#birdy's attempts at dieting

[jedi-bird]

Was good on my diet until dinner. Breakfast was eggs and veggies, lunch was a salad with extra vegetables. Right before dinner I managed to fall down the stairs (thankfully only two steps but I jammed my leg pretty bad), so I ate comfort food because fuck it I needed it. Leftover taco meat, beans, and an ice cream bar. I'll do better with dinner tomorrow.

[dira333]

Of Lovers and Friends - Ushijima x Reader

thank you @screamin-abt-haikyuu talking to you is inspiring

If you find a typo, I wrote this instead of going to bed. Goodnight.

“Just a Tonic Water, please,” You order, well aware of all the eyes on you.

“Are you sick?” Kindaichi asks, already pressing a hand against your forehead.

“Pregnant?” Kunimi’s next, though less serious.

“As if, you can’t get pregnant from RPG,” Makki points out, licking foam off his lip.

“You would know,” you tell him, a little peeved, as you push Kindaichi away.

“I’m fine. I just have a date later.”

Yahabi whistles, clearly impressed. God, you need to amp up your game. This is just sad.

“Who is it?” Kyoutani asks, forever your best friend. Or at least the one guy who’s seemingly the least interested in teasing you.

“I don’t know, my Mom set us up. She went to school with his Mom or something like that. I just know that he plays Volleyball and is about my age.”

“Could be anyone,” Watari mumbles into his Aperol Spritz.

“Could be Ushijima,” Mattsun jokes, causing Makki to choke on his beer, spluttering as he bellows out a laugh.

“Can you imagine? That would be hilarious!”

“Har har har,” you thank the waitress for your drink and lean back in your chair, “Can we change the topic? Does Makki have a job yet?”

“Uncalled for!” Makki points an accusing finger at you. “And no. But a little birdy told me that Kyoutani’s got a fangirl.”

Kyoutani blushes, glaring into his drink. The girl must mean something to him if he’s trying to pull himself together like this. You swerve to look at Kindaichi who’s managed to spill his diet coke - again.

“What about you? Did you call that girl we met at the coffee shop?”

“No,” he ducks his head. “I didn’t. I was… I didn’t want to make a fool out of myself.”

“Yeah, well, you did,” Makki lets his eyes wander as usual, “Tell you what. There’s a nice girl with her friends two tables over. We’ll get you her number but you have to call. Or at least send her some funny memes, okay?”

“Okay,” Kindaichi’s looking at you. Makki’s looking at you.

You groan and get up. “Next time you get someone else to get that number, okay? This is the last time.”

“Love you too, pumpkin!” Makki calls after you as you make your way over. These patterns have turned familiar.

-

You should have gotten a beer, you think two hours later as you wait, your legs twitching with anxiety. 

You’ve been painfully single for so long that you can’t help but feel you should have worn a dress or at least something more fancy than the jeans and top combo you’re sporting. But it’s comfy and it sets you at ease. And you’ve always been an advocate for being yourself on the first date. If they don’t like you like that, they won’t matter anyway.

So far that has brought you a lot of first dates and not a lot of second dates.

A deep voice calls out your name. You turn, your hands clutching the single purple carnation you had to bring - your mother’s idea. 

You spot the flower first, a tiny purple thing held in massive hands. He’s tall, impressively so. You let your eyes wander up as he walks over, the flickering street light casting long shadows over his face until he’s reached you and the soft warm glow of the restaurant behind you. 

Your heart skips a painful beat as he attempts a rather forced smile.

“Ushijima-kun,” you stutter, the confidence earned in twenty-something years shattered and replaced by the anxious brain of a teenager.

He offers you his hand, the one without the flower and you take it. His palm swallows yours, his grip warm and firm. If you can blend out the history your team has with his, that your friends have with him, you can give him a chance, right?

-

“Are you close with your mother?” He asks in the tense moment when the food’s already been ordered and the drinks aren’t served yet. It’s the worst possible question to ask, too, because no, you’re not close. Not since she went through with the divorce, unable to settle with a man ever since, as dissatisfied with them as she is with life, her business, you.

You don’t ramble often, but you do when you’re nervous. 

If he’s taken aback by the flood of words, of trauma seemingly long overcome, he does not show. He’s like a rock, sitting steadfast in the crashing river of your emotions, unmoving, sturdy.

When you’re finished, throat a little dry, he nods slowly. 

“My parents are divorced as well,” he says. You wonder if he’s told it often. 

“How was it for you?” You ask and the surprise in his eyes tells you that he hasn’t been asked this before. 

His tale is told more slowly. He hands out information bit by bit, always confirming that you’re still listening, still interested in what he has to say about this topic. You share a bottle of wine over his parent's divorce, the main dish just an accessory to the topic at hand. 

When his words run dry and the last drop of wine is poured into your glass, your mind a little fuzzy and his lips tinted a little blue, you are full and empty at the same time. All the anxiety has left you over dinner. 

Seijoh and your friends are far, far away but Ushijima - Wakatoshi, as he asks you to call him - is right there.

“Do you want to share dessert?” You ask and his eyes light up with a new emotion, one you haven’t seen before on him. It’s a little softer, makes him look a little younger, maybe.

“Do you like chocolate?” He asks, leaning forward a bit as if to share a secret.

“Who doesn’t?” You ask back and learn about his best friend.

-

“This was nice,” you say when he walks you to the train station, slowing his steps to be in tune with yours. The cold night air does wonders for your fuzzy brain but the chill is less pleasant. You shiver.

“Here.” A warm weight settles over your shoulders. His jacket drapes over your skin like it was made for this. It smells good, too. 

It’s not the first time you wonder if there will be a second date. But it’s the first time you really, really hope there is.

The train station appears much too soon. You want to prolong this evening, stay longer in this emotion that you cannot name. But you’re a realist at heart and you slip his jacket off before you become too used to its warmth.

“Keep it,” his large hand stops your movement, easily takes hold of yours. “You can give it back the next time.”

“Next time?” You ask, unable to keep that hopeful tone out of your voice. 

“I don’t have much free time,” Wakatoshi explains, “Could we meet again in a week? Same time, same place?”

You nod, much too eager to come off as nonchalant. It reminds you of Kindaichi, but you cannot bring yourself to care. You give him your number and feel your lips slip into a smile when he immediately texts you so that you have his as well.

Overhead your trains arrival is announced. You turn, still unwilling to part.

“Until Friday,” Wakatoshi says, one last wave. “Good night.”

- - -

You sleep well, better than you have in days.

It’s only when you wake up that you realize what this means.

You have a second date. The first in a long time. 

But as excited as you are for it, dread still settles in your stomach. How on earth will you explain this to your friends?

The answer is, you don’t.

When you meet up for beers and games on wednesday, Makki consolingly pats your shoulder. He seems to think your date went awful and you do nothing to correct him. You only feel a little guilty. It’s his fault for not even asking.

The others seem to already have forgotten. The news of Kindaichi getting a first date is more exciting and you let yourself get dragged into it, give him fashion advice - that goes ignored - and laugh with the others when Yahaba tries to fix his hair.

It’s only Friday afternoon that your nerves make themselves known.

Surely there’s nothing wrong in dressing similar again. Wakatoshi didn’t seem to mind and neither should you.

But you want to, you desperately want to… look a little better. You want him to look at you, unable to catch his breath, unable to form words, at least for a few seconds. Is that too much to ask for?

But you don’t own any Make-up, courtesy of rebelling against everything that makes you think of your mother. So you do the next best thing and call Mattsun.

“I’m not late,” he answers, immediately defensive. Right, you’re still on for drinks before the date. You can’t think about that now.

“I don’t care. Get your girlfriend on the phone, I need help.”

“What? Why?”

“Girls-stuff, you wouldn’t understand.” 

Miri agrees to join you for drinks. According to her she won’t need more than ten minutes in the bar bathroom to give you a little bit of an extra kick.

“You don’t want to look too different to what he’s seen the last time,” she reasons as you go over the few options of fancier clothes you have.

You're anxious the whole time, nurse one soda after the other. Even Kunimi notices.

“Second date?” Kyoutani asks. Makki’s eyes widen in surprise. You hate it.

“Maybe,” you grumble, getting up to pee once more. 

“What? You didn’t tell us the first one went well.”

“You didn’t ask,” you tell him as you make your escape to the bathroom. But this is Makki. He doesn’t let go of a topic.

“What’s his name?” He asks as soon as you’re back. “What team does he play for?”

“Let me get through this date first,” you huff, trying to sound more relaxed than you are. 

“He’s nice?” Kyoutani asks, able to put a threat and a question and a whole lot of worry in those few words. 

“Yeah,” you say, a little flustered just by the thought of him. The boys go silent around you. 

“Wow, you really like that guy,” Mattsun points out. 

“Shut up,” you grumble and empty your glass, calling for another. You don’t want to talk about it.

“Anyway,” Miri points out and you’ll forever be thankful for that, for her switching topics when you need it most, “Mattsun and I have decided to move together. We’re still debating about which apartment to move into, though.”

“Are you for real?” Makki’s always the first to put in his two cents, “Miri’s apartment is way better.”

Miri laughs. “Thank you Makki, I knew I could count on you.”

-

“There, done.” Miri steps away. You look at yourself in the mirror, the knots in your stomach slowly loosening. You don’t look like a clown, not like your mother either. 

“What did you do?” You ask, a little perplexed by how long your lashes suddenly are. 

“Mascara and some eyeliner. A little lipgloss too, you can reapply it when you’re at the restaurant.”

“Thank you.”

“Anytime. If you want, we can go shopping for some of this stuff. You don’t need much and I can show you how to do the little things you might want to do sometimes.”

“Ah,” you look away, embarrassed, “Let me get through this date first.”

Miri smiles, understanding visible in her eyes. 

“Go get him, tiger,” she tells you when you part ways.

- - -

Wakatoshi is already waiting for you. 

Warmth pools in your stomach when he stills at your sight, his eyes warm as they wander over your face. 

“You look beautiful,” he tells you and you have to look away, too flustered to face him for a second.

“Am I not beautiful all the time?” You joke, hoping against hope that he does not notice the way your voice breaks slightly.

“Of course,” Wakatoshi tells you immediately, not an ounce of insincerity in his voice. You have to swallow twice before you’re able to talk again.

“You’re very pretty too,” your voice is doing funny things. You offer your hand to shake, a little unsure of what greeting is correct. He takes your hand in his, not to shake it, but to hold it all the way to the table and you’re unable to look anyone in the eyes until you’re seated, your insides a fluttery mess.

-

“Can I see you again?” Wakatoshi asks when you reach the train station, his jacket a comforting weight on your shoulders, your hand resting in his.

You nod, unable to hide your eagerness. 

You can’t blame the buzzing of your mind on alcohol this time. He’s calmly explained that he can’t drink often with his strict diet, has to choose between dessert or a glass of wine most of the time. It didn’t feel right to drink when he wasn’t allowed to.

Somehow your conversations feel deeper, more meaningful without the alcohol coating them. You know he means it when he asks and he knows you mean it when you nod.

Overhead, your train is announced. You don’t let go of his hand.

“I could do a little walk,” you say, “What do you say?”

You kiss his cheek when you eventually part. His skin is soft and warm underneath your lips. It follows you into your dreams.

-

On Wednesday you get a text just as you head out to meet the boys for beers and games.

“I’ve got out of practice earlier. Do you want to go for a walk?”

You go back inside, put on the lipgloss Miri had lent you as you text him your confirmation. You think about kissing him and wipe it off again, unsure of what you want. In the end you put it into your pocket just in case.

“Can’t come today, I have another date,” you text the group chat. 

Makki’s the first to answer, per usual, but his use of emojis has your anxiety rising so you put your phone on silent. You’ll deal with this on Friday.

It’s not yet time for the Sakura blossoms, but the park is beautiful anyway.

Not that you can focus on much besides the feeling of your hand in his, the way his voice rumbles in his chest as he talks about practice and his plans to meet up with his old teammates. 

You like this, the calmness of it all. You like him, with his serious expression and his direct way of asking. You like how he never fails to ask how your day has been, how he’s interested in all aspects of your work, even the little ones that no one seems to care about.

You like him, a lot. And if the way he looks at you is any indication, he likes you too. 

It’s when you’re on your way back, the setting sun bringing forth a chill, that someone calls your name.

You turn, your hand still firmly in Wakatoshi’s grasp, only to spot Kyoutani. He’s frozen on a near path and you know with certainty that he’s recognized your date. Your heart beats painfully in your throat and you feel sick.

“Everything okay?” Wakatoshi asks at the same time the girl next to Kyoutani pulls her massive scarf down to look at you. She looks familiar, blond hair, brown eyes, petite figure. It’s only when she opens her mouth to ask Kyoutani what’s going on that you recongize her. She’d been Karasuno’s volleyball manager. Yachi something.

Kyoutani seems to realize that you’ve recognized her because his face turns dark. He shakes his head at Yachi, points into the distance and leads her away. 

You’re still frozen next to Wakatoshi, realization washing over you like the cold floods of the  Tamagawa. 

“Is everything okay?” He asks again, cradling your face in his hands to make you look at him. You blink to clear your mind, wish you could just lean into his touch and disappear forever.

“You know what school I went to, right?”

“Aoba Johsai, yes. You were a manager for their volleyball team.”

“Yes,” He must have realized the truth already, still he asks you to say it out loud. “I’m still friends with the team, like you are with yours. They are not… They’re not fans of you.”

“I understand.” Wakatoshi nods. His hands slip away from your face, you miss them immediately.

You didn’t plan for it to go like this. He’s got an uncanny ability to make you open yourself up. Being vulnerable feels less scary when it’s him. 

He takes your hand again, guides you around the park for another round as you tell him all there is to know about your poor attempts at dating. How it sucks to be “just one of the boys” sometimes. How it hurts that they don’t even ask anymore if you’ve got a second date. How scary it is to admit to them that you’re dating him.

You bite your tongue after those last words. You’ve been on two dates so far, this is your third. Is it too forward to call this “dating”? What if he’s not-

“I understand if you want to keep this a secret for longer,” he says. His voice is heavy in a way that tells you that there’s more to it. 

Two things can be true at the same time. Understanding it won’t mean that he’ll appreciate it.

“I will… I will try and talk to them,” you promise. And you will. Even if you could keep this a secret, you won’t if it hurts him. And you can tell that it hurts.

-

You wish you could kiss him goodbye. But you can tell that he’s distanced himself, put up a wall to protect his heart. 

“On Wednesday we usually meet up to drink beer and play games,” you explain, wringing your hands, “They should all be there right now. Well, except Kyoutani. I will... I will go and talk to them right now.”

He nods. Your voice breaks a little when you ask. “Are we still- Are we still on for Friday?”

“Of course,” his deep voice soothes your anxious heart a little. You take a step forward and hug him, stiff and awkward, before you move back.

“I really like you, Wakatoshi,” you say before you can take it back, swallow it down, hide it from the world. 

“I like you too.”

- - -

Makki is already buzzed when he opens the door.

It’s probably not the best time to talk about things like this, but you want to get this over with. If you talk about it now, the dust will settle by Friday. Or so you hope.

There’s an iPad on the coffee table, Iwaizumi and Oikawa grinning back at you. You accept a beer, almost drop it with how jumpy you are, your legs unable to stay still.

“So, how was your date?” Makki asks, cutting off one of Oikawa’s rants.

“Good,” you say and take another sip of beer, “We met Kyoutani at the park.”

“Oh?” Mattsun looks up from his phone. “So you met the girl he fancies?”

“Maybe,” you shrug, unwilling to give up his secret. He’s got his one fears to face. 

“What you mean, dear Mattsun,” Makki teases, “Is that Kyoutani met her boyfriend.”

Oikawa gasps dramatically. “No way?! You got a boyfriend? Who is it!”

“Ushijima,” you say, ripping the bandaid off in one swoop.

Makki cackles, spurned on by Oikawa’s apparent confusion.

“Good one,” Mattsun jokes as Iwaizumi snorts. The younger players don’t think the joke’s that funny. It’s Kunimi who bothers you the most, his perceptive eyes locked onto your face.

“Guys,” he cuts through the laughter, “She’s serious.”

And it would have turned out better, you suppose, without the beer. Because Oikawa gets more petulant when drunk and Makki’s jokes are a bit less funny and a lot more mean when he’s buzzed. The younger guys don’t really know how to mediate. That has always been your job, or Iwaizumi’s. But the distance does not work in your favor.

You leave half an hour after you’ve arrived, angry tears streaming down your face. 

It’s always the people closest to you that hurt you the most. They know what parts of you are the most sensible, and which parts of you are still bruised, still in the process of healing.

You press your phone to your ear.

Wakatoshi picks up right away.

“I talked to them,” you press out. Your voice is doing funny things again and you swallow back another wave of tears, less motivated by anger and more by hurt.

“Do you want to come over?” He asks and you don’t hesitate to agree.

It hurts to fight, to possibly lose good friends over something as stupid as old rivalries, but Wakatoshi is good at soothing over it, with warm hands and the gentle rumble of his voice as he holds you close.

-

You don’t meet up with the boys on Friday. No one has bothered to invite you.

You watch Wakatoshi practice instead, laughing about Kageyama who pesters you about how to better his form - you’re a licensed sports therapist after all - and teasing Hoshiumi who fake gags every time you throw Wakatoshi a kiss. 

You move your date to Wakatoshi’s apartment, cook dinner together - it turns out pretty decent - and talk through the night. When you wake up in his arms on Saturday morning you know that you want this to go on, that you want this to be a relationship that lives instead of dies, one that strengthens over time.

- - -

You’re a little surprised to find Mattsun and Makki at your work. 

It’s Wednesday and they should be working too, well, at least Mattsun should.

“Iwaizumi called us every day,” Mattsun admits eventually, “Apparently we’ve been dicks.”

“Yeah,” you tell him bluntly, noticing that Makki’s still stubbornly staring out of the window. “You were.”

“Oikawa’s still pissed,” Mattsun admits next, taking a seat in front of your desk. “But he’ll get around. Kunimi pointed out that it was a blind date. You didn’t actively pick him.”

“Even if-” You start but Mattsun just shakes his head. “It’s Oikawa. Logic does not pull.”

“I’m only apologizing-” Makki interrupts, huffs, and continues, “I’ll only apologize if you do too.” He glares at you. Mattsun’s looking too, though his eyes are softer.

Finally, you nod and get up, offering your hand for Makki to shake.

“I’m sorry I made fun of you. It’s not your fault that you got fired.”

He huffs again. You know that sound. He sounds like that when he’s trying not to cry. And you suppose you can’t fault him for that. Friends just know where it hurts the most.

But he shakes your hand, his grip a bit firmer than it needs to be.

“I’m sorry that I called you an ugly bitch that has no game.”

Suddenly you can’t help but laugh. It flows freely, from deep within, has you bending over the desk as you cackle. They laugh along, softly first before it breaks out of them too.

“All good?” Makki asks when you eventually calm down.

“All good,” you agree, looking over at Mattsun. He shrugs. “Don’t look at me, I’ve always been good.”

“Sure,” you joke, “But just so you know, I’ll bring Wakatoshi along tonight.”

Makki rolls his eyes. “Whatever. I’ll smoke him at Mario Kart.”

As it turns out, however, Wakatoshi smokes him.

Who knew he had it in him?

.

-.- Warsaw -.-

The front door closes with a soft click, alerting you.

“Shh!” You hiss at the boys before turning toward the door of the living room. 

“Hey honey, welcome home!”

“Hi,” Wakatoshi steps inside, spots the beer and your laptop screen and waves. “Beers and Games?”

“Yeah, but it’s not that important.” You get up to kiss him, ignoring Makki who’s trying to make a point of his importance. “You wanna go out to eat?”

“Can we stay in?” He asks, “There’s this new movie that Satori recommended.”

“Yeah, sure,” you nod. “Go shower. I’ll make some food.”

He smiles and leans in for another kiss, waving at the camera before he leaves for the bathroom.

“So he doesn’t know, huh?” Mattsun asks as you pick up your laptop and carry it to the kitchen.

“No, I want to tell him tonight. Thanks for not spoiling it guys.”

“Anytime,” Kindaichi pipes in. You bet he’s got no clue what you’re talking about. “What are you making?”

“Golabki,” you answer, “Cabbage roles. I’ve been obsessed with these lately.” 

You catch up while you cook, eager to hear more about Kindaichi’s budding relationship or Makki’s latest work adventure. Even Kyoutani contributes a lot today, proudly talking about how Yachi has won a prize for one of her designs.

At some point Wakatoshi appears, leaning into you as you work. He likes to be in the way when you facetime the team, thinks it’s funny that Makki has named him “the Log” or that he’s always blocking the drawer you need to get to the most.

“Move,” you tell him, pulling at his thighs. Behind him’s the cutlery you need to set the table.

“There’s a price for that,” he tells you quietly. You roll your eyes and move to kiss him. He shuffles slightly to the side, now blocking the cabinet that hides the plates.

-

It’s only after dinner, your laptop put away, the dishes done, that you find yourself back on the Couch, cuddled into him.

“Wakatoshi,” you address him, your hands shoved under his shirt. His eyes have closed but he’s still awake, you can tell by his breathing.

“Hmm?”

“Remember how we were talking about what we wanted to do on your next break?”

“Yes?” He opens one eye to squint at you. “Do you still want to go back to Japan?”

“I wouldn’t mind it,” you confess, “But we talked it through. It’s not feasible and I’ve got a better idea.”

That has him opening both his eyes. He can sense that something’s coming and you nestle further into him. 

You like to surprise him, for sure. You love how quiet he gets when you do something special for him, almost unsure if he deserves it. If this is really just for him. But that doesn’t mean you don’t get flustered by your feelings for him once in a while.

“I got us tickets to Paris,” you tell him quietly. “Tendō already knows.”

When he pulls you close he doesn’t have to say anything. You already know.

He misses his best friend just as much as you miss yours.

[withahappyrefrain]

💕 bradley and birdie 💁🏼‍♀️

I know it said blurb but I can't do that with these they're too cute!

"You're killin' me, Birdie."

You turned around to find your boyfriend once again at the bar, elbows perched on the counter, hands cupping his chin as he shamelessly stared at you.

Warmth coursed through your body, your mouth unable to stop that giggle from escaping, "I'm just pouring beers Bradley."

He sighs, and you might as well be personally stabbing him with how dramatic it is, "Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?"

You placed the empty glasses on the counter, taking in a deep breath. Anything to center yourself on how cute Bradley was in this very moment. When Penny asked if you could pick up a shift at the Hard Deck tonight after a bartender had bailed, you knew damn well that the chances of running into your boyfriend was far from zero.

What you hadn't expected was for Bradley to find reasons upon reasons to situate himself at the bar, no more than four feet away from you.

"Yes, you do. Every day. Multiple times." You reminded him, trying to focus on the new recruits' drink orders than you adorable boyfriend.

"Bradshaw, did you come here to order or just to stare at your girl?" Penny asked. Normally she found you and Bradley cute. But tonight it was slammed and she wasn't in the mood.

"Actually, I do!" Bradley stated, his brown eyes shining, "Bob needs another Diet Coke."

You looked over Bradley's shoulder to find the bespectacled WSO with Jake's partner, Venus, along with another girl. No doubt Venus' latest attempt at setting Bob up with someone.

"Does he want some vodka in it? To help him get through Venus' latest matchmaking attempt?"

Bradley shook his head, "Nah. I already told him that if he needed an out, he could come up to you to help you with something at your house," he paused, "Your house in Stardew Valley. I fix your actual house."

You giggled as you extended your arm out to Bradley, a glass of Diet Coke in your hand, "Yes you do. Now why don't you go play that song that bothers Jake?"

Bradley took the drink from your hand, quickly clasping it with his, allowing him to bring your wrist up to his mouth, placing a long kiss on the sensitive skin. The hairs of his mustache tickle, and you would laugh if it weren't for the downright sensual look in his eyes.

"I'll be back soon with Nat's order," Bradley placed one last kiss to your hand before giving you a wink and leaving you speechless and hot all over.

That man was going to be the death of you.

[muppenthings]

What do your ocs eat?

My free time. ;(

Hehehe ok really now! Since you didn't specify which OC/s I will present to you, a general list for them all!

Mentions of eating animals below

Coastal and Oceanic mers are omnivores. They eat fish, shellfish, kelp, plants by the shore, seagrass and such. Coastal mers are more harvesters and eat less fish and more kelp while Oceanic are hunters and eat more fish. Merry is a coastal mer so they eat lots of kelp, seagrass and shellfish. :)

Cetus and Tide are carnivores, so they eat primarily meat/fish. Tide still eats whatever, because his metabolism is higher than normal due to being very active for a Leviathan. He'll eat kelp (some kelp he'll eat just for the taste) if there's nothing else, even if he doesn't get anything out of it. Plus he just likes eating in general (hates being hungry) and is always curious to try something new (he did loot ships transporting food for some time). Cetus is much pickier. If he had a choice he'd only eat cetaceans. But alas, the humans decide his diet for him. So he has to settle with more fish and red meat (sheep, cow, pig etc) with only the occasional whale.

Alvin is a carnivore too. Nagas are opportunistic so he'll eat anything he can get hold of. Boar, moose, deer, bear, fish, cow all's good. As he currently lives on a ranch, he's guarding the rancher's animals as part of an agreement. So now he mostly eats the domesticated animals he's rationed, with the odd predator that attempts to hunt the animals he's guarding. :)

Like all Saehls, Runt is a piscivore and mainly eats fish, shellfish, octopus and crustaceans. He can eat certain vegetables and fruits/berries too (like melon, banana, blueberries, pumpkins) but the nutrients he needs comes from fish! He's very happy to have some human food too (as long as it's rice or oatmeal based and thus safe).

Elmer is an omnivore and he can eat whatever's available, like a human can. Before he was sealed, he'd hunt giant elks native to the area or any other large game. But if the hunting failed, or the winter was particularly bad, he'd eat tree bark or branches. These are things he can't really digest but it filled an achingly empty stomach. He also ate honeycombs (think the entire nest) or plucked fruit from trees.

Coby became a carnivore after being infused with alien DNA (poor thing was a vegetarian before :,)). Any and all meat is acceptable and needed to keep his instincts from taking over.

Snuffy's diet was answered here!

Pyrra's species eats lots of grains, fruits & vegetables, seeds & nuts, fungi, eggs and insects. Meanwhile Erzikas has a similar diet, but with more fish and less grains. Thurior eats more meat, vegetables and grains! Her species also digest lactose very well, so dairy products is a staple in their diet.

Keiki is opportunistic too and will eat any giant sea creatures like sea serpents, fish, cetaceans, crustaceans etc. He'll also eat any Titanik fruits/vegetation he can reach from the shore. And he'll also eat ocean magic currents, basically magic. Magic fuels him for a lot longer than other foods. :)

Hilda, Frida, Alfredo, Archer, dr. Pugh, Brian, Jonathan, Alice, Magdaleine, Taniel, Amelia and Samuel are all humans. So they have a human diet. Lots of variations tho as they live in different timeperiods, cultures, lifestyles and worlds. And have different allergies and intolerances. But that's just too specific to get into.

Birdie (borrower) eats whatever she can get, but she's got a sweet tooth. If she aquires a toffee then that's what she'll eat the next couple of days. Who needs the food pyramid

[dollsome-does-tumblr]

Movies & TV of 2022 List

Here’s my list of what I watched this year! I may have left some stuff out, especially in the TV department, because I’m not always good at remembering to add stuff to The List.

For movies, I put hearts next to the ones I watched for the first time and extra enjoyed! I also attempted to do it with TV, but then realized I enjoyed way too much stuff and it was pretty much pointless.

Movies of 2022 January 01. I Love You, Phillip Morris 02. Lady of the Manor 03. Red Notice 04. Bridget Jones’s Diary 05. Jurassic Park 06. Jurassic Park: The Lost World 07. Peter Rabbit 2 08. The Double 09. The Lost Daughter 10. #Alive 11. Before Sunset 12. Stage Beauty 13. Persuasion (2007) 14. Beauty and the Beast (2017) February 15. Falling for Fígaro 16. Nightmare Alley 17. Free Guy 18. I Want You Back 19. Austenland 20. Marry Me ♥ 21. Life After Beth 22. Shaun of the Dead 23. Warm Bodies March 24. The Tragedy of Macbeth ♥ 25. West Side Story (2021) 26. Silent Night ♥ 27. Then Came You 28. The Object of My Affection 29. Housebound April 30. Vacation Friends 31. The Lost City ♥ 32. Everything Everywhere All At Once ♥ 33. Baby Done ♥ 34. Something's Gotta Give 35. Don Jon 36. Ondine 37. The Crying Game ♥ 38. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent ♥ May 39. Sense and Sensibility ('95) 40. Fresh ♥ 41. Men ♥ June 42. Book of Love 43. Fire Island ♥ 44. Encanto 45. Jurassic World: Dominion ♥ 46. Good Luck To You, Leo Grande ♥ 47. Jurassic Park 48. Downton Abbey: A New Era July 49. Mr. Malcolm’s List ♥ 50. Persuasion (1995) 51. Lamb 52. Persuasion 2022 53. Cha Cha Real Smooth ♥ 54. The Sea Beast ♥ August 55. Nope ♥ 56. Not Okay 57. Spy 58. Runaway Bride 59. The Family Stone 60. Did You Hear About The Morgans? 61. Midsommar 62. Clerks 63. Dirty Dancing 64. E.T. ♥ 65. An Evening with Beverly Luff Lin September 66. Three Thousand Years of Longing ♥ 67. Vengeance 68. Zombie for Sale ♥ 69. Don’t Look Now October 70. Paddington 2 💕 71. The Valet 72. Catherine, Called Birdy ♥ 73. Significant Other 74. Addams Family Values 75. Crimson Peak 76. Practical Magic November 77. Enola Holmes 2 ♥ 78. See How They Run ♥ 79. Ever After 💙✨ 80. Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me 81. The Menu ♥ 82. The Wonder ♥ 83. Last Night in Soho ♥ 84. Weird: The Weird Al Yankovic Story ♥ 85. Disenchanted 86. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On ♥ December 87. Strange World ♥ 88. Bros 89. Amsterdam 90. The Banshees of Inisherin 91. Knives Out: Glass Onion ♥ 92. Klaus 93. It's A Wonderful Life 94. The Big Year 95. The Invitation TV of 2022 January Queer Eye, Season 6 Parks and Rec, Season 5 Emily in Paris, Season 1 Search Party, Season 5 Back to Life, Season 1 Wolf Like Me, Season 1 Emily in Paris, Season 2 Back to Life, Season 2 The Witcher, Season 2 Parks and Rec, Seasons 6-7 Yellowjackets, Season 1 February The Paradise, Season 1 Santa Clarita Diet, Season 1-3 The Book of Boba Fett, Season 1 Peacemaker, Season 1 Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl In The Window The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, Season 2 Around the World in 80 Days, Season 1 The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Season 3 The Paradise, Season 2 Ghosts, Season 3 March The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Season 4 Murderville, Season 1 Single Drunk Female, Season 1 OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH, SEASON 1 All Creatures Great and Small, Season 2 The Larkins, Season 1 Upload, Season 1 April Upload, Season 2 Killing Eve, Season 4 Flight of the Conchords, Season 1 Sanditon, Season 2 Flight of the Conchords, Season 2 Starstruck, Season 2 Wrecked, Season 1 You, Me, and Them, Season 1 Grace and Frankie, Season 7 May Lost, Season 1 Julia, Season 1 Lost, Season 2 Wrecked, Season 2-3 The Baby, Season 1 Killing It, Season 1 Stranger Things, Season 4-A June Good Trouble, Season 4-A Hacks, Season 2 Mr. Mayor, Season 2 Lost, Season 3 New Girl, full series (watched over past few months!) Gentleman Jack, season 2 July Lost, Season 4-5 Lost, Season 6 Agatha Raisin, Season 1-2 Anne With An E, Season 1-2 Minx, Season 1 August Girls5Eva, Season 2 The Orville, Season 2 Why Women Kill, Season 2 Schitt’s Creek, full series (over past few months) Anne With An E, Season 3 Never Have I Ever, Season 3 The Afterparty, Season 1 Another Period, Season 1-3 September Trying, Season 3 My So Called Life, Season 1 and only! Only Murders in the Building, Season 2 Superstore, Season 1-4 Darby and Joan, Season 1 October Lots of BBC Ghosts! Superstore, Season 5-6 Derry Girls, Season 3 Miracle Workers, Season 3 Wellington Paranormal, Season 4 House of the Dragon, Season 1 Los Espookys, Season 1-2 Mary Berry: Love to Cook, Season 1 Difficult People, Season 1-3 November Interview with the Vampire, Season 1 Physical, Season 1-2 Mammals, Season 1 Miss Scarlet and the Duke, Season 2 Broad City, Season 1-4 Mum, Season 1-2 December Down to Earth with Zac Efron, Season 2 Mum, Season 3 Wednesday, Season 1 Broad City, Season 5 Loot, Season 1 Around The World In 80 Days, Season 1 Avenue 5, Season 2 Our Flag Means Death, Season 1 30 Rock, Season 1

[yomiurishinbun]

Update#21 A TRAITOR AMONGST YOUR OWN! LYNCH!!!

3 March 1914

A little birdy has found a plan of action by none other than Matsumuro Itasu. 

The note says:

“Matsumuro Itasu calls for the public to seize initiative for an investigation on several members of the Imperial Diet which has attempted to seize power from Katsura Taro. Matsumuro would launch a claim that he has secretly decried the actions of the Imperial Diet, and has remained silent for too long, and now he is seizing the initiative.”

HE IS A TRAITOR TO THE JAPANESE NATION! SEPPUKU IS THE ONLY ANSWER FOR TRAITORS LIKE HIM!

[dumplingsspookysweeties]

Aviary Information

Here is information on our Bird bitties!

cut below for length

Chickadee (classic Sans)

He prefers seeds and a quiet, private place to sleep. A little bit of a hopper (hops around when he should be still) but otherwise just as laid back and lazy as any other classic variety.

Puffin (classic Papyrus)

these fish eaters are happy to flap around or perch, whatever gets them closer to their owners! Their little webby feet are also good if you like water activities like polo or swimming.

Twitter (swap Sans)

With a body type and feather pattern similar to the common Blue Jay, these energetic birds are prone to protect their owners and homes fiercely and make rather loud noises if threatened.

Robin (swap Papyrus)

your average garden bird, he will perch on your bird feeder all day or laze about in the birdbath if you let him. easy to love, easy to care for, and adores anyone who will pet his fluffy little body.

Tanager (fell Sans) insect scourges, these bright red birdies love to preen their owners, even if they let themselves get a little mussed on occasion. Great for anyone in a high insect zone, or if you just want someone to joke around or banter with that will soak up all your attention with a smirk.

Cardinal (fell Papyrus)

The classic red bird, Cardinals love being the center of attention, posing in picture-perfect places, and talking or singing to their owners. Usually it’s about how wonderful he or his owner are, and the adventures he’d send them on if he could find out how to start such things. Till then, he’ll regale the world about the time he saved you from a late-night cricket invasion or how he chased away a nosy neighbor.

Vulture (horror!bird!Sans)

-likes meat of any description

- will be very patient

- does need sharp objects hidden and an isolation period

- likes to bathe himself in small pools rather than large tubs

Condor (horror!bird!Papyrus)

- meat eater, exclusively

- tends to enjoy decorating himself, whether in paint, jewelry, or mud even!

- can hunt if necessary

- will do dust baths on his own, so make sure to give him an actual washing if you don’t want a dirty bird.

Kite (horrorfell!bird!Sans)

- chitters instead of giggling, but it’s just as involuntary.

- hunts if not fed adequately on meat

- will start shedding feathers if he gets too stressed

- pats and attention are good ideas

Secretary (horrorfell!bird!Papyrus)

-largest of the birds in our aviary

- eats meat of any kind

- tends to walk or run rather than fly most times

- will seek out baths on his own and feels better clean

- aloof, but will leave trinkets for his owner to show appreciation

Shrike (horrorswap!bird!Sans)

-small but mighty hunter

- will stab his prey and show it to you proudly

- feed on meat or insects if you want to curb this behavior

- can carry loads much heavier than himself

- will use a birdbath and be quite happy, often singing while bathing

Heron (horrorswap!bird!Papyrus)

- second biggest bird

- tends to eat fish and frogs

- feed him fish if you don’t want him getting into your koi pond

- do not house with merbitties unless he’s already been acclimated and cares about your feelings.

- likes large pools for bath time. a bathtub is fine in absence of an actual pond or pool.

Pelican (underworld!bird!Sans)

- anything he can scoop up, he can swallow

- do not house with any other bitties or pet fish or rodents unless the Pelican was already there before they arrived

- may occasionally swallow non-food objects by mistake, easily retrievable

- enjoys water and prefers eating fish

Andean (underworld!bird! Papyrus)

- bright colors!

- likes small insects or pureed fruit

- very affectionate

- needs help getting his wings clean

- safe to house alongside a new Pelican

Guianan (underworld!Swapbird! Sans)

- hope you like bright blue

- uses wings as substitute arms

- prefers fruit, fresh or pureed

- safe to home with a new Pelican

Frigate (underworld!Swapbird! Papyrus)

- feed on fish or squid

- will steal baby birds from outside nests for food

- will try to show off for his owner by puffing himself up

- tends to be busy all day doing something

Woodpecker - (Fellswap Red Sans)

- eats insects, meat, or fruit

- very loud and forceful personality

- they tend to do a good job at keeping neat nests and they will insist on their owners doing the same. Even if his idea of a neat human nest is having a circle of blankets and pillows on top of the bed.

-make him a part of your routines. let him have the responsibility of reminding you of things, or keeping you on schedule, and this will make him feel very important and happy.

Oriole - (Fellswap Red Papyrus)

-Fluffy sweet songbird boy

- affectionate, quiet, and very prone to clumsiness

-expect him to fall into various pots, vases, and containers on occasion

-only sings when alone

- messy nester, likes eating seeds but can eat anything, and a very nuzzly companion

- let him hold onto your keys or phone. He’ll make sure you never forget it.

Hummer - (Swapfell Purple Sans)

- flighty, fast, talkative

- most of them barely land at all.

- they enjoy sweet drinks, but will eat anything he finds interesting (and we do mean anything, regular checks for debris in his ecto are recommended)

- will go from snuggly to playful to irritated quickly, very active and shifting attention

- give him silk flowers to decorate his space with. they last longer, come in more vibrant colors, and that way you won’t have to fight him to clean up the rotted ones

Martin - (Swapfell Purple Papyrus)

- trash collector bird

- any shiny bits will make their way into his nest

- eats pretty much anything you give him for food, but will also try to sweet talk you into giving him treats

- will throw little bits of his ‘treasure’ at you as signs of affection....before fluttering over and taking them back. This is mostly an excuse for him to come over and “be forced to” sit with you for a moment.

Turkey (Undertomb Sans)

These boys have the big tail fans, and look very chunky and soft, like a domestic turkey, but they are definitely of the predatory set. They love meat, and their sharp teeth are not just for show.

 However, they are also lazy boys, and will be very prone to becoming a lap bitty if you let them. They’re intelligent, too, and will play riddle games with you if you don’t mind playing along.

 Flamingo (Undertomb Papyrus)

 Another plumage name, these spindly legged bitties also enjoy the shrimp diet of their namesake, but mostly because they’re amazing fisher bitties! They can feed a whole colony of bitties on their own in the wild with being able to use their teeth, claws, and spike-like legs to grab and spear their prey!

 They’re curious, energetic, and like to get into high places to explore them, so maybe get some locks on your upper cabinets until he gets used to his new home. They also enjoy puzzles more on the line of a color cube, or a knot puzzle. Anything where they can move the pieces around themselves.

Lorikeet - our most colorful bird bitty, he flutters around and uses his old feathers for art! Mostly making pretty fans and other objects for the other birdies in the aviary, our Lorikeets are very excitable and tend to swoop down and glomp any new humans in their homes. His bones are naturally swirled black and white, though this does not extend to his skull. They like seeds and fruit.

Kookaburra - our error bird named for his cackling laughter. More chaotic leaning than most other types of error bitty in the shop, he likes to prank and trick everyone, and laugh about it when they get irritated. Can be pacified by an interesting story or puzzle, and will be thankful when fed. Letting him hunt is not a good idea, as they are very brutal, so instead get him a good supply of meat and he’ll be happy.

Black and White Nightjars - Both twins have plumes of their respective colors on the bottom of their long wing tips. Their powers function more on the energy around a home, with the White instilling peace and positivity to an area, and the Black confronting any negative energy and attempting to put it to rest. Good for someone bothered by poltergeists or who experienced abuse, since the dark feeling afterward can linger.

Dark Black Nightjar will be very hard to live with. He won’t come near you, but you will feel his eyes on you everywhere. The air will become heavy and the malice will be near tangible. It is entirely possible for a Dark Nightjar alone to make terrifying haunting-like events occur. A strong grounded person is needed to make them Safe to be around normal humans and bitties.

[youngjusticeslut]

And They Were Roommates (Chapter 7)

Fandom: Young Justice Links: FF.net // AO3 Characters:  Artemis Crock, Dick Grayson, Lian Harper, Roy Will Harper, Jade Nguyen Ships: RedCat Summary: Artemis’ recovery is still slow going. Rating: T Word Count: 3,187 Disclaimer: I don’t own any of these characters.

Before Artemis had realized, she’d been living with Jade and Roy for two weeks.

It was odd, how quickly time passed when she had a schedule to keep her occupied. Her days started before the sun was up, woken by Lian’s cries. She’d lie in bed and listen to Jade and Roy attempt to get Lian back to sleep. Some nights, Roy would sing. Others, Jade would tell a story. Not that her sister knew any stories; usually it was a less-violent recount of a Cheshire outing that Roy tiredly attempted to sanitize. Usually, these attempts worked. On the days that it didn’t, Roy would take Lian out for a walk on the beach, and Jade would do her exercises in the living room. Afternoons were spent on the beach or running errands, avoiding any of her own responsibilities and instead helping Roy and Jade with theirs. Evenings were abnormally domestic, dinner and watching Lian play while a movie played in the background; at some point, Artemis would turn her back and the married couple would be gone, leaving her to babysit.

There was a part of her that wished her sister and Roy never rekindled their relationship. The selfish, very tired part who was sick of being locked out of the apartment at odd hours of the day. Some days, the two of them were like animals in heat; one glance was all it would take.

Still, Artemis couldn’t deny that it was nice to see them happy. Their own version of happy, anyway.

The awkward silences at mealtimes had all but disappeared. Instead, there were forced conversations, made all the more uncomfortable by Jade’s lack of regard for anyone’s emotions but her own. A couple of times now, Artemis had seen Roy smile, which was unsettling, to say the least. On three different occasions, Jade attempted to cook. Each attempt was worse than the last; Even Lian wouldn’t stomach whatever concoctions her mother had managed to produce, and she ate almost everything.

For the most part, though, living with her sister wasn’t the worst thing in the world. It definitely beat living on her own, spending her days on the couch with nobody but Brucely to keep her company. Or living with her ever-hovering mother, who would pity her and make her tea. No, there was definitely no pity at the Nguyen-Harper household. Artemis was held to the same standard as any other member, and for that, she was almost grateful.

It was easy to ignore most of her own problems; especially when she turned her phone off and hid it under her pillow. Her lunch date with Dick was easily avoided, blown off with a text saying she couldn’t make it. When she’d made the plans with him, she couldn’t imagine anything better than catching up over pizza. But as it grew closer, and closer, her mind wandered. Her stomach clenched in an awful nausea that prevented her from thinking of anything other than Wally. After a night of tossing and turning, she called it off.

The more time she spent with her sister’s family, the less she spent with her’s. Calls from M’gann were left unanswered, Zatanna’s texts ignored. Kaldur had written her fifteen emails, and she left them all unread. Artemis wasn’t dumb, of course; she knew that sooner or later they were bound to catch up with her. But for the meantime, she was more than content to watch toddler shows with Lian and live off a diet of goldfish and organic apple juice.

“You know the whole organic thing is a myth,” Artemis pointed out, waving a carrot stick in Roy’s direction. The redhead pretended he didn’t hear her, instead screwing the cap of Lian’s sippy cup back on. “Regular apple juice is perfectly fine for a toddler.”

“I keep telling him that. We survived on the crap from the dollar store, and look how attractive we turned out,” Jade said, leaning against the fridge and blocking her husband from putting the juice back. He raised a brow, waiting for her to move away. Artemis could see the gears working in both their heads, so she stepped between them, shoving her sister out of the way to return it.

“Idiots,” she muttered.

Roy blushed, his neck burning as he handed the sippy cup to his daughter. “Here you go,” he said softly before looking at Artemis. “We didn’t do anything. You’re jumping to conclusions,” he tried to defend, resting a hand on his daughter’s hair.

Lian nodded, grabbing her sippy cup with two pudgy hands. “Sex.”

As guilty as Artemis was that her niece had learned that from her, the flush of embarrassment and shame on Roy’s face made it all worth it. Jade snickered, sauntering over and trailing her fingernail across his shoulders. “It’s genetics,” she purred.

“You have got to stop saying that.” Roy ducked away from her, starting to clean up the juice he’d spilled on the counter. “And for the record, organic is not a myth.”

Artemis rolled her eyes. “Have to side with Jade here. Dollar store apple juice is just as satisfactory.”

“I can’t believe you’re saying I should buy Lian juice from the dollar store.”

“I’m not saying you should, I’m saying that it’s ridiculous that you spend six dollars on that organic shit when it’s a hoax,” she explained, picking up an apple from the bag on top of the fridge. “You’re too uptight.”

“She’s already at risk with my clone genetics, I’m not taking any more chances.” Jade and Artemis both turned to look at him after he spoke. The room fell quiet, and the sisters exchanged a glance.

“Red,” Jade said, her voice soft. When he didn’t respond, she stood and rested a hand on his shoulder, lifting a finger to his chin and tilting upwards. Artemis lowered her eyes, growing uncomfortable at the intimacy of the simple gesture. She couldn’t shake the feeling that this was something she wasn’t meant to see. Instead, she took Lian’s hand, shaking it so the baby smiled.

“We gotta get you some real sugar, Babe. No more pretend shit,” she teased under her breath, low enough so only Lian would hear. In return, Lian grabbed a fistful of her hair, tugging hard. Artemis grimaced, trying and failing to get her to let go.

After a few, tense minutes, Roy came over and picked Lian up. “We’re going to go on a walk,” he said, voice even as if nothing had happened. “Maybe build a sandcastle.”

“Sounds fun,” Artemis said, glancing at her sister. “You going with?”

“Pass. I hate sand.” Jade watched her husband leave with their daughter, waiting until they were out of earshot before resting her hands on her hips. “You’ve been awfully housebound as of late.”

“We live in an apartment.”

Jade smirked. “The college girl still has her wits about her. Dad would be so proud.”

“Fuck off, Jade. What do you want?”

The older girl tucked some of her hair behind her ear before stretching her arms behind her back. “Nothing, really. Just wondering where all those annoying little friends of yours are. Not one of them has been by to pay you a visit. I’m hurt,” she said with a pout. “I baked brownies and everything.”

This was the side of her sister that always set Artemis on edge. The very essence of Jade, forever taunting and toying around, just like a cat. It was unnerving how quickly she could shift between her personas. “Tales of your cooking have spread. They’d rather leave me hanging than risk trying anything you made.”

“Fair enough. We’ll both leave the cooking to Roy then,” she countered. “Then why don’t you go see them?”

“Getting tired of me already? Wasn’t aware I was that bad of a roommate.”

Jade leaned closer, raising a brow. “You’re ignoring messages, shutting your phone off… I wasn’t going to say anything until you blew off the little birdie,” she continued. “Surely you have better things to do than watch baby cartoons all day.”

Artemis shouldn’t have been surprised that Jade knew the goings-on of her life. If anything, she was mildly annoyed. “Shouldn’t you be happy? I’m a free babysitter for your niece.”

“She doesn’t need a babysitter every day. You need a life, Sis. Stop running errands with my husband and go play with that little team of yours.”

“Wow, what a pep talk. Now who’s making Dad proud?”

Jade narrowed her eyes, pushing herself off the table and picking up Lian’s discarded sippy cup. “Fat chance. I’m nothing like that bastard.”

“Hey.” Artemis tossed the untouched apple in her sister’s direction. Jade caught it without breaking a sweat, looking almost amused at the simplicity of the task. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Who said I was worried? I’m just tired of seeing your moping around the place.”

Artemis made a noise through her teeth, but she knew this was probably the best she was going to get from her sister. For now, it was good enough.  

--

If Artemis were a decent person, she would have followed her sister’s lead and started contacting her friends again. She would have replied to every message, apologized, and set up appointments to see all of them.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t exactly a decent person.

Instead of doing that, she took Brucely for a run. Artemis had never been fond of running; it brought back memories of endless drills, sprinting for all she was worth in an effort to please her father. Once in a while though, she liked the feeling of being breathless. It grounded her, reminded her that she was here, that she was still alive.

When Jade left the house, she slid into athletic shorts, laced up her sneakers and went running along the beach. Brucely, the lazy fatass that he was, wasn’t very happy with her, but he chugged along, shooting her a look every so often in begging her to stop. After an hour, she took pity on him and finally collapsed against the sand, breathing hard. Adrenaline pulsed through her system, and her heart pounded loudly against her chest, making her giddy. At least she hadn’t gone completely out of shape.

Brucely padded up against her, his tongue lolling about pathetically. Artemis stroked his head, trying not to laugh. “You never did like running, did you?” she teased, earning a ‘hmph’ in return. She knew he wasn’t very happy with her right now. No matter how hard her or Wally had tried in keeping him active, he didn’t like anything more than his regular walks.

Her heart ached when she conjured the memory. If she thought hard enough, Artemis could hear his voice, the way he cooed and coddled their dog. Brucely had been her Christmas gift, a third member of their little family. Wally had adored Brucely, always spoiling him far more than he had to. The dog never forgot, either. When she still lived in the duplex, he would wait by the door for his other owner. Sometimes, Artemis would wait with him.

Ultimately, they were both left disappointed.

“What do you think of pizza for dinner?” Artemis asked, ruffling Brucely’s head. “I don’t think I can even look at another one of Jade’s attempts.” The dog didn’t respond, which was expected, but she laughed anyway. “Yeah, let’s do pizza. Lian will love it,” she said, standing up again. Roy would appreciate not having to cook.

On the way back to the apartment, she pulled out her phone, turning it on and idly scrolling through the messages. Three from today, which was two less than the previous day. If she didn’t answer, at some point somebody would show up on Jade’s doorstep. The problem was, she wouldn’t even know where to start. Kaldur was her default, but he was going through his own struggles as it was. M’gann had Conner, and Dick had tons of family to fall back on. Surely they’d be fine for a few more weeks, just enough for her to keep laying low and work on her own sanity.

When she stepped through the front door of the apartment, giant box of pizza in her hands, Brucely tugged forward and made her drop the leash. In an instant, he headed for Lian, who was playing on the floor of the living room. The girl squealed, throwing her arms up in the air and toppling over when the dog attacked her. Roy picked her up, shooting a look to Artemis. She shrugged in apology, setting the pizza down on the table.

“I’d appreciate it if you kept a better handle on your dog,” he grumbled, waiting for him to calm down before setting Lian down again.

Artemis tugged her jacket off and tossed it to the side. “I’ll forward your feedback to my supervisor. Hungry?”

“I could eat.”

“I brought pizza.”

Roy settled back on the floor, turning his gaze to Lian. “Jade’s not home. So don’t worry about waiting for her.”

“I never worry about Jade. How were the sandcastles?” she asked, opening the pizza box and taking a slice.

“Sandy.” Roy held Lian’s hands as the baby bounced on unsteady feet. “But Lian liked it, so I guess that’s what counts. Bring me a slice?”

“You got it.” She took another slice out and handed it over before sitting on the floor with him. “Hey Li. You having fun there?” she asked, grinning when her niece babbled something at her.

Roy took a bite out of his pizza, making a face at Lian. “She’s always having fun. It’s… incredible how happy she is. Considering her genetics.”

“Ever heard of nature versus nurture? She’s happy because you guys are happy. In your own weird, uncomfortable way.” He grunted, mulling it over before tearing off a piece of his pizza for Lian. Artemis watched her niece gobble it up, unable to help but smile. “You are happy… aren’t you?”

“I’m getting there.” Roy smiled to himself, supporting Lian as she bounced a bit harder. “She makes me happy. And Jade, too.”

Artemis smirked. “I’m sure. All the sex must be helping.”

“Sex!” Lian exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.

Roy groaned, setting Lian down on her bottom before running a hand down his face. “Maybe Jade’s right about the genetics. We’re all so fucked,” he said warily, pushing himself to his feet.

Lian watched him go until Artemis took his place, holding her hands so she could stand again. To her surprise, her niece didn’t grip on as tightly as she usually did, instead holding herself on her own two feet. “We were fucked either way. At least this way we’ll get a laugh out of it.”

“I’m glad you find my daughter so amusing,” he called from the kitchen. “By the way, you’re in trouble.”

“For what?”

He returned to the living room, bringing some napkins and a bottle of water with him. “Kaldur called me.”

Artemis sighed, letting go of Lian’s hands once she was sure she could hold herself up. “Of course he did.”

“Why aren’t you returning his emails?” he asked, lowering the volume on the television. Artemis recognized the cartoon. Kim Possible, or something. She remembered watching it with Jade when they were just kids. Must be a retro rerun, or something.

“I don’t want to talk to anyone. Not yet, anyway.”

“You can’t sulk here forever,” Roy said gently. “I would know.” This earned him a smile, and a playful nudge.

“I’m not… sulking,” she sighed, picking up one of Lian’s toys and turning it around in her hands. “I just don’t really want to talk to anyone yet. Being here is nice, you know? You guys don’t treat me as the girl who just lost her boyfriend.”

“And they will? You’re not giving them enough credit.”

“Maybe I’m not.”

“Just talk to them, Artemis. I’m the first person to admit that it’s easier to push everyone away. But I… we need people,” he said, looking at his daughter and giving her a smile. “It’s never going to get better if we keep everyone at arm's length.”

As much as she hated to admit it, Roy was right. Her phone was burning a hole in her shorts, even now. Artemis smiled, looking at Lian who was standing pretty confidently on her own two feet. “Never thought I’d ever be getting advice from you.”

“Well, first time for everything,” Roy said, almost chuckling. “I’m not saying you need to reply to every message, but… just let them know you’re okay. Maybe schedule a meeting, or go to the Watchtower. Baby steps.”

“Baby steps, huh?” she asked, tossing him Lian’s toy. Roy scoffed, tossing it back at her. This went on for a while until Lian squealed angrily. Roy smiled apologetically, holding out the toy for her to take. Only, instead of taking it, Lian grunted and hesitantly took a step forward.

Artemis and Roy immediately exchanged a look, wondering if they’d both really just witnessed Lian taking her first steps. Roy pulled the toy backwards, and Lian took another wobbly step, looking at her dad for reassurance.

“Oh my god, she’s walking. Shit, she’s walking,” Roy stammered out, a smile lighting up his face. “Lian, you’re walking!” he exclaimed. Artemis couldn’t believe what she was seeing and immediately pulled  out her phone to record, the two of them cheering Lian at the top of her lungs.

Lian finally made her way over to her dad, collapsing into his waiting arms. Roy held her tight, kissing her head before lifting her up in the air. “You did it, baby girl! You took your first steps. Holy shit…” he said, his face falling after. “Jade missed it.”

Artemis held up her phone. “Got it on film. Can’t wait to show everyone how much of a sap you really are,” she taunted.  

Roy rolled his eyes, kissing Lian’s head again. “Whatever. Even you can’t sour this for me. She’s finally walking.”

“You know what that means, don’t you?” Artemis asked with a knowing smirk. Roy raised a brow, urging her to continue as Lian babbled and tugged at his hair. “Hope you and Jade hid your weapons well. Now she can walk right to them.”

He grimaced, realizing just how much work he had left to do. “Right. Baby steps.”

[ninja-librarian]

Commission for @craftingandcats, a fic featuring Ryou and Zakuro going on a family walk that goes wrong. Told from the POV of her OC pet for Zakuro, Taka the Cat!

For info about commissions, click here!

Taka believed himself to be a reasonable cat, with simple needs that even the dumbest of humans with their stupid opposable thumbs could understand and meet.

All he wanted was two cans of food a day, the exact middle of the bed, every inch of the couch, his Mr. Mouse squeaker toy, the little-human-kitten’s favorite blanket, the entirety of Zakuro’s lap, uninterrupted napping, the acknowledgement that Zakuro belonged solely to him, and exactly twenty pets a day. Really, it was not too much to ask for. Simple demands, easily met.

What did he not need?

Oh, let him count the things he did most definitely ruined the most perfect of kitty cat existences on the face of the planet: Ryou, the vet, Ryou, the word ‘diet’, Ryou, the not-so-little-human-kitten, Ryou, the little-human-kitten, Ryou, the nail clippers, Ryou, the vacuum cleaner, Ryou…

Yes, Ryou is listed a lot. There’s a reason for that.

See, years ago, life was perfect for Taka. He was the top cat and he had his loving, dutiful human Zakuro. It was just the two of them and he couldn’t ask for anything better.

Until Zakuro started coming back home, smelling like another cat. A male cat. But a weird type of cat, because this cat smell was mixed with human smell. There was no distinct cat and human smell, just cat mixed with human, and he couldn’t figure out why. All Taka knew for sure was that it was his duty to cover Zakuro in his own scent to erase this other man-cat. He’d roll all over her clothes, sleep close to her in bed, rub up against her legs. No big deal.

Except she kept coming back smelling like this man-cat.

And then, finally, just when Taka was at his wits end trying to figure out how to stage an intervention for his human, she brought home him.

Ryou Shirogane.

Taka’s nose twitched, the man-cat smell stronger than ever as he followed Zakuro into the apartment.

Taka met Ryou’s eyes.

They stared at each other, unblinking, for several moments.

Taka refused to be anything but alpha cat to this stupid weird-scented human.

Despite repeated and frequent attempts to get rid of the man-cat for good, he just kept coming back. Eventually, he never left. Poor Taka was cruelly forced to live with his second-least-favorite human full-time. And even the vet’s position as least-favorite-human was starting to tip down compared to Ryou.

Even more terrible things began to happen.

He had to share the bed with Ryou, and rarely got the exact middle that was his rightful place.

Then Zakuro’s scent changed, her familiar scent now blended with that of Ryou’s. How dare he tarnish her precious, perfect scent! The monster!

Then his favorite salmon-flavored cat food was switched to chicken—chicken!—for some unknown reason. He finally got his fish-flavored food back… Along with a stupid hairless kitten who would grab his ears, tug his tail, and pet him the completely wrong way. A few years later, just as the stupid human-kitten was starting to become a proper human and respect Taka as she should, the entire cycle began again, starting with the chicken-flavored food and ending with the second human-kitten.

So when the chicken-flavored food came out for the third time, Taka knew what was going to happen: there was going to be another human-kitten. He did not want another human-kitten. They did not need another human-kitten. Taka was king of this household and what he says goes!

His royal decree was not obliged, despite his many speeches consisted of meowing and yowling. His particularly riveting speech at two in the morning only ended with him being locked out of the bedroom. Taka couldn’t believe it. The peasants were rebelling against him, their wonderful, gracious, loving ruler!

With the arrival of the next human-kitten imminent, Taka resolved that at least he still had his naps. Naptime would never fail him, never betray him.

So when his least-favorite human (yes, with the forthcoming third human-kitten, Ryou had officially usurped the vet’s position on Taka’s list) came over to where Taka was peacefully napping and rudely woke him up, Taka yowled and kicked and scratched.

“Hey, I’m all in favor of letting sleeping cats lie,” Ryou said through gritted teeth as he held Taka out at arm’s length. “But Zakuro wants the whole family to go on a walk. And what she says goes.”

Taka hissed but he settled down. That, at least, he and Ryou could agree on.

Which was why he growled the entire time Ryou put him in the front-facing baby carrier but didn’t put up a fight. He was rarely put in the front carrier, and had tolerated the human-kittens slightly more as they were also subjected to a similar one when they were smaller for family outings, to include searching for a new apartment (which earned the family confused looks from the realtor and the fact that a supermodel was her client was the only reason she made no comment about Ryou and Zakuro claiming they needed the cat’s approval).

The not-so-little-human-kitten—whom Zakuro and Ryou called ‘Sayuri’—was up at the windows, hands pressed to the glass.

“The sky is really cloudy,” She said, looking over her shoulder at her parents. “Are you sure it’s not going to rain?”

“The weather forecaster said that it’s not supposed to, just is cloudy today,” Zakuro said as she slid shoes onto the feet of the little-human-kitten, Masaru. She stood up, wincing slightly, her hand going to her lower back.

“You alright?” Ryou asked as he adjusted Taka and the front carrier.

“Yep, just, living the dream, loving every moment of motherhood,” Zakuro said flatly, gently rubbing her belly with her other hand. “We ready to go?”

“Yep,” Ryou said. “Sayuri, will you get the picnic basket?”

“Yes, but should I grab the umbrellas, too?” Sayuri asked, tilting her head slightly.

“We won’t need them,” Ryou said. “Let’s head on out.”

Yes, let’s go, Taka thought. The sooner we get back…

Personally, he thought that this was well worth a can of salmon cat food.

*****

Taka grumbled to himself, glaring at the passing walkers who gave them strange looks.

That’s right, humans, keep on walking… He thought. You don’t know how I have suffered…

They made it about three blocks before Sayuri said, “Mommy? Daddy? Can we stop and eat lunch now?”

“You’re hungry already?” Zakuro asked as she pressed the button for the crosslight, resting her other hand on her belly.

“No, the basket’s really heavy,” Sayuri explained.

“Really?” Ryou asked. “It’s just a few sandwiches, a large bottle of water, a bag of chips and some cat treats.”

“You sure?” Sayuri asked. Then she shrieked as her little brother jumped into a puddle beside her, drenching the bottom of her jeans. “MASARU!” she yelled as he giggled.

“Masaru!” Zakuro chided, frowning down at him, which shut him up quickly. “Apologize to your sister, now!”

“Sorry, Sayuri…” Masaru said in a small voice.

“Here, Sayuri, I’ll take the basket,” Ryou said, taking the picnic basket from his oldest. He frowned. “Huh. You’re right, it’s heavier than I thought it would be.”

“Only one way to make it lighter,” Zakuro said, taking Ryou’s free hand.

Ryou nodded. “Lunchtime it is. Let’s duck into the park.”

The happy little family (and the very grumpy cat) entered the park and went directly to their favorite picnic spot. They were the picture-perfect family, doing picture-perfect things, like having a picture-perfect picnic in the park. With a cat in a front-pack carrier. Because why not?

The blanket was spread, the family was seated on the ground, the cat was glaring at everyone while aggressively grooming his paw. A bird fluttered in the trees and Taka’s irritation grew. If only he was free from this infernal carrier, that little bird would be his lunch.

No, wait. That would mean hunting. Hunting was a lot of work.

Never mind, the birdie was safe.

“Alright, kids,” Ryou said, opening up the picnic basket. “Let’s…” He stared at the contents of the basket, brow furrowed. “Uh…”

“What’s wrong?” Zakuro asked, leaning over. She blinked. “Oh.”

“That’s why it was so heavy!” Sayuri exclaimed.

For inside the picnic basket was several cans and boxes full of food.

Ryou realized something and looked at his son. “Masaru, when Dad asked you to put the food in the picnic basket… You didn’t grab the stuff that was sitting on the counter, did you?”

“You said grab the food,” Masaru said, looking up at his father with big, innocent eyes. “You didn’t specify what food.”

“He’s got you there,” Zakuro said, with a pointed look of ‘yep, that is most definitely your kid’.

Ryou got those looks often.

“Are you sure it’s not supposed to rain?” Sayuri asked, looking up at the sky.

“Very sure,” Ryou said, frowning at the various cans. Taka straightened and meowed at recognizing one of the cans as the Holy Grail of Cans: a can full of tuna! Oh, how he had missed tuna! But before he could get his paws on it, Ryou asked Sayuri, “Why?”

Taka’s ears twitched with annoyance as something dripped on his head. He tilted his head back. He yowled as lightning flashed in the distance.

“Well, because it’s raining,” Sayuri explained as rain began to fall.

“Ah.” Ryou and Zakuro said together.

“That is a good reason why,” Zakuro said, nodding slightly.

They quickly put the cans back in the picnic basket, then Ryou helped Zakuro to her feet. Taka’s ears twitched at the combination of the rain hitting his head and the grimace Zakuro had on her face.

“Meow?” He said to Ryou.

“I know, we’re getting out of the rain soon,” Ryou said, lifting the blanket to use as an umbrella.

You useless human, I could care less about the rain! Taka thought. You’re so stupid, you don’t even understand a basic ‘Hey, something is wrong with Zakuro, maybe you should find out what’!

With Sayuri and Masaru squealing slightly, they family moved under the blanket to the nearest picnic shelter. They had barely made it under cover, and Ryou was folding up the blanket as Zakuro slumped onto one of the benches, her face in a pensive frown.

“We’ll just wait until the storm lets up, then go back home, I guess,” Ryou said.

“Maybe not,” Zakuro said, an odd lilt in her voice that made Taka tilt his head to the side.

“You want to stop somewhere?” Ryou asked.

“Well…” Zakuro said, looking up at her husband. “Yes. Considering I think my water broke.”

*****

Taka yowled as he was bounced around by Ryou rushing up to the front desk, declaring to the receptionist, “MY WIFE IS IN LABOR!”

The young woman blinked and her eyes trailed down to Ryou’s chest and the growling Taka.

“Sir?” She said nervously. “Is this your wife?”

Idiots. Taka thought, hissing at the woman. I’m surrounded by idiots.

“What?” Ryou asked. “Of course not!” Twisting and using both hands, he gestured to Zakuro behind him, each of her hands holding on to those of Sayuri and Masaru. “This is my wife! And she’s in labor!”

“Hey,” Zakuro said, giving a nod of greeting.

“Oh!” The woman said, rising to her feet. “Come with me, ma’am…”

“Mint, Ichigo, Lettuce and Pudding are on their way,” Zakuro told Sayuri and Masaru. “Behave for them, okay?”

The two children nodded and Zakuro went with the woman, who whispered, “You know, we usually see that kind of reaction in husbands having their first baby…”

“Yeah, he’s usually a lot more together, I swear…”

Taka glared at everybody who gave him and Ryou odd looks. He didn’t want to be here, he didn’t deserve this treatment, didn’t deserve their judgmental states. He didn’t deserve to be practically tossed across the hospital lobby as Ryou ripped off the carrier and threw him at Ichigo. (He was actually passed over at arm’s length and gently but quickly handed over, it just felt like a longer distance and much faster in kitty-cat measurements.)

Taka was grumpy because he was still in the front carrier, the can of tuna still wasn’t opened, and he was surrounded by idiots. All humans were idiots, he decided. They had no idea what they were doing at any given time. Not even the presence of his second-favorite human—Ichigo, who also smelled a lot like a cat and always seemed to know exactly what he was saying, but he couldn’t exactly figure out why—being there and scratching him in all the right places was helping.

Finally—FINALLY!—he was released from the infernal prison…

Only to be immediately put in a bag.

“Merow!” Taka demanded.

“Sorry, Taka,” Ichigo whispered before she zipped the bag partway closed. “But we can’t let anyone see you just yet.”

Taka couldn’t think of ways his day could possibly get any worse. First he was carried around in that humiliating front carrier, now he’s being toted and jostled around in a handbag—a handbag! Like he was a Chihuahua or some other type of dog!—going who-knows-where…

Finally, he felt the bag be set down on something soft. The bag was unzipped, Taka was lifted from the bag, he was placed on the bed.

Taka blinked slowly, his nose twitching at the array of smells. It smelled too clean, and like a lot of unfamiliar humans.

But it also smelled like…

He turned then crawled up the bed towards Zakuro, rubbing his head against her elbow. Zakuro smiled sleepily at Taka, scratching his head.

“Good to see you, too,” Zakuro said. “Now come say ‘hi’ to the newest member of the family.”

At that, Taka looked over at the bundle wrapped up in Zakuro’s arm. The newest human-kitten, sound asleep.

From beside the bed, Sayuri squealed with delight. “She’s so tiny!”

“What’s her name?” Masaru asked from Ryou’s hip.

“Mai,” Ryou answered, grinning broadly before he pressed a kiss to the top of Zakuro’s head.

Taka felt his heart melt a little. Whether he like Ryou or not, he made Zakuro happy, and that was important. And if these furless human-kittens were what made Zakuro happy, well, then he guessed he could be happy with them, too.

Besides, they were starting to grow on him. This third one was kind of cute. For a human.

Taka curled up against Zakuro’s side and purred.

The day had gotten off to a great start.

But it was certainly ending perfectly.

[outfitandtrend]

[ad_1] Midway through Steven Sondheim's classic musical Company comes “Getting Married Today," a mental breakdown in song form, in which a nervous bride attempts to flake on her wedding. It's considered one of the most difficult numbers in the musical theater canon, “the greatest show-tune tongue-twister of all time,” the kind of song that has its own Wikipedia page. In the gender swapped revival now playing on Broadway, the song is performed each night by Matt Doyle, a performance that's winning raves.The California native has played a steady string of demanding roles in shows like The Book of Mormon, War Horse, Bye Bye Birdie, and Spring Awakening. But his turn in Company is a breakout, and this week he received his first-ever Tony nomination. “It’s my favorite show I’ve ever been in, without question,” Doyle told GQ. “Every bit about this production is magnificent and smart, and it means even more at this point, being a part of this journey through the pandemic. Together, we’ve experienced a crazy amount of collective trauma that I’ll look back on one day and think ‘I can’t believe we survived.’”GQ recently caught up with Doyle to ask him about how he eats and trains to make sure he has stamina for eight shows a week. He says it took him years of honing both his craft and his body to acclimate to the grind of daily performances and late nights: “Most people don’t realize how taxing this all can be,” he said.GQ: I’m assuming your days don’t start at 6 a.m. if you’re up late performing. Matt Doyle: Right. I get back from my show around midnight every night and fall asleep by 3 a.m. So, that means I’m sleeping until 10 or 11 a.m. every day. Once I’m up, I’ll make coffee and cook up some scrambled eggs with spinach and parmesan, and eat that with rye toast. If it’s a crazy day, I’ll go to Starbucks and get a venti iced coffee, black unsweetened, and eat those kale mushroom egg bits they have. I lie and tell myself they’re good for me, but who knows. I also hard boil a lot of eggs for the week in case I am on the move and can’t stop anywhere.What happens after breakfast?It’s funny, because my work day doesn’t really start until 4 or 5. So, after breakfast, I’ll get our dog off to doggy daycare and then I get to the gym. My workout changes based on the day, just if I’m focusing on lower or upper-body lifting.What’s for lunch?If I'm home, I eat a lot of lean proteins. I really do focus on being as healthy as possible, I’ll have ground turkey pretty often. Or, maybe I cook up some chicken breast and some sweet potatoes. If I’m out, it’s always Sweetgreen or Dig.Have you always eaten this clean?Not at all. I’m a naturally very small guy, and when I first moved here, at 19, I weighed something like 120 pounds and didn’t think much about my diet. But when I first came into the theater, I had a director look at me and tell me that if I wanted to play certain roles, I’d have to take care of myself and bulk up a bit—especially if I wanted to have the stamina of doing eight shows per week. Today, I’m closer to 150 pounds. [ad_2] Source link

[jedi-bird]

Day three of attempt at dieting to lower my a1c and I'm not happy. I'm hungry. I was good at breakfast and only ate a bit of leftover chicken and pico de gallo and the last of the guacamole. Lunch was vegetable soup and one 2 inch square of bread (last of the bread from the Italian place partner went to the other day). By dinner I was very hungry and having bad cramps (thanks lady parts, I still hate you). And since it's still too hot to cook we got burgers because In-N-Out does protein style without buns. I'm still hungry though and the pain pills aren't kicking in so I'm in a bad mood. I'll get used to it eventually, but this is bringing up bad memories.

[waitsburgcellars]

Six Of The Best Reasons To Playing Golf Now

Undoubtedly, tastes and preferences have changed. In a lot of the widely embraced variants of masculinity and male responsibility, investing eight or seven hours in your golf course in Saturday together with your friends and failing household responsibilities (and very probably function ) is improper. There are lots of explanations for why playing golf is a wonderful concept for the woman or man.

Nature's Experience

An individual should not be Emerson, Thoreau, either Wordsworth or even a blossom kid to appreciate nature as encountered about the golf course. The jury has gone out, to a level, about the ground is served by the evolution of golf courses. Certainly, leaving an eco-system alone would be safer for building a golf coursenevertheless, a well-maintained green space together with nominal water usage, in collaboration with preservation societies, along with with a minimal utilization of pesticides is significantly superior to, say, the amazing asphalt expanse of some Wal Mart.

With all this, a man can feel great about wandering throughout fairways that are open, quitting to appreciate the varieties of flora and also the beauty of the sun through trees. Sublime moments and spectacular await almost each and every single golfer on every program. To make certain, taking part in with with your regional muni and teeing off at dawn at Augusta won't be adventures, however temperament is there to be experienced and valued at both locales. Golftournamentinfo is the very best web site for viewing 2020 us open golf live.

Overall health

Stroll the golf class whenever potential. It really is both the way the match has been supposed to be playedfor exactly what that's really value, and better practice (700 seven hundred vs. four hundred 400 energy burned). Additionally, there's the unquantifiable"becoming outside in fresh air" variable.

Golf fits well into a bigger life style of health and fitness along with proper diet and supplies a special chance to incorporate a hobby . Consuming and working out for a golfer very likely can make you man. . .at smallest emotionally.

Camaraderie

There isalso, I thinka line in Golf in the Kingdom distinctive golf as a opportunity for"guys to love males" in a mutually acceptable manner. I am not certain I would go as far as to mention this foursome who have played together every Saturday morning for 20 years' associates love you yet, however, they do share a unique bond.

Playing golf with folks is equally a opportunity and also an experience of conflict. This particular lively by that four individuals spend greater than just four weeks together, experiencing degrees of collapse results in a singular connection involving folks.

The game of golf is more likely to gain your career in the achievement and productivity. Take into account these filling from the area of seventy two players in the American Cancer Society psychologist and just many of these folks could become clients, contacts or friends.

To Engage the Metaphor

It's cliche to determine exactly the way in that golf imitates life span and also vice versa. The game of golf does possess a method of showing a male's personality. Additionally, achievements in golf is primarily a product of deliberate, purposeful implementation of the detailed plan. That, as well, is much like life.

We stroll exactly the exact classes. A few folks are superior golfers and also a few people are far somewhat worse. All we are able to do is make the most of opportunities set in our finest attempts, learn from problems and then forget them , plodding forward all the way.

For One Challenge

Whatever it is, golf can be a very problem. It's a lone activity at which one can not ever achieve perfection. If capturing level or better is that the"object of the game," then only five percent of golfers achieve this aim. When one has the ability to shoot degree, then a challenge of golf commences that of mastering how handle the class and engage in shots that lead to birdies.

What would loyalty look like? 18 holes at one? 18 birdies? The prior is impossible and there is just a 99.99 per cent chance that the latter won't come about. Contemplating that, the golfer and his golf match has to be a work in progress rather. The success of the golfer comes down to the size of his mistakes rather than his ability to be a lot better than anyone else.

To Play with a Gentle Man's Game

Golf is referred to. In the event you've actually observed or been part of a men's league, then you may have an alternative conception of the match. However, golf as it played, regulated and is designed with a gentle man's sport.

Traditionally, males have dressed in casual or sporting attire for golf and also place outside to play 18 using a professional of attention and gentility to the track and their partners and with respect for the integrity of their game.

A lot is left, too, to how golfers are expected to police themselves onto the golf course (but many, certainly, implore the foot wedge will). It is the obligation of the golfer to behave himself and know just how to act on the golf training course. The onus of accountability has been put solely about the individual golfer, and there is a mandate of ethics and honesty.

Restraint is a part of this gentle man. Our golfing ids could be inspired to walk off the class or make a lot of trips into the beer shopping cart and to hurl clubs. Nevertheless, because for the greater good, in life, we need to control ourselves.

Decorum also simplifies the societal character of this golf class: playing in turn, perhaps maybe not distracting fellow golfers or even getting into their manner, not talking about business on the path; those really are basic things, however matters which cannot be overlooked, but much enjoy the guidelines which govern regular interactions.

It doesn't look to be a consideration to walk across the putting line of a playing partner, however, the actions signifies a scarcity of stress and disrespect and is thus unacceptable. Even the prospect of giving offense, afterward, warrants vigilance and attention, both of which can be features of a gentle man, both on / off the golf class.

[toldnews-blog]

New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/world/united-states-of-america/robert-mueller-cyclone-fani-kentucky-derby-your-friday-evening-briefing/

Robert Mueller, Cyclone Fani, Kentucky Derby: Your Friday Evening Briefing

1. President Trump had a “very productive talk” with President Vladimir Putin of Russia. They spoke on the phone for an hour.

In a pair of midday tweets, Mr. Trump, pictured above at the White House today, said that he and Mr. Putin discussed the “Russian Hoax” among other topics. The conversation was their first since the release of Robert Mueller’s report, which found that “the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election in sweeping and systematic fashion.”

The phone call appeared to be an effort to turn the page on the entire affair.

Meanwhile, House Democrats are trying to revive talks with the Justice Department over a subpoena for the special counsel’s full, unredacted report. Representative Jerrold Nadler, the Judiciary Committee chairman, gave the department until Monday to respond and said his committee would proceed with a contempt of Congress vote if the two sides could not agree.

2. The U.S. economy got another boost.

The country added 263,000 jobs in April, another month of robust growth and a fresh sign that recent fears of a slowdown were overblown. The unemployment rate was 3.6 percent, the lowest it has been in half a century. Here’s what it all means. Above, a job fair last month in Miami.

Booming jobs and low inflation — this wasn’t supposed to happen. Our senior economics reporter writes that using data from a few decades in the middle of the 20th century to set policy in the 21st might not be such a good idea.

3. One of the strongest storms to batter the Indian subcontinent in decades has made landfall.

Cyclone Fani lashed the coast with wind gusts of more than 120 miles per hour, the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane. India and Bangladesh evacuated more than a million people each from coastal areas. Here’s how they did it.

The storm is expected to weaken and move toward Bangladesh tonight. But there were already reports of destruction, like above in Puri, India, and possibly deaths. We’ll continue to have live updates here.

In other international news, new details in the Sri Lanka Easter Sunday attacks point to a more active ISIS role than previously thought. Some Sri Lankans are furious that multiple warnings went unheeded.

_____

4. Floridians gave ex-felons the right to vote. Lawmakers just put a big obstacle in their way.

In November, voters approved a groundbreaking ballot measure that would restore voting rights for up to 1.5 million people with felony convictions. But the Republican-led state Legislature has approved a series of sharp restrictions that critics say are meant to undermine the voters’ will. Above, former felons registering to vote in January.

Under the new proposals, which now head to Gov. Ron DeSantis’s desk, thousands of people with serious criminal histories would be required to fully pay back fines and fees to the courts before they could vote, effectively pricing some people out of the ballot box.

_____

5. Federal authorities have rarely invited outsiders into their secure facilities on the border — until now.

Our reporter and video journalists went inside the Border Patrol’s latest attempt to handle the migrant influx: a 40,000-square-foot tent encampment, built over the past 13 days just east of McAllen, Tex., to house newly arriving migrants in the Rio Grande Valley.

The tent camp is opening along with a similar temporary structure in El Paso, built at a combined cost of $37 million.

Separately, it can be difficult to come of age in the borderlands. Seven young women told us their stories.

_____

6. Weekend pancakes may never be the same: The future of maple syrup is at risk.

A growing body of research suggests that warming temperatures linked to climate change may significantly shrink the range where it is possible to make maple syrup. Warm weather can hurt syrup production because the process depends on specific temperature conditions.

And it is already having an impact. In 2012, maple production fell by 12.5 percent in Canada because of an unusually warm spring. Above, syrup being bottled in Ontario, where the decrease was even more drastic: 54 percent.

How does your diet contribute to climate change? Take our quiz to find out.

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7. Yes, that’s an ostrich running with an extra set of wings.

How avian flight first evolved is one of the biggest controversies in paleontology. So scientists in China strapped artificial wings to a young ostrich and took it out for a run.

The ostrich did not fly. But as it ran, flapping was evident, and sensors measured a small amount of lift. Eventually, the researchers proposed, the dinosaur’s descendants would have harnessed this trait and taken off from the ground for the first time.

In other esoteric animal news, shrimp from five U.K. rivers have one thing in common, according to a new study: cocaine. The drug’s source remained a mystery.

_____

9. And now for your viewing pleasure.

She’s the secretary of state and he’s a struggling journalist. The improbable, yet perfectly paired, Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen play old friends who find love in “Long Shot,” a charming (and a bit vulgar) romantic comedy. “It’s an adrenaline shot of pure pleasure to the genre’s failing heart,” our film critic says.

For some weekend binge-watching, our TV critic reviews “Tuca & Bertie,” a buddy/birdy comedy from a producer of “BoJack Horseman.” The feminist friendship comedy is funny, haunting and visually surreal, our critic writes.

In need of a new book? Here are 14 books to watch for in May.

_____

10. Finally, April showers bring May flowers (or something like that).

It has been a very wet spring in New York, and when a hard rain descends, the whole city feels it. Traffic comes to a standstill, strangers huddle under a shared awning, and inside-out umbrellas litter trash cans.

We rounded up some of the most arresting images and had a sound artist who has worked on “Roma” and “Stranger Things” match them with short soundtracks from across the city. Take a look and a listen here.

Have a cozy weekend.

_____

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What did you like? What do you want to see here? Let us know at briefing@nytimes.com.

[papermoonloveslucy]

Lucy Helps Danny Thomas

S4;E7 ~ November 1, 1965

Synopsis

When Mr. Mooney hires Lucy to get some important papers signed at a TV studio, she finds herself dancing on Danny Thomas's TV show instead!

Regular Cast

Lucille Ball (Lucy Carmichael), Gale Gordon (Theodore J. Mooney)

Mary Jane Croft (Mary Jane Lewis) does not appear in this episode.

Guest Cast

Danny Thomas (Himself) was born Amos Muzyad Yakhoob Kairouz in 1912. His screen career began in 1947 but he was most famous for appearing on television in the long-running show “Make Room for Daddy” (1953-1964), which was shot at Desilu Studios.  When the series moved from ABC to CBS in 1957, Thomas and the cast starred in a rare TV cross-over with “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” titled “Lucy Makes Room for Danny.”  In return, Lucy and Desi turned up on Thomas's show.  Fifteen years later, Lucy and Danny did yet another cross-over when Lucy Carter of “Here's Lucy” appeared on “Make Room for Granddaddy.”  In addition, Thomas also played an aging artist on a 1973 episode of “Here's Lucy.”  Thomas is fondly remembered for founding St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. He is also father to actress Marlo Thomas. He died in 1999.

Dick Patterson (Marty King) previously played himself in “Lucy and the Beauty Doctor” (S3;E24). He made his Broadway debut in David Merrick’s Vintage '60 and served as a replacement for Dick Van Dyke in the original cast of Bye Bye Birdie. He went on to appear opposite Carol Burnett in Fade Out, Fade In (1964) and his last musical was Smile (1986), a spoof of beauty pageants. Although he is billed here as playing himself, Patterson was never the host of a hidden camera show. He was in the film musicals Can’t Stop the Music (1980), Grease (1978), and Grease 2 (1982). In September 1966, Patterson and his wife Gita were seen on “Lucy Week” of the game show “Password” along with other “Lucy Show” performers. Patterson will appear in four episodes of “Here’s Lucy” - all in character roles. He died in 1999 at the age of 70.

Mickey Manners (Messenger) was born Solomon Shapiro in 1925. He was a nightclub performer who was friends with Jerry Lewis and appeared in a number of his films. He will make one appearance on “Here's Lucy” in 1969.  

Miriam Nelson (Miriam / choreographer, above left) made her Broadway debut in 1938. She eventually became a Hollywood dancer and choreographer and married fellow dancer Gene Nelson. She acted as choreographer for this episode as well as “Lucy in the Music World” (S4;E3) and “Lucy and the Golden Greek” (S4;E2).  

Larri Thomas (Sally, above right) was a dancer and actress who had appeared in the stage to screen musical transfers of Guys and Dolls (1955), The Pajama Game (1955), South Pacific (1958) and The Music Man (1962). She played 'Miss Hairdo' in “Lucy Wants a Career,” a 1959 episode of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour.”  

The character is never addressed by name in the dialogue.

Sid Gould (Elevator Operator) made more than 45 appearances on “The Lucy Show,” all as background characters. He also did 40 episodes of “Here’s Lucy.” Gould (born Sydney Greenfader) was Lucille Ball’s cousin by marriage to Gary Morton. Gould was married to Vanda Barra, who also appeared on “The Lucy Show” starting in 1967, as well as on “Here’s Lucy.”

Four other uncredited female dancers are part of the show.

The date this episode first aired (November 1, 1965) “The Lucy Show” was followed by an episode of “The Andy Griffith Show” (which was filmed at Desilu Studios) featured Eddie Quillan and Herb Vigran, who were seen on the previous week's “Lucy Show,” “Lucy and the Countess Have a Horse Guest” (S4;E6).

At the beginning of this episode, Mr. Mooney hires Lucy as a part-time secretary. Mr. Mooney pays Lucy $14 a day.  In a few weeks, he will hire her full time.  This is the relationship that Lucy will have with Mr. Mooney (as well as with Harrison J. Carter on “Here's Lucy”) for the remainder of their screen careers.

Citing her qualifications, Lucy says she was private secretary for Mr. Miller, president of Pop Records, for a whole week.  This is a reference to “Lucy in the Music World” (S4;E3) where Lou Krugman played Miller and Mel Torme appeared as Mel Tinker.

Lucy is sent by Mr. Mooney to the TV studio where they are rehearsing “The Danny Thomas Show.”  Although this is not a real TV program, Thomas did host “The Danny Thomas Hour” for 22 episodes in 1967.  

The TV studio hallway has large black and white framed photos of TV stars: Lassie, Andy Griffith, and Jim Neighbors. In 1963, Danny Thomas served as Executive Producer for “The Andy Griffith Show,” which was shot on the Desilu backlot as was “Gomer Pyle: USMC” starring Jim Neighbors. Both were spin-offs of his show. “Lassie” aired on CBS from 1954 to 1971.

Lucy says that back in Danfield she played the lead in a play once – outside in the summer time. This means it wasn't Cleopatra, which was indoors. 

During rehearsals, Danny Thomas speaks to the unseen piano accompanist: “Wilbur? Shall we hatch it?” He is making a pun on the name of “The Lucy Show” composer Wilbur Hatch who is probably playing the piano off screen.  

“Broadway Melody” was written by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed for the 1929 musical film of the same name (above). It was the first sound picture to win an Oscar.  

Like Lucy's frequent co-star Bob Hope, Danny Thomas also makes jokes about his nose.  

Lucy says she loves the way Danny Thomas says “And away we go!” which is actually Jackie Gleason's famous catch phrase. Gleason will make a wordless cameo appearance on “Here's Lucy.”  

The episode ends without knowing if Lucy ever got the important bank papers signed by the (never seen) Mr. Katz or whether she is fired, as Mr. Mooney promised she would be, for failing to get them signed and returned by 3pm.

Callbacks!

Lucy attempting to come down a staircase wearing an extremely heavy headdress is recycled directly from the “I Love Lucy” episode “Lucy Gets into Pictures” (ILL S4;E18). Lucy repeats some of the same dialogue and comic business she did in 1955.

Lucy Ricardo also messed up a chorus line of experienced dancers in “The Diet” (ILL S1;E3).

Blooper Alerts!

Mr. Mooney's office will change constantly over the next few months, getting larger and more luxurious each week until its layout is frozen in the next season.

Lucy tells Danny Thomas that this is the first show she's ever been in. She apparently has forgotten that she appeared as a singer on “Wing Ding” in “Lucy in the Music World” (S4;E3).  

“Lucy Helps Danny Thomas” rates 3 Paper Hearts out of 5

[discovercreate]

Guys, Busy Philipps Uses an Instant Pot (and Other Things She Told Us) — How I Feed My Kids

Busy Philipps is the internet's best friend. The actress — and now author — has had a lot going on this year (a movie! A book! A podcast!), but she manages to remain refreshingly honest and vulnerable on her Instagram. When she talks about her kids or the new diet she's trying on Instagram stories, it feels like she's talking to her real-life BFF, Michelle Williams, instead of her massive 1.1 million followers.

As a mom of two girls, Birdie (9) and Cricket (5), Busy navigates the same things many parents struggle with. She worries about Birdie at sleepaway camp and she attempts to make Pinterest-inspired cakes for Cricket's birthday. She's a cool mom, sure, but she's also just a regular mom.

When Busy was in New York this week to talk about back-to-school season in partnership with Tropicana Kids, I sat down with her to talk about the challenges she faces with feeding her kids, her go-to snacks for Birdie and Cricket, and what an average family dinner looks like (sometimes the Instant Pot is involved).

READ MORE »

from Kitchn | Inspiring cooks, nourishing homes https://ift.tt/2vs1Wbd

[fleurdelissaswords-blog]

Tupeck the Rapping Parrot’s ThugLife Bible Study #6: IT’S EASTER Y'ALL!!!“ (The Easter Story, Attempt #5) More in our Conversations with Talking Parrots Series.

We’re watching The Jesus Strand: A Search for DNA this Easter Sunday on the History Channel. We look forward to all of the awesome religious shows and docs on Easter weekend each year. Studying history and theology and science is a passion of mine I share with my feathered and furry family members as well… and it always makes for some funny content as I attempt to get my ThugBirdie Tupeck to get some religion. The talks after leave everyone hysterical.

This show aims at finding the true DNA of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and that of his family to help science and religion come together to finally bury the friggin hatchet. Can’t we all just get along? I happen to be a fan of both. It is my feeling that if God created the universe and all of this, and us, the more we understand it, the more we understand how perfect God’s plan really was. We are just observing the principals of this perfect world and explaining it in scientific terms that humans understand better.

Many of our readers and fans know that living with a parrot who wants to be the world’s first rapping parrot, and being talked into managing his career by the bird himself, is a challenge. Birds are typically NOT an easy type of pet! There exotic animals with exotic diets. Food items are often the stuffs of our conversations with the birds to help them learn to identify and request different food types. In fact Tupeck’s first original song was about how he had blueberries and Greek yogurt for breakfast. Lol. So we included the original artwork for the show, as well as a cute drawing of foods from Jesus’ time we found online here: http://gssroom9.blogspot.com/2014/03/re-jesus-strand.html… we get really into these birdie Bible lessons, but our birds are super smart! So join us on this Easter Birdie Bible Lesson! They’ve already requested the next Bible lesson being about the Last Supper. Lol. 😂🙈

I’m the mom and the manager of a parrot who wants to rap. Lol. And for years Tupeck parrot begged and I kindly said "hells nah! Not happening… you’re a bird!” But years later I realized he was really talented and loved music and hip hop, and that it was therapeutic for him in a way… and I’ve also just given up trying to get the ThugLife out of him. It’s just who he is. And in this family we accept each other for who they are. But my influence over the years has helped make his musical tastes a lot more diverse and he’s calmed down a lot. Yay patience! Lol. And Praise the Lord! 😜✊🏽🙏🏽 #LoveWins

Many of you also know that every Easter we have this weird family tradition of trying to give Tupeck a bible lesson and see if he will finally accept Jesus. In previous years he decided that since “Tupac was coming back too” and cuz he can rap on top of that, that Tupac held the top position in Tupeck’s heart when it comes to any religion. Lol. It was his very first Easter Sunday lesson after we got him that he said that. That’s how smart he is. He had already drawn a comparison between what Jesus did and Tupac’s life. Meaning he understood abstract human concepts more than the average bird! His vocabulary is also quite large… a lot of it we cannot repeat here and he knows he is not allowed to say and we don’t encourage it. But that’s how hard birds are. Imagine trying to have a family dinner while a bird raps and discusses his biz plan for becoming the next rap superstar?… and your mother is there. Get the idea?!

So for our yearly Easter Birdie Bible Study Lesson, I decide to taker a more scientific genetic route to explaining this to Tupeck. Maybe that would help? One can hope… so this ThugLife Bible Study Lesson is for Easter 2017! And our new attempt at getting Tupeck born again. We often use analogies that may not make sense to the common Christian, to explain things in terms a thug celebirdie can comprehend. It may be unorthodox, but we hope it’s slowly working. He didn’t like the audio bible we tried a while back. So yay for being innovative to get thru to inner city birds. Lol. We hope it doesn’t offend anyone… cuz tbh that’s Tupeck’s job as much as we try to keep him from doing so. He is bound to offend someone’s sensibilities… we were fans of anything ThugLife before this bird came into our lives either. Everything I know about hip hop I’ve learned from my parrot. Lol.

Let our ThugLife Bible Study Lesson begin…

Me: “Do you know why this religious documentary show is groundbreaking?”

Tupeck: “Absolutely!” 😚 (but I can tell he has no clue)

Me: “I’ll give u a hint: it’s possibly groundbreaking for television, history, and religious studies!” E Tupeck: “And Tupac!” 😜✊🏽

We all laugh. 🙈

Me: ok kiddo, and Tupac… of course. Now, on this show, they’re trying to find Jesus’ family of priest kings from the Davidic line using any dna they can track down to test.“

Tupeck: weird confused look. 😳

Me: "yeah part of the big deal about Jesus was he was from the line of David, therefore a priest king… this was back when they preached while they also kinged and stuff!” (The Messiah concept)

Tupeck: “YEAH?!” (Now he gets it! We’re taking about a VERY important person! We now have his attention… he is really only interested in celebrities.)

Me: “Yes… it was a different time.”

Tupeck: “Tupac was a priest king… and a talker!”

Me: 😂😂😂🙈"Yes Tupac was a good talker. Preachers were very good at talking! It’s what they did.“

Me: "If Jesus was alive today, what do you think he would say?”

Tupeck: “he’d be talking!” 🤗(thank you Captain Obvious! Lol)

Me: “yes cuz preaching is very similar to talking, except, they talk about God… and paying more attention to your bible studies!”

Tupeck: *beatboxes* cuz all Bible studies require beatboxing. And all good talkers in his opinion, should know how to beatbox. 🙈 Crap, is this lesson going downhill already? Ok time for a new strategy!

Me: “well if you were to make a song for Jesus, what would it be? Let’s make a song for Jesus… cuz that’s totally a thang.”

Tupeck: *thinks for a min, then lays down a few beats for mood* “Ooooh, baby I looove yoooou!!!” 😚

Me: 😂👍🏽 “I consider this a success, even though it’s basically your epic love ballad you intend to record on your first demo…”

We all sing a few more repeats of this one line… cuz the song so far only has or needs this one important line. Tupeck is proud. I’m just proud he finally made a Christian-ish song of some sort after 6 years of trying to get some religion into him.

Me: “have I told you about the story of the loaves and fishes?… you like bread!”

Tupeck: listens intently… cuz indeed he does love bread. Lol “Yeah yeah!” (Said in a Beavis and Butthead voice)

Me: “now back in Jesus time, there were crowds at his shows too… they called them ‘the multitudes!’”

Tupeck: “ok.” 😯

Me: “I know you think only rap stars have crowds, but Jesus drew big crowds too! Once thousands had come to hear him talk, like people went to hear Tupac talk, and at the end they realized the multitudes were hungry, but they didn’t have enough food to feed everyone who’d traveled a long way to hear Jesus talk.”

Tupeck: 😱 (this is indeed a problem)

Me: “here, watch this scene from YouTube about this… Jesus did something really cool to make sure everyone had food!”

Link: https://youtu.be/GolUi2yu7nA (I show Tupeck this clip cuz if it’s on YouTube, in his head, it’s true! He’s the biggest YouTube addict. Lol. We had to set some limits and Parrontal Controls cuz it became a problem.)

Me: “that day Jesus did something REALLY COOL. Cuz he believed in taking care of his peeps. He only had a couple loaves of bread and few fishies. But Jesus was the Fisher King, so he gave thanks to God and blessed the fishies and 💥 BAM! 💥 Food for everyone appeared and everyone was happy!”

Tupeck: “woah!”

Me to myself: “this is actually finally working… he seems interested in learning about Jesus! HUZZAH!!! It’s a miracle!!!” *gives thanks to God* 🙏🏽

Me: “remember when Pac hosted all of those picnics in the park for the gang kids in California, and brought in Snoop Dog and other artists, and told the kids they’d keep hosting those events as long as people all got along… and the ThugLife code was born from those events trying to bring inner city kids together without hurting each other.”

Tupeck: 😱 *Gasp!* (he has found another thing in common between Jesus and Tupac… which of course was my brilliant idea! *high fives self!*

Me: “kinda is a lot like how Jesus talked to the crowds and fed them afterward cuz he cared about his people and mankind. Tupac did too!”

Tupeck: *beatboxes more excited about this idea*

Me: “what if Tupac could have been one of these living decendants of Jesus like this show is trying to solve? They seem to have a lot in common. Tupac did a lot of the same stuff Jesus did to try to teach and help people. It was just a different time and different problems in the world. Cuz they both wanted to help the world.”

Lil Homie, Tupeck’s number one crew member and fellow flock member who isn’t famous and doesn’t wanna be, has been listening intently and chimes in here to tell us he likes this idea of people (and creatures) taking care of each other. Awe. 🤗 He may have some big questions about how Tupeck has been running his crew of homies (aka: flock) after this lesson. Lol. 🙈

Me: “on this show, they’re trying to track down blood and bones that may have belonged to Jesus to do sciencing tests to see who the rest of his family is and find out more about Jesus… pretty cool huh! Cuz there’s a lot we don’t know about this guy yet he is the biggest most important historical figure of all time according to many humans. He was either the Messiah, or a gifted Prophet, or a loving teacher of men.”

Me: “Tupeck?… 😳… Tupeck?!… hey, why are u preening during our Easter Sunday bible lesson? It’s time to listen and learn.”

Tupeck: “meh” 😒

Me: “welp, I had him for a moment!… it’s better than Easter sermons of years past… YAY PROGRESS!!!… and for once no talk of Llamas in God’s plan!” 😜✊🏽 (cuz we all know Llamas were either a glitch in evolution or God’s biggest mistake, depending on which you subscribe to. Llamas are an obsolete model. But this is the source of ongoing arguments between myself and a Tupeck parrot. *See our series on this blog: “The Ongoing Llama Feud between FleurDeLissa and Tupeck Parrot.”)

And Look for Tupeck the Rapping Parrot’s Gospel-Inspired song soon on a digital media site near you! 🎼🎤🎧 (Yeah, Tupeck made me say that plug.)

Overall we liked the show. I really enjoyed learning about the reliquaries they were using and their history. They discussed the link between John the Baptist as a cousin of Jesus too, which I really loved and have always thought myself. Just ask Da Vinci! He knew.

They showed a lot of historical sites from the Bible stories too, like the place where Jesus fed the multitudes as told in this story, and where he walked on water… tbh i woulda done the SAME thing the guy did on the show upon seeing it! I’d love to go to those holy sites someday myself.

So be sure to check it out on History Channel Easter Sunday (& in sure they’ll rerun it and have dvd’s of the show to add to my growing collection of religious historical documentaries!)

It was really good and I like how they traveled to different locations of where real reliquaries have been kept to show more context for the story that is sure to continue to evolve, as scientists and universities do more DNA tests on remains of people from biblical times found. I like how they retold some of the stories and how excited one of the guys was to be seeing these historic places. At times his buddy was just like 😳?? And he was all 😱😜✊🏽!!! Lol. although tbh my personal feeling was that Jesus walked on water cuz he was smart and new sharks and beasties live in the oceans. So when Tupeck asked about that, I calmly referred to the atrocious campy horror about bullsharks killing peeps at the beach playing on Scy-Fy at the same time. It seemed to work for now, but maybe our next ThugLife Bible Study will be about that biblical story.

Submit your ideas of which bible stories we should teach Tupeck the Rapping Parrot next, below in the comments or on my Twitter! And be sure to check out my archives for the rest in the Tupeck's ThugLife Bible Study series to find out what Tupeck the Rapping Parrot thinks about Judas, and other notable biblical figures! I promise they're all funny and will make you laugh. And check out my other TV show and movie reviews and recaps! Don't forget to follow me here as well to stay updated on what Tupeck parrot is doing next... and yes the Latin-inspired collaboration album for charity with the llama factions is still in the works! Whodathunk this bird could actually find a famous llama on twitter to connect with... then he drafted the ThugAnimal code when he heard there was a war going on between the Llama and Troll factions... whom he also found on twitter... cuz Twitter. 🙈 And Tupeck sends all of his loyal fans a big huge air kisses and a "Keep Your Beak Up!"... cuz #ThatsMyBoy. Lol.

For more info on this documentary, click here: http://www.history.com/specials/the-jesus-strand-a-search-for-dna

© 2017, Fleurdelissaswords, Tupeck the Rapping Parrot (yeah he demanded rights to all content about him in our “contract negotiations.” 😂🙈 Lol) Sharing is Caring so pass this blog on! Share it with your animal loving and Jesus loving friends!… and yeah even those annoying ThugLife friends. Lol. 😉😘❤

-Keep Your Beak Up!- is copyrighted and trademarked… cuz “dang contract negotiations with parrots!” 😱

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