#how did you know the albatross is my favorite bird

[enjoythesilentworld]

fics i think about all the time

for YR Faves Fest '24, here's a short fic rec list - which could and should be much longer - of some of my favs, in no particular order. @youngroyals-events

⋆⋆⋆

Where We Left Off by @gulliblelemon oh, the angst. oh, the inevitability and magnetic pull.

another dose by stargazers this is so very them and so very beautiful. and hot. did i mention hot?

Ex by @stretchoutfics i've reread this one a few times because i simply adore it. it's something about the atmosphere, and the way Wille looks at Simon. the way they open up to each other.

Good Luck, Babe! by @in-amor-veritas, aqua_rius fuck ur happy ending I will take all the pain in the world if it's written as beautifully as this. sometimes they don't end up together, sometimes that's just how it goes, but man if it isn't wonderful to watch them fight like hell to deny themselves.

The Time Of My Life by @pagegirlintraining one of my favorite movies made 10000x times better by making it Wilmon. Wille's cockiness but gentleness, Simon putting so much on the line... this reminds me i need a reread.

we'll make a home on the cracks (glowing review) by @bigalockwood the way they fall in love here is so easy, so beautiful. over ice cream, in the sun, through letters upon letters. what else can I say except that albatrosses are my favorite bird?

Baby I know how to use a gun by @saynomorefic lets go bamf wille. the vibes here are so gritty and rough and yet the interest and hesitant love between them is everything. it's like a Molotov cocktail at a gas station, but it is everything.

Like a Moth to You, Sunlight by @unfortunate17 so silly and fun with a beautiful bit of pining. as if Simon would end up with anyone else.

The daisy follows the sun by @willesworld i believe this was one of the first Wilmon fics I ever read. so soft, totally captures the blooming love between them. absolutely adore this one so much.

You feel like the perfect escape now (just like the sun on my face) by @sunshine-rudberg this. is. my. favorite. trope. ever. they bicker like an old married couple and yet are literally so made for each other it makes me want to scream.

⋆⋆⋆

I've regrettably done a lot more writing than reading this year, but I don't have to have done much reading to know how full of talent this lil fandom is. 5000+ fics, 9 months post s3, and here we are, still kickin'. thank you thank you thank you to all the fic writers. y'all make my world go round. 💜💜💜

[berrypass-de-murdler]

99. The Founding of Midnight Movies

So Logico has a canon voice now -

Um

Um

UM

Moving on

This episode features younger Chairman Chalk and President Amaranth, two of my favorite underrated babus - and uhh Amaranth is VERY small in this flashback wow

Midnight I, meanwhile, is still made out of black smoke like the rest of his family, but resembles a giant crow.

Kind of like this (idk I'm too tired to draw)

With the last episode about 3/4 written, I'm almost done...

DON'T READ THE EPISODES UNTIL YOU'VE FINISHED THE FIRST BOOK!!

IRRATINO: LOGICO! I have a crazy idea. LOGICO: You just- ughh, what is it?? IRRATINO: Follow my steps, and we’ll be able to see into the past. LOGICO: The fuck??? IRRATINO: Do you trust me?

The panic in the air is real, and this question hurts Logico for some reason. But he takes his hand, and they touch their heads together. 

IRRATINO: I can see it now.

A grainy, sepia-toned flashback fills their minds.

IRRATINO: It started when the studio was founded. 

---------------------------------

A massive bird-like silhouette tears across the sky.

MIDNIGHT I.

He lands next to his son. The current president is much younger, of course, but looks exactly the same, still featureless as ever. A human body lays on the ground, with a teenage Chalk shuddering nearby.

CHALK: He’s-he’s-he’s-he’s-he owned the l-l-land, there-there was no s-someone must have tried to take it!

And a tiny figure stumbles over as well - just a child Amaranth.

AMARANTH: Salutations à tous!!! CHALK: [scream] WRONG SIDE, YOU ARE ON THE WRONG SIDE! MIDNIGHT II: Shut up, albatross. We need to worry about the dead guy.

He kicks the little rat away, who still seems very pleased. 

-----------------

LOGICO: Why are those two there? IRRATINO: There was a war going on at the time. Chalk was on duty to report civilian deaths, and it seems that Amaranth wandered in from the opposing side by mistake.  LOGICO: It HAS to have been one of the Midnights. IRRATINO: Wait. Let’s not be too sure. ---------------

MIDNIGHT I: Fuck that man. He didn’t deserve to live here. CHALK: M-M-Mr. Midnight how-how could you say such a thing?? That was- that was a human being who-who was-

Midnight places his wings on Chalk’s neck before quickly letting go. The young llama hyperventilates.

MIDNIGHT I: Step aside.

Chalk leaves, frantically scratching at red, featherless patches on his neck. Midnight I looks at the body and stamps one foot on it.

MIDNIGHT I: Who did this. MIDNIGHT II: Father, You know it was not Me.  MIDNIGHT I: Oh, do I. MIDNIGHT II: It was the scout, He set Us up. CHALK: W-With every ounce of respect, I would have NO motivation to kill a civilian! MIDNIGHT II: Tell that to the prison guards, puss.  MIDNIGHT I: Stop fighting or bad things will happen. 

Midnight’s talons dig into the body and he glares at the subordinates. In the present, Logico shudders. This man does not look like the usual suspects. He looks deranged.

MIDNIGHT I: Inspect the child.

II goes to grab the tiny Frenchman, who is flopping around a nearby office, giggling.

AMARANTH: J'adore cet endroit, je veux rester ici pour toujours!!

The figure picks up the rat by the tail and shows him aggressively to his father.

AMARANTH: Bounjour :3 MIDNIGHT I: …He couldn’t have even done this. He’s too stupid.

He throws the child away, who is caught by Chalk. He stares at his son, the scout, and the child, shaking.

MIDNIGHT I: You’re all too stupid… MIDNIGHT II: You believe I am innocent? CHALK: Then, then if we know then we’ll have to, we’ll have to look-  MIDNIGHT II: He’s lying. HE’S LYING!

II throttles the llama, and Amaranth screams for help. Chalk struggles to throw the Midnight off him.

CHALK: MY WAR HAS NOTHING TO DO, WITH THE DEATH OF THIS MAN! MIDNIGHT I: Shut up. EVERY ONE OF YOU SHUT UP!!!  ---------------

LOGICO: It was him… IRRATINO: Logico, look closer. --------------

The body, and the culprit, are right in front of the Ancient Ruins. Midnight I begins to charge up energy. Chalk clutches Amaranth and runs. Midnight grabs his son.

MIDNIGHT I: If you tell anyone about this, I will kill you.

The bird begins digging below the ruins, revealing an oil deposit. 

MIDNIGHT I: This is where we will build. And everywhere they stand. -----------

A third voice enters the present.

OBSIDIAN: I found them, and I figured out their plan. And they promised to ruin my life if I exposed them… but I called their bluff. I took the fall, busted out, and then laid low until I could find the evidence I needed. This place is that evidence. IRRATINO: How did you figure it out? OBSIDIAN: The ruins explain themselves in plain sight.

‘I RULE ANON’.

‘LUNAR ONE I’.

‘AUREOLINN’.

‘AN OIL RUNE’.

OBSIDIAN: Come on - the premiere starts soon.

Irratino jumps up with determination. 

IRRATINO: Logico! Come on!

But Logico is staring at the ceiling, extremely distracted. They’ve found the answer behind everything - what could he possibly be focusing on??

Inside Logico’s head, he still sees Midnight I, tearing away the ground, seemingly taking lightning from the sky and using it to charge his own body. The horrible man opens his single eye suddenly.

It looks exactly like Logico’s.

Irratino, unaware of what he’s seeing, has to pull him out of the room and rush to the theater, where they can save the world, once and for all?

The end!

wow

well... wish me luck ;w; <3 (please)

the end is near.

The power of Goat Lord compels you!

See you next time murdlers!

[griffintail]

Philza with a friend who’s a winged hybrid like him, but instead of being a hybrid of a relatively small bird, such as a crow...his friend is an ALBATROSS hybrid. Imagine the wingspan this person would have, and how tall they’d have to be to accommodate those things!

Or, alternatively, what if Philza had a winged hybrid friend that was a HUMMING BIRD hybrid?? Imagine how tiny they’d be, and how much sugar they’d probably have to consume to zip and flit around all day??

I will readily admit that the reasoning behind this is cause I was watching The Rescuers Down Under, and there’s a line in that movie that goes “Alba- Albatross?! It’s a jumbo!”, and that’s one of my favorite lines in the movie. I can’t really explain WHY that’s my favorite line, it just is. Anyways, the size difference in bird species is always fun to imagine in terms of hybrids, and I wanted to see your take on it.

The Albatross and Humming Bird

Pairings: Platonic! Philza x GN! Reader

Warnings: Mention of Swords, Mentions of Fighting

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Albatross

(Y/N). Is fucking tall. Taller than Ranboo.

Their wings aren’t extremely large, they’re just long when they’re spread out so their height accommodates for that so their wings aren’t dragging on the ground.

People always used to question why Phil built his doorframes and ceilings so high up when even his children aren’t that tall, it’s because of (Y/N).

“Sup shorty?” (Y/N) grinned putting their hand on top of Phil’s head.

“I’ll make the ceiling lower.”

“You’re so mean to me!”

Being an albatross hybrid, (Y/N) can handle longer flights as an albatross can fly for days at a time without landing.

People often hire them to get what they need from far lands or to have them scout out things.

“Hey, we were thinking of maybe looting a Woodland mansion. You think you could scout one out for us?” Phil asked.

“Yeah. Sure. Just let me get a pack ready and I’ll head out.”

“Thanks.”

---

“(Y/N). I need acacia wood!” Tommy demanded.

“You going to pay me this time?”

When Phil hurts his wings, (Y/N) gets Techno to train them to be stronger.

After some time, (Y/N) takes Phil on day-long flights sometimes. They’d love to take him on longer ones, but their normal strength holding them back.

“Sorry, we couldn’t fly longer.” (Y/N) put Phil on the ground outside the base before landing next to him.

“It’s alright mate. Thanks for the flight.” He smiled.

“Of course, what are mates for?” They smiled back. “I got to give something to Techno, talk to you later.”

“Remember he doesn’t build ceiling as high!” He called.

“Right! Thanks!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hummingbird

(Y/N) is a lot shorter than everyone. Coming in at a whopping three feet. (Ninety-one centimeters)

People often think they’re a child at first glance. Once they realize they’re an adult, people tend to tease them, but the people on the SMP realized that was a bad idea fast.

“I wouldn’t keep doing that Quackity,” Phil warned but was smirking as (Y/N) crossed their arms at the sound of Quackity’s tone at them.

“But look at how cute they are, little cutie.” Quackity teased.

In an instant, (Y/N)’s sword was drawn and on his neck as their wings flittered a hundred miles. (One hundred and sixty kilometers). Safe to say they created a small breeze and terrified the hell out of Quackity at that moment.

(Y/N) never really slowed down. They were often flittering from task to task.

They were also a wonder when fighting. Not only did their height give them an advantage but their speed was incomparable. Techno had a hard time keeping up with them when it came to fighting!

Though, they tried to keep such things to a minimum as they needed a large supply of sugar for the fights.

“It’s extremely hard to keep a large-scale sugar cane farm running out here I hope you know.” Phil huffed as got sugar water for them as (Y/N) had managed to crash slightly from the lack of sugar after helping training their two new recruits in the Syndicate.

“Yeah, but you’ll always help me keep it running because you’re the beesst.” (Y/N) grinned at him, slightly loopy.

“Just drink idiot.”

The pair could be a terrifying force, but between making sure his friend kept their sugar consumption up and keep their speed down, some days Phil thought he was taking care of another child…

[hannigramficrecs]

Hey, do you have any "long" (30k up only) hannigram fics, with hannibal's pov (preference, but not absolutely necessary) of AUs, like the best long fic AUs you can think of, like time-travel, different meetings, abo, etc.

No vampire, mermaids or werewolves au tho.

If you can, of course. Thank you alredy 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

I’m not sure if these are all Hannibal’s POV, but here are a list of all my favorite long AU’s (sorry if I included too many LOL). Also if anyone’s interested here are links to the mermaid and werewolf fics

Palace of Dreams by MaiTai1327 [words: 41,986]

A lonely boy at a Lithuanian orphanage creates a memory palace for him to hide away from his despicable circumstances and the nightmares haunting him. In his dreams, his palace becomes reality. And one day, he finds another boy hiding in one of its rooms.

Our Stars are the Same by beforethedawn, ConstructFairytales, Destinyawakened [words: 42,578]

Someone’s moved into the old creepy, supposedly haunted, mansion down the way from Will Graham and his family. Will never expects to befriend the new family’s son.

Vena Amoris by PaperPlaneChemTrails [words: 55,596]

Will Graham is a producer on a Bachelor knock off reality TV show. Against his protests and better judgement, Dr. Hannibal Lecter is cast as the primary love interest on the show. Despite his many initial misgivings, Hannibal is a hit, and Will finds himself as drawn into the story Hannibal is creating as everyone watching at home. Everything is going well until Will becomes suspicious that he is the real object of Hannibal’s affections, and all of a sudden contestants start to turn up murdered.

Little Arts of Vice by drinkbloodlikewine, whiskeyandspite [words: 44,991]

Cruel Intentions AU. “Tedium draws me to observation,” he murmurs. “Contemplation.” “Manipulation,” Mischa adds calmly, tilts her head when Hannibal narrows his eyes at her. “You wouldn’t deny it, Hannibal, you’re proud of that one. And in truth you do it well.” “There is little to manipulate when watching a dog chase a bird.” It starts with a bet.

A Past of Plank and Nail by gleamingandwholeanddeadly (something_safe), printersdeadly, printersdevils (tuesdaysgone) [words: 87,821]

Hannibal needs a kitchen remodel, and his colleague and friend Alana knows just the guy to help him with his rundown new home. Enter Will Graham, carpenter and contractor extraordinaire, and devastating addition to Hannibal’s daily life. When he starts running out of new projects to keep Will around, Hannibal fast realizes his infatuation is more than simple attraction - and that getting Will to agree to dinner is only the first hurdle.

Redemption by houseofcannibals [words: 132,427]

After very publicly losing his mind and murdering three young women in an unconscious state, FBI consultant Will Graham is sentenced to serve three consecutive life sentences in the notorious Shawshank State Prison. Upon arrival, he is unsettled to find himself in a cell neighboring that of infamous serial killer Dr Hannibal Lecter.

Carnivore, Won’t You Come Digest Me? by HigherMagic [words: 64,019]

Role Reversal AU: Following the execution of Garrett Jacob Hobbs, Hannibal is forced to see Doctor Will Graham for a psychiatric evaluation before he can return to the field. Once cleared, Jack insists that Will shadow Hannibal in the hopes of catching the Shrike’s copycat. Hannibal has become a master of making sure the FBI stays blind to his extracurricular activities, but Will is a man who sees far too much, and won’t be so easily overcome.

Page Six by ThisBeautifulDrowning [words: 66,839]

Crime reporter Will Graham’s column on page six of the Baltimore Sun garners him the attention of many: fans, hobby detectives, the FBI…and others. Hannibal cut off a piece of meat with surgical precision. “I find your company rather engaging.” “Maybe I don’t find you all that engaging.” Silence. Hannibal grinned. “I see that it will take more than one dinner to earn your forgiveness. Challenge accepted.”

Falls the Shadow by littlesystems [words: 72,455]

AU where Bedelia is Will’s psychiatrist instead of Hannibal, Will makes a series of increasingly questionable life choices, and no one should ever take Bedelia’s advice. Ever.

Rescues by drinkbloodlikewine and whiskeyandspite [words: 99,552]

Mischa is living with PTSD, and Hannibal seeks out a service animal to help her. He meets Will, trainer of therapy dogs - cue puppies, adorable interactions and lots of dogs. And smut. Of course.

Where the Albatross Crash-Lands by HigherMagic [words: 40,220]

Everyone has two marks on their arm: one is the name of their soulmate, the other is the name of their mortal enemy. There’s no way of knowing which is which. This same trick of fate makes it so that your Marks are the only two voices you will ever hear when you go deaf at sixteen. Hannibal has a nice voice. Will hopes he’s his mate. He hopes he never hears the voice of the Chesapeake Ripper.

Provenance by drinkbloodlikewine, whiskeyandspite [words: 62,735]

A delightful AU about a rare book dealer, an owner of a high-end coffee shop, and murder. This does involve Hannibal Lecter, after all.

A Fortunate Wound by starkaryen [words: 83,312]

Will Graham, a police officer in Baltimore, is shot while he’s on duty. The surgeon on call in the ER is Hannibal Lecter.

Until I Met You by Dormchi [words: 33,990]

Detective Will Graham needs an expert and Fire Lieutenant Hannibal Lecter happens to be available. Basically this is just arson, murder, coffee, and fluff.

Canvases by thatviciousvixen [words: 36,660]

When Hannibal meets a handsome artist with a keen interest in death he knows he’s finally met a kindred spirit. All Will needs is a little push.

In Sickness and in Health by BonesAndScales [words: 67,450]

Everyone knows that Will and Hannibal are married. Not everyone knows that they are married to each other.

The Escapists by whiskeyandspite [words: 35,368]

Will’s cellmate said nothing, and Will didn’t venture. He had been prickly enough as a lecturer, where human interaction was mandatory, and prison was not the sort of place one made friends. One either made allies or enemies, or stayed quiet enough to avoid both. Will doubted he’d be that lucky; far too easy to rile up especially when stupidity was the catalyst. Prison, Will thought absently, was similar to college.

Sweeter Bitter by wormsin [words: 89,503]

Will is an awkward student and Hannibal an intrigued mentor.

Before You And After You by ache_for_him, Breakmybones (CarterReid), CarterReid [words: 33,734]

Hannibal and Will had a past: a dirty, bloody, violent past. Will was sure he’d never see his own personal monster again - then he walked into Jack Crawford’s office.

Ethics & Aesthetics by fragile-teacup [words: 106,330]

Pride and Prejudice omegaverse AU

Look, Mother! The Sheep Have Devoured the Wolves! by HigherMagic [words: 102,934]

Hannibal and Bedelia are married, but unable to have children. At Margot’s insistence, Hannibal agrees to meet the Omega that was a surrogate for her and Alana. Will is rough-edged, unrefined, and everything Hannibal shouldn’t desire. This arrangement promises to be clean, and simple. Of course, nothing concerning Will Graham is ever simple.

Wings of Wax and Feather by BelladonnaWyck and raiast [words: 55,947]

“Did you just smell me?” "Difficult to avoid. My apologies, I didn’t realize there were any Omegas in this section of the prison.” “Most get sent to the Omega Holding Facility two counties over. But then, most don’t get done in for rippin’ out an Alpha’s throat in the middle of the street.” or Hannibal Lecter had always known the winding road of fate may one day lead him straight to a prison cell. He’d never imagined he’d find his true mate there.

Truly, Madly, Deeply by slashyrogue [words: 52,811]

They meet by chance at a Christmas Party and share a kiss that seals their fate.

Purity by PixieDust291 [words: 130,528]

Will is cast aside by his alpha and sacrificed to the Wendigo that hunts in the forest. However, after confronting the creature Will then finds himself in the home of Hannibal. The alpha lives alone and seems to have taken it upon himself to nurture Will back to health. Over time Will grows comfortable with Hannibal and slowly reveals the reasons for his abandonment. Hannibal, being a pure bred alpha of the highest caliber, is well aware of just how rare and valuable Will is and decides to take the wounded omega for himself.

Quatervois by stratumgermanitivum, whiskeyandspite [words: 33,226]

Will is an Omega who desires independence and freedom. Hannibal is an Alpha who finds his mind curious. They make a deal: if Will can convince Hannibal that he is worth more than breeding stock, and can go through his heat without begging for his Alpha, Hannibal will not mate him, but make him a ward instead; Will could go to college, get a job, do anything he wanted. If not, then he will be Hannibal’s mate, bear pups, and accept his role. But is it really as simple as that?

[kpopmalereader]

happy, pt.2 ; jung chanwoo

• summary: happy, pt.2 • pairing: jung chanwoo x male!reader • word count: 1644 • to do

happy ; pt.1, pt.2

“Group meeting,” Chanwoo answers before anyone asks. “That’s why I’m here, I want to have a group meeting.”

He managed to catch everyone in the living room. A small box-fan whirs on the coffee table, Chanwoo clicks the speed lower and pushes it to the back edge of the table. The tension grows with every pace Chanwoo takes as everyone else in the room pretends to relax.

Chanwoo stops pacing after a few minutes and stands behind the table. He picks at the peeling paint on the fan as he talks. “I want to talk about my boyfriend.”

“Chanwoo,” Hanbin starts.

Chanwoo holds his hand up to stop him. “Just listen.”

They seem to be paying attention to him, he can’t tell if their focus is a good or bad thing.

“Y/N is a good person. You don’t know anything about him because you choose not to know anything about him. I’ve tried to tell you about him and every time I’ve mentioned him one of you rants and raves about how bad of a person he is.” Chanwoo pushes his hair back.

The plan Chanwoo is carefully concocting in his mind shakes and wobbles but waking up to your beautiful face, watching your glasses slide down the bridge of your nose as you concentrate on new designs, the effortless charisma that exudes from you as you pour and mix drinks at the bar, Chanwoo’s want for you to be close to his friends, to have his favorite people know and enjoy being around each other. Those things are enough to push his hastily made plan into the spotlight.

Chanwoo repeats. “He’s a good person. He’s an amazing artist, he’s fiercely protective, he takes care of his family, sends them money, calls any family he can as much as he can, he gets upset if I stay out too late, he checks my temperature every hour if he even hears a cough, he’s such a good person. His job, being covered in tattoos, those aren’t good enough reasons for you to judge him like you have. How many times have you guys asked to meet him? I don’t think I’ve heard any of you ask about him, meanwhile, he asks about you, wants to meet you, listens intently anytime I mention you.”

Nobody makes direct eye contact with Chanwoo and he continues.

“I want you to meet him today.” Chanwoo crosses his arms, shaking his head when expressions of disagreement appear. “I don’t want any questions or objections. I need you to meet him, see who he really is. I know you’re going to end up liking him. You’re meeting him, today. I want you to see where he works, how he is, who he is. It’s not up for question, everyone in the car.”

*

“Chanwoo!” The receptionist leans forward, pulling her headphones off. “We’re not supposed to be taking any walk-ins today, but I would be willing to give you a piercing or two without putting it on the books.”

Chanwoo shakes his head. “Is Y/N still with his client?”

“Do you want me to go tell him you’re here? See how long it’ll be?”

“Yes, thank you.”

The receptionist walks into the backroom. Bobby walks to one of the walls, looking at the tattoo designs and pictures tacked on the wall. Chanwoo looks over at him and points at a specific picture on the wall.

“That was Y/N’s first big tattoo he did alone. He worked on a bunch of smaller tattoos, working his way up, working with the other artists, but the person that one is on. Austin, I think his name was. He thought Y/N’s work and drawings were amazing and asked him to do this huge piece across his back. It’s still the biggest piece Y/N has ever done.”

“He drew it himself?” Bobby asks, inspecting the big picture and the smaller ones circling it.

“Did everything himself. Austin is like a tattoo aficionado. His word in the business is a big one and after he finished the tattoo, Austin spread his name around. Now he’s a huge name in the business and people beg for appointments and seating at all hours.”

The receptionist returns and sits back in her seat. “And when we open the all-day walk-ins we have lines going down the block. He’s made himself a big name, people come from all around.”

Junhoe and Yunhyeong look at the different piercings while Jinhwan joins Bobby looking at the different tattoo options. Donghyuk and Hanbin join Chanwoo in the middle of the room.

“What’s that?” Donghyuck points to a gumball-machine in the corner.

“They are tattoo vending machines.” Chanwoo points to one end of the room. “They start at fifteen dollars and go all the way to one hundred dollars. You pay, turn the dial, whatever design you get, you get it tattooed.”

Your client walks out of the closed room, smiling at Chanwoo and the receptionist as they walk out.

“Hey Chanwoo.” The client grabs a package of bandages from the front desk. “You thinking about getting anything?”

Chanwoo scrunches his nose. “No, I don’t think so. Is that your last appointment?”

“Yep, left arm down, now to work on the right. It’s a shame Y/N gets booked so far out, he’s one of the best.”

“I’ll make you a deal,” Chanwoo smiles. “If you can tell my friends here how good of a tattoo artist and person Y/N is, I will put in a good word for you.”

Everyone begins to pay attention to the client and they pull their sleeve up. They slowly rotate their arm, pointing out a few tattoos.

“Well, you can see for yourself how talented he is. He’s my go-to artist and added a free nose piercing for being a ‘frequent flyer’.” The client nods his head and lets his sleeve fall. “And as for personality, he is wonderful. He gives amazing advice, he knows when someone needs to talk, he put in a good word for me at his old bar, and even though he left and started that new place the managers liked him enough to trust him. Speaking of that bar though,”

“Yeah, thank you.” Hanbin smiles and nods his head. The client walks out. “We get it, Chanwoo.”

“No. I want you to hear about him, meet him.”

“But you don’t need to corner someone who he stabs with a needle thousands of times.” Jinhwan shakes his head. “We’ll meet him, but you don’t need to ask everyone he knows about it.”

You step out of the tattoo room, stretching your shoulders out. You smile down the hallway at Chanwoo, spitting a piece of gum into the trashcan. Chanwoo waves you down and you straighten your back. You take a deep breath before walking down the hallway, a hopeful and friendly smile on your face.

“Hello,”

“What kind of bird is this?” Junhoe asks. You raise your eyebrows and look at the drawing he’s pointing to. “This one, do you know what kind it is?”

Your eyes light up. “Chickadee.”

Junhoe nods with an appreciative grin. “It’s on the wall a few times, and in a few of the books. Why?”

You scratch the back of your head, Chanwoo can see your ears going red. “I had a mentor when I first got into art and tattooing, he was obsessed with animals and symbolism, especially birds. He had a big tattoo of an albatross. Albatross are said to be teachers, they guide you, challenge you. He said I was a chickadee.”

“What’s the symbolism of-”

Chanwoo answers for you. “Unfathomable positivity, courage. Surrounded and loved by good people, I check those two boxes. Trusting, always willing to listen and offer help.”

You clear your throat and move on as your face becomes redder and redder. “Since then, I’ve wanted a chickadee tattoo. I draw them whenever I’m upset or need to take my mind off of things. But because of how much I want one, I can never pin down a style or place that feels perfect. I’ll probably end up tattooing twenty on myself.”

“You can do that?” Yunhyeong asks. He repeats. “Tattoo on yourself?”

You nod and show a spot on the back of your wrist. “This was the first time I worked with glow-in-the-dark ink, wanted to test everything out on myself first.” You pull your shirt up to show your inner forearm, another on your other hand. “I’ve got a few on my legs too. It’s an easy way to practice and fight off boredom.”

“How bored can you be? Don’t you work two jobs?” Jinhwan asks.

“I do. I work here during the day and then most nights I work at the bar.” You shrug, bumping shoulders with Chanwoo as you turn to the door. “I don’t like sitting still.”

“Do you own the bar? Your last appointment said you opened the place.” Hanbin’s eyebrows pull down in question.

You nod slowly. “I do. Me and two of my friends opened it when I graduated.”

“He got his four-year degree early, finished his tattoo apprenticeship, and opened a bar in the span of a few months.” Chanwoo brags. “Then met me and his life got even better.”

“I’m not arguing.” You smile. “It was stressful for a while but it’s very rewarding. I can be a CEO when I want, I can be bartender, give very affordable tattoos without worrying about paying rent.”

Chanwoo smiles at Hanbin as the other guys ask you more questions. “So?”

“He seems nice. He has a stable job. He’s been watching you out of the corner of his eye, he seems to care for you.”

“I could have told you that without forcing you to come here.” Chanwoo joins you and rolls his eyes at some of the questions. “I think they like you.”

[hurricanerin]

I’ll Never Tell Ch. 5: Insecure

Pairing: Loki/OFC

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Smut, non-con, power imbalance, violence, breeding, forced orgasms.

Chapter specific TW: Two geese meet their gruesome end.

Chapter summary: That time by the sea.

Notes: The geothermal pool concept is all @nildesperanddum​ and used with her blessing.  Check out her brilliant Jotun!Loki fic called Reigning in Hel.  It’s one of my all time favorites.

<< Ch. 4 | Ch. 6 >>

INT Masterlist

Add yourself to my taglist.

Staring out over the arctic sea, Petra sighed as she waited to be set free.  Ever since their arrival to Utgard she had been cooped up in Loki’s quarters and was going stir crazy.  Today she’d been promised not only freedom from Loki’s rooms, but an outing.  

From the window she watched a giant albatross dive repeatedly, resurfacing each time with a beak full of fish.  The raging waves that crashed against the mountainous cliffs made her shift uncomfortably, despite the distance.  Prior to being dumped on Jötunheim, she’d never seen a the sea.  Svartalfheim had oceans, of course, but she’d never been to the coast.  

Petra jerked out of her thoughts when a raspy voice called from the doorway.

“Lady, are you ready?”

The Jötnar struggled to pronounce ‘P’s’.  ‘Lady’ was easier to say than ‘Petra,’ and most of those in service to Loki defaulted to the easier moniker.  With a wary glance at the tumultuous water, she hauled her cloak around her shoulders.   “Coming!”

Stuffing her bare feet into clunky fur-lined boots, the elf trudged from her personal room in Loki’s chambers towards the hollering voice.

 A flock of Jötnar women from the hunting camp, accompanied by Loki’s lead advisor, Marit, herded Petra from the castle down near the harbor, steering her on foot as they wandered into the city market.  The staggering space was packed with bodies and goods.  Stalls crammed with tools, clothing and animals spattered the rocky seashore, creating thin alleys for customers to walk through.  The group waded into the chaos, the sounds of bartering and interaction prompting Petra to uncomfortably cross her arms.  The livelihood of the market outweighed that of the hunting camp.  The shouts and calls of these giants were spirited compared to the quiet environment of the base where she first encountered the Jötnar.

As they neared the shore and the outskirts of the market, cluttered with fishermen and women tethering their boats and gutting their catch on the docks, Petra wrinkled her nose.

“What’s that stench?”.  

Marit squinted at the elf, sniffing the air.  “Oh, that?  It’s fish and saltwater, Lady.  You’ve never smelled it before?”

Petra made a face, “Never.  It’s awful.”

Marit shrugged a shoulder, “You get used to it.”

The Dökkálfr grimaced with a nod, making a mental note to avoid touching anything that came from the sea.  

The noise faded as they drew near the coastline, the shouts and chatter dissipating into the air and Petra’s muscles unclenched, her arms dropping loosely to her sides as she relaxed.

The women surrounding her stayed occupied.  One traded sea glass for a loaf of bread while Marit haggled with a shop owner over two enormous snow geese.  Purchase made, the advisor shoved the birds at a spluttering Petra as she stalked off to another stall stocked with nets and hooks. She returned a moment later with a box the size of her hand.

“My mate, he fishes,” she explained, holding up the container.

Wrestling with the poultry, Petra managed a nod, trotting to keep up with Marit as she bustled off to the next shop along the shore.

 By the time they made their way back to the inland market, word that the Dark Elf had come out of concealment had spread.  Conversations halted mid-sentence as Petra’s group passed, both speakers rendered speechless by the exotic foreigner.  Her white hair and dark blue-gray skin stuck out against the purer indigo flesh of the giants.

The shift of attention was palpable, leaving Petra feeling horribly vulnerable.  She clutched the geese to her chest as each pair of red eyes locked onto her.  

Recovering from their initial shock, most villagers leaned in to whisper in a frenzy.  Some looked on in curiosity, others glared, but Petra heard a few utterances of the word ‘hore’ which she assumed had the same meaning as it did in the common language.  It appeared as though she had a reputation already.  

As hostility escalated, Petra stepped closer to Marit, who was busy staring down some especially aggressive townspeople.  Petra’s gaze kept flitting to either side of the alleys, afraid of launched rotten food or worse coming her way.  Her companions stayed close, their hands wrapped around the axes and daggers on their belts in warning to those they passed.

The warmth of the birds under her arms was grounding as they walked into the village, her steps as quick as her clumsy boots allowed. Petra jerked when a cool hand grasped her upper arm, sighing in relief to find Marit close to her side.

“We’re almost to town.  Just a little while longer,” she reassured the elf.

Pursing her lips, Petra mumbled something affirming and hustled to keep up with the group.

The other women returned to their respective homes with their purchases as Marit led Petra to her personal dwelling.  Without a word Marit plucked one white goose from the other woman’s arms and snapped it’s neck.

Petra cried out at the woman’s brutality.  She staggered backwards.  “You killed it!”   She held the other honking bird to her chest.

Marit blinked.  “Of course I killed it.  It’s dinner. Give me the other.”

Stunned, the elf took another step back, shaking her head.

Fingers still wrapped around the dead goose’s neck, Marit planted her fists on her hips and exhaled, eyes narrowed.  “Fine.  Jens is not going to like you if his lunch is mostly broth tomorrow.”

With a sigh of defeat, Petra cradled the living bird, idly stroking the feathers of its wing.  She thrust it toward Marit, scowling and clapping her hands over her ears to escape the crunching sound as Marit wrung it’s neck.  Stomach rolling, she let her hands drop to her sides after the bird went limp.

Marit slung each lifeless bird over her shoulder.

“I will pluck them.  I’ll go outside for your sake.  I’m being very hospitable, I’ll have you know.”  

Marit nodded at the dwindling flames illuminating a small fireplace near the center of the house.  “Tend to the fire, then fetch a pot of snow to melt for tonight’s drinking water.  I’ll be back soon.”

The Jötunn brusquely vacated the home, leaving Petra alone and slightly flustered.  

“Norns,” she grumbled, ambling to the fireplace and plopping a few logs on top of the smoldering embers.  Despite not knowing what she was doing, she prodded at the fire with a stoker as she’d seen others do, emitting a contented hum at the heat radiating from the pit.

Fire roaring, Petra stood on her tiptoes to unhook a large pot dangling from a hanging rack.  There were only two to choose from, and she grabbed the larger.  The Jötnar lived simpler than the Dökkálfar.  It was nice, in a way.  Fewer trivial possessions, less desire for elaborate organizational schemes and displays.  There were no servants scurrying about, at least not in town, making beds with obnoxiously ornate frames and clanging pots and pans together as they worked.  Petra wasn’t used to labor like this, if one could consider it that, but found she didn’t mind.  

Spotting a nearby snowbank, she lugged the pot over and scooped handfuls of snow into it until her hands were numb.  Hauling it back inside was a much more physical endeavor, but she managed.  

When Marit returned, Petra averted her gaze, mindful of the featherless creatures swinging from her arms.  Slinging the two birds onto the kitchen table, Marit set about gathering ingredients.  From small potted plants she cut herbs and gathered onions from a basket near the wash basin.  Dropping the vegetables in front of Petra along with a knife, Marit continued shuffling about.

“Chop those,” she called from the fireplace.

Petra stared with wide eyes at the food in front of her. “How do you have fresh vegetables?”

“We grow them.”

Petra frowned, shaking her head.  “I mean how… where did you grow them?  Isn’t the ground frozen?”

Marit scoffed and motioned with her fire poker through the window.  “Of course the ground is frozen.  Dum jente,” she grunted, turning back to the flames.

Still confounded, Petra started cutting the herbs.  “The elements should kill anything that attempted to take root.  You have potted herbs, but no garden in here.  And where did you get soil?”

“There are geothermal pools that heat the earth to appropriate farming temperatures. They’re near the cirque opposite of the way you arrived.  I’ll show you soon.  We’ll need more supplies.”

Petra blinked.  Marit said things so plainly she felt dumb for even asking.  Of course there was arable land.  Of course they farmed.  What else would their animals eat?  How else would they survive?

Marit interrupted Petra’s thoughts by waggling a spoon in her direction.

“Boil the snow, Lady.”

The lines on Petra’s face relaxed as she grew distracted. The elf poked at the melting snow, stirring idly as her mind returned to her experience near the shore.

“Why was everyone so angry at me today?  Everyone in the market?”

Marit didn’t look up from her work at the table, but she did stop fussing with the geese to wipe her hands.  “Because you’re not Jötnar, yet you have value to the king,”  The giant shrugged a shoulder and rubbed her brow with a forearm.  “Loki is a good, but aloof and distant ruler.  They’re envious that a foreigner has his attention.”

“I-I’m not sure I’d say I’m of value to him.  I might hold some mild importance in regards to a strategic plan, but not value.”

Marit glanced up, raising a brow critically.  “Here, that’s the definition of having value.”

Petra muttered under her breath about value being something typically demonstrated through appreciation before moving on.  “The hunting camp wasn’t like this.  People—Well, I’m not sure they liked me, but they tolerated me.”

“I don’t think all Jötnar hate you.  Just the villagers.”

Sagging, Petra grimaced as Marit began cutting the meat into pieces. “Why am I so offensive to those in town but acceptable to the hunters?”

“The people…,” Marit motioned with her knife at the village through the window, “They have known the struggle of hunger and infertility.  But they don’t search for a solution.  They want things the way they’ve always been, Frost Giant mated with Frost Giant.  A pure race.”

The advisor sighed, tilting her head as she collected the bits of goose.  “The hunters, they understand functionality, ingenuity.  Not hunting isn’t an option.  If one method fails, you try another.  It’s that simple.”

“So I’m just another way to behead a bilgesnipe,” Petra muttered.

“Well, yes, I suppose.”

Petra’s gut twisted as Marit reminded her of just how disposable she was.  She was a vessel to these people, and nothing more.

“Fetch the other pot,” Marit ordered, nodding at the other hanging from the ceiling.

It took Petra several tries to unhook it from where it hung, but she lugged it over to Marit who deposited the goose meant to let it sear.

“Vegetables and herbs,” pointed Marit.

Automatically Petra fetched and dumped the chopped pieces in with the meat.

“Now water.”

With an exasperated sigh, Petra spooned several ladles of the clean water into the smaller pot.  

“We’ll eat well tonight.  It’s not always that way, but things are good.  The animals are fat and stores full.”

Well, at least something was going right.

“Help me clean up,” Marit said, tossing a rag at Petra.  She caught it clumsily, barely managing to wrangle it before wiping off the table. Jötnar manners certainly differed from Dökkálfar.  Dinner with Marit and her mate would be interesting.

Later that evening, Petra found Loki lounging in his quarters with a book.  He looked up when she entered, blinked, then his eyes returned to the page.

“Marit said she fed you,” he said.

Still growing accustomed to abrupt Jötnar manner of conversation, Petra was caught mildly off-guard.  “Um, yes.  She did. We made stew.”

When he remained silent, she started towards her portion of Loki’s rooms.  They consisted of a small chamber with a simple bed and dresser.  Before she took three steps, Loki called out.

"I’m not finished.  Come here.”

Dropping the sack filled with a little pouch full of Jötnar coins and a few shells she’d found along the beach, she warily retraced her steps.

“Take off your cloak.”

           She lacked the energy and motivation to argue. Petra tugged her cloak off her shoulders, pausing to hang it on a hook near the doorway.  She could feel Loki’s eyes on her, and waited several beats before turning around.  As she’d predicted, he was staring at her.  

           “You need to eat more.  You’re scrawny,” he mused.  He rested his chin on his fist.  “I wonder if you really are fit to carry my child?”

           Taken aback, Petra raised her chin and widened her stance.  She needed to remain important.  Her life depended on it.  “I can do it.”

           Loki smirked, which only served to irritate her. “Let me see you.”

           “I-What?  I’m standing in front of you.”

           “Take off your clothes.”

           After a split second of hesitation, she complied. His being bossy when it came to sex wasn’t new.  Muttering to herself, Petra quickly shucked off her dress and boots, standing with her back to Loki.  She plodded to the bed with her arms wrapped across her chest, waiting for him to follow. Glancing over her shoulder, her cheeks glowed as she saw him lazily untether his trousers and wrap his fist around his waking cock.  He cleared his throat and she realized she’d been staring.  Embarrassed, she lifted a leg to climb onto the high mattress, eager to put distance between them, when he interrupted her.

           “Stop.”

           “What?”

           “Face me.”

           Her stomach fluttered as she rotated so her side faced Loki.  Crossing one leg over the other, she hugged her chest.  His eyes, usually narrowed in a frown or glare, were relaxed as he studied her.  Petra squirmed as they roamed over her body.  The king had never looked so appraisingly at her.  He’d only spent a moment evaluating her body their first time and she shifted uneasily, looking at the floor.

           “No.  Face me.”

           The sharpness of his voice left no room for argument.  Clutching her chest, Petra swiveled until she was thoroughly in view.  Loki traced his lower lip with his index finger, humming as his eyes studied her dainty feet, moving up her calves and thighs until her crossed legs halted his examination.

           “Stand up straight.”

           She grimaced.

           “This isn’t… Are we not having sex?”

           Loki tapped his lip as his brow arched.  “Stand up straight, Petra.”

           Pursing her lips, she slowly parted her crossed thighs a fraction.

           “Do as I say or I’ll position you myself.”

           Her chest tightened as her blush worsened, spreading from her cheeks down her chest.  Arms flopping to her sides in defeat, she clenched her fists as she stood normally. “Is this what you want?  To assess my body like I’m an animal?”

           The corner of his mouth quirked as he rose and casually stalked forward.  She froze as he neared, gaze flitting to the ground.

           “Look at me.”  His voice was ice.

           Gaze blurred with teary uncertainty, she obeyed. He smiled, a cruel expression that only served to unsettle her further.

“I want to see your shame, skapning.”

           Staring at him while he appraised her was worse than being called out for being half human in front of the Dökkálfar court.  She felt lower than a whore.   At least most whores were purebred.  The sexual aspect of his examination was utterly humiliating.  Was she worthy of carrying his child?  Did he find anything about her remotely arousing? His eyes bored into her, coaxing goosebumps to break out across her skin.

           “What do you want?” she sighed.

           “I told you,” he murmured, the corners of his mouth still turned up.  “To see your shame.”

           Fingers trailing down her neck, Loki stopped over her fluttering pulse.

           “Do you think yourself… pretty?  Your face?  Your body?”

           Her stomach dropped.  She knew she wasn’t attractive by Jötnar standards.  She was too little, too frail.  Her hair and skin were the wrong shades and her height was pathetic.  Throat growing tight, she shook her head, eyes on her feet.

           The king tutted her.  “Look.  At. Me.  I’ll not ask again.”

           Eyes stinging with tears, she glared up at him.

           “Ah, there’s that fire.”  Loki traced her clavicle.  “Never lose that, Petra,” he murmured.

           Fighting the urge to swat his hands away, she remained silent.  Her cheeks continued to burn with shame as his eyes roamed.  She desperately wanted to retreat to her room.  It was enough to know he didn’t find her attractive, but she felt utterly repulsive under his current scrutiny.  She wanted to disappear.

           Inspection complete, Loki pointed to the bed. Without a word, she followed the silent command and crawled onto the mattress, propping herself up on all fours.

           Loki ran his hand along the length of her spine. “As appealing as you look this way, I’m going to have you in another manner.”

           Before she could ask what he meant, he flipped her onto her back.  She yelped, slamming her legs shut and crossing an arm over her heaving chest as they came face to face.

           “This-this isn’t how we do this,” she stuttered.

           “We do this however I want and tonight I want to see your face.  Unless, of course, you’d rather sit in my lap?  We both know how that turned out last time.”

           A shiver crawled up her spine as she relaxed, her thighs spreading a few inches and her arm falling to the bed.  Gravity tilted her face to the side and she stared at the wall.  Loki briefly ignored her passivity in favor of running his fingers over the delicate skin of her inner thighs.

           “I’ve only ever done this with my mate.”

           She started sitting up in alarm.  He was mated?  With another woman?  When a horrified expression crossed her face, he laughed.  “Calm, skapning.  She’s been gone for many years.”

           Her tensed body relaxed with an uncertain sigh. She couldn’t compete with another Jötunn woman for his attentions.  Replaying his words in her head, she frowned.

           “You’ve only done what with your mate?”

           Loki ignored her in lieu of wetting two fingers with his tongue and slipping them inside her.  Petra’s hips arched off the bed and she cried out in surprise.  He grinned down at her, using the broad palm of his free hand to pin her hips to the bed.  Heart pounding, she struggled.  The way he looked at her was terrifying.  He was feeding off her expressions and reactions, which she couldn’t hide as his began thrusting his fingers.  The position was far too vulnerable.  That he could see her face made her wildly uncomfortable.

           “This isn’t what I agreed to!”

           “Relax.  You’ll only be able to think for another minute or so.”

           Sputtering, she angrily smacked the mattress and laid back, staring at the vaulted ceiling.  

           Loki withdrew his fingers and issued a smart slap to her pussy.

           “What part of ‘look at me’ is difficult for you to understand?”

           Face threatening to crumple, she bit down on her cheek and lowered her eyes to meet his.  He stared at her intently, watching every twinge of her brow and twitch of her lips.  It was enough to be exposed like this, but to know he didn’t find her attractive was simply humiliating.  She felt like a disappointing specimen.

           “That’s better.”  

He withdrew his finger and took his cock in his hand, giving it a few pumps.  When she realized he intended to fuck her while on her back, Petra whimpered.  What had she done to warrant this kind of punishment?  She’d had sex like this before, but with meaningless partners that were likely picturing someone else as they fucked her.  Loki was not picturing someone else.  He was looking at her too hard, his gaze patronizing.

“Little skapning,” he sighed.

Glancing down, he ran the head of his length between her folds, stopping at her clit to rub against it.  The slippery precome and the pressure of his cock felt more heavenly than she’d like to admit, so she bit her cheek until it bled to keep from making noise.  She refused to validate him while he demeaned her.  

His voice startled her out of her thoughts.

“You’re just a little lost Dökkálfr without me, aren’t you? I give you purpose.  Carrying my child is an honor.  Do you know how many Jötnar women would quite literally kill to be in your position?”

Forcing herself to go numb in an attempt to survive whatever verbal assault he was conducting, she shook her head.

“Many,” he answered his own question

“Good for you.”

A laugh rumbled in his chest and he shook his head.

“Good for you, rather.”  He eased himself inside, groaning as her tight walls clutched his length.

Petra inhaled sharply, cursing under her breath.  He wasn’t finished belittling her yet.  He had to knock her down even further, forcing pleasure on her.  Her pussy throbbed around him making him hiss as he slid against her walls.  Lazily he began pumping.  

           “The night you arrived, I would’ve turned you away without a second thought,” he grunted.  “I wouldn’t have felt guilt.  But you were stubborn and feisty and I wanted to have you.  So I made you mine.”

           Petra pushed off the bed as best she could, brows raised in surprise.

           “What?”

           “Centuries ago I inhabited Asgard.  Traditional beauty isn’t lost on me.  You may not be a warrior, but you’re certainly a woman.”

           Spluttering, Petra shook her head.  “I thought you found me repulsive—!”

           With a sharp thrust, Loki knocked the air from her lungs.

           “Quiet, skapning.  We’re not having a conversation.  I’m merely enlightening you.”

           Gasping for breath, she grunted as he hit that spot that made her see stars, damning her body for falling victim to him with such ease.  She kept her mouth shut, grinding her teeth in an effort to limit the noises insisting on flowing from her mouth.

           No longer interested in words, Loki began jerking his hips in earnest.  Each time his cock passed through her entrance forced her a step closer to an orgasm. Since his proclamation that she only come with his permission, she’d managed to succeed so far.  But, something about the debasing tone he’d taken with her was causing an unseemly reaction.  He’d been speaking of her as if she were an object.  His object.  As if she belonged to him, which should have upset her, but the idea that she had enough value that he desired her made her cunt pulse.  Though in that moment she very much tried to hate him, the idea sparked heat low in her belly.  

           The prospect of carrying his child did make her feel important.  It was an honor.  He was a powerful man that people feared and revered.  It was impossible not to be attracted to that.  And the fact that he didn’t find her displeasing was slightly overwhelming.  

           A brisk snap of the hips knocked her out of her thoughts, prompting a moan.

“Do you like knowing you please me?  More than another woman has pleased me in centuries?”

It was hard to ignore him with their eyes locked, but she managed.  With a growl, Loki gripped her waist and slammed their hips together.  “Do you?”

Crying out in pleasured pain, she managed a nod.

“Good.”

With that, he pulled back, almost leaving her cunt, before plummeting into her pussy once again.  She screamed as his pubic bone ground harshly against her clit, making her walls flutter.

Her eyes had rolled back and it took a moment for her vision to return and when it did, he was smiling at her again.

“You’re easy to please.  I do appreciate that, you know.”

His thrusts resumed, the sound of skin on skin echoing in his chambers.  The slick of her pussy aided his rapid pumping, which sent them both closer and closer to completion.  Petra began to whimper, biting her tongue in an attempt to distract from the fire blooming in her belly.  Just as she was about to struggle away from him, he spoke.

“Come, skapning.”

With a wail she lost all sense of being for several moments, floating blissfully in pleasured nothingness as her walls contracted around his cock.  With a low growl his hips jackhammered against hers, likely leaving bruises for her to find tomorrow.  He erupted inside her, his come flooding her insides and leaking out as he continued to fuck her.

Both panting, Loki took a moment to gather himself before pulling out.  Without a second look at his bedmate he stretched, his back cracking as he sighed contentedly.  He disappeared to the bathroom for a moment to clean up and don trousers, then strode back to his chair, picked up his book and resumed reading while Petra caught her breath on the bed.  She wasn’t sure what she’d done wrong to make him leave like that.  Shaking her head in disbelief, she ignored the mess between her legs and rolled over and tried to sleep.

@the-kinky-friend​ @monarchofallisurvey​ @averyrogers83​ @smollest-soybean​ @alexakeyloveloki​ @cassiopeya81​ @vintage-lovers-world​ @jeremyrennermakesmesmile​ @imnotrevealingmyname​ @false-octopus​ @tinyfirestudentpurse​

thanks to @writeyourmindaway​ for the divider 💖

[storm-dragoness]

An incomplete list of birds I think are cool and why

Up first is a real good bird its crows

I like crows a lot, and not just because theyre cool black birds and i like and appreciate the goth *~*aesthetic*~* though that is part of it to be sure! They're also really smart! They use tools, they do things for fun, they have a sense of value and exchange, they dance and play in the snow, they wear hats (pictured above!) and in general are very cool. They’re considered bad luck but that’s just because they’re scavengers and are smart enough to see something doing something stupid and go "that’s gonna be dead soon and then i can eat it." Fucking superb you funky little death omen.

Up next is another good bird, its Crow 2 electric boogaloo, aka the Raven

Its bigger its stronger its smarter too the next member of the corvid crew.

This is as good a time as any to mention that I just like birds I don’t actually know how verifiable any of my information is. I’m aware of that. But i like ravens! They’re like crows but more! I remember reading a story about a raven who scared a small mob of crows and then laughed about it. And another about a raven who fed its mate who had a broken beak so she didn’t die. They’re smart, and have emotions and that’s cool.

Next is the other side of the goth bird aesthetic its the albatross!

Lookit that bird! Lookit those wings! Long thin wings for gliding and cruising on ocean winds. I think they’re neat because they’re (the only?) Birds that can lock their wings and fly while they’re asleep! They do this and cruise long distances over the ocean. That’s cool! Additionally, symbolism. Any bird ripe with symbolism is good in my book even if the symbol is regret. They’re good birds that do nothing to harm anyone so killing one is "a sin" and anyone who does so wears regret around their necks. I haven’t read the rime of the ancient mariner in a long time but i remember enjoying it.

Next bird!

Red-tailed hawk! These friends live in my area of New York and they’re really cool. They’re also the first bird I ever looked at and went "oh shit that’s a cool thing i think i like birds" because when i was in 4th grade this girl whomst i hated, her father was like. A wildlife person and he did a demonstration and he brought in one of these fellows and i was awestruck. They are very neat and even if i don’t know a lot about them, i like them. And they were the first bird i was able to identify in the wild going "that bird has a red tail and it looks like a hawk i bet its that!" And then being right. Also i think its the bird that tobias animorphs got stuck as. And i liked those books even if they’re fucked up as hell. 10/10 good bird though.

Moving on! Secretary Bird!

Secretary bird is cool! The guy who named it called it that because his secretary put pens in her hair, and he thought the feathers sticking out back looked like pens. Which is pretty funny. But funny names aside, these are cool birds! They stomp on snakes to kill them for food. Which is kinda badass. Don’t get me wrong i like snakes, but these fuckers see a snake and go "oh shit, food, and just wail on that motherfucker til its tenderized and ready to eat. They’re also fast, and really distinct looking which are both bonus points.

Next bird is Owls! Specifically barn owls, tyto alba.

Pros: very pretty bird. Look at those patterns. They've got the moon for a face. Theyre kinda spooky

Cons: kinda hard to draw. They all look p similar tbh.

Barn owls are among my favorite birds for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is the guardians of gahoole series. I loved those books and at one point read the first like. 13 in a single day. Soren was my favorite, and then coryn too. And nyra was a good villain. Idk its a good series about owls! Barn owls are silent fliers and have very good hearing because their ear holes are not symmetrical on their head which allows them to triangulate more accurately. And as previously stated, v pretty.

The next bird is a common friend, and to be honest not very popular, but i love pigeons

Pigeons are rad! People hate them, because they're plentiful and kind of a nuisance in cities and they poop everywhere, but non public pooping is a human concept and birds aren’t bound by your laws! Pigeons are beautiful, look at that iridescent plumage. I also think they’re pretty cute as far as birds go. It used to be the case that people kept pigeons as pets in cages on rooftops and they were showbirds, bred for ornamentation. I forget why this fell out of common practice, but for some reason people just stopped doing that and now everyone hates the city chickens... :c

Speaking of chickens... Chickens!

Chickens are great birds, they’re the mom friend. I think they’re just like, pretty funny as birds in general, but at the same time they’re pretty cute sometimes. And they’re friend shaped! Which is a plus. Besides that I love reading all sorts of different stories about how people will put different animals in a chicken’s nest and she’ll just. Adopt them. Like, oh I sit on you and therefore I am your mother. It’s a very fun instinct that they have and I find it really endearing. 

I don’t have a smooth transition to this next one, but next is the Peregrine falcon!

These little fuckers are cool for what I think is a pretty well known reason: their ability to become a perfectly aerodynamic little bird bullet and dive at impossibly high speeds. They’re not big birds, but if I’m not misremembering (and no I will not take 10 minutes to search for the video I’m about to mention) but I believe I saw a video of a peregrine taking out a bird at least twice its size, a fellow raptor who was encroaching on its territory, by diving out out nowhere at blazing speed and raking the fucker in a high speed flyby. Now I hate to see birds be taken out, but that’s nature, and frankly that ability is kinda cool.

There are more birds I like! But these are some of them!

[artificialqueens]

Flower Files, Part 1 (Tatiadore, Biaja) - Albatross

AN: A collection of short oneshots. Each one has a flower/plant theme. I’ll be posting them on AQ in batches of 2-3 depending on length.

Chapter 1: Tatiadore

Tatiana awoke to the sound of birds distantly chirping away outside her window and the warm rays of the sun beginning to light up her room. It was all very pleasant, especially for what was supposed to be a quiet Sunday at home with her girlfriend. Groggily, she stumbled out of bed and wandered over to their shared dresser. Her mind was still sleep-addled but something was trying to capture her attention. It was a brief whiff of some strange scent but in an instant,  it was gone. No matter how hard Tatianna tried to refocus on it, it had just disappeared. 

But that caused her attention to drift to another development…elsewhere in the apartment, there was another scent arising; that of cooking food.

A soft smile arose to her lips; Adore was making breakfast and from the smell of it, something with sweet peppers, onion and egg…perhaps a western omelette, or maybe just scrambled?

Hurrying to the bathroom, Tatianna resolved to take a quicker shower than normal. Usually she would stay in there for a good 20 minutes and just let herself relax under the spray but the delicious scent of breakfast waiting for her in the kitchen made her realize that she was utterly starving. And even more so, she just wanted to pull Adore into her arms once again, especially since she didn’t have a chance to upon first waking up.

So in record time, she had her teeth brushed and the shower warming up but while the bathroom steadily filled with steam, Tatianna realized that strange scent from before was somehow in here as well. This time it was stronger and lasted long enough for Tatianna to realize it was rather floral, but soon, thanks to the fan she had turned on in anticipation of a hot shower, the smell had disappeared once again.

Oh, well.

A brief 8 minutes later and Tatianna was clean, awake, and had changed into a fresh set of clothes; a simple cami and shorts ensemble but it was comfortable and cute.

Feeling much more like her normal self, she bounded into the kitchen to greet her girlfriend. Adore was still standing in front of the stove, poking her spatula at something sizzling in the pan and a cup of steaming tea close by on the countertop. She heard Tatianna arriving and spun around halfway to shoot her a warm, cheery grin. “Hey, baby,” she called out, not sounding entirely awake herself.

Tatianna was beginning to return the greeting but something caught her attention yet again; that same scent! It was here! But where…and why?

Adore caught the shift in Tatianna’s expression; it was so sudden and such an adorable mixture of confusion and concentration that Adore had to laugh. “Tati, baby,” she asked through her laughter, “what’s with that face?”

Distractedly, Tatianna wandered around the boundaries of the kitchen, sniffing here and there, while giving a vague reply of “I smell something…In the bedroom and bathroom…now here.”

“Breakfast?” Adore offered up, gesturing to the nearly finished food in her pan.

Shaking her head, Tatianna said, “No, not that…it’s like, flowery but not flowers…” She didn’t know just how to explain it, even now she was only catching short bursts of the scent, but it didn’t smell quite natural…no, more like a man-made attempt at a floral scent…in fact, it smelled a bit like- “you!” she exclaimed, finding the scent strongest near her girlfriend.

True, the smell of food covered it up quite a bit but it was definitely originating from Adore!

Puzzled, Adore murmured a soft, “Mm?” and stirred the food in the pan one last time before turning off the heat. Remember her own deviation in routine that morning she recalled, “Oh, yeah. I got some new perfume and wanted to try it out today…Rose. Like it?”

She glanced up to her girlfriend with the brightest, proudest smile…Nothing in the world could convince Tatianna not to return the gesture. Pressing a soft kiss to Adore’s lips, she answered, “Love…you.” Adore pouted. She really thought Tatianna would like the perfume more but oh, well. To each their own.

Tatianna wrapped her arms around Adore’s waist as she began splitting up the pan’s contents between the two plates in front of her. She nuzzled into Adore’s neck, loving the feel of her girlfriend’s body melting into hers, but she couldn’t resist letting one last comment slip out. Pressing another sweet kiss to Adore’s skin, she murmured, “And I’ll love you even if you wanna smell like an old lady every day.”

Snorting, Adore nearly doubled over as she tried to brace herself against the counter. “Well, fuck you, too, bitch,” she laughed out. “I like it though.”

Chapter 2: Biaja

It was about 2 in the afternoon when Raja’s phone began to buzz. Even without looking she already guessed it’d be her girlfriend. Tonight was supposed to be one of their stay-at-home date nights. Every month or so, they picked out a Friday where they would just spend a romantic evening at home, rather than going out to fancy restaurants or even double date with another couple. It was a chance to spend some quality time together, which had gotten a bit more difficult due to hectic work schedules.

‘Heyy!’ came Bianca’s first text. ‘Want me to pick up anything special for tonight?’

Raja smiled to herself. They already had their meal planned out; Raja would pick it up on her way home. Bianca had taken charge of finding dessert and figuring out which new movie release to watch. There didn’t seem to be much else that hadn’t already planned for…except perhaps one thing they both would enjoy.

Opening the text box, Raja quickly typed out ‘Rose’ but after staring at it for a good 10 seconds, it just didn’t look right.

Oh, right , Raja mused to herself, it’s missing the little accent thingy.

Finding the symbol was easy enough in her phone, the trouble was getting it over the ‘e’. No matter how she tried typing it out, the accent would appear as its own character either before or after the ‘e’ but never above. 

How do people do this? she stressed. She’d seen Bianca figure it out before so it can’t be that difficult. Eh, whatever. She knows what I mean.

And with that, she sent off the text to her partner. In less than a minute, Bianca replied back with a simple, ‘👍🏻’. 

Smiling to herself once again, she thought, Yeah, she gets me.

With that minor detail resolved, she returned back to her work, letting her mind drift every so often to how delicious their food was going to be or how much she was looking forward to emptying out that new bottle of wine during the movie.

******

With two oversized takeout bags and her purse in hand, Raja maneuvered the front door open as carefully as she could manage. She had made it only three steps inside before Bianca came rushing from the kitchen to meet her, one hand hidden behind her back. Raja was twisted around, unable to notice the odd behavior at first, and trying to close the door behind her. In the end she found herself having to settle on merely shunting the door closed with her foot and ignoring the loud clash as it met with the doorframe. Shifting back around to face her girlfriend, they shared a brief kiss as Bianca relieved her of one of the bags.

As they parted, a grin present on both of their lips, Bianca greeted her with a rather cheerful, “Hey, how was your day?”

“Great,” Raja replied, already feeling herself beginning to relax after such a long week and returned with an interested, “Yours?”

“Perfect,” Bianca beamed back. Very casually, she added in, “Picked up what you asked for.”

The statement immediately caught Raja’s attention. Perking back up, she questioned expectantly, “Yeah?”

Looking ever so proud of herself, Bianca withdrew the hand she had kept behind her back and presented Raja with a single long-stemmed, light pink rose. Snorting and nearly doubling over with laughter, Raja muttered to herself, “Oh my god.”

“Something wrong?” Bianca asked as her head tilted just slightly. Her brow was slightly furrowed in confusion, making her look utterly adorable in Raja’s eyes.

Through her laughter, Raja managed to explain, “Yes, no- I mean…I was trying to type out rosé and I couldn’t get that little dash thing over the ‘e’. So I just gave up and sent you, well, ‘rose’ instead.”

A look of guilt washed over Bianca’s face as she apologized, “Oh…I’m sorry, honey.”

Wrapping her free arm around Bianca’s waist, Raja pulled her in close and placed a quick peck to her cheek. “Don’t be, it’s my fault,” she assured her partner in a soft, amused voice. “Should’ve just sent a couple of wine emojis.”

“Yeah, that would’ve been much clearer,” Bianca agreed as her trademark smirk reappeared on her lips. Gently pulling away, she grabbed onto Raja’s hand and began leading her towards the kitchen. “Let’s get everything on plates and then we can eat. Dessert’s already laid out and the movie is set up in the living room.”

Raja followed closely behind with an eager grin but found herself stopping just inside the entryway to their kitchen. Laid out on the counter was no less than three bottles of her favorite brand of rosé. All of it was artfully surrounded by even more of those light pink roses and a few carefully scattered petals.

“Oh my god,” Raja gasped, grinning from ear to ear at the sight. Bianca truly does understand her.

Unfortunately that realization and moment of warmth was quickly interrupted by Bianca’s cackling of, “‘Little dash thing’?”

“Shut up!” Raja joked, laughing along with Bianca as they both set their bags onto the counter. “I tried, okay!”

“I’m sure you did, honey,” Bianca teased. “Pull out your phone and I’ll show you again how to do it.”

Retrieving her phone from her purse, Raja complained despite her ever present smile, “Still don’t understand how you figured it out before me.”

“Well, sweetheart,” Bianca mocked, “I might be shallow sometimes, but I’m not a complete idiot, at least not with my phone…or you.”

[fanfoolishness]

a world for the birds (3/10)

Andy DeMayo took up birding years ago, but his favorite hobby takes on new meaning when shared with his nephew Steven.

A series of looks at Andy and Steven’s growing family relationship.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4

***

Chapter 3: hard work

It was a few months before Andy found his way back to Beach City again.  He couldn’t say why.  Sometimes, it felt good to be back in Delmarva.  Other times, it felt like a pair of boots he’d outgrown, a place where ghosts and memories didn’t exactly fit with Gems strolling the countryside and alien buildings rising up above the landscape.  

He’d never liked change.  It galled him, the older it got, knowing how much it bothered him.  How hard it was for him.  Like there was something inside him digging his heels in, resisting anything different as hard as it could.  It’d always been like that.

But then people like Greg, they could wander off and change their name, their life, everything.  Steven was living proof of that.  He missed them, and Aunt Deb and her partner, and the other cousins, scattered to the winds, but sometimes, it was still easier to be on his own.

So he spent a few months flying around the Southern Hemisphere, places he’d visited before, places he’d never heard of.  He took odd delivery jobs for food and lodging, traded for field guides of local birds, sent the occasional text message to family in the rare occasions he got service.  He sent Steven a blurry picture of a marvellous spatuletail (a lifer!), a Peruvian thick-knee, a tiny dot that he swore was a waved albatross.  He was gratified when Steven sent him a few amateur photos of northern cardinals and a nice one of a blue grosbeak.  

And then there weren’t any messages for a few weeks, and Andy got worried.

***

There was a lot more change than he’d expected.  

Gems and humans roamed the boardwalk of Beach City, performing construction on storefronts that looked like they’d been through a hurricane.  The grass on the lighthouse hill was patchy and bare in many places like it had been burned.  And all along the beach were rocks and patches of sand with filmy pink residue on them, caution tape strung up around them, and Gems working feverishly to clean the areas.

Andy had to argue with one particular Gem before they’d let him pass to the beach house, a towering black and white person with a face that reminded him of the sun.  “Sorry, it’s not safe for humans,” she said.  “It’s snow joke, it’s seriously toxic.”  She winked.

“Uh, right,” he said. “But look, Steven’s my nephew and he lives just around the bend.  I’m just in town to visit.  What the heck happened here?”

“Uncle Andy!” Steven called, hurrying up to him across the sand, carefully avoiding the roped off pink-stained areas.  “Oh, man, I’m so sorry you had to see this.  We’re working as hard as we can to clean it up.”  He closed the distance and catapulted himself into a hug with Andy.

Andy patted him on the head.  Had he grown a little more?  He looked different, a black t-shirt today instead of a blue one, shadows under his eyes.  “You okay, kid?”

“Thanks, Snowflake,” said Steven.  “I’ll keep him safe.”

“You got it,” said Snowflake, leaving them alone.  Andy watched the massive Gem walk off, shaking his head.  Maybe this was one of the former monster Gems Steven had been talking about.  She certainly looked less like a normal hippie than the rest of Steven’s family.

“So what happened?  I stopped hearing from you and your dad for a while --”

Steven rubbed the back of his neck, sighing.  “Ugh.  Everything’s been a mess.  Basically it turns out that not everyone agreed the Gem war was over.  A Gem my mom hurt came to Earth to try to destroy it.  We stopped her, mostly, but she still did a lot of damage.”

“Looks like you and your people are fixing it, though.  That’s good, right?” Andy asked uncertainly.  He listened for the sound of gulls and terns on the air, but all he heard was the breeze and the waves.  He let out a long sigh.  

Steven yawned.  He really did look exhausted, his hair mussed, his clothes rumpled.  “The Gems are taking care of the areas where there’s still detectable bio-poison, but I can’t help with that part.  It hurts me, too.  But once an area’s clean --”  He spotted a patch of bare soil beside them.  He licked his hand, then knelt and pressed it to the dirt.

“Uh, Steven --”

The bare soil sprouted over with green and olive moss, shimmering in the sunlight as it grew before his eyes.  “Once it’s clean, that’s where I come in,” said Steven, sounding both proud and tired.  He straightened up, stretching as he did so.  “I’m the only one with healing powers, so, you know, it’s a lot of work.  I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner,” he said.

Andy crossed his arms, staring at the long stretch of beach, the patchy hillside.  “You gotta do all this?”

“Yeah,” said Steven blankly.

“But it wasn’t even your fault.”

“So?”

Andy tried to figure out the words. You’re just a kid probably wouldn’t go over well.  He tried a variation.  “Don’t you got your own stuff to do?  You shouldn’t have to do all this work.  Not at your age.”

“But I’m the only one who can fix it,” said Steven, a stubborn note creeping into his voice.

“How many hours a day are you doin’ this?  Healing the earth?” Andy asked, trying to sound casual.

“Pretty much as soon as I get up until it gets dark,” said Steven.  “There’s so much to do.  All the Gems are helping with reconstruction and removing the poison, and I have to do my part, too.”

“Didn’t you say once Gems don’t even sleep?”

“What does that have to do with anything?” asked Steven defensively.  “Look, I said I would protect the Earth, and it almost got destroyed on my watch.  This is my duty as a Crystal Gem!”  He was flushed, his cheeks pink, one hand splayed over the star on his chest.

Andy opened his mouth, then closed it again.  Okay, sure, he had to believe him if the kid said he was the only one with this kind of magic, however it all worked.  But still.  It bugged him how much the kid looked like Greg right now.

Greg, who got more and more quiet during summers at the barn.  Greg, who’d been grim and resentful that last summer, constantly fighting with his parents.  Greg, who never came back.

There’d been a lot of reasons, he’d learned more recently, that Greg had left them all.  This wasn’t exactly the same.  But something about Steven’s pinched face and his narrowed eyes made him look so much like his dad, and Andy’s stomach clenched.

“Look, kid, I -- this is all over my head,” said Andy.  “Just try to be careful.  Okay?  You seem worn out.  Don’t forget you’re part of the Earth, too.”  

Steven’s face relaxed, then creased in a smile.  “I know, Uncle Andy.  Thanks.”  He sighed.  “I still have to do a lot of work today.  But my dad’s probably free if you want to hang.”

“I’ll go swing by and see if he wants to grab a bite,” said Andy.  “Maybe you can join us for dessert or something, huh?”

Steven stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets.  “Um, maybe.  But the ice cream place has been closed down after… after all this happened.”

“Oh.  Right.”

“Don’t worry about me, seriously,” said Steven.  “Your next visit, everything’s gonna be back to normal.  I promise.”  He flashed him another grin, and headed back down the beach, his shoulders hunched.

***

Andy pushed his crab cake around on his plate, watching it crumble and flake.  Good chunks of crab in there, only the barest minimum of bread needed to keep it shaped.  It was decent stuff.  Too bad he was hardly hungry.  He took another drink of his beer, a crisp lager.  

“So this crazy Gem almost blew up your town?  And the Earth?” asked Andy.

Greg took a drink of his own pint, searching for words.  “Well, to hear Steven tell it, she wasn’t crazy.  Just in a lot of pain.  He had a lot of compassion for her.  It probably saved his life.”

“Well, hell,” said Andy.  “Does this kind of thing happen often?   I mean, he really could have died, it sounds like.”

Greg nodded, letting out a long breath.  “I got hit with that poison myself.  I think it actually killed my arm.  Thank goodness for Steven’s healing powers; it’s good as new.”  He flexed his fist.  “Gem stuff’s dangerous.  It always has been.”

“But how does Steven always get mixed up in it?  I mean, you and me, we ain’t got any magic powers to protect him with, but what about his Gem family?” Andy asked.  “You can’t tell me out of all them alien ladies that none of them can fight.”

Greg chuckled, taking a bite from his stuffed blue crab.  “Oh, they can fight. But sometimes they’re just plain outmatched.  Rose’s family, the Diamonds, they’re literally over fifty feet tall. Each.”

“You’re shittin’ me.”

“Promise I’m not.  One of them picked me up like I was a toy in the palm of her hand, and kidnapped me to a human zoo in space,” said Greg, nonchalantly taking another drink.  “Steven and the Gems had to rescue me.  Good thing they did, too, since I accidentally started a riot because I wouldn’t say yes to an arranged marriage in the zoo.”

“Greg!  What the hell!”

Greg shrugged.  “I’ve seen a lot of weird shit, Andy.”

Andy laughed.  “Shoot, Greg, that’s what I always liked about you.  Always letting stuff roll right off your back.  Does anything ever bother you?”

He knew the answer, though.  Remembered Greg’s mom and dad, sweet like pie until he saw them chewing out Greg behind the barn, grinding him down with cruel calm words that weren’t even proper yelling.  He’d seen how those words stuck to Greg, a corrosive poison all its own.

He remembered it, but didn’t mention it.

Greg answered him. “What can I say?  It’s a gift.  So what’s been going on with you?”

“Oh, you know, the usual.  Flyin’ around wherever the wind takes me.  Spent some time in South America for a couple months.  Chilly this time of year south of the Equator, but that’s okay.  I like the winter weather.  It’s quiet, except when it’s fierce as hell,” said Andy.  “Sometimes I just need time to myself, you know?”

“I know,” said Greg.  He smiled, taking another drink.  “You were always like that as a kid.  We’d be playing some loud crazy game and you’d be off by yourself, grumping about how loud our made-up songs were.”

“Did not,” protested Andy.

“Nah, you did.”

“Well, so what?  Nothing wrong with alone time.”

“C’mon, like I can talk,” said Greg.  “I’m the one who ran off and changed my name, aren’t I?  Guess I really needed some alone time.”  He leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling.  “I’m really glad we reconnected, Andy.  I just wish I’d looked for you after Steven was born.  I tried writing my folks, but…. They never wrote back. I kinda assumed the rest of the family didn’t want anything to do with us, either.”

“Your folks are stuck-up snobs, though,” said Andy, taking a bite of his crab cake, some of his appetite returning.  “It always surprised me, how they had a kid like you.  Not that you were a bad kid.  Just different.  My mom and dad never really got on with them, but they always made the effort because they thought maybe you and me could be friends.”

“Heh.  Thanks, Andy.  I used to wish sometimes I could’ve had your folks for parents instead.  They were good people.  At least they would have wanted to meet their grandson.”  Greg finished his ale, gazing at the waves behind Andy.  

“Your folks are missin’ out,” said Andy.  “You got a good kid, Greg.  Though I worry about him a little.”

“What do you mean?”

“I dunno.  I mean, maybe it’s nothing,” said Andy hastily, not wanting to step on any toes.  “Like I said, he’s a good kid.  He puts up with me and my birds and all.  I think he’s even birding on his own sometimes.  How neat is that?  But I saw him at the beach today and it seems like he’s runnin’ himself ragged.”

“I know,” said Greg, leaning his elbows on the table and resting his chin in his hands.  “I’m so proud of him, Andy.  Like I said, if it wasn’t for his compassion, I think the Earth would have been toast.  He’s so kindhearted.  But on the other hand, he works so hard.  Harder than I’ve ever worked at anything, except maybe raising him.  I know he didn’t have a normal childhood, and I didn’t want him to, but… I do wonder sometimes, how does he do it?”

“How does he?”

“I don’t know,” said Greg, and they fell into a silence, the waves soft and distant in the background.

[smol-syub]

Do you like coffee? Cats or dogs? What is your worst fear? What's your favorite thing to eat? What's your best childhood memory? Would you rather eat a pizza or make a pizza? What's your spirit animal? What's your patronus? What's your favorite color? What's your favorite emoji? What's the best time of the day for you? How do you relieve stress? Do you have a tattoo or wish to have one? What makes you the happiest? - Curious anon

If it’s watered down with lots of chocolate, then yes!

Hmmmmmboth. I love them both so much, if I could I would seriously have one of each.

As of right now, it’s waking up to find a stranger in my room. It’s changes from time to time but I’m sure everybody has this fear in the back of their head.

This changes so much, but right now it’s donuts xD

I honestly don’t remember much from my childhood, I’d probably have a better answer if I did but the best thing I can remember is probably my first airplane ride to Alaska (even tho I sprained my ankle while seeing snow for the first time ToT)

Depends on my mood, I like making things so maybe 60% of the time I’d say making it but I’m also very lazy so the other 40% would be me just be eating it.

Probably a cat, I’m lazy and an asshole but I got a lot of love to give.

It was a fucking albatross! Of all things I got a bird! It feels like I got stuck with a wingull through the entirety of Pokémon!

Pink! Like a light shade of pink, hot pink just looks too garish to me.

This one 🥺

If I’m not working then the afternoon because I like to sleep in.

I don’t think you wanna know 😬

I want to get a couple of them, mainly all flowers but maybe I’ll get one related to bangtan in the future?

Yoogi ☺️

[sharkiegorath]

For the ship ask you rebloged ages ago (for Liz / Finn) : 1) How did you start shipping them? 2) What’s your favorite headcanon? 3) What’s a meme/quote that reminds you of them? 4) What kind of dates do you think [pairing] would go on?

Thanks for waiting! :D

How did you start shipping them?

I went ‘hmmmmmmm’ at the end of the pilot when they charged at each other in a dark hallway then Liz talked about Finn’s balls and Finn said “you need me”. I was mildly disappointed when Finn claimed he was married. I thought “I would’ve shipped this” at their cute moments (“KILL HIM”), then almost screeched like a barn owl at the end, though it was decidedly less cute by then.  

But I didn’t ship it romantically until the fourth episode. I was a bit uneasy for a week, because that’s also the episode where Finn is at his worst, including towards Liz. Then the fifth episode aired and they were fucking standing shoulder-to-shoulder and sneaking glances at each other and making dramatically ironic Star Wars references. By the end of the finale I’d progressed from “just bang already” to “just get married eventually”.  

What’s your favourite headcanon?

I dug through my documents to find one I haven’t mentioned before: both of them have been blocked by J*ss Wh*d*n on Twitter, separately, for different reasons.

What’s a meme/quote that reminds you of them?

I frequently think of that post about “when you make a reference and someone actually gets it” - it turns out those birds are albatrosses and that’s part of their mating dance. (And it so happens that albatrosses mate for life. :p) Funnily enough, @almaviva90 already made the connection in Déjà vu.

What kind of dates do you think they would go on?

Like, successful versions of Liz’s outings with Mia and Granger. Finn is probably the only person she knows who would not only willingly listen to her PR ramblings but contribute his own. Also, their love of silly pop culture references suggests that they’d enjoy watching movies, either at a cinema or at home, assuming they can resist switching to a news channel every five minutes.

[followthecyborg]

Top 5 Songs of the Week

Hello all! This week started out slowly and reminiscent, but as my life sped up so did my playlists! I noticed while writing this that almost every song seems to have some sense of loneliness to it (which is pretty accurate to my week tbh). Here’s this week music review, featuring a mix of artists and genres to satisfy everyone!

5. Your Best American Girl//Mitski

Thoughts: This has slowly become one of my favorite Mitski songs. Her lyrics are beautifully poetic and capture depression at its finest. We all crave attention, and some of us settle for whatever we can get. This song however portrays a person who cannot get what their heart desires, but learns self acceptance in the end.  

Favorite line: “But I'm not the moon, I'm not even a star. But awake at night I'll be singing to the birds.”

4. Archie, Marry Me//Alvvays

Thoughts: This song is super cute and a little passive aggressive. If you’re a jealous and ambitious lover, you’ll definitely see parallels with the narrator! 

Favorite line: “During the summer take me sailing out on the Atlantic. I won't set my sights on other seas, there is no need to panic.”

3. Your Cat//Slaughter Beach, Dog

Thoughts: Jake from Modern Baseball has a side project, and that side project is what produced this song! It gives me the reminiscent feeling of the end of summer; school is starting, the leaves are falling, and you can’t think past the community college credits you’re getting without a plan for what comes after. It makes more sense in my head, but basically I get the “oh no I can’t see my friends anymore” vibe from this song.

Favorite line: “But all of the kids I met on campus are settled down beside the sea. Some days I wish that I could be that, sometimes I forget to spit out the seeds.”

2. Alive with the Glory of Love//Say Anything

Thoughts: This album is slowly but surely becoming one of my favorite albums of all time. I wouldn't say this is my favorite song, but it is definitely a highlight. It tells a story of love and betrayal, and Max Bemis knows how to tell a story that packs a lot of punch! 

Favorite line: “Should they kill me your love will fill me as warm as the bullets, I'll know my purpose this all was worth this I won't let you down.”

1. Bloodhound//Foxing

Thoughts: This was my first Foxing song I ever listened to (because this is the intro to the my first ever Foxing album) and it left such an impact on me. The use of string instruments aided to the sense of self the song releases. It gives me a reminiscence of my childhood and has so far made me question my passions. Yeah, its that deep.

Favorite line: “When the tide came in there was nothing left, but an albatross hanging from my neck. And just as you could not contain the sea, you could not contain me.”

[rollinbrigittenv8]

My Galapagos Islands Trip – 34 Favorite Photos (and a video)

A short time ago, I was on a flight to Ecuador, about to embark on a 7-day Galapagos Islands trip. As I’m traveling constantly, I barely had time to process my plans or to research or to gain a fair understanding of what I should expect.

All I knew is that my Galapagos Islands trip would involve:

a) Sailing for 1 week on board the S/S Mary Anne (run by the wonderful Andando Tours) b) A lot of animals c) Probably some other interesting stuff

How naive was I.

First, I spent 7 days/nights on board one of the coolest sailing vessels out there and in my opinion, the best ship for a trip around the Galapagos. As for interesting stuff…between kayaking, snorkeling, hiking, stargazing, constantly learning and just staring in awe at the otherworldly landscapes, I’d say that was easily covered.

And then the animals. A lot of animals?

In one week I ended up seeing an absurd amount of incredible, colorful, unique creatures…on land, in the water and in the sky. If I took a single hour from this one week trip, I would still be able to say that I did indeed see ‘a lot of animals’. Multiply that by 16 waking hours, multiply that by 7 days and you get the idea.

Here’s a taste of the experience that is an incredible Galapagos Islands trip (photos and a pretty cool video)…

Boobies

When I mention my Galapagos Islands trip, one of the most common questions I’m asked is whether I saw any blue-footed boobies. Well, yes I did, along with red-footed and nazca boobies….EVERYWHERE!

Sea Lions

By the end of the second day, we had already seen well over 50 sea lions. You might think this would be sufficient and any further sea lion spottings would become boring. Not the case! I would have been thrilled to see 50 sea lions every day as they were by far the most playful, active, curious and wacky of all the animals we came across (as you saw in the video above!).

Baby Sea Lions

What’s even better than 50 sea lions per day? Baby sea lions. Look at the photos, watch the video and tell me you don’t want to adopt a baby sea lion right away!

Wild Landscapes

I think the photos speak for themselves but every time we hopped onto the little zodiac boat for a ride to shore, we had no idea what we would actually find. Yes, we knew that the nature would be stunning but until we stepped foot onto each island, it was impossible to know just how stunning it would be…

A Galapagos Islands Trip Onboard the S/S Mary Anne

This is the awesome sailing vessel that I traveled on for the entire week during my Galapagos Islands trip!

With the super friendly Captain Mario at the helm…

Iguanas and Lizards

From colorful marine iguanas to spaced out land iguanas to perky lava lizards and more…almost every island we visited was full of such creatures. There they would always be, sitting on the beach, swimming in the water, sunbathing on rocks or just wandering around.

There were actually so many iguanas and lizards that our guide had to constantly warn us to watch where we were walking to avoid stepping on one!

Giant Tortoises

The giant tortoises were naturally impressive, often weighing in at over 730 lbs (350kgs) and living for over 100 years. They don’t move around too much but it’s difficult to take your eyes off of them. They seem to reach deep into your inner being when they stare at you (ok, not that intense but they’re fascinating to observe!)…

Albatross

With their intricate courtship dance, huge size, crazy ability to fly super long distances and the fact that young albatrosses spend 6 years at sea before returning home to find a mate, seeing these birds on Espanola Island was a real highlight…

So Much More

Everywhere I looked on this Galapagos Islands trip there were animals. Too many to remember, too many to even fathom. But every time I look at the photos myself, I realize that I spent an entire week completely amazed, impressed and thankful for such an opportunity, which is why a trip to this remarkable destination is worth every single dollar as far as I’m concerned. It’s a dream trip in every way.

Thanks for reading!

Any questions about the Galapagos Islands? Let me know!

If you’re interested in taking a Galapagos Islands trip, the 8-day experience aboard the S/S Mary Anne with Andando Tours is beyond incredible!

My other posts about the Galapagos Islands: My Galapagos Trip Was An Experience of a Lifetime

The post My Galapagos Islands Trip – 34 Favorite Photos (and a video) appeared first on Wandering Earl.

[zyxng10]

Get to Know Me Tag

Hello everyone! First off, thank you to @squishy-do for tagging me! I’ve wanted to do something like this for a while, because it gives me a chance to talk to and get to know other people who share the same interests as me. :)

Rules: Answer the questions in a new post and tag 20 blogs you would like to know better.

Nickname: Rachel (my actual name bc I don’t really have a nickname)

Gender: F

Star Sign: Cancer

Height: 5'6

Time Right Now: 2:31

Last Thing Googled: Albatross (lol I wanted to know what it meant, it's a bird and a golf term, if anyone was wondering)

Favorite bands: Exo, Bts, Bap, Vixx, Big Bang, twenty one pilots, Panic! At the Disco, Young the Giant, Kings of Leon, The Weepies

Favorite Solo Artists: Lay, Ed Sheeran

Song Stuck in Your Head: Bap- Wake Me Up

Last Movie Watched: Beauty and the Beast (it was beautiful)

Last TV Show Watched: Parks and Recreation

When Did you Create Your Blog: January 13th, 2017

What Kind of Stuff Do you Post: Yixing!! Exo!!

When Did Your Blog Reach its Peak: it hasn’t

Any other blogs: No but maybe someday..

Do you Get Asks Regularly: Nope

Why you Choose Your URL: It sounded pretty neat

Following: 196

Posts: I don’t know but not too many :((

Hogwarts House: Hufflepuff (don’t judge me)

Pokémon Team: Instinct

Fav Colors: Blue and Lavender

Average Hours of Sleep: 7-8

Lucky Numbers: 3

Fav Characters: Ron Swanson, Kenshin, Erin, basically everyone from The Office.

What are you Wearing Right Now: Black sweatpants, blue shirt, and the cutest socks with honey bears and teacups on them. ♡

How Many Blankets Do you Sleep With: 2

Dream Job: International Business

Dream Trip: Japan, India

I’m tagging: Anyone who wants to do it :)

[placetobenation]

The Rescuers Down Under

Release Date: November 16th, 1990

Inspiration: Characters created by Margery Sharp

Budget: $30 million

Domestic Gross: $27.9 million

Worldwide Gross: $47.4 million

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 69%

IMDB Score: 6.9/10

Storyline (per IMDB): Cody, a 9-year-old boy from Mugwomp Flats responds to a distress call about a trapped giant Golden Eagle called Marahute. Freeing her, he gains a close friendship with the bird. However, Cody is soon abducted by the murderous poacher, Percival McLeach, who is after that bird which is of a highly endangered species and therefore an extremely profitable quarry. In a panic, a mouse Cody freed from one of McLeach’s traps sends a desperate call for help to the Rescue Aid Society in New York City who assigns their top agents, Miss Bianca and Bernard, to the task. With transportation provided by the goofy albatross, Wilbur, the agents arrive in Australia and link up with the RAS’ local field operative, Jake the Kangaroo Rat. Together, the trio must race against time to find Cody, stop McLeach, and save Marahute.

Pre-Watching Thoughts: Our trek through the Disney film canon continues with the first film of the 1990s and also amazingly enough, it is the first official sequel to come out as it is the second Rescuers film. It is a bit funny that of all the films that have come out to this point, it is the Rescuers that is the first film to get a sequel even though by nature of the ending of the film it did open it up to a sequel. This is another film that was always one of my favorites growing up and after being pleasantly surprised by how good the Rescuers was, hopefully this one delivers as well and still remains one of my favorites.

Voice Cast: So as I mentioned, this is the first official sequel in Disney history and as a result, we have a break from tradition as instead of having the same actors come back for multiple films in different roles, we have returning actors reprising the previous roles that they had. Case in point, we have the return of Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor as they once again voice Bernard and Miss Bianca and this would ultimately be Gabor’s final film appearance, and we also have Bernard Fox returning as the Chairmouse of the Rescue Aid Society though he also does a dual role of Doctor Mouse. We do see a return as well in Frank Welker though he is part of the first example where he is in multiple films in different roles as he voices both Marahute the Eagle and Joanna in a dual role. Now moving onto our newcomers in this film, we start off with comedian John Candy who voices Wilbur and it is nice to see him more active in this film than the actor who voiced Orville in the first film, and then we have Adam Ryen who voices Cody in what would be one of his lone film appearances. Next, we have legendary actor George C. Scott who voices Percival McLeach as he was about to begin what ended up being the last decade of his career, and then we have Tristen Rogers who voices Jake in one of his lone film appearances as he was better known for being on the soap opera “General Hospital”. We then have Peter Firth who voices Red the kangaroo as he was hitting the peak of his career, and then we have Wayne Robson who voices Frank the Lizard as he was in the prime of his career as well. Next, we have Douglas Seale who voices Krebbs the koala in what would be one of only two appearances with Disney, and then we have Carla Meyer who voices Faloo the kangaroo and Cody’s mother in a dual role though she would be better known for being a dialect coach for the next three decades. We then have Russi Taylor who voices Nurse Mouse though she is better remembered for voicing another mouse named Minnie, and finally we have Peter Greenwood who voices the airplane captain and radio announcer in a brief dual role. While we did get a nice, fresh group of voices, it was good that at least a few of the actors from the original film came back and it will be interesting to see going forward if this trend continues as we see more sequels pop up over the years.

Hero/Prince: When it comes to sequels, they will usually feature the same characters from the previous film in addition to some brand new characters, and there are certain times where the sequel may feature all new characters and not have any from the previous film. However, that is not the case here as we see the return of Bernard and Miss Bianca as they have grown as a team and are considered the top agents of the Rescue Aid Society, and Bianca volunteers them to take this mission in Australia. After arriving, they meet Jake who is the Australian representative of the Rescue Aid Society and he helps them in their mission, and he is clearly smitten with Bianca much to Bernard’s dismay as he and Bianca have also been dating and he wishes to propose to her. Bernard is separated from them and despite his constant reservations, he finally finds his courage and saves Bianca and Jake along with Cody and Marahute, and in the end he finally proposes to Bianca who happily accepts and he has earned Jake’s respect. Obviously, we know what Bernard and Bianca are about from the last film so the focus here is on Jake who is a strong agent and is not afraid of anything, and he knows the lay of the land very well and has built up an impressive set of skills including subduing vicious animals and making them obey him. He is immediately infatuated with Bianca and does his best to impress her while also putting Bernard down even if it is not intentional, but in the end he shows respect to Bernard for his heroics and is happy for them when they become engaged. The three of them do end up making for a solid trio of heroes and it will be interesting to see where Bernard and Bianca rank when you factor in the two films, but they themselves are a good pair of heroes and may even be slightly underrated.

Princess: N/A

Villain: When it comes to a series like this, you know that you are bound to get a different villain than from the previous film, and we get that here as our main villain in this film is the poacher Percival C. McLeach along with his pet goanna named Joanna. He finds Cody when he stumbles upon one of his traps and he realizes that Cody has met Marahute, the golden eagle that he is looking for after admitting that he killed Marahute’s mate. He kidnaps Cody and demands he reveal the location though Cody refuses, and finally McLeach releases Cody by telling him that he heard someone else has killed Marahute. He follows Cody knowing he will head to the nest and as Marahute flies back to the nest, McLeach captures her along with Cody, Bianca, and Jake while sending Joanna down to the nest to eat the eggs. She is unable to eat them and she ends up tossing them off the cliff not realizing that Bernard had switched the eggs with rocks, and McLeach takes Cody to Crocodile Falls where he intends to feed Cody to the crocodiles and then sell Marahute. In the end, Bernard gets Joanna to chase him and she knocks into McLeach as they fall into the river, and Joanna makes her way to safety as McLeach fights off the crocodiles only to forget about the falls and he ends up falling to his death. McLeach is your typical poacher in that he is all about making money selling animals either while they are alive or dead, and he sees Marahute as his ticket to becoming a rich man and is willing to do whatever he has to in order to get her. Joanna stands by his side and assists him even though she does more to hinder him than actually help him, and this ultimately ends up costing McLeach his life in the end though Joanna manages to survive. While McLeach does appear to be more of a competent villain as opposed to Madame Medusa in the first film, he is still a fairly generic villain and will probably not rank very high amongst the other villains.

Other Characters: As I mentioned earlier, when it comes to a sequel you can see some characters from the first film return or you will see a bunch of new characters so that the sequel isn’t just seen as a rehash of the first film. This film has mostly new characters aside from the Chairmouse of the Rescue Aid Society who we saw in the first, and we also have the members of the Society who we might have seen briefly in the first film and see even more briefly in this one. We now move onto our new set of characters and the first is Cody who frees Marahute from a trap and becomes her friend, and he is captured by McLeach who wants Cody to lead him to Marahute though he refuses. Eventually, Cody is released unaware that McLeach intentionally did so to be led to Marahute, and Cody is recaptured along with Marahute and McLeach tries to feed him to the crocodiles only for Bernard, Bianca, and Jake to save him and Marahute. We then have the eagle Marahute who is caught in a trap and Cody frees her as they become friends, and she goes away briefly before returning only to be caught by McLeach though she is saved along with Cody by Bernard, Bianca, and Jake. We then have the collection of animals that Cody befriends while under captivity which include Red the kangaroo, Krebbs the koala, Frank the lizard, and others as they try to free Cody only for McLeach to discover this and he takes Cody away while leaving the rest behind. Next, we have Wilbur the albatross who is the brother of Orville from the first film and he meets Bernard and Bianca having heard about them from Orville, and he takes them to Australia only to hurt his back and he is treated by several mice much to his dismay until his back is healed. He is then coerced by Bernard into sitting on Marahute’s eggs as he goes to save everyone, but unfortunately Wilbur is forgotten about and he is left on the eggs as they hatch and one of them bites his wing. We then have the doctor and nurse mice that tend to Wilbur and his back though one might question their methods, but in the end Wilbur ends up having his back taken care of though the doctor in turn gets his back hurt. We then have the various animals that either help Cody find where Marahute is or the ones that relay the message to the Rescue Aid Society, and finally we have Cody’s mother who we only see briefly when Cody leaves the house and then when the Rangers deliver his backpack to her as she believes he has been killed. I always find it weird that there aren’t as many characters in a film than I remember when I first watched the film, but sometimes less is more as it puts focus on the main characters and the others don’t feel extra.

Songs: N/A

Plot: It is funny because the first film was based off an actual novel as opposed to this one which is just based off the characters, but in a way that allows you to be more flexible with the story though you still have to make sure the characters fit within it. For this film, Cody finds a golden eagle named Marahute that is in a poacher’s trap and he frees her from it, and they become friends as she shows him her nest and three eggs before giving him a feather as a present. Cody eventually falls into a poacher’s trap set up by McLeach and he intends to let him leave, but when he sees the feather he kidnaps Cody and tries to force him to lead him to Marahute. The Rescue Aid Society learn of this and they send Bernard and Bianca to Australia where they meet Jake who leads them to McLeach’s hideout, and after failing to convince Cody to reveal the location he lets him go though Cody is unaware that McLeach intends to follow him to the nest. When Cody returns to the nest just Marahute also arrives, McLeach captures Marahute along with Cody, Jake, and Bianca as Bernard is left behind, but Bernard protects the eggs from Joanna and then he convinces Wilbur to look after them as he goes after everyone. McLeach attempts to feed Cody to crocodiles only for Bernard to intervene and McLeach along with Joanna fall into the river, and McLeach ends up falling over the falls to his death while Bianca, Jake, and Marahute save Cody and Bernard as they fly away into the night. I do feel like this film could’ve been eventually turned into a novel and started a series, but it ultimately does not and basically serves as a standalone that happens to feature these certain characters.

Random Watching Thoughts: It is a bit weird that of all the films that have been released to this point, it would be the Rescuers that gets a sequel especially since it’s been 13 years since the original; It did make some sense to have this film take place in Australia since the Australian culture was still somewhat relevant at this point in history; This continuous opening shot through the Outback might be one of the best openings in Disney history; Cody needs to do a better job in keeping his room organized; Did Cody really think he would be able to sneak away without his mother knowing?; I like how they make it seem like Cody didn’t have to go far and that the Outback is not as vast as it really is; So Faloo blowing into the log makes the same sound as a didgeridoo; They point out Marahute is on a cliff and Cody is the only one that can reach her, but what if Cody was unable to climb up the cliff?; Considering how hard is it for mountain climbers, I wonder how they felt when they saw Cody climb up the cliff with no problems and no proper equipment; How did Marahute end up in that trap?; Cody should’ve realized that she would freak out when she saw his knife; I wonder how many kids actually thought Cody was going to die when Marahute knocked him off the cliff; Of all the places a group of flamingos had to be congregating; I don’t know much about birds, but I feel like Cody shouldn’t be able to stand on Marahute like that while she is flying regardless of how big she is; I know that Cody saved her, but the fact that Marahute was willing to show her eggs to him must mean she completely trusts him; Marahute looks so puzzled when Cody rubs the feather along his face; Classic foreshadowing when we see the villain appear on a wanted poster before we actually see him; McLeach did a lot of work to set up that trap to be wired to his truck via sonar; Cody can climb up a cliff with no issues yet he somehow can’t climb out of a hole; McLeach has no care for the environment as he set his truck up to just plow trees over to make himself a pathway; Joanna jumpscare; It’s not often that you see a shotgun with a scope on it; McLeach throws Joanna under the bus for making the hole, so I guess he would blame her for the beacon in there as well even though she’s an animal; That’s not too smart of McLeach to have Cody grab the muzzle end of the gun when he could accidentally pull the trigger; I remember that scene of McLeach falling into the hole was all over the trailers and I wonder if many thought that would lead to his death, but considering how early it is in the film you knew he wasn’t going to die from that; We hear a gunshot go off yet we don’t see any bullets come out of the hole unless the gun was fired into the sides of the hole; Getting a closer look at the gun, it looks like a combination of a rifle with the scope and handle along with the double barrels of a shotgun; McLeach was ready to finish Joanna off until he sees the feather; Does he keep that eagle’s feather on his person all the time?; McLeach has obviously eluded the Rangers for so long that he is able to mock Cody when he says that the Rangers will get him; The R.A.S. telegraph office is an old milk carton and has the design of a bar with the stools on the outside; So apparently mice are able to do Morse code; So the message went from Australia to the Marshall Islands, then Hawaii before reaching the mainland and bouncing to various cities; That tech looked so worried when the “R.A.S.” letters appeared on the screens; All the mice in Hawaii just also happen to be wearing Hawaiian shirts just in case you weren’t sure where they were; It doesn’t look like the R.A.S. assembly hall has changed much between the last film and this one; The poor Canadian representative was woken up for this meeting as he doesn’t even bother changing out of his pajamas; So in the previous film they take the time to sing their anthem even though they had an emergency with Penny disappearing, yet they don’t do that here; It is snowing pretty good in NYC yet some people were willing to go out to dinner; So cockroaches make pea soup in a thimble over an open fire; I do wonder how long the time was between the last film and this one because if Bernard wants to propose to Bianca, they must’ve been dating for a while in addition to being partners; Why would Bernard just have the ring in his pocket especially if it has a hole in it?; I feel bad for that mouse getting slapped when he did nothing wrong; I mentioned before the classic trope of two characters talking about two different things yet they think they are talking about the same thing as Bernard thinks Bianca wants to marry him while Bianca is talking about taking the mission to Australia; Bernard has come a long way from being the janitor to becoming one of the R.A.S.’ top agents; Bernard says that you can’t fly for 45 minutes after eating though I have never heard that before; I wonder how many people who watched the first film were looking forward to seeing Orville only to realize that he wasn’t in the film; Wilbur definitely is the younger, cooler brother of Orville; So on the weekend this film was released, another film came out that featured John Candy and that film was a tiny film called “Home Alone” so it was a good weekend for Candy; “Albatross Air: A Fair Fare from Here to There”; Wilbur should know that even though they would live in June when it is summer in New York, it would actually be winter when they get to Australia; Wilbur spits his drink out yet only Bernard gets splashes while Bianca stays dry; Wilbur asks if it’s a little kid kind of boy, what other types of boys are there?; It seems like Bernard has gotten over most of his phobias because we don’t see them climbing the steps onto Wilbur and he can’t mention the number of steps; Wilbur causing an accident; Did Bianca actually think Wilbur would be able to fly from New York City to Australia non-stop?; McLeach says the rangers could hear Cody yell as they are pretty much in the middle of nowhere; So I did look it up and there are multiple opal mines throughout Australia; Once again, Bernard mentions taking the train though it’d be hard to find a train to Australia; You have to really be bad at Checkers to lose to a fly; That silhouette of the Albatross was pretty big though Wilbur didn’t seem to be that big; Much like in the first film, they treat the birds like they are airplanes; I wonder if using the bra as a drag line and Wilbur wearing it at the end was a nod to the controversy from the first film involving the picture of the topless woman; Jake is ranting and ranting until he sees Bianca coming down the steps; Wilbur’s back must’ve been really bad if it went out when he tried to grab those small suitcases; It would’ve been even funnier if Wilbur said he was ready to do the polka in a nod to John Candy’s character in “Home Alone”; The doctor is cranky because he missed tea to work on Wilbur; I don’t think it’s smart to shoot those needles out of a shotgun; Ironic that Jake asks them if they are married and Bianca says they aren’t not knowing Bernard wants to propose; So Suicide Trail has more snakes, but less quicksand which makes it the better trail in Jake’s eyes; You do feel bad for Bernard because he loves Bianca and yet Jake is clearly flirting with her; Where did McLeach find a box of animal crackers that big for Joanna?; God forbid McLeach had real bad aim because he was playing with fire throwing those knives at the map trying not to hit Cody; Bernard is willing to look for Jake even though he thinks Jake is trying to woo Bianca; Jake was lucky that he wasn’t pierced by those snake’s fangs; It is still weird that some animals have the ability to talk while others don’t; Krebbs is pretty pessimistic considering he saying that the animals will get out by becoming numerous accessories like a belt and a wallet; Frank needs to stop thinking so hard if it hurts his head like that; That’s quite the contraption they made, and in such short time; Joanna must have super hearing if she heard them getting the keys that easily; Jake, Bernard, and Bianca are using a lot of animals to make their way towards McLeach’s hideout; Wilbur says that his head feels like it’s in a vice and sure enough, it is in a vice; What was Wilbur doing during his X-Ray as he looks like he was in pain?; The epidermal tissue disrupter aka the chainsaw; They must not be that good if they actually have an alarm for if a patient escapes; Wilbur was walking around fairly well despite having an injured back; Wilbur’s back is all better only for the doctor to now have a bad back; You’re telling me that McLeach didn’t notice Joanna had the egg wrapped around her tongue?; McLeach says that his brain is twice as big as Joanna’s yet Joanna was able to eat all the eggs behind his back; Frank was determined to get that lock open using his tail; They tell Frank to get something to stand on and the first he grabs is a slab of wood that does nothing especially where there is a box right next to it; They tell him to be quiet and yet he decides to loudly kick the keys to the ground; He has the keys to unlock the cage yet he decides to throw them away and use his tail instead; Talk about having luck on your side as Frank got shot at by a shotgun yet didn’t get hit at all; Jake was so happy thinking him saying “Open sesame” caused the door to open; If third grade is the farthest you got in school, I don’t think you have much to brag about; I know Cody got a head start, but you’d think he would hear the truck and realize that McLeach is following him; Wilbur is so exhausted from flying until he sees who is beside him and then he is Mr. Big Shot; So we have to believe that Cody ran from McLeach’s hideout all the way to the cliff where the nest is without stopping to rest?; That was a good shot by McLeach to nab Marahute; Joanna was so willing to eat the eggs until she saw she had to go over the cliff and chickened out until McLeach kicked her over; How much time elapsed that Bernard was able to hide the real eggs and put out rocks to throw Joanna off?; You would think after not being able to eat the first one that Joanna would realize immediately something is wrong; Joanna grew her nails back very quickly after scratching them to the knuckle on the rock; I don’t know if Bernard should be rolling those eggs like that; Wilbur was adamant about not sitting on the eggs yet somehow he ends up sitting on them in the end; Again, how far did Bernard end up running without taking a break to follow the tracks?; Bernard was lucky to happen upon a warthog so he could use him to catch up; Here’s the beginning of the end for McLeach as instead of just throwing Cody into the river, he decides to toy with him and becomes extra arrogant that he is about to win; That’s pretty mean of McLeach to call Bernard a rat; You would think Cody would swing back and forth to give McLeach some problems in getting a clear shot; Joanna is so bent on catching Bernard that she doesn’t realize that she was going to cause McLeach and herself to fall into the river; Joanna at least had some sense to find her way to dry land while McLeach just stayed and fought with the crocodiles; It’s a good thing those crocodiles stayed focused on McLeach even when Cody fell into the water; McLeach seemed so happy when he thought he beat the crocodiles only to realize they swam away to avoid the falls; That last little wave from Joanna because she knew McLeach was dead; Poor Bernard was so scared that he wouldn’t let that rope go until he realized they were safe; It’s a good thing Bianca accepted Bernard’s proposal because that would’ve been a major downer if she rejected him after everything they went through; I wonder how shocked Marahute will be knowing that her babies now consider Wilbur their father.

Overall Thoughts: Overall, the film was a solid one and I still like it just as much as I did when I was a kid though I will admit it was not up to the same level as the original was. There is a certain sentiment that the sequel always tends to not do as well as the original though there are some sequels that exceed the original, but this one didn’t and after the success of the Little Mermaid this had to be considered a disappointment. Now that’s not to say it was a complete failure as it did do fairly well and it just seemed like a minor blip on the radar regarding the Disney Renaissance, but the next film does have a bit of pressure on it to see if it can rebound from this one. As for this film, it is still a good film though not quite as good as the original and it is still one of my personal favorites of all time.

Final Grade: 7/10

[wayneooverton]

The curious story of the Falkland Islands

Deep in the heart of the Southern Ocean, roughly 500 kilometers due east from the bottom of Argentina, you’ll find the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), an incredibly wild and rocky conglomerate of hundreds of islands, home to some insane wildlife, epic landscapes, and a truly remarkable history, that I’m guessing, you probably don’t know much about.

I unashamedly admit I didn’t know much about the Falklands before we landed here after setting sail from Argentina to begin our adventure to the Antarctic with Quark Expeditions, even though I have a mild polar obsession. My knowledge was limited to vague textbook memories from high school about a war.

What I was greeted with was a remarkable surprise – the Falklands were amazing.

About as different as I could have imagined for being so close to Antarctica, the Falklands are made up of stunning beaches that intersect with rolling green hills with a cottage hidden away here and there, it was a mix of both the old world we are all familiar with and the utterly unknown. A true bridge to the Antarctic.

Often touted as the gateway to Antarctica, the Falkland Islands are well worth visiting on their own right and as an introduction to the subantarctic islands of the Southern Ocean.

There are far more voyages by ship that travel down to the Antarctic Peninsula than to the Falklands and South Georgia.

If you find yourself on a journey to the Falklands, you’ve discovered a place few experience. I applaud you. In fact, I believe the Falklands are the perfect introduction to Antarctica, a place easier to get to and will likely inspire a deep fascination with this part of the world.

We spent the first day at sea with Quark getting to know the ship the Ocean Adventurer, as well as the incredible expedition team and staff. This would be a collective experience for all and we couldn’t wait to get started. For someone who often doesn’t get to sleep in the same bed every night, it was a real treat to settle into my cozy bed in my cabin and tucking all my belongings away for an adventure.

As our wobbly legs and weak constitutions began to harden up, we caught sight of land at the Falkland Islands. It was sunny and warm, and not a cloud to mark the bright blue sky as we boarded the zodiacs for the first time guided by the expert expedition team, to heard to land and begin a exploring a world new to all of us.

We were greeted with friendly faces, white sandy beaches, and a lot of penguins, and it didn’t take long for us to understand that we had arrived at a curious, unique place in the world and we couldn’t wait to get to know it.

The story of these subantarctic islands at the bottom of the world is a fascinating one, utterly distinct from anywhere else on earth. Follow along with me as I introduce you to one of my new favorite places: the Falkland Islands. Enjoy!

Falklands (Malvinas) and South Georgia: Islands of the Southern Ocean

The history

Settled, claimed and disputed by many countries over the years, the Falklands are nothing if not controversial. Even chasing to say “Falklands” over “Malvinas” potentially is offensive.

Claimed by Argentina, the islands have been under British control since 1833, which simmered until it erupted in open conflict in 1982 before the Argentinians surrendered after the Falklands War. Nowadays over 98% of people on the islands vote to remain a UK overseas territory.

Also, did I mention the population is less than 3,000 souls? Lovingly nicknamed “Kelpers,” and mostly of British descent living in the only town of Stanley.

The birds

Let’s be honest, I’m just here for the birds.

When people say that the Falkland Islands are home to some incredible wildlife, they mean it. In New Zealand, we freak out if we see one penguin or an albatross. These are species that are super rare and endangered, and you count yourself very lucky to lay eyes on one.

In the Falklands over 220 species of bird live or breed, and you’ll likely to encounter 5 types of penguins. Welcome to this part of the world!

Our first landing on West Point Island brought us on a lovely hike up the hills to some incredible sea cliffs. As we made our way down, suddenly an incredible colony of Black-browed Albatrosses were visible amongst the tall grasses.

Well, if I’m honest, I could smell them before I could see them.

Dozens of albatross sat on nests and huge fluffy chicks were sleeping amongst them along with many rockhopper penguins and their chicks too.

It was a veritable zoo of wild and rare birds. Obviously I freaked out and didn’t know what to do. I had never seen anything like it, and it took several minutes of gazing adoringly at these fat fluffy chicks ooh-ing and ahh-ing to myself before I was even able to take photos.

And this isn’t a unique scenario – later on at our second landing of Saunders Island we encountered even more birds all living together seemingly cohesively, even with some sheep thrown in for good measure! What a place!

Honestly, how angry does this Magellanic penguin look in his hole? Caption contest, anyone?

The beaches

I seriously doubt if you asked anyone to describe what they imagine islands off of the continent of Antarctica to look like and they would reply with white sandy beaches. But here we are.

Perhaps one of the biggest surprises for me when we made our first landing on the Falklands were the white sandy beaches. Oh, and all the penguins on the beaches. Not what you expect!

On the first day I had time to catch up with our amazing expedition leader Ali who told me that Saunder’s Island, where we were about to visit, was one of her favorite places on the entire trip. And after spending a day there, wandering amongst many penguins on white beaches, I couldn’t agree more.

Surely there isn’t anywhere else like this on earth?!

As we zoomed close to the shore, the water became clear and turquoise, and you could see straight to the bottom. It looked like a swimming pool. One quick dip of the fingers though or a splash to the face and you’re very much reminded how close to the South Pole you actually are.

As inviting as it looked, you couldn’t pay me to jump in.

Penguins mingle on the white sand making for a truly ironic image that I’ll likely never to forget.

The Defenders

Can someone please explain to me why every other car in the wee town of Stanley are a Land Rover Defenders?

It’s a hipster Instagrammers dream come true.

We had several hours to wander Stanley, take in the sights and enjoy the local pub culture. But what began as a walking tour of the town with just Jarrad and I quickly degenerated into “let’s spot the Defender” photoshoot, both of us unashamed hipster Instagrammers who’s biggest dream would be to own one of these pricy rides.

Defender police car. Defender ambulance. Defender firefighter. Retro landies meet more modern whips. WHY? I must know why there are so many in a town of 2,100 souls.

My theory is that the Falklands are stereotypically British, between all of the Defenders, union jacks and small town pubs and red phone booths, it really felt about as British as you could get, being about as far from Britain as you can possibly get.

You could easily picture the Queen herself rolling on by in one of these rides with a bunch of corgis for company.

Curious, curious.

The views

The Falklands are also incredibly colorful and full of stunning views around every corner.

In Antarctica, the world is desaturated of color, everything blends into shades of blue, grey and white. But the Falklands couldn’t be more different, vibrant and alive, somewhat reminiscent of places like Ireland with its wild coastlines and green hills.

If only Ireland had less people, more penguins and a incredible population of Defenders.

Request a quote to adventure to the Falklands and South Georgia with Quark Expeditions today!

It’s one of the Antarctic’s best-kept secrets

There is no where quite like the Falklands. If you’re a curious and intrepid traveler like me, always seeking secret spots and getting off the map, it’s for you. 

The Falklands are a place that few travelers visit as there aren’t many voyages there, and many aren’t aware of the incredible views and exceptional wildlife opportunities that are available. It’s a place that intrigues and inspires, unlike anywhere on earth and a unique bridge between the modern world we are familiar with the and the vast emptiness of the Antarctic. 

These islands are a kept secret of the region and this definitely won’t be my last visit here.

Have you heard of the Falkland Islands before? Is visiting a place like this on your bucketlist? What’s the most curious place you’ve ever traveled to before? Share!

Book the Falklands and South Georgia today and use promo code LIZ150 for $150 onboard credit that can be used for purchases on board at the polar gift shop, or, cough cough, the bar

Many thanks to Quark Expeditions for helping get me to the Falkland Islands, like always, I’m keeping it real, all opinions are my own, like you could expect less from me!

The post The curious story of the Falkland Islands appeared first on Young Adventuress.

from Young Adventuress https://ift.tt/2mPuyqa