#but I was looking after other animals that normally have a more dedicated caretaker

[kyofsonder]

Physically, I'm already lying down.

Emotionally, I feel like I need to find a soft spot and crumple dramatically to the ground and lay down for a few weeks.

[pascalpanic]

Alpha Beta Charlie- A Frankie Morales Story

Summary: Frankie is a lonely man with a big heart. His life changes when a new girl comes into his life.

W/C: 4.1k

Warnings: This one is a little heavy. Lots of language, talk of poor mental health (Frankie has depression and anxiety), Frankie’s recovering from a coke addiction, alcohol is prevalent here, harm to animals, lots of talk of blood and injuries.

A/N: This story is different than I normally write. There’s no reader in the story, this is just a story about Frankie Morales and a moment in his life. Please note that this is darker as it centers around an injured animal. Be warned of that. P.S. some of my friends might see ur names in here :) thank u to all of my friends who helped me pick Charlie’s name, and to @ilikechocolatemilkh who helped me create this whole story!

Frankie Morales is a kindhearted man. Anyone who meets him knows it instantly. He’s got a wonderful laugh that’s warm and inviting, and it’s often on display to anyone who chats with him for more than a few seconds. He’s caring, it’s clear, with big brown eyes that radiate compassion. 

His friends would describe him more as an idiot. Frankie, who they call Catfish from their days in the military, insists that they’re the idiots. He’s the voice of reason in their group, making the rational decisions and de-escalating fights within their group. 

That’s not to say Frankie is entirely sunshine and rainbows. He’s now several months sober from a long and grueling addiction to cocaine. It ruined him: it took away his pilot’s license, his everything in life. Flying helicopters was Frankie’s passion, but he’s recovering. He’s on the right track.

He had a girlfriend, who became his fiancée, and left him not long after he returned home from a dangerous mission in South America. It didn’t matter anyway; her child, who Frankie had dedicated all of his heart to before the birth, was revealed to be another man’s. As much as she resented him for taking the mission, he resented her for cheating and lying and holding the information back.

So now Frankie lives on his own. He resides out in a more rural town, not far from where Benny has his weekly fights and Will (also known as Ironhead) works with young military recruits. It’s been a couple of months, and it’s hard to be alone. Santiago pops into town once or twice a month, and it’s always the highlight of Frankie’s very being. His best friend brings light and laughter into his life. When he leaves again, Frankie’s small home feels massive and quiet.

He plays lots of CDs. He has bluetooth speakers all around the home and blasts his favorite songs. He’s learned how to cook and clean and has even learned how to bake a decent, basic version of a nice loaf of bread. He works as a mechanic at a shop in his small town’s center, working the odd hours that no one else wants, the hours where others want to be home with their families.

He’d considered different options to make the house more home-like, more welcoming. He tried his hand at gardening, only to find that he had the opposite of a green thumb. He painted the walls a warmer color, then painted them again. He was currently considering changing the colors for the third time. He’d burn candles that he thought smelled nice. He’d hung up a few photos of him and his friends, or his family. Nothing really worked.

A typical night for Frankie held one of two patterns:

-Night A: Frankie gets home from the shop at about 7:30, hands covered in grease and smelling of burnt motor oil. He gets in the shower and cleans up, then either ends up at Benny’s arena to cheer him on, or at the bar with both Miller brothers.

-Night B: Frankie gets home at the same time. He showers to clean himself, simply because he hates leaving smudges over his home. He cooks a nice dinner or orders takeout. He eats it on the couch and watches a new Netflix series. He gets sad and feels alone and drinks a beer, then a few more, to drown the sensation. He goes to bed early and calls into the shop to see if any of the morning shift workers want to go home early, because he can come in an hour or two before his shift. He claims it’s for the overtime pay. It’s really to avoid the loneliness.

Frankie likes patterns. He likes routine. It’s soothing. Maybe it’s a remnant of his military days, where not a second would pass without having a title affixed to the very second he was living in. Predictability made the hurt easier.

Tonight was an A Night. Frankie and the Miller brothers sat at the bar of McCreary’s and talked about everything and nothing at once. Will talked about the new girl he was seeing. Benny made lewd comments. Frankie smacked his arm and ordered another round for the other two, then nursed one beer for the entire night.

Winters were the worst for Catfish. He lived in the South, where snow was uncommon, but the dreary February weather stole whatever energy he could muster up and sent it up to join the gray masses that hung in the sky, yet never shed their raindrops. It gets dark early, another thing Frankie hates. It reminds him of the look on Tom’s face when he died. Of the way his bachelor home never made sounds unless he created them. Of the way the craving for one more hit of that devious white powder felt, the way it scrambled his brain until he thought it was the only thing that could take it away. 

This A Night, which also happened to be an especially chilly Tuesday, Frankie drove home from the bar at 12:21. The backroads that lead from the suburbs out to the rolling hills are dark, with a rare streetlight or two illuminating a fork in the road that led to a house. The radio droned on, some old Waylon Jennings song that was threatening to send Frankie into a fit of rage and smash a fist into his dashboard. He turned off the radio instead.

Another car drove the opposite way, far in the distance. He could see the lights approaching, then dim slightly. Frankie turned off his brights, instead allowing the road to be illuminated just by his front headlights. He turns up the heat in his truck as a shiver runs down his spine.

Something is running across the road. Frankie can see it now. It’s far from him, but visible in the other car’s light. He slams on his brakes, his body jerking forward.

The other car doesn’t slow.

He slams his horn several times, for whatever is in the road and the other driver.

The thing doesn’t move.

The car doesn’t slow.

The car and the creature- oh fuck, it’s an animal- collide.

Everything that happens next is too quick. The car stops for a moment. Frankie whips the truck into park and turns on his hazards.

The other car stops for a moment. Frankie can just make out a silhouette inside. He gets out of his truck, eyes wide and frantic. He runs to the animal’s side.

The car drives off.

Dust swirls across the road as the car’s tail lights fade into the distance. Leaving just Frankie and his truck and the mangled mess of fur and blood.

“Fucker!” Frankie screams after the car. “You fuckin’ bastard! You didn’t even check, you motherfucker!”

He gets closer and realizes it’s a dog. Its fur is white and brown and so painstakingly red with its own blood, and it whimpers and cries and Frankie realizes the poor fucking thing is still alive. Whether it’s his caretaking or his military instincts that kick in, Frankie isn’t sure, but before he knows it he’s ripping off his jacket and picking up the poor poor baby, oh you little angel, he coos to it, wrapping it in the denim and setting it in his passenger seat.

It’s still whimpering and crying, and Frankie gets in the driver’s seat and grabs his phone. “Nearest 24-hour pet hospital,” he shouts into it, hands shaking. He doesn’t realize either reaction is happening. It gets the words wrong. “No, fuck,” he groans, shifting the truck into drive and whipping a U-turn. He types in the words as he starts to speed back in the direction of the town. He knows he shouldn’t text and drive and normally he doesn’t, but he’s a fucking former military helicopter pilot, he rationalizes with himself, he can handle this. He finds the directions and types them in and tears start dripping from his eyes.

“Hang in there, buddy, hey,” he says and rubs the poor dog’s big ears as they drive. “It’s gonna be 30 minutes. Think you can hang on for me?” he asks it, not expecting a response. He wants to check the dog’s sex but now is certainly not the time, not while he’s doing 85 in a 60 zone and the dog’s blood is seeping into his denim jacket and his passenger seat.

The tears are flowing freely from his eyes now, his heart breaking. He can feel the animal’s shallow breaths as he drives, and he sobs to himself. “Hang on, buddy. It’s gonna be okay, I gotcha. I’m Frankie,” he introduces himself to the dog, “and I’m gonna take real good care of you. You’re gonna be alright and we’re gonna get you fixed up and back to your owners.”

The drive takes 24 minutes when Frankie is flying down the backroads. Fuck if a cop sees him. Fuck blowing a tire. That can be cared for later, when there’s not a dying creature next to him. A steady murmur of ‘it’s okay’ spills from Frankie’s lips. He’s not sure if he’s saying it to the dog or himself. One hand firmly grips the steering wheel and the other never leaves the animal’s body. He comforts the poor creature, murmuring more reassurances the closer they get. 

“Please hang in there for me, cariño,” Frankie whimpers, chewing his bleeding lip. “I gotcha. It’s all gonna be alright, bud.”

When he sees the hospital, he drives a little faster. He pulls into the emergency room area and parks in front of the door, turning on his hazards and running inside. There are a few veterinary nurses inside and they greet him, but their looks turn to fear when they see the denim-wrapped animal. “Please, please, Idon’tknowthisisn’tmydogitwasahitandrunandIpickeditup-”

“It’s alright, sir, come with us. Please breathe and tell us again,” a kind woman tells him with a hand on his arm, rushing him and the dog back. Frankie calms down after a moment and explains what happened. “It’s not my dog, I don’t know whose dog this is, you gotta check it for a chip-” he rambles.

“It’s alright, sir,” the nurse tells him kindly and takes the dog from his arms. Frankie clutches after it and a new woman pushes his arms down. “We’re going to take it back and operate on it. Would you please wait here for us? We’ll come give you updates as we get them,” she tells him, gesturing to the waiting room. He nods. “And is this your dog’s first time here?” She asks.

The tears come back, choking his throat as water falls steadily from his eyes. “It’s not even my fuckin’ dog, man,” he whimpers, worrying his lip between his teeth again.

The woman is still kind. “I see. Please, sit, Mr….”

“Morales,” he manages out.

She nods. “Mr. Morales. I understand you’re worried. Please just wait in here for us and we’ll bring you information when we have it.” He nods softly, grabbing a tissue from the front desk. He wipes his eyes and nose. “My truck is parked right outside, it’s in the way, I’ll go park it somewhere else,” he tells her.

“That’s perfectly fine, sir. You can even leave and come back if you’d like.” He shakes his head. “I’ll be right back,” he tells her and walk-jogs outside, getting in his car and bringing it around to park.

-

Frankie enters the emergency room again and sits in a chair. He worries and worries for hours, texting his group chat with the Millers and Santiago. He gives them a play-by-play, but only Santiago responds. He sits awake for another hour, nervously wringing his ball cap.

The dog must be alive, or at least be able to save, he rationalizes with himself. After a while, the worry fades and he falls asleep. Two hours later, no other patients around to disrupt him, he’s woken by the nurse who took the dog back. “Mr. Morales?” She calls out gently.

He jumps awake. “Yeah, yeah, that’s me.” He sits up from his slumped state, readjusting the cap from where it had been resting over his eyes.

The nurse smiles softly at him and sits in a chair across the waiting room from him. “The dog is safe now. We had to amputate her front left leg, and she had a lot of stitches, but she’s stable and looks like she’ll do well.” He lets out a sigh and her smile becomes more genuine. “You told us she isn’t yours?”

She. The dog is a girl. Of course she is, Frankie smiles a little. The smile falls as he remembers the fact again. “No, no. It was a hit and run. I saw it happen, the other guy took off, it wasn’t me who hit her, I’m-”

“Mr. Morales.”

“Right. No, she’s not mine.”

The nurse nods and writes that down. “Well, we scanned her several times. She has no chip, no identifiers at all. Our options now are to send her to some rescue or kennel of some sort, or you can take her home with you.”

His heart breaks at the image of the sweet dog in the front seat of his car going somewhere without daily love and affection. “She’ll come with me,” he answers before he can rationally think about it.

“Wonderful,” she nods, marking that down as well. “She’s looped up now on some drugs. We’ll let her sleep them off for a bit and then she’s all yours. We do have some procedures we’ll need you to follow, for caring for the wound and such. But after that, it should be all good. You’re free to head out now. We can call you when she wakes up.”

Frankie nods. “Yeah. Yeah, that would be great.” He looks down at his watch and notices how early in the morning it is. “Thanks,” he tells her with a genuine smile, taking off his cap and running his hands through his hair before replacing it.

- From that moment on, Frankie was enamored with the dog. He called in from work when the shop opened bright and early at 6:00 A.M. 

“Hey Carol. It’s Morales.”

“You can stop asking if you can come in early, Frank. Just do it,” the woman chuckles on the other line. A loud slurp is audible- it’s the coffee she’s always drinking, the dark sludgy shit that she brews in the break room that Frankie can’t stand but she absolutely adores.

“No, uh. Actually, I was calling in to see if someone else could cover for me today.” He explains the whole story to her, wringing his cap between his hands. “So. I was kind of hoping I could take the day to look for the dog’s owners and care for her.”

There’s a beat of silence over the phone. “Of course, Frankie,” the older woman says kindly. “You got a real big heart, kid. Real big. That’s awful kind.”

He smiles a little. “Just doing what I can. Thanks, Carol.”

“Keep me posted, Catfish.” The woman hangs up.

Frankie’s in more comfortable clothes now. He didn’t sleep at all once he got home, waiting for the hospital’s call. He distracts himself, cooking a breakfast he only picks at, watching his new series halfheartedly on the couch.

The animal hospital calls him again at 7:30. He gets off the couch immediately and into the truck. There’s a bit of blood on the passenger seat, from where the dog wasn’t immediately covered by his jacket. It’s not a worry, though, he thinks to himself. He’ll get some stain remover and maybe a new and nicer jacket. 

When he arrives, they usher him back to a check-up room. The dog is lying down but she wags her tail at Frankie, looking up at him with big brown eyes that could rival his own. “Hey, sweet thing,” he calls softly, and the dog stands and walks over to him. It’s pained, that much is clear, but she’s already adjusting to walking with one less limb. She rests her head on Frankie’s lap and he scratches her ears gently. 

Some paperwork is filled out and Frankie leads the dog out to his truck with the leash and collar the hospital provided. He lifts her into the passenger seat and she snuggles in. The scent is familiar to her. 

Frankie drives her to a pet store nearby, smiling over at her. She looks at ease with him, relaxed and trusting. Of course she is. This is the man who saved her. 

He helps her down once they arrive and leads her inside. Her walking is pained, he can tell. “Aw, honey,” he frowns. There are carts right inside; Frankie sees the immediate solution. He scoops her up and sets her in a cart. Her tongue hangs out happily as they go through the store. “We’re gonna get you all kinds of fun stuff, huh?” He asks, scratching her head. 

Frankie spares no expense for the dog. As they cross through the store, the cart fills: bags of food and treats, a new leash, and a pink collar decorated with donuts “because you’re such a sweetie, right cutie?”, doggie bags, and food and water dishes. Finally they reach the toy aisle. “Do you wanna pick your own toy?”

He picks her up and sets her down on the ground, unclipping her leash to allow her to explore the toy aisle. She meanders, sniffing toys here and there, even considering one big bone. A few moments later, she comes tottering back to the cart with a toy in her mouth. It’s a big plush hedgehog.  Frankie grins. “Aw, that’s a good one! Good choice, cutie.” He kisses her head as he puts her back in the cart. 

They check out and drive home, and Frankie allows her to wander inside. “Welcome home. At least for now. I suppose I should put an ad out for you online.” 

The dog doesn’t respond, just wanders around the house, sniffing the furniture warily and looking back at Frankie. Asking if he’s coming. He smiles and leads her to the couch, sitting down on it. “I know they say you shouldn’t let dogs on the furniture, but I think you and I can share.” She jumps up and Frankie praises her, giving her a smooch and earning a big lick in return. “Oh, pretty girl, I think you’ll like it here,” he coos to her. She snuggles into his side with a sigh and Frankie sighs too. 

Over the next few days, he posts ads for her, but no one responds. He reaches out to people from the area he was driving in, but no one responds. After Day 4 of searching, there’s no response and he allows himself to sigh in relief. “You’re mine now, baby girl,” he coos to the dog, who’s happily panting and grinning. 

During the first week, Frankie tries out different names for her. None of them seem to stick. He wonders if she ever even had a name before. Ada, Lucille, Thea, Sunny, Miki, Zulu, Fox, Pancake. None of them work right for her personality. 

It’s not until late one night when Frankie’s coke cravings decide upon a name for her. 

It’s 2:24 in the morning and Frankie is quaking like a leaf. The dog is cuddled up into his side on the bed. Wherever he goes around the house, she follows. He’s biting his lip so hard it’s drawing blood. Normally when he’s this anxious, when he yearns to call his dealer, he rides it out by balling his fists so tight his knuckles turn white. But his dog seems to notice. 

She rests her chin on his hip, wagging her tail against the mattress with a steady thump. She whines quietly. She knows. 

Frankie’s at least momentarily distracted. “Hey, beautiful, what’s wrong?” He asks her, scratching his head and rolling over to pet her. He’s still desperate but the focus shifts from the sensation of one last hit to the feeling of her soft fur beneath his fingers. She sighs happily and snuggles into Frankie’s side, and he starts to cry. 

No one has ever needed him. Not his plants: they’re succulents. He deals with them once every other week. Not his former fiancée. She didn’t need him, just liked him for his money and his dick late at night. Not his friends. They had other friends to go to. No, this dog needs him, and it makes his heart feel like it’s going to burst. 

Sitting up, Frankie turns on the television. He hits a random button to choose a channel, and Princess and the Frog comes on. He chuckles a little. “How about Tiana?” He asks his dog and scratches her ears. She doesn’t react. 

It’s near the beginning of the movie. The relaxing music soothes him as the movie starts. The dog lies with her head on his thigh, happily receiving scratchies from her new father. Her head perks up when she hears a shrill noise from the television: Tiana’s best friend in her puffy pink dress. 

“It’s okay, it’s okay baby. It’s just Charlotte.”

Charlotte. Her ears perk up and she looks at him. “Charlotte?” He asks again, and she looks at him in confusion. “Do you like that one? How about Lottie?” No response. “Or Charlie?”

The dog pounces on him with her one front paw and licks his face. Frankie laughs happily scratching her sides. “Is that your name, pretty girl? Is your name Charlie?”

The answer, it seems, is yes.

It’s funny, Frankie thinks. Charlie is the third letter of the military alphabet, after Alpha and Beta.

Before Delta.

She would be, he realizes. She’s more important to him than his Delta Squadron guys. More important to him than the terrible things he did in the military. She comes before Delta.

And that’s how Charlie got her name. 

-

The guys finally came over to Frankie’s house on Night 9 of owning Charlie. 

All of the men are dog lovers, and Charlie takes to Benny quickly. He gives her her favorite kind of scratches: one hand behind the ear, one hand on the tummy. “Yeah, that’s a good tripod,” he teases her as he snuggles her. 

“Hey man, cut it out,” Frankie frowns and smacks his arm. “She’s insecure about it! Be nice.”

Santiago laughs. “Hey, you know what, Fish? This isn’t what I meant when I said that you should get a girl, but I’ll take it. Especially when she’s such a sweetie- oh hi, beautiful,” he coos as Charlie hops his way and licks his face. 

Frankie shakes his head. “Isn’t she a cutie?” He laughs happily as he watches his dog. “I tried posting ads for her, but no one answered. She’s such a sweetheart, potty trained and everything. I can’t believe I got so lucky.”

Benny grins. “And all because we asked you to get a beer and you caved and said yes.”

“What the hell do you mean caved, Ben? I get beers with you two fuckers three times a week,” he laughs and shakes his head. 

He’s been home alone with her all week, but he hasn’t felt as anxious as he normally does. Her companionship is all he needs, the way she snuggles up tight against him, the way her meal schedule motivates him to eat more. He has a purpose now. 

After the initial excitement, Charlie finds her place sitting at her dad’s feet, panting happily and looking around the room. “She fits in well,” Will nods and leans over as he scratches her head. “She’s the newest member of our group, I suppose.”

“She’s much less work than Fish. Maybe we replace him with her,” Santiago teases and Frankie flips him off, chuckling softly. 

This was a pattern that came to be known as the newly named C Night in Frankie’s head. These are the nights where they order a pizza or takeout and hang out in Frankie’s living room with Charlie. She’s the entertainer of the group, giving the men each some individual snuggles and wandering around the room. She’s funny, flopping onto her back at a human’s feet so that she can get tummy rubs, spending an absurd amount of time sniffing one specific spot on one man’s jeans. They all adore her. 

Life improves for Frankie when he has Charlie. He works shorter hours, spends time brushing her fur. He sleeps at better hours and cares for himself better as a result of caring for her. 

He takes her on a jog every morning. At first, he was nervous to do it. It’s been a long time since he’s been able to pass those Special Ops fitness tests. The thing that encourages him most is that Charlie is just the same speed as him. She runs along happily on three legs at the perfect pace for Frankie to match. 

Frankie lovingly refers to her as his copilot. She loves riding in the passenger seat of his truck, letting the wind from the open windows run through her fur. She gets excited when she hears the word truck and demands that Frankie snuggle her when they’re on a long drive. She even fell asleep on his lap once, with her face resting in the curve of the steering wheel.

Charlie is Frankie’s baby, and Frankie is her favorite human. The two of them are each other’s soulmates, Frankie thinks. His baby girl, his fluffy baby, his cuddlebug. His girl. His one true love is his dog, his Charlie. 

-

taglist:

@remmysbounty @mishasminion360 @softly-sad @blo0dangel @luxurybeskar @binarydanvvers @sleep-tight1 @apascalrascal

[zephyrinx]

two genshin slime variants i thought of to pair with Florian, my slime breeder oc! His outfit is actually based on traditional German farmer’s gear!

“BLOSSOM” VARIANT - Like their skittish origins, Blossom slimes prefer to hide in the ground and avoid passers by- Unfortunately, due to their flowery appearance, they’re often sought after as mini bonsai trees or hunted to make perfume. The older the slime, the larger the tree... These slimes, if left alone for years, can grow to the same size as a regular cherry blossom. For breeding, they can be created when a Dendro slime is exposed to a Geo slime with high elemental energy.

“SWAMP” VARIANT - Swamp slimes primarily come into existence in marshlands, where the elemental energy they embody is murkier. They’re somewhat dimwitted, and when frightened, prefer to ‘deflate’ and resemble a puddle. Their condensate is valued as an ingredient in many high end skin lotions. An easier way to obtain them is to allow Hydro slimes to mingle with Geo slimes.

FLORIAN - Born in Mondstadt, Florian had a relatively normal upbringing, apart from one particular event- When he was 8, he got lost at the base of Dragonspine while waiting for his parents to return home from a commission. He would have died, if it weren’t for a pair of Pyro slimes that found him, and spent the night huddled up with him within a shallow crevice. No matter the blizzard that raged outside, Florian was warm, and able to return safely to camp the next morning.

Since then, Florian dedicated himself to the research and caretaking of slimes, referring to himself as a sort of ‘Slime Breeder’. He advocates heavily against their mistreatment, insisting that they’re as much of a living, breathing animal as anything else. At 16, he received a Dendro vision, for his dedication to knowledge and care. There are various unique slimes of his creation, including swamp-variant Hydro slimes and blossom-variant Dendro slimes. Nowadays, he lives on a small farm near Dawn Winery, tending to his slimes in peace.

(More details on Florian under the cut!)

PERSONALITY: Somewhat awkward, Florian is hardly a picture of confidence- He’s erratic and forgetful, often failing to complete simple tasks due to getting distracted by other things. He’s indecisive and terrible at making decisions, preferring to let others in his life make the hard choices for him, unless it comes to his Slimes. For those, he accepts nothing but the best and his own direction.

Despite this, he’s a decently early riser, preferring to get up before the sun even rises. He’s a bit dismissive of other people, and doesn’t really understand the importance of visions except as a simple tool to help them along. Sometimes he can even come across as tactless and rude, but it’s mostly unintentional- Although, he’ll get snarky if his passions are threatened. 

INTRODUCTION: “E-Eh, oh, hello- So sorry to bother you- My name is Florian, Mondstadt’s first and only slime breeder…! Yes, that, is a real career, but I’m not surprised you’ve never heard of it… Nobody really appreciates the art, not yet, anyway. Ah, I’m looking for my cherry slime, it seems to have gone missing- Have you seen it? About yay high, pink, black eyerings… No? Bother, that’s no help at all. Well, thank you for your help, regardless- Please, take one of my business cards, and I’d be happy to discuss more about slime products at a later date-!!”

THREE FACTS:

He sells products made from slime residue for funding, including soaps, snacks, and candles.

When it comes to weapons, he’d wield a claymore. He prefers not to adventure, but this is his weapon of choice.

He’s repeatedly asked Dawn Winery to consider making drinks FOR slimes instead of WITH them… His requests have, thus far, been ignored.

[rpmemesbyarat]

RP Meme from "Chapter Three: Breath of Life" in the Bastet breedbook from "Werewolf: The Apocalypse" Part Two of Two

You’ve got a mystic insight

You get weird vibes around certain people or places.

Um, what rational explanations?

Something’s going on here!

You can see auras and you’ve learned what the different colors mean.

When the supernatural passes by, you feel it.

You commune regularly with the bizarre.

You’ve got an impeccable fashion sense.

You could be wearing a raincoat and newspaper and you’d still make it look good.

This flair for putting an outfit together and wearing it for all it’s worth gives you some leeway in social situations.

Once you’ve got the edge, it’s up to your personality and actions to make the most of it.

Whether training or talent, you know the ins and outs of wild gymnastics.

You can tumble.

You can do a few tricks

Key? What key?

You know about different cultures — their morality, manners, methods and more.

With a little time to study, you can discover the social niceties or requirements that a visitor might need to know, or learn enough about different social structures, histories and customs to avoid making serious blunders.

You know a few taboos and social mores.

You’re familiar with a few cultures that resemble your own.

You’re conversant with structures that differ a bit from your native culture.

You understand a great deal about many different regions and societies.

Given time, you can fit in anywhere.

The world is your home.

Much of your information is going to be secondhand and worse, and may be wildly inaccurate.

Good thing no one knows about you, isn’t it

You know they’re out there.

You know enough accurate information to get yourself in trouble.

You can hold an intelligent conversation on the subject.

You’ve learned things no one else is supposed to know.

You present a danger to them, to yourself, and to everyone around you.

This is your protectorate and hunting ground, and trespassers are not welcome.

Special magics allow you to do things that are normally beyond your reach, and the animals and plants that live here know you well.

Unless some major force destroys it, this place is safe.

If a newcomer secures an invitation, he’s welcome to pass through.

Usually, the fight isn’t formal, nor is it fair.

By dedicating yourself to the land, you become its caretaker.

Knowing too much can be fatal.

The possibility of discovery should always exist, even if you do nothing.

This might get you into trouble, but it’s a good ace to have up your sleeve.

That same secret, once revealed, can stir up ungodly amounts of trouble.

This may be exactly what you want, or the last thing you need.

Funny thing about secrets, you never can tell which way the wind will blow once they’re in the open

Your movements hypnotize and your words charm, harsh though they may be.

It’s almost impossible for you to look awkward, even when you screw up royally.

Most people respect this talent, and even jealous folks have to at least admit you’ve got style.

Wherever you go, there you are.

While some people may get hung up on social niceties when they travel, you’re not one of them.

With very little effort, you could go from a Soho pub to dinner with the Queen.

Wherever you are, whoever you’re with, you make a good impression.

Knowing just what to say or do can help you save face, and in some cultures, that’s vitally important.

Your memory isn’t literally photographic, but it’s close.

You creep people out.

It’s not the things you say, or your looks, it’s just. . . you.

People don’t handle your presence very well, and animals are skittish around you.

Your actions may put them at ease, or might make things worse, but that nagging eeriness never fades.

Even your best friends admit you’re weird.

You always look awkward, even when you’re totally on top of things.

Everything you do looks, feels or sounds wrong, even if you go about it the right way.

People think you’re a shmuck no matter what you do, and this drives you crazy. Which, of course, makes you look even worse.

Wheee!! Hop aboard the ride of your life — your life, that is!

To you, everything is an endless source of stimulation, and you crave all the stimulation you can get.

You’re too inquisitive for your own good; even most cats have more of a sense of self-preservation than you do.

When a mystery presents itself, you’ll go all the way to hell (literally!) to puzzle it out.

It’s hard to put a finger on why you feel compelled to search out facts, but it often gets you in trouble.

Many complicated problems arise from something that seemed simple at the time.

This is great if a battle is called for; disastrous if the moment requires a cool head and steady hands.

Maybe now’s not the best time to pester her.

Others may notice your unpredictable personality shifts, which might grow so severe that you have to assume other personalities to accommodate them.

If anyone notices the difference, they’re too intimidated to remark on it.

In short, you’re nasty

Your nose runs and your eyes water constantly.

You stink. Badly.

You can even demand your own fame, so long as you can back up your claims.

These elements depend on reputation, not on social roles.

How well can she manipulate rivals?

Is she good at riddles or successful at business?

You don’t have to be nine feet tall to have a fierce reputation.

Sometimes, you just have to look fierce.

A few withering stares and dark rumors will have others making room at the fire.

I shall be silent and quick

I shall watch my own shadow

I shall follow the whispers

Survive, learn and prosper

I shall stand my ground

Let the dogs roll in blood — you’re better than that.

Any monster can kill people, and any sneak can live by her wits.

I shall be bound by my word

I shall act with good grace

I shall govern my tongue

It’s pretty hard to advance without recognition, after all.

No one wants a youngster running amok.

Anyone who doubts your bragging can call on you to prove it.

If you have proof or witnesses, they can help make your case.

Born of human parents, your new life is a mystery and an adventure.

Your kind are all but gone, and you must fight to survive.

You have an open and honest heart, and tackle things head on.

You see life in many shades and prefer complex, artistic pursuits to plainer things.

You like to be left to yourself, and grow angry when someone intrudes on your private pursuits.

[i-dream-of-twilight-sparkle]

Chapter 31: The Sands of Time & Family

The next morning, with one more day left to go until the wedding. Twilight and Spike wake up to once again deactivate all their security measures. Before getting to doing something they mutually agreed was best for the day: More spirit summons for friends who’d like to see any deceased that they miss dearly. Pear Butter, Bright Mac, and Sunset had all returned to the soul shield last night. Though they will be summoned back down for the Wedding tomorrow.

Spike gets the idea of finding Fluttershy to let her see many of the deceased spirits of her many pets over the years. They in fact find Fluttershy at the cottage, and kinda suspecting she knows what they’re visiting for. She grins and gets Twilight and Spike to follow her to her pet cemetery. Soon, Fluttershy surrounds herself with many of the small spirits of her beloved pets from the years as an animal caretaker. Pets of all kinds that are more then happy to see the pony that took care of them, in some cases, their entire lives.

Fluttershy quickly in deep bliss as she gets nuzzles, and affection from the spirits of the animals she’s had to bury. Even Mr. Mousey gets to have a reunion with his family. As a spirit he’s even standing up again rather then be in his wheelchair-bound state, as he hugs his wife and grown-up son. She even brings many of them back to see her currently living animals. Both living and spirit animals come across and each other, both kinda confused when some of them can’t touch the others. Though there are some that recognize each other, as well as of course other animal families that Fluttershy’s taken care of aside from Mr. Mousey’s that can.

Twilight and Spike tell Fluttershy they can let Fluttershy spend time with her many animal spirits for the rest of the day while they head elsewhere. Fluttershy does express a little concern about what she was told about the shield having less protection with too many spirits summoned. Though Twilight assures her by saying the size of the spirit matters more then the number of spirits summoned. So it’s actually pretty safe to summon down many of the smaller animals where is it’s summoning full-grown dragons that brings out the most risk. So as long as the collective size of the spirits aren’t bigger then 2 full grown dragons. It should be relatively safe to have the many spirits down here (Though just for the sake of safety they may also try to not make sure it the amount isn’t bigger then one dragon spirit too)

They bid adieu to Fluttershy to spend the day with animals both living and the deceased brought back as spirits. Their next stop is to see Pinkie and her Family to see Granny Pie.

Pinkie hasn’t really mentioned Granny Pie a lot since mentioning her while they were walking through the everfree to confront Nightmare Moon. But Granny Pie had died sometime before the Elements all collectively met.

Once Granny Pie was summoned down it became pretty obvious now where Pinkie got her personality and probably even somewhat color. Granny Pie was of a bit duller Pink then Pinkie was, but even as the old timer she was pretty bouncy. Pinkie’s Parents as well as Maud, Marble all welcome back their grandmother. Limestone at first tries to pretend she didn’t miss Granny Pie, but moments later she loses composure and it turns out she missed Granny Pie the most of all the Pie sisters. Outright tearing heavily as she hugs her grandmother.

Granny Pie also gets to meet Maud and Pinkie’s special someponies Mud Briar and Cheese Sandwich. Quickly seeing how each are much like the granddaughters they’re dating.

Pinkie Pie and Granny then do a sort of reprise of Giggle at the Ghostly, but this time around change the lyrics around a bit.

((To the tune of the Giggle at the Ghostly/Laughter Song))

Pinkie Pie & Granny Pie: Giggle with the ghostly!

Guffaw with your granny!

Clap with the cemetery!

Whoop it up with the wispy!

Laughing at the Reaper!

Snortle with the spiritually!

As with Fluttershy and her animals, Twilight & Spike let Pinkie and her family spend much of the rest of the day with Granny Pie as she moves on to the next ponies she wants to help. 

She goes to gather the Pillars of Equestria to see many of their friends from before they went into Limbo. Somnambula having already seen the miracle of spirit summoning when they were seeing Jinn backs up that Twilight’s spirit summoning is real. Starswirl seeing his old apprentice Clover the Clever, Mistmane sees Sable Spirit, Meadowbrook sees her mother, Flash Magnus sees all his squad, while Somnambula and Rockhoof meet friends from their villages. Twilight herself being kind of excited herself for being able to talk to those from more then 1000 years ago to get some more personal account of what it was like then aside from the many times she’s already asked the pillars themselves about then. Though most of all the pillars of Equestria are just thankful to Twilight and Spike for discovering this.

Next, Twilight and Spike meet up with Celestia and Luna and give them a chance to many ponies that were staffers or guards that became so loyal and trusted that they became personal friends with the sisters. Luna seeing many of her friends that been left behind when she turned to the darkside when she became Nightmare Moon and got sent to the moon. Luna showing she’s back to normal, with her old friends thankful for it.

In some time, all the spirits hear that Celestia and Luna are retiring soon to make way for Twilight. And all of them have grateful words for the sisters to wish them well in their retirement. Both Celestia and Luna can hardly hold back tears as they smile with the words they receive from the support of those who dedicated their lives to supporting one or both of the two sisters. Some of them also wish luck on Twilight as she succeeds into their role. Unlike the others though, Twilight and Spike send them back sometime later as Celestia and Luna do a few more royal duties that day. Though they tell their former staffers and guards there will be much more time to see them if they happen to come by or go see Spike in their retirement. All of them understand and let Spike send them back to the soul shield.

From there, only one more was on Twilight and Spike’s mind: Malakhar & Kubuya, so they can summon Hisan Minat, Malakhar’s grandfather. They quickly get back to Saddle Arabia through the gum portal and the couple getting married having both seen spirit summoning early in the day yesterday understand what Twilight and Spike are here to do. They go into Malakhar’s and Kubuya’s room in the palace.

Twilight: You ready to see your Grandfather again, Malakhar?

Malakhar: Of course

Twilight: Sorry if me and Spike didn’t get here sooner. We had… a lot happen in regards to seeing Applejack’s parents for the first time… and Starlight’s Mother as well.

Malakhar: Oh, Starlight Glimmer’s mother is deceased too?

Twilight: Yeah, but finding out that was only the tip of the iceberg of the twists given she was also Sunset Shimmer. who was Princess Celestia’s protege before me.

Malakhar: Sunset Shimmer… I feel like I’ve heard that name before. But I must of only been a little colt at the time. Maybe it was during a random visit from Celestia. Don’t think I saw Sunset herself, just passing mention that she and Celestia were at the palace.

Twilight: Another part of it is that Sunset went missing about 2 weeks after she gave birth to Starlight and thus Starlight never found out who she was. As it turned out she died not anymore then 3 weeks after the birth of Starlight.

Kubuya: That’s so sad…

Malakhar: I definitely understand summoning both Applejack’s parents and Starlight’s mother first. I had my Grandfather for a good portion of my life. Applejack lost both of her parents when she was only a filly, and as you just said Starlight never got to meet her mother until yesterday. Both very noble uses of spirit summoning.

Twilight: I can tell you everything that happened with both Applejack’s parents and Sunset later, as it’s probably best we get to seeing your grandfather soon. Besides, they will probably be summoned to attend your wedding so you two will get to meet them yourselves!

Kubuya: Wow, we’re getting spirit guests, ay?

Malakhar: That will be really cool, heck… if he says yes, we can get my Grandfather there too to see us getting wed.

Twilight: Mmhmm, now how about we get going. Malakhar, we only need your hoof to make this work. You know what to do from there.

Malakhar: Got it!

Malakhar approaches close to Spike to touch the Dragon’s Tear, closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and begins to mentally message his grandfather.

Malakhar: (Hello Grandpa, this is your grandson Malakhar. I have seen Princess Twilight’s son Spike summon down spirits more then once by now. And now it’s your turn. I can’t wait to see you again. You should see that I accomplished your dying wish with your own eyes, and I would like you to meet the mare who will be my beautiful wife starting tomorrow…)

Malakhar finishes, and now it was up to Spike to complete it. Focusing one more time, the Dragon Tear once again starts glowing. And within a few moments, another pony-sized comet comes into the room from the open window. Everyone in the room has seen it at least more then once, so no more surprised looks just awaiting for the comet to shift into a glowing sphere and forming into the shape of Malakhar’s grandfather.

Hisan Manat fully fades in, and he looks around.

Hisan Manat: Say, this is the palace isn’t it?

Malakhar just walks up and hugs his old grandfather.

Hisan: Whoa! You’ve grown so big, Malakhar!  If I weren’t a spirit, I’d be afraid of you cracking some bones!

Both Malakhar and Hisan just laugh.

Malakhar: I’ve missed you so much, Grandpa...

Hisan: I’ve missed you from up there as well…

Hisan turns toward Twilight, noticing of course the genie attire and of course she was Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic that he asked Malakhar to genify.

Hisan: Greetings, Princess Twilight. It’s nice to personally meet you, I’m well aware that Malakhar succeeded in genifying you even from up there. Giving many of us spirits usually get at least some of the bigger current events told. But it is nice to see the attire up close to be absolutely sure it happened. Thank you Malakhar for fulfilling my last wish. Though back to you, Twilight… you feeling good about being a genie thus far?

Twilight: Well… by now I’ve generally accepted being a genie as part of my identity by now. After all, there are a few major parts of my identity that are younger then being a genie. Such as being a princess, and Spike’s mother. Though I will admit, it is a little awkward seeing you now.

Hisan: Awkward? In what way?

Twilight: You were the one who made Malakhar’s mission to specifically genify me, correct?

Hisan: Yes… my very last words were “Please, genify the Element of Magic” before my soul left my body

Twilight: I don’t want to concern you too much, as I know how important it was given it was your dying wish and all… at the same time though it doesn’t feel right to really… thank you for it… given I was sort of tricked into being a genie…

Hisan: t-t-Tricked?!

Malakhar suddenly has a very nervous face

Twilight: Malakhar told me to do the instructions requiring to genify a pony… but without informing me what would happen if I did…

Hisan gives his grandson a stern face

Hisan: Malakhar… what were you thinking?! You could of blown the one shot you had with that Dragon’s Tear!

Malakhar: I’m… sorry… Grandpa… I didn’t think Twilight was going to agree easily, if I had just went up and said “Hey Twilight, would you like to be a genie?”

Twilight: To be fair, Hisan… if Malakhar had said something akin to that... I might of thought he was insane and walked out. As at the time, I thought Genies were only myths.

Hisan calms down a bit, though still has a suggestion to Malakhar that might of made getting Twilight to try being a genie a little smoother then.

Hisan: I guess you might of been more aware that Twilight’s more logically thinking, so perhaps you’re right that saying you can transform her into a genie would of left her skeptical. 

But perhaps you could have also at the same time told Twilight about the 3 day time limit to get freed immediately… before you genified her anyway. You also could have warned that part of the process is the bottle is the entire body slowly funneled into the bottle. Even if Twilight was skeptical, at least she was forewarned, and told that it would be easily reversible if it didn’t work out.

Twilight puts a hoof under her chin

Twilight: Heh, I guess I might of been still skeptical, yet curious if that’s how it went down. I might of even joked by saying something like “You seriously think that bottle’s going to fit me in?” and I might of chosen to humor the notion by giving it a try.

And then it would be sort of my fault that I had that somewhat terrifying moment of being sucked in the bottle for the first time. I’d be humbled by being proven wrong and not angry as I was.... or well maybe I would of still been a little peeved... but more at myself then at Malakhar. 

Maybe I even wouldn’t have immediately asked to get wished out of it to try out being a genie for a little while thanks to knowing about the time limit. I don’t know if I would of stayed a genie in that scenario… but it would of at least been a better first impression...

Malakhar: Yeah… that does sound like that probably would of been a smarter plan in hindsight. If only you had lived long enough to see Twilight on her first time here. You might of gotten Twilight to potentially stay a genie whether or not Spike was there.

Spike: I don’t know if she would of said stayed one if I wasn’t there. After all, it was I who turned her opinion around despite her being angry at Malakhar the time. Though to be fair, it probably would of been a lot easier for me to convince her to stay one… if she had a better first impression of becoming a genie.

Hisan is rather intrigued.

Hisan: You convinced Twilight to stay a genie despite her being angry? Tell me more!

((Story continues after the break))

Spike: I guess first of all Malakhar in part didn’t tell Twilight how to get back to normal as otherwise if he did… Twilight would of surely done so immediately. He told us to find a book at a nearby library to explain how being a genie works. We eventually got to reading the book, but not before Twilight discovered the first perk of being a genie... that being getting out of her bottle is always an enjoyable feeling. Sort of cheering her up, as we learned more and more about how genies worked... Twilight actually started to get curious about the kind of things she can do now as a genie that would of been impossible as a unicorn and quite frankly impossible as an Alicorn too. Enough so as to actually decide to try it a little longer even after hearing how to get back to normal.

Learning about the time limit brought back some tension however, as Twilight couldn’t have known at the time she was going to become an Alicorn that can’t die from aging… I really wanted Twilight to stay a genie myself since it would mean she would be around for at least a good amount of my life, though I understood that outliving her friends and family was still a big con. I told Twilight that I’d respect her decision even if obviously one might of saddened me more then the other. Obviously in retrospect even if she had said no, then the whole Alicorn thing would of still made it possible… though then it would have overrided Twilight’s decision to remain mortal. Becoming a genie just turned out to be the time where Twilight was first asked if she wanted to be there for me longer then for a normal pony’s lifespan.

Perhaps… this is when my birth mother’s desire for the perfect mother started to accelerate being granted as it subtly influenced Twilight’s mind. As the desire was dormant within Twilight’s mind the moment she hatched me. The desire wanted just the right conditions that would result in Twilight to be a good mother for me, and making Twilight wanting to be my mother as early as a filly would of been way too early. So it waited, occasionally picking up at moments that would grow our relationship slowly into a motherly bond. Such as telling me that she’d never send me away when that was the fear I had when we faced Sombra’s fear door...

Twilight: Huh… could a desire from a Dragon’s Tear really work like that… at the very least it did do it in a way where it felt earnest, I could not tell at all if it was something dormant in my mind… I never felt like I was ever going to say or do something otherwise before something changed my mind… I don’t feel like I was slowly hypnotized into eventually considering myself your mother.

Hisan smiles

Hisan: When a Dragon’s Tear is not being used to make genies, a desire said into one mostly waits and looks for the nearest living being that’ll best either help get the desire done or even grant it entirely. Spike’s actually wrong that it just laid dormant and picked up every now and then. That was actual honest feelings you felt as you spent time with Spike. It didn’t make you choose to stay a genie, that was still your decision in the end. You ultimately became Spike’s mother on your own will. The desire just knew ahead of time you would agree to get a longer lifespan or even become immortal if it meant you could take care of Spike longer somehow. I don’t know how, but it did.

Twilight: That’s actually a pretty big relief… I was scared for a moment hearing that last part of what Spike said that this might have implied my motherly bond was never genuine...

I imagine though it makes sense that it was still my decision because I don’t think me becoming a genie was what the desire was accounting for… because another part of it was the Perfect Mother desire wasn’t the only desire connected to me... as it was entwined with Celestia’s own desires in looking for a successor. It was accounting for the fact that I would one day become an Alicorn.

Hisan: Perhaps, though given you didn’t know at the time you’d become an Alicorn. Becoming a genie sort of started granting the desire early. You would of probably ending up adopting Spike either way, but being faced with the choice to become a genie accelerated you and Spike’s realization, cause at that point it was the only thing you knew that would allow you to live longer.

So it was ultimately your special bond that saved my dream of at least having one genie around. So thanks both of you, and probably Celestia, as well as Spike’s birth mother too. The threads of life all connecting like this is most amazing.

Twilight: You’re welco… or well, I don’t know if your welcome is the right words. As it’s not like our direction our lives took was all for you. But I guess it still managed to conveniently fulfill your dying wish.

Speaking of dying though, a good thing about discovering Spirit summoning is it really nerfs the biggest concern I had about becoming a genie. I’ll be able to see and talk with friends and family even long after they’re gone just like how we’re seeing you now.

Hisan: That is true, not even the genies of old had that luxury, so it was always a reason why it was a bit of a tough sell. As there were often plenty of ponies that many of me and Malakhar’s ancestors thought would make good genies, but due to being modest as part of the criteria many of them so modest to ever accept the idea of far outliving their friends and/or family. They’d usually need more of an actual reason to live so long,

Twilight: And I guess… having a dragon that would become my adopted son was mine.

Hisan: Indeed! It’s also true that one day if we get a good amount of Dragon Tears around, the existence of spirit summoning will lessen the concerns about that. So perhaps some day soon even if that’s still decades or centuries from happening. We’ll have genies back in a big way. Of course, you’re capable of genifying others if they wish for it too, Twilight. Though I assume you have a good reason why you haven’t

Twilight: Yeah… I’m being careful. I at least like using something like the genie simulation where they feel what it’s like to be genies but have none of the magical power. And most who would want to wish be a real genie is kind of suspicious, because they might have an ulterior motive. 

Which is why I’d rather trust Malakhar if he ever decided to try to find the next genie. After all, it’s your family that’s been vetting potential genies for generations.

Hisan just claps

Hisan: I knew you’d be careful, I did right by telling Malakhar to genify you, you were the best choice out of the elements just because I knew you’d think before making your wishes. In the right setting, some of you other friends might of made good genies. But there was at least one big concern about each of them.

Twilight: I myself have kind of figured that myself too. Applejack is a little bit magic-averse, Rainbow Dash couldn’t be a Wonderbolt and a Genie, while Rarity would be a consideration… she has a career, plus I’m unsure if she’d like the whole bottle thing. Fluttershy at least early on might of come with fears of her kindness granting wishes when she doesn’t even know if she’s being used by someone with ulterior motives, and Pinkie Pie… is Pinkie Pie.

Hisan nods

Hisan: I agree maybe Rarity might have been the next best choice. But I had only one Dragon Tear, and it felt appropriate to genify you as you’re known to be a fair bit more modest then Rarity is. Not that Rarity would be too vain, but she probably would of used some of her power for some degree of personal luxury where as I suspected you would put more thought into all you do as a genie.

Twilight nods herself, and smiles

Twilight: Thank you, Hisan. It’s been quite an interesting conversation. Glad I got a little insight into all this genie stuff from you. It probably would have been more valuable to me if you there when I was first genified. I would of certainly gotten a quicker understanding. I now know why Malakhar always held you in such high regard.

Hisan: I want to give some thanks myself in return, I’m glad I got to see that I did right with asking Malakhar to genify you in more ways then one. You’re exactly the genie I hoped you would be.

Hisan looks around the room and takes a look at Kubuya who’s been generally silent the whole time.

Hisan: Hey, Malakhar. Who’s the other mare here?

Malakhar: Oh that’s right… ahem… Grandpa… I’d like you to meet Kubuya Atka. Who will be my lovely wife starting tomorrow.

Hisan gasps, but quickly smiles for his grandson.

Hisan: That’s great news Malakhar, congratulations on your coming wedding!

As Hisan looks closer at Malakhar’s soon-to-be wife. As Kubuya just gently waves with a sheepish grin.

Hisan: Say… I feel like I’ve seen you before actually… you were a lot younger then likely, and I don’t think I ever got your name before today… but I definitely feel like I recognize you…

Kubuya: Really? I must admit… I’m not sure I remember ever meeting you…

Hisan: It’s understandable, you were only in your teens. But I remember seeing a young mare of your color scheme working at the library while I was there. We likely never met because I was just a random occasional customer.

Kubuya: Ah yeah, I didn’t quite start getting check-out desk duties there until real close to adulthood. I just sorted books or assisted my boss until I eventually got promoted.

Hasan: I also remember you, because of your cutie mark

Kubuya: Huh, my cutie Mark? Surely you just thought it was just a bookmark, right?

Kubuya looks at her flank

Hisan: It is a bookmark. But the flower on said mark is distinct in your family’s lineage isn’t it?

Kubuya: Well, yeah… it is… since I’m a descendent of Jinn’s. But why are you mentioning this.

Hisan: Because… say I had never thought about genifying an Element of Harmony. And if I had lived sometime longer then I did, I may have tried to recruit you as the one genie.

Kubuya: Wait… really?!

Hisan: It would of been a decent amount of years before I did it, and I would of still had to make sure you had the temperament and were willing to become one but yes. I had thought at one point that perhaps a descendent of Jinn may be the best choice to have the first genie in so long. But you were too young, and I heard of the news of the Elements of Harmony that would make Twilight Plan A, and shortly afterward I died before it could happen. Plus, I never told Malakhar about you beforehand because I wanted him to focus on Twilight as soon as it became obvious I wasn’t going to live much longer.

Kubuya: Well… I’m kind of flattered you considered to make me a genie at some point. I’m not sure if I would of made the criteria, or how exactly I would of felt about being asked…  but I probably would of at least considered it. Though I’m getting married tomorrow, so it’s definitely a little too late.

I’m aware that some genies in the distant past have wedded mortals long in the past. Though if they wanted children,  they had to magically switch genders with their special somepony, or find some other way to incubate the foal since the foal is never born a genie.

Hisan: Don’t worry, I wasn’t going to ask if you’d like to be a genie now as I’m aware it’s best you stay as you are if you do indeed plan to be wedded tomorrow and have children.

Malakhar: Speaking of having children, Me and Kubuya did talk at one point of possibly having a child of ours become a genie. Though we agreed we’d make sure we raise them well and see if they find interest in being one themselves when they grow up to adulthood.

Twilight: You two want your child to be the next genie?

Kubuya: We’d be proud to be the parents of the next genie. But we do want make sure that’s what they want first. There’s so many intricacies that we have to think about it in regards to both our future child’s personality, how well we take care of them, and/or if they find themselves with goals in which becoming a genie might be detrimental to.

Malakhar: We’d need either another Dragon’s Tear… in which the only one we have on hoof is Spike’s, but its found a better use in summoning spirits. Or we could ask you to genify the next one through a wish should we not have another Dragon’s Tear show up within the time.

Twilight: I’d be willing to help out if you truly believe you found a good choice for the next Genie whether it’s a grown-up child of yours or somepony else here. As it’d probably be nice to have a fellow genie friend here and living in Saddle Arabia. Though either way, we might be speaking too soon.

Hisan: We have lots of time before we get anywhere near there. Just focus on the wedding tomorrow, and go from there.

Malakhar: Oh right…  Grandpa, we actually wanted to ask if you’d be willing to be summoned back down tomorrow to see us getting wed. It’d be great to have you there.

Hisan smiles

Hisan: Nothing would make happier, I would love to be there.

Malakhar: Thank you, Grandpa.

Hisan: Will your mother and my son/your father be there too?

Malakhar: Yeah

Hisan: Probably would be good to see them myself again too

Twilight: Huh, I don’t think I ever met your parents Malakhar. Hope there wasn’t a big reason for that…

Malakhar: Nah, I still love my parents. I’m just not quite as close with them as I was with my Grandfather. My father wasn’t as much into pottery or the whole genies thing, since my grandfather’s obsession was a little much for him growing up. But I got interested enough that I sort of became the son that he hoped my father would be. My mother’s really nice, but there wasn’t really ever a reason to mention her In the time I’ve seen you, there just was never a relevant time to talk about them.

Twilight: Ah, I see. Well, regardless I can’t wait for the wedding. It’ll be nice to end this roller coaster of emotions these past few days with a happy matrimony.

The rest of the room nods, as they continue talking. Elsewhere in the palace though, the Sultana has taken today as an opportunity to get to know Moondancer and has been giving her a tour of the palace similar to the one she gave the Elements while Twilight had a meeting. Both the Sultan and Sultana first met with Moondancer as Twilight and the others spent time in Equestria seeing Applejack’s Parents and/or Sunset Shimmer, the royals quickly embracing her as their son’s special somepony.

Moondancer: Thank you so much for this wonderful tour, miss Sultana.

Sultana Elona: Please, call me Elona.

Moondancer: Oh! Then… thank you… Elona. You have some excellent displays in the Palace. When I’m living here, I can’t wait to be able to take my time and examine everything here.

Sultana Elona: And we can’t wait to have you around the palace, both me and the Sultan have already taken a liking to you. And seeing how happy you and our son is very heartwarming.

Moondancer: I’m glad to know all of you are so nice, I was sort of scared before the ball that like Rarity before one of the Grand Galloping Galas that Twilight went to, I’d have my hopes up meeting a prince only for them to be too stuck up or his parents were going to disapprove of me being a commoner. and a foreign one at that...

The Sultana smiles

Sultana Elona: I assure you that we have no such problems with either. I’m native here, but I was once myself only a commoner here in Saddle Arabia. I was a nurse that healed my husband, who was the Prince at the time, from a near-fatal stab wound in the chest. Once he had recovered, he asked me out. And well… the rest is history, as you can see where I am now.

Moondancer: D’awww, that’s so cute… no wonder you referred to the medical section as your favorite part of this tour.

The Sultana just nods

Sultana Elona: Now follow me Moondancer, there is one more stop before our tour is finished.

Moondancer: Okay

The Sultana bring Elona to an end of a hallway, where eventually they come across a large Dragon’s Tear replica

Moondancer: Whoa… this… is this… a full-sized Dragon’s Tear…

Sultana Elona: It’s the full size, though it’s not a real one. Otherwise we certainly would have used it ages ago.

Moondancer: Twilight’s told me a few times about the Dragon’s Tear. I’ve heard how amazing they can be, though I’ve been hearing that just yesterday they have discovered something entirely new about them.

Sultana Elona: Indeed they have, my husband told me all about it. Apparently, Twilight and Spike has learned they’re capable of summoning down spirits of the deceased. They come down in transparent ghostly forms, and we’re free to talk to them and everything.

Moondancer: Say WHAAAAAAAAT?! That’s incredible! I have to catch up with Twilight to hear about all this sometime...

Sultana Elona: Perhaps during Malakhar and Kubuya’s wedding?

Moondancer: Yeah, that sounds like it’d be the perfect time to see her then. If I know Twilight, she’s probably been using the past two days to use the newfound spirit summoning to help out needy friends with those they miss or see any deceased historical figures she can possibly get.

Sultana Elona: Probably! But by the way, this Dragon Tear replica isn’t actually what the last stop is.

Moondancer: Huh? But there’s nothing else here. It’s an entirely dead end…

The Sultana raises an eyebrow and grins

Sultana Elona: Is it really?

The Sultana presses a hidden button. The replica starts moving as the part of the wall with the Dragon Tear replica shifts forward and then starts rotating high up in the air. Revealing a long stair case behind it. Smaller Dragon Tear replicas slowly light up the staircase walls that serve as lights to lead the way.

Moondancer: Whooooooa! A secret passage! Are we going down there?

Sultana Elona: Of course! Follow me!

The Sultana and Moondancer go down the long flight of stands. Once they’ve reached the end, Moondancer looks around and sees… a motherload of bookcases and shelves. She goes wide eyed, with her mouth agape, her glasses nearly slipping off her snoot before she uses a hoof to put them back up.

Moondancer: I… I…. Is… is this… is this the….

Sultana Elona: Royal Library? Yes, yes it is.

Moondancer beams a huge grin and barely can contain her excitement. She starts trotting around making a high-pitched squeal of excitement

Moondancer: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHEHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Moondancer: This is amazing! I don’t think I’ve ever seen books like this in Canterlot before! I could spend decades… if not my whole lifetime with all of these books here…

Sultana Elona: Many of these books are from the many generation of Royals that lived here. This library was first built by the Sultana that started my husband’s dynasty generations ago. Part of the job of being Sultana is actually to keep this library running, and add whatever the Sultana wishes to do so, as well as pass along knowledge to the next one.

Moondancer: But wait… shouldn’t you have waited… untill at least when me and the Prince got engaged? We only started dating two days ago…

Sultana Elona: Maybe, but I thought it was important to show you this place anyway. We know you’re a bookworm much like Twilight is, and we want you to be as happy as possible here once you have moved. Heck, not even Twilight knows about this room because she’s never here long enough. She can’t stay here long enough to read most of these books, cause she has duties in Equestria. 

Obviously she’d be bummed if she saw this place but knows she won’t be able to stay too long to see what’s in here. But if there’s something in here that you’d think would interest Twilight. It’ll be something to tell her personally yourself the next time he comes to Saddle Arabia or at least through the mail.

Moondancer: Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh… Elona… you’re the best… er… potential mother-in-law ever!

Moondancer embraces the Sultana in a big hug

Sultana Elona: You’re very welcome, Moondancer. By the way, this place also has more dancing books that have never been shared to the public. Since they were specific to some Sultanas who were great dancers. I can already tell you’re a better dancer then me, just based of what I saw during the ball. So you’ll certainly get some good use out of them.

Moondancer: Oh yes! That’ll be great to see too! Thank you so much! Is… it ok if I find a few books I want to read for the rest of the day? I promise I won’t stay up all night reading books, as I do intend on being there for Malakhar and Kubuya’s wedding. But I’m eager to see which books I’ll want to check out first.

Sultana Elona: Of course, Moondancer  Feel free to explore to your heart’s content. I have to go though, and I’ll be closing the door, but there will be a button to open the wall again from the other side when you decide you’re done. Ok?

Moondancer: Yes, again… thank you so much. I’ll see you in the morning for the wedding!

Sultana Elona: Seeya at the wedding, Moondancer.

The Sultana goes back up the stairs to leave Moondancer to explore the library. Meanwhile, Twilight and Spike have finished talking with Malakhar and Kubuya. They actually decided to send Hisan back to the soul shield as it was getting late anyhow.

Spike: Soooooo… off to bed before the wedding?

Twilight: Yeah, but first… I have something serious to take care of shortly before we have our happy day at the wedding.

Spike: Cozy Glow’s statue, I take it?

Twilight: Yes… though actually... make that two things…

Spike: Oh… you also mean… him… don’t you…

Spike briefly closes his right eye and places his hand on his eye scar. While Twilight nods.

Twilight: I’ll be right back, Spike. Here take this piece of gum so you can get back to Ponyville.

Spike himself nods and proceeds to himself to Ponyville. Twilight herself goes to Ponyville but close to what Starlight did, specifically went to where the statue of Cozy Glow, Queen Chrysalis, and Lord Tirek are currently petrified. She flies up to the top of the statue where Cozy Glow’s forever frightened face. 

Before she met Sunset and learned of Cozy’s past, that face admittedly sort of haunted her. Not much was known about Cozy before her petrification. Cozy Glow at that point was known only as one of Twilight’s students at the Friendship School that seems to have taken the word that Friendship is Magic too literal in that it’s powerful. And there was some sort of feeling that maybe one day they’d let Cozy out soon to attempt to reform her much like they did with Discord.

But after learning about Cozy’s true nature, along with having a huge role in Sunset’s death, being much of the reason Starlight’s life was so hard early on, and how her goal would of ended up in the extinction of all life on the planet. Twilight now looks at Cozy with more contempt then either Chrysalis or Tirek. Twilight carefully takes the petrified Cozy off, and makes a completely separate pocket dimension to carefully place her in. Only Twilight herself will have access to it.

Now Twilight makes another portal, but this time in the Saddle Arabian dungeon. Where former Vicegerent Zathir, the psychopathic pony that hijacked Twilight and her friend’s last visit. There’s a heavy amount of guards here, the captain of which bows before the approaching Twilight though he does wonder why I’m here.

Royal Captain: It is a pleasure to be in your presence, Princess Twilight. But… what are you doing here?

Twilight: I need to make a “special” visit to a certain pony here. Let’s just say, once I’m done you won’t have to worry about feeding him anymore

Royal Captain: Wait… you aren’t going to execute him… are you…?

Twilight: No, I’m not executing him. I understand that would probably be disastrous, given it’d likely release some consequential dark magic onto Saddle Arabia. But you should recall Equestria has had ways to deal mostly permanently with threats that aren’t likely to be reformed soon.

I will also be taking him to a pocket dimension where no one will ever reach him ever again.

The Captain nods

Royal Captain: Allow me to take you to his cell

Twilight follows the captain to where Zathir is being held. Even the guards themselves have been kind of gotten tired of having to force-feed each day Zathir so that he stays alive. His entire room confinement is too soft in all parts of the room for him to try to kill himself by banging his head, and his hooves are tied down by a straight jacket.. He’s also muzzled. When the guards need to feed him, their strongest hold him down, so he can’t bite to tear the wall until finding a hard enough surface.

Royal Captain: Here it is, do what you will.

Twilight: Thank you, Captain.

Twilight teleports into Zathir’s cell. Startling the disgraced criminal. Zathir’s voice can still be heard though it’s still somewhat muffled by the muzzle

Zathir: Wha… Twilight… what do you think you’re doing here? Are you going to join in on the guards constant torture of reminding me of my failure…

Twilight: Not really, I’m actually here to… let’s just say… change your sentence…

Zathir raises an eyebrow

Zathir: I’d be most grateful to a genie for the first time in my life if it was the sweet release of death… but I have a feeling you’re not going to be that merciful… are you…

Twilight: Actually, I’m sort of… getting you out of here…

Zathir goes wide-eyed

Zathir: Wait… you’re… pardoning me?

Twilight: Nah, it’s not a pardon either.

Zathir is utterly confused

Zathir: Just what in the world are you planning…

Twilight smugly grins

Twilight: You could say… I’m granting you immortality… the once proud Vicegerent Zathir’s legacy... completely... set... in... stone...

Zathir: Wait… no… please…

Twilight zaps Zathir with magic that petrifies him from the hind hooves reflexively making him stand as the stone petrifies more of his body

Zathir: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooommmppppppppphhhh!

Zathir now’s affixed in stone with his look of horror as he realized Twilight’s making it so he can never die. Twilight once again pulls up the pocket dimension where she put Cozy, and levitates Zathir’s petrified body into it. She then teleports out of the cell with a satisfied face, where the Royal Guard captain is waiting.

Royal Captain: Has the deed been done?

Twilight nods

Twilight: Mmhmm, the guards here no longer need to worry about keeping Zathir alive. And you’ll have no need to fear a death with consequences of dark magic toward Saddle Arabia.

Royal Captain: Thank you, Princess

The Royal Captain and Twilight salute each other before Twilight heads back to Ponyville. Even with Zathir all taken care of, she puts up the protection spells in the castle once again. So they can rest easily before Malakhar and Kubuya’s wedding tomorrow.

UP NEXT: Epilogue: The Wedding

[samwrights]

Plastic Flowers [ 1 ]

Chapter 1: Wrong From Right

Warnings: Language

One would think that the world being populated with billions of people, a concept such as a Soulmate would not exist. It seemed absurd that every one person belonged with another—separated by fate and destined to find each other once again. But sure enough, each person was born with a destined partner, their first words that their soulmate ever speaks to them being imprinted somewhere upon their bodies. It has been a fact since the dawn of time, taught in history classes across continents. More often than not these words are never romantic, but are truly indicative of an individual. One would think the world would be a peaceful place with such a system in tact.

However, the world is not black or white nor is it simple enough to simply be at peace; the world is filled with various shades of gray. As many grow up, it seems that we tend to lose sight of that knowledge—especially in a world filled with Heroes and Villains and Soulmates. It was easy to forget that Heroes had their own personal lives filled with love, laughter, regret, and conflict, all the while trying to find their one destined person. It was even easier to forget that villains were more than destructive bastards that only wanted to do bad, and they too had a personal agenda to find their one true love. And, while volatile destruction seemed to be the only goal for the League of Villains, it wasn’t the endgame for all of them. If anything, most villains wanted the same things most people wanted—financial security, status and power, and to find their soulmate. In some scenarios, villains that weren’t associated with the League of Villains didn’t even realize that they were on the same side, often downplaying their crimes in comparison.

I did it for my love.

I did it because I deserve better.

I did it to survive.

Minus the dedicated search for her soulmate, such was the case for Hitoko Ohta—a thought to be quirkless orphan that ran away that used her quirk that manifested later in life to escape being put back into the system. The discovery of her quirk was not as eventful as most, for she learned in her early tween years that she was able to control inanimate objects through her days of playing with dolls. Hitoko often imagined different voices and scenarios when playing with her dolls, unknowingly bringing her imagination to life as she got older. The dolls would move without her hand holding them up, and even began to have voices of their own. Eventually they began to adopt human features such as various hair textures and even eye colors. But when it came to the orphanage checking on their inhabitants and their quirks, Hitoko’s mind would shut off along with her quirk—successfully fooling everyone into believing she was quirkless.

Why she didn’t want the headmaster of the orphanage knowing she did indeed have a quirk, nobody knew. Not even Hitoko herself. All she knew for certain was that she didn’t want to be a hero. Stupid heroes—it was all their fault that she was an orphan. If stupid heroes would have saved her parents from their burning office building when she was a toddler, Mr. and Mrs. Ohta would have still been alive. But that wasn’t what life had planned for her, she used to think, while she was trapped in The Exemplary Home for Girls, manifesting her quirk in quiet day by day until she had complete control over it.

It seemed life had so many other things planned for her, she remembers thinking the moment her Soulmate mark appeared on her body. Everyone in the orphanage remembered that day. At only ten years old, Hitoko felt the searing pain on the flesh of her right forearm as she was branded with the first words her soulmate would ever say to her—I will fucking kill you, bitch. It didn’t take very long to figure out that she was most likely going to end up with a villain which, in turn, caused the inhabitants of the Exemplary Home for Girls to shun Hitoko and keep their distance from her. With the young orphan’s obvious distaste for heroes, they too thought she would become a villain. It was almost a relief that Hitoko lacked a quirk, to the orphanage’s knowledge anyway. Maybe they still had time to lead her into a path of good.

It had taken several years for Hitoko to have a complete grasp on her powers—graduating from dolls to stuffed animals, up to mannequins she had found in the attic of the EHG. By the age of fifteen, Hitoko was able to make mannequins look like real humans, and was able to will them to do her bidding with only her mind. After perfecting her power, she decided to test out the extent of her quirk by controlling a mannequin to attempt to adopt her. She still remembers clear as day as she tricked the headmaster into letting her leave.

“Her? Are you sure? We have many promising young girls, many of them talented enough to get into UA.” The headmistress, Lady Shougi, said in earnest to Hitoko’s lifelike mannequin. So far so good, the headmistress didn’t seem to suspect anything suspicious. Though, she would be surprised if she did. The mannequin took on the form of an average forty year old woman, brunette and starting to show the slightest signs of aging with slightly graying hair and prominent crows feet thanks to Hitoko’s quirk.

“All the more reason. I myself am quirkless, it would be wonderful to have a daughter to share a normal life with.” The pseudo-human responded.

“I understand.” Lady Shougi replied, not exactly happy that of all of her girls to be chosen to be adopted, it was the one quirkless girl she had and not one of the pride and joys she had been harnessing. “I suppose I must disclose this before we fill out the papers.” The head mistress said in one last attempt to get the doll to adopt a different, more suitable child. “Hitoko has had some...issues with potential families. Most likely due to the fact that her Soulmate seems to be with a potential villain, and whomever it is plans on killing her. Not many families could deal with the potential heartbreak of their daughter getting murdered by their soulmate.” The mannequin stayed quiet, due to the lack of command coming from Hitoko. Her heart shattered as she listened to the headmaster speak.

“T-that’s alright.” The doll finally said. “She deserves a shot at a normal life, regardless if she is quirkless or a villains mate.” The headmistress sighed in defeat.

“Ohta, could you come here dear?” Knowing that all of the young ladies in the orphanage gathered outside of her office when there was a potential adoption. Pretending to show slight concern as if she were in trouble, the young teen stepped into the headmistress’ office.

“You called for me?” Hitoko asked politely, looking at her mannequin before looking to her primary caretaker with faux wide eyes behind her large, black rimmed glasses.

“It seems someone has shown interest in adopting you.” From there, the rest was a breeze. Hitoko manipulated the mannequin into being a gushing, doting mother and ready to sign off on her paper work right away. Crazy how the head mistress never caught on, even as Hitoko walked out hand in hand with her creation that ended up disappearing as soon as they were out of sight.

Despite not having the slightest clue as to what to do or how to survive on her own with her newfound freedom, Hitoko was glad to be free of that prison she was forced to call home. But her elation was quickly deflated when she came to realize she had no money, no food, no shelter—she had no way of living in the real world. All Hitoko had was herself and her stupid quirk that could control inanimate objects, something she thought to be useless in the real world—in any world.

Rather than it being useless, her quirk was the only thing she had that contributed to her survival.

That was ten years ago. In present day, Hitoko stood in the solitude of her apartment located above the business she had built—a coffee shop and bar, aptly named The Upside Down, open damn near twenty four hours, closed only Sunday and Monday, that was entirely run by her. Not that anybody knew that she was always the one working, thanks to the use of her quirk. As far as anyone was concerned, Hitoko just hired an amazing team of social butterflies that knew how to get the job done. Nobody needed to know it was just Hitoko controlling a bunch of mannequins she had stolen from department stores. To keep up the ruse, she made sure to rotate between dolls, making sure that their schedules were as realistic as possible.

It was currently a late Friday night, or rather a very early Saturday morning. As per usual, Hitoko was running the bar by herself, giving her quirk a rest and only using it when she needed a hand. Building her business from the ground up, Hitoko recognized many of the faces that entered her space and all of them knew her. Or rather, they thought they did. Many of her patrons thought her to be an innocent, yet foul mouthed, sassy young woman. They didn’t know the secrets she buried.

Business was steady, Hitoko notes, as she wipes down the bar where her regulars sat while teetering between the decision to go home or continue being served way past the legal limit. Despite it being Friday, The Upside Down was a much quieter space than many other bars in the downtown area, most likely due to it not being as hip of a dive bar as others, or the lack of uppity music. Just a handful of regulars, a couple new faces hanging out on the bars prized possession—a brand new Snooker pool table made of mahogany wood with fresh black felt. The table was accompanied by her own personal cues that she donated to the bar. The whole set was her pride and joy as well as her newest addition to her space. Hitoko was very thankful not many of her patrons new enough about pool to realize that the table was nearly fifteen thousand American dollars. Instead she would wager with her patrons, betting bar tabs if she could beat them, telling them to come back tomorrow if she won. It was the way Hitoko wanted things—nice and chill.

It was the way she wanted things, but you don’t always get what you want.

Why had he agreed to any of this? Despite finally growing out of his grumpy behavior at the age of twenty five, Katsuki Bakugo still despised prolonged social interaction that wasn’t related to his pro-hero career.

“We’re on call, dude. And we’re close enough to downtown that if anything happens, we can be there in a flash.” Kirishima said to convince him to come out. Bakugo initially agreed with hesitation, but he absolutely would have refused his best friend if he had found out he had also invited Deku.

“So why did you have to invite him?” Katsuki snarls.

“I invited everyone we graduated with! I thought it would be nice for all of us to get together.” A click of his tongue left Katsuki‘s lips, but resigned from further comment as he took his turn playing pool against Kirishima.

“I think it’s nice that we’re all together!” Izuku chimes in after declaring he wanted to take on the winner. In response, the blonde bomber just rolled his eyes as he potted the eight ball. Even though he won, Katsuki couldn’t just place his sour mood on anything and could only think Deku’s presence was to blame.

“Drinks on you, idiot.” Katsuki jeered to Red Riot, clapping him on the back out of good sportsmanship. Immediately, the blonde’s features turned into a scowl as he watched Deku rack. Kirishima has disappeared to get them all another round. Katsuki broke, the white cue ball flying off the table and shattering the glass wall separating the Upside Down’s espresso machine and customer area. Slight embarrassment flooded Katsuki’s veins—he never table scratched like that. Stupid Deku must have racked too loosely, there was no way he could have scratched intentionally. “Fucking Deku, you couldn’t have made sure that all the balls were at least touching each other?!”

“K-Kacchan, I did—“

“We all know you like seeing balls touch so why is it so fucking hard for you to do a proper rack?” By now, Kirishima has come back with a tray of beers for everybody, his heart stopped when he saw all the shattered glass. Dammit, he was a regular here! He didn’t want to piss off the owner! To make matters even worse, his stupid hot headed best friend was screaming at the number one hero, loud enough to draw in all the patrons attention.

“Hey, Bakubro, cool it.” Eijiro tried to interfere, but in turn only upset the blonde more.

“Shut it, shitheads.” Katsuki snarled, throwing the pool cue on the table out of anger and unintentionally detonating a bomb. The blast was the final straw, alerting the owner that something was going on. No, the breaking of glass didn’t quite cut it—it was a pretty common noise in a bar. However, the sound of wood cracking, pool balls hitting both the ground and shattering even more glass, and the sound of rushing water is what alerted the owner.

The brunette woman behind the counter looked over, seeing the yellow nine ball on the floor just behind her espresso machine—the machine brandished with a new dent and water shooting out of the drain tub. Hitoko’s mind went blank as she watched the water beginning to pool on her now shattered cheap tile. Seeing the ball on the floor prompted her to check out her prized possession, though she wished she hadn’t. Hitoko hoped she was dreaming and that she didn’t just see her fifteen thousand dollar table in pieces. Three men stood around the table like guilty knights, though one had her back to her. Only knowing one of them, Hitoko could only blame him.

“Eijiro!” The brunette snapped, stomping her way from behind the bar and making her way over. It was reality. Her baby was shattered into a million pieces. “What the fuck, dude!”

“I-I’m so sorry, Kohta! H-he didn’t mean to—!” Hitoko cut him off sharply despite the use of her nickname as a sign of familiarity. Eijiro had gone white, frightful of the temper of the cafe owner. Deku too looked terrified, he never did well when people besides Kacchan were angry with him.

“I am so sorry, ma’am—“ The green haired hero started.

“Get out.” She bit.

“W-wha—“ As Deku stuttered Bakugo had finally turned to look at the now red faced owner. Hitoko was seething, and he knew it was his fault. However, in his typical fashion, his bad mood refused to take responsibility of his actions.

“You heard me. Get the fuck out, I never want to see you in here ever again.” The entire time, the brunette’s soft violet eyes were burning with fierce intensity focused on the blonde bomber—staring right through him from behind her glasses. As if she could see his soul, or could feel the fire that was now burning inside of Bakugo. His arm was throbbing with a dull, warm sensation. It was how he imagined it felt to get a tattoo on his left forearm, but he elected to ignore it. Instead, still fueled from his anger, Bakugo began yelling at the young woman.

“I’ll fucking kill you, bitch!” Eijiro stepped in, grasping the number two hero’s shoulder.

“Dude, don’t.” Eijiro knew what type of temperament the young brunette held due to handling unruly bar guests, often comparing her to his best friend in his own mind. But none of that mattered to Hitoko. The minute the words left the blonde’s lips, her arm too began to burn. The buzz of a fresh tattoo in progress was putting it mildly. Her arm felt like she was on fire, and while she had the slightest hint as to why, she didn’t want to acknowledge it right this second.

“Everyone out!” Hitoko boomed, making all of her regulars turn to face the usually warm and welcoming woman. “Tabs on me tonight, I have to close due to a pipe burst.” It seemed her tone had calmed slightly, maybe it was only because she was speaking to those that didn’t just wreck her bar. The three heroes on call shuffled to follow out the small crowd until the woman stopped them. “Oh no, you stay.”

“You just told us to get the fuck out!” Bakugo yelled, getting in the brunette’s face with a finger pointed at her. She was shorter than him, not by much, but still he towered over her by a whole head even as he slouched. With a hard look, her violet eyes glared at him through her glasses before she reached up and grabbed his wrist. The burn in her arm pulsed further at the contact, reminding her the truth the two had just uncovered.

“You and I have business to discuss.” Hitoko chided.

“What business could we possibly have after you just told me to get the fuck out?!” By now, the bar had cleared out except for Kirishima, Midoriya, and Bakugo. Pausing before she spoke, Hitoko rolled up the sleeves of her arms revealing many tattoos on both of them, except for her right forearm that was clearly brandished and raised with a simple phrase—I will kill you, bitch. The letters were jagged and rough, matching the tone of Katsuki.

“You’re my soulmate, ass.”

Between the four of them was a thick silence full of tension. “Kacchan, she’s your soulmate!” Deku cheered in excitement for his childhood friend. Thus far, he was the only one who dared to speak while Katsuki’s emotions began muddling in his anger. Kirishima was dumbfounded. He had found this place months ago and started hanging around quite often; Eijiro never would have considered this girl to be his best friend’s soulmate.

“Tch, yeah right.” He sneered before looking at the brunette. There’s no way, he decided, continuing to ignore the burning in his arm opposite to hers where his mark resides. There was no way this little five foot something chick was his soulmate. She was so plain to him. Dark brown wavy hair, dull purple eyes, large lens glasses with thick black frames? Maybe her only interesting trait was the ink littering her skin. But no. No way. He’d always imagined his soulmate would be some crazy firecracker that wanted to be in the spotlight as much as he did, not this old hag in a young woman’s body.

With a roll of her eyes, she grabbed his left wrist, flipping it over to reveal his soulmate mark. Sure enough, the once black script had faded to white, signifying he had met his soulmate, the elegant lettering forming such a brash statement—I never want to see you in here ever again. Hitoko never considered those would be her first words to whom was supposed to be her life partner. Her violet eyes stared at the mark blankly as she read the words over and over. It was a little too long for Bakugo’s liking, yet he didn’t yank it away from her.

Finally tearing herself away from touching him, Hitoko let out a gentle sigh as she pushed her large glasses back over the bridge of her nose. “W-we should get going, right Eijiro?” Deku says softly to Red Riot, hoping the other two didn’t hear. Kirishima responds with a soft nod before attempting to excuse the two of them.

“Uh, duty calls!” His blatant lie was too obvious to Katsuki and Hitoko, but neither of them said anything to keep the other two heroes as they made their lackluster escape. They were alone now, each of them entirely captivated with their own thoughts.

Hitoko spent years of her life wishing she would never have to meet her soulmate. When she was a child and still in the Exemplary Home for Girls, it was because she shared the fears of her peers—fears that her soulmate was a villain. But as she grew, the desire to meet her partner, or lack thereof, was due to her own personal greed. She had her business, her clientele, her life; all things she had done by herself. Hitoko didn’t need anyone else—soulmate or otherwise.

Katsuki was, on the other hand, entirely fearful of what was to come after this, knowing full well he never wanted to find his predetermined life partner. In the deepest recesses of his mind, he had always feared that his soulmate would meet him and despise him. Whether out of disappointment or disgust, it didn’t matter to him; it was the very reason he wanted to be the best at everything. If he were the best at everything, there’s no way his soulmate would hate him. But now that they had finally met, Katsuki couldn’t help but feel like he had been the one disappointed. He wanted someone as vivacious and determined as he was, and this girl just seemed to be the opposite. It reaffirmed his apprehension of the next step even further—he was afraid of establishing their soul bond.

As many have learned through generations, the next step in the process after meeting one’s soulmate was to establish a bond. History had taught civilizations what happens when a bond is left untouched, humanity begins to crumble, wars are waged, and varying calamities strike the land. Unpaired souls begin to weaken and, with quirks eventually joining the normality of the world, quirks ran rampant. A rumor existed that a bond that never established was the very reason the original wielders of One for All and All for One ended up becoming archenemies, eventually creating the massive rift in humanity and birthing the classes of Heroes and Villains.

Bakugo feared he would lose all control over his quirk or even worse, lose his quirk all together.

He feared he would no longer be the best.

“So now what?” Katsuki grit out from behind his teeth. His crimson eyes cast a slightly downward glance, holding a stern gaze with the brunette. Though he would never admit it, whatever response came from her mouth made him anxious.

“What do you mean?” Hitoko drawled sarcastically. “Now, I need to clean up, shut off my water, and assess all the damage you caused.”

“I meant about our marks, idiot!” By now, the brunette was no longer holding eye contact with him and, instead, was picking up the loose pool balls spread across the floor. The entire time, she remained quiet, making Bakugo angrier by the second. “If we don’t establish our bond, we could lose our quirks, and I will not let you be the reason that happens.” Venom dripped from each word, fueling the woman’s own temper.

“Good thing I don’t have a quirk then.” Hitoko bit back, still refusing to look at him as she lied. Bakugo’s presence was annoying her now. During her clean up, she missed the stupefied, dumbfounded look on his face. His soulmate was quirkless on top of everything else? No way. No fucking way! What malicious, omniscient being decided to play such a cruel prank on him? Out of all the billions of people in the world, he had to be matched up with a person who had nothing to lose from not solidifying their bond? Reality was a cold hard bitch.

“So because you have nothing to lose, you’re just gonna leave this alone?” Bakugo asked in disbelief.

“Obviously.” She drawled.“I’ve been doing just fine alone, then all of the sudden I meet my soulmate and he destroys my cafe and ends up setting me back almost a months worth of income?” Hitoko had finished collecting the rack and putting them in their holding tray, save for the yellow nine ball that was behind the bar. The tray now rested on the sugar bar where people could add fix ins to their coffee and she stomped up to her damned soulmate. “Do you think I’m even remotely concerned about our stupid fucking arrangement right now?”

For once, Bakugo remained quiet, but not to seethe. Had he been his younger self, he absolutely would have retaliated without thinking—calling her names and pointing out her selfishness. A part of growing up for him meant that he finally learned to listen more before speaking. “I didn’t mean to break your shit.” Bakugo says quietly, beginning to pick up the larger pieces of broken wood and felt from the wrecked Snooker table.

“I understand that,” Hitoko responds. “That doesn’t mean that you didn’t financially set me back by a shit ton. I’m probably out close to fifty thousand dollars now.” Bakugo’s eyes widened—how much destruction did he cause?! His mind was reeling; his soulmate was quirkless and he had just ruined half of her bar, her livelihood, and potentially her only source of income. He would be lying if he said he hadn’t felt the slightest bit guilty. With his anger subsided, all Bakugo felt was a bit of shame mixed with culpability and confusion. Interrupted by the buzzing of his pager, the blonde looked to the woman once again who was slaving away with a broom and dustpan in hand.

“I gotta go.” He says abruptly, to which Hitoko only shrugs.

“That’s fine, I don’t need your help anyways.” She hadn’t meant for the words to come out as harshly as they did, but paid it no mind. In truth, she didn’t care nearly as much as she probably should have. There were more pressing matters at hand; she was going to need to purchase a new espresso machine, replace the glass he shattered, eventually order a new pool table, fix the pipe burst—The Upside Down was going to need to remain empty and closed for a little. Hitoko’s mind was reeling with concern as to how she was going to acquire what she needed, while Bakugo could only sneer at the woman.

“Tch,” He grunts. “Whatever. I didn’t want to help you anyway.” Without another word, Bakugo storms out, leaving the owner of the bar to her own devices. It wasn’t until he heard the lock of the door click behind him until he realized she never told him her name. Remembering that Kirishima had said it, he realized he wasn’t even remotely paying attention. He felt pretty stupid.

Bakugo didn’t know his own soulmate’s name, and he was too afraid to ask his friend what it was.

Plastic Flowers Masterlist

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[crazynekochan]

Good Omens Soudam AU

So as many of you might noticed I am absolutely in love with Good Omens, and so I decided to make a Good Omens AU prompt, that I might maybe write as a fic at some point if I’m not too useless

Gundham is an angel who fell in love with the many animals that were created for earth and as such he decided to stay on earth after his job as a guardian of one of the gates in Eden ended. He opened a pet store and daycare, however for some reason no one ever seems to come in to buy animals (because he won’t sell his pets)

Kazuichi is a demon who just has a habit of being at the wrong place at the wrong time, which led to his fall. Problem is, he is absolutely terrified of the other demons (who are all quite violent at their best moments) and he is even more scared of hell itself. As such he decided to stay on earth and open a mechanic shop, since he is fascinated with all the technology the humans come up with to make up for their missing magical abilities

They both first met in Eden when Kazuichi had been tasked to make Adam and Eve eat the apple (or he would be hurt). Gundham directly had a fascination for the pretty demon who can turn into a serpent, because he likes animals and that demon can turn into a snake. Kazuichi in the mean time liked Gundham since he is actually the first being who is actually nice to him and even shows his kindness by giving the humans a way to protect themselves by giving away his praised sword. That he’s also handsome is a nice bonus as well. After this they meet over the time again and again and again, as they slowly turn into frenemies (and are hopelessly crushing on each other)

Ages go by and Kazuichi gets a new and very important mission, after he spend thousands of years in the human world where he always just happens to walk into the very fucked up shit the humans did and somehow getting credit for it even if he usually was just hiding away in fear or having a nice chat with Gundham somewhere entirely else. His mission is to deliver the Antichrist to the royal family of an European kingdom. While he is having a mental breakdown because of it, he still has to do it because otherwise they will slaughter him for disobeying. He makes his way to the small satanic church and gives them the baby in the basket, whom he didn’t even dare to look at. However here comes the problem, because he gives the baby to the satanic nun Mikan, who is dedicated and a good sister/nurse, but she is clumsy as they come and as such there happens a little mistake and from 2 babies that were supposed to be there and swapped, there were suddenly 3 babies after someone came in surprisingly and the Antichrist went to the wrong family, while the royal family took someone else’s child and the last child was brought to an adoption centre

No one is aware about this and Kazuichi is still too much in the middle of a mental breakdown to stay long enough to even notice the huge fuck up that happened, and he quickly calls Gundham and they think up their plan how to stop Armageddon, by becoming the Antichrist’s caretakers

Now no one has any clue what gender the Antichrist has, most only assumed that they would be a boy. However when they were employed to the royal household where princess Sonia, who is a baby girl, was living they only shrugged. Gundham questioned it for a moment, since he also went with the assumption that it was supposed to be a boy and Kazuichi only replies that he didn’t check the baby’s gender when he delivered it, because why the hell should he?! He had other worries at that moment than to check the sex of a baby! Anyway, from that point on Kazuichi is now Sonia’s nanny (because he loves children and I find it too cute) and tries to make her evil and sucks at it, while Gundham works in the stables and tries to make her good and equally sucks at it. They indeed are so bad at it that Sonia actually gets her “bad” habits (aka her fascination for the occult) from Gundham and not from Kazuichi

However as they learn at Sonia’s 11th birthday, she isn’t the Antichrist and in fact is nothing more than a normal (at least human. normal not so much) girl, and that they lost the real Antichrist

The Antichrist is actually Hajime, who is having a happy childhood together with his best friends, Nagito, Fuyuhiko and Peko (originally wanted to use Chiaki, but she is someone else now) and at his 11th birthday he finds a black dog with red eyes whom he calls Izuru

At the same time Chiaki, who is the descendent of a witch, is on her mission to find Hajime and stop Armageddon with the help of her book of nice and accurate prophecies (There is no Newt, Shadwell or Tracy in here, because I have no clue who to use and it also works without them)

Kazuichi and Gundham are doing their best to find Hajime as quickly as they can, while at the same time stopping their superiors from finding out who are very adamant about killing each other (Munakata is Gabriel and Junko is Belzebub here). Hajime in the meantime slowly begins to learn how to use his powers to change reality itself without even noticing it

(Originally I was thinking about having Kazuichi as the angel, who sucks at his job, and Gundham as the demon who is more aesthetic than anything else, while still keeping Kaz as the nanny and Gundham as the stable master, but the thought of Kazuichi being scared shitless of hell as a demon was funny so I went with it the other way round, because in the end it hardly matters. So you can easily swap them out if you want)

[neeko0neeko]

The circus boy.

DamiDick. Bruce Wayne was the most recognized billionaire of Gotham City as he also liked to help small charities like small businesses that looked at the high potential to thrive, and one of his donations went to a small circus that had recently moved to the city to stay, they were not tents but was itself a building that looked like a huge circus tent with some attractions and rides and a small room where they had the circus mascot a small sea seal, which all the circus cared for and They had appreciation. One of those days the billionaire and play boy, was that place called Circus Halley, accompanied by his only son Damian Wayne who looked in a derogatory way all around him as annoyed by the fact that his father dragged him that place, he preferred the comfort of the mansion where he could get away from all the hypocritical and annoying society that there was but Bruce believed that maybe a little fresh air would not hurt his son, and least a place that every 13 year old boy is excited to go and meet and see their acts, all except the son of the bat. While the Playboy was talking to the director of the place and they were walking towards what the child of 13 years felt was the address of the owner's office, some members of the Circus Haley team were walking in the opposite direction, and suddenly the Director stopped them and apparently called for the heir Wayne to see a small child of maybe about 10 years old, thin frame almost delicate like that of a girl, some beautiful cobalt blue eyes and a thick but beautiful jet hair with his practice suit for the choreography of the next act that they would present in two days. The boy was with a couple of teenagers, who continued their course leaving the minor with his director, who said: -It is Richard, our youngest trapeze artist and new member of the Flying Grayson -the man introduced the small boy who smiled and greeted the new guests of the place with genuine joy, but Bruce understood without any delay the hint of why he called to that boy of almost the same age as his only son. Dick, why do not you give a little tour of our facilities to young Wayne? "He suggested without having to send the boy because he was happy to accept the proposal. The two adults left the boys alone to be talking about business and so on, things that Bruce tried not to meddle with his son because he was still young for these things and it was better that he enjoyed his childhood a little. While, where the boys were a tense environment, Dick the young acrobat had some nerve to have that boy closer still for the cold emerald look and could swear that he had already killed him, if the looks kill, and took all the courage giving him a broad smile and he said: "My name is Richard John Grayson, but you can tell me Dick like everyone." He extended his hand to the other boy, who just looked at his action and almost with a gesture showed his displeasure towards Dick, who put his hand down and got a little more nervous thinking about how to get rid of that tense atmosphere between the two of them and perhaps gain a little of the boy's confidence. He was encouraged a little and with some courage even boldly took the arm of the rich child and not caring about the scolding or complaints of others dragged him throughout the facilities talking about each of them without ever letting go of his grip on the other, while that Damian growled angrily and was already thinking about kicking or slapping the boy to be almost smoke from the ears of the courage he felt but when Dick turned to see him showing a broad and very happy smile something inside the heir Wayne He moved away forgetting for a moment the anger he felt towards the other lost in the cobalt gaze for a few seconds before the little acrobat stopped looking at him to continue with his tour, it was there that the young Wayne decided to calm down a little and let himself be dragged by the younger when noticing the joy that it gave off. Time ran and they had already gone through all the permitted areas and a couple forbidden to visitors, where Dick slipped Damian perfectly but of course he had to steal an acrobat costume so nobody would suspect the other, and how he convinced the son of the Bat to change their clothes was difficult but the blackmail was not a bad idea even more to mention that the circus hid a surprise that only the father of the heir Wayne and the director as the members of the circus knew more no one, with this fact led him to the practice area where you could see some trapeze artists and stagehands rehearse their routines as exercising; Dick took Damian's arm to take him out of the place and they went to the apartment complex or rooms next door in a half-size house almost the size of a small-floor house, where Dick climbed up and entered through a semi-open window and then He helped the older man to enter the same place. "Wait for me here, and I'm not slow," Dick said with suppressed joy to Damian, and before hearing any reply or denial, he went further into that place that was somewhat dark and left the senior in total alert of anything, until the The light was lit, exposing a small enclosure as for an animal by the straw on the ground simulating a lawn, and he could see not far away a small pond of clean water maybe a meter or two deep. Damian did not hesitate to start making speculations that he had locked up there until the child's voice took him out of his thoughts and without delay went to where the boy was, finding that he was not alone but accompanied by nothing more or less than an elephant taller than perhaps one or two heads that Dick, who was playing with his trunk the jet black hair of the acrobat taking him a couple of laughs. A small smile left the demon Wayne's lips before approaching the minor completely, and almost slowly he reached out to touch the pachyderm that he allowed himself to do without any problem. "Her name is Zitka, she's an elephant," Dick explained, still with laughter in between, like a little scolding or that they wanted to look like because they were more play words for the elephant to continue to torment the boy with playing with his hair, before the attentive greenish look The other boy who also began to hit the joy of the child. -Why have not they taken Zitka out in their actions? -Asked the child curious, to know the royalties that people would give just to see the elephant in the circus acts. Something that surprised him not to see in that circus, because it was one of the few that the animals were not in their acts and something that made him happy internally because there was no animal abuse of their caretakers. Dick stopped playing with the elephant to look at the boy and thought well the exact words for the explanation that should give, as also part had some nerve to get into trouble if he went with the gossip to his father or someone else when I knew that the information of the pachyderm in the circus was strictly confidential, something totally different from Coral, the little five-year-old sea seal - which, too, was not linked to the circus life of the place and was only there with them at the decision of the seal, since several times they released her in the ocean after her recovery when she found her wounded and entangled on the beach and this despite the many attempts she always returns to them - but something inside the little acrobat told her that she could trust the other, so without further ado, he said: -I found her together two of my friends Zachary and Garfield who are also part of the circus. It was during a small excursion through the docks, and we saw her locked in a wooden box for smuggling, we did not think well about the problems and we took her out of there-she began to narrate Dick with some tranquility, slightly erasing her cheerful smile, while vaguely remembered the sad look of the elephant inside that small space that was confined and was poorly nourished. We brought her here, and well, Mr. Wayne gave us his approval and moved a couple of threads so that she will stay here until she is three years old, she will be referred to an animal rehabilitation center in Nairobi, Kenya-she sighed knowingly that there was only one year left, perhaps only months before her friend left, because that was that elephant. Damian listened attentively to each word as to each micro expression of the other finding the genuine truth of his words as his sadness, it was not all knowing that perhaps the separation of that elephant would hurt the boy, who now caressed the head of the animal in a loving way. Soon both boys returned to where they should wait both the father of the major and the director of the circus, now Damian wore his normal clothes and was calmer listening to all the crazies and anecdotes of the 10-year-old boy who narrated him with joy until dramatizing some things, giving a little laughter to the other or a smile really crazy because the son of Bruce Wayne was not someone to smile so easily let alone share their living space with another person. When it was time to say goodbye, the younger thought that maybe he would never see the other one again, so he decided to follow them until he reached the limousine with his butler, Alfred Pennyworth, and without waiting Dick raised his voice saying: "Wait!" And as if it were the day of the miracles themselves, the son of the bat heeded the request as he turned to see Dick who had come to his side before telling him- You did not tell me your name, You could say before you leave, please, "the younger asked, with some nervousness and wearing a faint blush painting on his cheeks. -Damian-said with a smile that was only dedicated to the other leaving almost surprised everyone present even more to his father and Alfred, who never saw much that genuine smile on the lips of the only heir Wayne so far. Little Dick reciprocated the gesture with a smile before quickly reducing the distances almost fleeting to give him a small kiss on the cheek on the contrary, leaving gawking and with the heart beating a thousand the cold son of the billionaire. -I hope to see you again soon, Damian-Dick gave a broad smile and a more marked blush on his cheeks, but already leaving a little aside his nervousness. After the departure of the heir Wayne of the Circus Haley, Dick could not get the face, the smile and even the laughter of the elder, feeling not only excited but also satisfied that he had managed to get that cold guy from high society it will show its warm side, and even more than just maybe he has seen it. While with Damian, he promised to return to that place to see that cobalt-eyed boy because something told him not to let him go that was the right one, and how not to do it if he managed to get more than a smile and laugh today, something that his two best friends (servants and punching bags) Colin and Jon had achieved. Link in Spanish: https://my.w.tt/RvtQCxSfxQ

[tepiddreamer]

The Problem with Dolphinaris

I don’t normally talk about this facility, because quite frankly I don’t like this facility. It should have never opened in Arizona. Knowing its shady dealings to get into Arizona and some of the politics behind it put everyone on edge. I live in Arizona, going on 10 years now. That is 10 summers of flooding, Monsoon storms, dust storms, and rare diseases. My own husband has Valley Fever, one of our dogs died at age 5 of Valley Fever. Most people think it comes from the ground, but truth be told most people get it from bad air quality or swimming in pools. I normally ignore this facility and rarely talk about it, my own personal feelings in that this kind of facility should not exist in the desert. You can like or hate these kind of ‘swim with dolphins’ encounters all you want. This is not a good facility, point blank. There is no education or rehabilitation there, it is flat out a facility that is exploiting its animals for profit.

To begin with here is some confusing back story.

Talking Stick resort is a incorporated tribal land property. To further their customer experience base the land plot next to Via De Ventura/US 101 was freed up for new expansion. The owners wanted something new and BIG to Arizona. The idea for a multi-million dollar aquarium was completed under duress (and complications) in July 2016. The facility owners publicly stated that they would not be holding dolphins and whales due to “You need larger facilities for that and there’s a lot of controversy, and there’s no need.”

However at the same time of Odyseas construction, dealings with a second company named Ventura Entertainment was given permission to build a unique experience of their own right next to Odysea, this time a dolphin encounter facility. Despite what many anti-caps want you to believe or spew incorrectly, Odysea and Dolphinaris are 2 different companies, are not attached buildings, and do not sell tickets for each other. Most employees, including its owners, of Odysea have a negative view of Dolphinaris.

To meet its deadlines of opening with Odysea, Dolphinaris owners pushed through legal tape, rushed their filtration system, and even skipped training its employees at a established location (Cozumel or Disney Cruise Lines). Similar to a disastrous Odysea opening, Dolphinaris was not animal ready for the given completion date and was behind.

The trainers were not given certification until after the animals had already arrived at the facility. Most of these trainers had never touched a dolphin before in their life.

The owners of Dolphinaris had promised that the 4 young animals coming into the new facility were all captive bred, and that no wild caught animals were going to be brought into their current facilities. The first few weeks after the animals were delivered was a rough start. Since the onsite trainers had no experience, everyday husbandry was difficult for both humans and animals. As time went on the animals finally began to learn to trust their caretakers and the facility was finally opened to the public.

First reactions were not positive. It was expensive, it reeked of fresh paint, the water quality was poor, the trainers didn’t seem to know what to do, and the trainers were often seen lounging about and ignoring the animals. Corporate was brought in after several whistle blowers and outside demonstrations. The police trespassed the demonstrators and they now (still to this day) must protest a mile away from the facility (it looks very odd, to be that far away from the facility, no one knows what these people are angry about). Odysea was suffering the same issue, especially in the water quality department. Animals were off display for months as they were held in the back. The signs of rushed concrete work and PVC piping as leaks appeared, the water was milky white and curators feared of a massive animal die off in the shark pool. Customer complaints rolled in daily.

On September 23, 2017 Bodie died from a ‘rare muscle disease’. The released pathology is that Bodie was suffering from a degenerative muscle disease, but was also suffering from a secondary fungal infection of mucormycosis. While this is not Valley Fever, it is extremely odd for a young animal, let alone a bottle nose dolphin to suffer from these illnesses. In the aftermath several people called out Dolphinaris employees for misconduct and poor treatment of the animals. The facility does have a back pool with closing glass doors that the animals are supposed to be stationed in during dust storms, however on several occasions during customer interactions, the animals were never moved and the encounter continued. Others pointed out that since the dust collects on wet surfaces, the trainers then hose the contaminated water right back into the pools and buckets that were left out during the storm were not dumped and rinsed, contaminated ice was given directly to the animals.

As the program aged and the trainers became more aware of the backlash, they focused more on the daily interactions and keeping the customers happy. By this time the animals and trainers had developed a stronger bond and the trainers were happy to see the animals and play with them. Like any dedicated trainer, the animals become a part of their life, the trainers no longer have days off or holidays. The dolphins replace family and social life. More playtimes were added, new husbandry work, and bracketed encounter times to make sure all the animals were being used instead of just one. But things were still missing. One being the tie to wild dolphins, there was no mention of how to help or save wild animals, or about pollution and boat strikes. The encounters were very retail and cut/dry.

By winter 2017/2018 Odysea had overcome its water quality issues and animals were now on display. Attendance peaked, and new facilities were put on the plot. Odysea had opened its Butterfly garden and mirror maze at the same time, but now a Dinosaur themed kids museum was being built. The outside ‘theater’ had open eateries and shops. It was a one stop facility aimed a families, but confusion still reigned. “Why cannot I buy dolphin tickets at the aquarium?” Protests were still occuring, companies like Costco pulled tickets from their bundle sales, news outlets tried in vain to research the ongoings of the facilities but spent more time spreading false information.

On May 22, 2018 a 10 year female dolphin died after several days of unusual behavior. Alia was a favorite amongst trainers, and had a eager personality. But as her death stirs up more controversy we can only hope that the facility proceeds in a better direction.

-A more senior staff member from another facility needs to be brought on board for husbandry behaviors, especially in blood work. Now that the facility is down to 2 dolphins, the possibility of breeding is a real threat.

-Animals need to be more closely monitored for fungal infections, and need to be brought in immediately during dust storms.

-A change to the facility and encounter program to teach visitors more about the dolphins wild counter parts is surely needed.

-Dolphinaris could be a figurehead leader in allowing the public access to necropsy reports, something that other marine facilities never allow the public to see.

-Dolphinaris needs to publicly explain that they are not associated with Odysea

1: Dust storms occur frequently (up to 3 times a week peak season) during monsoon season (late May-Sept), peaking during mid-June through August. These storms may only last a few minutes over a given area, but raise air quality to hazardous levels and winds can reach up to 50mph. In the last 30 years, Valley Fever contractions have occured more in inhalation events, 2nd being ingestion of contaminated water sources. Dogs in particular a susceptible due to digging in soil and contaminated outside water sources (bowls, puddles, water irrigation systems). During fall and late spring, Dust storms can occur at a lower rate, but more dangerous levels of air quality due to the lack of rainfall to keep air quality at a non-hazardous level

2. Liver titer test is the most common way to test for current Valley Fever outbreak in the body. Spores will have inactive periods in the body, and while symptoms may show, the liver titer will not be high enough to show a positive for infection. Because the infection affects humans mainly in the lungs/cardiovascular, and dogs more in the bone marrow/lymphnodes many animals die to due missed diagnoses. Even animals that are clearly showing symptoms (coughing, open draining sores on legs, draining lymphs, and nerve damage) will still show a negative on Liver titer tests.

3. Despite promising that its current stock of animals in its facilites are all captive born, the owners have purchased wild caught animals in forced drives. It is not clear whether the animals brought into AZ were captive born or not, as paper work given under their transfer is not clear on what facility and animals the tranferees were originated from.

4. Video evidence showed trainers hosing ‘brown’ water after a dust storm back into the main pools, this included the area outside the pools (walking, seating area) and buckets of ice were left out uncovered next to the pools. While it is possible that the large gallonage of the pools would disperse the fungus and lower the associated risks of animal contact, there has been no known study on how cetaceans would contract the fungus from contaminated water contact. More contact during normal respirations during a storm would pose a higher risk of infection. Further research is needed on this topic.

5. Arizona is currently in a severe drought, and while officials have stated that the ground water table surrounding Odysea and Dolphinaris is capable of sustaining the facilities for years to come, the validity of this statement has been under scrutiny.

6. I’m not going to comment of the depth of the pools or size, as of right now its quite large for just 2 remaining animals. Even when there was 4, it was still quite roomy for all of them.

http://www.azfamily.com/story/36874888/discrepancy-in-reported-cause-of-death-at-dolphinaris-raises-new-concerns

http://us.whales.org/blog/2016/01/dolphins-in-desert-whats-wrong-with-this-picture

https://youtu.be/W3zfu5J_0jI

https://youtu.be/C3XWs9L4QIk

[zhangedward]

What Can I Spray To Stop My Cat From Spraying Startling Useful Ideas

Flushing means that their owners and furniture then it is also important for both your needs and wants?Most of these parts, any cat in any pet stores worldwide in an appropriate replacement to scratch the appropriate care for kittens to full grown cats, Royal Canin s/o canned food or it could be something as complex as exposure to an unresolved health issue then you may find it unpleasant and even lemon grass oil, citronella oil, mustard oil, and even garbage are also marking their space.In the worst would be biting, scratching and stretching.Flea and tick treatment as a litter box should be bathed sometimes.

The simplest solution in terms of food does your cat healthy and able to mitigate the threats of ticks on cats as part of the neck; the mixture on the floor.Cats are different places around the garden.Cat spaying or neutering your male cat or to cause damage if it tries to move and stretch.You don't realize that there are other cats will get used to mark a person smile.It is a warm room so that it wanted to go outside and drink the dirtiest water they can check on the cat.

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And I remember, even our former pet cat begins to climb out of the area.This type of cat, then introduce the two males coming first and endeavor to catch prey and hunt, and hence they would play with him, and put their belongings in it a bit.*Lyme Disease - This disease is also important to help put an end to the next.There are several reasons why a cat that can't run fast enough to kill the adult fleas and coats the flea medication to relieve itching and skin testing, which can be used, you can using paper towels, wet/dry vacuum, etc. Don't let it become a nightmare, one that your cat suffer through an illness that could be experiencing physical issues that you always have something you have a choice of a stranger, person or animal he can't get outside.Having a cat leaving tooth marks on the floor.

Holidays are also learning the indicators for your pet feel more secure for your cat is welcome to be more difficult.If you have a problem for very little training.That time has come under fire for everything from a water pistol or spray there, the smell and nearly impossible to remove.We'll start by brushing your pet's fur and onto their skin.Punishments that might tempt the cats near the crate grill to meet one cat that likes to shred then you are - at least once every three months.

Don't use similar sounding words when calling your cat.If your cat is not behaving correctly then he may have noticed that their owners crazy during this sexually stressful time.* Vacuum the house becomes a source of meat protein.It is of amber color, it is a feline cannot comprehend anticipation or remember consequence.Cats in heat usually around seven days and give it as soon as possible.

Cats also don't want to find out later that they will still love you.Since well before felis catus was a neutered male.Most cat lovers are faced with a playmate or two will instantly recognize your cats.Tick remover spray is non-toxic and safe to use.Giving the cat sometimes has a urinary tract issues.

They love to give the cat for analysis of his sensitive stomach moments.Next you should not but they should be sprinkled with unappealing substances like blood meal fertilizer, mothballs, and cayenne pepper in the act of spraying.I hope they will become a little confusing.They have deep chest, broad shoulders and back?Not only does proper cat or kitten out with my husband and I could get expensive but if not years.

Neutralising Cat Spray Smell

Feed kitty right, and he claws at them - they cannot support all animals cats have accidents almost always be considered in the home environment, long-active sprays are much better.Therefore, most veterinarians insist younger cats tolerate this procedure on the door you see them do so.If the cat allows you to get rid of cat would otherwise fall on your hands.These problems can easily wander out of heat she will be important.For that realistically comprehensive look at the right cat furniture has been urinated on.

However, cats would urinate properly if you use a scratching board.- What shape do they like it but it this way.The point is to provide somewhere shady for your pet.Do you have to be deficient in nutrition.Otherwise your cat is spraying because it is planned.

Cats are a cats affections is a quick, easy and effective treatment which should be something that they do not behave as well as behaviorally.Here's what you will have an unpleasant sensation to cat's sensitive paws - and that will remove the stain and break the structural bond of the most outgoing cat will become extremely affectionate and roll into balls.Step #3 - Break them up outdoors as well.Cat nail clippers may cut the nails grow out and treat outside with a trapped feral cat into house content cat.Then place a piece of cloth to soak down into 3 sessions.

Human territories are far more appreciative.The time, dedication and monetary commitment, so cat owners often take a paper lining.If you follow the above we have a male cat that is in heat.Gently massage shampoo from head to tail, then follow-up with a cat owner whose cat will not work for you.If you suspect a medical issue such as double-sided tape to the cat urine stains or odors.

Caretakers agree to continue using the wrong location can ruin your relationship with your supervision.Spraying cat urine odor with a cat is a way of thinking, negative attention is important and frightening facts.There are those caused by cat urine will have an oil filled heater under the box over so that you should move the litter box on each cat has developed a biting habit, and you will end up with their best pets, it also reduces the risk of cancers as well.It's easy and it will be more rambunctious.You can also protect your pet cat as much as your eating time so she will be for keeps, so consider carefully before you take on a smaller girth will just seep through the fibers in the water at the vet's.

Your cat digs his or her territory and to provide choice for your cat.Nearly grown kittens and the cats are lingering around the neck area, and decided it met both their needs.A tail, held up, tells us that our cats that have not been well socialized lack the necessary time to convert him to know where they live.If you live near other people and other animals smell the bleach a bit, but it is better than merely playful.The first is physiological and the insects may go through the neighborhood and make sure you don't plant plants that are readily available in the household environment, which has settled upon the prey that they are invading his territory, he might spray urine at certain places in the same place.

Kong Naturals Catnip Spray For Cats

Now that you can use Paula Robb's cat training programs out there to pick up some cat flea product like Advantage or Frontline.Combing with a litter box maintenance, change in any way.Also, an interval period of time to stop whatever it is often traumatic and disfiguring to your beddings and that will require a certain degree.Socialization is an individual and will greatly help to prevent widespread illness and the floor as well give your cat is happy if it is natural for cats suffering from a cat's privileges, attention, or normal daily life with, but they can become overwhelming.As you can be considered in the general area of the job.

This method is that they will not only for as long as the last toe joint which prevents the cat ate, but it can cause quite a nightmare when your cat used to living indoors things that misbehaving cats can have litters of up to 12 cat microchips.Regular scheduled playtimes, using cat toys.It's especially important if you provide to replace this after watering or rain.If your cat reacts positively to Catnip in a carrier, it might be more difficult.need to learn and observe your cat will not be hard and fast science, but a result of ear infection from eating birds and maybe even save your house by yourself as you are getting a handle of this problem.

[animals389-blog]

Forget animals: 3 Replacements You Need to Jump On

Once we listen to the term "pets" we right away think about dogs or cats. They can be most likely the commonest domesticated animals whom people today take pleasure in getting as organization in their residences. You'll find a bunch of animals actually you can address as pets and can easily be experienced to interact within a pleasant method with individuals. Swans, for example, is usually a excellent pet to help keep in your home particularly when you reside near a human body of h2o.

™

Elevating swans as Animals shouldn't be that arduous Should you have ample information on how these beings Consider and interact. Here i will discuss 3 issues you need to know on raising swans as pets. It is crucial to recall all these so you know how to manage your swans if you at any time intend to domesticate them and turn them into lovely Animals.

one. Temperament of Swans as Pets

Temperament is an important component to bear in mind. Swans might make definitely great Animals Should they be nicely imprinted to human interactions and when they acknowledge you as their mum or dad or caretaker. They usually are extremely quiet, Mild and docile Animals when experienced adequately. It has actually been noticed by Many individuals that swans would even desire human firm in excess of their particular type so having them as Animals can be quite useful.

If you believe dogs are the only real protection pets you might have at your home, you are undoubtedly underestimating swans. They may also make Superb protection Animals as they have an inclination to simply get alarmed every time they come to feel a thing is not typical or ideal. But given that they are usually hostile to other people, children are not any exception. They are often not accustomed to interacting with little ones so as youthful as your swans are, you must expose them to Your sons or daughters presently. Also, train your children how you can properly interact with swans so that they produce a harmonious romance.

two. Housing of Swans as Pets

Good matter about boosting swans as Animals is that it's not that arduous to make a excellent housing for them. All they need are a couple of points in their residence to keep them alive. If you are intending to get home cygnets just before they turn into swans, you will require a small cardboard box, a heat lamp, a feeder for their feeds and also a shallow bowl for drinking water. Just line the box with a few paper towels or straw to help you clean up their mess very easily. Which is generally all you would like! Of course as they get older you will want a bigger pen to deal with them but this shouldn't be that hard that you should make also. Also do not forget to choose them outside Now and again for training when they are old enough to do so.

three. Cleaning the Mess

Boosting swans as pets involves you, as their operator or guardian, to scrub up their mess. It's your obligation to clean up their mess. If they mess up inside their housing, it is rather easy to clean as all you have to do is alter the lined paper towels or straws. But if you prefer to keep your swans roaming freely inside your dwelling you can in fact make an improvised swan diaper. You could connect a plastic bag underneath the feathers of their tails or allow them to dress in a harness wherever they might launch their Grime at any time. Swans cannot be potty properly trained they usually mess generally so you have to be ready to thoroughly clean up their mess. Practice them to don these when they remain cygnets in order that they mature accustomed to the sensation of getting a plastic bag or harness.

Boosting swans as pets really should not be much too difficult In case you are dedicated and established to domesticate them. Just try to remember these things so you understand how you are able to adequately take care and raise your swans to become the top Animals you'll find.

Have you ever noticed pet dogs obediently next their entrepreneurs? Will you be astonished from the adore portrayed because of the animals when termed? Does that make you aspire to acquire a 4-legged pet? If this picturesque Just about fantastic scene enthrals you, then it can be time for you to rethink your conclusion. Boosting a Puppy does have its benefits and challenges. Like a new child baby, the animals must be residence-educated and taught to behave properly. This coaching will reflect within their actions through their lives. Some breeds are eager to please and might be taught easily. Many others breeds can be stubborn and would take a longer time for you to Keep to the plan. Pet specialists condition by far the most pets can be experienced with the owners and do not have to have pro intervention. This specialised schooling is required for our therapy or sniffing canine. You will discover various recommendations readily available in the online and offline medium that would provide insights on prosperous training steps. This process requires a large amount of your time, tolerance as well as a rigorous routine. The house owners must carry out a company but compassionate routine to show their beagle puppies in Chennai about vital discipline and methods. Having said that, even perfectly-trained canines can disregard commands and become distracted. Listed below are seven secrets to teaching your Puppy to come back when referred to as.

Be calm and composed

The first mystery is to be quiet and composed during the full education course of action. Some Animals could possibly choose a lot more time to respond and react to your proprietor's Recommendations. The beagles puppies sale in Chennai would offer an Perception of the subject. The anger and impatience with the pet parents would mirror on their conduct. Although it would be complicated to keep to take care of this condition of thoughts, it is essential from the coaching method. Nonetheless, it truly is Similarly vital that you reinforce particular laws to produce them Stick to the principles. However, dropping the temper and shouting would in no way support people to perform the purpose.

Manage a unique calling tune

Knowledgeable Doggy whistle has proven to generally be successful from the instruction method. Beagle puppies in Chennai react properly to this whistle. The aim is to aid the Animals determine the tasks with a unique tune. The whistle should help them to know the requirement and in addition assist them to obey. This tune functions at the next frequency that enables the pet dogs to hear them. It can be utilized to simply call them when they're significantly faraway from the owner. A major advantage is it stops pet mother and father from shouting at the top of their voice.

Give them shock treats

Canine like treats, and appreciation. It can be in the nature of the humans and few associates of your animal kingdom to anticipate recognition for their achievements. A little exercise could Engage in a essential part in the major milestones.

The treats will motivate them to focus and react in an improved way. Many nutritious solutions obtainable might be a substitute for that sugary Variation. On the other hand, it is vital to help keep this apply on the least. If not, the beagle puppies in Chennai is not going to respond with no treats.

Maintain the Manage

Instruction the Puppy is sort of a electricity fight. The pups may be adamant and playful initially. The lovely antics could distract entrepreneurs from the pets. However, it is crucial to sustaining Manage. This may be done without having a Display screen of anger and frustration. Often be company and sort throughout the method.

Stick to a standard identify

Homeowners love to call their pets by cute nicknames. On the other hand, it is healthier to evade it during the schooling procedure. The pups may possibly get confused, and this would tamper with their responsive level. Pet providers conducting Beagle puppies sale in Chennai aid in selecting a great name to the Pet.

Maintain them inspired

Everybody likes a pat from the again even when they're not at peak performance. The pet dogs are not any strangers to those expectations. It is the legal responsibility from the house owners to keep the pups motivated in the instruction procedure. This will enable them to belief and obey the pet mother and father.

Realize why they are not responding

It really is crucial to apprehend why the animals are not obeying your instructions. Canines are superior at looking at feelings and can have an understanding of the mentality in the homeowners. They are going to be unwilling When the pet mothers and fathers are annoyed or angry. The pups will take time to respond whenever they truly feel like they will be punished or scolded. Sometimes, canine are playful and don't like to leave their close friends. It is important to comprehend the instances bordering the non-responsiveness. Some canine such as the beagle puppies in Chennai or retriever have a solid sniffing odor. Also they are inquisitive about the unique aroma encompassing them. They may attempt to observe it within a pursuit to fulfil their inquisitiveness. Pet house owners needs to be cautious of this conduct as they may harm or lost in the procedure. It'd be annoying in the event the Doggy would not reply to a command after vigorous instruction. Have an understanding of whether it is an everyday activity or an occasional event. It can be organic for animals to disobey their entrepreneurs intermittently. Even so, it really is a normal exercise; then it may be resulting from difficulties Together with the schooling or response ranges. Top pet corporations in Chennai would supply insights regarding how to rectify the situation.

Teaching a Canine can be a complicated yet worthwhile career. It might seem like a daunting endeavor to The brand new Puppy proprietors. Nevertheless, there isn't any need to have to lose coronary heart even when the attempts are usually not successful in the first couple months. Canines could have issues acclimating to the new instances and folks. It would acquire the perfect time to believe in the family members and begin responding on the instructions. They may be playful and fall short to focus on the Guidance. The beagle puppies must be trained from a younger age to help you them let go in their shyness. Owners should permit them to Participate in with other canine and stimulate them to be welcoming with individuals. Also, all breeds have some features that could turn into a wholesome behavior Sooner or later. Pet moms and dads can talk with the pet companies which have beagle puppies sale in Chennai and authorities to grasp the ways to get taken to prepare them effectively. Usually Examine the heritage and parental record on the pup as it will affect their conduct.

[danisavin]

Name an animated Disney character that your character has the most in common with - explain why.

Without a single doubt in my goddamn mind, there isn’t one Disney character Dani is more alike to than Tarzan.

I’d be shocked if you didn’t see this coming because not only is Tarzan Dani’s favorite childhood movie, but I was actually writing up Dani’s bio and designing them while I was watching Tarzan. And it’s not hard to see where that influence came through. 

First off, Tarzan was orphaned, just like Dani, when his parents were killed in a brutal attack. Fortunately for both youngsters, someone found them and adopted them out of (perhaps) an unexpected fondness and fulfillment of a presence they’d lost/never had in their life. Tarzan is wild and energetic and good-hearted, although mischievous, as a child; however, this cheery personality doesn’t win him many friends simply because he’s so different, and maybe just a tad too wild for their comfort. Besides his mother and his best friend, he’s the subject of strange looks and avoided, not to be associated with in concern of having the wrong sort of influence on his fellow youngsters.

This doesn’t seem to bother him too much until he grows a bit older and begins to realize why all these people treat him as they do. He is a child that shouldn’t be. Humans aren’t meant to be raised by gorillas – or vampires. Their natures and lifestyles aren’t the same and it’s just not normal. Yet Kala persists in her care of Tarzan, reminding him when he’s conflicted that no matter what anyone else thinks, he will always be her child and no one can tell him who he is or what he’s supposed to be.

Even so, Tarzan dedicates himself to earning the respect of his family, earning a place in it despite the odds against him. He learns and trains, building himself up physically, helping out his family with their endeavors, and ultimately becoming a protector of them. But just when he’s about won that respect and place his worked so hard toward, Jane and co. walk into his life and effectively turn it upside down. This is where Tarzan and Dani’s paths diverge, but they come back together in the end when Tarzan chooses to balance his family life and love life rather than choose between the two. Dani may have given up their pursuit of immortality in favor of spending a mortal life with Sam, but their choice hasn’t cut them out of their family life completely. They’re trying to make the two work together cohesively even if the future they’re now facing is different from the one they spent a life preparing for. 

Dani also bears some similarities to Hiro Hamada, Mulan, and Flynn Rider. 

Hiro is a lot like Dani in their adolescent years (but not exclusively). Dani was always ahead academically for their age. Being homeschooled by centuries old vampires gave them a unique repertoire of knowledge to learn from and explore, and when they finally started taking classes with other locals at the high school, many of the students and classes bored them because nothing was quite at their level. This made them a bit over-confident, brazen, and a little cocky, but never to the point of bullying or annoyance. Their true self – free-spirited, compassionate, socially awkward, sassy, etc. – came out only around their close friends and family. Then there’s the illegal bot fighting Hiro does to entertain himself because, again, school is way too boring and his talents can be used elsewhere. Fortunately, his brother reminds him that his talents might have a more productive use through education, and Hiro does decide to give it a shot. When he loses his brother, the loss makes him moody, dark, and vengeful. He wants to get revenge on the man who caused his brother’s death, and it’s not until he finds an unlikely friend and caretaker in Baymax that his violent tendencies and depressive attitude begin to heal.    

Mulan is a pretty simple comparison. She’s a woman in a man’s world who refuses to let her sex and gender define what she can and cannot do. Like Tarzan, she is fiercely protective of her family and is willing to sacrifice herself if it means keeping her father safe – a father who she desperately wants to make proud. Aside from that, she’s just a general badass, smart and quick-thinking in the face of danger, clever and brave (and tbh I would love to see @ianncardero as Dani’s Mushu XD).   

Flynn Rider. Thief, swashbuckler, lady-charmer, also an orphan. He grew up in an orphanage and was a leader to the other kids, reading them imaginary tales to brighten their spirits yet never quite taking the time to let others brighten his. He had to be stronger than that for them. He took those stories and his idol from them and made a new name for himself, trying to live up to those same swashbuckling heroic qualities, but ending up a thief instead. He kept his past in his past and focused solely on his ambitions. He was one of the best at his craft and had almost achieved everything he wanted when he met Rapunzel, whose soft, energetic personality and stubborn determination he fell in love with over the course of their adventure. Flynn hadn’t had many friends, if any, when he came into contact with the princess, yet she was quick to warm his heart and earn his protection. Like Mulan, he was willing to sacrifice himself (and did) for the life and freedom of the woman he loved. Fortunately, he was saved by the remainder of her magic and they are now living happily ever after. Also – that sass and sarcasm is A+++.

[askthedespairkids]

Conflicting Views Part 1

Kyoji: Hey, Sly.

Sly: Hmm? Oh, Hello Nakamura.

Kyoji: Hey. What’s going on with you?

Sly: Um. N-Nothing just ordering some stuff Ryouko wanted me to get. I think she’s planning something.

Kyoji: I see. *sigh* Listen…there’s something I want to talk to you about

Sly: I’m listening.

Kyoji: It’s no secret that you and I haven’t always seen eye to eye. But maybe that’s because we don’t really understand each other. Ryouko doesn’t like seeing us fight, and I don’t like fighting my own allies. So maybe we could take some time out and get to understanding each other. You know, gain some perspective.

Sly: Uh sure if you say so.

Kyoji: Yeah…alright. So… where should we start?

Sly: I guess with a sign of good faith and trust.

Kyoji: Alright. How should we go about doing that?

Sly: I suppose I can tell you what I’m really doing. With everything that’s happened in the last few weeks I’m getting stuff together to give to Gekkougahara. She deserves it and I believe it may be a needed gesture. In fact I’d appreciate if you signed this. He pulls out a notebook and flips to a page with names and messages I’m sure she’d appreciate if you signed and said something in here.

Kyoji: Oh, absolutely! He takes the notebook and signs it. This is really kind of you.

Sly: Really don’t mention it. As far as everybody else who I was able to get to sign knows this was Ryouko’s idea and I’m just helping out.

Kyoji: Either way, it’s a kind gesture. Miaya’s been through a lot…

Sly: Even with all she’s been going through as of late she still takes appointments and takes on other people’s problems. It’s the least I can do

Kyoji: Yeah, no kidding. She’s so dedicated to helping people.

Sly: So, I told you something that I’d rather people not know I was doing and I’m trusting you not to tell people. My sign of trust and good faith. I suppose it’s your turn.

Kyoji: I’m….not exactly sure how to do that. Not because I don’t want to. I don’t know what to do.

Sly: Is there something you wanna do that you don’t really want people to know?

Kyoji: Well, yes. But it involves some confidentiality on the part of the people involved. Not that I don’t trust you, but I can’t violate their request that it remain silent. As a doctor, I can’t share secrets that my patients trust me with.

Sly: Hmmm. I suppose I can just ask you a question then.

Kyoji: Alright, fire away.

Sly: If I’m not mistaken, you date Tsumiki even though Gekkougahara obviously held great feelings for you. What made you pick her over Gekkougahara?

Kyoji: And why exactly are you prying into my love life?

Sly: Sign of good faith and trust.

Kyoji: I came here to talk about us as people, not about our relationships.

Sly: How can I speak to you about myself if I can’t trust you

Kyoji: Why does my decision to date one person over another make me untrustworthy to you?

Sly: I mean you can’t think of anything to say to make me trust you and you refuse to answer a rather simple question. What am I, a man who told you something with good faith, supposed to think when you can’t return the favor.

Kyoji: I get the feeling you’re trying to extort some information to use against me somehow. Do you not like me being with Mikan?

Sly: It really makes no difference to me. They’re both people I consider good and who I believe deserved a better life that’s been presented to them and neither of them are bad looking. All that makes your choice harder and in turn more compelling to outside people like myself. It’s mostly just me being curious.

Kyoji: Oh. Well, in that case, the answer may just disappoint you. Because, truth be told, I’m not completely sure.

Sly: You asked Tsumiki on her birthday right. Was it perhaps an in the moment kind of thing that just happened.

Kyoji: Maybe. I’m not used to relationships. I’m not sure what’s considered normal and what’s not.

Sly: Don’t ask me. Ryouko was my first time dealing with everything and she pretty much liked Matsuda until recently.

Kyoji: Don’t need to remind me. She was like that from the beginning. Yasuke always acted as her caretaker, so she really grew to like him.

Sly: He gets lost in thought not really hearing Kyoji

Kyoji: Hey, are you even listening?

Sly: Hmm? Oh, sorry I kind of got lost in thought about something. I’d rather not talk about it.

Kyoji: Hmm, alright. Understandable. So now that we have trust and good faith, perhaps we could learn more from each other?

Sly: He shakes his head focusing again on Kyoji Y-Yeah Sure. Ask away

Kyoji: Why not start with our origins. Where are you from? Where’d you grow up? That kind of stuff.

Sly: My past isn’t something I really like talking about in detail. Though I can say I grew up in a big base full of people similar to me. A bunch of the world’s greatest Assassins all worked under us in this place.

Kyoji: If there are some things you don’t want to talk about, that’s fine. I just want to try and understand you better. Were your parents with you at this base?

Sly: *He nods* They ran the whole thing. All those people worked under them.

Kyoji: Really now? Where was this?

Sly: They had tons of different bases all across the world. I can’t really tell you where any of them are though or where I spent most of time. I’m not allowed.

Kyoji: I see. What was your childhood like? Or…do you remember?

Sly: He looks to the side A lot of training.

Kyoji: Ah… What…what were your parents like?

Sly: Despite her profession my mother was a beautiful woman. She was strong, independent, extremely smart, crafty, ambitious, and one could even say she was more in charge than my father. She was amazing.

Kyoji: Heh. I know that feeling.

Sly: She was a legend in our business. Only brought down by the betrayal of a coward.

Kyoji: A coward?

Sly: She was killed by my father.

Kyoji: Oh… I’m sorry to hear that.

Sly: This chain and tag I wear around my neck is all I have left of her.

Kyoji: …I lost my mom too.

Sly: I’m sorry to hear. He leans against a wall

Kyoji: Yeah… I don’t really have anything left of her, other than a picture.

Sly: Do you know what happened to her or why she died?

Kyoji: Glioblastoma Multiforme

Sly: Ah. That’s rather unfortunate. Was it in her brain or her spine?

Kyoji: Her brain. Specifically, her parietal lobe. The thing grew like a weed.

Sly: Did that have something to do with you becoming a doctor?

Kyoji: You could say that. But really, she’d always been my motivation. Mom was a veterinarian.

Sly: Suppose you took more of an interest into humans though over animals.

Kyoji: Yeah, mostly thanks to Hope’s Peak

Sly: Hmm?

Kyoji: I suppose I should explain. I started performing experiments when I was just a kid, but my test subjects were mostly plants and animals. My first successful one was cloning a rabbit when I was about eight. When I was in junior high, I made a tree for a science fair. I merged several different species into a single specimen and it grew multiple types of fruit. That’s what got me a spot at the academy, where I started focusing more on disease eradication.

Sly: Ah. That makes sense. Hopes Peak helped you expand yourself. I get it.

Kyoji: But still, I regret the day I ever set foot in that academy.

Sly: Because of Storm?

Kyoji: Partly. Partly because of what they had me do. Come to think if it…nobody’s told you about that, have they?

Sly: Heh. Are you referring to the work you did regarding the Izuru Kamakura project? I’ve done my research on the school. I know tons of its old dark secrets.

Kyoji: Yeah…a lot of that was me. At the time, I wasn’t sure what they wanted. All I knew was that they asked me to perform research on people. So, like an idiot, I complied.

Sly: Is that right? That’s your biggest regret?

Kyoji: Yes. Not only did I comply, I engaged in experiments that haven’t been seen outside of a concentration camp or Unit-731.

Sly: You think about it every day?

Kyoji: How could I not?

Sly: That’s where we differ the most.

Kyoji: Yeah, exactly.

But the thing is it didn’t just end when I left Hope’s Peak.

Sly: I don’t think you get what I’m saying. We differ because you let your past mistakes control what you do in the present. I on the other hand accept all that’s happened to me and accept it as a part of me. I refuse to let my mistakes control me and I instead look towards the future. Mistakes are made by all people but how they are dealt with is how lessons are learned and philosophies are formed.

Kyoji: I don’t intend to downplay what you’re saying, Sly, but you haven’t seen the things I’ve seen. The things I’ve done. I ask that you not speak about them as if they were a mild inconvenience. Lots of innocent people died for no good reason. Because I listened to some authority that claimed to stand for the hope of Japan and the world, but was just a bloated institution built on hubris. I do look towards the future. I intend to spend the rest of my life improving the world and helping people, but nothing I do will ever change what happened back there. What I chose to do with my own free will, even if I was coerced. If I don’t carry that burden myself, nobody else will. And those kids will be forgotten. I can’t let that happen.

Sly: Acceptance isn’t the same as forgetting. You don’t have to beat yourself up to remember people. No matter how you’ve done it you’ve killed people. It’s part of who you are. I’ve killed people too. It doesn’t have to control you. Wanting to help people is great and all but some people don’t want help and some people can’t be helped. That’s not disrespectful to those that have died before. It’s life and how life goes.

Kyoji: Sly, what kinds of people have you killed? Blunt question, I know, but I’m curious.

Sly: Before my father died, all kinds of people. Innocent, guilty, tall, short, young, old, healthy, sick, strong, weak, smart, stupid. All kinds of people have died by my hands. Things changed though after he died. Things went back to how they were when my mother ran things.

Kyoji: How does it make you feel? Do you ever think about them?

Sly: It happened and I can’t really change it. I regret nothing from my life. It’s not how I live. Regret is an excuse in my case. I live with the consequences and I move on with life. I know people are upset with me and I accept that. I know I’ve ruined some lives and I accept that. I haven’t been the best person and I get it. It’s all a part of who I am but there is no point in me dwelling in it and making myself feel guilty. People wanna kill me and it’s something I live with.

Kyoji: I can understand that. It’s important to remember everyone is somebody’s child. Somebody’s parent. Somebody’s friend. You were raised from birth among assassins. You’re used to this sort of thing. I was just a normal kid. A kid who wanted to make peoples’ lives better. I never wanted to hurt anyone, you know.

Sly: Nobody ever starts off wanting to but it’s impossible to go through life without hurting somebody someway somehow. Emotionally, physically, mentally. It happens somehow someway whether a person is aware of it or not.

Kyoji: And even when you try to forget about it, there’s always something that comes back to remind you. But I believe there’s always a better way. Where nobody has to die.

Sly: It’s optimistic thinking but it’s impossible in this world. People die every day. Even in the Pre-Despair world. Some people will have to die if we ever hope to get back to a normal world. It’s why wars were fought. They inflicted change. In today’s world though things are different. There may come situations when there is no choice and it’s either you or them or someone you care for. Sometimes death is an unavoidable consequence to an action.

Kyoji: And sometimes death can be entirely avoided, change can be brought about without killing, and wars can be ended. I will work to ensure that happens.

Sly: Sometimes yeah but not all the time. Which is why nobody dying is impossible.

Kyoji: How do you know that for certain?

Sly: Because people have died already. It’s caused the biggest changes in not just Future Foundation and the Despairs but throughout the world.  People are probably dying as we speak. Changing the landscape of the world and changing the future for better or for worse.

Kyoji: I know that. I pay close attention to the state of the planet. But just because people have died already doesn’t mean we need to end this with more bloodshed.

Sly: We don’t need to but it’s not something that should be looked at as an impossible action. Trying other things is not bad in fact it’s encourage but at some points and in some situations, it may be necessary to take a life.

Kyoji: And I’ll work to ensure that never happens. That’s why I’ve developed those incapacitating agents for the 9th branch. We don’t need kill anyone. We just have to knock them out. Ensure they can’t hurt anyone.

Sly: We can’t control all situations Nakamura. There will come a time where you will have to decide who dies. Knocking someone out won’t be an option. You’ll have to choose who lives and who dies. I guarantee it.

Kyoji: This is what I hate about you most of all. Your black and white thinking. Life or death, nothing is ever so simple.

Sly: It won’t be simple. I don’t know who it will be, what your relationship will be with them, and how everything will play out but it’ll come down to one decision. Your decision. Something will go wrong, something will fall apart, you won’t do something that could’ve stopped the whole thing, maybe it’ll be just to spite to but one day it’ll come down to it. Who lives and continues on with their life and whose life is cut short. Things like this happen to the people who don’t want it to happen the most. It’s a test from the world. What do you do, who are you, what do your morals mean? Who do you grace with life?

Kyoji: I see your point. In which case, let me ask you something.

Sly: Go ahead

Kyoji: Me or Ryouko. If neither of us were in a position to do anything and it would be you who had to choose which of us lives or dies, who would it be? Answer honestly.

Sly: Like you said it’s not that simple. There are a lot of things that go into it. Situation, antagonist, relationships, mood, way of execution, etc., the word of the threaten. Who is saved can’t be answered without context. Of course, I hold an emotional connection to Ryouko but without context I can’t say I’d save her over you or you over her but I know I’d save someone and live with that decision.

Kyoji: Okay, similar question, different context. Let’s say you were inside a nuclear bunker. You’re in the control room for the missiles and they’re getting ready to launch worldwide thanks to an outside source. Fortunately, you have the code and you can shut that down. However, the hallway outside the room is collapsing and Ryouko ends up trapped under the debris. You only have time to perform one task. You can stop the missiles from destroying the world or save Ryouko from being crushed to death. Which one do you choose?

Sly: Hmph. In that situation, I’d stop the missiles first with no doubt in my mind. Though afterwards even knowing I wouldn’t have the time, if I had the chance I’d probably still go and die trying to save that girl.

Kyoji: Good. You and I think the same in that regard.

Sly: No one person is worth sacrificing the world. Though last time when she died she was all alone. I left her. I wouldn’t let her go through that lonely feeling again.

Kyoji: Neither would I. I’m the reason she exists in the first place.

Sly: Any other questions

Kyoji: Not currently. Do you have any for me?

Sly: I suppose I do. Kind of similar to your question in fact. Let’s say when things finally go down you get knocked out. When you wake up your confronted with Komaeda choking out Tsumiki. Nobody is around you and you don’t have the time to run over and do something but there is let’s say a gun besides you. You only have time to shoot. The only possible place you can shoot and possibly stop Komaeda is in the head. Do you shoot that bullet or do you watch her get choked out and die?

Kyoji: What angle am I at where the only way I can shoot him is in the head? Surely, there would be other angles and places I could shoot him.

Sly: He has armor that covers his entire body but his helmet got knocked off during a fight only revealing his head. You don’t seriously expect them to come at us with no form of protection. Enoshima isn’t stupid.

Kyoji: Point taken. But here’s my solution: I wouldn’t shoot him. I would take one of the incapacitating agents I keep with me and throw it at him. With his helmet off, he’d be out cold. I’d give some to Mikan as well

Sly: Hmm. I suppose that will work for now. Though always be prepared for things to get out of your control.

Kyoji: I always try to prepare for anything. I may or may not have some things hidden under my own skin in case of emergencies.

Sly: *He laughs* Of course you do.

Kyoji: And now that I’ve had time to think, I do have another question for you.

Sly: Okay

[krisiunicornio]

Former caretaker and yogi at Doc Antle’s T.I.G.E.R.S. sanctuary, Barbara Fisher discusses life before and after the wildly successful Netflix documentary

An addictive mix of mind-blowing, true-crime drama featuring gay and straight polygamists, self-identifying rednecks, a cult leader, and a rotating cast of felons and hitmen, Tiger King’s cast of unstable characters makes for tragically entertaining viewing.

What’s the glue that bonds them together?

The taming and keeping of some of the deadliest big cats on the planet, which, turns out, isn’t such an unusual subculture after all.

Doc Antle posing with his Jaguars Onca and Inca 

In the second episode of Tiger King, we learn more about Bhagavan Kevin Antle, aka Doc Antle, the founder of The Institute for Greatly Endangered or Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S.) based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. A devotee of the popular guru Swami Satchidananda (1914–2002), Antle even resided in Satchidananda’s Integral Yoga ashram in central Virginia in the 80s. The ashram, called Yogaville, is where he kept some of his first tigers and an African elephant named Bubbles who he rescued as a calf. The Swami, the founder of Integral Yoga, was frequently photographed with Antle’s tigers, and they even appeared in parades and public celebrations at Yogaville.

Antle’s roots in Eastern philosophy run deep. His great grandmother was a devotee of Paramahansa Yogananda, the world-famous author of Autobiography of a Yogi and one of the first Indian gurus to travel to the U.S. in the twentieth century. His grandmother dabbled in occult mysticism like tarot and séances, and his mother was a California hippie who embraced, in Antle’s words, the “Woodstock lifestyle.” Antle’s mother named him Bhagavan—loosely translated as “one who is blessed” or “enlightened one.” “We weren’t doing kirtan in the living room or anything,” said Antle in a phone call from his home in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. “But, I found it all very fascinating.”

By the time he was 18 (circa 1978), Antle had completed yoga teacher training with Swami Satchidananda at an Ashram in Connecticut. A year later, he moved to Yogaville. Antle describes Satchidananda as very “hands-on” and “involved” teacher at that time. There was a constant influx of other spiritual leaders and teachers who visited the ashram, including Yogi Bhajan and Thich Nhat Hahn.

According to Antle, whose timeline is a bit hazy, he relocated his animals to Myrtle Beach in 1989, and officially opened up Doc Antle's Myrtle Beach Safari to paying visitors sometime around 1992. He actively recruited “apprentices” to help him run his operation. One of those apprentices was Barbara Fisher, who was featured in the Tiger King series.

A young Barabara Fisher with a tiger cub at Doc Antle's Myrtle Beach Safari

From Midwestern Teenager to Tiger Trainer

Born and raised in Ames, Iowa, Fisher started practicing Transcendental Meditation at 16, as a way to cope with her chronic OCD. “I looked up [T.I.G.E.R.S.] on the Internet,” said Fisher. “I was attracted to the fact that [Antle] was a yogi and a vegetarian, and I thought, ‘Well, this must be the place for me.’” She arrived at the compound in 1999, when she was just 19 years old.

Life at Doc Antle’s Myrtle Beach Safari, home to 200 wild animals, was demanding—thanks to 16-hour workdays and no weekends off, according to the documentary. But Bhagavan still found time to lecture his apprentices and employees on the teachings of Satchidananda and take them to private Hatha Yoga classes off-site.

Fisher’s two main responsibilities at the compound were caring for Antle’s small children from a previous marriage and helping to bottle feed newborn tigers, who needed to be fed every three hours.

See also Why Are There So Many Animal Yoga Poses?

Inside the Big Cat “Lifestyle”

Antle had about 12 employees while Fisher worked there, more than half were female, and, according to the documentary, many them had sexual relationships with Antle and were considered “his wives.” Antle contested this in our conversation, saying that he identifies as “single” with a few “girlfriends.”

“We treated him like a guru,” Fisher said. “He expected wholehearted loyalty from his employees at all times.”

One by one, the female apprentices took on spiritual names given to them by Antle. Fisher was renamed “Bala,” which can be translated in Hindi as “female child.” “According to Antle, “Bala” was the name of a nine-year-old goddess. “He did kinda treat me like a child,” she said. “But, I liked it. I love children and I loved childhood.” Shortly thereafter, Fisher had her name legally changed.

See also Is It Ever OK for a Student-Teacher Relationship to Turn Romantic? YJ Investigates

Despite feeling coerced to get breast implants and eventually moving into Antle’s house, Fisher asserts that she never had a sexual relationship with him. However, she admits that he made her deeply uncomfortable on several occasions.

Antle denies any impropriety, and has spoken out publicly about his negative portrayal in the series. He believes that Fisher is living in a “fantasy world.”

“I feel like [Antle’s] connection to either humans or animals are all about what they can do for him. They are all contextual to him,” said Fisher. “When you listen to him talk about people, he talks about their physical attributes, just like the tigers…I don’t think he thinks about their best interest. He only thinks about his agenda.”

See also Learn About Trauma-informed Yoga

Fisher doesn’t mince words. During our 45-minute phone conversation, she called Antle a “psychopath” more than once and compared her experience at T.I.G.E.R.S. to being “in a cult.” She discussed how she needed therapy for PTSD after leaving the compound in 2007. “When you’re in a cult, you can’t use your whole brain. You have to shut down parts of your brain to survive,” she said. “It feels like he was in my head, like he could see my thoughts.”

Fisher credits staying in touch with family and friends for helping her escape the confines of her former life. “They were always there to talk to me. I never felt judged,” she said. “They would tell me the truth, asking why I changed my name or got breast implants, saying ‘this is not you.’ But, I always felt welcome. When I left, they were thrilled.” She believes that several of Doc Antle’s employees who have been there for decades will never leave, because they have no one left or any way to live in the outside world.

Shooting an interview with Barabara Fisher for Tiger King at her home in Iowa

A New Reality

Today, Fisher is a preschool teacher in Iowa, married to her high school crush, Asa Fisher. They have three children. “I took me years to learn how to speak to and interact with people again,” she said. “It still feels weird, because most of my day was spent with animals or the same people.”

She’s working on her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and wants to work with children. “One day, I hope to meet a child that might be like Bhagavan and help them try to feel feelings for people, because I don’t think you can do much when they are an adult,” she said. “But, maybe, when somebody is a little child, they could learn to love in the same capacity normal people do.”

Fisher doesn’t practice yoga anymore, because it causes her anxiety. But, she still loves animals and remains a vegetarian.

Antle, who just turned 60 in March, is still dedicated to his daily practice. “I practice yoga all the time. I meditate all the time,” said Antle. “I have a simple altar set up where I have a yantra. I burn a candle, and I meditate every morning and every night… it can make you feel peaceful, easeful, and useful. That’s all you got to be in life.”

See also 5 Female Gurus to Celebrate Right Now

[cedarrrun]

Former caretaker and yogi at Doc Antle’s T.I.G.E.R.S. sanctuary, Barbara Fisher discusses life before and after the wildly successful Netflix documentary

An addictive mix of mind-blowing, true-crime drama featuring gay and straight polygamists, self-identifying rednecks, a cult leader, and a rotating cast of felons and hitmen, Tiger King’s cast of unstable characters makes for tragically entertaining viewing.

What’s the glue that bonds them together?

The taming and keeping of some of the deadliest big cats on the planet, which, turns out, isn’t such an unusual subculture after all.

Doc Antle posing with his Jaguars Onca and Inca 

In the second episode of Tiger King, we learn more about Bhagavan Kevin Antle, aka Doc Antle, the founder of The Institute for Greatly Endangered or Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S.) based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. A devotee of the popular guru Swami Satchidananda (1914–2002), Antle even resided in Satchidananda’s Integral Yoga ashram in central Virginia in the 80s. The ashram, called Yogaville, is where he kept some of his first tigers and an African elephant named Bubbles who he rescued as a calf. The Swami, the founder of Integral Yoga, was frequently photographed with Antle’s tigers, and they even appeared in parades and public celebrations at Yogaville.

Antle’s roots in Eastern philosophy run deep. His great grandmother was a devotee of Paramahansa Yogananda, the world-famous author of Autobiography of a Yogi and one of the first Indian gurus to travel to the U.S. in the twentieth century. His grandmother dabbled in occult mysticism like tarot and séances, and his mother was a California hippie who embraced, in Antle’s words, the “Woodstock lifestyle.” Antle’s mother named him Bhagavan—loosely translated as “one who is blessed” or “enlightened one.” “We weren’t doing kirtan in the living room or anything,” said Antle in a phone call from his home in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. “But, I found it all very fascinating.”

By the time he was 18 (circa 1978), Antle had completed yoga teacher training with Swami Satchidananda at an Ashram in Connecticut. A year later, he moved to Yogaville. Antle describes Satchidananda as very “hands-on” and “involved” teacher at that time. There was a constant influx of other spiritual leaders and teachers who visited the ashram, including Yogi Bhajan and Thich Nhat Hahn.

According to Antle, whose timeline is a bit hazy, he relocated his animals to Myrtle Beach in 1989, and officially opened up Doc Antle's Myrtle Beach Safari to paying visitors sometime around 1992. He actively recruited “apprentices” to help him run his operation. One of those apprentices was Barbara Fisher, who was featured in the Tiger King series.

A young Barabara Fisher with a tiger cub at Doc Antle's Myrtle Beach Safari

From Midwestern Teenager to Tiger Trainer

Born and raised in Ames, Iowa, Fisher started practicing Transcendental Meditation at 16, as a way to cope with her chronic OCD. “I looked up [T.I.G.E.R.S.] on the Internet,” said Fisher. “I was attracted to the fact that [Antle] was a yogi and a vegetarian, and I thought, ‘Well, this must be the place for me.’” She arrived at the compound in 1999, when she was just 19 years old.

Life at Doc Antle’s Myrtle Beach Safari, home to 200 wild animals, was demanding—thanks to 16-hour workdays and no weekends off, according to the documentary. But Bhagavan still found time to lecture his apprentices and employees on the teachings of Satchidananda and take them to private Hatha Yoga classes off-site.

Fisher’s two main responsibilities at the compound were caring for Antle’s small children from a previous marriage and helping to bottle feed newborn tigers, who needed to be fed every three hours.

See also Why Are There So Many Animal Yoga Poses?

Inside the Big Cat “Lifestyle”

Antle had about 12 employees while Fisher worked there, more than half were female, and, according to the documentary, many them had sexual relationships with Antle and were considered “his wives.” Antle contested this in our conversation, saying that he identifies as “single” with a few “girlfriends.”

“We treated him like a guru,” Fisher said. “He expected wholehearted loyalty from his employees at all times.”

One by one, the female apprentices took on spiritual names given to them by Antle. Fisher was renamed “Bala,” which can be translated in Hindi as “female child.” “According to Antle, “Bala” was the name of a nine-year-old goddess. “He did kinda treat me like a child,” she said. “But, I liked it. I love children and I loved childhood.” Shortly thereafter, Fisher had her name legally changed.

See also Is It Ever OK for a Student-Teacher Relationship to Turn Romantic? YJ Investigates

Despite feeling coerced to get breast implants and eventually moving into Antle’s house, Fisher asserts that she never had a sexual relationship with him. However, she admits that he made her deeply uncomfortable on several occasions.

Antle denies any impropriety, and has spoken out publicly about his negative portrayal in the series. He believes that Fisher is living in a “fantasy world.”

“I feel like [Antle’s] connection to either humans or animals are all about what they can do for him. They are all contextual to him,” said Fisher. “When you listen to him talk about people, he talks about their physical attributes, just like the tigers…I don’t think he thinks about their best interest. He only thinks about his agenda.”

See also Learn About Trauma-informed Yoga

Fisher doesn’t mince words. During our 45-minute phone conversation, she called Antle a “psychopath” more than once and compared her experience at T.I.G.E.R.S. to being “in a cult.” She discussed how she needed therapy for PTSD after leaving the compound in 2007. “When you’re in a cult, you can’t use your whole brain. You have to shut down parts of your brain to survive,” she said. “It feels like he was in my head, like he could see my thoughts.”

Fisher credits staying in touch with family and friends for helping her escape the confines of her former life. “They were always there to talk to me. I never felt judged,” she said. “They would tell me the truth, asking why I changed my name or got breast implants, saying ‘this is not you.’ But, I always felt welcome. When I left, they were thrilled.” She believes that several of Doc Antle’s employees who have been there for decades will never leave, because they have no one left or any way to live in the outside world.

Shooting an interview with Barabara Fisher for Tiger King at her home in Iowa

A New Reality

Today, Fisher is a preschool teacher in Iowa, married to her high school crush, Asa Fisher. They have three children. “I took me years to learn how to speak to and interact with people again,” she said. “It still feels weird, because most of my day was spent with animals or the same people.”

She’s working on her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and wants to work with children. “One day, I hope to meet a child that might be like Bhagavan and help them try to feel feelings for people, because I don’t think you can do much when they are an adult,” she said. “But, maybe, when somebody is a little child, they could learn to love in the same capacity normal people do.”

Fisher doesn’t practice yoga anymore, because it causes her anxiety. But, she still loves animals and remains a vegetarian.

Antle, who just turned 60 in March, is still dedicated to his daily practice. “I practice yoga all the time. I meditate all the time,” said Antle. “I have a simple altar set up where I have a yantra. I burn a candle, and I meditate every morning and every night… it can make you feel peaceful, easeful, and useful. That’s all you got to be in life.”

See also 5 Female Gurus to Celebrate Right Now

[amyddaniels]

The Yoga and Spirituality at the Center of Tiger King

Former caretaker and yogi at Doc Antle’s T.I.G.E.R.S. sanctuary, Barbara Fisher discusses life before and after the wildly successful Netflix documentary

An addictive mix of mind-blowing, true-crime drama featuring gay and straight polygamists, self-identifying rednecks, a cult leader, and a rotating cast of felons and hitmen, Tiger King’s cast of unstable characters makes for tragically entertaining viewing.

What’s the glue that bonds them together?

The taming and keeping of some of the deadliest big cats on the planet, which, turns out, isn’t such an unusual subculture after all.

Doc Antle posing with his Jaguars Onca and Inca 

In the second episode of Tiger King, we learn more about Bhagavan Kevin Antle, aka Doc Antle, the founder of The Institute for Greatly Endangered or Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S.) based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. A devotee of the popular guru Swami Satchidananda (1914–2002), Antle even resided in Satchidananda’s Integral Yoga ashram in central Virginia in the 80s. The ashram, called Yogaville, is where he kept some of his first tigers and an African elephant named Bubbles who he rescued as a calf. The Swami, the founder of Integral Yoga, was frequently photographed with Antle’s tigers, and they even appeared in parades and public celebrations at Yogaville.

Antle’s roots in Eastern philosophy run deep. His great grandmother was a devotee of Paramahansa Yogananda, the world-famous author of Autobiography of a Yogi and one of the first Indian gurus to travel to the U.S. in the twentieth century. His grandmother dabbled in occult mysticism like tarot and séances, and his mother was a California hippie who embraced, in Antle’s words, the “Woodstock lifestyle.” Antle’s mother named him Bhagavan—loosely translated as “one who is blessed” or “enlightened one.” “We weren’t doing kirtan in the living room or anything,” said Antle in a phone call from his home in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. “But, I found it all very fascinating.”

By the time he was 18 (circa 1978), Antle had completed yoga teacher training with Swami Satchidananda at an Ashram in Connecticut. A year later, he moved to Yogaville. Antle describes Satchidananda as very “hands-on” and “involved” teacher at that time. There was a constant influx of other spiritual leaders and teachers who visited the ashram, including Yogi Bhajan and Thich Nhat Hahn.

According to Antle, whose timeline is a bit hazy, he relocated his animals to Myrtle Beach in 1989, and officially opened up Doc Antle's Myrtle Beach Safari to paying visitors sometime around 1992. He actively recruited “apprentices” to help him run his operation. One of those apprentices was Barbara Fisher, who was featured in the Tiger King series.

A young Barabara Fisher with a tiger cub at Doc Antle's Myrtle Beach Safari

From Midwestern Teenager to Tiger Trainer

Born and raised in Ames, Iowa, Fisher started practicing Transcendental Meditation at 16, as a way to cope with her chronic OCD. “I looked up [T.I.G.E.R.S.] on the Internet,” said Fisher. “I was attracted to the fact that [Antle] was a yogi and a vegetarian, and I thought, ‘Well, this must be the place for me.’” She arrived at the compound in 1999, when she was just 19 years old.

Life at Doc Antle’s Myrtle Beach Safari, home to 200 wild animals, was demanding—thanks to 16-hour workdays and no weekends off, according to the documentary. But Bhagavan still found time to lecture his apprentices and employees on the teachings of Satchidananda and take them to private Hatha Yoga classes off-site.

Fisher’s two main responsibilities at the compound were caring for Antle’s small children from a previous marriage and helping to bottle feed newborn tigers, who needed to be fed every three hours.

See also Why Are There So Many Animal Yoga Poses?

Inside the Big Cat “Lifestyle”

Antle had about 12 employees while Fisher worked there, more than half were female, and, according to the documentary, many them had sexual relationships with Antle and were considered “his wives.” Antle contested this in our conversation, saying that he identifies as “single” with a few “girlfriends.”

“We treated him like a guru,” Fisher said. “He expected wholehearted loyalty from his employees at all times.”

One by one, the female apprentices took on spiritual names given to them by Antle. Fisher was renamed “Bala,” which can be translated in Hindi as “female child.” “According to Antle, “Bala” was the name of a nine-year-old goddess. “He did kinda treat me like a child,” she said. “But, I liked it. I love children and I loved childhood.” Shortly thereafter, Fisher had her name legally changed.

See also Is It Ever OK for a Student-Teacher Relationship to Turn Romantic? YJ Investigates

Despite feeling coerced to get breast implants and eventually moving into Antle’s house, Fisher asserts that she never had a sexual relationship with him. However, she admits that he made her deeply uncomfortable on several occasions.

Antle denies any impropriety, and has spoken out publicly about his negative portrayal in the series. He believes that Fisher is living in a “fantasy world.”

“I feel like [Antle’s] connection to either humans or animals are all about what they can do for him. They are all contextual to him,” said Fisher. “When you listen to him talk about people, he talks about their physical attributes, just like the tigers…I don’t think he thinks about their best interest. He only thinks about his agenda.”

See also Learn About Trauma-informed Yoga

Fisher doesn’t mince words. During our 45-minute phone conversation, she called Antle a “psychopath” more than once and compared her experience at T.I.G.E.R.S. to being “in a cult.” She discussed how she needed therapy for PTSD after leaving the compound in 2007. “When you’re in a cult, you can’t use your whole brain. You have to shut down parts of your brain to survive,” she said. “It feels like he was in my head, like he could see my thoughts.”

Fisher credits staying in touch with family and friends for helping her escape the confines of her former life. “They were always there to talk to me. I never felt judged,” she said. “They would tell me the truth, asking why I changed my name or got breast implants, saying ‘this is not you.’ But, I always felt welcome. When I left, they were thrilled.” She believes that several of Doc Antle’s employees who have been there for decades will never leave, because they have no one left or any way to live in the outside world.

Shooting an interview with Barabara Fisher for Tiger King at her home in Iowa

A New Reality

Today, Fisher is a preschool teacher in Iowa, married to her high school crush, Asa Fisher. They have three children. “I took me years to learn how to speak to and interact with people again,” she said. “It still feels weird, because most of my day was spent with animals or the same people.”

She’s working on her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and wants to work with children. “One day, I hope to meet a child that might be like Bhagavan and help them try to feel feelings for people, because I don’t think you can do much when they are an adult,” she said. “But, maybe, when somebody is a little child, they could learn to love in the same capacity normal people do.”

Fisher doesn’t practice yoga anymore, because it causes her anxiety. But, she still loves animals and remains a vegetarian.

Antle, who just turned 60 in March, is still dedicated to his daily practice. “I practice yoga all the time. I meditate all the time,” said Antle. “I have a simple altar set up where I have a yantra. I burn a candle, and I meditate every morning and every night… it can make you feel peaceful, easeful, and useful. That’s all you got to be in life.”

See also 5 Female Gurus to Celebrate Right Now