#egg is new years dove is valentines
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
i genuinely cant think of a caption uhhhhhhh holnday
Left to right from first image to last: Egg (she/her), Dove (he/him), Eclair (he/him), Circus (she/her), Easter (he/him), Victoria (she/her) and Milon (he/him)
#my art#original#egg#dove#eclair#circus#easter#victoria#milon#the theme for this set is holidays#egg is new years dove is valentines#i actually originally was gonna do my oc dove for st patricks day but i just couldnt draw/design her at all#so i chose between scarlet also for st patricks day or eclair for ides of march and put them in a poll#eclair won obviously#circus is april fools take a guess for easter victoria is halloween and milon is christmas#tho tbh he first more with winter hunt the thing christmas replaced#idk why milon took me so long i had the others done for quite a while but it took me two fuckin weeks to do milon for some reason lmao#i do think its funny how simple easter looks compared to the others lol#hes just a guy who happens to have pastel blood and is functionally immortal#victoria and milon were definitely the hardest tho dove also gave me quite a lot of difficulty
16 notes
·
View notes
Photo
In the World of Animal Courtship, These Males Go to Extremes Each afternoon, as the sun begins to lower over the tropical rainforests of Central and South America, the male greater sac-winged bat wakes up and gets to work. Clinging upside-down to the side of a cave or a tree cavity, he folds his three-inch body in half like a hairpin, sucking up a few drops of urine before quickly transferring it into the eponymous pouches on his wings. Then, he bends forward again, this time pressing a gland on his chest against his penis, creating a cocktail of secretions he also deposits into his wing sacs. For about an hour or so he does this—slurping up bodily fluids and stirring them together—until both pouches are full of a truly heady perfume. “It smells rancid,” says Barbara Caspers, a behavioral ecologist at University of Bielefeld in Germany who has studied the flying mammal. “It’s a strong mixture of licorice and musk.” The motive behind this rank mixology? Love. Well, the bat version, anyway. The aroma wafting from the bat’s wings acts like a dating profile, communicating information about his age, genetics, and fitness to prospective mates. During a two-week mating season in December, the male greater sac-winged bat will use his pocket potion to lure new females into his harem. But all year long, Caspers says, the male hovers before his harem each day, giving them a whiff of the urine-laced concoction. “It seems like a greeting ritual,” she explains. The greater sac-winged bat is just one of many species where males find mates by going to extremes that we definitely do not recommend trying at home. North American porcupine courtship, for example, is also a urine-soaked ritual. Every November, when the trees lose their leaves in the deciduous forests these rodents call home, the usually solitary female begins to secrete a thick mucus in her urine, a siren call of sorts, that tells nearby males she’s nearly ready to mate. Typically, a number of suitors come calling and duke it out in violent, raucous wrestling matches—wielding claws, quills, and jagged incisors—for the chance to procreate. But winning this battle royale is only the beginning. The victorious male porcupine must then track his lady around the woods for days, patiently waiting for the eight-hour window when she is fertile. To get her in the mood, the male will lurch toward her with an erect penis and spray her with urine. If she’s not yet in heat, the female porcupine will respond by screaming and running away. When the time is right, however, she’ll react to the dousing by laying down her quills and lifting up her rear end for a few minutes of copulation. Rather than drenching his date, the male white-spotted pufferfish, which lives in the turquoise water off the coast of southern Japan’s Amami Ōshima, expresses his intentions through art. For years, scientists were perplexed by intricate, mandala-like designs made on the seafloor from bits of shells and coral. As it turns out, the artist behind these underwater crop circles was the three-inch pufferfish, which spends about six weeks creating the giant valentine in the hopes of attracting a mate. When the right girl swims along, she’ll provide the finishing touch: a pile of eggs right in the middle of his masterpiece. The male white bellbird also makes a big gesture—or at least a big noise—for love. This dove-sized bird, which flits about the misty cloud forests of Brazil and Venezuela, holds the world record for the loudest bird call ever documented. “It’s the opposite of what a Valentine’s Day serenade should be,” says Jeff Podos, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Massachusetts and a member of the research team that first measured the call’s volume. “It’s so freaking loud.” So loud, in fact, that when Podos visited Brazil to record the white bellbird, he heard it from the parking lot of his hotel—a staggering mile away from the bird’s habitat. “We thought we were hallucinating,” he says. Podos and his colleagues eventually clocked the courting call—which he likens to the start signal at a swim meet—at 125 decibels, a volume on par with a rock concert or race car. Incredibly, the female bellbird takes in her suitor’s performance from mere inches away. Scientists still aren’t sure how the object of the bellbird’s call can be so close without experiencing hearing damage. “We just don’t get it,” Podos says. Then again, females can react unpredictably to males’ best efforts. The male nursery web spider, for example, tries but often fails to woo a sweetheart with a present. Entomologists can’t agree if the long-legged arachnid brings a so-called “nuptial gift”—typically a dead fly or ant wrapped up in silk—as a romantic gesture or a hedge against being eaten himself, but either way, the female isn’t easily impressed. If his gift is rejected, the male spider will try again, rewrapping his gift and adding extra pheromones to his silk to make it irresistible, a tactic that is often successful. While his lady enjoys a meal, the gift-giving spider enjoys a mating session. It might technically not be a gift, but the male argonaut octopus does give his intended something memorable: his detachable penis. The male octopus, a tiny cephalopod found in the tropics, has a handy tentacle full of sperm that it can simply hand to the much larger female. It’s called a hectocotylus and, for a long time, scientists thought this tentacle—which they typically recovered once it had been emptied of its sperm—was a worm. (The female also possesses special tentacles: two arms that secrete calcite, which she uses to build a distinctive spiral-shaped shell for protecting her eggs as she moves about the open ocean.) While a female argonaut will have many mates in her lifetime, the limited data available suggests the male is not so lucky. It’s likely that, soon after he gives away his heart—and his penis—the male argonaut perishes. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/animal-courtship-mating-extremes
0 notes
Text
Available as of 11/3/20
Oh, hey, it’s Tuesday again!
You know what that means!
Yep!
Time to post about adult birds that are presently available, and peeps yet to be spoken for!
Mia 10/23/20 2 Years Old Old Dutch Capuchine x Old German Owl Sooty Ash Red T-Pattern Check bald head Cock Sired by Ferdi out of Astrid 10/23/18 Bred by The Ramsey Loft Vaccinated 7/29/20 for Paratyphoid/Salmonella Vaccinated 3/17/20 for PMV Retired $30
Mia has gotten to be a bit of a loft problem and has had to come into quarantine to prevent him from disrupting my breeding pairs.
He is, like most cocks raised in a flock, not a pet-me bird, but that doesn’t mean he dislikes people.
He needs to be an only cock, and go to a home where he will be strictly hatch controlled.
He may have a mate, ad he’d probably make a good foster day but any eggs he fills need to be swapped with fakes to prevent him hatching any more children.
His daughter died very young of Peritoneal Cancer, and I want to avoid that happening again.
Luxotica 7/14/20 July Update Racing Homer Blue Bar splash Sired by Nameless out of Unnamed 6/28/19 Bred by Don Sellers Accepted as a trade for David 9/20/19 Vaccinated 1/29/20 for Paratyphoid/Salmonella Vaccinated 3/17/20 for PMV Retired Loft/breeding bird. $40 Available for reservation. Will be able to travel either after he egg candles empty, or her peep weans.
Luxotica is extremely skittish and would be happiest as a loft bird.
Lilly 8/24/20 1 Year Old ODC-OGO-STRH x Racing Homer White Cock Sired by Wookie out of David 8/24/19 Bred by The Ramsey Loft Vaccinated 1/29/20 for Paratyphoid/Salmonella Vaccinated 3/17/20 for PMV Retired Companion $50 Available for reservation Will be able to travel either after his egg candles empty or his peep weans
Extremely human friendly.
(Fingers crossed, every one, Luxie and Lilly may have a home lined up together)
Ellie 9/3/20 1 Year Old Lahore/Modena x VSC/Frillback/OGO Dirty Ash Red bar hen Sired by Sissy out of Valentine 9/3/19 Bred by The Ramsey Loft Vaccinated 7/29/20 for Paratyphoid/Salmonella Vaccinated 3/17/20 for PMV Retired Companion $50
Ellie likes people, but prefers to visit on her on terms and is not so much a cuddler or a vibe-buddy as a “Heywhatchadoingthat’sneatIgotstufftodobye!” land on your shoulder, steal a kiss, and resume doing her own thing kind of bird.
She and Vynni have a vicious rivalry with Emillio and Tandy, that she has been too caught up in to attempt any more clutches.
Away from her rivals, she’s a devoted mother and could either be a pet or continue as a brood hen in another loft.
Cody 11/3/20 1 Year Old COF-Racing Homer x Frillback-Giant Homer Pied Almond Brown T-pattern het Grizzle, toy stencil and frill stencil cock Sired by Betty out of Hagrid 11/3/19 Bred by The Ramsey Loft Vaccinated 1/29/20 for Paratyphoid/Salmonella Vaccinated 3/17/20 for PMV Retired Companion/Breeder $50 His wife is on a fertile egg due on the 6th. He will be able to travel when the baby weans.
Cody is practically famous both for his bold friendliness and devotion to his wife and kids.
Now that Thistle has come of age, Cody is the only cock whose structure I dislike.
His muffs are just long enough to alter the way he walks and make him slightly uncomfortable, which makes them too long for my liking.
He is as friendly as he is gorgeous and would make a lovely house pet, though acclimating to an enclosure and being away from a flock may be a bit of a learning curve.
Paired with a clean legged, slipper muffed, or grouse muffed hen, he could continue to be a fantastic stud.
James 11/2/20 14 Weeks Old Eurasian Collared dove cock Surrendered 8/24/20 Attacked by an animal. (Most likely a puppy) Right wing severed at the wrist. James is very skittish, but partially free-roam trained in a safe room. He is now travel safe and available for adoption.
Lyndon 10/21/20 5 Months Old Feral Blue bar cock Arrived by mail 10/21/20 Initial PMV and Paratyphoid Vaccines administered 10/21/20
Quarantine ends 11/18/20
Lyndon is a GLPR pigeon whose adopter concluded that they were unable to care for him the way he needed.
GLPR had paused their shipping until after the election as a safety precaution in case the vast sea of expected mail in ballots had caused any delays that might effect livestock.
He has two weeks left in quarantine as of tomorrow, and will get his boosters next Wednesday.
We will be in touch with GLPR regarding who to contact about him until quarantine ends.
Frito 11/1/20 7 Weeks Old COF-RH-FB-GH x COF-RH Almond pied Ash Red check cock Sired by Cody out of Rigby 9/13/20 Bred by The Ramsey Loft Initial PMV and Paratyphoid vaccines administered 10/25/20 Companion Available for Reservation Ready 11/15/20
Frito will load up and tolerates a harness, but he doesn’t like being harnessed, and tries to avoid me if he thinks that’s what we’re doing.
If he’s sure it isn’t, though, he likes to get on my knee to loaf or one-foot.
Ethyl 10/31/20 5 Weeks Old COF-Racing Homer x Frillback-Giant Homer Brown Check hen Sired by Betty out of Hagrid 9/26/20 Bred by The Ramsey Loft Companion Available for Reservation Ready 11/28/20
Ethyl is tolerant of stepping up, but as her feet are very tender and she’s still a little clumsy, she doesn’t like it, which makes therapy training stressful.
She likes my lap when the adults don’t run her off, and while she’s a little more reserved than most of our recent hens have been, she’ll make some one either a very chill room mate or a lovely project bird.
Though we prefer local pick up, shipping is available anywhere with in the continental US. A new crate is $10. I will need your zip code to calculate postage.
Yes, I am aware of the delays to postal service and the losses of reptiles and hatchery chicks.
Livestock does not go through the sorting machines. They are moved by hand.
Reptiles are not usually shipped in boxes that look different from regular mail, so they can be easily lost by overwhelmed staff.
Hatchery chicks are shipped out before they have a first meal because it’s cheaper to replace them if they die than feed them for a week.
The crates made for pigeons and other legal poultry are designed around bird physiology and air thermodynamics, keeping the birds cool and asleep most of the trip. They are not shaped like the average box used for shipping inanimate objects, and they stand out like a sore thumb, making them harder to misplace or lose track of. Healthy Pigeons over 6 weeks old who start the journey well hydrated are comfortably travel safe up to 7 days.
For more information about our available birds or to be added to the waiting list for a future peep that may better fit your temperament and house hold environment, we can be contacted most easily by email at [email protected]
31 notes
·
View notes
Text
━♡ guess the 23 YEAR OLD FEBRUARY baby just arrived to dallyeog! it makes sense, because CHU EUNHA is just as BEDAZZLING as the month of FEBRUARY. wait, why do they remind me of JACOB BAE? beyond that, they seemed JOYOUS and SAVVY upon first glance. i heard someone say they’re sort of DELICATE and QUIXOTIC though. i hope they get acquainted here in COMPLEX 1 / APARTMENT 0215 / FLOOR 3 ; HE seem(s) to have a lot going on with HIS job as a PATISSERIE OWNER/NUTRITIONAL SCIENCE STUDENT. ( ez, 21, she/they, gmt. )
well hey there !! im ez but you fellow dallyeogers can call me ezzy, i have been in dallyeog before so some may remember me as having someone v different to my new bb i bring u now, i joined before with miss tam carmen !! anygays i return with this lil angel who i am all ‘ i say that’s my baby and i’m proud ’ over already even tho i literally came up with him like two days ago. you can find his pinboard here ( which btw i fuckeN love like he’s so aesthetic to me u go king ) and i made him a lil playlist which u can vibe to here. you can learn more about him under the cut but he’s a super soft-hearted gentle dove of a muse and quite...simple for me ?? sdhdh that’s not the right wording but U GET IT djjflg he isn’t super full of angst or trauma he’s just kinda viBIN livin his best life so that’s fun !! but ye without further ado:
so as u kno from his app he owns a patisserie, it’s his lil babey and he is very dedicated to his craft and makin sure all his ideas for the place and the baked goods he sells are like rlly quirky and avant-garde. like he is so passionate about it u dont even KNOW, he tries to make sure most of the stuff on his menu is something like fun and new u wouldn’t get at just any old patisserie or cafe and that it’s super varied and also kinda aesthetic af? the place is very like trendy. it’s called patisserie d’elysian cause ya know he’s an extra biTCHH and proud.
he has three pupperino’s. all as adorable as each other, snickerdoodle is his golden lab and often ppl shorten it down to snickers, butterscotch is his dapple daschund pup, shortens the name to scotchie often. toulouse is his fancy toy poodle boi, shortens the name down as toto. if u are on the shortened name basis with his pups then u can consider urself one of his close pals.
he’s actually adopted by his aunt but she raised him like she was his mother so that is what he considers her, she’s on his mother’s side but they are half-siblings. in terms of first name reasoning as well she just liked eunha as a name and didn’t even think about how it is traditionally for a female, she liked that it meant gift from heaven so it stuck. his father is still around, he’s just quite elderly so it felt like a better living situation for him to be raised primarily by his auntie. unfortunately his mother has passed on but no tragic story, she just went peacefully in old age.
he dyes his hair quite often, it’s currently like a really pastel blue with black streaks consistently throughout like lil ones so it looks super cool. but he’s also had it be a more electric blue, lilac, and a duck egg kinda faded silvery blue. it’s naturally dark brunette. has brown eyes kind of a hazel hue.
his style is kinda androgynous ig?? he just lives for soft retro fashion, lots of color in his wardrobe but also lots of tapered short and t-shirt fits frequented, sweater vests, rolled up jeans, high skater boi socks, soft jumpers with shirts, shirts in bright colours or satiny texture worn over plain white t-shirts, cardigans, pastel denim jackets, jeans with printed patterns on like clouds, flowers etc, favors yellow and blues. sometimes does eye makeup, occasionally wears heels bc he’s a baddie or super heeled boots/chunky shoes.
obsessed with music, can play violin and guitar. he’s a big mitski and rina sawayama fanatic, likes anything that sounds peaceful or calming or has like a good fun vibe to it. also likes the trademark gay icons like carly rae jepsen, lorde, etc. he’s not ashamed. obsessed with mamma mia movies. but also likes rap which is rlly funny cause its like the bad bitch female rappers only and like he’ll listen to it while arranging his sock drawer or making his bed or something ajdjdj it’s like hype anthems for being a baddie and a hoe and he’s just doing his night sleepy routine adkfkf.
showers, blankets, music, baked goods especially bagels are his happy places.
very much a sensitive lil romanticist, falls in ‘love’ like five times a day, he just likes to giggle and smile around pretty people and admire the artwork hnghdh, he’s like yeARNS though ya know?? like he’s all i will flirt by making prolonged eye contact, i made you a playlist, this song makes me think of you etc. it’s either memes as flirting with him or elaborate love letters u never know what ur gonna get akdkd.
awful sense of humour, loves his friends more than anything on earth except his pups, would fully live in a huge house of just like his pups and all his closest buds for all eternity. likes fruits way too much, enjoys puns about fruits way too much. milkshakes, sushi, orange hues and bus rides are some of his absolute favorite simple pleasures of life. clouds, flowers, salt lamps, the sunrise over the sea, skateboarding, fresh soda, teddy bears, busy street markets, parasols, fish tanks with exotic fish, sorbet, bike riding, polaroids, record players, rain at night against floor to ceiling windows with a fresh steaming pot of tea on the desk beside it and warm fresh sheets from the laundry on his bed, ponds, skateboarding. all little joys in life that give him like the biggest pleasure dopamine hit in the world.
his cousin actually owns a florists so he has flowers just littering his apartment like a lot and it just looks like he has ten million suitors from the late eighteenth century attempting to court him but no all these flowers are from him to him or worse from his aunt djfjg she sends him some for valentines every valentines, pls help him, pls send him flowers.
studies nutritional science and he fucken hates it. do not ask him shit cause he doesn’t KNOW OKAY? he doesn’t understand it either. he took it because he needed something to go alongside the passion for baking that was a real ‘qualification’/job so that is the only reason he’s doing it. no point doing a baking degree after all when he’s already a baker with a business, he’s super young still he gotta keep his prospects open. so YAH. he’d rather be doing culinary arts but eh. nutritional science sounded better and more logic based. the real miracle is he still gets top grades all the time even tho he spends his life like wtf am i even doing is this even legit akdkdk. school is the worst thing in the world for him watch his mood instantly deflate the second its brought up.
despite being a quixotic, he’s a lil afraid of intimacy. like oh god does he love it, those small touches and acts of affection u kno? the subtle things that normally go unnoticed, eye contact, brushing of hands, linking of little fingers, rubbing a thumb, kissing eyelids or foreheads or palms or shoulders in little gentle pecks, back massages and rubs or finger tracing patterns absent-minded, shoulder massages, laying your head on someone’s shoulder or on their lap, knocking knees together, exchanging a small glance only the two of you get before bursting into laughter, smiling into kisses, napping together, having blankets placed over you warm and fresh, or towels put ready like it, someone making you something they know you like a lot. that’s his sHIT. but like he’s terrified still, someone skimming their fingers on his skin makes his breath hitch like he’s a scandalized and alarmingly aroused victorian woman sjdjd. he’s literally still a virgin, he hasn’t even had his first kiss okay my baby is delicate be gentle with him akdkd but he still LIKES PASSION AIGHT kfkf.
real soft spoken, honey tinted voice like i shit u not this boy talks like he’s an angel sent from heavens above to guide you to the paradisaical garden of eden or some shit akdkd. ur gonna fall in love with eunha’s voice before u even fall in love with any other part of him like his adorable beaming smile or stunning eyes akdkf.
has dance parties around his room when getting ready in the morning, listens to bella’s lullaby unironically yes from twilight yes u heard right, bit of a himbo streak sometimes in his obliviousness djfjf. quite silently subtly funny actually much like jacob himself.
he is gay, afraid of driving, cannot do math, blanks out often and he is valid for all of those things. has a collection of cartoon and disney animal movie dvds. has a dream notebook. always has blue painted nails in some kinda shade.
does not enjoy turning in assignments bc he is scared he’ll fail, avoids looking at his grades for weeks after they’re released and hates knowing that they’re out.
cannot dance, dances often. collects vintage stuff esp clothes and mostly sweaters. likes midnight trips to corner stores and fields where he can just lay and look at the stars. makes friends rlly easily but has super bad performance anxiety. cannot ever have a messy room like even the tiniest bit messy. even like clothes being stacked on a chair instead of away.
bakes peanut butter, banana and choc chip muffins (they r called monkey bites normally) whenever he’s super stressed. if u want to cheer him up when he’s anxious or stressed then u should give him french lavender honey, chia seeds and caramelized pear on toast/bagel. it is his comfort food. he fancii when he needs a pick me up. treat urself and all that.
#dallyeog:intro#i'm literally in love with him he's the softest most goodest boi muse i have ever made and i just#im that meme of the samari sword guy with the cat in his arms akfkfk#IVE ONLY HAD EUNHA FOR TWO DAYS BUT IF ANYONE HURTS HIM I WILL KILL THEM AND THEN MYSELF AKKDK
17 notes
·
View notes
Text
Haven Hotel: That’s Disengagement!
A princess with long black wavy hair walked out onto a high balcony. She wore a black undershirt with a white bow tie on top. A dark teal shirt, long white pants and white high heel shoes completed the look. Her face was pale white and teal blushes were present on her cheeks. Her eyes consisted of white pupils and dark blue sclera. Perched on her head was a black spiked crown. She was the inverted, antithesis of Charlie, the princess of Hell in a parallel world.
“For all my life, I’ve been taught that all angels have good inside them. But I know that to be a lie. Ever since Lucifer and Lilith, God’s closest angels betrayed Him… I don’t think I can believe in these flawed teachings anymore…”
The princess was Coerciona Egnam, Coercia for short. She was born and raised in Heaven…though she was not at all one would expect her to be in such a place. Self-entitled and pessimistic, nothing much could cheer her up except heavy metal music, rebelling against the rules and the occasional brawl.
“It makes sense that only a worthy few are able to be here in Heaven. Choosing them out of the sea of sinner scum. Yet ironically, even the saints and Heaven-born aren’t flawless all the time. It’s inevitable that all those imperfect beings will go to Hell. They deserve to deal with suffering and challenges. Best of all, they wouldn’t be bound by social expectations. Heck, I wouldn’t be too surprised if it were me. I do enjoy my comfortable life here, just not these restrictions.”
Her servants Pub and Chub were fat white naked cherubs with horns on their heads, small white feathery wings, and black eyes. One tested the strings on an electric guitar while the other shot out torpedoes from a small cannon.
Outside was a white clock tower standing tall against the blue sky. The numbers read 0 then changed to 365 days. Writing above the numbers read “Days until the next cleanse in Hell.”
The black Exorcists did their job in eliminating part of the demon population in 2P Hell like they did every year in the canon Hell. But at the same time each year, the Anti-Exorcists, risen white demons with white bat wings and horns, invaded 2P Heaven. They carried glowing black pitchforks and turned innocent denizens into demons. The Anti-Exorcists would carry books and tempt angels with their innermost desires. Sex, sin, self-expression, sorcery, whatever that need was. Then, once they were hooked, they were stabbed with the pitchforks, causing their wings to burn off and sending them plummeting down to Hell. Nearby families would grieve at their loss.
It was quite the entertaining show for Princess Coercia!
Coercia leaned against the marble balcony and began to sing in a low growl.
(“I’m Always Evading Shadows”)
“At the end of the journey, there’s suffering
Denying it, how often I’ve tried
But my life’s a disgrace
Just a slap in the face
And the harsh truths have all been denied”
“A sliver of despair in this world of light
I know this world’s not free of sin
I search for the good
But get misunderstood
And reality will always win”
“Why have I always been imperfect?
Lost in this brainwashed sea
I wonder if the world’s to blame
I wonder if it could be me”
“I’m always evading shadows
Trapped, drowning in the social flow
Free-will forbidden, my answers are hidden
Lying down below”
“Some people sugarcoat their speeches
I always blab out what I mean
I may be cruel but I am no fool
Things are never what they seem
Believe me”
“I’m always evading shadows
Waiting for people to awaken
In vain”
A nearby portal opened and out came the Exterminators, bloodstains over their wings and bodies and harpoons. They took off their creepy LED masks, their white angelic faces revealed. One by one, the citizens clapped and cheered. One of the Archangels with four black wings flew up to the front, his spiked halo glowing. He took off his mask, revealing a white stern face with yellow eyes and short black hair. In his utility belt were a few daggers, whips, chains and a bottle of emergency holy water.
“Another successful purge,” their leader Samael (Venom of God) praised. “You cleansed more sinners while still keeping the population in a good balance. Well done, all of you.” He cleared his throat and made a cross symbol over his heart. “For the greater good in the name of our Lord.”
The angels repeated the phrase.
“Until next year. Dismissed.” The Archangel soldiers saluted and then flew off separately to see their families. Several of the angels, having been brainwashed in their Exterminator states, shook their heads sadly at what they had done.
All around Coercia, Holy City was basked in a heavenly glow. The city was located up in the sky among the clouds, but no one had to worry about falling, even the ones without their wings out. A large church with the appearance of the Notre Dame Cathedral stood proudly in the city square, made of polished marble. Choirs and songs floated through the stained glass windows as the regular angels went in and out to pray and visit with their neighbors. A large fountain sprouted non-alcoholic wine of a golden color. It had a white statue of Mary and Jesus as a young boy at the top, both with welcoming faces.
The streets were spotless and clean. Roofs and roads were powered by the sun’s rays. The Cloud 9 supermarket had endless amounts of food for sale…no one ever had to worry about going hungry. Charity workers and volunteers worked by the dozens, passing out food and bestowing miracles for those who needed them in the lower levels of Heaven. Metatron, the highest ranking angel, was busy keeping records of human lives, deaths and the messages of God.
This version of Heaven was very similar to the Heaven in the realm next door, the one above the familiar Hell with the Hazbin Hotel. The architecture was almost the same. But unlike those angels with their blonde hair and red blushes, these angels most often had black hair and teal blushes on their pale cheeks. Like in the other Heaven, some of the bipedal angels displayed animal-like characteristics: some had heads of doves, others had swan wings and mannerisms. Many of them had fur, ears, and fluffy tails of dogs and wolves. It was the only place where dogs and cats could dance and prance together without conflict. Still a few others had faces of flowers or even objects like harps and musical instruments.
God’s Palace was the grandest place of all: it was settled at the highest point of Heaven like Mount Olympus. Only a few angels were allowed to visit there. God’s abode, the Empyrean, had an elite group of angels guarding it. Seraph angels with six fiery rainbow wings guarded the throne of God, chanting “Holy, holy, holy!” much to the annoyance to those nearby. There were rumors that in the palace gardens, the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge were grown there, heavily protected.
Lucius and Lilian were Coercia’s parents, those who took the place of Lucifer and Lilith after they were banished. They were named the new king and queen of heaven (Under God and a few Archangels), thus Coercia became the princess.
Lucius had a white face, teal blushes on his cheeks and short dark hair. Lucius wore a gray suit with a dark blue bow tie and a black top hat with two white feathers attacked to the brim. Lilian’s hair was long and black, and she too had the teal blushes and typical angel features. She wore a golden halo crown and an elegant white sequined dress. Both had white wings which could turn black when they were angry or defensive.
In a nearby movie studio, Valentine the butterfly producer, Nil the TV angel and Ashen, the doll angel sat together playing a board game. Despite liking old fashioned shows and the like, they still controlled much of Heaven’s technology and media. Iris, owner of an emporium, cried as she crossed out the name of her former female colleague, Francesca.
Along the street, a red car stopped beside the sidewalk. A tall creature opened the car door and stepped out. The spider angel had a furry dark gray face and body, plus multiple slender arms: six in total. He wore tall boots, green gloves and a shirt with a teal bow-tie near the top. His shirt and sleeves had black and dark green stripes. Green dots resembling eyes were located under his eyes.
“Thank you for the ride,” said the spider angel.
“No problem, Devil Grit,” said the driver Sivart, a white furry owl guy wearing a top hat. He tipped his hat to him and drove away.
Devil Grit walked over to a vending machine and bought himself a granola bar. He then gave it to a homeless guy leaning against the wall.
He walked inside a building and onto a stage in an auditorium. His opponent was already standing nervously at his spot, a microphone rising from the ground and stopping in front of him.
Sir Anguis was the nervous white snake. He had a white face with large slightly teal eyes with white pupils. He wore a white bow tie with a blue circle in the center below his thin neck. Surrounding his face on a flap of skin were bright teal eyes against dark purple. His suit was light gray with dark purple vertical stripes. Finally, he wore a large light gray top hat with a large green moving eye in the center.
The crowd settled into their seats and the debate began.
“Those other brave do gooders will do great with helping me with my presentation. Anyone want to try?”
A couple of hands shot up. Mechanical eggs on robotic legs moved around to help out the white snake lord.
“Oh thank you, my Nestlings,” he said.
Air Anguis pushed a button and a presentation showed up on a screen titled “Heaven Economics and Invention Ideas.”
“I don’t like to fight,” Sir Anguis said, clearing his throat, “and I’m super nervous up here…”
The Nestlings rolled their eyes.
Devil Grit glared at his cowardly opponent who then yelped, “Don’t look at me like that!”
“Heaven doesn’t need any future technology,” Devil Grit argued as he stepped to his podium, “because we already have better things: friendships, food, and fun.”
Sir Anguis glanced down nervously at his note cards and read from them. “At this rate I will persuade the entire East end of Holy City by night’s beginning. Or was it day’s end? And nothing, not a single beauty in this paradise of bliss, will be able to change my mind or escape the constrictive grasp of persuasive argumentation.”
“Heaven will be ours, though it’s mine in my mind. And everybody will know the name of…”
“Scared Snake,” said a female voice.
“W-who said that?” Sir Anguis asked.
“You ready for a debate, old man?”
The voice belonged to Berri Blossom, the opposite of Cherri Bomb in Hell. She was a tall cyclops with black skin, with a single green eye with a black cross in the center. She wore a long dark green dress and white high heeled shoes. Her black skin was decorated in some areas near her shoulders with tiny teal specks. Her long hair was curly, blue at the top and black near the bottom. She pushed her thin dark rimmed glasses up to her face, looking at her organized set of notes in front of her.
She walked over beside her academic partner Devil Grit. “Why don’t you play with your tinker toys somewhere else while I go over the logistics of divine law school?” She looked professional and poised. “Seven Reasons Why Heavenly Traditions Never Fail.”
“You want to go, madam?” Sir Anguis asked, a spark of rebellion in him. He fiddled with a few gadgets before the well-dressed Nestling eggs…egged him on to continue. He flicked his hood back. “Well, let the battle for tenure and status begin!”
A neon logo appeared on the screen, saying “777 News” surrounded by a halo. The names of the news cast appeared on the bottom of the screen.
“Good afternoon, Holy City!” smiled a pale woman with short black hair, wearing a light blue dress. “I’m Catie Carejoy!”
“And I’m Ron Wrench!” said the man next to her, wearing a business suit and who had a wrench for a head.
After discussing the weather, various humane societies, and legends on Earth, Catie continued, “The debate battle is underway between inventor and coward Sir Anguis and professional economics expert Berri Blossom. Coming up next, we have an exclusive interview with the daughter of His Majesty Lucius, who’s here to discuss her brand new passion-project! All that and more after the break!”
Inside the break room, Phalla the romantic butterfly angel adjusted Coercia’s white bow tie. Nearby, a blue tinted sign read “No smoking.” Another sign read “In The Air” in large letters.
“Okay, you remember what to say?” Phalla asked Coercia.
“Yes, I’m ready,” Coercia stated.
Phalla brushed her long black hair from her face, the ends of her black hair teal. Like Vaggie in Hell, Phalla’s thick hair extended down to her legs, giving her hair the appearance of moth wings. She had a glowing green cross over her right eye and her left eye was purple with a white pupil. A teal bow was perched on top of her head. Her skin was light gray and she wore a dark gray crop top with white Xs over her breasts. She also wore leggings, her right legging striped dark green and light gray, her left legging light gray.
“Oh this is gonna be great!” Phalla squealed happily. “How about you make your speech sound more exciting?”
“Come on, Phalla, I know what I’m going to say,” Coercia answered, crossing her arms.
Phalla walked over to the pitcher of ambrosia punch on the table. Pub and Chub ate bagels from the table. Phalla got an idea. “Oh! What if you…”
“Sing a song about it?” Coercia asked, with a roll of her eyes. “I’m not going to. This is serious!” She curled her hand into a fist and brought it down on the palm of her other hand. “They won’t take me serious if I start belting out some random song. Life isn’t a musical.”
“But neither is it an emo tragedy,” Phalla pointed out. “Life is great, especially with all the cute guys around.” Her single purple eye shinned.
“Romance, bleh,” Coercia made a face and Phalla giggled.
“Hey,” Phalla brightened, pulling out a piece of paper. “I have some ideas about what you could say.” She bounced up and down. “The highlighted bits are the best parts!”
“They’re all highlighted,” Coercia replied, scanning the paper. “You call your childish drawing your ideas for me?”
“Sure!” Phalla said. “Look here.” It showed a list of different terms “sinners = winners” “Misunderstood are still good” and “demons and angels party between worlds!” Skulls were lined up at the bottom of the page: “we’re all connected by death.”
“Say, that’s actually pretty good!” Coercia said with a smile of sharp teeth.
“Thanks!” Phalla beamed.
Coercia snatched the piece of paper from her friend and tore it in half, much to her shock. “But you should know my ideas are always better.” She tossed the pieces of paper aside, gave a salute and walked out the door.
Catie waved with a smile. “Hi. I’m Catie Carejoy.” She held out her hand but Coercia didn’t take it, instead remarking, “You can put that away. I don’t touch commoners, I have standards.” Catie, looked stunned, pulling her hand back. “So this project of yours, when did you come up with this idea of creating a hotel in order to…break the law as the rumors say?”
The angel crew murmured nervously.
“I’m gonna keep this short,” Coercia said as she walked over to the desk. “You might think my idea doesn’t hold water, but that doesn’t matter to me. I’m too influential to give a flying feather about what some stuffy old news lady thinks of my proposal.”
The crowd gasped. Ron shook his head.
“Well, if you can’t take constructive criticism and be polite…”
“…and we’re live!” called a voice as a buzzer sounded.
“And we’re back!” Catie said, rushing over into her seat. “So, Carrie…”
“It’s Princess Coerciona Egnam,” said Coercia, sitting in a chair beside her and Ron Wrench.
“Sorry. So tell us about your project.”
Coercia took a deep breath. “As most of you know, I was born here in Heaven, and growing up, I’ve always tried to see the good in everything around me. But recently, I don’t believe that’s always the case. We just completed another Extermination. So many sinful souls lost but for what reason? God said in the Commandments “thou shall not kill,” yet killing random people is okay? If we can’t even trust ourselves with our actions and thoughts, is Heaven truly paradise? Not to mention that ever since Lucifer and Lilith betrayed Him, we don’t know who to really trust. Some people are given too many chances!” She pounded her fist on the desk, startling Catie.
Coercia stood up and made her way forward. “No one is truly flawless. Mistakes are made, but we get blamed for doing things we sometimes enjoy. Sex, drugs, partying, swearing, even violence. All because we don’t live up to impossible standards imposed upon us, both here and on Earth! I can’t stand idly by while the place I live is subjected to such lies and propaganda! So, I’ve been thinking…isn’t there a more liberating way to hinder forced compliance here in Heaven? Perhaps we can create an alternative way to express change through…recreation?”
The angels talked quietly amongst themselves. Phalla nodded in appreciation.
“Well I think yes,” Coercia continued. “So that’s what this project aims to achieve.” She walked back to the desk and sat down. “Ladies and gentlemen, I’m opening the first of its kind, a hotel that encourages moderate amounts of so-called sin!” She spread out her arms.
The audience stared in stunned silence. Many of the adults were shaking their heads.
“Who is that girl?” asked a dragon watching from inside a soup kitchen. “What’s her deal with trying to cause more trouble for this world?”
“She’s nuts!” added another angel with an eagle’s head and wings, wearing a suit.
Coercia added nervously while still trying to keep a glare, “I figure it would serve a purpose…a place to work toward self-expression. Yay.”
Among the crowd of angels watching the news outside, a tall man with a thin pale face stood toward the back. He wore a light blue dress suit, had blue and white hair, fluffy deer-like ears, and large blue eyes. His white wings were folded behind him. He watched the program with a look of worry. A deer creature made of light appeared beside him. A sign posted on the wall showing the same man as a DJ read: “Counseling and good times with the Techno Angel!”
A camera man shook his head at Coercia. Phalla walked up to him and pleaded, “Please give her a chance.”
Coercia sighed. “Look, I know every single one of you has insecurities and issues that need not be bottled up. If you could just embrace those sides of yourselves…”
Coercia then smirked. “Maybe I’m not getting through to you.”
Phalla clapped her hands and “ooohed” in excitement as Rub and Chub got the electric guitar ready.
Coercia showed a pair of sharp white teeth and black curved horns emerged from her head. Black feathery wings sprouted from her back and an X appeared over her right eye. A harpoon appeared in her right hand and a spiked halo appeared over her head. She was in her dark angelic Exorcist form. She posed over the desk and began.
(“Inside of Every Angel is a Sinner”)
“I have a dream
I’m here to tell
About a fantastic mind-blowing hotel
One of a kind, go and yell
A great place to dwell
Catering to specific clientele”
*Guitar starts and scream vocals*
“Inside of every angel is a sinner
Inside of every do-gooder is a beast
Inside of every jolly go-lucky mentality
Is a subconscious portion we know the least”
“Resist all the rules
You’re not passive fools!
With just a little time
Down at the Hazbin Hotel!”
“So all you rescuers, priests, and heroes
Gifted athletes, jocks, and cheerios
And the sheep citizens, relief is here!
All of you angels, leaders, and stars
Traditionalists with fancy cars
And the activists on Mars
Show no fear
No taboos, no laws
Embrace your flaws
You’ll be truly free
Check in with me
It’s the right path, you’ll see”
“There’ll be no more pressure
And no more status quo
Just friendship, fun, and endless bags of dough
Establishment put to rest
You’ll be like, “Yes!”
In the tunnel of darkness you’ll go!”
“So all your hierarchies, GMOs, politics, and isms
Lectures, labor standards, and diamond studded prisms
Ancient Indian elitisms
All must die”
“All you fantasizers, artists, servers, and lords
Spoiled children, winners of awards
Imposers of chores
Face your fear!”
“Be who you are
And you’ll go so far
Our service will raise the bar
You’ll be the star
Come from near or afar at the Hazbin Hotel!
Yeah!”
“Wow,” said an angel in a top hat. “That was…alright.”
The crowd clapped half-heartedly.
Catie shook her head. “What in the Nine Levels makes you think a single denizen of Heaven would give two feathers about becoming a sinful person? You have no proof that your little experiment even works! You want people to disobey God and the rules just…because?!”
Coercia lifted up her head. “Well, we have a patron already who believes in our cause.”
“And who might that be?” Catie asked.
“Oh just someone named…Devil Grit.”
“The grumpy old spider?” asked Ron Wrench.
“He’s not old,” argued Catie. “He just acts older than he is.”
“Anyway,” said Catie to Coercia. “You couldn’t even get that guy to do something bad, even if a gun was pointed at his head.”
“Oh I beg to differ,” Coercia argued. “He’s been troubled, dirty, and having conflicted thoughts for two weeks now.”
“Breaking news!” called a voice as the screen changed to a recent debate shown in a building.
The news came on, detailing Devil Grit and his recent TED talk about the 7 Heavenly Virtues.
“Well, it looks like the one discussing the Heavenly Virtues is none other than…conservative Devil Grit! What a coincidence!”
She and Ron did a “ratings!” and jazz hands.
Corceria rolled her eyes.
“I’m sorry to say, but it looks like your plan’s departed on arrival,” said Catie. “I hope you learned a good lesson here.”
Coercia’s eyes twitched, her teeth barred. “Lesson?! I’ll teach you a lesson, bitch!” The princess and Catie fought fist and claw on the desk. Ron called for security.
After Coercia was kicked out, Phalla followed her wordlessly to the white limo. Devil Grit, Phalla, and Coercia rode back to the hotel.
Devil Grit lounged in the far seat, wearing an outfit of black with green stripes and green gloves on his four hands.
“Devil,” said Phalla with concern. “I know you were trying to do good by doing your professional speech. But could you please try not to help society in public? Now people won’t believe us when Coercia says that people are free to express their earthly desires.”
“I’m sorry Phalla,” said Devil from the other seat, “But I have a reputation to keep up. Helping the greater good is His plan for all of us. Besides, a good professional debate is a reasonable form of self-expression right?”
“Not to everyone,” said Phalla. “What about the hotel? People are thinking that you don’t care about Coercia’s project at all.”
“I do care, senorita,” said Devil. “I just don’t think it’s going to be easy to accomplish in such a short time. So many angels are fixated on tradition, myself included.”
“I do appreciate all of your help,” said Coercia, still fuming after the interview, arms crossed. “But I will make this project work, even if I have to do it myself.”
The white limo pulled up in front of the hotel, a pristine building made of glass and marble. The group got out of the car and stepped inside.
White wings made of rainbow scales posed as part of the structure on the roof. The stained glass windows by the door were decorated with apples, a tree of life, and many shades of blue and green. The sign above read “Hazbin Hotel” in big letters on the roof. Inside the lobby, a painting of Adam reaching toward God was displayed on the high ceiling. The hotel had seven floors with seven rooms on each floor. There was even a lab down in the basement which belonged to a man named Baker, the opposite of the demon fish scientist Baxter from Hell. A bowl of blue berries and blue raspberries sat on a table below a welcome banner. Phalla rested on a couch while Devil Grit munched on a granola bar.
“It’s probably a good idea to stock up some more food in this place,” said Devil Grit. “Good or bad, people always seem to be greedy when they’re hungry.”
Devil Grit pulled out a chart and went over probabilities and graphs regarding the hotel and the potential number of visitors. Coercia just sighed and walked away toward the door. She went outside and took out her cell phone, calling her mom.
“Carol cakes!” called her mother through the phone. Coercia cringed.
“Mom, I told you not to call me that! I’m not a little kid anymore.”
“Sorry, I can’t help it,” said Lilian with a giggle. “How was the interview?”
“Meh. It was alright. I proposed my idea, but nobody seemed to buy it.”
Lilian’s tone turned more serious. “Coercia, why do you insist that everyone must go down to that horrible place? Why can’t you just see the good in people?”
“Because,” Coercia said, “Everyone has flaws and they don’t realize it.”
“Yes, but that also applies to you, too. Before you get involved with the lives of others, you need to look inside and critique yourself.”
“I’m a princess. Everyone else has more flaws than I do.”
Lilian let out a long sigh. “Young lady, we’ve been through this I don’t know how many times. You have to push your selfish thoughts aside and just accept the way things are. It’s part of a higher purpose.”
“And what is this “higher purpose” anyway? To be His flock of dazed sheep, dancing around without any care in the world? To not experience ecstasy and adventure, even for just a moment?”
“That stuff is dangerous and forbidden. Thousands of souls would do anything to get up to this level of Heaven. And you just want to throw your life away?”
Coercia paused in thought. “If it means proving myself and serving Him in a way I see fit, then so be it.”
“You have delusions of what entertainment and happiness is, Carol. Sometimes, you need to take the time and appreciate the beauty that’s in front of you.”
“Other than my own refection, I don’t really see beauty in many other things. Well, heavy metal and watching battles…oh and watching sinners beg for their last breaths…”
“You have a lot to learn, dear daughter,” Lilian replied. “I’ll leave you alone to think about it.”
“Whatever.”
“Love you.”
“Love you too. Bye.”
Coercia hung up and went back inside, shutting the door behind her. She leaned against the door frame, closing her eyes in frustration…trying to hold back a stream of tears from the stress.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Two knocks, four ones, then a last one. Coercia turned around with a sigh to answer it. She swung the stained glass door open. From outside stood a tall slender man with a pale light gray face, wearing a light blue pinstriped dress coat. A white upward cross was part of the design on his light blue undershirt. He was carrying a modern microphone atop a staff in his left hand. His small antlers were white and his hair and deer ears were blue with white tips. A monocle rested under his left eye. Coercia narrowed her eyes.
“Hi, excuse me…” he spoke quietly. “Is this…”
Coercia angrily slammed the door in his face.
She opened it again.
“…the right address?” finished the man.
“No!” she shouted, slamming it again.
“Hey Phalla!” called Coercia.
“What?” her friend asked.
“The crybaby Deer Man is at the door!”
“What?!” she asked, blushes appearing on her cheeks.
“Who?” asked Devil Grit.
“What should I do?”
“Well…let him in!” Phalla cried, eye shining.
Coercia rolled her eyes and scoffed. She sighed and opened the door again.
“May I talk now?” the man asked in a radio voice.
“Sure, whatever,” Coercia said.
The man held out a white gloved four-fingered hand. “Rotsala, it’s a pleasure to meet you, miss.” He walked in. Worry was etched on his face. “I saw your interview on the picture show and I was worried sick! I was afraid you were never coming back after your argument. Why I haven’t been that upset since the 1929 Stock Market Crash!” He sniffed, “So many poor orphans…”
“Hello there!” Phalla called with a smile, staring up and walking in front of him. She greeted in Spanish. “I’m so glad you’re here to help out my friend with this new hotel! I’m a big fan of yours and just being in your presence is just…” She swooned. “Oh just take me already you cute, pompous, talk show, blueberry pimp lord!”
She embraced him and he stood stunned, his face blushing. “I do love hugs,” he whispered as she stepped back. “I bet all of you would be so nice and soft after we get to know each other for a while…”
Phalla blushed while Devil Grit and Coercia made disgusted faces. “Not gonna happen, creep,” Devil Grit said.
Rotsala gave a nervous laugh, and popped a strawberry and blueberry into his mouth.
“You’re not gonna cling to us are you?” Phallas asked. “Or, you know…”
“Dear, if I wanted to screw anyone here…I would’ve done so already.”
Rotsala tilted his head. His blue eyes briefly glowed with blue upside down radio dials in them. Electricity sparked around cyan colored voodoo symbols in the air. His eyes filled with tears, tears spilling down his pale gray cheeks.
Phalla watched in bliss, while Devil and Coercia rolled their eyes at the show-off.
Rotsala shook his head and his eyes returned to normal blue.
“No, I’m here because I want to relax and help out.”
“Say what?” Coercia asked, eyebrow raised.
Rotsala held up his staff which glowed blue. He said with a sad crack in his voice, “Goodbye, is this thing off?”
He tapped it. A blue sad looking eye appeared in the center of the microphone. It spoke in a mechanical voice. “You’re silent, quiet and unclear!”
“That’s your motivation motto every day?” Devil Grit asked, crossing his four arms. “Pathetic!”
“Tragic and mysterious, I love it!” Phalla squealed. “It’s like the opposite of announcing. It’s…denouncing.”
Devil Grit elbowed her. “Hun, could you not get attracted to every other man you see? I’m your boyfriend.”
“I can’t help it, love!” she cried. “I just get so distracted easily.”
“Um…you want to help?” Coercia asked.
Rotsala appeared behind them after morphing into light.
“With…” he spoke in her growl then his normal shy sounding voice, “…this random thing you’re trying to do. This hotel. I want to help you run it, if that’s okay.”
“Uh…why?”
Rotsala choked a bit on his words. “Why doesn’t anyone do anything? Sheer absolute lethargy! I’ve been partying around and keeping busy for decades. I would like to do something more relaxing and easier.”
“My work became overwhelming, lacking focus. I’ve come to crave a new form of disengagement!”
Coercia rolled her eyes. “Does getting into a fist fight with a reporter count as disengagement?”
“No,” Rotsala said. “It’s violent and messy, not really my thing. Life is truly strange…reality, fantasy, true tragedy. After all the world is a grave, and the grave is a world of disengagement!”
Coercia brightened a bit. “So, does this mean you think it’s possible to taint an angel? That life is meaningless without your own self to temporarily control it.”
Rotsala sniffed and held up a hand. “Who knows? Anything’s possible. Sinning, oh the vice of humanity! I think there’s plenty left that can change such marvelous saints. But then again, the chance that was given to them was the life they lived before. The reward is this!” He spread out his arms. “According to God, there’s no undoing what is done…or at least that’s the way it should be.”
“So then, why do you want to help me if you don’t fully believe in my cause?” Coercia asked.
Rotsala turned around to look at her. “Consider it an investment in ongoing knowledge for myself and others.” He let out a small smile. “I want to watch the blessed of this world struggle to give into temptation, only to repeatedly realize and raise themselves up the golden ladder of success!” His eyes glowed blue.
“Right…” Coercia began.
“Yes indeed,” Rotsala said, both of them walking off to the side. “I see you taking risks and who better to keep you grounded than I.”
“Ah, so what’s the deal with Mr. Frown over there?” Devil Grit asked.
“Wait, you’ve never heard of him before?” Phalla asked. “You’ve been here longer than me!”
Devil shrugged his shoulders.
“The Techno Angel, one of the most complex beings Heaven as ever seen?”
“Eh, I’m not too big on people.”
Phalla sighed and leaned in close to explain.
“Decades ago, Rotsala manifested in Heaven, seemingly in one day. He began to catch the attention of overlords and archangels who had kept to themselves for centuries. That kind of attraction and magic power had never been harnessed by a mortal soul before. Then, he broadcast his adventures all throughout Heaven just so everyone could experience some joy, tragedy and emotions. Saints starting calling him the Techno Angel, (as unoriginal as that is). Many have speculated what unimaginable force enabled him to rival our world’s most ancient and constructive heroes. But one thing’s for sure: he’s an unpredictable source of silliness, a depressed spirit of mystery and a loving being of order…or disorder, the likes of which we can get involved in, especially if we want to end up aroused!”
“You done?” Devil asked. “He looks like a blueberry businessman. Or a shady con-man. Either way, you’re delusional.”
“Well, I trust him completely!”
“Do you blindly trust any man? All men?”
Phalla skipped over to Coercia. Rotsala examined a family portrait of Lucius, Lilian and a young Coercia in the center. Young Coercia wore a white dress with a turquoise top to it. Her hair was jet black, braided in black barbed wire, her cheeks had teal blushes. Her mother had long black hair and wore a fancy white dress and a round gold crown. Her father was dressed in a dress suit of white and blue, with blue and black stripes in the center below a white bow tie. He wore a large light gray top hat with a dove and a green apple on it. His cane also had a green apple on the top. Both of them were smiling, showing rows of sharp teeth, white wings folded behind them.
“Coercia, listen to me, you can believe this dreamer. He isn’t just a sad face. He’s a miracle maker, pure good! But… don’t count on him to believe in your cause. He could be tainted and rebel, but we don’t know that. He could very well side with God and your parents. And he’s most likely looking for a way to hinder everything we’re trying to do if it means following God’s rules. But still, give him a chance. He’s really sweet.”
“I…” Coercia began. “…we don’t know that. Look, he’s a crying bitch, and he probably doesn’t want to change.”
Phalla put her hands on her friend’s shoulders.
“The whole point of your hotel is to give people a chance! To have faith things will be better and people can embrace their flaws, their true selves! How can you turn someone away? You can’t. It goes against everything you’re trying to do. Everything you believe in.”
Coercia looked downcast. Her friend had a good point. She hated when people made good arguments against her. But it also gave her a chance to consider her thoughts. Phalla kept her grounded and added some cheer to her overall fake afterlife. Coercia smiled at her.
“You take care of yourself,” she said to Phalla.
“Coercia,” warned Phalla, “Unless you are serious about responsibility, do not make a promise with him!”
Demons often made deals with each other that often resulted in gaining power at the cost of one’s soul or freedom. Usually the one who initiated the deal would gain advantage. A demonic deal was bad in and of itself. Breaking an angelic promise could result in rejection, eternal torture and damnation.
“Don’t worry,” said Coercia. “I learned one thing from my dad.” She mimicked his low voice, “Ya don’t break trust with other angels!”
Coercia marched over to the Techno Angel.
“Ok Mr. Rot... You’re prissy as fuck, and you clearly see what I’m trying to do here is a too-dangerous risk. But I don’t.”
Glowing blue symbols briefly appeared around a concerned Rotsala, then vanished.
Coercia continued. “I think everyone deserves a chance to prove they can be themselves. After all, it’s in their nature and the sooner they realize it, the better. So, I’m taking your offer to help. On the condition there be no lessons or lovey-dovey speeches made.”
Rotsala twirled his cane and held out his smallest finger from his right hand.
“So, it’s a promise, then?”
The room was surrounded by a pink aura as light spirits roamed around the walls. The wind blew against Phalla’s and Devil’s faces.
“Nope!” Coercia yelled, holding out her hands. The energy stopped. “No shaking, no promises! I…hmmm…”
She paused in thought.
“As Princess of Heaven and heir to the throne, I hereby order that you help out with this hotel for as long as you desire.”
A moment of pause…
“Sound fair?”
“Fair enough,” Rotsala said with a slump of his shoulders and walked on. His cane vanished.
Rotsala stopped and spotted Phalla to the side.
Phalla went up and tickled him under the chin, much to his shock.
“Smile, deer man!” she said.
Rotsala walked on, speechless.
“So…where is your hotel staff?” Rotsala asked Coercia.
“Uh well,” Coercia began. Rotsala peered at Phalla through his monocle below his left eye.
He stuttered. “You’re going to n-need more than that.”
Rotsala walked over to Devil Grit, who was sitting on a stool.
“And what can I do, my business fellow?” asked Rotsala walking over to the dark furred spider, blushing.
“You can suck a dick,” Devil retorted in a grumpy tone.
“AH! Ok,” said Rotsala, blushing and stepping back. “Can it be yours?”
“Fuck off,” Devil added, pulling out a long knife from his belt.
Rotsala summoned his cane. “Well this just won’t do. You want others to cause trouble, yes? I suppose I can cash in a few favors to deaden things up!”
He snapped his fingers and the wall beside the fireplace cracked. The circle went dark, the fire going out. Ice cold water appeared to fill in the circle and a shadowy figure solely formed inside. Rotsala walked over and removed the dripping figure from the water. A large single purple eye was revealed.
Devil Grit, Phalla and Coercia peered at the creature. With a balloon deflating sound and a puff of white smoke, the figure was revealed.
“This little rascal is Klutzy!” Rotsala announced with a worried smile, dropping the figure.
A black-skinned short cyclops female landed on her face on the floor. She stood up with a grumpy look on her face. She wore a dark green skirt with a white stray cat off to the left side. Her arms and legs were white and stick-shaped. Several blue dots stood out from the lighter green color of her skirt. Her shirt was black with cyan paint spots off to the right. Her large eye took up much of her pale white face; it was dark blue with a white pupil. Her short hair was teal with a dark blue spot off to the left.
“I’m Klutzy,” she grumbled, clenching her fists. “It’s a waste of time to meet you. It’s been a while since I’ve seen strangers.”
Her pupil narrowed from side to side.
“Why are you all men?” she asked. “Have any women here? Or video games? Screw this place.”
She briefly picked up Coercia, then let go.
“Oh man, this place is boring!” she exclaimed. She ran over to a vase and proceeded to knock it over with her elbow. It shattered to pieces on the floor. She tossed couch cushions aside.
“It really needs a more manly touch, disorganized clutter’s more fun.” She grinned as she poured dirt from a flower pot onto the rug.
“Yes, yes, yep, yeah!” she yelled as she proceeded to break windows and knock down more stuff. Then she plopped down on a couch once the room was messy. “I’m bored. Make me some food or something.”
Phalla, Devil, and Coercia looked on in worry, Rotsala just stared off into space. “She has quite the temper sometimes.”
A cat angel was working on a Rubik’s cube with colleagues. His furry face was black, framed by white fur. His little top hat was white with a blue band across it. A big teal bow tie was under his neck, over his black furry chest framed by white fur. His wings were a brilliant blue, with black and red mathematical symbols on either side: the pi symbol, E = mc squared, signs for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, among others. More symbols were visible within his two pointed ears. His teeth were sharp and purple and his long eyebrows were teal. His eyes were purple and sclera white. The angel placed a Rubik’s cube in front of him. “Ha!” he declared in triumph. Read ‘em and weep, boys! Full…whoa…”
He felt himself being transported in a flash of light to the hotel. Part of the science room that the cat had been in was merged with the hotel lobby…posters of the elements, the solar system and Biblical works of art.
“What in Heaven’s name is going on?
Then he brightened when he saw Rotsala. “You!”
“Ah, Core, my old friend,” Stalaro sniffed, his head briefly looking like it was in between antlers from a stuffed deer head on the wall. “You made it.”
“Glad to see you, you son of the sun!” Core said. “I just completed my Rubik’s cube after just an hour.”
The cube vanished as Rotsala looked on.
Core raced over to Rotsala and embraced him in a side hug. The deer-like man blushed. “So, what can I help you with this time?”
Rotsala blinked nervously. “C-Can we snuggle?”
Core laughed. “I mean, seriously, why’d you bring me here?”
“My friend, I’m doing some dirty work, so I took it upon myself to volunteer your services. If that’s okay?”
“You must be joking,” Core said, laughing nervously.
“I don’t think so,” he replied.
“You thought it’d be a great idea just to pull me out of nowhere? You think I’m some kind of tragic boy?”
“Maybe,” Rotsala sighed, as crying sounds came from his microphone.
“I ain’t doing no dirty work.”
Rotsala appeared behind him. “Well I figured you would be the perfect face to greet and critique the guests at this fine establishment.”
He pointed his staff off toward a stand with vegetable drinks as claps and boos sounded from his staff.
“With your grumpy cat face and love of solitude…”
Core lifted up the corners of Rotsala mouth with his paws. “Aw come on, Al, Don’t forget to smile once in a while!”
His mouth frowned once he let go.
Rotsala walked over to the stand. “Don’t worry, my friend. I can make this more interesting…if you wish.”
He conjured up a bottle of catnip with his finger.
Core stared with wide happy eyes. “What, you think you can buy me with sad eyes and some cheap catnip? Well, you can!” He purred and took the bottle with him.
Coercia, Devil, and Phalla arrived.
“Yes, yes, yes!” Phalla squealed. “Brilliant idea to have healthy drinks!”
“No!” Coercia protested. “This is supposed to be a place that encourages sin! Not some kind of, frilly, Zen, child’s play…”
Core noticed Devil Grit and slid up to him. “Hey cutie,” he flirted.
“Go screw yourself,” muttered Devil Grit.
“Only if you watch me,” Core joked. “Or more likely, Rotsala will watch you.”
Coercia leaned in close to Core. “Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel! You are going to go insane here!” She grinned, her teeth sharp.
“We’re all mad here,” Core replied, sniffing the catnip.
Rotsala walked in, an ever-present frown on his face. “S-so, what do you think?”
Rotsala ran over to him. “This is horrible!” she spat.
“It’s amazing!” Phalla beamed.
Phalla leaned in close between Coercia and Rotsala, embracing them in a hug.
“This is going to be very disengaging,” Rotsala exclaimed. Dubstep sounds emitted from his mouth as he stared around with worry. He stepped away from Phalla. “Coercia, I can’t lose you. We can’t lose you.”
Rotsala changed his light blue suit into a dark blue funeral outfit with a matching top hat. He did the same with Coercia, Devil Grit, Core, Klutzy, and Phalla, who were all wearing black clothing from the early 1900s. Coercia wore a short tan flapper dress and a round matching ladies’ hat. She and Klutzy stared at their outfits in disgust, while Devil Grit, Core and Phalla smiled as they stared at theirs. The room changed, the walls now covered with Voodoo symbols, Christian crosses and deer antlers.
“Take it boys,” Rotsala said. Light spirits appeared and played violins, a piano, and a flute in a sad symphony.
Rotsala sang his reprise to Coercia as they did a slow dance. Coercia looked annoyed but Rotsala smiled.
(“Stalaro’s lament Reprise”)
“You’re on a mission
Your innocence fell
And it’s so dangerous but hey, I wish you well
Yes your blunt protests
Will send you straight to Hell
And I can’t bear to see you banished, or your soul up to sell”
“Don’t bring your life to an end
No matter what you say, I’m still your friend
We all have our wounds to mend
And you’re vulnerable feelings are real, don’t pretend”
“Inside of every angel is love and emotion
They have values and lasting devotion (devotion to God)
While you recruit those around
Don’t be swallowed by the ground
The authorities can retrieve you tight and bound (no turning around)”
“Here above the sky
Spread your wings and fly
They’ll spend a little time
Down at this Haven Ho…”
An explosion rattled the windows. Klutzy saw a door flying toward her face and she broke it in half with a karate chop.
The room and everyone’s clothing returned to normal.
Everyone looked outside and saw a podium in the air, held up by flying metallic eggs. A familiar snake debater appeared.
“Look who it is harboring the striped annoying opponent! We meet again, Rotsala!”
“Do I know you?” Rotsala asked.
Tears came to Anguis’ eyes. “Oh yes, you do! Watch this presentation!”
The eggs danced in the air, singing a song about Sir Anguis trying his best to rule Heaven. He read from notecards. “You all can’t compete with me. Your hotel sucks. I…shall…destroy it…with… my…”
Rotsala giggled and blushed. “Your baby weiner havor?”
Anguis looked up from his cards in anger. “Not like that, pervert!”
Rotsala snapped his fingers. A portal appeared and white tentacles shot out, knocking the podium off balance. The metal eggs knocked into Sir Anguis and he yelled, “Ow that hurt! Show mercy!”
Rotsala used a drop of his blood and the podium exploded in green smoke.
Sir Anguis emerged from the crater, arm shaking, fangs shattered. Rotsala waved a hand and the snake was healed.
“Shoot me with your ray gun,” said a metal egg beside him. Sir Anguis face-planted on the ground.
Rotsala looked on, sadly while everyone else stared, stunned.
“Anyone hungry?” Rotsala asked turning around. “Please don’t make me cook jambalaya. It’s way too spicy and it nearly killed me! I much prefer tea and sugared strawberries, oh the way they melt in my mouth… but anyway, you could say the kick brought me straight into Heaven.”
Rotsala lead the way back to the hotel, the group following him.
“Yes sir, new changes are about to take place. Now…”
Rotsala waved his finger at the lit up sign above the glass, gem-encrusted building on the roof.
The sign changed from “Hazbin Hotel” to “Haven Hotel.”
“Stay tuned.” He finished with low whimpers.
11 notes
·
View notes
Text
OK, February 17
Cover: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle replaced by sisters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie
Page 1: Big Pic -- Hannah Brown and Kate Flannery kicked off the Dancing With the Stars: Live! Tour at NYC’s Radio City Music Hall
Page 2: Contents
Page 3: Contents
Page 4: Kelly Ripa is ready to dish on her career, marriage and more in a juicy memoir
Page 6: Joanna Gaines -- how I do it all
Page 7: Ozzy Osbourne admitted that his recent Parkinson’s diagnosis has been terribly challenging for himself and his loved ones and his kids Kelly and Jack are doing their best to help him and their mom Sharon in every way they can, Renee Zellweger’s nitpicking has prevented her from finding romance and she sabotages things by getting clingy, Naomi Watts is desperate to reconnect with Nicole Kidman after falling out of touch wither her former BFF -- Naomi distanced herself from Nicole to concentrate on raising her two sons but they’re entering their teen years and Naomi is crawling back to Nicole and asked Nicole to put in a good word with her A-list connections
Page 8: Now that her son son Maddox is at college Angelina Jolie is contemplating adopting another child which she would have done years ago but Brad Pitt thought their brood of six was enough, Vanessa Bryant is heartbroken over the death of husband Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna and still has moments of disbelief that this is even happening, after two decades in showbiz Aaron Paul is ready to press pause on his career to be a more present father to his and wife Lauren’s daughter Story
Page 10: Red Hot on the Red Carpet -- Grammy Awards -- Gwen Stefani, Grace Elizabeth
Page 11: Lana Del Rey, Dua Lipa
Page 12: Keltie Knight vs. Jeannie Mai, Kirsten Dunst vs. Elizabeth Chambers, Gigi Hadid and Khloe Kardashian
Page 14: News in Photos -- Caitlyn Jenner gave British comedic duo Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly at the 25th National Television Awards
Page 16: Sundance Film Festival -- Ethan Hawke and Kyle MacLachlan, director Liz Garbus and Lost Girls stars Oona Lawrence and Miriam Show and Amy Ryan and Lolo Kirke
Page 17: Eva Longoria and Lin-Manuel Miranda and his dad Luis and America Ferrera, David Arquette
Page 18: Charlize Theron and Renee Zellweger at the Academy Awards nominees luncheon, Justin and Hailey Bieber at the premiere of his documentary, Dove Cameron participating in the beach salon and cleanup
Page 20: Grammy Awards -- Lizzo, Lil Nas X and Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler with Run-DMC’s Darryl McDaniels and Joseph Simmons
Page 21: Demi Lovato, Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas
Page 22: Mark Wahlberg at the gym, Ellen guest host Jennifer Aniston asked Will Ferrell some burning questions, Ellie Kemper at a Tropicana pop-up
Page 24: Robert Downey Jr.’s expansive estate in Malibu
Page 26: After dating on and off with Shayna Taylor for six years Ryan Seacrest is ready to propose
Page 27: Kourtney Kardashian’s desire for another baby has intensified since she reconciled with Younes Bendjima, Love Bites -- Machine Gun Kelly and Noah Cyrus dating, Chris Sullivan and wife Rachel are expecting their first baby, Brandon Jenner and Cayley Stoker wed
Page 28: Just one week after it was revealed that Vanessa Hudgens and Austin Butler has ended their nearly nine-year romance she was seen dining with 24-year-old Lakers player Kyle Kuzma, Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik are giving things another go but this time she’s confident they’re playing for keeps because she’s impressed with how much he’s matured and she’s always wanted to marry young, as a bi-coastal couple NYC-based Ashley Graham and husband Justin Ervin made a rule to never go longer than 2 weeks without seeing each other but now that they’re parents they’ve agreed that being apart for ant amount of time isn’t an option so Ashley and the baby will live in LA with Justin
Page 30: Cover Story -- Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie seize the royal spotlight after they’re named Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s replacements
Page 32: Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard get real about their marriage and life with their kids and more
Page 36: Dating Disasters
Page 40: Forget the jade eggs -- some of Gwyneth Paltrow’s best wellness advice is surprisingly sensible
Page 44: Style Week -- Ashley Graham recently collaborated with Pronovias on a bridal line designed with all sizes of women in mind
Page 48: Valentine’s -- Sara Sampaio
Page 50: Beauty -- Petra Nemcova
Page 54: Entertainment
Page 55: Q&A -- Sean Evans, host of Hot Ones: The Game Show
Page 58: Buzz -- Blake Lively’s red carpet return
Page 60: Hollywood Heath Meter -- Zac Efron is dating Halston Sage, Vicki Gunvalson and Tamra Judge leaving RHOOC, Nikki and Brie Bella are both expecting, Andy Samberg’s film Palm Springs has become the most expensive Sundance acquisition, Brad Pitt hired Jennifer Aniston’s stylists Nina and Clare Hallworth, Sound Bites -- Ellen DeGeneres, Kumail Nanjiani, Jodie Turner-Smith, Will Ferrell
Page 62: Horoscope -- Aquarius Chloe Grace Moretz
Page 64: By the Numbers -- Sarah Hyland
#tabloid#tabloid toc#meghan markle#prince harry#princess eugenie#princess beatrice#joanna gaines#dax shepard#kristen bell#sarah hyland#vanessa hudgens#kyle kuzma#ryan seacrest#shayna taylor#nicole kidman#naomi watts#Ashley Graham
4 notes
·
View notes
Note
26,27,28,31,34,36,37 for Akane, Raiden, Erik and Sumire plss
Akane
26. What is something they’re legitimately bad it?
Akane has never been good at math and science, which is rough when both of your parents are actual scientists. She can get by well enough in her gen ed courses, but when it gets to the advanced stuff (calculus, physics, organic chemistry, etc.) she’s a little hopeless.
27. Do they have any cool scar stories?
At some point she will have an appendectomy scar and a story of how she prioritized her pop-up restaurant for the Moon Banquet Festival over her health.
28. When left to their own devices, how would they spend a free day?
She’d spend a day sketching, painting, and trying new delicacies.
31. Do they have a comfort food?
Any type of curry. And she has tried almost every type via her dad, Auntie Jun, and Raiden (who tried to master the art of curry to impress her when they were kids).
34. How do they generally wear their hair?
Akane’s hair is usually in a high ponytail or a French braid, especially when she has to cook. But it’s not uncommon for her to let it down as well.
36. Are there any holidays or celebrations they dislike?
Nah. She’s fine with all things festive.
37. Are there any holidays or celebrations that they go all in for?
Akane loves New Year’s Eve. The aesthetics of it can be really classy and she appreciates that. If someone isn’t throwing a party to ring in the new year, she’ll throw one herself.
Raiden
26. What is something they’re legitimately bad it?
Texting back lol
Actually, he tried learning to play the guitar for a while and it did not stick. The musician’s life is definitely not for him.
27. Do they have any cool scar stories?
He still has the one from getting bitten by a dog when he was tiny.
28. When left to their own devices, how would they spend a free day?
He’d take a mini-vacation and try a few new restaurants.
31. Do they have a comfort food?
Omelettes, or any egg-based dish, really.
34. How do they generally wear their hair?
He doesn’t put much thought into it. Sometimes it gets longish and it becomes kind of wispy.
36. Are there any holidays or celebrations they dislike?
Nah. He has a healthy appreciation for all the festivities.
37. Are there any holidays or celebrations that they go all in for?
Christmas, definitely! His parents always threw big holiday parties so he grew up being pretty into it.
Erik
26. What is something they’re legitimately bad it?
Saying no! There’s an ever expanding list of women in his life who can get whatever they want from him (Alice, Leonora, Sofia, Auntie Hisako, Akane, Sumire, Tora, Nana, etc.). It reaches a point where he’s basically jumping through hoops for them.
27. Do they have any cool scar stories?
He got one on his hand when he was eight or nine. He dove into a river that runs near Totsuki’s campus to get a certain childhood crush’s necklace that fell in, and the rocks scratched him pretty bad when he was retrieving it.
28. When left to their own devices, how would they spend a free day?
Probably working on his inventions and kicking around a football.
31. Do they have a comfort food?
Bouillabaisse, especially the way Akane makes it (she doesn’t make it a lot, though, because it takes like three hours) and karaage.
34. How do they generally wear their hair?
Out, or in a lil man bun when he lets it get long enough.
36. Are there any holidays or celebrations they dislike?
White day! Sooooo many obligation gifts for so many random admirers. It’s exhausting.
37. Are there any holidays or celebrations that they go all in for?
Halloween is actually his shit!
Sumire
26. What is something they’re legitimately bad it?
Respecting people’s privacy! She’s such a little snoop, she can’t even help herself.
27. Do they have any cool scar stories?
None whatsoever. Sumire’s skin is legendarily flawless.
28. When left to their own devices, how would they spend a free day?
Reading romance novels and nibbling on little snacks.
31. Do they have a comfort food?
Papardelle al Cinghiale (a wide, flat pasta served in a ragu with wild boar). The summer after her mom passed away, she lost a lot of weight, and Bella fattened her up with this dish when she got back to school. It’s always reminded her of healing.
34. How do they generally wear their hair?
Either up in a bun or hanging free.
36. Are there any holidays or celebrations they dislike?
Nah.
37. Are there any holidays or celebrations that they go all in for?
Valentine’s day! She gets so much snooping done. It’s lovely.
#shokugeki no soma#sorina#akisako#ryoali#119th generation#hayama akane#yukihira raiden#nakiri erik#mimasaka sumire
8 notes
·
View notes
Text
Wednesday 23rd December 2020
Our Garden etc. Birds. Part 2 The Comings and Goings
♦ bold type indicates a link to an outside site not affiliated to this blog
Let’s start with our traditional ‘Christmas’ bird. The Robin is a member of the Thrush family and is related to both Blackbird and Nightingale who are all also well known for their singing.
Most Robins live a sedentary lifestyle, staunchly defending their own patch of territory from rivals. In fact, they have apparently been known to fight their own reflection or spar with an adversary to the death.
Many Robins won’t move more than 5km (3.11m) whatever the season. Some leave the UK for warmer climates before Winter arrives. Most of these birds are female, crossing the Channel to as far away as Spain or Portugal. They return to the UK with the warmer weather. No passports or Visas required for their wings - bit of a topical joke there: wildlife only obeys borders when it wants to.
We have numerous resident Robins here because we have such a large extent of suitable habitat surrounding the house and they know a good source of food and water for certain. It’s all very harmonic at the moment, but of course that’s subject to change when there’s more at stake.
Robin Facts:
Only for a short period in late summer while they are moulting and inconspicuous do robins stop singing. Both sexes sing.
As with the Nightingale, the song is usually delivered from a concealed perch within a bush or a tree, exposed perches are infrequent. Autumn and Spring songs are distinctly different. The Autumn song starts after the moult, from late Summer onwards. It is more subdued and melancholy in its tone, while the spring song is powerful, confident and upbeat.
The Spring song can start as early as mid-December, reaching full force in Spring. Its purpose is two-fold: to defend a territory and to attract a mate. Therefore, Spring song is far more powerful in males.
Robins are adapted to life in poor light and are often active in half-light when few other birds are about. They tend to be among the earliest birds to start the dawn chorus and one of the last to stop in the evening.
Street lights and floodlights can trigger singing in the middle of the night, and if roosting Robins are disturbed, they can burst into song even in complete darkness.
RSPB
In mild winters robins can start breeding as early as January although their usual breeding season starts in March.
Every continent has its own species of robins, but only the Japanese and Ryukyu Robins are closely related to the European Robin.
Birdspot
Remember last week’s controversy about the colour of their eggs? If you missed it, THIS is the Blog entry you want. Don’t let the headline title put you off, it’s all in there, scroll down.
One of the most interesting facts about migrating Robins is how faithful they are to their territories. Many maintain both their summer and winter patches despite them being hundreds of kilometres apart.
Of course the same is true in reverse. Resident birds are often joined by migrants from Scandinavia, Europe and Russia who avoid the most severe weather in their own countries. Along with other members of the Thrush family like Redwings, Fieldfares and Blackbirds, they arrive on British shores - usually along the East coast - once their own food supply has been covered by snow and ice.
When other garden birds migrate and return
At least 4,000 species of bird are regular migrants. That's about 40 per cent of the world's total. But some parts of the world have a higher proportion of migrants than others.
RSPB
Between September and March, 10-20 million Chaffinches fly here from Scandinavia and Western Europe. They can be differentiated from our resident Chaffinches by their foraging behaviour: searching for food in large flocks on open farmland. UK Chaffinches favour gardens, woodlands and hedgerows.
The UK also sees an influx of Starlings during Winter. Fleeing the severe cold in Eastern Europe, they seek solace in our abundant food sources and comparatively balmy temperatures. Numbers will trickle in throughout September, but the influx really kicks off during October. According to experts, one UK Starling roost numbered close to one million over-wintering birds!
In our own garden the most unusual bird we’ve seen visiting is a Turtle Dove, just the one and only on two occasions in subsequent years. Red listed as endangered and even on the verge of extinction it was a real thrill to see it and report the sighting to Operation Turtle Dove.
Turtle Doves have very distinctive plumage and beautiful voice quite different from other Pigeons.
The 12 Days of Christmas is a song that promises a great deal, but there’s a line that carollers may have to omit in future. Before a whole house of leaping lords and dancing ladies, the second day is supposed to bring two turtle doves. But dramatic declines in populations across Europe may mean that day two disappoints true loves in Christmases to come.
Only slightly larger than a blackbird, the European turtle dove is the UK’s smallest species of pigeon, as well as its only migrant species. You would be hard pushed to find turtle doves in the UK during December, as they spend the winter in sub-Saharan Africa, returning to Europe to breed in late April. With their return comes their gentle purring song, a long-standing sign of spring.
The Conversation
Turtle Dove in our East Sussex garden - yes they are a real thing (for now)
Formerly a widespread breeding species in Britain, the Turtle Dove population in Britain has declined by over 90% since 1994.* The declines are likely linked to changes in agriculture on their breeding grounds in Europe, as well as hunting pressure in the Mediterranean region and possibly environmental changes in their wintering grounds.
BTO
UK decline 94% since 1995 - source Operation Turtle Dove.
Dangers include the fact that it likes to mainly feed from the seeds of weeds and the tidier our land becomes, the more their diet reduces...no one can say that we don’t do our bit Chez Nature Watch! and very sadly, recreational hunting in some parts of Continental Europe.
European Turtle Dove will no longer legally be killed in France this autumn, after the Conseil d'Etat banned hunting of the Vulnerable-listed species. On Friday [11 September 2020], the highest administrative court in France outlawed the practice for the 2020-21 season.14 Sept 2020 Birdguides.com
I really hope the ban continues and spreads far and wide.
You can read more about bird migration here from the RSPB. It offers loads of information and right at the bottom of that page you can also read more about Turtle Doves.
Of course, nothing for me tops the year we had Swallows take over the open fronted nest box in our porch. Getting photos was tricky as we didn’t want to disturb them - to the extent of taking a circular route to go up and down stairs and using our back door when we could.
I often wonder what happened to our brood. Just look at the BTO Migration Map. It’s an incredibly long and arduous journey, fraught with dangers. Apparently this year numbers here were down due to catastrophic storms off Greece in April or May. There did seem to be a healthy population in our neck of the woods though and I always look forward to seeing the migrants back again.
There was an interesting blog about this Summer’s situation Here from a bird food supplier in Hampshire.
Picture credit the BTO as above link
There were actually five in our brood and they all fledged successfully. The photos are fuzzy but given the low light, stealth and using only a little camera, at least I got a record of their Summer with us. I’ve always been so disappointed they didn’t return.
Most songbirds use a nest for just a single clutch or season, then build a new one – if they survive to breed again. But one study showed that most swallows returned to the same colony, with 44 per cent of pairs reoccupying the same nest. ... A good nest may be reused for 10–15 years by a series of different pairs.
Finally today I can’t finish without a big shout out for the BTO Cuckoo Tracking Project where you can get lots of information and also follow the whereabouts and progress of Cuckoos making their journeys backwards and forwards. Currently there’s information on Carlton II, PJ and Valentine.
Cuckoo Article from Countryfile. It’s brilliant.
I hope the last couple of Blogs have been informative as well as interesting. There’s certainly enough reading material to cover quiet moments over the Christmas break if you want something entirely different. I never pretend to be an expert in anything but do go to reputable sources for the links and enjoy increasing my knowledge as I research what to include.
Notes from the Kitchen:
Last night we had a really delicious fish pie. We used Haddock and Salmon, leeks, peas and carrots, parsley and a savoury white sauce. I had thought about grating cheese on top of the potato and adding some thin slices of tomato, but didn’t get around to it...lazy!
Decoration from the Standen Courtyard Christmas Trees
A Pointsettia flower.
Personal details removed from label, the lady who crafted this is hoping to become a volunteer at the property in the New Year.
December 23rd Advent Door. Not expensive, just Little Deer
The Nature Watch Nativity
MANY CHRISTMAS CAROLS make mention of the three kings, who follow a star and come to pay homage to the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. In the Bible, they are not called kings, and their number is not specified—instead they are “wise men from the East.” At many courts in the east, including ancient Babylon and Persia, learned astrologers often served as priestly advisers, practiced in the art of magic. In the centuries since, the three magi have been interpreted as kings.
Taken from This Page where you can see an absolutely incredibly beautiful and ancient mosaic.
Carol of Choice from King’s College Choir, Cambridge
‘We Three Kings’
youtube
0 notes
Text
Twelve Beautiful Christmas Cards
Only two weeks to go before Christmas! So, I’m curious: how do you handle holiday cards? Do you send out custom family photo cards, or do you buy box sets of non-custom holiday cards and personalize them with a hand written message? Do you include a hand written card when you exchange gifts? Before I had children, I went with non-custom box sets for our holiday cards and hand wrote a message to each recipient inside. Once I became a parent, I switched over to custom photo cards, but we typically wait until New Year’s or even Valentine’s Day to send them out. I like to think of it as kind of a fun post-holiday surprise! But I miss the fun of picking out the most beautiful holiday cards each year, so this year I thought I’d switch things up a bit! Here are twelve beautiful Christmas cards that I’m totally in love with this year:
From top right:
1. The prettiest hand painted holiday cards from Moglea. Each one is individually hand painted, so they’re all unique!
2. Fun graphic lettering and bright pops of color from Egg Press
3. I’m such a fan of this color dot series from Mr. Boddington’s Studio – the color names are always so creative!
4. Classic holiday beauty from Sugar Paper
5. Vibrant red and neon pink in this illustrated card from And Here We Are!
6. This chipmunk holiday card from Dear Hancock just cracks me up. Those cheeks!
7. This embroidered dove design from Hello!Lucky has a wonderful folk art vibe about it that I’m really loving this year! If you’re embracing hygge and Scandinavian vibes this holiday season, this card would be a perfect fit!
8. Loving this full color letterpress printed design from Lucky Horse Press
9. This delicate design from Ramona & Ruth is just seriously stunning (and how pretty are those gold foil accents on blush pink paper?)
10. I mean, I couldn’t resist a cat holiday card! From The Good Twin, who totally gets my crazy cat lady vibes.
11. Colorful shapes and a non-traditional modern design by Kate Pugsley for Red Cap Cards
12. Wishing all of you peace and joy this holiday season and in 2018, from One Canoe Two
from Oh So Beautiful Paper http://ift.tt/2Bezgq8 via IFTTT
0 notes
Text
Festivals & Days held in Triste.
New Year’s Day - Celebrated with Egg Noodles or Soba Noodles and watch Fireworks go off. Valentine’s Day - Girls give chocolates or cookies to boys they like. White Day - Boys give gifts to girls in how they think of them in return from Valentine’s Day, normally gifts are chocolate, cookies or jewllery. Foundation Day - The day that commemorates when Triste was united together to one. Held on the last day of April.
Royal Day - Celebration for the royals. Takes place when the White Doves fly in. Flower Festival - Held on the first day of Spring, people gather to eat and celebrate the flowers coming to bloom. Pumpkin Festival - Held on the last day of Autumn, usually adults give cookies or chocolates to kids, sometimes teenagers can participate too if they like. X-mas - Festivities to be celebrated together, give presents to each other and give merrily to those less fortunate.
New Year’s Eve - From 9PM to Midnight, waiting and eating the last meals of the year. Praying for everything one has and also giving thanks for their livelyhood.
King’s Birthday - Changes when the King of Triste steps up. Queen’s Birthday - Changes each time when the Queen of Triste steps up.
0 notes
Photo
100 Drawing challenge 2017, days 81-90
081/100 For the next ten days I’m doing holiday themed characters! I’m going chronologically, so the first one is of course New Year! The silver and glitter makes it for me, honestly.
082/100 The second major holiday of the year is Valentine’s Day, so I drew this sweet date! Who is he waiting for?
083/100 Easter and Saint Patrick’s Day like to switch order sometimes, but I decided to do Saint Patrick’s first. I was originally going to dress her in the kind of garish, stereotypical great we do in the states, until on a whim I looked up traditional Irish dress and saw the dance dress called a solo. This looks way better imho.
084/100 Easter is a pretty chill holiday. Whether you spend the morning going to church or egg hunting I enjoy it. So I drew a chill character for it.
085/100 The next holiday is Independence Day, which I gotta admit is kind of weird since I already kind of DID over for this holiday, but oh well, this one came out alright. The design is cute.
086/100 Back to school isn’t a holiday you say? Well I’m bending the rules a little, because this is a landmark time of year for anyone anywhere near school age. I wanted to emulate the overly hype children in the back to school advertisements.
087/100 Drew a Halloween girl. I wasn’t 100% sure on the outfit but it came out nicely!
088/100 Dia de los muertos goes from October 31st see to November 2nd, and isn’t something I knew a lot about until I moved down to Texas from up north. I think it’s beautiful as a celebration of those who were once with us, and applied everything I, as an outsider, know about the holiday. Hope it holds up?
089/100 Thanksgiving was kind of a tough one for me. Not only does the history of Thanksgiving have… less than positive connotations, the whole pilgrims and native Americans thing had been done to death. So I dove into old memories of the holiday; fall colors, family getting together, pumpkin pie. It came out nicely.
090/100 For the last holiday in the set, here’s Christmas! I went with a more traditional get this time, but there’s was a 50/50 chance of doing a super cheesy outfit.
0 notes