughs that sounds a bit like a crow's call. I wonder whether that's intentional on her part…

A few days later, I'm sitting in the cafe enjoying a hot chocolate and a roast beef sandwich - extra meat, naturally. Dr. Erian said I have to start cutting chocolate out of my diet because cocoa is going to become toxic to me, but… chocolate! I did ask for a lighter mix though, so what I'm drinking is actually mostly just hot milk. Maybe there's a cocoa-free substitute out there I can look into…

I'm snapped out of my thoughts by a squeal of delight emanating from the front door. There's a teenage girl standing there, staring directly at me with a look of amazement on her face. Dark clothes, pale skin, black hair, headband with feathers in it, and hanging from her neck, an amulet in the shape of a bird skull. I smile and wave a paw at her. She practically bounces as she walks up to my table and takes a seat.

"Holy SHIT, you're… And you even have the… Your face looks just like… Can I touch your paw??"

I laugh and hold out my paw. "Haha, sure, just watch out for the claws, they don't stay all the way inside just yet."

"Oh, it's okay, I'm used to sharp things!"

I wince as I think back to our voice chat from the other day. I REALLY hope she doesn't mean what I think she means, but I can't help noticing she's wearing long sleeves, even though the weather has been getting warmer.

She turns my paw over and squeals. "OHMYGOD you even have the BEEEEANS!" I can't resist smiling as she starts poking and prodding at my pawpads. "You look SO!! AMAZING!!"

Corvid-girl starts frantically complimenting all my animalistic features - "Your stripes are so pretty!" "I love your tail!" "Ohh, your fangs, they're so COOL!!" - and I start uncontrollably blushing. I never would have thought species affirmation would feel this euphoric… Naturally, being a teenager, she takes this as an excuse to push even harder, and I start covering my face with my paws, thoroughly embarrassed.

"You look just like the tigers they have on stage for those shows in Vegas!"

"H-hey, that's actually not okay…"

"You know, I bet you'd look good up on a stage too! Everyone would love to see you!!"

Instinctually, I let out a growl, louder than I actually want to. It has the intended effect, in that she stops dead and stares at me, but so do a few other cafe patrons. Oh gods, here comes the embarrassment again… "H-hey, look, it's just…"

"Sorry." She's gone completely deadpan, and stiff as a board.

I close my eyes tightly. Gods, why did I DO that?? First the waitress at that seafood place, and now an actual CHILD. I REALLY need to start getting a handle on these predator instincts. When I open my eyes again, she's still standing there, and she looks like she's on the verge of a panic attack.

I need to calm her down, need to bring her back. "No… I'M sorry. I shouldn't have done that, I just… The animals they use for those stage shows get abused all the time, and it's kind of a sore spot for me."

"…Really?"

Okay, she's talking, she's distracted, maybe I can still salvage this. "Yeah… Every species has baggage, it's one of the shitty parts of being therian, and tigers, white tigers especially, they're treated like show pieces, or worse."

"…Well shit, I knew they're endangered, but… fuck."

"Yeah, it's a whole thing, I try not to -"

Our conversation is interrupted by one of the staff tapping corvid-girl on the shoulder and asking to talk privately. She reluctantly agrees to go to the back of the store and talk. At first I think maybe she's being chastised for being a disturbance, but the barista who pulled her away is giving me some very pointed looks. Worried looks, I might even say.

If I angle my ears just right, I can almost hear them through the noise of the rest of the cafe.

"…other patrons were concerned… …young lady so close to a dangerous creature…"

I wonder if the barista notices the indignant look that crosses my face when they describe me as a 'creature'.

Corvid-girl lets out that bird-like laugh of hers. Her voice is a lot more distinct and easier to pick out:

"It's just my aunt! She's not a 'creature', she just takes meds to look like that!"

The barista doesn't protest as corvid-girl returns to our table, but they're still giving me a very 'You'd better not try anything' kind of look.

Corvid-girl sits down, seemingly a little more grounded, a little more sobered. "…I guess I never thought to ask, why a white tiger?"

I lean forward, head in one paw, and give a bit of a shrug. "I relate a lot to them."

"To… being treated like a show piece, or whatever you said?"

"…Yeah. When I was little, they called me 'gifted' and put me in a separate school. I remember being excited about it, but it turns out it just meant getting more homework."

"…Ew."

I smile a little bit. "That's what I thought too! They wanted me to be some brilliant prodigy, a genius in the making, but the reality is I was just more observant and better at math than most people, that's all. I actually had to take an extra year of school because I was so bad at it."

"EWW!!"

"I KNOW, RIGHT?? But, then I went to college and graduated at the top of my class, so the joke's on them in the end."

"I wasn't even planning on staying around long enough for college…" She still has a bit of a depressed air about her, but she's not going into a panic. Maybe I'm better with kids than I thought.

"Yeah, I remember, you were going to turn into a beautiful crow and fly away forever." I try to give her a reassuring look. "But hey, the human world isn't ALL bad."

"Says the woman who's turning herself into a wild animal."

I snort quietly as I hold back a laugh. "Okay, fair, but wild animals don't get the internet, or nice little cafes where weirdos like us can just sit and talk."

"Hah, yeah… Weirdos like us." She gives a smile. An actual, genuine smile. Suddenly all the awkwardness is worth it, to see someone so deeply unhappy smile. "That reminds me, I saw on the server you're into witchcraft, can you… teach me?"

Somehow I feel like I should have expected this. The goth-looking crow girl is into witchcraft, big surprise. "I… guess? Maybe? I'm not like an expert or anything, I've just read a few books and cast a few spells is all."

"Ooh, what kind of spells??" And now she's back to her enthusiastic self.

"Just some protective charms on people who needed them, a few card readings with a tarot deck, nothing much really…"

"Does it really work??"

"I mean, the people I cast those charms on ended up safe in the end, but who knows if what I did made a difference? Some of the card readings were scary-accurate though, I think I might have a talent for divination."

She laughs. "Gonna have to get you to read my future sometime."

We end up spending the next hour or so making small talk, getting to know each other, talking about the ins and outs of humanity removal, complaining about Dr. Erian, until…

"Hey, I gotta go catch the bus back home, but… this was nice." She gives a bit of a smirk. "Cool to meet another weirdo."

Before she leaves, I ask her name - I still don't know it, I've been internally calling her 'corvid-girl' this entire time.

She gives me a disgusted grimace. "Ugh, it's 'Margaret'. I'm named for my great-grandmother, it's SUCH an old-lady name."

"Margaret, like Maggie, as in magpie?" I smile a little. "Those are corvids too, you know."

Her expression softens a little. "…Never thought of that. Still don't like it, though…"

"Well, is there a name you'd like better? I can start calling you that if you like."

She freezes. Somewhere in her eyes I can see her mind working to process what I've just said. "…Nobody ever asked me that before. I'll… think about it." She turns to leave.

"Wait, hold on a sec."

"WHAT!?" She outright glares at me, then seems to soften. "Sorry, it's… never mind."

That… was an EXTREMELY sudden mood shift. Trauma response, maybe? "I… was just going to ask if you wanted a sandwich or something to take home."

"…Didn't bring any money…"

I shake my head a little. "That doesn't answer my question. Would you like me to BUY you a sandwich or something?"

"…Egg salad if they got it I guess…"

I go up to the counter and buy her an egg salad sandwich to go. She looks like she's going to cry when I hand it to her. I… probably shouldn't make a big deal about that, but somewhere deep inside, my heart breaks a little. Does she never have anyone just… offer her food?

I'm beginning to understand why she wants to leave behind the curse of humanity. I chose this path, I wanted to be a tiger, I'm running towards something. Corvid-girl, though? She's running away from something.

I walk her outside, and she starts to walk away, but suddenly stops, and turns back to me. She walks resolutely up to me, then grabs me in a hug.

"Soft…" Her voice is muffled against both my shirt and the fur underneath. "You're very soft…"

Once I get over my surprise at the sudden gesture, I hesitantly put one arm around her shoulders and pat her on the back. She pulls away after a few short moments, and walks away down the sidewalk without another word.

I touch my shirt where her head was leaning, and notice a small wet spot.

---

Time to play "Spot the References!" Intentional references below:

"something about a 'foolish undine'" - welldrawnfish (Fish HRT)

"the first well-known humanity remover was a dragon-girl" - ayviedoesthings (Dragon HRT)

"I've been hanging out and playing online games with a lamia" - ariathelamia (Lamia HRT)

"someone out there transitioning to Sonic the Hedgehog" - sonic-spirit (Sonic HRT)

"watching a stream of this one dragon girl talking about her changes" - Rain, by Jocelyn Samara D. (Dragon HRT)

[gowns]

lately i have been

watching movies

reading books

practicing piano

taking long walks

being more methodical with my bedtime routine**

writing and outlining more regularly

and just generally repairing my attention span*. it's possible

the trick is to look for stretches of time where you can get it. i don't know how else to describe it tbh. and it sounds like nonsensical common sense. i guess it's like... find the tiniest stretches of time where you can't do anything else, and those are the times when you can be on your phone.

e.g. say i'm waiting for coffee to boil, about 1-2 minutes. i can't practice piano in that time, but i can check my email or instagram or whatever. but then, let's say i look at the clock, and there's nothing in particular to do for the next 20 minutes... well surely, i can practice a two page piano piece in that time. or at the very least do some scales or chords. or let's say i've just been tapping away at my work on my computer for an hour or two, it's a good time to get up and take a walk outside, or switch to paper (reading / writing). haha i know this is advice we've all heard before.

i guess like, one of my main downfalls is repeatedly checking my phone because i think a magic email or text will arrive. eventually i had to come to terms with the fact that this magic message will never arrive. and if i do have an important message, chances are i can answer it around 9am or 2pm, something like that. and if i'm checking my phone at 11pm what can i actually do about it? am i even in my right mind to do something about it?

--

*ed. note - yes i have read the things critical of the concept of "attention span" and well even if it's a fake concept let's say i struggle from a lack of this fake concept, shall we say... pathologically so...

**methodical bedtime routine: 9-10pm is ME TIME underlined three times, this is the time to watch something on TV, fuck around online, read a book, eat a popsicle, whatever. don't half ass the "me time," really go for it. if i'm half-working half-relaxing then i don't feel all the way relaxed, then i'm tempted to "steal" time back for myself post 11pm when i should be in bed.

anyway, sometime between 10-10:30pm: shower or bath, take melatonin if no sleep the night before, use water pick floss, wash face, moisturize, pajamas, drink water, brush teeth with nha toothpaste, duolingo, write in journal (if i have energy) / read book (if i have lower energy) / get in a last gasp of mindless scrolling if my energy is in the negative. last steps: turn on jazz in the rain playlist*** with a sleep timer of 30 minutes, turn off light

***somehow i pavlov-ed myself with this playlist and 5 out of 6 nights this will put me right to sleep like a bird with a blanket on its cage

[chelledoggo]

i'm spiraling again...

it's becoming increasingly apparent to me that i… may have to do some things in the next years that i've been afraid to do because of judgement from my family and the prospect of being homeless…

all my life i've been coddled. a bird in a gilded cage.

i might have to go out and protest whether they like it or not.

i may have to be vocal about my political stances… even to my own dad, the man who's ire i fear the most.

i might have to uphold my own God-given rights, even if i'm sent to jail for it.

if it gets bad enough, i may even have to consider… getting a passport. and… seeing if i can live on my own in canada.

i've never had to live on my own, much less in another country. i have such an emotional attachment to my family that i never considered i'd have to leave them.

a part of me is still trying to resist these possibilities. they're too scary. what if i die? what if i get sent to jail? what if i can never afford internet access or medicine or anything again? what if i never get to talk to my online friends again and i end up truly alone and afraid, with nothing to distract or console me?

i don't know… it's all just… so scary for me…

i'm a chronically fatigued autistic woman with depression and anxiety. i can't work. all i can do is… sleep.

i'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.

and also… i'd never be able to hug my mom again. for some reason that… scares me.

that's a stupid thing to be scared of. i'm a grown woman. i can't depend on mommy forever. but i never got to become an adult. all because i was coddled so much and raised in a stifling environment. i never really wanted for anything.

i don't wanna leave if i don't have to but... i'm afraid once he's in office, and if i ever need to leave…he'll make it so i can't.

i don't know what to do. i'm so sorry everyone.

i'm sorry i'm not the strong person you think i can be.

[201xs]

people (especially online) are so focused on the ways that hamsters and other small rodents can die and be mistreated by humans that it kind of overshadows everything else. hamsters are cute and cool and intelligent and they have the potential to be very affectionate, and can live a full happy life if you arent neglectful & don't do anything stupid

its crazy how the petco-ification of the small pets industry (it feels wrong even calling it an industry tbh) has become a sort of collective traumatic experience for a lot of kids. so many people have had shocking and horrific experiences with small pets at a young age because of the improper, abusive care products and incomplete (and sometimes flat out incorrect or missing altogether) care sheets that are pushed by these pet stores. not just hamsters, fish too, and even reptiles and birds - it bothers me how so many people see anything that lives in a tank or cage as beginner pets before you're ready for a "real pet", when more often than not they require more intricate and involved care than the average cat or dog.

if youve been mislead about the care of an animal by people trying to sell you a product or told incorrect information from someone you thought you could trust, its not your fault. especially if you were a child at the time. i just wish people would do more research before committing to something that depends on you for survival

[lowkeyrobin]

Can i have mcyt + cellbit with a reader who has lots of pets like reptiles, birds and mice and stuff?

ooooo okay!! I don't know too much about little rodent pets (/lh) so I had to do some research, bare w me if anything is weird or wrong lmaooo

MCYT ; animal sanctuary

includes ; tommyinnit, ranboo, badlinu, nihachu, quackity, & cellbit

warnings ; language, talk of harm towards animals

masterlist

TOMMYINNIT

"Holy shit, what is this? an animal sanctuary? this is your house???"

he loves all ur animals dw

he's afraid of the little parakeets though

he mistakes them for pigeons at first 💀💀

"WHY ARE THERE SPY BIRDS IN YOUR HOUSE???"

"what⁉️⁉️"

he's jittery around the mice and rats but he comes to love them

if you have a lizard/salamander that likes to be heald/climb all over ppl, you know damn well he's allowing it to crawl all over him

so many selfies and pictures of the little critters all over his insta, tik tok and even twitter

he makes a whole segment in his show to talk about your animals 😭😭

"the first time I ever went to y/n's house, I actually almost pissed myself" cue pictures of your little critters on the screen behind him "these fuckers are so terrifying. you see that bird right there? he mocks me everytime I speak! hashtag ban rodents 2024"

RANBOO

absolutely loves the reptiles and fuzzy critters

always taking pictures of them

you two do this fun thing by inspiring outfits around your different animals

like one day it'll be a certain salamander and another it'll be one of your birds

loves handfeeding the critters

loves posting their goodnight pics with one of your critters in hand/climbing on them

you guys go to animal shelters if you wanna find a new pet or buddy for a critter of course

yall always get the ones with the saddest backstories and shit

ranboo gets an axolotl

they're obsessed with her, and is so good at raising the fishy lizard 🫶

you bring a salamander over to meet the fish and they have a connection istg

ranboo takes a pic and posts it to Twitter; "two best friends in two different worlds"

is probably slightly afraid of the birds at first, they're scared of being bit

uses funny pictures of your animals as reaction memes

FREDDIE BADLINU

absolutely loves all your little critters

loves all the colors of them as well, especially the reptiles and birds

if you have a snake, he's terrified to get near it but will always take pictures of it climbing all over you

"You feed him spiders?? 😨😨😨"

he's the bird master

birds all over him all the time, he's a walking bird nest

always taking pics of/with your animals

if you have hamsters, good lord he's paying more attention to them than you 😭😭

"hiiiii, how are you today?"

"why do you actually care about my mice more than me"

also loves taking to the birds that talk back

has genuine conversations with them too

you do a cooking stream and he HIDES A RAT IN HIS HAIR FOR TEN MINUTES

"what the fuck"

"BAHAHAHHAA"

NIKI NIHACHU

absolutely adores all your little creatures

always has to show them off online

and always telling stories on stream

"y/n has this one salamander and she likes to nibble fingers, and one time-"

always taking cute pics with the pets that like to be heald/like to climb on people

she's literally an animal godess I swear

she's a critter whisperer sorry not sorry

always taking videos of funny moments / when you're giving all them time outside the cage

there's always birds on her shoulder, sleeping beauty ass 😭🙏

literally becomes a photographer for ur pets, she takes the best pictures ever

she makes them little hats and accessories 😭😭😭

always buying them toys as well

in the middle of the night you'll be awoken with the RMRMRMRMRMRM of the hamster wheel she got the hamsters

ALEX QUACKITY

"HOLY SHIT WHY DO YOU HAVE SO MANY FUCKING ANIMALS?"

literally has to make a note on his phone to keep track of all the names

he is not touching no damn reptile

always posting pics online

you guys start fostering critters as well

turns on loud meme music and has a concert with the mice

he knows how to call the birds like he's fucking sleeping beauty

"how tf did you just do that???"

"magic"

"okay then 🤨"

you foster a duck together that had her wings clipped

you name her together (it's named daisyhq I can't even make this up. you did the hq btw)

mice and rats all over him and his desk 24/7

and he'll gladly show them off on stream

"can we get a parrot?"

"my brother in christ we already have two birds?"

CELLBIT

also lovessss your critters

he genuinley has conversations with the birds

so many pictures of your animals on his social media LMAO

he names the new ones (you left it all up to him) the most random things

always asking you about toys before he buys them because he feels bad because what if they're lonely and sad but he doesn't wanna potentially hurt them either

always fucking around with the birds when they're hyper

also plays tag with the mice/rats

also loves showing them off on stream and ranting about them for a solid ten minutes

he finds a rat on the qsmp and names it after one of your rats

walks back in the house one day with a rat like "I found a friend! :D"

"Holy shit bro"

selfies with critters in his hair >>>>

alright this is all I got this took me way too long...

[flock-talk]

dear flock talk

today my mom stepped into her car (having left the windows open on accident) and found a bright yellow parakeet on the dashboard. we have no facilities for birds but we got the birdie into the house and gave him some mashed banana and some bird seed my boyfriend gave to me, as well as made sure that our cat wouldn't cause any danger. the poor thing seems really scared and freezes whenever i walk into the room to check on him. he hasn't made any sounds since we've brought him inside. we put up an ad for a lost pet but in the meantime, is there anything you might recommend doing to make him feel a bit more relaxed while he's here?

the fellow in question ^

The banana distribution system is functioning well I see!

Be sure to check for local Facebook groups, often times there isn’t a rescue facility but there will be Facebook groups to post lost/ found animals or online only shelters that don’t have physical locations but will share found pet listings on their site! Veterinary facilities will also be a good place to check, and a good opportunity to have someone check the bird over to ensure they aren’t immediately ill or dehydrated. You can use the site aav.org to locate facilities with avian vets nearest you- this may help you narrow down what clinics this bird may already be a patient in which could help you narrow your search/ leave found bird posters at.

Definitely be sure to keep the cat and bird completely separate (no matter how much you trust your cat!) as just their saliva left over on their fur can kill a bird let alone potential prey drive risks!

In the meantime I’d set up a cage for the little fellow, a deep cleaned cat carrier could work in a pinch if you have one laying around- just ensure the bird can’t fit its head through the bars. Birds can get hurt very easily if left alone in a room (falling from heights, chewing electrical wires, getting caught in fabrics, eating drywall, the list goes on) so do try to find some way to contain them. This will also provide them with a safe space as they won’t feel as out in the open which may help the little banana bird settle in a bit.

In the cage provide their seed mix, clean water, and fruits + veggies near the top of the cage- stressed birds are less likely to travel to the floor to eat and feel safer staying up high. Watery foods like lettuce or apples can help to rehydrate them since they are probably a bit dehydrated after their grand adventure.

As for stress the big thing right now is just going to be leaving them alone, get their carrier set up somewhere quiet and up high against at least one wall, preferably two. Give them space and time to slow down, eat and drink, and de stress. For some birds talking to them very calmly and quietly without major eye contact can also help as well as soft white noise playing to help dull out sounds that could be sudden and startling. Overall just a dark quiet space will do the most good for now

[joynagarermoa]

BAMBOO PRODUCTS AND THEIR MANY ADVANTAGES

The first advantage that bamboo offers is that it is aesthetically pleasing. It has an intriguing grain that is both elegant and natural in appearance. https://www.newsheadlines24.com/bamboo-products-and-their-many-advantages/

[meabh-mcinness]

The Cost of Love

As a runaway, you relished your newfound freedom after escaping from your possessive partner, Narnia. Exploring the Netherworld and forging new friendships, you grapple with profound loneliness, longing for Narnia's presence. Your world is turned upside down when you discover you're pregnant with Narnia's child, a cambion. Faced with this life-altering revelation, you must confront a heart-wrenching decision: return to Narnia, now a powerful political candidate in the Netherworld, or go it alone, going through an entire pregnancy and raising your unique child amidst the complexities and dangers of the Netherworld.

You had successfully escaped your old home for a few months now, moving from hotel to hotel, town to forest and back again as you explored the demonic world you had been dropped in. You probably could have gone on doing this forever as you made new friends, met up with online ones and made all sorts of discoveries if it wasn't for a few things.

You were lonely. Even slowly going mad from it. Every time you saw something amazing, you would turn to excitedly share the news with a demon who wasn't there, or every time you laid down for the night the crushing absence of your lover would wash over you and tears would flow before you realized it. Only to wake suddenly to screeching squawks of the Netherworld's birds, tear tracks dried to your cheeks and a still-wet pillow smashed to your face.

And if that weren't enough, you highly suspected something. Something that made you both glow with joy and paralyse you in fear and want to break down into tears all over again. A carousel of emotions that ran round and round again through your head the more you became sure. As the now familiar bubble of nausea rushed through you at the smell of what was once your favourite breakfast, the feeling of presumedness merely continued onwards.

You were pretty sure you were pregnant.

This was both a good and terrible thing as far as you were concerned. It was great because you had been thinking about children for a few years now until the ever-closing feeling of being caged took over your thoughts. The idea of raising little demonlings (fledglings?) with Narnia had been a fantasy you were eager to one day experience.

Except, you no longer had Narnia.

You had no one. Despite the friends you had made and kept in touch with, you were really and truly alone. After all, none of them knew of the fact you were human. If they found out, there was no guarantee that they wouldn't actually try and eat you, though you highly doubted it. Or worse, turn you over to the Border Patrol, thinking that they were helping you.

You would rather be eaten.

The idea of potentially seeing Narnia again after leaving for so long both thrilled and terrified you. You could admit that maybe, just maybe, you had overreacted. That you could have, in fact, simply talked about feeling caged in and maybe tried to convince him to take you out to places. Go out on dates and explore and make a bunch of memories that way. And while you were highly certain he would be reluctant at first because of your 'delicate' human nature, you were positive you could have convinced him eventually and resorted to running away afterwards if he still didn't budge.

Instead, you had jumped straight from point A to point Z, simply assuming at the time that he would never let you go with all his talk about how dangerous the Netherworld was or how he loved coming home knowing that you were always going to be there. And now you were on your own, with potentially a halfling child growing in your womb and no one to turn to for help.

You were terrified and in way over your head, pure and simple. Placing your head in your hands, you leaned over and tried to keep the tears from spilling once more as your thoughts spiralled again. You couldn't let anyone know you were human, other than the one loose end that was Narnia, and yet you didn't know the first thing about demon pregnancies. Hell, you didn't know much about human ones either other than the basic standards, and who knew if those were even real or simply misconstrued facts?

The realization that you might be pregnant added another layer of complexity to your already overwhelming situation. The concept of raising a half-human half-demon child, a cambion, was both daunting and intriguing. You pondered the possibilities and wondered what kind of life you could provide for your potential offspring. As you rest your head in your hands, a mix of fear, uncertainty, and excitement washed over you.

You knew that in this world, you were an anomaly. The fact that you were a human in a realm of demons was a well-kept secret, one that you had to protect at all costs. The knowledge that you carried Narnia's child put you in an even more precarious position. Would he even want to know, or would he be more upset with you for running away and leaving him without a word? Or worse yet, would he be so upset with you that he'd take the baby and abandon you. Never to see your child or him again. Even if he did want both you and the child, there was still the fact you would actually have to go back into your gilded cage for who knows how long. Ignoring his protective side, Narnia as both a Naberius and Border Patrol member held a lot of enemies. You highly doubted that there wouldn't be a single demon who wouldn't think of taking you or the baby as either a hostage situation or just to deal pain to Narnia.

The loneliness gnawed at you like a relentless beast, making the prospect of reuniting with Narnia a tempting one, despite the fear. You couldn't be sure how he would react, but your heart ached for his familiar presence, for the comforting embrace you had once known. The thought of returning was both exhilarating and terrifying. You were certain that he would know what to do, or at least who to contact in regard to this situation. And he was your best bet at protection in concerns to your child. The baby was still small now, but soon enough you would start to swell to the point of not being able to move well, therefore putting the both of you in extreme danger. What predator could resist the call of so much available, unprotected meat?

You could attempt to do your own research for now, of course. Your newest hotel was only a few streets away from a library, and one of the first things you had acquired after your newfound freedom was a netherworld wide library card. Though you had very often questioned their sorting system, it would probably be quite easy to find the information. Hopefully. You had long since discovered that many things were passed on through word of mouth within familial spheres, which left you at a rather severe disadvantageous. Raising a cambion child would be a complex endeavour, one that required knowledge of both worlds. Your library card would be your best friend in your quest for understanding as far as the Netherworld was concerned. As far as the human side of it, well, you just hoped any natural instincts you had would be good enough.

With newfound determination, you left your small hotel room and made your way through the winding streets of the Netherworld city. The place was bustling with activity, demons of all shapes and sizes going about their daily business. You blended in as best as you could, a human in disguise, but it was a feeling of vulnerability that never truly left you. A feeling intensified by the precious cargo that you potentially carried within you. You did your best to give off an air of confidence, that you were just another demon going about their daily routine and not an outsider.

You had never been so happy as when you discovered demons simply didn't possess the uncanny valley effect. Likely due to how varied in shapes demons, but you digressed. Their lack of ability to tell something apart from their own kind left you in a place that you would happily take advantage of.

Passing by a newspaper stand, you were suddenly shaken out of your thoughts when you caught a glimpse of a very familiar face on the front page. Pausing, you turned back towards the stand and picked up the thick paper. There, staring back at you disinterestedly, was your old lover. You couldn't help the internal wince at the sight of his now almost dead-looking eyes, that bore holes through you even from the paper. He hadn't used to look like that. Oh, he certainly didn't wear his emotions on his face like some people, but he didn't look so apathetic either. The only emotion that seemed to carry through now was the locked jaw, set in what you thought was determination. A quick glance at the title of the paper revealed why.

New thirteen crown candidates. He had been chosen as one of the new candidates to help govern the Netherworld. That...that was a lot of pressure for him. You couldn't help but wonder if he had chosen to do this or if it had been forced upon him, as his border patrol job had been. You were well aware of his family's disposition to have control over all of their members. Even going as far as picking out their jobs when they were still in the womb. Narnia, as the eldest son, had no choice but to train to be a border patrol member, and he could be no less than the best. Another worry for you when it comes to your unborn baby.

What if they were forced into the same thing? They would be the eldest child of the eldest child. The new heir to the Naberius family, and would likely be forced to train to take on Narnia's place when they were old enough. Your eyes narrowed and teeth bared naturally at the thought. Human or not, you would like to see someone try and make your child go through that harrowing process. If they wanted to take Narnia's place naturally, so be it, you would help train them yourself. But to be forced to put their lives on the line? You would sooner die.

"What's the matter, sweet cheeks? Didn't make the cut as a candidate?" A voice cut through your thoughts, and you startled, immediately swirling and snapping your teeth at the newcomer in a, hopefully, threatening manner. The demoness before you immediately threw their hands up in surrender, adopting a look of surprise. "Woah there, don't take your anger out on me. It was just a question."

Your heart pounded as you slowly took in her features and realized you actually knew this particular demoness. Mephisto Azuria, one of the demons you had met online and had started growing close to. Much like her twin brother she enjoyed playing games, but preferred the video game variety versus the board and cards that her brother played. You stepped back from your threatening stance, trying to appear nonchalant even though your nerves were still on edge. The Netherworld was teeming with all sorts of creatures, and it was best not to provoke unnecessary attention. Especially, as you sent another quick glance to the paper, when said creature's twin was another candidate.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to snap," you replied, your voice steady despite your racing heart. "It's just a lot to process."

Azuria seemed to accept your explanation and flashed a wicked grin, revealing sharp, pointed teeth. "Yeah, these are confusing times, especially with the new candidates. You must have some thoughts about it." Oh, you had plenty of thoughts. Just none you could say out loud right now.

You had long since decided to tread carefully, knowing that revealing too much about yourself could be dangerous. You liked Azuria, but she was definitely a manipulator by nature. And if she found out you had a connection to her brother's competition? You weren't certain you would like the answer.

"Well, I'm just curious about what this means for the Netherworld. Are they expecting any major changes with these new candidates? It's not like the last ones really did anything." Or at least you didn't think they did. You were pretty sure you heard Narnia grumble about that on occasion.

The demoness shrugged. "Who knows? Politics can be a real mess. But it's also exciting. It's not every day we get a shakeup like this. Maybe things will get better." She suddenly snorted in laughter, "Well if big bro gets it probably not. The man can't get his games off his mind for ten minutes. He'll probably try to turn everything into one giant board game somehow. Though who knows, might be fun."

You nodded, "A real-life board could be kind of fun. For like twenty minutes and then I would want to strangle everyone and everything." She laughed at your comment and shook her head in agreement. The movement causing her long blonde hair to flow about her drawing the eye of many demons around you with its shiny properties.

Now, with the news of Narnia's new role, you were torn between your desire to see him again and your fear of what it could mean for you and your unborn child. You couldn't afford to make any rash decisions. Azuria could be of great help to you in this case. As another female, she likely knew at least some information on demonic pregnancies, though both she and her brother had stated multiple times that they never wanted kids, so maybe not. But on top of that, she now had a connection to Narnia in a way. Either herself or her brother could easily let slip to Narnia that they had met you and potentially give him a clue on where you were.

Depending on your decisions she could either be incredibly helpful or a severe danger. As you conversed with Azuria, you couldn't help but weigh the pros and cons of involving her further in your life and your predicament. She seemed genuinely curious about your opinions on the new candidates, and her sense of humour lightened your mood. Yet, you had to be cautious. Azuria was the type to openly admit she liked to manipulate others and still wrap you around her finger to do what she wanted. A true succubus if you had ever met one. Considering she had been a student of, and currently worked for, the head crown of lust made a lot of sense.

"So," Azuria started, linking her arm through one of yours and taking the now crumpled paper out of your hands, "why were you trying to intimidate the poor paper? Considering your pension for freedom I would think you of all demons would hate to be tied down to a job." She tossed a few coins towards the vendor and promptly started walking off, dragging you along for the ride. She gave a slight pause before continuing onwards, eyes sharpening, "Did my brother do something to you? He may be family, but I'll still tear his dick off if he hurt you."

Her sudden proclamation caught you off guard, and you burst out laughing, waving your other hand to shut down the implication.

"No, no he did nothing. He's always been a perfect gentleman around me. No, I..." you paused suddenly uncertain of what to say. Delve or not to delve? Truth or lie? They did say the best lies were the ones sewn in truth. Why not try? "Well, I know of one of the other candidates. Seeing them brought up some things that I hadn't thought of before and they weren't pleasant thoughts." Alright so not so much a lie as just an omission of the full truth, but at least you tried.

Her eyes narrowed more as she looked you over, before bringing up the paper to look at. "I can certainly see that, you did a number on this and the look in your eyes said if anyone tried to get your attention they would die." Her eyes scanned the four pictures, clearly trying to figure out which one had caused you distress, before sweeping them back over to you with a sultry smile, "Good thing I love to flirt with danger." She gave you a wink, causing a giggle to erupt from your throat.

Her tail swept up and wrapped around your waist pulling you in closer to her side as her arm left yours, gripping the paper with both hands. Pulling it up to her face and analysing each picture before shrugging and setting the entire thing on fire, nonchalantly tossing it to the side as it burns to ash before your eyes. "There, now there's nothing to remind you of those bad thoughts."

You chuckled at Azuria's attitude. It was a welcome distraction from the maelstrom of emotions and decisions swirling in your mind. Her warmth and charisma helped ease your tension, even if only momentarily. Her unexpected, protective stance concerning her brother's potential wrongdoing had thrown you off balance, but now it seemed more like she was trying to inject some levity into the situation.

Azuria's tail wrapped tighter around your waist, pulling you closer to her and once more linking your arms together. You appreciated the gesture of comfort, though it left you more aware of the life growing within you. The prospect of motherhood still seemed surreal, and you couldn't help but wonder what kind of mother you would become in this strange world.

As the newspaper turned to ashes, your thoughts returned to the difficult decisions ahead. Narnia's new role as a candidate for one of the thirteen crowns was a game-changer. It was tempting to consider returning to him, especially now that the possibility of motherhood was in the picture. But the Netherworld had its dangers, and you were a hidden human carrying the child of a prominent demon. The risks were substantial, not just to you but to your unborn baby as well.

Her attempt to bring a smile to your face brought a warmth to your chest and you felt gratitude swirl through you, and also a deepening sense of caution. Perhaps your experiences left you jaded, or this newfound discovery of impending motherhood left you overly paranoid.

You just couldn't help but feel like she was after something, and yet you couldn't think of a single thing you could give her. All of Azuria's relationships had a reason for them, money, power, or simply a bit of fun before moving on. You had none of that, as far as she knew at least. Had she known it existed, your connection to Narnia would be a good reason for her to cuddle up close to you, after all, everyone wanted a piece of the Naberius family considering their perpetuity of producing high-ranking demons. And now that he was a crown candidate? You highly doubted that there would be a lot anyone who didn't want to have some sort of claim to him now that he could potentially influence the way the Netherworld itself worked.

But she didn't know any of that. So what was her angle here? Azuria didn't waste time on things that gave her nothing. Did she find you intriguing maybe? You supposed you were definitely an outcast as far as demons worked despite your attempts. You constantly offered ideas that were common in the human world and yet seemed to have not even a fleeting thought to them here. And considering you constantly flitted about here and there like some spring bird, your desire and love for freedom, perhaps you presented a curiosity to her that she wanted to unwrap?

Too bad you intended to stay closed up tighter than a clam.

Azuria's insistent presence both intrigued and worried you. She was a wild card, someone who could potentially help or harm you, whether intentionally or inadvertently. On one hand, you could continue letting her lead you wherever it was she was going, likely a cafe of some sort. On the other hand, you could see the library from here, the large building, once a haven as you consumed knowledge left and right, now loomed over you as you slowly walked towards it. You could easily walk past it, let Azuria lead you wherever and forget your worries for another day.

Or you could not be a coward and try and face this head-on. But what of Azuria? She had followed you into the library on more than one occasion, watching you roam about and consume books at the speeds of a starved man before food. Even teasing you about it on more than one occasion. More than likely she would follow you in again, curious about what you're going to go after next. And there was no way she wouldn't catch on to why you would be looking at pregnancy books. Still though, even if you did push it off, she would likely find out about your little bundle in the future anyway.

Every time you moved to a new area, ever since you had first met up, she always seemed to be able to find you. Not that you tried particularly hard to hide yourself from her, sending pictures of an aquarium you found, or raving about a drink you got at a particular cafe. Still, it occasionally unnerved you when she just popped up randomly. Made your instincts flare up and panic rush through your veins at Narnia showing up next. All this meant that she would just find you again later, with your belly swelled, and undeniable proof presented on your body.

Might as well get it over with now, with your body still movable and able to run if she, for whatever reason, reacted badly. After all even if she didn't know you were human, you had no what the demonic culture on cannibalism was.

You lightly tugged on her arm that was connected to yours still. Her head tilted towards you, eyebrows scrunching and lips parted in slight confusion until you pointed to the library. Her eyes following the line of sight lit up in understanding before and started to lead you towards the building.

The Netherworld's library was a massive, labyrinthine structure filled with ancient texts and scrolls that held centuries of knowledge. Walking up the massive steps, at the library, you were greeted by towering shelves filled with books. The air was heavy with the scent of old parchment, and dimly lit chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Usually, you would just wander and find an area you hadn't started going through yet. This time however you gently pulled Azuria over towards the reference desk. As you approached the reference desk, the librarian, a demon with dark skin, sharp green eyes, and long twisted horns (that honestly reminded you of oversized corkscrews), regarded you with curiosity before planting his attention on Azuria.

"May I help you with something?" the librarian asked, his voice low and resonant, eyes never leaving the pale flesh of the demoness next to you.

You swallowed your nervousness, eyes glancing over at Azuria who only looked back at you curiously before sighing in defeat and replying, "I'm looking for books on pregnancies."

You felt Azuria startle next to you, could picture her eyes widening and mouth opening in shock even as you stared resolutely in front of you. Her tail tightened around your waist more before immediately loosening to wrap around your hips instead. The librarian hummed a little before lazily pointing his sharp tail left. "Go that way, 18th aisle from the back on the left."

You thanked him and started walking, Azuria letting you pull her in the direction without complaint. You could feel her eyes burrowing into you and yet you refused to look at her. As you walked down the aisle towards the section dedicated to pregnancy, a feeling of vulnerability washed over you. Doing this somehow made the possibility more real. Before, while the thought had caused you distress, it was still just that. A thought.

Now though, as you counted the aisles and slowly came to a stop in front of the indicated section, it seemed far more real. The thought had become a reality in a way. You bit your lip, your heart pumping as nervousness sang through your veins. Your hand lifted to look at the first one you saw when suddenly it was overtaken by a far paler one. Snow-white skin tapered with deep blue claws covered your own and guided your hand away. The tail around your hips gently pulled you away from the shelves and into Azuria's arms.

"You're shaking like a leaf," she mumbled into your hair. Oh, so you were. You hadn't realized, so focused on your inner turmoil. Now though, you could feel your entire body shaking, quick shifts back and forth causing tremors throughout your entire body. Azuria's comforting embrace enveloped you, and the gentle warmth of her body against yours helped to steady your trembling form. You leaned into her, seeking solace in her presence.

"Sorry," you whispered, your voice shaky. "I didn't expect this to be so... nerve-wracking."

She responded with a soft, reassuring tone, "It's okay. I'm by your side, you don't have to do it alone."

With Azuria refusing to let you go from her arms, you navigated the shelves of pregnancy-related texts by waddling. Azuria unwrapped her tail from its place around your hips to let the hoop at the end wrap hook over your wrist, before stepping back slightly so that you could move easier and pursued the shelves as well, picking a few titles of her own. The titles remained cryptic in the fact that while you could read the language, you didn't necessarily always understand what it said. You carefully selected a few books that seemed relevant regardless. They depicted various stages of demon pregnancies, and you hoped they held valuable information that would assist you on this challenging journey. If nothing else Azuria's chosen few would probably be helpful.

Azuria accompanied you as you left the aisle and headed towards your usual table before she used her tail to tug your bag to the entrance. You looked over at her with a question forming on your lips, but she simply shook her head and almost dragged you back to the desk, her presence providing a sense of security in the once-familiar environment. The librarian glanced at the selection of books in your hands, his green eyes glinting with a hint of curiosity, but he refrained from asking questions. Simply checked them out for you and handed them back over.

You thanked the librarian, and he nodded in response. Azuria's tail still circled your wrist as you made your way back out of the library. The chilly, parchment-scented air began to feel less intimidating as you clung to the knowledge you had gained. It was the first step on the path to understanding your situation better, and you knew that you had a long road ahead of you.

As you walked out into the Netherworld's bustling streets, you turned to Azuria, offering a small but genuine smile. "Thank you for coming with me, Azuria. I appreciate your support, but why did we leave."

Her sharp grin returned. "Of course, sweet cheeks, allies stick together. Let me answer your question though with another. Would you rather research this in an open area surrounded by others or in the safety and comfort of your own home?" She raised a shapely eyebrow at you, still grinning because she knew the answer already.

A sigh left you as you realized, "Home. I'd want to be home." Azuria grinned triumphantly at you, gesturing with her other hand

The two of you continued to walk together, leaving the library behind, and the weight of your predicament felt somewhat lighter. With Azuria's help, you had taken your first steps toward unravelling the mysteries of your demon pregnancy and the potential reunion with Narnia. They were baby steps, perhaps even tinier than that. But they were steps forward regardless and you were rather proud of that.

You could only hope the rest of the journey would be as easy.

**********

It was not easy in the least.

A groan left you from where you sat on the floor, a toilet bowl beside you. You had thought you had morning sickness before, but that was nothing compared to the amount of time you stayed practically glued to the toilet's side. Forget Narnia. This bowl made of whatever demons used in place of ceramic was now your new partner.

A soft swishing noise followed by the slightest creaking sound announced the opening of the bathroom door. You barely had enough energy left to raise your head slightly and glance at the new being entering your domain. A worried look painted on a pretty face entered your vision as Azuria gracefully knelt down -- and what you wouldn't do to be able to do that anymore-- a clawed hand gently placing itself on your shoulder.

"Are you okay sweetling?"

A groan was the only response to her question, your head laying itself back onto the bowl, no longer cold but lukewarm from soaking up your heat. A shame that was, considering you had been enjoying the cool temperature, but you lacked far too much energy at the moment to even think of moving those couple of inches.

You shakily gave her a tired smile before it left your lips again just as fast. You felt your throat tighten a little and the now familiar wave of nausea filled your stomach before flowing outwards. Your eyes closed and you focused on breathing in the hopes of not going through another bout of vomiting. A shudder ran through your body before the feeling faded away again. A relieved sigh left your mouth and you opened your eyes again when you felt it was safe.

You were seriously over this pregnancy thing.

The worst part was that it was possibly avoidable. From all the readings you did, you found that a vital part of fetus development was the pouring of the parent's magic into the womb. Mothers were especially vulnerable during this time because their bodies did it automatically, leaving them with fewer defences than they had before. The problem lay in the fact that you were human. While you highly doubted humans were without magic entirely --there were too many cases of unexplainable things that happened in the human world for you to believe that-- you also didn't have a lot to give if there was magic in your veins. Humans depended far more on physical developments rather than magical ones and it really showed now.

In other words, you were pretty sure you were starving your baby of one of its most vital needs. And in return -- it was starving you. 

And there was nothing you could do about it short of returning to Narnia in this state. You had toyed with the idea more and more often lately. Azuria was great, taking you in and helping you with everything she could. She was the being the absolute best in the fact that she had essentially taken over everything she possibly could to ensure you had the easiest road possible. There were times when you wondered how much your life would have been different if you had met her first.

A cool cloth gently laid across your forehead distracted you from your thoughts. Looking out the corner of your eye you saw Azuria's worried face hovering above you, pale hands retreating from where they laid the washcloth on you.  Azuria's worry deepened as she observed your sickly state. An ever-paling skin complexion combined with your thining weight despite the food she consistently forced you to eat left her feeling anxious. Not that constant eating helped when you were just as constantly throwing it back up again. Her expression shifted from concern to fretful anxiety, her eyes reflecting a mix of care and helplessness. "Sweetling, you can't go on like this. You need food and rest," she murmured her voice a soft melody laced with genuine concern.

You managed a weak nod, acknowledging the truth in her words. She wasn't wrong but unfortunately, there wasn't much you could do about it. Pregnant demons rarely threw up during pregnancy, but human pregnancies often had it as a side effect. You vaguely remembered it potentially having to do with an influx of hormones causing it and well there wasn't much you could do about that. And it wasn't like you could tell Azuria that, what with humanity supposed to be a secret and all.

Azuria stood gracefully, her hand extending towards you. "Let's get you out of this confined space. Perhaps lying down in bed will bring you some relief."

With Azuria's gentle guidance, you struggled to your feet, leaning on her for support. The walk to the bedroom felt like a journey through a foggy dream. Azuria led you to the bed in your room, where soft cushions awaited. She helped you settle down, arranging pillows behind your back for comfort. Her hands were cool against your forehead, her touch soothing as she continued to fret over your well-being.

Settling on the bed with Azuria flitting about and making sure you were at your most comfortable was surprisingly nice and annoying. It was nice to have someone care about you in this way again, always making sure your needs were taken care of. On the other hand, you were pretty sure if she flitted about anymore she would turn into a bird, or make you dizzy just from watching. Faster than you thought possible, your hand snatched out and gripped her wrist causing her to stop short, almost tripping over her feet at the sudden lack of motion.

Her head turned to look at you questioningly, tilted to the side like a curious puppy before coming closer as you gently tugged on her. "As much as I love this pampering, all I really want is for you to lay down next to me." 

She blinked at you for a second, as if she couldn't comprehend what you were asking before quickly moving to lay beside you, and your body twisted so that you were facing one another, legs touching as you both got comfortable. It reminded you of sisters in those movies where they huddle under the blankets, clasping hands and whispering promises to one another that would later be broken before being fulfilled all over again. You were so busy thinking of it though that it took a second to notice that Azuria was still twitching slightly. Her tail lashes about in small quick movements like a fretful cat.

You had never seen Azuria look so unsure of herself before. The fidgeting and fiddling of her hands as she picked at her fingernails for non-existent imperfections. It made you curious about what could possibly throw off the ever-so-flawless succubus. Always confidently ready with a retort or flirt and never seeming out of place for even a second, even in places she really should be. "What's got you in such a state?"

She blurted out something so quickly that your mind barely registered it as words at all. You blinked as you stared at her. "I'm sorry. Could you repeat that?"

Her hand tore from yours as she covered her face, cheeks flushing from embarrassment at whatever she had said. "I'm sorry, it's stupid I know and if you're not even willing to do so with the other parent I don't even know why I thought I would offer. You're just so sick all the time and I wanted to do something and-"

She was cut off by you ripping her hands away from her face, a startled squeak leaving her at the sudden appearance of your face. "Azuria, I legitimately had not heard what you said the first time. So would please repeat it so that I can be the judge on whether or not it's stupid?"

She chewed on her bottom lip nervously, a habit she had picked up from you, before sighing and repeating what she had said. Cheeks flushed an even brighter colour as she looked anywhere but you. "I said, would you let me share my magic with your baby?"

You stared at her as your brain tried to understand what she said. "Share...your magic?" She nodded miserably. You were quite certain that tears were starting to gather in the corners of her eyes. "I thought only the parents could do it?"

She shrugged the motion looking weird on her body. "It depends on the situation and clan. Most prefer it only be those raising the babe, others the entire clan will exchange magic, and others still believe that only the carrier should be doing it. It's an incredibly personal thing to do though, only ever done with family or mates so I understand why you wouldn't want to and-mmph!" You placed her hands over her mouth to cut her off before she spiralled into a rant. You had never thought you'd see the day one of the Mephisto twins were embarrassed and yet here you were. It was rather refreshing.

"I'm not saying no Azuria, I was just confused due to a misunderstanding apparently." You sat staring at her, trying to make sure you understood everything and didn't end up in a social blunder of some kind. If you understood right, then it wasn't just the parents who could help feed the baby magic, but anyone. As long as they wanted to at least, and generally were in a close relationship of some kind. You could understand why she was so flustered now. 

If you had asked someone whom you had been friends with and only known for a little over half a year to do something only family members or partners did, you'd be rather embarrassed as well. And yet you couldn't help but find it incrediably sweet of her to do so. A warm pit formed in your belly at the thought of it, and you gently pulled her hands away from her mouth.

"I'm okay with you doing so as long as you are. I don't why you're willing to offer it up but I'm not going to say no to something that will help the baby."  Azuria's eyes widened as the words left your mouth. Azuria's eyes widened as the words left your mouth. She seemed taken aback, and for a moment, the room held a pause as she absorbed your response. The tension in her shoulders visibly eased, and a genuine smile broke across her face, brightening the room with a warmth that went beyond her usual charismatic charm.

"You mean it?" Azuria asked, her voice a mix of surprise and relief. You nodded in affirmation, prompting her to lean in and embrace you gently. Her arms circled around you, her body folding protectively as she held you close. It was a gesture of comfort, and you couldn't help but reciprocate the embrace.

Azuria then pulled back, a newfound determination in her eyes. "Let me try," she said softly, her hand reaching for your stomach. As her clawed fingers made contact, a surge of warmth flowed through you. It was a gentle, soothing sensation, unlike anything you had experienced before. The magical exchange felt incrediably intimate, as if Azuria was sharing a part of herself with your unborn child, and you suddenly understood why it was only family members and partners that generally shared magic with one another.

You closed your eyes, revelling in the unique connection, and for a brief moment, the worries and discomforts of pregnancy seemed to fade away. Azuria's magic was a comforting balm, and as she continued, you couldn't help but feel a profound gratitude toward her. As the magical exchange continued, you felt a sense of reassurance, a belief that perhaps, with Azuria's help, you wouldn't be a complete failure at this whole parenting thing. The room, once filled with anxiety, now radiated a quiet happiness.

"Thanks, Azuria," you're hand gently rested on her shoulder, a tired but grateful smile resting on your face. "You're a great ally. I don't know what I would have done without you." For a second you swore you saw her flinch ever so slightly, but the expression was gone before you could blink. A grin lazily stretched itself on her painted lips in its place. Had you imagined it?

"I'm well aware I'm one of the best, but please, keep praising me. Flattery gets you everywhere."

You couldn't help the laugh that tore out of your throat, as you moved your hand and replaced it with your head instead. Placing your other hand on top of hers as the magic continued to pour into your body -- you briefly wondered just how much she had to be able to continuously share this much -- curling your body around your growing belly and into her side. Even if you did wish that there was another body here to curl around you, you were content in this moment. And that was more than you felt you could ask for.

**********

Today was going to be a good day.

The sun was shining with just enough cloud coverage to keep it from being overwhelming. Birds screeched their morning dues and you watched contently from your kitchen window as some drillbees floated lazily about outside. You hadn't felt the need to throw up yet and had even managed to get some breakfast down your gullet. Azuria had left earlier that morning on some kind of mission, something about a missing ingredient if her note was any indication. Although where Azuria was concerned, that could as easily be some eggs as it could be some high-end lipstick priced more than anyone could reasonably make in a decade to complete a single outfit. You would simply have to wait and see what she came back with.

Taking another sip of your steaming tea, you waited contently as the dough on the counter rose so that you could slip it into the oven. It was such a lazy and good morning today that perhaps you would indulge in some treats. Lifting your bulk out of the comfy chair, you sorted through internally what you should have lying about. There were fruits Azuria had brought home a few days ago. You could still taste their sweet bursts of flavour on your tongue and the thick juice going down your throat. Yeah, berries sounded good right about now.

With a groan, you lifted yourself from the chair you had perched in. The baby hadn't even reached half of its full size and already it was a pain to heighten and lower yourself. The kid was really lucky you loved them enough not to endanger their life by evicting them early. The urge to do so was ever-increasing but you did your best to keep it from annoying you too much. Your lack of fast movement though made you increasingly grateful that Azuria had taken up guard duty around you, not even allowing her brother, a member of the 13 crowns and technically her superior, to get too close to you.

As you shuffled toward the kitchen, the scent of fresh dough wafting through the air, you opened the fridge door with a sense of anticipation. The cool air greeted you, and your eyes scanned the shelves for the container of berries. A small smile touched your lips as you spotted them nestled among the other groceries. Carefully, you retrieved the bowl of vibrant berries, the colours reminiscent of the morning sunrise. The plump, juicy fruits seemed like a delightful treat, a burst of nature's sweetness.

"Sweetling! I'm home! Come outside and look what I brought!" Azuria's voice cut through your thoughts. A sigh left your mouth as you turned from the fridge, a bowl of juicy berries locked in your hands. Shifting it to sit in one hand, you popped a few in your mouth as you walked,  nearly moaning at the sweetness as they burst. Opening the front door, you started to call out to Azuria, to ask what she had, when you noticed she wasn't alone.

It took a few moments before your brain caught up and recognized who was in your yard. Your entire body froze up as you tried to comprehend what was happening. The sudden stopping motion causes the bowl of berries to topple from your hand and fall to the ground, glass shards smashing and berries splattering against the hard ground. You ignored it all to focus on the being in front of you. You knew that body, that face, the long flowing hair and pale skin.

"Narnia," you breathed out. Heart pounding a mile a minute and tears starting to pool in your eyes. So many emotions were suddenly flowing through you in a whirl and you couldn't process them all. Fear, love, elatedness, nervousness and more. All culminating into one giant ball that left you dizzy. You swayed a little from the impact of it all, and suddenly both Narnia and Azuria were sprinting in your direction, though you didn't fully understand why. You still couldn't understand why Narnia was here at all actually.

You flinched when he reached out to steady you, backing away slightly, teeth knawing at your bottom lip as you stared at him. Looking over his shoulder you saw Azuria a step behind him, her eyes drawn wide open before she was suddenly in between the two of you and all you could see was her back. Wings spread wide and her tail lashing in agrivation. She wants to protect you -- is willing to die by going up against someone so much more powerful than her to do so.

You hear a deep snarl from Narnia at the denial of being able to see you and Azuria's responding hiss. For a split second, you wonder if this is what a dog toy feels like, as it's fought over between two canids before being torn to shreds by the reigning victor. You didn't want to know who the winner would be between them. Didn't want to see them fight. Be covered in wounds from the other's claws and blood pouring down their bodies as they both fought over you.

̶D̶i̶d̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶w̶a̶n̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶f̶a̶c̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶w̶e̶r̶e̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶c̶e̶r̶t̶a̶i̶n̶ ̶w̶h̶o̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶w̶a̶n̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶w̶i̶n̶ ̶i̶f̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶c̶a̶m̶e̶ ̶d̶o̶w̶n̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶i̶t̶.̶ ̶

You place a hand gently on Azuria's shoulder and lightly push on it. 'Back down' you say wordlessly, 'it's ok.' You're nowhere near ready to see Narnia on your own terms, much less like this, but he's here now and you have to face the music. You inhale deeply, letting it out slowly before ducking slightly under her still-spread wings.

Narnia's face is still pulled into a ferocious snarl, white fangs gleaming as he bares them before they're quickly put away at the sight of you. He starts to reach out a hand for you once more before pausing, seeming to rethink the idea. It takes a second for you to realize that he's shaking slightly. Nearly imperceptible and yet when you focused you could see the nearly invisible tremors running through his arms.

You could understand it in a way, if he had even a fraction of the love that you had for him, he was probably devastated at your disappearance. And for you to suddenly appear again once more before him, it must have seemed like a dream. A dream he was scared to touch only for it to disappear into wisps of nothing with the morning sun. You would know, you'd had several of your own since you had left.

Slowly you walk forward and slowly reach out your own hand towards his. Gently grasping it before bringing the pale appendage to your cheek, allowing him to make the contact he seemed so desperate for and that you so surely wanted. Your eyes closed at the familiar feeling and you just stood there, breathing in his scent and indulging yourself in all of the things you had denied yourself for months. He breathed out your name in a gentle sigh, and you didn't have to look to know that there were tears at the corners of his eyes.

Suddenly his other arm was wrapped around your waist and you were pulled into a tight hug. A gentle fluttery in your stomach appeared as your face smashed against the top of his chest, the silky fabric of his uniform softening the blow slightly and forcing more of that rosey chocolate scent into your nose. His own face was buried into your neck as his hand curled further up to the back of your head. You could feel his own nose twitching against your neck and if you felt the slightest bit of wetness trail down and heard the smallest whimpers--well it was all too easy to pretend that you were sweating due to the heat and that the noises were simply some frucks --hairy frogs who had four duck feet that you had been delighted to have discovered one day-- swimming about.

It took a minute to realize that he was doing more than whimpering--he was talking. Pleading actually, once your brain could focus on what he was saying.

Why did you go?

Stay by my side.

Never leave me again.

Please I beg you.

On and on he went and it broke your heart more and more with each new sentence he uttered. All you could do was hold him tighter to you and run one of your hands through his hair. It flowed easily through the soft strands and you could only wish the words he spoke flowed through you as easily. Instead, each syllable cut through you like a dull knife, leaving jagged wounds all over you, blood and guilt seeping through each one.

You couldn't deny that you had needed this escape. To adventure all over and have a say over where to go and who to visit, but you also couldn't help but wish you had never left. Or had at least tried and discussed it with him first. To try and spare him the pain you put him through by just up and leaving. But what's done is done, and all you can do is help him heal through it. 'If he'll let you,' your brain chimed in. There was the entire possibility he could shove you away at any moment. To cut you off now before you could cause him more pain.

And you wouldn't even be able to blame him for it.

With a soft sigh, you pushed the thoughts aside and simply held him. Stood on your tip toes and buried your face into his neck and whispered reassurances into his skin. After a few minutes, you felt him start to slow down and gently pull away to look him in the eyes. They were bloodshot, and tears were still forming in the corners to try and follow their brethren down the already made paths running down his cheeks. You could feel your own tears that had gathered but simply smiled up at him, happy to be in his arms again.

There were a lot of things you could say, that you could both say, instead you simply stood there elated to be in one another's presence again. He gave you a shaky smile in return before pulling you into another hug. This time though you both froze after a moment.

A small fluttering feeling appeared in your gut. It was so subtle the first time that you had barely felt it. But now, as the second hug commenced you felt it get a fair bit stronger, and evidently so had Narnia. 

He quickly pushed you back slightly, large hands firmly grasping your upper arms as he looked you over. The sudden motion caused you to squeak in surprise and Azuria to hiss in the background in warning to be gentle. His eyes were locked on your stomach, currently mostly hidden by the overly large sweater you had stolen from Azuria's closet, but the slightest swell still poked through. Barely noticeable if you weren't looking for it, only Narnia was. 

His entire body was trembling slightly as his hands left your arms to gently grasp the soft fabric of the sweater before slowly lifting it up.  "You're..."He started, eyes wide and voice soft in amazement. 

"Pregnant?" You offered up helpfully, "Yeah, I am."  

He was silent as his hands gently grazed along your belly, eyes opening wider and a soft gasp leaving his lips when the baby moved again. The smallest bumps appeared through your stomach almost exactly where his hands were. A soft smile appeared on your face as he continued to stare at you, your hands reaching out to cover his own. "They recognize their daddy." 

His eyes flicked up towards yours before lowering back towards your stomach again. "They?"

"We don't know the gender, so they've just been they. Don't worry, we're pretty certain there's only one of them. No need to worry about twins or triplets here." You blinked as his face suddenly went dark. "Narnia?"

"We." 

"We?" 

"You said we. As in you and her." His eyes flickered behind you, and you suddenly understood.

"She was a great help. I don't know what I would have done without her." You booped his nose and watched it wrinkle before turning his gaze back to you. "You don't get to be angry at anyone but me. I'm the one that left even if I know that I probably shouldn't have. Azuria simply helped me navigate this new world." A corner of his lip peeled back before he rolled his eyes in relentment. 

He could never deny you for long. 

"I suppose she was rather helpful in helping me find you." 

You froze. "Pardon?"

"Azuria, she was the only reason I found you this early. I tried very hard to try and hunt you down. Very clever trick, using the rainstorm to cover your tracks. The only reason I applied to be a crown was so that I could have a wider territory to try and track you down through, and then here comes your pretty little succubus, all willing to take me right to you."   

Suddenly betrayal lit through you as a connection was made. Azuria had brought Narnia here. Logically you knew that since she appeared with him. To know, however, that she had done it on purpose? That Azuria had led him straight to you despite never saying you were ready to see him. Despite you never even mentioning Narnia's existence in your life. 

Azuria had potentially known that Narnia was your mate this entire time.

What you couldn't understand was why. Why betray you in this way, of all ways? Or perhaps, your mind reeled as you tried to make sense of everything, still desperate not to lose someone so close to you again, it could be that she hadn't known. It was entirely possible she had run into Narnia while visiting her brother and had gotten to talking with him before bringing him home. Considering the amount of times she had cursed Narnia's name and family before though left you wondering if she had seduced him to kill him.

You turned wide-eyed towards Azuria, practically pleading that it wasn't true. That it was simply a misunderstanding and that she didn't do one of the few things that could have hurt you the most. Instead, her eyes looked away from yours before closing and she slowly nodded. "I did tell him."

"Why?"

"You were withering away!" She suddenly snarled, and you flinched in shock at her hostility. You felt Narnia take a step forward so that his front was flush with your back, a warning growl low in his throat but Azuria ignored him. "I had to sit there and watch as you withered away with this stupid happy smile on your face even though it was obvious how much even the smallest things hurt you to do! It's why I started sharing my magic so that you wouldn't die before you even got to see your baby. It's why I searched through your room to find even the slightest clue who the father was. Why I went on a manhunt and gathered favour after favour to get access to him so that you could be together again." 

She paused, chest heaving and tears in her eyes, "It's why even though I figured you would hate me afterwards, at least I would know you were living again. Because you weren't before. Oh sure, you were happy at times, but you weren't living. Not without him." She snarled the last word, anger and resentment clear in her voice. 

"Azuria-" you started but stopped when you felt a hand on your shoulder. Looking back slightly you saw Narnia slowly shake his head. With a soft sigh, you ignored him and shrugged off his hand.  Logically you knew where he was coming from, that she needed to get this off her chest. To rant and rave until there was nothing left but an empty hole that could heal. 

That didn't mean she had to do it alone though. 

You walked towards her, acutely aware of Narnia following you only a few steps behind. Ready to protect you at a moment's notice from what he probably thought was your own stupidity. Your hands reached out to take her shoulders in them and you watched as she flinched at the sudden touch. Ignoring the sharp pain that went through you at seeing her flinch from your touch, you pulled her towards you in a tight hug. 

Her entire body froze in surprise before haltingly hugging you back. You pushed slightly to let her bury her face in the crook of your neck before whispering in her ear, "I could never hate you." 

If you thought she had frozen before, it was nothing compared to the practical icicle her body had become as she processed your words. Then suddenly there were tiny trembles running through her body before a loud wail nearly shattered your eardrums, and yet you only held her closer. Hands rubbing her back and running through her hair soothingly as she let it out. You slowly let the both of you slide to your knees, Narnia standing guard above the two of you. You didn't have to look to know that he was pointedly pretending to be searching for some kind of threat to give her privacy.  

"I thought you were going to die," she cried, "I didn't know what to do! I thought you were going to leave me alone in the worst way possible. And then I thought you were going to hate me and never look in my direction again." On and on she went and you just sat there letting her get it all out. Simply humming and stroking her hair and back. Eventually, she managed to slow down into quiet sniffles, before no noise came from her at all except steady -- if a little harder than normal -- breathing. 

She pulled back from your neck, one hand leaving you to wipe the tear tracks from her face. One of your own hands leaves her hair to gently cusp her cheek, 'are you okay?' She grasps your hand in her own and nods her head. 'I'm okay.'  

The slightest noise coming from the ruffling of clothes as Narnia shifts clues the both of you back in that he was in fact there. Azuria's face turns a bright shade of pink at being caught in such a weakened state in front of someone who is practically a stranger. She quickly helps you up, clearing her throat and tossing her hair back. Turning slightly towards Narnia she points a painted nail in his direction. 

"You say nothing, I say nothing. Got it?" 

One of Narnia's eyebrows rose but acquitted in a graceful nod. Azuria gives a firm nod of her own before fussing over the both of your clothes. Brushing off dirt and making sure your sweatshirt is sitting properly. 

A large pale hand suddenly appears to tweak the sweatshirt so that it is sitting slightly tighter than it was earlier, before resting gently on your stomach. "Darling, why don't we go home so that you can rest." 

Azuria's body stiffened slightly before laying a fake smile on her lips pointed at Narnia, "What are you talking about? They are home."

"Oh, their temporary home yes. But I'm sure you can agree that they deserve the best?" 

Azuria's eyebrow twitched. "Are you implying my home isn't good enough for them?" 

"It's certainly quaint, but lovely here needs a bit more room. Especially with a youngling on the way." 

"Quaint!? Says the demon who had them living in a cottage! At least my home has room for both them and the baby. They'll be just fine here." 

An elegant snort left Narnia --to this day you still couldn't figure out how he made an inelegant action elegant -- before firing back, "That was when it was just the two of us, obviously adjustments will be made, and I'm sure they would much prefer spending time in their mate's home."

"Yes because a sudden change in nesting areas is so good for the carrier's mental health! You apparently not only have the reputation of a dog but the brains of one too."

They both whirled on you, calling your name in perfect synchrony, "Tell them I'm right!"

A tired sigh left you as you pinched your nose. Was this what it was like to raise kids? You weren't certain you could do it anymore if it was. "Listen, I'm tired. I've had one hell of an emotional rollercoaster, my feet and back hurt and hearing you argue like toddlers is giving me a headache. I'm taking a nap, figure it out yourselves." With that, you promptly removed Narnia's hand, turned around and headed back inside ignoring their cries and the pattering of their feet behind you. A nap sounded perfect. If you were lucky, maybe you could convince them to let you curl up in between them without any incessant arguing.

And a new bowl of berries too, you thought longingly as you passed the shattered bowl.

~~~Sukima~~~

"You've gone through a lot of trouble to speak to me." Narnia's eyes locked onto this newcomer with disdain and annoyance. Looking at them felt akin to looking at a bloodfly as far as he was concerned. This demoness before him, no matter how pretty, was nothing compared to you. Just another succubus trying to seduce her way into power, admirable, but worthless to him.

Admittedly, something about this one seemed different though. Everything about her was tense, like a coiled spring and the way her eyes seared into him left more of a feeling of hate than love. What a bad succubus letting her feelings shine through like that. "Why?"

"I shouldn't be doing this." Azuria started, eyes flaring with fire that she wished would burn the demon before her to ash. "I should be challenging you, fighting you to the death and tearing your heart out so that they can move on from you and I can win their heart in turn. It would be so easy to turn their mournfulness into love for me." Azuria paused, watching Narnia's eyes tint dangerously as he caught on to who and what she was talking about.

His lips curled back in a snarl and the crackling energy of his raw power started to flow about the room in his anger. His wings and tail had popped out as emotions overtook him and he spread them out wide and threateningly, making himself appear far bigger and more powerful. Not that he needed it. Being selected as a crown candidate, much less appointed one, was no easy feat. She had never been more angry at the fact her brother had gotten more magical prowess than her than at this moment. What she would do if she had enough strength.

"You know wh-"

"I know that if I did try and fight, I would lose." Azuria cut in. "And I know that even if I did win, they wouldn't be happy.  Not entirely. They-"She sucked in a breath, and let it out slowly, heart breaking further from speaking the truth out loud. "They don't love me, not like they love you. And they will never love me as fully as they do you. You could have hurt them a thousand times and killed a million deaths and they would still choose you over me. On top of that, they would never survive the consequences of your death."

Narnia's energy stayed ever-pressing inside the room, bearing down on her with pure force without him even doing a thing, yet she noticed the slightest shift in his body. His eyes were narrowed in on her though they looked more thoughtful than before. Waiting impatiently for what else she had to say. If there was one thing he learned from his mate, it was to wait before striking. It had become a game between the two of you, seeing who would give in first for whatever reason. You always won. Perhaps this time he would.

"I don't understand the appeal of you to be perfectly honest." She gave him an obvious look over and sniffed, "Your personality seems awful, your clan is heinous as far as how they treat younglings, and while you're a pretty one I'm clearly more beautiful. On top of that, I'm no slouch in the power department even if you are far stronger. They should choose me, and yet they won't. I don't know what they see in you, but you better get your shit together and treat them like the diety that they are. Otherwise, I will find a way to take you down, because they deserve it. Even if they deserve far better than you."

Azuria whirled around, leaving him no chance to say anything in return. She opened the door to his office before turning to look at him over her shoulder. "Well? Are you coming or not lover boy?" Striding out the door, Azuria didn't have to look back to know he was scrambling to follow. Doesn't have to look back to know that he's well aware of how lucky he is to have your heart.

For those wondering, this is a fruck-

Isn't it adorable????

[kedreeva]

Hi! I went through your FAQ and didn't see a direct answer this this, but how do you go about actually obtaining a peafowl? How much do they usually cost per bird?

Up front, I can only speak to USA practices, so if you live elsewhere the answer may not be the same.

I'll answer the second part first since it's "easier," or maybe I should say, slightly more concrete, and the answer is: it depends on what you want, and how capable you are of caring for it. I have seen day old blues from backyard breeders go for as little as $15, but unless you really have a handle on what to expect and how to care for them, you will almost certainly be responsible for the death of a day old peachick and waste the money. I have watched an online auction for an ultramarine yearling go for $6,800, but that's because that was a newly imported color from Europe that no one else had. A green - a true, pure green, not an American green that's actually a high green blood hybrid - will run you $5-10k depending on where you import from or who you're buying from that's imported themselves and tracked lineage. An American green will still run you a couple thousand, but more like $2k than $6k. Your average adult blue will run $80-200, but I've watched blue hens go for $400 at auction. Color/pattern mutations will run $150-800 typically, for "common" colors, depending on their quality and whether they're a nice looking hybrid (blue + green species), but I've seen nice morphs go for $35 at auction. I say this because auctions can be great on some days and terrible on others and you would need to know average prices for the color and/or pattern you want, to know if you're getting a deal or getting hosed.

But regardless of a $15 chick or an $800 silver pied platinum Spalding, the expense on them actually comes mainly from the cage- the minimum (and I do mean minimum literally not pretty owners of YouTube outrageous claim of minimum), flight pen size is 500 square feet with no side shorter than 12 feet long (to accommodate trains and allow the birds past you without injuring themselves, and 8 feet tall to allow for a 5-6 perch the males can get on to clean their trains. Every bird must also have 150sq/ft, so 500 will hold 3, but not 4, you'd need 600 for 4. But with peafowl, bigger is better- the more space they have to move around (and thus away from you) the closer they are willing to come to you, because they feel like they can safely get away again. The minimum size is also not optional if you want to maintain healthy birds- they're extremely susceptible to parasites and bacteria often found in raw soil, and even to just... Getting dirt in their face and getting infected sinuses. Minimizing their ability to access dirt by growing in grass and cover crop plants like clover is the single greatest step you can take to protect their health. And this doesn't even include the coop, which is minimum 8x8x6 to protect them and their trains. With the price of lumber, wire, and netting, this will easily run you a few thousand, but it's by far the safest way to keep them, especially the hens, who otherwise tend to get eaten by predators when they set a nest while free ranging. It's also the only way to ensure they don't just leave, because they are game fowl like pheasants, not like chickens, and you can't just toss them in the yard and expect they'll stay. Occasionally they do, but largely they don't.

To answer your first question... It depends on where you live. Most USA states have livestock auctions and bird swap meets- your best bet to acquire local birds is to find those but how to find them... Well. You kind of just have to luck upon them or hope a web search turns them up, if they're even advertised online, on publicly accessible places. There are bigger breeders around the USA that will ship birds if you're looking for something specific you can't find locally, but you'll be looking at a $350+ shipping bill. You can join peafowl groups on Facebook and try to find locals, or contact the UPA (United peafowl association) to get a breeder directory but that's only people who have paid to be in the club, which honestly doesn't do much anymore. You can also, if you know of one breeder, ask if they know other breeders. A good breeder should at least be able to say 'if I don't have what you're looking for, you can try this other person/people.' alternately there's ebay and craigslist, although I wouldn't trust the former because you can only sell eggs, and peafowl hatching eggs are a big fucking waste of money, typically speaking. They're extremely finicky eggs to hatch and most people prefer to let broodies hatch when they can, because they don't hatch well in incubators.

[mshexley]

There are people who doubt that what Alicent's dilemma isn't a result of her weaponizing sexism against Rhaenyra. Like the show couldn't be more blatant about this being the case. LARYS EVEN SAYS IT.

It very much IS a "I didn't think the Leopards would eat MY face" issue.

Is Alicent fueled by a bitterness towards Rhaenyra? Yes but HOW and WHY are the questions people are obtusely not answering.

WHY does she hate Rhaenyra? Because Rhaenyra is not suffering as a woman the same way Alicent is, as a bird in a cage. It's why Alicent went out of her way to be an evil stepmother. You should always side eye someone that eagerly pits family against each other, something that both Alicent and Cole did with Aegon, Aemond, and Rhaenyra.

HOW does she seek her revenge to put "Rhaenyra in her place"?

Alicent fully supported Rhaenyra's detractors in their sexist ideas that a woman can't the Queen. She hides behind the guise of "traditional values" much like conservative women in our world. We have women in our world that hop on podcasts and build brands online as women telling other women to go back into the kitchen. These women put everything into making other women's lives hell for their own gain no matter what it is they seek to gain.

And what these women (Pearl is a GREAT example) have in common with each other is that they see themselves as the exception much like Alicent.

Of course, she's caught off guard by the Greens choosing Aemond over her and her experience. She thought she was one of them because she too hated Rhaenyra and weaponized misogyny against her. She has championed the very same thing she was just the victim of.

ALICENT BELIEVED HERSELF TO BE ONE OF THE GUYS BECAUSE SHE SHARED IN THEIR HATRED OF ANOTHER WOMAN.

And like with Pick-mes in the real world, those men who she saw as her allies were quick to remind her "of her place" and that she's nothing more than a messenger bird to spread their ideals. A "see? a woman agrees with us" tool.

In a bigger twist, Alicent viewed herself as the exception that she resented Rhaenyra for "being". Like Alicent has literally been trying to compete with Rhaenyra this entire time from begging Viserys to punish her and her family in favor of Aegon and Aemond and with her hooking up with Cole (a man Rhaenyra also slept with and rejected).

Alicent is the embodiment of women who wish kids on other women because they view kids as a punishment. A woman who wishes a loveless and frustrating marriage on other women because that is what she is dealing with. She is a woman who suffers and wishes that other women suffer with her. Alicent is the embodiment of crabs in a barrel.

Alicent is the type of woman that portrays womanhood as constant suffering and gets mad when any other woman suggests differently.

Alicent is a bird in a cage who is mad that other women are not locked up. Even more, the only other caged bird is her daughter, a woman that Alicent can't look at without feeling immense guilt.

ALICENT IS A WOMAN WHO WANTS TO DECORATE HER CAGE WITH THE TEARS AND SORROW OF OTHER WOMEN RATHER THAN THE MEN THAT LOCKED HER UP IN THE FIRST PLACE AND THAT IS HER PROBLEM. THAT IS HER MAJOR CHARACTER FLAW.