#gray-legged partridge | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

americanwoodcockfan · 10 months ago

Text

I Love Dick And Balls

The American woodcock (Scolopax minor), sometimes colloquially referred to as the timberdoodle,[2] is a small shorebird species found primarily in the eastern half of North America. Woodcocks spend most of their time on the ground in brushy, young-forest habitats, where the birds' brown, black, and gray plumage provides excellent camouflage.

The American woodcock is the only species of woodcock inhabiting North America.[3] Although classified with the sandpipers and shorebirds in the family Scolopacidae, the American woodcock lives mainly in upland settings. Its many folk names include timberdoodle, bogsucker, night partridge, brush snipe, hokumpoke, and becasse.[4]

The population of the American woodcock has fallen by an average of slightly more than 1% annually since the 1960s. Most authorities attribute this decline to a loss of habitat caused by forest maturation and urban development. Because of the male woodcock's unique, beautiful courtship flights, the bird is welcomed as a harbinger of spring in northern areas. It is also a popular game bird, with about 540,000 killed annually by some 133,000 hunters in the U.S.[5]

In 2008, wildlife biologists and conservationists released an American woodcock conservation plan presenting figures for the acreage of early successional habitat that must be created and maintained in the U.S. and Canada to stabilize the woodcock population at current levels, and to return it to 1970s densities.[6] Description

The American woodcock has a plump body, short legs, a large, rounded head, and a long, straight prehensile bill. Adults are 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm) long and weigh 5 to 8 ounces (140 to 230 g).[7] Females are considerably larger than males.[8] The bill is 2.5 to 2.8 inches (6.4 to 7.1 cm) long.[4] Wingspans range from 16.5 to 18.9 inches (42 to 48 cm).[9] Illustration of American woodcock head and wing feathers Woodcock, with attenuate primaries, natural size, 1891

The plumage is a cryptic mix of different shades of browns, grays, and black. The chest and sides vary from yellowish-white to rich tans.[8] The nape of the head is black, with three or four crossbars of deep buff or rufous.[4] The feet and toes, which are small and weak, are brownish gray to reddish brown.[8] Woodcocks have large eyes located high in their heads, and their visual field is probably the largest of any bird, 360° in the horizontal plane and 180° in the vertical plane.[10]

The woodcock uses its long, prehensile bill to probe in the soil for food, mainly invertebrates and especially earthworms. A unique bone-and-muscle arrangement lets the bird open and close the tip of its upper bill, or mandible, while it is sunk in the ground. Both the underside of the upper mandible and the long tongue are rough-surfaced for grasping slippery prey.[4] Taxonomy

The genus Scolopax was introduced in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae.[11] The genus name is Latin for a snipe or woodcock.[12] The type species is the Eurasian woodcock (Scolopax rusticola).[13] Distribution and habitat

Woodcocks inhabit forested and mixed forest-agricultural-urban areas east of the 98th meridian. Woodcock have been sighted as far north as York Factory, Manitoba, and east to Labrador and Newfoundland. In winter, they migrate as far south as the Gulf Coast of the United States and Mexico.[8]

The primary breeding range extends from Atlantic Canada (Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick) west to southeastern Manitoba, and south to northern Virginia, western North Carolina, Kentucky, northern Tennessee, northern Illinois, Missouri, and eastern Kansas. A limited number breed as far south as Florida and Texas. The species may be expanding its distribution northward and westward.[8]

After migrating south in autumn, most woodcocks spend the winter in the Gulf Coast and southeastern Atlantic Coast states. Some may remain as far north as southern Maryland, eastern Virginia, and southern New Jersey. The core of the wintering range centers on Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia.[8] Based on the Christmas Bird Count results, winter concentrations are highest in the northern half of Alabama.

American woodcocks live in wet thickets, moist woods, and brushy swamps.[3] Ideal habitats feature early successional habitat and abandoned farmland mixed with forest. In late summer, some woodcocks roost on the ground at night in large openings among sparse, patchy vegetation.[8]Courtship/breeding habitats include forest openings, roadsides, pastures, and old fields from which males call and launch courtship flights in springtime. Nesting habitats include thickets, shrubland, and young to middle-aged forest interspersed with openings. Feeding habitats have moist soil and feature densely growing young trees such as aspen (Populus spp.), birch (Betula spp.), and mixed hardwoods less than 20 years of age, and shrubs, particularly alder (Alnus spp.). Roosting habitats are semiopen sites with short, sparse plant cover, such as blueberry barrens, pastures, and recently heavily logged forest stands.[8]

Migration

Woodcocks migrate at night. They fly at low altitudes, individually or in small, loose flocks. Flight speeds of migrating birds have been clocked at 16 to 28 mi/h (26 to 45 km/h). However, the slowest flight speed ever recorded for a bird, 5 mi/h (8 km/h), was recorded for this species.[14] Woodcocks are thought to orient visually using major physiographic features such as coastlines and broad river valleys.[8] Both the autumn and spring migrations are leisurely compared with the swift, direct migrations of many passerine birds.

In the north, woodcocks begin to shift southward before ice and snow seal off their ground-based food supply. Cold fronts may prompt heavy southerly flights in autumn. Most woodcocks start to migrate in October, with the major push from mid-October to early November.[15] Most individuals arrive on the wintering range by mid-December. The birds head north again in February. Most have returned to the northern breeding range by mid-March to mid-April.[8]

Migrating birds' arrival at and departure from the breeding range is highly irregular. In Ohio, for example, the earliest birds are seen in February, but the bulk of the population does not arrive until March and April. Birds start to leave for winter by September, but some remain until mid-November.[16] Behavior and ecology Food and feeding American woodcock catching a worm in a New York City park

Woodcocks eat mainly invertebrates, particularly earthworms (Oligochaeta). They do most of their feeding in places where the soil is moist. They forage by probing in soft soil in thickets, where they usually remain well-hidden. Other items in their diet include insect larvae, snails, centipedes, millipedes, spiders, snipe flies, beetles, and ants. A small amount of plant food is eaten, mainly seeds.[8] Woodcocks are crepuscular, being most active at dawn and dusk. Breeding

In spring, males occupy individual singing grounds, openings near brushy cover from which they call and perform display flights at dawn and dusk, and if the light levels are high enough, on moonlit nights. The male's ground call is a short, buzzy peent. After sounding a series of ground calls, the male takes off and flies from 50 to 100 yd (46 to 91 m) into the air. He descends, zigzagging and banking while singing a liquid, chirping song.[8] This high spiralling flight produces a melodious twittering sound as air rushes through the male's outer primary wing feathers.[17]

Males may continue with their courtship flights for as many as four months running, sometimes continuing even after females have already hatched their broods and left the nest. Females, known as hens, are attracted to the males' displays. A hen will fly in and land on the ground near a singing male. The male courts the female by walking stiff-legged and with his wings stretched vertically, and by bobbing and bowing. A male may mate with several females. The male woodcock plays no role in selecting a nest site, incubating eggs, or rearing young. In the primary northern breeding range, the woodcock may be the earliest ground-nesting species to breed.[8] Woodcock chick in nest Downy young are already well-camouflaged.

The hen makes a shallow, rudimentary nest on the ground in the leaf and twig litter, in brushy or young-forest cover usually within 150 yd (140 m) of a singing ground.[4] Most hens lay four eggs, sometimes one to three. Incubation takes 20 to 22 days.[3] The down-covered young are precocial and leave the nest within a few hours of hatching.[8] The female broods her young and feeds them. When threatened, the fledglings usually take cover and remain motionless, attempting to escape detection by relying on their cryptic coloration. Some observers suggest that frightened young may cling to the body of their mother, that will then take wing and carry the young to safety.[18] Woodcock fledglings begin probing for worms on their own a few days after hatching. They develop quickly and can make short flights after two weeks, can fly fairly well at three weeks, and are independent after about five weeks.[3]

The maximum lifespan of adult American woodcock in the wild is 8 years.[19] Rocking behavior American woodcocks sometimes rock back and forth as they walk, perhaps to aid their search for worms.

American woodcocks occasionally perform a rocking behavior where they will walk slowly while rhythmically rocking their bodies back and forth. This behavior occurs during foraging, leading ornithologists such as Arthur Cleveland Bent and B. H. Christy to theorize that this is a method of coaxing invertebrates such as earthworms closer to the surface.[20] The foraging theory is the most common explanation of the behavior, and it is often cited in field guides.[21]

An alternative theory for the rocking behavior has been proposed by some biologists, such as Bernd Heinrich. It is thought that this behavior is a display to indicate to potential predators that the bird is aware of them.[22] Heinrich notes that some field observations have shown that woodcocks will occasionally flash their tail feathers while rocking, drawing attention to themselves. This theory is supported by research done by John Alcock who believes this is a type of aposematism.[23] Population status

How many woodcock were present in eastern North America before European settlement is unknown. Colonial agriculture, with its patchwork of family farms and open-range livestock grazing, probably supported healthy woodcock populations.[4]

The woodcock population remained high during the early and mid-20th century, after many family farms were abandoned as people moved to urban areas, and crop fields and pastures grew up in brush. In recent decades, those formerly brushy acres have become middle-aged and older forest, where woodcock rarely venture, or they have been covered with buildings and other human developments. Because its population has been declining, the American woodcock is considered a "species of greatest conservation need" in many states, triggering research and habitat-creation efforts in an attempt to boost woodcock populations.

Population trends have been measured through springtime breeding bird surveys, and in the northern breeding range, springtime singing-ground surveys.[8] Data suggest that the woodcock population has fallen rangewide by an average of 1.1% yearly over the last four decades.[6] Conservation

The American woodcock is not considered globally threatened by the IUCN. It is more tolerant of deforestation than other woodcocks and snipes; as long as some sheltered woodland remains for breeding, it can thrive even in regions that are mainly used for agriculture.[1][24] The estimated population is 5 million, so it is the most common sandpiper in North America.[17]

The American Woodcock Conservation Plan presents regional action plans linked to bird conservation regions, fundamental biological units recognized by the U.S. North American Bird Conservation Initiative. The Wildlife Management Institute oversees regional habitat initiatives intended to boost the American woodcock's population by protecting, renewing, and creating habitat throughout the species' range.[6]

Creating young-forest habitat for American woodcocks helps more than 50 other species of wildlife that need early successional habitat during part or all of their lifecycles. These include relatively common animals such as white-tailed deer, snowshoe hare, moose, bobcat, wild turkey, and ruffed grouse, and animals whose populations have also declined in recent decades, such as the golden-winged warbler, whip-poor-will, willow flycatcher, indigo bunting, and New England cottontail.[25]

Leslie Glasgow,[26] the assistant secretary of the Interior for Fish, Wildlife, Parks, and Marine Resources from 1969 to 1970, wrote a dissertation through Texas A&M University on the woodcock, with research based on his observations through the Louisiana State University (LSU) Agricultural Experiment Station. He was an LSU professor from 1948 to 1980 and an authority on wildlife in the wetlands.[27] References

BirdLife International (2020). "Scolopax minor". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T22693072A182648054. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22693072A182648054.en. Retrieved November 13, 2021. The American Woodcock Today | Woodcock population and young forest habitat management. Timberdoodle.org. Retrieved on 2013-04-03. Kaufman, Kenn (1996). Lives of North American Birds. Houghton Mifflin, pp. 225–226, ISBN 0618159886. Sheldon, William G. (1971). Book of the American Woodcock. University of Massachusetts. Cooper, T. R. & K. Parker (2009). American woodcock population status, 2009. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Laurel, Maryland. Kelley, James; Williamson, Scot & Cooper, Thomas, eds. (2008). American Woodcock Conservation Plan: A Summary of and Recommendations for Woodcock Conservation in North America. Smith, Christopher (2000). Field Guide to Upland Birds and Waterfowl. Wilderness Adventures Press, pp. 28–29, ISBN 1885106203. Keppie, D. M. & R. M. Whiting Jr. (1994). American Woodcock (Scolopax minor), The Birds of North America. "American Woodcock Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology". www.allaboutbirds.org. Retrieved September 27, 2020. Jones, Michael P.; Pierce, Kenneth E.; Ward, Daniel (2007). "Avian vision: a review of form and function with special consideration to birds of prey". Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine. 16 (2): 69. doi:10.1053/j.jepm.2007.03.012. Linnaeus, Carl (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1 (10th ed.). Holmiae (Stockholm): Laurentii Salvii. p. 145. Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 351. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4. Peters, James Lee, ed. (1934). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 2. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 278. Amazing Bird Records. Trails.com (2010-07-27). Retrieved on 2013-04-03. Sepik, G. F. and E. L. Derleth (1993). Habitat use, home range size, and patterns of moves of the American Woodcock in Maine. in Proc. Eighth Woodcock Symp. (Longcore, J. R. and G. F. Sepik, eds.) Biol. Rep. 16, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C. Ohio Ornithological Society (2004). Annotated Ohio state checklist Archived 2004-07-18 at the Wayback Machine. O'Brien, Michael; Crossley, Richard & Karlson, Kevin (2006). The Shorebird Guide. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, pp. 444–445, ISBN 0618432949. Mann, Clive F. (1991). "Sunda Frogmouth Batrachostomus cornutus carrying its young" (PDF). Forktail. 6: 77–78. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 28, 2008. Wasser, D. E.; Sherman, P. W. (2010). "Avian longevities and their interpretation under evolutionary theories of senescence". Journal of Zoology. 280 (2): 103. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.2009.00671.x. Bent, A. C. (1927). "Life histories of familiar North American birds: American Woodcock, Scalopax minor". United States National Museum Bulletin. Smithsonian Institution. 142 (1): 61–78. "American Woodcock". Audubon. National Audubon Society. Retrieved October 5, 2023. Heinrich, Bernd (March 1, 2016). "Note on the Woodcock Rocking Display". Northeastern Naturalist. 23 (1): N4–N7. Alcock, John (2013). Animal behavior: an evolutionary approach (10th ed.). Sunderland (Mass.): Sinauer. p. 522. ISBN 0878939660. Henninger, W. F. (1906). "A preliminary list of the birds of Seneca County, Ohio" (PDF). Wilson Bulletin. 18 (2): 47–60. the Woodcock Management Plan. Timberdoodle.org. Retrieved on 2013-04-03. [1]Paul Y. Burns (June 13, 2008). "Leslie L. Glasgow". lsuagcdenter.com. Retrieved October 21, 2014.

Further readingChoiniere, Joe (2006). Seasons of the Woodcock: The secret life of a woodland shorebird. Sanctuary 45(4): 3–5. Sepik, Greg F.; Owen, Roy & Coulter, Malcolm (1981). A Landowner's Guide to Woodcock Management in the Northeast, Misc. Report 253, Maine Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Maine.

External linksAmerican woodcock species account – Cornell Lab of Ornithology American Woodcock – Scolopax minor – USGS Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter American Woodcock Bird Sound Rite of Spring – Illustrated account of the phenomenal courtship flight of the male American woodcock American Woodcock videos[permanent dead link] on the Internet Bird Collection Photo-High Res; Article – www.fws.gov–"Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge", photo gallery and analysis American Woodcock Conservation Plan A Summary of and Recommendations for Woodcock Conservation in North America Timberdoodle.org: the Woodcock Management Plan Sepik, Greg F.; Ray B. Owen Jr.; Malcolm W. Coulter (July 1981). "Landowner's Guide to Woodcock Management in the Northeast". Maine Agricultural Experiment Station Miscellaneous Report 253. vte

Sandpipers (family: Scolopacidae) Taxon identifiers Wikidata: Q694319 Wikispecies: Scolopax minor ABA: amewoo ADW: Scolopax_minor ARKive: scolopax-minor Avibase: F4829920F1710E56 BirdLife: 22693072 BOLD: 10164 CoL: 6XXHP BOW: amewoo eBird: amewoo EoL: 45509171 Euring: 5310 FEIS: scmi Fossilworks: 129789 GBIF: 2481695 GNAB: american-woodcock iNaturalist: 3936 IRMNG: 10836458 ITIS: 176580 IUCN: 22693072 NatureServe: 2.105226 NCBI: 56299 ODNR: american-woodcock WoRMS: 159027 Xeno-canto: Scolopax-minor

Categories:IUCN Red List least concern speciesScolopaxNative birds of the Eastern United StatesNative birds of Eastern CanadaBirds of MexicoBirds described in 1789Taxa named by Johann Friedrich Gmelin

Migration

The maximum lifespan of adult American woodcock in the wild is 8 years.[19] Rocking behavior American woodcocks sometimes rock back and forth as they walk, perhaps to aid their search for worms.

Migration

The maximum lifespan of adult American woodcock in the wild is 8 years.[19] Rocking behavior American woodcocks sometimes rock back and forth as they walk, perhaps to aid their search for worms.

#pro rq 🌈🍓#radqueer #rq #rq community #rq please interact #rq safe #rq 🌈🍓#rqc🌈🍓#transid #pro radqueer #radqueers please interact #radqueer safe

16 notes · View notes

warriors-rewritten-chaos · 3 months ago

Text

Warrior Cats Prefixes- P

I had a WC Name Generator on Perchance that I made but I don't seem to have access anymore, so I'm remaking it here as just a simple list. The definitions used are the ones that Clan cats have for those things, and thus are the origins of the names. Definitions used are whatever I found when I googled it.

Pale-: "[adj] light in color or having little color"

Pansy-: "[noun] a popular cultivated viola with flowers in rich colors, with both summer- and winter-flowering varieties"

Panther-: "[noun] a black leopard"

Panthercap-: "[noun] a species of fungus found in Eurasia with poisonous and psychoactive properties"

Parsley-: "[noun] a biennial plant with white flowers and aromatic leaves that are either crinkly or flat"

Parsnip-: "[noun] a long tapering cream-colored root with a sweet flavor; [noun] the widely cultivated Eurasian plant of the parsley family that yields the parsnip root"

Partridge-: "[noun] a short-tailed game bird with mainly brown plumage, native to Eurasia"

Patch-: "[noun] a part of something marked out from the rest by a particular characteristic"

Patched-: "[adj] having multiple patches"

Pea-: "[noun] a spherical green seed that is eaten as a vegetable or as a pulse when dried; [noun] the hardy Eurasian climbing plant which yields pods containing peas"

Peace-: "[noun] freedom from disturbance, aka tranquility"

Peach-: "[noun] a round stone fruit with juicy yellow flesh and downy pinkish-yellow skin; [noun] the tree which bears the peach fruit"

Peak-: "[noun] the pointed top of a mountain"

Pear-: "[noun] a yellowish- or brownish-green edible fruit that is typically narrow at the stalk and wider toward the base, with sweet, slightly gritty flesh; [noun] the tree which bears the pear fruit"

Pearl-: "[noun] a hard, lustrous spherical mass, typically white or bluish-gray, formed within the shell of a pearl oyster or other bivalve mollusk and highly prized as a gem"

Peat-: "[noun] a brown deposit resembling soil, formed by the partial decomposition of vegetable matter in the wet acidic conditions of bogs and fens"

Pebble-: "[noun] a small stone made smooth and round by the action of water or sand"

Peony-: "[noun] a herbaceous or shrubby plant of north temperate regions, which has long been cultivated for its showy flowers"

Pepper-: "[noun] a capsicum, especially a sweet pepper"

Perch-: "[noun] a common freshwater fish"

Peregrine-: "[noun] a powerful falcon found on most continents, breeding chiefly on mountains and coastal cliffs"

Periwinkle-: "[noun] an Old World plant with flat five-petaled, typically bluish flowers and glossy leaves"

Persimmon-: "[noun] an edible fruit that resembles a large tomato and has very sweet flesh; [noun] the tree which yields the persimmon fruit"

Petal-: "[noun] each of the segments of the corolla of a flower, which are modified leaves and are typically colored"

Petrel-: "[noun] a seabird related to the shearwaters, typically flying far from land"

Petunia-: "[noun] a plant of the nightshade family with brightly colored funnel-shaped flowers"

Pheasant-: "[noun] a large long-tailed game bird native to Asia, the male of which typically has very showy plumage"

Pigeon-: "[noun] a stout seed- or fruit-eating bird with a small head, short legs, and a cooing voice, typically having gray and white plumage"

Pike-: "[noun] a long-bodied predatory freshwater fish with a pointed snout and large teeth, of both North America and Eurasia"

Pine-: "[noun] an evergreen coniferous tree that has clusters of long needle-shaped leaves. Many kinds are grown for their soft timber"

Pink-: "[adj] of a color intermediate between red and white, as of coral or salmon; [noun] pink color, material, or pigment"

Pipit-: "[noun] a mainly ground-dwelling songbird of open country, typically having brown streaky plumage"

Plover-: "[noun] a short-billed gregarious wading bird, typically found by water but sometimes frequenting grassland, tundra, and mountains"

Plum-: "[noun] n oval fleshy fruit that is purple, reddish, or yellow when ripe and contains a flattish pointed pit; [noun] the deciduous tree that bears the plum"

Plume-: "[noun] a long, soft feather or arrangement of feathers used by a bird for display; [verb] spread out in a shape resembling a feather"

Poison-: "[noun] a substance that is capable of causing the illness or death of a living organism when introduced or absorbed"

Pollen-: "[noun] a fine powdery substance, typically yellow, consisting of microscopic grains discharged from the male part of a flower or from a male cone"

Pond-: "[noun] a small body of still water formed naturally or by hollowing or embanking"

Pony-: "[noun] a horse of a small breed"

Pool-: "[noun] a small area of still water, typically one formed naturally"

Poplar-: "[noun] a tall, fast-growing tree of north temperate regions"

Poppy-: "[noun] a herbaceous plant with showy flowers, milky sap, and rounded seed capsules"

Possum-: "[noun] a marsupial with a naked prehensile tail and opposable thumbs, an opossum"

Potato-: "[noun] a starchy plant tuber; [noun] the plant of the nightshade family that produces the potato tubers on underground runners"

Powder-: "[noun] fine, dry particles produced by the grinding, crushing, or disintegration of a solid substance; [noun] light, dry, newly fallen snow"

Prickle-: "[noun] a short, slender, sharp-pointed outgrowth on the bark or epidermis of a plant, a small thorn"

Primrose-: "[noun] a commonly cultivated plant of European woodlands that produces pale yellow flowers in the early spring; [noun] a pale yellow color"

Privet-: "[noun] a shrub of the olive family, with small white heavily scented flowers and poisonous black berries"

Promise-: "[noun] a declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that a particular thing will happen; [verb] assure someone that one will definitely do, give, or arrange something, or undertake or declare that something will happen"

Proud-: "[noun] feeling deep pleasure or satisfaction as a result of one's own achievements, qualities, or possessions or those of someone with whom one is closely associated; [noun] having or showing a high or excessively high opinion of oneself or one's importance"

Ptarmigan-: "[noun] a northern grouse of mountainous and Arctic regions, with feathered legs and feet and plumage that typically changes to white in winter"

Puddle-: "[noun] a small pool of liquid, especially of rainwater on the ground"

Puffball-: "[noun] a type of fungus featuring a ball-shaped fruit body that (when mature) bursts on contact or impact, releasing a cloud of dust-like spores into the surrounding area"

Pumpkin-: "[noun] a large rounded orange-yellow fruit with a thick rind, edible flesh, and many seeds; [noun] the plant of the gourd family that produces pumpkins, having tendrils and large lobed leaves"

Purple-: "[noun] a color intermediate between red and blue; [adj] of a color intermediate between red and blue"

#warrior cats #warrior cats rewrite #worldbuilding

2 notes · View notes

buttercup-draws44 · 1 year ago

Text

Night time for the Puppet AU Ensemble

Disclaimer: This is fanmade and not canon to Welcome Home. I do not work with Clown or the rest of the team. This is just a silly little crossover for fun.

I wanted to design pajamas for these guys.

Alvis, Mahira, Rubis, and Dylan are all from the comic CARDs, created by @arty-e

Welcome Home is created by partycoffin.

Image description for the first image: From left to right: Alvis, Mahira, Rubis, and Dylan from the WEBTOON comic CARDS. Alvis is sleeping next to Mahira, cuddling her with his hand on her leg. His puppet is a light pink with a pinky-red nose and blue eyelids. He wears muted pink socks with the heel and toe part being a very dark, muted mauve color. Mahira has her arm around Alvis and is looking down at him, smiling. She sits with her right leg crossed over her left. She wears an orange, button-down nightgown with yellow buttons, collar, and sleeve cuffs. The nightgown has a pocket with a red heart on it. She also wears coral colored house slippers. Rubis sits next to Mahira, smiling and chatting. He sits criss-cross applesauce style, with his left hand held up to imply he is gesturing as he talks. He has pajama shirt with a gold diamond pattern and solid gold pants. He has a yellow robe with cream trim and belt. Rubis also wears black house slippers. Dylan sits next to him with one knee up and being held by both hands. Dylan wears eyeglasses on his face and a light blue button up pajama shirt with a lapel collar and gray-blue buttons. The pants are the same color. He also wears light blue house slippers with a bright blue spade on the topline. They are all sitting on the second story of Poppy Partridge’s barn, with a wooden floor and pink wallpaper with a white stripe pattern.

Image description for second image: Same picture, but darker to signify that it’s night

#my art #cards #cards fanart #alvis Wilson #Mahira cor #rubis Diamant #dylan espadas #welcome home fanart #welcome home #crossover au #cards puppet au #cards-wh crossover

4 notes · View notes

strelles-universe · 2 years ago

Text

Clan Names - Seed Birds

Bird: Used by all clans equally. A small or bouncy cat, whimsical and flighty.

Blackbird: A ShadowClan or a ThunderClan name. An all black cat, somewhat rare because of length.

Bunting: Used by all clans equally. A vibrant or elaborately colored cat.

Cardinal: Primarily a ThunderClan or a ShadowClan name. A mostly or completely red cat, a cat with a black mask over their eyes, noticeable or obnoxious.

Chaffinch: Used by all clans. An odd colored kit, a kit who is blue and ginger.

Chickadee, Tit: Used by all clans equally. A distinctively marked kit, someone with round or soft features, gentle.

Crow: Primarily a WindClan or ShadowClan name. A mostly or completely black cat, one who is agitating, good at finding clues.

Cuckoo: Used by all clans equally. A gray furred cat with white flecks, a cat with very long legs; aggressive and bold.

Dove: Primarily a ThunderClan name. A round and soft featured cat, one who is elegant and social; beautiful.

Finch: Used by all clans but ShadowClan. A brightly colored cat, someone who is yellow or red; distinctive and bold.

Grouse: Primarily a WindClan or a ThunderClan name. A black and brown cat, someone who is speckled with brown.

Hen: Primarily a WindClan or ThunderClan name. A dapple furred cat, a tortoiseshell; motherly or provider.

Hummingbird: Used by all clans but ShadowClan. A small or runty cat, someone with boundless energy or vigor, a vibrantly colored cat.

Jackdaw: Used by all clans equally. A dark gray or dark blue cat, someone who is intelligent or clever.

Jay: Primarily a ThunderClan name. A blue or brown kit, someone who is striking; headstrong and aggressive, stubborn.

Lark: Primarily a WindClan or ThunderClan name. A brown and white cat, someone who is graceful or skillful.

Magpie: Used by all clans equally. A black and white cat, someone who is craft and aggressive, fearsome.

Nightingale: Primarily a ThunderClan name. A sandy or reddish brown cat, someone who is private or secretive.

Nightjar: Primarily a ShadowClan name. A mottled or brindle coated cat, one who is brown; still and stern, a common title for border guards.

Oriole: Primarily a ThunderClan and RiverClan name. A vibrant and dark-highlighted cat, particularly of a ginger and black coloring; striking or noticeable.

Partridge: Primarily a WindClan name. A pale gray or brown striped cat, someone with soft fur.

Pheasant: Used by all clans equally. A brown or red furred cat with a shiny coat, bold or show-boating.

Pigeon: Used by all clans equally. A gray and blue furred cat, someone who is adaptable.

Ptarmigan: A rare name. A cat who is small and round, soft furred or gentle.

Quail: Primarily a ThunderClan or a WindClan name. A brown and white cat, a spotted pelt cat, someone with distinctive ear tufts.

Raven: Used by all clans. A mostly or fully black cat, a cat who is intelligent and mysterious, a messenger of Moonsoul.

Robin: Primarily a ThunderClan name. A brown or tan furred cat, someone who is simultaneous average and common.

Rook: Primarily a WindClan or a ShadowClan name. A mostly or completely black furred cat, someone missing patches of fur, a clever cat.

Sparrow: Used by all clans equally. A brown and tan cat, small but determined; one who is loud or awakens early

Shrike: Used by all clans equally. A cat who is small and lanky, dangerous in battle.

Starling: Primarily a ThunderClan or New SkyClan name. A dark furred cat with a light speckled body, someone who talks or sings a lot, a gossiper.

Swallow: Primarily a RiverClan, ThunderClan or New SkyClan name. A vibrant or distinctively colored kit, someone sure-footed and skillful.

Thrush: Primarily a ThunderClan name. A brown and white cat, someone who is speckled in some way, loyal and devoted.

Warbler: Used by all clans equally. A vibrant yellow or golden furred kit, someone talkative and good singer.

Wagtail: Primarily a WindClan name. A black and white or a gray and white kit, someone who is talkative or smart.

Wren: Primarily a WindClan and ThunderClan name. A mostly or completely brown cat, someone who speaks and moves quickly.

#strelles au #strelles naming conventions #strelles worldbuilding #pride names and meaning #strelles the greenwood empire

8 notes · View notes

kifu · 6 months ago

Text

My little guys are starting to grow up. <3

So the raccoon that's been taking out my flock is caught. My wife wants to shoot him, so I wait for her to wake up, teach her gun safety, and then we shoot him dead. I think I'll keep his fur and keep it in my stash of to-do furs after a Dawn bath.

I haven't looked because I'm not messing with a live raccoon, but I'm pretty sure it's a mature male. It's big. Maybe it's what killed my gold laced pullet last year. Never caught whatever was killing my chicks, just kept it out of the pens.

Our candy corn polish are both dead. I think I have two eggs from the hen, the first of which I'm not even sure is fertilized because I JUST put them together. I can work with ONE candy corn, but that's going to be a LOT of luck.

The raccoon ripped her up. Just killed the cock and left him for dead. He doesn't even have any blood on him that I can see, just a lot of missing feathers. He was a very, VERY good boy. And that's nuts, from a polish. I am pissed.

It's a huge, huge relief to catch this fucker. I think it's big enough that it's the only one in the territory, but that doesn't mean I'll stop trapping.

I might be able to start planning for next year.

I'm officially pullorum certified as of today. I can buy my supply of antigen whenever I feel like it. I can NPIP my flock any time I want now. I do need to have a discussion with the wife about that, because in Michigan it's $300 just to the state to get registered with NPIP. Which I believe is the highest in the country. Neither of us are shipping this year, but I do want to be NPIP status by the time I can ship next year.

We have very frustrating turkeys that were very expensive and very rare. Most of the flock is Cgcg (gray?) or sweetgrass, and everything is penciled. So we have penciled sweetgrass, tigers, penciled fall fires - all various recessive reds, black, and slate based. We'd like to make some money back on them.

I have some cochin from competitive sources now. My black, blue, and mottled are fairly established. My chocolate project is mostly dead in water after my hen died. I have a chance at lavender. Well, I have hatchery stock lavender, too, but I'd like to not use them if I have the chance; I now have TWO split lavenders from the best lav breeder I know of in the country.

I have ONE mille project pullet. I wanted a cockerel, but whatever. She is the only one (of this color and project) that lived through the week where my babies were dying, but she's also the only one that met all the criteria: brown, feather legged (and footed!). The cockerel I had growing up was the "blue" and I really think that it WASN'T blue and that mossiness or whatever it was was going to end up roasting me. Plus, he was only feather shanked, so this pullet is so much nicer than he would have been. I have so many mottled blacks from her parents, and I think I'm at about a 4% brown feather legged hatch rate when it was supposed to be around ... 11%? So yay stats in my favor.

I have gold laced! I had ten shipped to me, nine lived. Two are cockerels, so seven are pullets. Nuts stats on that one. They're still young, as seen in picture, so I have noooo idea what I'm working with yet.

I have some surviving silver laced! Y'know, what I REALLY wanted from the hatchery. I have one surviving silver laced hen from the raccoon. I have two cockerels and one pullet from the hatchery. Again, no idea what I'm working with yet. But while the hen I have is very stiff in the tail, and her lacing is meh, she has some pretty decent structure to her body. I have no babies out of that hen yet this year. I think I'm giving her another couple weeks with my partridge boy before I switch her over to the red shouldered blue laced yellow cross cock. REALLY wanted a red shouldered yellow laced cockerel from her and the partridge, though. *pout*

I have no partridge offspring this year! They're doing horribly! But half the hens in that pen started sitting this week, so I'll see what they can do.

I have no laced project babies this year! Awesome! That's only a major inconvenience!

I have one chocolate mottled houdan that hatched. I'm pretty sure it's a pullet out of the blue that I killed after he attacked my face. I think I'll dismantle that pen pretty soon. I have some houdans I got from the hatchery, too, so I get to have choices for the houdan pen next year. They need to be bred a lot heavier than they currently are. They look like polish to me, and not even good ones at that.

I've made progress so far this year, but my hatches have been shiiiiiit, so not nearly as much progress as I would have liked. I don't want to hatch too late into the summer! I don't like fall babies.

#chicken rant #a rather long one again

1 note · View note

burstingstones · 1 year ago

Text

Allegiances

•─────⋅☾ ☆ ❀•°•───────•

Pipestone Colony

Leader Piperhawk -- A ginger and brown molly with tattered ears and yellow eyes.

Second Stonesong -- A dark brown molly with teal eyes.

Historian Rootbuzzard -- A very pale golden-brown trans tom with splashes of white on his fur.

Healers Yarrowspeckle -- A very dark reddish-brown tabby molly with a spiky-furred tail. Yewleap -- A black and orange tabby trans molly with large pointed ears. Tansyfang -- A tiny gray-brown tabby molly.

Heart Keepers Flameheart -- A brown tabby molly with green eyes. Burningapple -- A light ginger and white trans tom. Blazemoth -- A bright ginger tabby tolly with tufted ears. Kindlingfeather -- A ginger colorpoint molly with hazel eyes.

Seed Sowers Sandshimmer -- A golden speckled molly with cobalt blue eyes. Mudstrawberry -- A handsome red tom with blue eyes. Dustantler -- A pale reddish-brown tom with a bent tail.

Trappers Runningthrush -- A gold and cream tabby tom with stormy teal eyes. Fogbreeze -- A long-legged orange tabby molly with enormous blue-green eyes (Nursing Cricket). Sunpounce -- A bright ginger tom with silver eyes. Talonsage -- A messy-furred golden tom. Sleekspring -- A short chestnut brown tabby molly. Snarlhound -- A creamy brown tom with tiny white dash on his chest.

Guards Shadeoat -- A brown and ginger tolly with big pale paws. Spottedswan -- A dark brown and cream molly with black stripes. Strikedeer -- A very dark brown and white tabby tom. Stonelake -- A tall crow-black molly.

Trainees Stoat -- A tortoiseshell tabby tom with a stumpy white tail. Chirp -- A nimble red molly with sky-blue eyes. Blossom -- A golden-brown tabby molly.

Kittens Cricket -- A sturdy ginger and white tabby tom.

Mentors Willowred -- A well-groomed rose-cream tolly with bright hazel-green eyes. Wingturtle -- An old golden tabby molly with a broken spine and purple eyes. Stemquail -- A mottled brown molly with blue eyes. Shimmergoose -- A white and brown tabby tom with an unusually long tail.

•─────⋅☾ ☆ ❀•°•───────•

Cloudburst Colony

Leader Cloudmackerel -- A long-furred silver tabby tom with tufted ears.

Second Burstfern -- A white and grey tabby molly.

Historian Rootstride -- A silver colorpoint tabby molly with orange eyes.

Healers Fernrusset -- A blue-gray tabby trans tom with a black tail. Thistlefrost -- A silver colorpoint tabby trans molly. Brackenlight -- A gray and white tabby molly with black streaks in her fur. Ferncedar -- A blind tortoiseshell tom.

Divers Frostflurry -- A curly-furred, cream and gray tabby trans molly. Foamflutter -- A gray-brown tom with silver eyes. Streamplum -- A black and dark gray tabby tom with copper eyes. Currentbird -- A dark gray tabby molly with enormous blue-gray eyes.

Tempests Cloudwhisker -- A large sooty gray tabby trans tom with brown eyes. Stormharrier -- A Deaf silver and white molly with purple-grey eyes.

Trappers Crowstripe -- A smoky black tabby trans molly with a pale belly and one mismatched eyes. Jumpspider -- A strong creamy white tabby molly. Hopblizzard -- A light gray and brown tom with long, wild fur. Springelm -- A slim black and gray tabby molly. Brightjuniper -- A pure white tom with a dark muzzle.

Guards Strikeotter -- A light gray colorpoint tabby trans molly. Darkoak -- A heavily scarred black and orange molly with stormy purple-gray eyes (Nursing Petal & Partridge). Clawshiver -- A pale gray colorpoint tom with purple-gray eyes.

Trainees Mistle -- A scrappy silver colorpoint tabby tom with golden eyes. Pipit -- A grey molly with brown and white patches.

Kittens Petal -- A skinny brown tabby molly. Partridge -- A tall white and silver tabby tom.

Mentors Pathmoon -- A sleek pale pinkish-cream tom. Darkbadger -- A black and white tom with a missing eye.

•─────⋅☾ ☆ ❀•°•───────•

Other Characters

Wisp -- A scrappy white tom. Tomato -- A dull brown tabby molly with blue eyes. Honey -- A long-furred golden molly. Gene -- A small white and light brown trans tom. Luke -- A white and gray tabby tom with one missing eye. Myrtle -- A powerful ginger tom with mismatched eyes.

#warrior cats #warriors #fanclan #allegiances #pipestone colony #cloudburst colony

0 notes

superfluffychickens · 6 months ago

Note

Wow, what a lovely bouquet of babies! I love having a mixed flock, not only does it help to be able to tell individuals apart, but it’s just aesthetically pleasing and fun! Especially breeds like Easter and Olive Eggers, since they come in so many different colors and shapes you don’t quite know what you’re getting (unless you’re buying from someone breeding for a specific color I guess). That’s why I was excited to hatch all these landrace babies and the Favaucana crossbreeds, they’re all different colors! A lot of the babies I thought were just solid black as chicks are either dark brown with almost partridge-like patterns, or they have black and white patterns and lacing, or they’re shades of gray. There’s only a couple that are actually solid black now, and they still have lots of feathers to grow still so who knows! Plus a few have feathered legs, five toes, beards, crests, different comb shapes, it’s a real-live Gatchapon of babies!

Also, what’s your chicken sideblog? I’ll give it a follow and share it so more people can see!

Got my 20 piece chicken nugget box from the post office yesterday and my god I love these curious little cotton balls so much already

Oh my god 🥺🥺🥺🥺😭😭😭😭

Those first few days are the best, especially the way they just fall asleep every 5 minutes. Mine are in their hyperactive tiny dinosaur stage, they’re creating a feathery tornado in their room as I type this and one of them is trying to peck my eyeballs. It’s worth it though, to see them growing up healthy and strong!

Good luck, hope they all thrive!

27 notes · View notes

moths-wc-aus · 2 years ago

Text

Prefix Meanings - P

Pale - “Light in color or having little color.” A pale cat; A light-furred cat

Pansy - “A popular viola with flowers in rich colors, with both summer- and winter-flowering varieties.” A small cat; A cat with bright fur; A cheerful cat; A gentle cat; A flexible cat; A kind cat

Panther - “A black leopard.” A large cat; A black cat; A strong cat; A noble cat

Parsley - “A biennial plant with white flowers and aromatic leaves that are either crinkly or flat.” A thick-furred cat; A tall cat; A calm cat; A soothing cat

Parsnip - “A long tapering cream-colored root with a sweet flavor.” A pale cat; A cream cat; A cat with long limbs; A sweet cat; A friendly cat

Partridge - “A short-tailed game bird with mainly brown plumage.” A brown cat; A grey cat; A tabby cat; A cat with a short tail

Passerine - “A large order of birds distinguished by feet that are adapted for perching, including all songbirds.” A vocal cat; A balanced cat; A cat who is musically gifted

Patch - “A part of something marked out from the rest.” A cat with patched fur patterns

Pea - “The hardy Eurasian climbing plant which yields pods containing peas ; Used in names of plants or seeds that are similar or related to the pea, e.g. chickpea, sweet pea.” A hardy cat; A small cat

Peach - “A round stone fruit with juicy yellow flesh and downy pinkish-yellow skin.” A brown cat; A yellow cat; A soft-furred cat; A sweet cat; A kind cat; A sturdy cat

Peak - “The pointed top of a mountain.” A spiky-furred cat; An energetic cat; A cat with immense stamina; A cat who is prone to wandering; An adventurous cat

Pear - “A yellowish- or brownish-green edible fruit that is typically narrow at the stalk and wider toward the base, with sweet, slightly gritty flesh.” A brown cat; A yellow cat; A sweet cat; A coarse-furred cat; A sturdy cat

Pearl - “A hard, lustrous spherical mass, typically white or bluish-gray, formed within the shell of a pearl oyster or other bivalve mollusk.” A white cat; A pale cat; A cat with sleek fur; A cat with glossy / shiny fur; An attractive cat

Pebble - “A small stone made smooth and round by the action of water or sand.” A small cat; A grey cat; A white cat; A blue cat; A black cat; A determined cat; A firm cat

Peeper - “A small tree frog that has brownish-gray skin with a dark cross on the back, the males of which sing in early spring.” A small cat; A brown cat; A grey cat; A tabby; A long-legged cat; A vocal cat; A musically gifted cat

Pelican - “A large waterbird with a long bill, an extensible throat pouch for scooping up fish, and mainly white or gray plumage.” A large cat; A white cat; A grey cat; A white and black cat; A calm cat; A social cat; A scavenger

Peony - “An herbaceous or shrubby plant of temperate regions with showy flowers.” A white cat; A red cat; A thick-furred cat; A soft-furred cat; A gentle cat

Pepper - “A capsicum, especially a sweet pepper.” A yellow cat; A red cat; An orange cat; A brown cat; A temperamental cat; An aggressive cat

Perch - “An edible freshwater fish with a high spiny dorsal fin, dark vertical bars on the body, and orange lower fins.” A yellow cat; A pale cat with dark stripes; A skilled swimmer

Peregrine - “A powerful falcon found on most continents, breeding chiefly on mountains and coastal cliffs.” A grey cat; A grey and white cat; A tabby; A skilled hunter; A powerful cat; A cat with good eyesight

Periwinkle - “A flower with flat five-petaled typically bluish flowers and glossy leaves.” A blue cat; A grey cat; A black cat; A white cat; A glossy-furred cat; A delicate cat; A small cat

Petal - “Each of the segments of the corolla of a flower, which are modified leaves and are typically colored.” A gentle cat; A graceful cat; A delicate cat; An elegant cat; An attractive cat; A soothing cat

Petrel - “A seabird related to the shearwaters, typically flying far from land.” A brown cat; A grey cat; A black cat; A brown and white cat; A grey and white cat; A black and white cat; A swift cat; A skilled fisher

Petunia - “A plant of the nightshade family with brightly colored funnel-shaped flowers.” A gentle cat; A bright-furred cat; A cheerful cat; A flexible cat

Pheasant - “A large long-tailed game bird, the male of which typically has very showy plumage.” A brown cat; A red cat; A long-furred cat; A bold cat; A cat with glossy / shiny fur; A cat with a particularly long tail

Pickerel - “An easy-to-grow pond plant found in shallow, quiet waters. It has purple hyacinth-like flowers and attracts waterfowl and dragonflies.” A small cat; A black cat; A blue cat; A gentle cat; A delicate cat

Pigeon - “A stout bird with a small head, short legs, and a cooing voice, typically having gray and white plumage.” A grey cat; A grey and white cat; A cat with glossy / shiny fur; A clever cat; An adaptable cat

Pike - “A long-bodied predatory freshwater fish with a pointed snout and large teeth.” A large cat; An aggressive cat; A cat with white spots

Pine - “An evergreen coniferous tree that has clusters of long needle-shaped leaves.” A red cat; A brown cat; A reddish-brown cat; A cat with spiky fur; A sturdy cat; A defensive cat

Pink - “Of a color intermediate between red and white.” A pinkish cat; A cheerful cat

Pipit - “A ground-dwelling songbird of open country, typically having brown streaky plumage.” A small cat; A brown cat; A tabby; A vocal cat; A musically gifted cat

Pitch - “Completely dark; as black as pitch.” A black cat

Plover - “A short-billed wading bird, typically found by water.” A small cat; A grey cat; A black cat; A dark cat with a white belly; An agile cat; A cat with quick reflexes; A curious cat

Plum - “An oval fleshy fruit that is purple, reddish, or yellow when ripe and contains a flattish pointed pit ; The deciduous tree that bears the plum.” A red cat; A yellow cat; A black cat; A dark-furred cat; A sweet cat; A kind cat

Poison - “A substance that is capable of causing the illness or death of a living organism when introduced or absorbed.” An intimidating cat; An aggressive cat; A temperamental cat

Pollen - “A fine powdery substance, typically yellow, consisting of microscopic grains discharged from the male part of a flower.” A very small cat; A yellow cat; A fidgety cat; A cat who is prone to wandering

Pond - “A small body of still water.” A grey cat; A white cat; A black cat; A blue cat; A calm cat

Pool - “A small area of still water.” A grey cat; A white cat; A black cat; A blue cat; A gentle cat; A wise cat

Poplar - “A tall, fast-growing tree of northern temperate regions.” A grey cat; A yellow cat; A tall cat; A slender cat; A firm cat

Poppy - “An herbaceous plant with showy flowers, milky sap, and rounded seed capsules.” A red cat; A sleepy cat; A cheerful cat; An attractive cat; A gentle cat; A soothing cat

Possom - “A marsupial with a naked prehensile tail and hind feet with an opposable thumb.” A grey cat; A cat with round ears; A skilled tunneler; A skilled climber; A nervous cat

Posy - “A small bunch of flowers.” A spotted cat; A dappled cat; A calico cat; A small cat

Pounce - “To spring or swoop suddenly so as to catch prey.” An energetic cat; A skilled hunter; A quiet / sneaky cat

Prickle - “A short, slender, sharp-pointed outgrowth on the outside of a plant; a small thorn.” A small cat; A cat with spiky fur; A defensive cat; A sharp-tongued cat

Primrose - “A common woodland plant that produces pale yellow flowers in the early spring.” A yellow cat; A red cat; A white cat; A pale cat; An attractive cat; A gentle cat; A small cat; A cheerful cat; A social cat

Puddle - “A small pool of liquid, especially of rainwater, on the ground.” A grey cat; A white cat; A black cat; A blue cat; A gentle cat; A curious cat

Puffin - “A hole-nesting seabird, with a large head and a massive, brightly colored triangular bill.” A black and white cat; A tortoiseshell with small orange patches; A curious cat; A friendly cat; A social cat; A skilled swimmer

Pumpkin - “A large rounded orange-yellow fruit with a thick rind, edible flesh, and many seeds.” An orange cat; A resilient cat; A cheerful cat; A thick-furred cat

Purple - “A color intermediate between red and blue.” A white cat; A grey cat; A black cat

#name meanings #warriors #warrior cats #warriors prefixes

6 notes · View notes

outofangband · 2 years ago

Note

Hey, I hope you’re well! I was wondering if you have any hcs on the environment/ flora and fauna of Himlad? Or if you already posted about it and I just didn’t see it 😅 thank you!

Flora, fauna, environment and geography of Arda

note: I did most of this when I was sick so it’s shorter than some of my others but I will go back and edit it to add more

Himlad was a realm in Eastern Beleriand, bordered on the West by the river Aros and on the East, its tributary, Celon. It means ‘cool plain’ in Sindarin and was described simply as a cold region, likely due to its proximity to the March and thus to the Iron Mountains, the cold fronts of which extend throughout the surrounding regions.

We have little information on environment other than the description of cold but some speculation can be done due to the habitat and through looking at similar real habitats, mostly in Northern Europe and temperate parts of Asia as well as parts of North America which Tolkien was inspired by the prairies in (source: The Flora of Middle Earth)

Himlad might also be described as a steppe, that is, an ecoregion of plains and grasslands where the only trees grow near rivers or lakes. Himlad specifically would be a cold steppe and shrub steppe.

The region is likely semi arid with especially dry summers and a short rainy season of intermittent showers following the end of the winter.

The actual grasslands are likely made up of a variety of species such as crested wheatgrass, junegrasses, wiregrass, feather grasses, and melic grasses. Shrubs are more common in the hilly parts towards the North; silver berry, violet willow, sage brush and bitter brush, rowan and mountain ashes, smallflower tamarisk, others that grow in cooler but semi arid conditions. Other flowers and herbaceous plants grow throughout the plains as well like golden rod and aster, greater wormwood, fringed sage brush, a variety of daisy species Quaking aspen can be found by the rivers in small groves of two to three trees and solitary in the hills.

There are few trees so the birds here are mostly game birds and ones that nest on the ground including perhaps a species of burrowing owl. Hazel and black grouse, common quail, red legged partridge, Asian gray partridge, black billed caper and common pheasants are some examples. There are also other birds of prey who fly and hunt over the plains even if they don’t nest in them. This might include osprey closer to the rivers, common and uplands buzzard, steppe eagle, imperial eagle, hen harriers, and possibly golden eagles.

Common shrews, steppe lemming, greater and lesser white toed shrews, common rabbits and hares, ground squirrels, social voles, field mice, corsac fox, steppe cat and species like both European and Asian badgers make up the smaller mammals of the region.

Reindeer, Eld’s deer, pronghorn, wild horses (such as the tahki) , goa, and saiga antelope as well as larger species of antelope not found in the world today roam the grasslands of Himlad and Lothlann, grazing and eating fruits and leaves from the shrubs and herbs.

I personally enjoy the headcanon that prehistoric (in today’s world) bear species occasionally ventured into the plains of East Beleriand to hunt.

As for the rivers those would likely have to be their own posts if there’s interest? I just don’t want to condense too much all these beautiful regions

#The Silmarillion #Himlad #Celegorm #Beleriand #musing and meta

19 notes · View notes

mythicalsecretsanta · 4 years ago

Text

12 Days of Christmas... Almost (E)

This gift is for: Cal (AKA @mythicalamity) Surprise! Keeping this secret from you for the last month wasn’t easy! Thank you for being the kindest, most loving friend I’ve ever had in this fandom and for being a pretty spectacular person in the real world as well. Merry Christmas, Cal! From your Secret Santa, @fanbabble

Link to AO3, or read below:

The Holiday season was in full swing at Mythical, as much as it could be at least. The virus had put quite a damper on festive activities across the world and Myth Ent was no exception. There were lights strung up and a Christmas tree, but there would be no company Christmas party this year, no cookie exchange, no getting together at each other’s homes for dinner parties or gift swaps. The mood in the office was a little low and Link found himself looking for ways to encourage positivity and the good feelings of the season. That’s why when Stevie suggested a secret santa gift exchange, Link took the idea and ran with it. Employees would play secret santa leaving their secret giftee presents for the 12 days leading up to Christmas. Not only would this game bring a bit of fun into the office, but it could also be done safely as social distancing was a literal part of the rules. You couldn’t reveal your identity to your giftee until the final day of the exchange. It was perfect!

Rhett was less than excited about the prospect. He complained to Link about not wanting to participate. He was nervous he wouldn’t know what to get the person he chose or how to keep the secret. Rhett’s enneagram three-ness was getting in the way of him enjoying himself again. He was worrying too much about impressing the person he got, rather than letting himself relax and have fun with the idea. Link finally convinced his friend to participate.

“How would it look if one of the owners of the company didn’t play along?”

“Fine. But if my gifts turn out to be duds and ruin someone’s Christmas it’s your fault!” Rhett said as he stood to join Link and walk down the hall to the Mythical kitchen for the name exchange.

Chase mixed the names of everyone in a Santa hat. The in-office folks would be in one drawing and the staff who were working virtually would draw amongst themselves. In all there were about 15 names in the hat that Chase held shut in his grasp. The group took turns reaching their hands in to pick a slip of paper with their giftees name written on it. The PAs went first, followed by the camera men, then the directors, followed by Chase, Stevie, and finally Rhett and Link.

Rhett stuck his hand into the Santa hat. His gaze was trained on the little opening.

“No peekin’!!” Link smacked his arm and scolded him.

“I’m not! Besides There’s literally only one name left in the hat, Link.”

The kitchen filled with the crew’s laughter.

“Can’t exactly pick and choose who I want, man.”

Rhett glanced at his friend and then looked at the little slip of paper. The apples of his cheeks became more obvious as a small smile spread across his face. He grasped the paper close to his chest and then tucked it into the pocket of his jeans.

Everyone in the kitchen celebrated the exchange with a cupcake whipped up by the Mythical Kitchen and then retreated back to their personal space to finish up the day’s work.

Before the office door was even fully shut Link was in Rhett’s space.

“Who’d ya get?”

“What?! I’m not telling you. It’s not fair.” Rhett sat down in his office chair and opened his laptop.

“Come on, Bo. Tell me. I got…”

“STOP” Rhett put his hands up to his ears as if to block out what Link was about to reveal. “I don’t wanna hear it. Let’s do this right. Keep it a secret.”

“Since when do you care about keeping this kinda stuff secret? You usually can’t wait to tell me everything and anything,” Link was teetering on the fine edge between annoyed and amused.

“Well this year is different. If this is one of the only ways the company gets to celebrate then I wanna do it right.”

“Fine,” Link huffed. He flopped down on the leather couch and draped his arm over his eyes. “You don’t want to tell me, that’s your business, but don’t come begging for gift ideas when you come up dry.” And with that healthy dose of snark the smaller man settled in for an afternoon nap.

The next day Link walked into their office and threw his jacket over the back of the gray chair that sat by the door. He put his backpack on the floor by his desk and was just about to head to the office kitchen for a cup of coffee when he noticed a box sitting by his desk lamp. He picked it up and examined it.

“Dang, my santa must get here early.”

It was only 7 AM and Link had just arrived to an empty building. The box was wrapped in shiny green paper and tied with an elegant red bow. He turned it over in his hands looking for some kind of tag or label. When he found nothing, Link slipped the ribbon from the package and pulled off the lid. Inside was a perfect golden pear tucked into a pillow of soft fabric. Link wasn’t sure what to do with the gift so he sniffed it to confirm it was a real piece of fruit. He lifted the pear out of the box and saw that a small note was hidden underneath. He held the pear in one hand and opened the slip of paper with the other.

“On the first day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me,

A partridge in a pear tree”

-You may be a “sweet peach” but I think we’d make a great “pear” Love, Your secret admirer

Link read over the note three times before he could totally comprehend what it said. He turned it over to look for any kind of identifying mark or signature. There was nothing to be found. He blushed hard and tucked the note into his pocket. It had been a long time since he had had anyone in his life, much less a Love, but he knew no one at Mythical felt that way about him and even if they did it would be totally unethical to pursue anything. Link was sure it was just some kind of joke by one of the writers and tucked the green box into his backpack before heading off to get his coffee.

When Rhett came in half an hour later, he was all nervous energy and talking 90 miles a minute. He said it was because he had almost gotten into a car accident on the way in. He had found his Secret Santa gift sitting on the back of the toilet in the bathroom and showed it to Link.

“It’s gotta be Jordan, man,” Rhett said as he held out the bag for Link to inspect, “Who else would give me a bag of cotton candy?”

Link peeked inside the gift bag and said, “Seems kinda obvious, but it’s possible.” He couldn’t help but let his thoughts wander back to the little green box he had received and the love note that it contained.

“Earth to Link,” Rhett took the bag back and set it on his desk. “You alright man?”

Link shook his head to clear his mind and refocus on the man before him. “Oh yeah, sorry. Must need more coffee.” He held up his empty mug and headed toward the office door.

As he reached for the doorknob, Rhett asked quietly, “Did you get your first gift yet?”

Link paused and laughed without looking back, “Yeah, pair of socks. Womp womp,” then he headed out the door.

Over the course of the next few days, Link continued to receive themed gifts from his Secret Santa that left him giddy and baffled at the same time. The first two were silly, Turtle and Dove chocolates for Day 2 and three fried chicken legs for Day 3. They were both accompanied by notes that talked about how much the gifter liked Link and they were both signed “Love, Your secret admirer.” Link still wasn’t sure what to make of the declarations, but he played along and let himself feel special for the moment. Even if he was still convinced it was all a joke. Until Day 4 that is.

On Day 4 Link walked into the office late to find a small book tied up with a ribbon. “Native birds of the National Parks” The gift was incredibly thoughtful and one that he would definitely use on future adventures. A folded piece of paper was tucked inside the chapter about Denali National Park. It read,

“On the fourth day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me,

Four calling birds”

- Bird calls are beautiful, but the idea of calling you mine is even better. Love, Your secret admirer

Link opened the book again to the page about the birds of Denali. There was only one person he had ever told about wanting to visit the park covered in glaciers and snow. Rhett. Could his secret admirer be Rhett? Link’s head swam with the possibility.

He had been in love with his best friend for most of his life, but he had kept it hidden away out of fear of losing the one person in the world who was most important to him. Surely, Rhett was not the person who was his Secret Santa. Link felt a burst of warmth spread across his chest as he let himself entertain the idea for a moment. What would it be like to finally feel those arms around his body? To finally kiss Rhett’s lips? To own his heart as well as his friendship?

As he stood there lost in his own thoughts, the man in question came barreling into the office. Link stuffed the book into his desk drawer and turned quickly to face his friend.

“Hey, Rhett, how’s it going?”

Link did his best to maintain his cool. He watched his friend as he moved about the office getting settled for the day. He assessed his behavior for any clues or signs that he might be the “Secret Santa Secret Admirer.”

“Pretty good. I added some new reps to my workout and now my abs are killing me.” Rhett rubbed his hand across his stomach. His t-shirt pulled taught and drew Link’s eye to the spot. Link felt his breath catch from the promise of what was underneath. His eyes roamed over the broad chest and thick arms. The way the shirt sleeves hugged Rhett’s biceps was criminal. Link knew he would have to control his thirst better if he hoped to get any hints about what role Rhett actually played in all of this. He cleared his throat and got a hold of himself.

“What time did you get here this morning?” Link asked as casually as he could. He fiddled with the monitor on his computer to appear slightly uninterested in Rhett’s response.

“What? Just now. You saw me walk in.”

“I thought maybe you came in and left again.”

Rhett turned and opened his laptop. He busied himself with things on his desk while it booted up.

“Nope. Just rolled in.”

“Oh cool,” Link paused before adding, “How’s your secret santa going?”

Rhett reached for a pen and knocked his coffee mug off balance spilling yesterday’s brown stuff over his desk and onto his lap.

“Shit!”

Link jumped up and grabbed the roll of paper towels he kept by his desk. He pulled off a handful and held them out to Rhett.

“Can you clean this up for me, Buddyroll? I have to go over to wardrobe and find some different pants to wear or I’ll smell like an old coffee pot all day.” Rhett grabbed the towels and dabbed at the wet spot that stretched across his thighs.

“Yeah, go ahead. I got this.” Link began to mop up the spilled coffee as Rhett headed out the door. His interrogation would have to wait for another day.

Days 5 and 6 were once again oddly funny gifts. If Rhett was the secret admirer it would make sense because he was the funniest person Link knew. A lifetime of laughter with Rhett had been the tradeoff for hiding the fact that he loved the man immensely. The idea that his love might be returned was more than Link had ever let himself hope for.

The notes included with the gifts were just as tender as the previous ones. Day 5’s onion rings were accompanied by a slip that described Link as “more valuable than a golden ring” and day 6’s half dozen eggs had a note that read “You are a good egg, who makes my heart happy.”

Link enjoyed the sentiment, but nothing struck him as particularly suspicious. Day 7 was, however, a game changer.

That morning as Link walked past the dark studio a glimmer caught his eye. He set his backpack and Jade down and walked onto the GMM set where he found a string of origami paper birds strung together on a piece of gold silk ribbon. The swans were hanging across the back of the set from wall to wall. There must have been at least 50. Each bird’s wings was dipped in silver glitter and twinkled in the low light giving the set a magical air. Link stood back and took in the beauty.

When he looked closer he saw each swan was made of sheet music. Link held one small bird in his fingers gently and examined it. He would recognize those chords anywhere. It was Merle. These paper swans were made with sheet music of Merle Haggard’s song, “Always Wanting You.”

“This has to be a gift,” Link whispered to himself.

Link held his breath, afraid if he moved he would scare away the one idea he wanted to be true most in the world. That his secret santa was not only Rhett, but that the man was in love with him as well.

A larger piece of paper flapped at the end of the string of birds. Link grabbed it and saw that his name was indeed on the front of the folded slip. He opened it and read:

“On the seventh day of Christmas

My true love gave to me

Seven swams a swimming”

- Like Merle said, “Always wanting you, but never having you makes it hard to face tomorrow.” Love, Your Secret Admirer

Link couldn’t believe what he was reading. This had to be confirmation that Rhett was his secret admirer and secret santa. Jade sniffed at his shoes as if she were looking for the answer to a question he didn’t know. Link gently took the chain of birds down, gathered his things, and headed back to his office.

When he opened the door, he was surprised to see the big man sitting at his desk already. He was speaking loudly on the phone about a new project they were working on.

“No, damn it. I don’t want to cut that part! I purposely included it to help the flow of the story.”

Rhett’s voice bounced off the brick walls. His tone was harsh. Link thought better of questioning him right now and tucked the birds into his backpack. He sat back on the couch and opened his laptop for the day. Jade snuggled into Link’s side and he petted her head mindlessly. His thoughts were only of Rhett. As he waited for his computer to boot up, Link watched Rhett.

“It has to be him. Who else would use Merle?” Link thought to himself, “Oh you’re being an idiot. Everyone knows you love Merle Haggard, dummy. It could be anybody.”

Link sunk down into the leather cushions and sulked. Not knowing for certain was exhausting. Only 5 more days to figure out this mystery. He glanced down at the paper swans one more time and smiled softly.

Day 8 brought a bottle of chocolate milk and a note that read, “You’re the milk to my cookie”

Link drank it in front of Rhett at lunch to see if he would get a reaction. Nothing. Well, with the exception of the way those green eyes sparkled when he belly laughed at a joke or the way Rhett put his hand on Link’s back as they left the office to head to record an episode of Ear Biscuits. Link noticed those things, but he couldn’t be sure if they were a reaction to the milk or to being close to Link in general.

Link had caught Rhett in a lingering gaze more than once since the Seven Swans gift. And when they were alone together it felt like a spark was fizzing between the two of them. Something was going on, Link was sure of it. He just needed a little more proof before he could confront Rhett. His friendship was entirely too valuable to risk on an assumption.

On day 9, Link climbed into the driver’s seat of his car. He reached down to grab his sunglasses and was surprised to find something extra resting on the console. It was an old school cassette tape. Just like the kind he and Rhett used to exchange in high school. They would spend hours making the tapes and then driving down the back roads listening to their creations and singing at the top of their lungs. If he was honest, those times were when he first fell in love with Rhett.

Link flipped the cassette over in his palm. On the outside of the case where the album art would usually be, was his name. Link immediately recognized it as Rhett’s handwriting. He opened the case and found a piece of paper folded in fourths tucked inside. It read:

“On the ninth day of Christmas

My true love gave to me

Nine ladies dancing.”

- I kept trying to find a funny pun for this day, but all I could focus on was singing these songs with you as we drove down the highway in North Carolina. I’ve tried to hold out to the end of the 12 days, but this secret is an old one and I don’t want to keep quiet anymore. If you feel the same, find me in the office at work and tell me. If not just toss this cassette in the trash and pretend it never happened. Love, Your Secret Admirer

Link was quiet for a moment and then, “Rhett! It’s Rhett! He loves me!” Link yelled at nobody in particular. Just saying the words out loud made him feel less like it was all a dream and more like it was real life. He threw his things into the passenger’s seat. In his flustered state he tried to check the time on his sunglasses and put his phone on his nose. He shifted into reverse and sped down the block.

Link’s heart was pounding in his chest. He was breaking every speed limit on the way into Burbank, but he did not care. Let a cop try and stop him now, nothing could keep him from getting to Rhett. Link pulled into the parking lot in record time and he bolted out of his car and through the studio doors. He was running at full speed back to the office he shared with Rhett. His Rhett. Link took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

The office was empty. Where was he? Link knew he didn’t pass him on the way through the building. He stood still for a moment and wrung his hands trying to think of what to do next. Just when he was starting to worry that Rhett had panicked and ran, he heard footsteps coming down the stairs of their loft.

Link watched as Rhett appeared slowly, first feet, then legs, torso, and finally that glorious head of hair.

“Link…”

Rhett barely got the word out before the smaller man was launching himself across the office and into his arms. He melted into the embrace and pulled Link tighter against him. They took just a moment to look into each other’s eyes before their lips met. The kiss was strong and full of promise. Link opened his mouth to deepen the kiss and the passion kicked in. Rhett lifted Link up with his hands under the smaller man’s thighs and carried him to the couch.

They pressed heated kisses into skin and hair. Marking their love on the other’s body wherever they could find purchase. Hands roamed pulling hair and grabbing biceps. And when Rhett laid Link down on their couch and pressed his body to the cradle of Link’s hips there was no denying that both men were hard with desire already.

Link gasped with the sensation of being so close to Rhett. The feeling of his hard cock pressed against Rhett’s made his head swim and he pulled back to catch a breath. Rhett took the opportunity to say something he’d been holding in for decades.

“I love you. I love you. I love you.”

Each declaration was punctuated with a kiss. Link’s collar bones, his neck, his temple.

Link pulled Rhett close and whispered into his ear, “I’ve loved you my whole life.”

It was all the permission Rhett needed. He worshiped Link’s body and rocked against him until they were both finishing in their jeans like teenagers. Sticky and satisfied the pair laid together on the couch exchanging lazy kisses and gentle touches. Trying to make up for all the lost time they denied themselves.

Link was half asleep and half in awe of the way Rhett looked. He laid silently and listened to Rhett as he said, “I can’t believe it worked. I thought for sure you’d throw the cassette away.”

Link ran his fingers through Rhett’s curls gently.

“You doubted me? Haven’t you figured it out yet, Bo? All you have to do is be the brave one and I’ll follow your lead.” He placed a kiss on Rhett’s tshirt right about his heart. “Thanks for being the brave one.” Rhett kissed the top of Link’s head and grunted in affirmation.

Link snuggled into Rhett’s chest and closed his eyes. Just as he was about to doze off the smaller man popped up and looked Rhett in the eye.

“Don’t think just because you love me, you’re getting out of giving me gifts. I have three days left and I want my secret presents.” Link flashed his crooked grin and poked at Rhett’s side.

Rhett let out a booming ho-ho-ho laugh before pulling Link back down against his chest.

“You can have anything you want, Link. Diamonds, rubies. I don’t need any presents though because I’ve already got the most valuable gift of the season… you.”

#mythical secret santa 2020 #type: fic #rating: E #gift swap #rhink #submission

24 notes · View notes

sepdet · 4 years ago

Text

I just realized I didn't post any photos from my Adventure last week in the Year of Our Clusterfuck 2020.

My mom's been depressed and afraid she'd never see me again. To avoid the plague, I drove across the Mojave Desert to meet my parents in Utah, camping outside a ghost town where I had access to a well-ventilated outdoor restroom, setting up and taking down my tent in 100º+ heat.

Along the way, with one bar of signal in the middle of nowhere, I was donating to DITCH MITCH OR DIE TRYING in honor of RBG and writing senators and agitating, because everything happens so much.

My 16-year-old Prius makes the 4000-fit climb of the Cajon Pass in the San Bernadino Mountains, the first (and not the highest) pass on this adventure, almost up from sea level.

Not sunset. This was sunny southern California at 4PM, normally blue sky, bright and cloudless. The Bobcat Fire was off to the north.

Below: Camping in the desert outside of Barstow. Here's how to spend the night on the road without fear of catching covid in a hotel. Car tent!

Put the back seats down, hatchback up, spreead out a camping mattress, and it's a lot better than sleeping on the ground.

Also note air purifier. It was a little less smokey in the morning, so I unzipped the windows, but I had them sealed during the night. (I could still hear a great-horned owl). The campground had an electric hookup, so I ran an extension cord into my car.

Chukars! These wild desert partridges were circling my campsite up on the ridges, chucking at me, but they kept running out of sight every time I tried to photograph them.

Did I mention there was an electric hookup (that ugly gray box)? Guess what I put in the freezer I usually use for cold compresses for my arthritic joints. The smoke makes it look like a partial eclipse, but it was still 102º.

Moving on. Pausing at a rest stop to stretch my legs. Old volcanic cinder cones erupting through what used to be river and lake sediment before the Mojave dried up. Even in the haze, I love the desert.

Success! Driving 400 miles, escaping the smoke at last, I avoided any human contact until I reached my parents!

Who are privileged white boomers who bought a condo on a golf course (at least it's recycled water); why yes I am embarrassed, but there it is.

(St George Trip 2020, 1 of 3)

#my photos #the desert #mojave desert #st george #st george trip

7 notes · View notes

lycorogue · 4 years ago

Text

Perfect Doesn’t Need to be Perfect: Chapter 2

I miss these early chapters. They were easy. They were small. They were still relatively light-hearted. Then chapter 5 happened and I’ve completely lost this project down an angsty rabbit hole. 0.o I’ll try to get that sorted out in the next couple of days.

In the meantime, enjoy one of the short, fluffy chapters.

**Contains Spoilers for Taurus Pixie’s story Twelve Days of Chatmas**

Summary: Chat Noir has run into a long streak of poor luck, all in an attempt to give Ladybug the perfect Christmas gift. Little does he know, his first try was already perfect in Ladybug’s eyes. Now it’s her turn to try to navigate around Chat Noir’s failed attempts in her own pursuit to find something equally fantastic for him. **A Switched-POV Unofficial Companion Story to Twelve Days of Chatmas by @thetauruspixie**

Rating: General Audience

Chapter Word Count: 1733

Story Total Word Count: 37,973

Status: chapter 2 of 12; complete

**For reals, if you haven’t read Twelve Days of Chatmas yet, read that first so my story doesn’t spoil anything for you. It’s cool. This story will still be here when you get back. ;) **

See below for chapter 2, or find this story over on AO3, on FFN, or on DA.

CHAPTER 2:

The little pear tree sculpture was worse off than Marinette gave it credit, but it wasn't completely irreparable. She had taken stock of the damage the night before, and made a point of picking up the necessary supplies after school. Now it was time to get to work.

Too much of the foam base was chipped away when the card stock truck was ripped out of it, so she started off with replacing that. Then she carefully bent the trunk back so it was flat. The bad bend left a scarring crease in the base of the trunk, bit it actually looked good. Most trees had some sort of scarring in their bark. Using tracing paper to make a pattern, Marinette cut out two slightly smaller versions of Chat Noir's trunk from more card stock. Doubling up her own tree trunks, she glued them to the back of Chat Noir's to reinforce it. Finally, she made it 3D by adding a support branch of roots off the back. Resting the tree on her desk, it stood perfectly straight on it's own; no foam required.

Confident it was now sturdy enough for the weight of the filled in branches, Marinette got to work on fixing everything else. Using a decorative hole punch, she created a small confetti pile of green almond-shaped leaves out of construction paper. She then laid them out on parchment paper, and sprayed them down with adhesive before taking a deep breath.

“He's lucky I like him.” Through gritted teeth she started shaking the green glitter onto the sticky green leaves. She kept it as close to the project as she could, and she tried to stop once the leaves were properly coated without having too much excess. With any luck, she'd only find glitter for the next week or so.

As the leaves dried she got to work on reinforcing the partridge so its chubby little head wouldn't bend forward from the weight of the wooden beak and note.

The note. Forgetting what she was doing, Marinette gently pushed the clothespin open and released the torn note from the bird's grip. Folded over, the little note was barely larger than a postage stamp. Carefully opening it, Marinette was greeted by tiny but elegant writing; far fancier than she imagined Chat Noir's handwriting to be.

“Wishing the most amazing girl in the world the greatest of Christmases,” Marinette read the note aloud to Tikki. It was signed with a little heart drawn with red ink, and a paw print colored in with green ink. Giggling a little to herself, Marinette tore off two small strips of tape and patched up the tear running through the center of the message. She then tore off one more piece of tape. Flipping through to the next blank page of her diary, she taped the note to the bottom corner. A smile stretched across her face as she rested her palm against Chat Noir's tiny Christmas card.

After taking a beat, she closed up her diary and locked it away in its box. Rolling her shoulders, Marinette got back to work on firming up the partridge and touching up the coloring Chat Noir had done on the bird.

She let all the components dry while she had dinner, but instantly went back to work once she was done. First up was carefully gluing the leaves into place. Her new ones weren't nearly as drenched in glitter, and the shade of glitter was slightly lighter, but the two-toned leaves added a nice dimension to the piece.

She took a homework break while the leaves dried completely, then it was back to work to add on the pears and – she couldn't believe she followed through with it – the heart decorations. She managed to tuck the corners of the pears and hearts between some of the leaves to add more depth to the tree and make the fruit and ornaments look like they were actually nestled inside the tree branches.

As she waited for the tree to dry one last time so she could add the bird back onto its perch, Marinette started up a list; instantly and a bit frustratingly crossing off each item the moment she wrote it down.

She needed to come up with the perfect gift for Chat Noir. He seemed so hurt about his present, and he had put so much pressure on himself to get her the perfect thing that she couldn't fall short in doing the same. He was more precious to her than he realized, and this was her chance to make sure he knew that. She was stumped on what to do though.

Scarves, hats, mittens, shirts, vests, necklaces, earrings, pins; everything Marinette came up with wouldn't work. She was a fashion designer; her default gift for everyone was a piece of clothing or an accessory. None of it was a good idea. Her silly kitty would most likely be too excited about her gifting him something to remember to not wear it as a civilian. Then she could possibly run into him, and see him wearing the gift she made for Chat Noir, and then she'd know his identity, and-

She shook her head to try to get out of the spiral. Even if he was disciplined enough to not wear anything she gifted him while in his civilian form, it wasn't like he could really wear any of it while powered up either. Which meant, either he had to wear it alone in his house and nowhere else, or he'd never use it. That wouldn't work at all.

Blanket? Marinette tapped on the word, circling it a couple of times. That could be the best option for her. People rarely take blankets out of their rooms anyway, so he could use it without her seeing. Plus, it was always comforting to just curl up under a warm and semi-heavy blanket during chilly winter nights. Was it special enough for him, though? Would she have time to make him one? What design should she use for the blanket? Something not too obvious, in case he wanted to use the blanket in communal rooms in his home.

Looking out her window, Marinette knew she needed inspiration. It was time to go to her well.

“Tikki, spots on!”

Less than ten minutes later, Ladybug landed atop an apartment building just four blocks away from the Eiffel Tower. It wasn't the Trocadéro, but unfortunately the park was swarming with tourists this time of year, and she just needed some time to sit and think. It wasn't the same view that usually amazed her no matter how often she saw it, but the Seine still sparkled under the lights of Paris to her left, and the Eiffel Tower still spired before her on the other side of the river.

The sun was sinking below the horizon past the Eiffel Tower, and it cast a purple and deep magenta glow within the overcast sky. Curling up into a ball, Ladybug sat on the roof with her knees pressed against her chest and her chin resting between them. The lights running up the Eiffel Tower turned on in the twilight, and the whole of Paris joined suit. The yellows, blues, oranges, and Christmas reds and greens created a sea of lights below her. It was calming, welcoming, and inspiring.

Warmed by how serene her city looked, Ladybug uncurled. Dangling her legs over the ledge of the roof, she leaned back and admired the Eiffel Tower as it sliced through the cotton candy clouds.

The clouds are kind of blanketing the sky. Could I make something that looks like Paris on a winter's night for Chat Noir? She hummed softly as she pondered how she'd be able to execute something like that. She really fell into the zone as she meditated to the arrhythmic clicking of her swinging feet gently tapping against the side of the building. She could do a gradient fabric, and a quilted stitch so there were pockets of fill to mimic clouds. She could even purposefully avoid a symmetric square quilted look, instead pocketing the fill within a quilt of cloud shapes.

A duet of cooing pulled her attention from her designing. The flapping of wings grew louder, and two pigeons flew straight for her. She flinched and leaned slightly out of the way as they buzzed past her, close enough for her to notice their orange turtle-shell patterned wings and brown-gray bodies. Whatever they were, they weren't regular pigeons. A moment later, she registered that both birds had something gripped within their toes. One was carrying a trio of red roses. Its partner had a handmade card wrinkling slightly in its grip.

Homing pigeons? That didn't quite feel right to Ladybug either, but the duo seemed to be on a mission, so she mentally wished them save travels and hoped they found who they were looking for.

It seemed weird though. Even with Mr. Ramier in Paris, Ladybug didn't recall ever seeing anyone use homing pigeons before. She scanned the rooftops, trying to see who might have released the birds.

Nothing. There was no one on the rooftops nearby. No one on balconies. At first Ladybug was just curious as to who is using the skilled but archaic method of communication, especially with regards to sending what looked like a very romantic Christmas gift. However, after spying not a single soul in the area, it became an intriguing mystery she was itching to uncover.

She wandered her rooftop to try to get a better view, but there were still no clues anywhere. It was like the birds simply appeared. After a couple minutes, Ladybug decided that was a good enough explanation for her. They appeared from nowhere, and vanished to the horizon. They were an enigmatic package carrying a sweet gift for someone. A beautiful mystery of life not meant to be solved.

With a satisfied shrug, Ladybug headed back home, her head filled with fantasies of Adrien sending the pair of birds to her, and the card being a love letter. She giggled at the elation she'd feel if that were true, as well as the insanity of such a thing happening.

Imagine, Adrien Agreste sending Marinette Dupain-Cheng a pair of birds holding a Christmas gift and a declaration of love. A girl could dream.

Thank you for reading. Read Next Chapter

Read from the beginning: Chapter 1

Please let me know if you want me to add you to the tag list.

@discoveringmiraculouswriters

2 notes · View notes