#hopefully the Brazil sun will give him some color

[mystic-myrtille]

MY BABIES ARE BACK

[hobeymakar]

Holiday | M. Barzal Imagine

Dedicated to my girl @softbarzal 

Author’s notes: This is based off the song Holiday by Little Mix. This is the first fic I’ve written in a long time and the first that I’ve ever posted on here, so please be kind to me

Word Count: 2,373

Warnings: Explicit language and brief sexual content, as well as alcohol use

-

Boy, have I told ya? I swear you put the sun up in my sky. When it’s cold, you pull me closer. So hot, it’s like the middle of July (July)

Melinda sees Mat's silhouette appear at the airport in Rio and she could literally cry from how much she's missed seeing him in person. It has been two months since she last saw him and she had been dying to see him again.

"Babe!" he smiles, and that's all it takes for her to run full speed towards him.

He drops his suitcase and she jumps right into his arms, wrapping her legs tightly around his waist. She feels the tears start to roll softly down her cheeks and she hates how emotional she gets after a long time without seeing him.

"Babe, don't cry," he murmurs into her neck, before peppering her face with kisses.

"I can't help it! I missed you!" she replies, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"Well I'm here now, baby," he smiles.

She realizes they're in the middle of a crowded airport and jumps back down.

"Welcome to Brazil," she smiles, lacing her fingers with his, as she leads him towards the exit.

"I have a feeling I'm gonna really like it here," he smiles.

They exit the airport and are immediately hit with the humid, tropical air of Rio. They make their way to the car and Mat puts his suitcase in the back while she turns on the car and gets the A/C pumping. He climbs into the passenger seat and she hands him the aux. He plugs his phone into the aux and 20 Something by SZA starts blaring through the speakers, to no surprise.

They sing along to the song while they hold hands over the center console. After 15 minutes, they arrive at her house. She parks her car and he takes his suitcase out of the trunk. They walk up to the front entrance and she unlocks the front door.

"I'm home," she calls out in Portuguese.

They walk into the living room and see a soap opera playing on the TV. They hear footsteps coming down the hall and Melinda's mother appears.

"Hello, you must be Mathew. I'm Gisele," her mother smiles, bringing him into a hug.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," he smiles back.

"The pleasure's all mine. Melinda has told me so much about you," she smiles.

"I hope only good things," he replies hopefully.

"Yes, only good things. You and Melinda will be staying in the guest house in the back. I assumed you two would want your privacy. If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask. Consider this your new home for the time being," she explains.

"Thank you," he nods.

Wanna have a little taste, so let me lay you down (Lay you). Nothing better than your skin on mine (Skin on mine). And I been looking for the feeling, looking all my life. Boy you give it to me every time

Melinda leads him toward the guest house in the back, so he can put his suitcase down. They enter the guest house and go straight into the bedroom. He puts the suitcase down and sits down on the bed. She climbs into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and straddling his waist.

"Hi," she breathes out, her lips inches away from his.

Before he gets a chance to say anything, she's kissing him, with an intensity that he's never felt before from her. He kisses back, trying to match her intensity, while she lays him down.

She breaks the kiss to lift her shirt up and he gets with the program right away, lifting her shirt up over her shoulders and head. He tosses it to the ground, not caring where it lands. He takes a look at her blue lacy bra and smiles.

"You're wearing my favorite color on you," he muses, flipping her over gently.

Before being able to make a response, he starts trailing kisses down her neck and chest, while his hands make their way around her back to the clasp of her bra. Just as he's starting to unclasp her bra, the sound of knocking on the door, grabs their attention.

"Lunch is ready, you two," her mother calls out, causing Melinda to groan.

Mat reluctantly gets up and wills his dick to go down from being half-hard in his shorts. Melinda puts her shirt on and suppresses the thoughts of wanting to kill her mom.

"Do we really have to go eat lunch with your mom?" he groans, pissed off that he got cock-blocked by his girlfriend's mom.

"Unfortunately we do. If we're not in the kitchen in five minutes, she'll break the door down and drag us into the kitchen by our ears. That woman doesn't play when it comes to that," she explains, causing him to grimace for a second.

After making themselves look decent, they leave the house and head back into the main house.

Can we make it all night? We don’t stop all up on my body babe, ooh. Touch me like a summer night, you feel like a holiday, ooh-ooh. Up all night, we don’t stop feel up on my body, babe. We’re just dancing the night away. Boy, you feel like a holiday.

So, I’mma let go. No one else in the world could ever come close to you, baby (Uh-uh). Close to you, baby (Uh-uh). We’re taking it slow. Whenever, wherever, we’re lasting forever my baby (Uh-uh). And you’re turning me on (Uh, uh-uh)

Later on in the evening, they arrive at the beach and see the party is in full swing. They walk over to the beach tents and Melinda starts looking for her friend.

After a few minutes, she finds her.

"Melinda!" her friends squeals, bringing her into a hug.

"This is my boyfriend, Mathew. Mathew, this is my friend, Alessandra," she introduces them.

Mat extends his hand for her to shake, but she brings him into a hug instead.

"Melinda has told me so much about you!" she gushes.

"Alessandra, can you come here please?!?" a voice from afar shouts.

"I'll be right back," she sighs, running off towards the guy.

Mat and Melinda greet a few more people they know before grabbing some drinks and making their way towards the music and all the people dancing.

The song Check by Kojo Funds Ft. RAYE comes on and her hips start moving to the afrobeat song. One of his hands goes to her waist as she sways against him. The DJ keeps playing more island jams like Confidence by RAYE ft. Maleek Berry, Finders Keepers by Mabel Ft. Kojo Funds, and Come Closer by Wizkid ft. Drake.

After a while, their drinks are empty and they've grown sweaty from all the dancing.

"Let's go for a swim!" she suggests.

"Okay," he shrugs.

She leads him towards a secluded area of the beach, near a bunch of palm trees and bushes and she takes her cover-up dress off and tosses it on the sand.

"Last one in the water is a rotten egg!" she announces, before running into the water.

Mat chuckles before taking off his shirt and running towards the water. He eventually catches up to her and she's chest deep under the water, while he's only waist deep in the water, due to his height. She jumps onto him, wrapping her arms and legs around him.

"You know now would be a perfect time to finish what we started earlier," she suggests, the liquor making her bolder than usual.

"I am not getting arrested for having sex on the beach," he replies, even though his dick is very much onboard with the idea.

"It's dark, everyone is at the party, and no one comes to this part of the beach anyway," she assures him.

He remains skeptical, but she starts kissing him, trying to get him onboard with the idea.

It works because minutes later, her bikini and his swim trunks are in her hands as he thrusts inside her. Luckily, there aren't many waves in the water, allowing them to remain coordinated enough to fuck in the water. After a few minutes, they both come and take a minute or so to catch their breaths, before putting their clothes back on and making their way back to the shore. 

Luckily at the party, there are beach towels and they grab some, drying their bodies off. They stay for a while, before deciding to head back home. They take an Uber back home and end up fucking some more, going at it well into the night.

Boy, have I told ya? You give it to me like no other guy. We got that heat, yeah, like the summer (Summer). And that’s why I’m so glad I made you mine

The next morning, she wakes up to feather-light kisses across her abdomen. She opens her eyes and sees Mat in between her legs.

"What are you doing?" she asks, still a little groggy from waking up.

"Trying to see if I can eat," he replies cheekily.

"Well, the food is in the kitchen," she teases.

"Well, what I wanna eat is right here," he replies, kissing her hip bone.

After 20 minutes, they're both laying side by side, out of breath.

"Fuck, we need to shower," he sighs.

"Save water and shower together?" she suggests.

"Of course," he smiles.

They shower together and manage to not fuck again in the shower. They get dressed and head into the main house for breakfast. Gisele and Mat start talking in French, which makes Melinda happy that they're getting along so well.

Right as they're finishing breakfast, they hear the front door to the house open and the sound of a male voice entering the house speaking rapid Portuguese.

Mat shoots Melinda a look and she informs him that it's her dad. Her father makes his way to the kitchen and greets Melinda and Gisele before stopping at Mat.

"Dad, this is Mathew, my boyfriend," she introduces them.

"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Fernando. Melinda has told me about you," he smiles, shaking Mat's hand.

"How was your business trip, Dad?" Melinda asks, noticing how awkward the exchange between her dad and Mat was.

"It was good. I was able to see your brother while I was in Florida and he sent some gifts with me," he informs her.

His father hands them all their gifts and sits down to have some leftover breakfast.

"Do you kids have any plans today?" Gisele asks.

"We're renting a boat and going out on the water and we're doing some sight-seeing stuff too," she informs her mother.

"Sounds like fun," Gisele smiles back.

So, put your love on me, up on me. Oh, boy, I love it when you’re touching me, holding me. No way nobody put that thing on me, up on me, like you do. Feel like a holiday (Uh, uh-uh). You know that I want it babe (Uh, uh-uh)

After doing some sight-seeing and visiting nearby historical landmarks, they arrive at the dock and get on the boat. Luckily, Mat has his boating license, so they don't need to have a boating driver with them. They sail out to the ocean and pop open a bottle of champagne and take out food from their basket.

They talk about the upcoming season and the upcoming school year for Melinda at Columbia. They even talk about when they first met at the Brooklyn Mets game. She had been chosen for the half-court shot challenge and didn't make the shot. Mat thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen and was determined to talk to her. He looked her up on Instagram and slid into her dms, not expecting a response. He never thought that one dm would lead them to where they are now over two years later. They started as friends and after a year of friendship, they got together.

After a while of reminiscing on great memories between them, they head back to the dock. They return the boat and Mat suggests they go for a walk on the beach, with Melinda not expecting anything from it.

They start walking down the beach and at one point Mat stops walking and takes something out of his pocket. She notices it's a white ring box and feels the air get sucked out of her lungs all at once.

"I know what you're thinking and it isn't what you think. This isn't an engagement ring, it's a promise. It's a promise that in the future, preferably after your graduate college, that I'm going to give you a real engagement ring and I'm going to marry you. I hope that's something you want because spending the rest of my life with you is all I want," he explains, while she remains speechless, covering her mouth with her hands.

Soft "oh my gods" fall out of her lips and tears start rolling softly down her cheeks as she's in shock over what's happening.

"So yes, is this what you want?" he asks nervously.

"Yes yes yes, a million times, yes!" she finally cries out.

He slides the ring on her finger and the tears of joy start flowing more freely.

"I'm so in love with you, baby," he smiles, kissing her.

"Me too, babe, me too," she replies, still not sure all of this is real, and not some type of fever dream.

That night, she posts a series of pictures of her and Mat on her Instagram with the caption "whenever, wherever, we're lasting forever my baby 🎶". Mat comments with "I love you forever and ever baby ❤". Mat's phone blows up with texts from teammates and friends asking if he proposed and Melinda's phone blows up with texts from the WAGs, friends, and family, asking if she's engaged now.

They decide to put their phones on Do Not Disturb for the night and spend the night in each other's arms, enjoying the rest of the time they have together before Mat heads back to New York for training camp.

[queenbirbs]

the way home | Ch. 2 | Edward x MC

Pairing: Edward Mortemer x MC

Word count: 1,977

Summary: In which traveling to the past is only half the battle; or: Elena finds her way back.

Warnings: language, some violence 

Read from the beginning or continue on Read on AO3

Tag list: @writinghereandthere

------

Throngs of people breeze through the streets of the port town, unfazed by the stacks of boards and pallets of bricks that block sections of the main route. 

The hurricane’s damage is much more obvious this close: swatches of roofs torn away, replaced with makeshift sheets of tin, the steeple of a nearby church gone, with only splinters remaining. Elena recalls the story about how she saved her home from a hurricane and hopes that she hasn’t arrived too late. Having wasted time doubling back to her buried bag and stowing away the clothes she arrived in, she hurries through the packed streets as best she can. The new boots pinch at her feet with every step. It would be nice, she bemuses, if she could keep her clothes with her when she travels back in time. 

“Would’ve saved me a fortune,” she mutters, navigating around two men haggling on the price of a goat. 

Complaints aside, she loves the feel of the silk vest against her skin, of the fresh leather across her hip where her new sword gleams in its holster. She even bought a cavalier hat, excusing its purchase with the protection from the sun it offered. 

It’s nice to be back, to resume her role as Elena McTavish, infamous pirate. The years of holing up in her sister’s apartment or Robert’s hotel rooms, scouring documents and scrolling through endless message boards for time-traveling artifacts was no life to call her own. The occasional trip to Calgary or Edinburgh or New Orleans to hunt down a lead was the closest she ever came to a real adventure back home.  

Up ahead, she spots the tavern and winds her way through the crowd to reach it. The inside is as dimly lit as any other pub she’s been to, no matter the century. Ignoring the jeer of a drunken man near the door, she makes her way to the table Robert has commandeered near the back. His new attire fits him well, colored dark as to blend in with the shadows -- just as he likes. He slides a mug to her before launching into his update. 

“I found us a ship. Decent crew. They need four extra hands.”

Elena sips at the ale and raises her brow. “Did you tell them that the two of us are just as good as four men?” 

“Aye, that I did.” A smirk flashes behind his mug. “They agreed to take us aboard. I told ‘em that we’re interested in finding an associate who’s likely to be farther north. As it so happens, that’s where they’re headed for a trade route.”

“Did they know anything about--”

“You know as well as I do that Edward has made enemies -- none as big as the Admiral, but enemies nonetheless. I thought it wise to keep mum about who exactly we’re looking for, especially when they’re our ride out of here.”

Elena frowns, though she dips her head in acknowledgement to his point. “I asked the ladies in the shop, but they didn’t recognize his name. This port gets its fair share of traffic.”

“Aye, we’ll have better luck with the smaller islands.” After a subtle glance at the other patrons, Robert leans over the table and drops his voice to a mumble. “I managed to find a few of my old contacts. Both of them said the same thing: that he’s offering a bounty of sorts for information on you.”

She takes a slow sip of her drink and attempts to act nonplussed. “When did they hear about this bounty? Recently, or…?” 

“Within the last three months. So, that tells us that he’s in the area.”

“Yeah,” she sighs, unable to hide the daunting weight to her words, “the area of one million square miles.” 

“Oi.” He nudges her arm, bringing her sour gaze up from her mug and back to him. “The hardest part is over. We made it back -- and this time, hopefully, for good. Don’t beat yerself up. I told you that I’d stick with you until we find him, and I will.” 

Elena settles in her chair, holding back the relieved sigh that’s building in her chest. She doesn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much that means to her. 

On their first return, he’d all but left her in the dust when the wormhole they used spit them out in a church in Salvador, down on Brazil’s coast. When their time ran out and they were both sucked back to the future a few weeks later, the leopard had changed its spots, so to speak, and Robert admitted his own faults with trying to go at it alone. 

“How do you manage to slip back into the accent so well?” she asks, unsubtly changing the topic at hand. 

“Helps if you learned to do so in the first place. When you first showed up, you hardly attempted to assimilate. Didn’t help you any when you waved yer mobile about.”

“Says the man who stuffed gunpowder into little tubes and tried to pass it off as an original idea? And it’s not my fault that I ended up being put on trial! Edward was the one who broke the Code by letting me come aboard.”

Robert shrugs off her point, hiding his grin behind the glass. 

“We would’ve shot you first, if that’s any consolation.” 

“Honestly, as someone who swam half a mile in a dress, it is.” 

 ------

Adjusting the sails alongside Rhodes, the ship’s boatswain, Elena looks out across the deck of the Little Death and to the green spot on the horizon. 

The ragtag crew welcomed them with somewhat open arms, more desperate than anything else to have help running their sloop. It didn’t hurt, of course, that Elena and Robert knew their way around boarding and pillaging merchant ships. On their journey from Santo Domingo’s port, they manage to pin down two ships along Hispaniola's southern shore, and then another as they pass by Tortuga, long abandoned by the buccaneers that ran it during the mid-seventeenth century. After stopping briefly in the West Indies to gather more crew, they head north into Great Britain’s territory. The islands here are smaller, clustered together within twenty to sixty nautical miles of each other.  

“Sail ho!” someone cries from up in the crow’s nest. “Got a brig comin’ ‘round to starboard!” 

Along with everyone else, Elena eagerly searches the expanse of water. The Red Duster flag fades into view soon enough. She frowns at the British merchant vessel, turning the ugly flare of disappointment into fierce determination when she boards it twenty minutes later. 

The merchant crew is really no match, she finds, after tying several of the men together with their own twine. Captain Delaney, a chiseled man without a single ounce of humor in his entire body, gets right to business with giving his crew orders on what to plunder. 

“Montgomery and Lear, supplies!” he shouts. 

Snapping into action, Elena and Robert disappear down the ladder and into the ship’s hull. It had been his idea, of course, to use fake surnames. There was no need for their temporary crew to know their real names, especially with the rumor of a reward for--

“McTavish!” a voice blurts from the darkened corridor. 

Her step falters; she knocks her shoulder against the wall before righting herself.

“Keep moving,” Robert hisses in her ear, brushing past to hide her from immediate line of sight. 

“Shut up!” Rhodes demands over the sickening slap of skin on skin. 

“What if it’s--”

“It’s not,” Robert cuts her off, bending down and shoving a crate of supplies into her lax hold. “If it were, they’d call you by yer given name.” He moves about the room as he speaks, pitching his voice below whoever is outside calling for her. “Don’t look at them. Make them think they’re just confused.” 

Shifting the crate in her grip, Elena nods her head. “Got it.” 

“C’mon.” He dumps a smaller box on top of hers in an effort to hide her face. “If the captain wants more’n this, he can send down another--”

“Elena McTavish!” the voice cries again when they exit the room. “I know it’s you -- it’s me, Doyle! Officer Doyle! Please, you can’t let them kill me!” 

Behind her mountain of supplies, Elena rolls her eyes at his begging. Robert’s nudge at her back urges her to ignore the man. Their path is blocked by other members of the crew waiting their turn to return to the deck, leaving her at the mercy of Doyle’s pitiful wails. “I -- I have a family, now, a wife and a little boy. Please, you have to tell them to let me go!” 

“Oi!” Rhodes knocks him back against the wall with a kick to his ribs. “What did I say?” 

“I’m sorry, please, I’ll -- I just -- Elena, please, I helped you when--”

“For god’s sake, shut up!” she snarls. She turns on her heel to face him, but Robert blocks her with his own bulky crate. “We aren’t going to kill you, you idiot. And my name isn’t McTavish. I’ve never met you before in my life.”

“I don’t understand. Please, Elena, you’re my only hope! You can vouch for--”

“Rhodes?” she calls down the corridor. 

The sharp thunk of skull meeting wood echoes through the small space. Her lungs seize, unable to see the damage for herself as guilt races through her. 

“You’ve a soft heart, Rhodes,” another of their crew says with a smirk. “I woulda done more’n knock him out.” 

Elena clenches her jaw against the grating noise of laughter. Robert joins in, adding his own insult that gets them going once more. Adjusting his load, he reaches down and pats her arm, nodding at the question in her eyes. She welcomes the breath of relief that fills her lungs. 

After they leave the merchant ship behind, Rhodes approaches her out on the deck. He drapes his arm around her shoulder in a casual gesture. Elena decides to ignore the gaze he seemingly has trained on her breasts. 

“I thought your name was Elena Montgomery?”

“It is,” she scoffs. “Moron mistook me for some poor lass, I guess.”

“Hmm. Poor lass indeed,” he agrees. 

Glancing up, his face tightens around a grimace before his smirk springs back. His hand squeezes her shoulder for a beat before he moves off with a wink.

“God, could he be any more obvious?” she asks without bothering to look up from her task.

Robert grunts in agreement, chuckling under his breath.

“Aye, he’s probably considering what he could buy himself with that many pieces of eight.” 

“How many, exactly?” Elena questions, curious. 

“Six-hundred, according to my contacts.” 

Her jaw drops a fraction before she snaps her mouth closed. “The same payout as losing an arm, depending on a ship’s Code. Which is, I imagine, what Edward’ll do if Rhodes here threatens you to get that coin.”

“That’s…” she trails off, still trying to move past the sum. 

“Not his best play, I’ll give you that.” He tips his head to the side in consideration. “But it keeps mouths moving, keeps people looking.” 

Finishing off her last knot, Elena shifts to lean against the railing. She could corner Rhodes when night comes and threaten to slice his balls off if he tells anyone else -- but then that would be all the convincing he would need. Keeping her head down is probably the best way to go about it, but that runs the risk of him feeling brave enough to pull a stunt on her down the line. 

“Dead men tell no tales,” she recites in a sing-songy tone. 

Robert steps up to join her at the railing and crosses his arms, glaring out over the deck at the man in question. 

“Leave him to me.”

[leezardweezard]

artemis, hades, ares, hestia, centaur, gorgon, sphynx, nymph, satry, agamememenon (sorry i had to), trident, sun chariot, lyre, caduceus, harpe, winged sandals, golden fleece, styx, athuna, elysium, and troja

Thanks dude!!!! I love answering these and divulging information about me.

Artemis: What do you first notice about new people?                                         Like physically??? Or personality wise? I’ll do one forboth. I guess physically hair or eyes, usually hair. Personality, I guess howcheerful someone is? Wait that’s emotions. I think it’s humor. How funny theyare/what they find funny. I can’t really remember because I don’t meet a lot ofnew people. 

Hades: What’s a big fear of yours?                                                                   Well you know about my LARGE fear of chickens, so a new onethat I recently discovered (unfortunately) is my fear of wasps! I had three flyinto my bus SEVERAL TIMES when my whole family was gone! These are fakeexclamation marks I was sobbing and pleading to the wasp god!!

 Ares: What’s a big pet peeve of yours?                                                               My oldest brother (who is younger than me but you know that)cracks his knuckles and wrist and such… a lot. I don’t mind if it’s once? I getit. But he does it repeatedly and it gives me anxiety because I imagine hisbones breaking though I know that won’t happen. Also he pronounces neapolitanas neo-politician. 

Hestia: Where do you consider home?                                                               My house but also Grants Pass. It was my home for six monthsand I still miss it sometimes.  

Centaur: Last book you read?                                                                           Well I finished a Harry Potter audiobook but the last book Iactually read must have been The Lightning Theif??? I’ve been on a readingfrenzy lately so it’s a little hard to keep track. 

Gorgon: Last thing you ate?                                                                                 It’s after dinner and I made steak tacos. They were prettygood, I sprinkled a bit of lemon juice on the steak. 

Sphynx: Last text you sent?                                                                              Was to my oldest brother asking him if he was gonna eat ataco because I wanted another. 

Nymph: Last dream you remember?                                                                      I don’t remember a lot but I was arrested three times byLacetor from Psych because I was trading in US dollars for Harry Potter moneyand he’d though I’d stolen the Harry Potter money. This all took place in agiant mansion where the wizarding world was real and there was a canoe race. 

Satyr: Last time you couldn’t stop laughing?                                                     This is really hard, I think when dad asked if you met anyboys at the library.  

Agamememenon: What is an achievement you’re proud of?                           Well I got into National Honor Society but I’m not… tooexcited about it? I mean I’m glad of course but what I’m REALLY proud of is theapple caramel pie that you didn’t get to try because my brothers (and probablymy dad) couldn’t keep their grubby hands off it. 

Trident: Who are your favorite people?                                                             You, naturally. And my brothers, probably Markiplier,uhhhhhhhhhh. That can’t be it but my mind is blank. 

Sun Chariot: What is your favorite mythological creature?                       Oooooooo that’d have to be… Does a cryptid count as amythological creature? Probably not right. Well my favorite cryptid is chickcharney???I think that’s how you spell it. My favorite mythological creature is probablyany type of dragon. I also like sirens. 

Lyre: What are your top three favorite songs?                             AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA songs are almost as hard to pick asbooks!!!!!! Okay right now, I’d have to say Collar Full by p!atd, Crimson andClover (the Joan Jett cover), and Love Drought by Beyoncé/Girls by BeatriceEli. It’s a tie.  

Caduceus: What is your favorite color?                                                                  I have a lot of love for colors, I like just about everycolor except most yellows and some oranges. They’re all good but my mostfavorite is probably an emerald-ish color. 

Harpe: What are your top 3 favorite places?                                                   Can’t say I’ve been many places but I’ll try.

There was this beach somewhere in Bahia, Brazil.The water was super clear and pleasantly warm and there were no touristsbecause it was fall. Well, fall in America. 

 There was a spot at Elk River that was so nicebecause no one would go there and the water was deep and so clear. Pretty coldthough. 

The library probably. I can still remember whenit used to be on the other end of town, which I think was around 10 years agogive or take. The original staff probably remember before I can even rememberknowing them.

Winged Sandals: What is your favorite thing to do when youhangout with your friends?                                                                                                               We usually just hangout and watch youtube or Netflix and eatsnacks I like that. 

Golden Fleece: What is your favorite animal?                                                White leopards, definitely. They’re so cool! I tried to do areport on them once for biology I could barely find any information on them andI love them. 

Styx: How would you like your life to look like in 10 years?                                 I’d like to have a pretty good job by then, hopefully somethingin a career I like. Maybe something in psychology or education. I’ll live in anapartment that doesn’t have horrible rent and pays for at least one utilities andthe garbage(I don’t know shit about apartments this is probably unrealistic ormaybe it isn’t I don’t know) and I’ll probably rent with my oldest brother becausewe’ve lived together for almost fifteen years and we still get along prettywell so why not later in life when we can’t afford rent by ourselves.  

Athuna: If you could live anywhere in the world for the restof your life, where would it be?                                                                                                 Somewhere cold, somewhere I’m allowed to be me without fear,somewhere I don’t have to worry myself until I’m sick about affording to live.That’d be nice. 

Elysium: If you could have a superpower, what would it be?                             The power to create illusions so real you can’t even tellthey’re illusions. They are real to every sense you have.

Troja: What is the craziest thing you wanna do before youdie?                             I don’t really think a lot about that. I guess I just wantto be content with my life. Which is a pretty crazy expectation in and ofitself.

[wecappbah]

The AMAZON PARROT and How They Are Amazing

The Yellow-headed Amazon (Amazona oratrix), also known as the Yellow-headed Parrot, Double Yellow-headed Amazon, etc., is an endangered amazon parrot of Mexico and northern Central America. Measuring 38–43 cm (15–17 in) in length, it is a stocky short-tailed green parrot with a yellow head. It prefers to live in mangrove forests or forests near rivers or other bodies of water. It is often considered a subspecies of the Yellow-crowned Amazon. It is a popular pet and an excellent talker. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I am going to introduce you to my Red-Lored Amazon Parrot, Gonzo. He is the mildest in temperament for an Amazon Parrot. He loves to be around people maybe not very cuddly, but his personality outshines that. He is very intelligent and it attentive when being spoken to. He understands you and responds to you when he is told not to do something. He is much like a dog and very loyal. I am very fortunate to have an Amazon like Gonzo. 

Now we are going to talk of the genus of all Amazon parrots. There are about 30 different species within the Amazon genus. They are all on the CITES index, which means that Amazon parrots, like Macaws, Pionus, Caique parrots all protected exportation out of the wilds like Brazil, Central and South America and the likes of Mexico. 

On what is called the CITES Treaty; CITES stands for Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna. The CITES also known as the Washington Convention was created by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It was adopted in 1963, the convention then opened for signatures in 1973 and entered into force on July 1, 1985. 

I ask that if you do decide on an Amazon parrot be very careful as to where you purchase your Amazon from. They are an endangered species and they need to be protected by people, like you and I. That is why I highly recommend getting a hand-fed baby or adopting an older parrot. The difference between a wild caught and domestic parrot is the band they have on their leg; an open band means they have been taken out their country of origin and a closed band means they were hatched and hand-fed in the country you reside in. Many breeders do band their babies for statistical reasons, by keeping clean blood lines and knowing which aviary the baby came from. If a breeder does not band their babies I would be weary of that purchase. Remember that if one day certain species of Amazon's may become extinct in the wild, it will be you and I who not let them be forgotten; as they will be our domestic companions.

An Amazon parrot's life span, with them being healthy is around 50 years or even longer as long as they have had good nutrition and have been well taken care with their needs in mind. They are a medium size bird about 10-20 inches from head to toe. Amazon parrots have short stubby tails. Their primary colors are green feathers with coloring on their head and/or their face. Some can be very colorful to just a multitude of greens.

Diet

An Amazon parrot's diet, you have to be careful as they have a tendency to become overweight with lack of exercise from being in a cage for a number of hours a day. They eat seed, pellets, fruits, veggies and some may like human food. I highly recommend putting a pellet in their diet. It has nutrients not found in seed. Fresh fruits and veggies are very important as they contain phytonutrients (antioxidant pigments), that is not found in seed and pellets. Your Amazon needs nutritional food and also a variety of other foods because as they become bored, they need the variety for psychological enrichment. Food is mealtime but it is also playtime. Like your two year old child, mealtime is fun time. The fruits and veggies that are rich in vitamin A are dark green leaf veggies, carrots (the baby ones whole), mangos and sweet potatoes. The reason for vitamin enriched foods is because Amazon's are prone to this deficiency. All sorts of fruits and veggies can be fed. The fruits you can feed them are apples, pears, berries, mango, papaya, banana, grapes, oranges, tangerines, tangelos. The veggies you could feed them are whole baby carrots (something they can play with), cucumbers, zucchini, red peppers and chilies, even dandelion and chickweed (make sure they are not sprayed with pesticides). Gonzo loves all nuts, though Amazons are known to get obese from fatty food, he also has an indulgence for tortilla chips and ramen noodles. DO NOT feed them avocado as it is toxic to them. Make sure they have clean and fresh water every day. Amazon's like to dunk their food, so you may have to change it a couple of times a day. That is to avoid any bacterial infections. 

Cage

Their bird cage should be as followed with the cage guidelines when you are buying a cage for them. Remember twice the width, so they may spread their wings and 1 1/2 times in length for their tail. Bar spacing needs to be 5/8 inch to one inch apart. There needs to be both horizontal and vertical bars to climb around on. The cage Gonzo has is 24x20x27. 

They need plenty of toys to play with. Make sure the bowls are secured to the cage because Amazons are renowned throwers. I recommend an extra bowl for treats, fruits and veggies; besides their water and food bowls. 

You need to wash their food and water bowls daily. Clean their cage at least once a week, by washing everything down with water and a small amount of dish detergent. Make sure it is well rinsed off when you put your parrot back into the cage after cleaning. Their trays can become quite messy as everything goes on the floor or below them. They do not have best table manners. I like to change their trays with newspaper every time I feed them. Newspaper is nontoxic and cheap to get. I do not recommend pine saw dust or ground shells. There is a chance of getting a bacterial infection or them eating it and getting sick. 

Illness

We have spoken of bacterial infections and you are wondering "How do I know if my parrot is not feeling well?" The signs can be different so watch them carefully. Watch your parrot carefully because parrots differs from one another when there are signs if illness. If their demeanor changes from lively to sullen, ruffled plumage, resting often with their head tucked into their back (keep in mind that your parrot may prefer to sleep this way), consistent sneezing (yes parrots do sneeze). Now the most noticeable ones to watch for are if they do sneeze and discharge is coming from their nostrils, cloudy eyes and any change in their droppings (feces). I recommend you to have a good avian vet specialist, who you have relationship with; that knows your parrot so you may call them after hours for any potential issues that should arise.

Gonzo

Gonzo is not caged and we do not have to be subjected to the aggression that Amazons are known for. The more your parrot is out and interacting with the family they are more likely to be friendlier and not so aggressive. Amazon's can be the most aggressive of all parrot species; however this varies from Amazon to Amazon. Our Red-Lored is one of the mildest and more adaptable to the family life than other known species. These issues can be alleviated by not caging your parrot for excessive periods of time. Gonzo is not caged; he hangs on top of his cage and playpen, watching the day goes by. This also gives him a chance for exercise and prevents the obesity Amazons are known for. Please do not keep them on their perch in the middle of their cage; as they will appear like a stuffed parrot and when approached will bring out their aggressive side. 

Behavior 

How your Amazon parrot behaves. Many are very loyal, like a dog. Extremely intelligent and playful; you can teach them to play basketball and roller-skate; these are typical toys that can be purchased. They are outstanding talkers and yes, even sing opera. Amazon parrots love classical and traditional anthem music. Keep in mind that each species of parrots are individualistic and have differences, so you may get an Amazon parrot who does not sing or talk. In our case, our Red-Lored does not sing nor talk, but is fantastic just the way he is. Never get a parrot expecting it to talk, get it because you want a lifelong companion. Amazon parrots are great screamers and vocalization, not as loud as a cockatoo or macaw though. They can be quite noisy at times, especially when the sun comes up and goes down. When it is breeding season and they hit puberty, about 5 or 6 though it could be later, they can turn into Jekyll and Hyde. Ride it out, this your companion you made, it is a commitment to for life.

Amazon parrot loves to bathe with a mister or in the shower, it is fun time and it can be quite comical. Their world is about playing. May it be with food to the toys in their cage; they see the world as an adventure playground.

Keeping this all in mind; you will have a happy family when you understand your new found companion and their idiosyncrasies. Gonzo is everything that one that anyone could ever ask for. He is beautiful, great disposition in life and shows us how to take one day at a time. We are grateful for Gonzo; hopefully after you have done all your research and made that commitment as to what kind of parrot you decided on, you have decided on an Amazon parrot.

Peter has four very proud parrot species from all over the world. We have lived with our four parrots for over 15 years. All of our parrots are domestically born. The joy we share with them is immeasurable.

By Peter T. Roberts

Article Source: EzineArticles