#hastings station burnt down i need to get a photo of that

[peninsulaisms]

its just not my year (but im all good out here)

[can-of-coca-koda]

Please don’t scroll past this

As some of you may know certain states in Australia have been on fire for quite some time. The NSW fires began on the 5th of September this year and are still blazing today. 2,000,000 hectares of land have been burnt, 6 recorded fatalities (there may very well be many unrecorded), 600 schools closed due the the 'catastrophic' fire conditions threatening highly-populated areas, and a total of 673 homes destroyed in (as of the 1st of December). According to the live feed https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2019/dec/06/nsw-fires-qld-bushfires-queensland-australia-new-south-wales-rural-fire-live-news-latest-updates-sydney-smoke NSW bushfires have spread across the entire coastline as homes are lost in the QLD fires. 

The fires are spreading, as they have been for the past three months, along the outskirts of most states and territories (including Tasmania) and developing further into the state. Our Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, refuses to get help from our allying countries because Australia has dealt with bushfires before and ‘we are able to handle them’. He refuses to stop the coal mining industry (the coalition, as it is more commonly referred to as), along with the already heating weather causing the bushfires. A remark which sparked rebuttal on all sides of politics came from the Nationals leader, Barnaby Joyce, who suggested two people who died in a fire near the NSW town of Glen Innes "most likely" voted for the Greens. 

Morrison remarks that we’re filling children with “needless anxiety”, with all due respect Mr Morrison, citizens of Australia are not filling their children with needless anxiety, rather coaching us through the climate you and the coalition are putting us through. Australian parents are teaching us how to properly use the Stay or Go policy, teaching us ways to defend ourselves from the ongoing fires. A hell of a lot more than you seem to be doing. If anything Morrison, you’re filling us with your so called needless anxiety. You’re the bringer of death, instead of sitting on your ass dwindling your thumbs and pretending everything is all good, do your bloody job. There are lives out there, so many lives who are in danger due to these fires and the most you can do is send your prayers out through social media?! Stop denying access from Australia’s allies, we need all the help we can get to fight back the fires. You are not a man Scott Morrison, you don’t deserve the title. Mr Morrison all you are is a scared little boy. A scared little boy who’s having a temper tantrum because his mother didn’t give him what he wanted, ignoring the plain fact that all of Australia’s on fucking fire.

This man runs our country. This man needs to learn to listen to top fire chiefs when they call him out on his lack of involvement toward climate change. These fires have claimed the lives of 6 people, destroyed the homes of many, forcefully shut down over 560 schools in the area and almost killed off the entire species of Koala, and yet, Scomo doesn’t do anything. As of today (Friday the 6th of December) The weather at noon is skyrocketing. 37.5C in Brisbane, 38 in Amberley, 31.2 in Townsville, 31.6 in Cairns, 38.3 in Mt Isa, 32.5 in Bundaberg, 37.1 in Gayndah, 38.7 in Longreach, 38.5 in Gatton and 40.5 in Julia Creek.

On the 12th of November, the Co-Owner of a Discord server I'm in published a warning for all Australians living in NSW, there was a Catastrophic fire danger. Here is the announcement: “As of currently, Sydney, Hunter and Illawarra/Shoalhaven areas Catastrophic is the highest level of bush fire danger. Homes are not designed to withstand a fire under these conditions. If a fire starts and takes hold during Catastrophic fire danger conditions, lives and homes will be at risk. Advice for people in areas of Catastrophic fire danger include: Avoid bush fire prone areas. A safer area may be a large town or city, shopping centres or facilities well away from bushland areas. Schools in identified high risk areas will be closed. Schools will notify affected students. Start making arrangements now. If you are unable to leave, identify a safe location which may be nearby. This may include a Neighbourhood Safer Place. Large areas of the state are also forecast to experience Severe and Extreme fire danger. Everyone in NSW needs to understand they aren’t safe if they are in the severe, extreme or catastrophic fire conditions, but they can be safe if they have a evacuation plan and a box for all their precious things and items they may need”, captioning a photo below for physical evidence:

Mr Morrison, how have you done so poorly at your job to the point where fellow Australian students have to do it for you? How come you cannot provide an announcement and yet a discord server of 2,000 people can safely warn everyone in the area to evacuate as quickly as possible?

“If you need to evacuate these are the places you can go: 1. WSFA Evacuation Centres in operation Current update on Evacuation Centres open today for NSW bush fires as at 1300 12 Nov 19. Mid – Coast - Club Taree - 121 Wingham Rd, Taree NSW 2430 - Laurieton United Services Club - 2 Seymour St, Laurieton NSW 2443 Kempsey - Kempsey Showground – 19 Sea St, Kempsey W NSW 2440 - Kempsey Macleay RSL Club - 1 York Ln, Kempsey NSW 2440 2. Port Macquarie - Hastings - Wauchope High School - Nelson St, Wauchope NSW 2446 Nambucca Heads - Nambucca Entertainment Centre - Ridge St, Nambucca Heads 3. Coffs Harbour - Urunga Ex Servicemans Club – 2 Morgo St, Urunga - Woolgoolga Ex Servicemans Club – 17 Beach St, Woolgoolga - Coffs Harbour Ex Servicemans Club – 2 – 6 Vernon St, Coffs Harbour 4. Clarence Valley - Grafton Community Centre- 59 Duke St Grafton NSW 2460 - Lismore - Nimbin Showground - 33-37 Cecil St, Nimbin NSW 2480 - Mullumbimby Ex Services - 58 Dalley St, Mullumbimby NSW 2482  - Goonellabah Sports & Aquatic Centre - 50 Oliver Ave, Goonellabah NSW 2480 - Cavanbah Centre Byron Bay - 249 Ewingsdale Rd, Byron Bay NSW 2481 5. Glen Innes - Glen Innes Showground - Bourke St & Hunter Street, Glen Innes NSW 2370″

How is it that you are still fascinated by the coalition industry while practically relying that the new generation of individuals are going to save the day? 

You are not a hero Mr Morrison. You are a coward.

To all those who managed to view this post and not be confused, please just offer your support, we need someone we can trust. Australia is a bushfire prone but this, this cannot become the ‘norm’. We cannot look up at the angry, blazing orange sky and think of another normal fire prone day in Australia.

I refuse to let my country get used to walking out of school/work/home on 39.8 degree (Celsius = 103.64 Fahrenheit) spring days, fearing for their lives.

I refuse to let my country get used to the sky beginning to tinge orange.

I refuse to let my country get used to the constant fire ban warnings on the radio and every TV station you could think of.

I refuse to let my country get used to winds that could pick someone up and literally blow them away.

I refuse to let my country get used to having constant fire drills, where we stand outside on the most fire prone ovals, 

I refuse to let my country get used to the excruciating heatwave and smoke plume washing over our once blue, bright sky. 

I refuse to let my country get used to rapidly checking the MyFireWatch website to see if the fire is reaching them.

AND I REFUSE to let my country be run by a pathetic megalomanic who thinks the coal mining industry is more important than the rapid deterioration of the country. Scott Morrison, there’s so much I’d like to say to you. Politicians like you should be held accountable for the mass destruction and the lives lost. You disgust me.

This is a photo of different fires across Australia.

It may not look like much but it’s affecting everyone. It needs to be spread across the entirety of the world, because not many know of the intense blaze consuming Australia.

To all of those in NSW as of today, there is another NSW RFS have posted an emergency warning, it reads: EMERGENCY WARNING: Wrights Creek (Central Coast LGA) Fire activity has increased west of Kulnara this afternoon in hot and windy conditions. If you are in the area of Kulnara, you are at risk. It is too late to leave. Seek shelter as the fire approaches. Due to a revised forecast, seven areas of NSW will now have Total Fire Bans tomorrow: Far North Coast, Greater Hunter, Greater Sydney, Central Ranges, New England, Northern Slopes and North Western. Know what you will do if fire threatens.

Stay safe everyone. 

- Kat (Koda)

[barpurplewrites]

Easter Getaway

Part 12 of Bad Things

Gold Lace Fluff

-x-x-x-

Gold’s plans for Easter weekend involved a romantic get-away at his cabin in the woods. True the cabin was located in the woods that surrounded Storybrooke, so perhaps getaway was a bit of a stretch, but it would give Lacey and him some time to themselves away from the prying eyes of the rest of the town. The town had become obsessed with their relationship, Gold had thought that the interest would die down as time went by, but the longer he and Lacey were a couple the more nosey the townsfolk got about them. Their few appearances in the local paper probably hadn’t helped matters, but the attention was irritating, especially the speculation as to why they were together, and how long they would remain so.

The weather was typical for Good Friday, wet, cold, and miserable. Not that either of them minded once they had got a fire blazing away in the hearth and cracked open a bottle of wine. Saturday dawned bright and hot.

“We should sit out by the lake.”

“Did you remember sun block?”

Gold burned in the sun, and lobster red was not a good colour on him. Lacey rolled her eyes at him and waved the bottle of factor 50 she’d picked up at the pharmacy.

“See I can be organized.”

“Thank you, sweetheart.”

While Gold prepared them a brunch picnic Lacey made several trips out to the deck that was built by the lakeside. By the time Gold got out there with a basket filled with food and drinks she had constructed an easy seating area that could have served as a set for a film of Arabian Nights, she’d even pulled the parasol over so he could sit in the shade next to her in the sunshine. Even after six months of dating it made his heart flip that Lacey though of this little things for him; she’d also commandeered a tall plant pot to serve as a holder for his cane, when she spotted that he’d noticed that she grinned; “Figured we needed to corral it after all the times we’ve lost it.”

He had to laugh at that, the amount of times he’d ended up stranded on the floor because neither of them could remember when his cane had been abandoned was rapidly becoming a habit, not that Gold minded in the least, but his ankle had a different opinion.

Lacey bounced on her toes giving him a quick flash of the denim cut offs she was wearing under her beach cover-up.

“Is the caddy unlocked?”

“Aye. Not that many car thieves out in the woods.”

She gave him a thumbs up and bounced away, while she was gone Gold tucked his cane into the impromptu umbrella stand and settled himself on to the cushions in the shade with a happy sigh. Lacey had piled every pillow the cabin had to offer in just the right way to support his back and his gamy leg; he really needed to put a ring on this woman’s finger. Gold blinked hard at that stray thought, was he honestly considering proposing marriage after only six months of dating? Before he could answer that Lacey bounded back into sight carrying a beat up transistor radio. He watched her with a fond smile on his face as she twiddled the dials and angled the antenna until she landed on the classic rock station she was looking for.

“I could get wi-fi installed up here, then we could stream your Spotify playlists.”

Lacey’s hair fanned out around her head as she freed it from the hair band and shook her head at him.

“Nope, got to be a crackly transistor for a day at the beach, same rules apply for a day at the lake.”

Gold chuckled at her and caught her hand to give it a kiss, Lacey let her hand trail over his shoulder as she shifted behind him and gathered his hair in her hands,

“What are you up to?”

“Tying your hair back so I don’t get it covered in the factor billion sunblock I have to put on your pretty face.”

He snorted at her description of his features, but held still as she pulled his collar length hair back into a pony tail and secured it with the bright blue sequined band she had been wearing.

“You need a trim, getting split ends.”

“I’ll call Mott on Tuesday.”

Lacey shifted around him and settled herself in his lap. Gold closed his eyes as she started rubbing sunblock over his face. His nose wrinkled at when the scent of chemical coconut hit him. Lacey’s finger bopped his nose.

“Don’t bitch, it’s this or you burn and then peel and there is no way in hell I am sharing a bed with you when you’re moulting like a snake.”

He shuddered; “I don’t blame you, I don’t want to sleep with me when I’m peeling.”

Gold squirmed under her touch as her hands skimmed under the open collar of his loose linen shirt. Lacey appeared determined to cover as much skin as possible, he cracked an eye open: “I’m pretty sure the clothing will protect me, sweetheart.”

She leaned in close to his ear as her lotion slick hands slid further under his shirt; “I might go skinny dipping later, want to make sure you are prepared to join me.”

He growled and caught her head in his hands, pulling in her in for a fierce kiss. Lacey gave as good as he gave and by the time the need to breath forced them to pull back he looked more wreaked than she did mostly because her fingers had been scratching over his scalp and had made a mess of his temporary pony tail. He pulled the hair band out wincing as it tugged at his hair and shook his head in an imitation of her when she did this. Lacey laughed at him; “Don’t think Loreal will want you in their adverts any time soon.”

“Probably better for their bottom line that way,” – he picked up the bottle of sunblock and waved it hopefully, - “Your turn?”

Much to his disappointment Lacey stretched and rose from his lap. His pout vanished as she plucked at the ties of her beach cover up and shimmed out of it to reveal her skimpy cut-off jeans and halter top bikini top.

“My plan is to lie in the sun and have you hand feed that brunch you rustled up.”

He dropped the bottle of sunblock and placed his hand on his chest.

“Your servant, my lady.”

As the day warmed up and the picnic basket emptied Gold edged further into the sunshine and closer to Lacey’s side. She insisted on reapplying his sunblock, skimming her hands further and further under his shirt until he gave a growl and stripped out of it to grant her hands the access they were after. Her eyes roved over his bare chest, a wicked smile tugged at her lips.

“That happened faster than I thought it would.”

Gold’s hands skimmed over her bare midriff.

“Really? You should know by now that you just have to crook your little finger and I get naked for you.”

“Inside, yeah, but I wasn’t sure about the great outdoors.”

For a beat Gold felt panic. He’d worn his layers like armour for years, but Lacey had made him confident enough to shed them as easily as she brought a smile to his face and melted the mask of cold, indifference he wore. None of that had changed just because they were outside now, and they were on his property, there were very few hiking trails near-by. Why the hell shouldn’t he feel the sun on his skin and indulge Lacey in her skinny dipping idea?

He pushed her gently from his lap and rose to his feet. It took him a moment to find his footing on the soft pillow nest, but once he felt stable he gave her a cocky grin.

“How fast can you get out of those painted on jeans?”

Lacey stretched her arms and flexed her fingers; “Last one bare arsed has to cook breakfast in the morning.”

Gold huffed a laugh, knowing damn well that she was trying to get him to lose so he didn’t suffer burnt pancakes in the morning, Lacey was not at her best first thing.

“Okay, deal. On three?”

“Three, two, one!”

Of course Lacey won; partly because she was steadier on her feet than Gold and partly because he found her striping out of her clothes rather distracting. Gloriously naked and kissed by the sun Lacey whooped and dashed off toward the lake. Laughing Gold limped after her, his cane forgotten in his haste to wrap Lacey in his arms.

The sun was so warm and bright that they had both forgotten about the heavy rain that fell yesterday, the landscape had not forgotten. As Lacey neared the lake she slipped in a huge mud puddle, Gold shouted a too late warning and redoubled his efforts to get to her, which put too much strain on his ankle and he ended up on his arse in the same puddle. Lacey sploshed her way to him; “Are you okay?”

“Covered in mud, but I’m fine. You?”

“Covered in more mud than you, let me fix that.”

Gold yelped as she splatted a huge handful of mud over his head.

“You little rat!”

He lunged forward and wrestled her into the mud. They rolled over each fighting for control, laughing like crazy until Lacey cursed.

“Fuck! Ow! Stone!”

Gold pulled her on top of him, “Are you hurt?”

Lacey rubbed her back, “Might have a bruise. Shall we take a dip in the lake to rinse off?”

He ran his eyes over their mud streaked bodies, “Aye that might be a plan.”

They slipped and staggered out of the mud totally unaware that two pairs of startled eyes were watching them from the tree line. They didn’t find out about the witnesses to their muddy romp until they got back into town on Monday morning and saw the paper. On the front page was a grainy photo of them with the headline, “Does Bigfoot holiday in Storybrooke?”

After a carefully worded phone call to the offices of the Mirror Gold tracked down the photographers and found he couldn’t be angry with Ava and Nicholas Zimmerman.

“We knew it was you and Lacey, Mister Gold, but we made sure that you couldn’t tell that from the photo.”

“And you know Sidney Glass loves that sensational nonsense, so we thought we’d make a few dollars out of him.”

He’d managed to keep a straight face long enough to warn them about invading people’s privacy and the laws on trespassing, before making the kids promise that they would never reveal who was actually in the photos. By the time he got back home Lacey had framed the front page and hung it out of sight in the downstairs bathroom. When he asked her why, she shrugged; “I like keeping our press appearances, and this has got to be the strangest one ever.”