#mama bird taking care of her chicks

[hozaloza]

Im just gonna put this here...(my moot is asleep...presumably..)

(Spoilers: They get their burger king bc he's mama)

[ptn-imagines]

Can I get headcanons of Raven,Zoya and Hella(platonic) reacting to fem cheif acting nochalant to Hella calling her mom

(coughs) I'm alive! Here's your request and thank you for your patience.

Raven, Zoya and Hella reacting to f!Chief reacting nonchalantly to being called “mom” by Hella

Raven

Honestly? Raven’s first reaction is to laugh. Really, really hard. It’s funny to her.

When her giggles fade away, though, she’s all smiles and sparkles, as Raven tends to be.

“Aw, isn’t that adorable, Chief? Looks like you’ve got a chick all of your own, now!” She will keep making comments like this, and god knows that neither Chief nor Hella will be able to stop her.

As something of a mom herself, not to mention a teacher, Raven likes to give Chief “parenting tips” from then on out. Some of them are a little silly. Some are things that Chief already knew. And other things are complete godsends that Chief has no idea what she’d do without.

Also, if she wasn’t inspired to write parenting help books before, she is now. As with most of Raven’s self-published textbooks, they fall into the category of “surprisingly useful but lacking in professionalism.” Still, Raven’s advice certainly won’t hurt a child… but Chief nevertheless figures it’s best not to mention how helpful the book actually is.

Raven also definitely drags Chief into chats about their kids. She’s a proud mama bird and will brag about Crache and her achievements until the cows come home. Naturally, she’s also incredibly supportive and proud of Hella, too – she’s her teacher, after all!

She will also absolutely prod Chief into accepting the title of “mother” to other kids in the Bureau. Hecate, Oliver, Dolly, OwO, Yanyan, Lynn, you name it and she’s already assigned the role of “Chief’s kid” to them. Good thing Chief had pretty much already accepted that role!

She also makes jokes that Chief can be Crache’s stepmom from time to time. Crache hates it. Raven’s kids, when they find out, won’t shut up about it. It definitely fuels the Raven x Chief gossip train that’s going on in her class.

Zoya

After the shock fades, the first thing Zoya feels is… warmth. She feels warm and fuzzy inside.

At first she has absolutely no idea why she’s feeling like this, and it baffles her. Okay, Chief didn’t care that Hella called her mom, that’s cool, why is it making her feel all weird inside?

It takes a few days for it to click with Zoya that what she’s feeling is affection. Seeing the Chief be accepted into a maternal role, caring for a young Sinner, made Zoya feel affectionate towards her.

Okay, great, she figured out what the weird feeling was, but Zoya still doesn’t understand the why. She thinks to her own life as a point of reference. Sure, Horo looks up to her as a role model, but Zoya always saw herself as a big sister/mentor figure to her, not so much a mother.

The answer, when it finally comes to her after another few days of dwelling on it, hits her like a bolt of lightning. It completely freezes her in her tracks as she tries to process the realization she just had: she felt affection because the Chief behaving motherly towards Hella? She found it cute.

Frankly, this realization opens a whole can of worms that Zoya is not emotionally equipped to face right now, so she seals that can right back up. But some things can never be fully repaired to the way they once were, and well, Zoya tries to comfort herself by thinking that surely she isn’t the only person who thinks of the Chief in such a manner. Surely.

Hella

Hella is, in a word, mortified. It was embarrassing enough that she’d accidentally called Chief mom, and it was even more embarrassing that Chief had accepted it so easily!

She still tries to play it off as an accident or a joke, though. She would rather the ground open up and swallow her than be seen as Chief’s daughter for real! Besides, she’s a proud, independent Syndican who relies on herself. She doesn’t need a mother!

…And yet… there is that tiny part of her, that part of her that made the slip-up in the first place. The part that she hates. That part of her that is still a terrified little girl, who wants nothing more than the comfort of a maternal figure. No matter what Hella tries, she can’t fully deny that that part of her exists.

…but Ninety-Nine is the only family she needs, so the idea that Chief is a mother to her is ridiculous, and anyone who ever believed that crap is stupid!

But… the slip-ups happen more and more often, and each time, Chief takes it in stride. Every time, it makes Hella burn with embarrassment, but as time goes on, she begins to realize that… hey, this isn’t so bad.

Of course, she still has her pride. She’ll never openly admit to see the Chief as a mother in a public setting. But in private… Well, maybe then it’s okay to willingly call the Chief “mom,” and to cling to her for comfort after a nightmare and to otherwise be vulnerable around her.

Of course, she still makes sure that Chief knows that if she leaks a word of this to anyone, she’ll bash her stupid skull in! (The whole Bureau knows anyway, but not because of Chief, and they’ll feign innocent for the sake of keeping her skull whole and un-smashed.)

[artist-issues]

Snow White and the Bluebird

Everyone sees Snow and the bluebird, the bird is on like every Hallmark statuette and Disney Princess sticker of Snow White. But I just want to point out that the bird in the movie is SO WELL-DONE.

I don't mean well-animated. Even though it is. I mean, what the bluebird brings out in the story besides Snow White's kind, loving attitude toward it.

When she first sees the bluebird its when she's about to be stabbed by the Huntsman. The blue bird is lost, and can't find its mother and father, and is crying.

And Snow White responds, "come on. Perk up. Your mama and papa can't be far. Won't you smile for me?"

What's that ladies and gentlemen? She comforts the bird by saying "the ones who love you can't be far?!" So then there's no reason to despair, even if you're a defenseless, fragile creature lost in a bleak and dangerous world?

Then there's the sound of a whistle--a short little melody--and there they are. The bird's parents. And it can fly to them happily.

Snow White was right. The baby bird's parents were never far; they were looking for their loved chick. So there was never any real reason to give up hope or cry. And this whole scene happens right before she has to flee for her life through the Dark Forest.

She despairs for a moment too. Everything seems dangerous and cruel in the Dark Forest, and she collapses in fear...but then the animals find her. And she's "ashamed of the fuss she made, all because she was afraid."

Then she says, "what do you do when things go wrong?" And out of all the hand-drawn animals in the clearing, the filmmakers have the bluebird family answer her. They sing the exact same melody that they sang when the parents found the lost baby. "Oh! You sing a song!" And then Snow White sings the same Lost But Found melody, too.

Why be ashamed of momentary fear? Well, because there was never any real danger. Why believe that things will turn out all right, when the ruler of the whole land and the only person who was ever supposed to take care of you wants you dead? Well, because she knows there's someone else out there who loves her and will find her--The Prince.

He promised her his heart. He's going to find her to fulfill that promise, no matter what else happens. That's why she can sing and smile and serve others even though to the outside eye it may seem like her life is in shambles. But she has faith that the one who loves her will come deliver her.

That's the point of the movie. That's the point of the bluebirds. Faith trumps fear. Focusing on the good truth rather than the darkness of circumstances is the whole superpower of Snow White's innocent, pure character. She's pure love, and she believes in pure love, and that's what makes her Fairest of All.

"Love is patient, love is kind, is not jealous, does not brag, is not puffed up; it does not act unbecomingly, does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered; it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things..." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

[that-foul-legacy-lover]

omgg disney princess FL kickstarted my own brain, you're so good at this💜💜

imagine little ducklings following him in a neat little line!! (since iirc tartaglia in cn is close to the word duck). the little escapades you could get into from trying to stop them from following him, the ducklings nipping at his wings to stop him from leaving them and of course his soft heart won't be able to even think of leaving these little guys. just an adventure of trying to find mama duck around Liyue, taking naps in his fluff when the ducklings are too tuckered out!!! (imagine their little butts sticking out his fluff as he purrs), maybe go on a swim too, tho probably stand back when they're all soggy and shaking off the water

small yellow fluffy babies getting led by a bigger, fluffier, sparkly baby (at heart) and the noise! the cutest chorus of noises from both FL and the ducklings 🥹

- mothnip anon again, sorry for constantly babbling here

hope you have a nice day 👉👈

okay okay small story this place near-ish to where i live sells gardening equipment and in the springtime they get live chicks so people can raise them into chickens and ahhhh they're so cute!!!!!

all the ducks can fit in his hands, no questions asked. he kneels and holds out his claws and the ducks all pile on, much to your amusement and slight dismay- where was their mother? there's no way you and Legacy can take care of all the ducklings, neither of you are nearly qualified enough! yet the tiny fledglings seem quite content in his grasp, and Legacy purrs at them contently as they quack, looking from you to the ducklings and back again pleadingly. with a sigh you relent and nod, met with a chorus of happy chirps and quacks from Legacy and your new little friends- of course, you make Legacy promise to help you find the ducks' mother, and to look after them while you're gone at work. he chitters in agreement, a few ducks already nesting in his fluff, and you can't help but smile at the adorable scene

taking care of the ducklings actually goes smoother than you expected, with Foul Legacy taking care of them when you're gone and everyone waiting to greet you in the evening. the little birds get into the habit of following Legacy in a single file line, having conversations of trills and quacks as they putter around the house. or if they get tired, the ducks bury themselves in his hair and fluff for a quick nap, as soft as the nest they're used to. and finally, after a few weeks of searching, you come across a distressed mother duck looking for her babies- it's actually one of the ducklings that alerts you, the one that likes sleeping in your pocket, quacking and squirming until you set it down and it waddles over to its relieved mother. you're both sad to see them go, Legacy letting out a low whine and pouting as he watches his little friends trot away into the water to follow their mom, and you give him a gentle squeeze of reassurance

but a few days later you find a collection of ducks standing outside your door, the mother gracefully herding her little ones along- seems the babies wanted to visit :)

[missterious-figure]

You got the baby crow, now you get the mama crow!

Meet Genesis the Crow, mother of Tia! Former performer of the casino and highly regarded mother figure to younger harpies, she now helps out with caring for the young harpies while their parents are out performing and stuff. She seems short but is 5’10 to 6 feet tall (although she is small compared to other harpies lol-) Her feathers be mostly black, some may be white and her eyes be a bright yellow color. She is a chill, calm and hardworking woman who likes helping out those around her, considering them her family. Is often tired but that is part of her charm. Is unfazed whenever Tia runs off once the casino closes and is like ‘Ah shit, here we go again’ and has to go on a little hunt for her baby. Depending on how long the casino has been around, she could have been around since the beginning of it or is at least one of the oldest harpies of the place (she is in her 40s). I am unsure how old Sun, Moon and Eclipse are but if they are in their 20s or so, she probably helped take care of them when they were chicks. Sorry, I just love giving her the role of mom to many, she just such a good mother (and it be Mother’s Day when this ask be sent anyway-) Is always there for when anyone needs a shoulder to cry on and be a gentle soul, to harpies and humans alike. Of course, she would not hesitate in scolding them if they were to do something dumb. She would get along with Y/N quite well and be amused at Sun, Moon and Eclipse’s attempts to woo them.

Hope ya like the Mama Bird!

What a sweet mama!! I love a good motherly figure type character!! Also fitting for today, as you mentioned!

[blanketmoss]

I’m gonna talk about my ocs a bit if you want to read it, but I have a lot to say so I’ll put it under a cut so it doesn’t take your whole dash hostage

OK SO. There were a few banned episodes of the cartoon!!

The cartoon itself was titled ‘critter cul-de-sac’ (I may change the name it’s kinda a placeholder for now)

It mostly followed one character from a different area each episode, usually with a b plot about a smaller issue. The main episodes usually had the formula of:

1. Character has a problem with a relationship wether it be a friend, family member or (toned down for kids) romantic partner.

2. They fall out and argue, or other conflict happens between them.

3. A friend notices and asks about the situation (possibly seen in b plot leading up to this)

4. The rest of the episode is spent trying to solve the issue, and ends up teaching the viewer how to deal with different problems

The different areas the episodes would generally focus on were:

The deep dark jungly jungle (jungle animals)

Happy Hens Family Farm (farm animals)

Flittering fields (mostly populated with bugs)

Quiet creek (amphibians and fish)

Billowing brume (birds)

Cosy camp (common household pets)

Creepy caverns (only boris bat and viktor vulture live here)

With an average of 21 episodes a season, the large array of places managed to fit in their fair share of screen time.

NOW ONTO THE BANNED/CENSORED EPISODES!!

Banned ep one: s1 ep 19: Do you think we’re friends too?

In this episode, the main plot focuses on one of mama hens chicks, peep, worried his siblings don’t want to be friends anymore because they always run away from him. This is later discovered to be a miscommunication and they thought they were playing a game with him. This was not an issue to censors, however the B plot focuses on two tweens, Carter crow and Haley hen, the two are friends and Haley, somehow mistaking Carter for a boy their whole friendship (they were only friends for a short time but Haley is typical boy crazy, think Mabel from gravity falls) asks her out. Carter says yes and they start to date. Eventually Haley realises her mistake and panics, but realises she’s had such a lovely day with Carter that she doesn’t care. She tells Carter the truth about thinking she was a boy and Carter says she doesn’t mind and gets that a lot, she just cares if Haley still wants to be her girlfriend. Haley responds that she would love to still be her girlfriend and the two hug, ending the b plot.

The creators hoped that only showing small bits of the b plot, having Haley assume Carter was a boy, giving her a gender neutral name and mostly using ‘they’ instead of ‘she’ would appease censors, but the last scene was deemed inappropriate

The episode was censored, all romance and dating was removed and/or had faces reanimated to remove blush and bashfulness. Instead of finding out Carter is a girl, Haley knows she’s a girl and instead finds out that Carter doesn’t like a girly show Haley loves. The two put their differences aside and the last line ‘I don’t care what people assume about me, I just care if you still want to be my girlfriend.’ Was changed to ‘I don’t care if we like different stuff, I just care if you still want to be my best friend.’

The banned version of the episode is still archived on a CD in a drawer of the co-creators home study desk.

[sydneyadamuhusband]

Was writing my fanfic and then suddenly, a angst one-sided sydrichie popped up in my mind so here's a quick, probably shitty, very angsty sydrichie fit about richie being in love with Sydney

Change | Sydrichie

angst, one-sided, unrequited, mentions of death, also light misogyny kinda? (dw it's not that bad)

Summary: Richie hates change, never has, probably never will. There is one thing he wished he could change though.

words: 2,118

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

Richie Jerimovich still wears his ring. He wears it because he doesn’t like change. Never did. Probably never will. Because the times he did, it never ended well. 

He was the shit in his 20s, constant girls left from right. Him and Mikey were just full of adventures with girls that they barely remembered the name of. Bar hopping. Snagging beautiful women’s numbers. Sneaking Carmy into college for brownie points with some sorority chicks.

“Yeah, he’s like my little kid brother. He had nowhere else to go tonight and he hates being alone.” Cue the ‘awe’ and ‘you’re so sweet’.

Cut to him waking up in some chick’s bed and praying that Carmy didn’t drink or take anything cause him and Mikey were already pissing mama bird off.

“Stop taking him to your little parties, fuckhead.” Donna would say, “He’s a baby ok? So no trouble.” She’d make him and Mikey promise all the time that they wouldn’t.

Mikey was the first thing Richie had broken a pattern with. 

Richie used to be a shy little kid in third grade, not talkative, not really social either. He didn’t change it, didn’t want to. Just like last year, he was planning to sit by himself. But then this other kid, a real loud one, sees him points at him and beckons him over. 

And Richie breaks the pattern and goes over to him and changes. It was just them, together since. It was static, unbreakable and just plain perfect. 

Him and Mikey, it was always him and Mikey.

They were always getting into shit cause that’s just what they’d do. Their pattern, their cycle. It followed them into adulthood. Same bars, same shitty restaurant, sometimes same girls. They’d say they won’t get attached to one.

“Mo bitches mo problems.” Richie would say, stumbling into the Berzatto’s house with Mikey drunk.

And Mikey would agree, clinging onto him with the smell of cigarettes and beer. “Mo bitches, mo problems.”

And of course, a little disappointed Natalie who was the one who opened the door for them. “You guys are gross.” 

Richie remembers when did it again, broke a pattern and changed. His brain won’t let it go, especially when he got the evidence tethered to his finger.

Him and Mikey were getting wasted and screaming some random lyrics in this sleazy bar downtown. The lights were low and the air was thick with beer and sweet. Their arms were tight around on another, squeezing each other as they belted. 

As they swung each other, mic in hand, Richie’s eyes landed on her. 

Blonde hair, sweet big eyes and a sweet smile. She was sitting on the bar side, an empty glass with a lemon on the rim in hand and curious eyes on them. She looked amused, a little concerned but definitely entertained.

Then the music stopped, but the rush, the excitement, that pounding in his heart didn’t. He sat by her, almost falling off his chair with Mikey slung around his shoulders, laughing in his ear. But he couldn’t hear the incoherent drunk jokes Mikey was saying, he was too focused on her.

“Hi.” He was pretty sure his voice was slurred, but she didn’t seem to care.

“Hi.” She said back. “You guys sounded amazing up there.”

“Oh really?”

“Mhm, I’m impressed.” She swirls the ice in her glass with her little black straw, “It was horrible but I'm impressed by you guy’s confidence.” Richie laughs, charmed. 

And they talked and talked for what felt like hours until the bar chatter died and Mikey’s laughs quiet down into soft snoring. The bar closed and with Mikey’s sleeping body slobbering on his shoulder, he got her number. 

He remembers so vividly, hauling Mikey into the car and Tiffany giving him a small little smile before getting into her cab. That night he thought about her in a daze. Still though, fear swelled in the back of his mind. This wasn’t what he usually felt when finding some chick to mess around with. This was something new, something different, a change.

They went on a date, then another, then another. Then the rest of history.  

Beautiful history.

Painful history.

The type that keeps Richie up at night. History he wears on his finger.

They got engaged when she was three months pregnant with Eva, all sick and green and tired. Richie looked at her with her eye bags, messy hair, laying on the bed with cramps and a bad temper and said ‘Yeah, I'm gonna marry her. I’m going to commit to this change.”

 He wanted to see this. Wanted to wake up next to her in bed with their baby and not some chick he found the night before.

They got married after Eva’s birth, the wedding was amazing. Felt unreal, looking at her in an all white dress, their baby being rocked gently by Donna, surrounded by who felt like family practically. Richie had that, Richie had them.

All because of change, good change.

Mikey, his first voluntary change, is on the mic.“If you told me that Richie, the mother fuckin’ player was going to be tied down one day? I would told you to fuck off.” 

Younger Richie would’ve probably done the same too. Would’ve probably laughed straight into the face of whoever was telling him that.

“Yo bro listen to me,” He would probably say, grabbing at whoever’s shoulder. “mo bitches, mo problems.”

“But here we are huh? Richard Jerimovich.” Mikey raises a glass. “My best friend, my partner in crime. - “damn right” Donna cuts in - Marrying and settling down, having a beautiful wife and family. I'm proud of you man.”

Mikey passed away five months ago now. 

But Richie still feels his presence. Still texts him mundane things like “Yo cousin we need to get some more beef” or sends him reels.

Richie and Tiff divorced when Eva was 2. Three years ago. 

But Richie still wears the ring. 

He doesn’t know why, maybe it’s just a habits he can’t break. Patterns he doesn’t want to change.

He notices the glances from everyone. Noticed the glances he got from Mikey two months after the divorce. The way his eyebrows would furrow and he’d look at him with pity before going back to work. Richie takes it off anytime he meets up with Eva on the off chance that Tiff is there. He doesn’t want to see her reaction. And he notices Sydney’s curious eyes on it when she passes him sometimes.

“If you are going to say ‘can i ask?’ don’t.”

And Sydney doesn’t say anything but nods like she gets it. But she really doesn't.

If she did, she wouldn’t be doing this brand new shit. She’s fucking up his ecosystem, changing what made this place the was it was. Making new expensive dishes and adding some weird hipster shit, it’s fucking their place up.

She’s so determined to do it too, like actively going against him to ruin this. She’s so determined to make things the way she sees fit. With her stern brown eyes and her smartass mouth. She turns corners so sharply like she owns the place, her braids whip the air like they’re even snapping at people. And that stupid look she gives him everytime he says something like he isn’t making sense. 

She makes his blood boil.

Her presence is always there, he can always see her out of the corner of his eye. He can smell her, the mix of hair products and cocoa butter smothers him each time she passes by with a small “behind” or “corner”. 

She’s just always there making her presence known. Even down to the music suddenly cutting off that’s followed by rhythmic pounding in his heart cause now he knows her presence is there. Pounding out of anger of course, and frustration. 

He could scream at her until he’s blue in the fucking face and she still wouldn’t get it. 

She doesn’t get it, this place shouldn’t be running the way it fucking is.

And Richie hates it cause the restaurant is going great. The kitchen’s clean, everybody’s getting work done a lot faster than they had before. And her new little system with Carmy is working out perfectly. But it always starts of good, then fucking fails, always does. 

He plays with his ring.

Not even Tina will back him up. 

And it’s all because of fucking Sydney and her stupid little notebook and big brown eyes and little bandanas and her scent. Everything about her is just in his mind and blurs everything out in his brain. 

Sometimes he can't hear Tina’s little jokes or Carmy’s commands. Cause his mind is too focused on Sydney and how she shouldn’t be carrying that big ass box of shit or how her apron is a bit slanted, or her bandana is coming loose. And imaging getting the box for her, helping her fix the apron or tying her bandana properly.

And he keeps noticing her small little emotions and body language. From the way her pace gets faster when she's frustrated to the way her eyes almost burst out of her skull when she’s yelling (most likely at him) Richie notices everything.

It was to the point that Tina tells him, “Don’t Richie.”

“Don’t what?”

“You know what.” Tina nods over at Sydney who’s checking things off on her stupid little notebook that has stickers on it.

Oh her and that stupid fucking notepad always writing things down. He realized pretty quickly it was her ripping pages out of that notepad and sticking them to walls and shit reminding them to do things with stupid little smiles and neat handwriting. 

“Hey she’s always the one starting shit.”

“Not what I meant.”

And–

Oh

Richie got it now.

He gives the quickest glance at Sydney, she is still writing down something in her notepad, nibbles on her pen too. And Richie knows that she does that alot when she’s trying to come up with something.

He stutters. “Oh come on Tina, she’s practically a kid!’

“Exactly Richie.” Tina grabs a knife.”Don’t.” And she turns around and passes Sydney. She says behind as she does and Sydney briefly looks up at her and smiles warmly.

And that’s fucking mind boggling. Tina being all up on Sydney’s side like some mother hawk and accusing him of that.

And Richie still wears his ring, Tina should know he wouldn’t– Richie shakes it off and walks away. It didn’t matter. Because he didn’t like Sydney anyway. Not even in a friendly way. Everyone knows that.

He just notices things about her cause she makes herself so obvious to everyone, that’s what Sydney fucking does. She likes to do the small things that make people notice her, she likes to stay in people’s minds and she likes to stay in Richie’s mind.

She does this shit on purpose, she got mind games, Richie swears on it. Changing the restaurant. Changing his brain. Changing everything. 

Richie doesn’t like change, never has. Probably never will. He changed his seat in third grade, left him with a dead friend and a fuckton of debt. He changed his dating pattern. Left him divorced with this fucking ring he just cant take off. Change doesn’t do him any good cause things don’t stay good. 

And now they have a big new change, Sydney. She changed the restaurant, the staff, the kitchen, even him.

She’s in his brain, lingering there at night at rewinding in his head. Her laugh echoes in his brain and her smile is imprinted behind his eyelids like some tattoo. He can't get her off his mind and he's scared that he doesn’t really want to.

He wants to see her smile at him and wants to make her laugh. He wants to help her with those stupid heavy shit and her bandana. He wants to talk to her, genuinely. No arguing, no talk about the fucking resteraunt. He wants to get her number at a bar after belting out his lungs with his best friend. He wants to call her in the middle of the night and talk. 

And it’s just plain bad.

 Sydney Adamu is his co-worker who’s half his age and has a successful career and life ahead of her. She fucking flipped this resteraunt and whipped the workers into shape. And her food is fucking fire. Richie Jerimovich is a divorced father who still clings onto his dead marriage and dead friend. 

Richie still wears his ring though. It’s the one thing she can’t change, this ring tethered to his finger. But yet somehow, something deep inside of Richie wishes she could.

I wrote this instead of finishing my fanfic. TRUST, part two of that one is coming

[intothetlkverse]

Decided to challenge myself by drawing every single TLK character out there, up until this point in time, and post it here. You can see the finished project on my main account, though I figured to post it on my tumblr just show I could proudly show off my work and a few of my head canons.

Here is all the ostriches across TLK:

Kambuni/Kambi(camp) and her mother Mbuni(ostrich) start us off from the Lion Guard. Without repeating myself before, I'll just say they are more in line with their real-life counterparts, having colors more fitting of adult female and baby ostriches respectively, though I did keep their eye colors and head feathers. And, to give TLG some credit, they did keep the fact that ostriches are the only birds in the world with two toes in mind. Additionally, while I was doing research, I found out several facts about ostriches I felt would be interesting to share. For one, ostriches typically live between 30-40 years in the wild, and up to 70 in captivity. Yes, you heard/read me right, up to seventy. So yeah, I can see totally Kambuni/Kambi, Beshte, Makuu, Mtoto, and probably Kongwe still, all still being there multiple generations and reigns down the line, perhaps forming a sort of council to help advise future generations. Mbuni is the current leader of the flock, the dominant female.

Typically ostrich herds have several females along with a dominant male and female pair, though Mbuni's is unique as she is the solo head of a flock that has a few males within. Her mate and Kambi's feather unfortunately passed, having gotten severely injure in an attempt to run away from predators, only to end up breaking a leg and succumbing soon after, and Mbuni has since stepped up and taken up the reigns for her flock, reinventing it to have more equal amounts of either gender and being the main face for her flock. Her flock is one of several in the Pridelands though and one of the smaller and newer ones, so they aren't as regarded or impressive as some of the others. Still, Mbuni is a decent leader and a good mother, and her daughter will expand on her mother's flock and become not only a notable group in the Pridelands' future, but close allies as well.

Next up is our most recent addition to the ostrich category, little Asha(hope) and her mother Awena(gentle) from "Keeper of the Egg". Sort of a similar story to Spike and Pumbaa Jr's stories, except it's Timon that gets invested in protecting and taking care of Asha's egg, before she hatches and is reunited with her mother. However Asha and her family still keep touch with the duo, even after they've taken on Simba as their ward, and the two do babysit her, Spike, and a multitude of other animals in exchange for protection/food/favors/etc. Asha's a little darling and is one of the few animals(consisting also of his mother and 'niece'/'nephews') Timon will allow to call him 'Timmy', and that's 'uncle Timmy' to you. You can read more about Timon and Pumbaa's babysitting service here.

From he T&P show's episode "Can't Take a Yolk" we have Mama ostrich/Malizia(finish it) and baby ostrich/Mbaka(chicken). In the episode our favorite OG hyena trio try to steal a massive egg from a mother ostrich with various slapstick attempts, only for it to hatch in the end into a massive baby ostrich which thoroughly makes a mockery of them. In reality, Mbaka is a normally-sized chick and when the then young pup hyenas were trying to steal his egg, his father covered wood, mud and clay, with the help of some friendly monkeys, over himself and hunkered down into the nest, pretending to be an oversized egg. When the hyenas came to steal it, he gleefully 'hatched' before chasing the hyenas away, giving them a sound fear of hunting ostriches until many season later when they did see the normal sized chicks. Mbaka's parents are both very caring, especially since he's the only one of their clutch to hatch and survive, with the previous being taken by the older members of the hyena clan, which in turn had inspired the younger trio to steal the remaining ones. Mbaka inherits his father's appearance with his mother's no-nonsense attitude, steely determination, and slightly salty sass.

Next from 6NA's "Follow the Leader" is Haraka(quick) from . He acts as a long-distance messenger for the Pridelands, part of Zazu's personal network, serving all the way back in Mufasa's reign to currently Simba's. He is also married to Pamba and the father of Simbarella/Sibila(small lion-Arabic) from "Knight in Shining Armor". I am so pleased with her name choice, as those who are familiar with what 'Simba' means may guess. Though Haraka and Pamba have a full clutch of kids together, Sibila has been charmed by her origin and her father's position, and hopes to follow in his footsteps as a messenger for the royal family.

Speaking of Pamba(cotton), she and her mother Puduni(pudding) and brother Mayai(eggs) are from another 6NA story, "How True, Zazu?". Mayai and Pamba have unfortunately caught their mother gossiping with their friends' mothers and started to get the general air of dislike for the chatterbox, snitch majordomo known as Zazu, so they decide to pull a prank on him but giving him false information in order to humiliates him. Unfortunately this goes horribly wrong as their lies start to discredit and cause Zazu to lose faith with Mufasa, something that becomes a danger when there is an army ant invasion. Though the day is saved in the end, the siblings and their friends are ashamed and apologize for their actions, to which they are told that they can make up for it by becoming Zazu's assistants and helping get him information. In the future most of them stay and become part of Zazu's and the ruler's personal informants and messengers, acting as eyes and ears, gathering info that then gets moved up to the ruler's ears, Pamba and Mayai as some of the most loyal and reliable on the team. Pamba and Mayai are both entering teens here, hence the fewer spots and more solid body colors. While researching juvenile ostriches, I did find out that the pink necks we associate with them are more of a breeding season thing, in which they get really bright for males then, but are otherwise pretty grey for both genders both the time. I want to say both siblings are about 12/13-ish here. Also I know I kinda made Puduni look like a Karen, it was unintentional and she actually is more responsible and takes accountability for her and her kids actions, though I could definitely see her having the voice of one now.

Back into the oasis we have Spike/Sike(cut-Zulu) and Spike's mother/'Siki'/Kisiki(stump) from "Mummy Pumbaa". Same to Asha's story, Sike is found as an egg and hatched in the company of Timon, Pumbaa, and Simba. They take care of him for while, then he is reunited with his mother and siblings, though later comes back to be babysat by the duo. He and Asha later become a couple and name a few chicks after them. Here we see Kisiki feeling down, probably feeling guilty for losing him in the first place, though here he is trying to cheer her up with a flamboyant dance, something he'll need to work on for future courting rituals.

Lastly of the chicks we have baby Emu/Elimu(knowledge, education) from "The Outback Adventure". Basically in the book our warthog and meerkat duo are hiking through the Australian outback, Timon goes to sit and rests on a rock, oops, rock turns out to be an egg hatching, now Timon is three for three with birdsitting. The two go on an adventure to find the bird's mother, end up finding some kangaroos who offer to take the little bird to an emu flock they saw, the end. Aside from the obvious geographical misplacement and Timon acting very OP and brave trying to help this chick out, it's a solid story. Of course in my verse Elimu is an ostrich and they use the help of a local group of springhares to helps find a flock for the baby. Since ostriches are communal nesters, where a male and a group of females lay their eggs in the same nest, which can sometimes have up to 50 eggs, they were hoping that just quick slip into a recently-hatched nest and the parents be none the wiser.

However, fate just so happened to have something else in mind. While journeying to the flock, the group comes across a pair of male ostriches out on their honeymoon; Koti(jacket) and Thabiti(steady/stable). The two decided to go outside the Pridelands to explore the world and just so happen to come across the group, cooing and aweing over this absolutely adorable little orphan chick, the possibility of adoption comes up and the two immediately seize it, becoming Elimu's dads. With Elimu smoothly adopted to a some loving ostriches, the two return back to relax with a job well done. Elimu's two fathers are based on the ostriches we see Simba and Nala riding in "IJCWTBK", since there was a distinct lack of adult males and their cool feathers in this picture.

[bloodrend]

Memory

((This is a slight rewrite of an older piece I wrote a long time ago.))

Astelemar sat cross-legged on a rock on the edge of a quiet lake. A small, worn book lay off to the side, in the grass, forgotten for now. Afternoon sunlight beat down on him and nearby, birds sang. Sensitive ears could hear the buzz of insects, the lapping of water against the shore, and wind high up in the trees. The heat prickled and started to burn his skin, but he welcomed it as he sat there, trying to clear his mind. It was an echo of what he’d be feeling later tonight, when the Light would burn him, as he tried to heal those under his care who were desperately sick. He put the thought, and any thought except the feeling of the rock beneath him, out of his mind. Breathe in. Hold for several moments. Breathe out. The air of the Azure Span had a different smell than that of Eversong where he was so used to doing this. Underneath the strong smell of pine, he could almost smell those graceful trees. It was a smell ingrained in his memory.

“Daddy, daddy, look!” A chubby toddler ran barefoot across the grass to the river’s edge where he sat. Her red hair was fine and short, and wild as a lynx’s pelt. She held a tiny dragonhawk hatchling clutched to her dirt-stained dress. “Mama says I can keep this one!”

Astelemar gave her a wide grin and reached forward to take the tiny chick from her. He cupped the tiny creature in his hands and looked it over carefully. Its eyes were open, and its first set of feathers had begun to grow in, but its weight was under what it should have been and mites crawled around on the tiny body. He smiled up at his daughter and asked, “Remember the prayer I taught you, for curing sickness?” He smiled wider when she nodded seriously and began to recite the prayer in Thalassian. He murmured the prayer along with her, and the little hatchling squirmed in his hands as the Light washed over it like a blast of hot air. It was an uncomfortable feeling, but over before the tiny dragonhawk could do more than squeak indignantly. He handed the dragonhawk back to his daughter and said, “Take her inside the house and make sure mama gives her a warm bath, okay?”

“Yes, daddy.” The little girl ran back to the family’s house. Even from where he sat, he could hear her yelling for his wife. Astelemar shook his head and laughed softly. The little hatchling was in good hands.

Astelemar frowned hard and dismissed the memory. It didn’t happen that long ago, but sometimes it seemed like ages had passed since he’d last seen his daughter. Other times he remembered the last time he saw his family like it was yesterday. Tension had been high. They’d known for days that the Scourge was on the move. No one had ever dreamed that the undead would break through the mighty gates that protected Quel’thalas, though. Astelemar’s frown deepened, and he brushed away a fly absently as his thoughts drifted.

“You should take Ellari and head to the city. We’ve transported most of the sick there already.” Astelemar looked haggard. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his hair fell stringy and limp around his face. His robes were stained in places with dirt. It felt like he hadn’t slept in days. He’d been busy ever since word had come that the Scourge was on the move, overseeing the transport of patients from the village to Silvermoon City, and even helping maintain portals that would get them there more quickly. Behind the city gates, they’d be as safe as they could be from the approaching Scourge.

“We’ll be fine. I don’t want Ellari all alone there, and I need to be here in case anyone else needs a portal into the city. We’ll be along with the last of the evacuees.” She handed him a glass full of fruit juice. “Drink. The last thing we need is for you to pass out from exhaustion.”

He waved the glass off. “I’m fine.” At her worried look, he gave her a weary smile. “Really, I’m fine. Once we get everyone into the city, I’ll rest.” He reached into a pocket and handed her a bit of wrapped meat. “For Sunspark. It should put her to sleep for a while. Make sure she gets to the city, too. I’d hate for Ellari to be worried over the dragonhawk.” He looked out where Ellari played with the dragonhawk, sighed worriedly, and headed for the door. “I’ll see you in Falconwing Square just as soon as I can.” His last words to her.

Astelemar glared at the water and dismissed the memory. He reached up with one hand and angrily swiped at his eyes. Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out. In. Out. Slowly, he calmed. He could hear the birds again. Feel the unrelenting afternoon heat. The Scourge. He remembered the last time he’d been called to heal someone this sick. The Scourge had been involved then. Only, the Plague was far more deadly than the disease he now faced, and almost impossible to cleanse.

The figure was bandaged so much that Astelemar couldn’t tell if it was male or female, or even whether it was human or elf. Though the injuries healed, the deep, lingering cough and moans of pain bespoke deeper problems, as did the strict quarantine the patient was kept in. Astelemar had heard the whispers earlier. Plague. He knelt beside the patient and touched an unbandaged portion of the patient’s face. The skin was cold and clammy. He frowned. He would have expected a fever, but the disease had advanced far past the point of no return. He sighed and began unwrapping the bandages so that he could touch more of the patient’s face. Underneath the layers of cloth, the patient was clearly a young human man, probably barely of age to train in the military, and now he would die in the snow of Northrend. Astelemar shook his head. There was little he could do for the Plague, but the boy’s commander insisted he try, and so he would.

He placed his hands on either side of the boy’s head. Unlike his human counterparts, Astelemar did not pray over the boy’s unconscious body. The Sin'dorei could channel the Sunwell’s radiance from anywhere on Azeroth, and the Light that played lightly over the boy’s skin was the same Light that burned at the heart of that sacred site. Astelemar felt it like a warm breeze over his skin, under his skin, all the way through him. Superficial wounds on the boy’s skin healed, and Astelemar traced a hand down his face till it rested against the pulse in the boy’s throat. Weak. Astelemar frowned. He said softly in Thalassian, “The human is very weak. He probably won’t survive the cleansing process.”

“You’ve got to try, please. We wouldn’t have made it out of there without him.” The human’s commander was a haggard-looking Quel'dorei, bound almost as much as the lad was in bandages.

“No guarantees. The Plague is resistant to the Light even in healthier individuals. Call the guards. If he turns, he’ll have to be killed.” Astelemar didn’t wait for confirmation, but instead looked back at the boy. The Light he channeled grew warmer, scalding even, as called on even more of it to burn away the infection. He hissed in pain, but he was scarcely aware of the world around him. He was far more focused on directing the burning energy. First the boy’s head. Nothing could be seen but a soft, golden glow, but the boy tossed and cried out as if it were fire. Astelemar directed it, controlled it, used the Light to scald away any impurities he could sense. The pulse under his fingers was still very weak, but now it raced as if he were fighting for his life again. Perhaps he was. If he died, he would come back as the Lich King’s minion.

He pushed the Light lower, down the boy’s throat and into his chest. Searing Light purified everything it touched, but it was the purity left after a fire. He could sense organs failing as the Light pushed them past endurance but he could do little more than gasp out a quick, “Heal him, quickly!” before continuing with the cleansing. His own skin felt like it was on fire, and he felt rather than saw the many hands holding the boy’s writhing form down. Down farther, and the Plague was mostly cleansed from his body. Then something broke. His heart gave out under the strain and the agony. Astelemar felt the pulse under his fingers weaken, and then hands were pulling him back as the boy’s eyes opened and he struggled harder than he should have been able to against his captors.

Astelemar was too weak to watch as they dealt with the newly risen zombie. They pulled him back to another blanket and he collapsed gratefully. He said softly in Thalassian, “I had him, almost, but he was just too weak. His heart gave out before I could finish cleansing him of the disease.” His head hit the pillow, and he almost didn’t feel them tuck the other blanket around him or check his own pulse and temperature.

“You did the best you could.”

Astelemar gave a snarl of anger and rose from the rock. Clearly, he wouldn’t be relaxing much. He picked the tome up from where he’d dropped it and stormed inside where it was cooler. Perhaps reading would take his mind off the memories.

[shieldherostuffs]

Corvids Are Fun

So, Crow/Raven shifter Naofumi.

After being betrayed, Naofumi decides to be petty. If he can do that in his world, he can do it here, and he's gonna take full advantage.

So, he shifts and tells all corvids and corvid-like creatures around Melromarc's Capital how shitty Malty and Motoyasu are, and what they look like.

Out of nowhere, suddenly Motoyasu and Malty are being terrorized by countless birds every time they step outside.

Bird shit on their new shiny armor, embarrassing rips in their clothing, the loud bird caws and croaks outside their window in the middle of the night, their money and money pouches getting stolen. Plus the humiliation of trying to get back at the birds in public but always failing.

Meanwhile, Naofumi and his party are chilling while they're out camping, cuddling, and having fun with the birds.

Occasionally, a few of the birds will drop by with money or rare plants or anything shiny (usually jewels and gems), and Naofumi will never explain where they came from. He just takes it, pats the crows and grooms their feathers, and gives them treats and snacks.

Also, picture this: Normal bird-sized Naofumi in his shifted form, sitting atop Filo's eggs, deciding that whatever is inside will be his chick and he's going to nest it until it cracks.

Bird Dad Naofumi in his shifted form trying to groom or take care of Filo, despite her baby Filolial form being larger than his fully-grown one, and her Queen Filolial form being like, 100 times his size.

People get confused when the giant queen filolial calls the (in comparison) tiny-looking corvid on her head "Mama!".

At some point, it gets normal enough that no one bats an eyes when Naofumi starts arguing with random birds, despite being in his human form.

"No! Don't put that in your beaks! That's not edible!" "What did you say about Filo you peacock-wannabe?!" "...Where did you get this?" "Why do I have a jewel in my hands that looks like an actual Monster-eye but shinier?" "Do not shit on my head!" "Filo acted better as a baby chick than you are right now you overgrown chicken!"

[v4porwaveee]

Circuit AU information

•••

Cir-cuit

/'sərkət/ noun

a complete and closed path around which a circulating electric current can flow.

•••

In this AU, Draxum decided to experiment with 7 turtles instead of 4. A leatherback for size, an alligator snapper for strength, a green sea for stability, a spiny softshell for speed, a red eared slider for stealth, a bog for defense and a box for mobility.

What he hadn't been planning on was for his lab to explode and the young mutated turtles, about the size of a human baby, to be leased on the world so soon. Let alone for the source of their DNA to escape with them. He managed to find three on the floor, the green sea turtle, spiny softshell and red eared slider. He traded the red eared slider not long after to Big Mama on exchange for her help rebuilding his lab. The little turtles were gone, and Draxum still had two. If he could just run some tests he would be able to recreate the mutagen and harvest the DNA. He could start Project Renaissance over again.

Lou had snagged four of the turtles during his escape. Why he'd thought to grab them he didn't know. But while running they continued to grow, and much like an invasive bird chick, the two biggest accidentally pushed the smallest two out of the nest. Lou couldn't afford to stop running, his captors two henchmen pet things were hot on his tail. Before long he ducked into the NYC sewers, hoping that would lose them. When they left he wandered the sewers and found an abandoned subway station, long forgotten by the city. He set up shop in one of the maintenance rooms, leaving the young turtles, the leatherback and snapper, to care for themselves while he searched. He would be back in a few hours, they would live.

What Big Mama hadn't been expecting on this fine Thursday was a call from Baron Draxum, the man who'd bought her prized champion off her. even less so was she expecting a trade on exchange to rebuild his lab. Once she'd arrived she was met with three baby turtly-poos, and asked to make her choice of one to take in exchange for funds. She settled immediately on the red one, his eyes would surely stand out in the arena. The other two, strange and half submerged in the tub of sand and water they'd all been in, chirped and churred after the other as he was escorted away. "you'll make a splendiferous addition for the battle nexus, little one!"

Kirby and Sandra O'Neil were walking home from their daughter April's preschool. It had begun to rain and it was late, but Sandra had to take the late shift at the hospital and the daycare that ran after school let out was adjusted to their odd schedule by now. The city was quiet for once, rain dampening the mood on their walk back to their apartment complex. But nothing ever got April down, not the rain, not the gloom, and oddly enough not the strange crying coming from the dark alley. April wrenched out of her parents grasp and ran into the shadows, leaving Sandra and Kirby to call her name into the echoing alleyway. Eventually their daughter emerged, two toddler-sized human-looking turtle-things clutching her hands. "Momma, Papa, look that i found! Can we keep them?" a apprehensive look was shared before Sandra shrugged. "Only until we find them a home, okay?" "okay mamá!"

[hermitagereheadcanons]

Was scrolling and saw a mama bird Grian post and I just imagined:

One of the littles regressed cuz of something negative. Whoever’s with them freaks out cuz maybe they’re not super experienced with the more negative side. So Grian swoops in and he’s like “I got this!” And just scoops them up and drops them somewhere safe for a minute to make a quick nest. Then he puts them in his wings like a mama bird taking care of her babies. Maybe they crawl up his sweater and stick their head out and soon he has them giggling and all happy cuz feathers=soft

(I got mama birds on the brain lol chickens= chicks=cute= Grian headcanons)

Aw, I bet it's hard not to cheer up when you're wrapped in Grian's wings

[katsen13]

An interesting day at work

I went into work and my co-worker told me about a bird’s nest that fell from our roof that held two baby swallows. She called the Department of Natural Resources about what to do. They said the mama would come back and take care of them as long as they weren’t on the ground, so my co-worker had grabbed a big Tupperware container and scooped up as much as the nest as she could and put it in there, then put the baby birds in it. She grabbed a high chair from the breakfast area and put it in the corner of the building underneath where the nest had been and put the box of birdies on top of it so they were off the ground. They told her to not feed them anything and wait until morning. They said if there was bird poop in the container then, their mom had come back and fed them, and if there wasn’t, to call back and they would give us a number to a bird rehabilitation center near us. She told me this and left a note in our blue book at the front desk for whoever worked the next morning. (The blue book is a big notebook we write notes from our shift that the other shifts should know about, things like guest complaints, late checkouts, any items we need to order, etc.) Now two things: 1, I had only gotten about 4 hours of sleep the day before and 2, my boss called and asked if I could stay an extra hour because she had visited a relative in the hospital and was driving back from Ohio.

Now fast forward to the morning. I went out and checked on the babies toward the end of my shift and to my dismay there was no bird poop, so I went in and called the number my co-worker left for the Department of Natural Resources. They gave me the number for a center about 20 minutes from my work. I called them and left a message. My boss came in then to relieve me. She already knew about the birds because she was there when they were found. I told her about the center and gave her the number I had for them. Literally as I was giving it to her, they called me back and asked for a picture of the babies. I sent the picture and waited. Just as I was getting ready to leave, they called me back and said they would be happy to take the chicks, however they were too understaffed so they don’t do rescues. That meant someone would have to take the babies to them. I updated my boss and we both agreed to try and find someone who could take them.

While all this was going on I texted my dad and told him about the baby birds. He called my mom and said he would take the babies to the center when he got out of work if nobody else could. I said ok and let my boss know and we both agreed to keep looking for someone who could take them sooner because we had no idea how long it had been since the babies had been fed.

My mom, knowing how I get when I’m helping an animal, especially baby ones, knew I wasn’t going to go to sleep until I knew the chicks were taken care of, so she said we could take them together if I helped load up the kids in the car. So off we went and I explained to the kids that they needed to be very quiet because we were going to get some baby birds and if they were loud, that could scare them. I have never heard the kids be so quiet in a car or anywhere and I probably never will again.

When I got back to get the chicks, lo and behold, there was now poop in the container. I tried calling the center but I just got the tone like the phone wasn’t hung up. After talking with my mom, we decided it’d be better to take them because the container was in a very open area and the chicks’ nest wasn’t the only one on our roof, so the poop could’ve come from another bird flying around. On our way to the center, I looked them up again to make sure I had the correct number and address. I had the right number so I called them again but still got no answer.

My mom drove while I read off the directions. There were a lot of one block turns and we had never been in this area, so we missed a few. The more turns we missed, the more exasperated my mom got. We were arguing when suddenly a loud chirp came from the box on my lap, startling me. I looked down and saw one of the chicks looking up at me. My mom and I looked at each other and I apologized to the chicks for the noise. Any time we started arguing again, we would hear a loud, irritated chirp from the box. After a few missed turns and passing the place completely, we finally found the center. It was a grey, stone building about 4 feet farther back from the road than the surrounding houses and was shaded by a bunch of trees and foliage around it. I got out, box of birdies in hand, and waited outside the building, per a sign on their door. The sign said to call and let them know you had arrived. I tried calling them again with the same results. Thankfully, a woman was already outside waiting for an update on a bird she had dropped off. When someone came out to talk to her, I told them why I was there and they took the chicks. After giving them a quick look over, a man came out and told me that the chicks were being fed and after confirming with my boss that she hadn’t fed them while I was gone, he said the best thing to do would be to take them back and re-nest them. Needless to say my mom was not pleased. So we went back to my work and I dropped the chicks off where they were and went home to make them a new nest. I took an old container we had and poked holes in the bottom like the man had said and put grass and leaves in there and went back to work. When I got there, I grabbed a bit of the old nest and put it in with the new nest, so the chicks would still have some of their mom’s feathers with them. I put the chicks in the new nest and stood back to admire my grassy-plasticy nest mess in all its glory. This whole time there were two guys sitting on the curb across the parking lot smoking and watching me with a mix of curiosity and bafflement.

I was worried about the chicks because the roof was three stories up and didn’t provide shade with where the sun was, so I went inside and got an old towel to drape partially over the high chair. When I came back out, to my surprise there was only one chick in the nest, smack dab in the middle of the nest with its wings stretched out and looking up at me with what I can only describe as a annoyance. I looked around at didn’t see the second one. Just when I was getting ready to give up, I saw something out of the corner of my eye behind the high chair. Sure enough, the other chick was there. I moved the high chair out a bit to get it, and it hopped back under it. I moved the chair back and it hopped off the curb. So here I am, chasing this baby swallow around the parking lot and the two guys are sitting there watching me in disbelief. One of them called to it a little hesitantly and I’m 90% sure he had no idea what I was chasing but was trying to be helpful. I finally managed to scoop it up and I explained to the two guys that the nest fell and we were taking care of them. I returned the chick to its nest and went home.

When I went in to work last night, I asked my co-worker how the babies were doing. She said they kept falling out of the container I put them in and that it was too small. I told her that was about then size the center had recommended I use and she said she thinks the babies were just trying to fly but they weren’t quite ready yet. I checked on them during my shift and to my delight there was bird poop in the new container, something I never expected to be happy about seeing.

I have today and the next few days off and I haven’t called work and asked about the chicks, but if anyone is interested, I’ll post updates as I get them. Sorry for the long post!

Tl;dr: We found a nest of baby swallows that fell at my work so I called and took them to a rehabilitation center just to be told to take them back and re-nest them.

The babies. I named them Pip and Squeak.

[brideofcthulhu10]

More headcanons to help me work through the dreaded writer's block! Hope you guys don't mind it's a bit slow right now, I plan on posting another tonight and hopefully I'll be able to get to some asks once my brain is no longer fried

Dwayne Headcanons

When he was responsible for Laddie, Dwayne would often take him out to the boardwalk whenever Star was busy. Sometimes he’d even choose to take him along even if they were with Star just to hang with the munchkin

If anyone told him he was too short Dwayne would hypnotize them into letting him one. He wasn't exactly worried about the kid being flung from the roller coaster, he could easily catch him if it happened. It felt awesome impressing him at the strength test, just watching him jump up and down as the attendant handed him a giant blue monkey which of course he'd give to Laddie. The boy was such a hyper, sunny child it was hard not to laugh when this spritely eight year old would play a water gun game and yell “this is a load of bullshit” when he lost. Well, he did grow up around four teenage guys, two having the worst language you could imagine. David used the word "fuck" like it was going out of style. At one point some lady in her thirties tried to lecture Laddie about watching his language, to which Dwayne had immediately stepped in after he said “piss off lady”. Again he had to choke back a laugh, pushing the kid behind him before this lady throttled him. To save face Dwayne feigned some half assed “shame on you” to Laddie just so she would piss off, and then ushered him away- for an ice cream sundae. Granted while he couldn’t condone a kid cussing up a storm, he did find it utterly hilarious watching this uppity chick squawk like a hen in outrage.

“Seriously though I don’t know where the hell you learned all that from-”

“Paul taught me.”

“Yeah, well, Paul probably isn’t the best guy to copy, kiddo. "

Chinese food isn’t his favorite, but he knows it’s Markos so he doesn’t complain when they have it at least once a week. Actually, his favorite is probably Hispanic. Many forget much of California was once Mexico, and as such the culture still thrived even into the early 1900s. Santa Carla flourished, and between pick pocketing gigs and heavy labor on the docks, Dwayne could always count on there being fresh tortillas for a few dollars after a long day. Elotes with extra chili powder, huarache, freshly brewed horchata on ice? Utterly delicious! Nothing can compare to freshly made tamales by a sweet abuela in a tiny food truck cooing to you in Spanish. Even he can blush when they pinch his cheeks gushing about what a skinny man he is. Paul and Marko love it as well and will often tag along when Dwayne goes to Mama Rosa’s, although he often has to elbow Paul in the gut because he’ll flirt with the cooks in the back into getting a free taco.

“Ay, Paul, mi angelito querido cielito, you’re skin and bones!”

“Well, I always skip a meal before coming here, abuela. Your cooking is too epic to have anything else in my stomach!”

“Dude, will you stop flirting with that poor woman before you give her a heart attack, you ass?”

Dwayne had a brother many years ago who was lost after being caught in direct sunlight during the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906. Since then on April 18th he holds a small memorial for his brother Jasper, who died pulling the curtains shut to shield them from the sun. Some years David, Paul and Marko will join him, silently drinking to their fallen friend. It's a rare moment of seriousness for these wild boys, sitting beside an altar crudely constructed atop a wooden crate, draped over with the jacket once worn by Jasper that survived the flames. Decorated in worn candles melted by decades of use, a bottle of rum from over eighty years ago still untouched with an empty shot glass beside it caked in dust and cobwebs, worn flowers shriveled into darkened husks, a glass of blood they keep freshly filled with each visit, feathers of birds to help carry him to the sky. Every time he adds something new, a gift from every era. Recently he brought Jasper a Def Leppard vinyl record, propped against a sketch of his brother drawn before his passing by an admirer who had died long ago. Paul left a little toy motorcycle for him, Marko brought an old pocket watch he found at an antique store that bore a striking resemblance to one he had admired long ago, and David brought him a hunting knife

“You would’ve loved hair bands, Jas. Everything’s changed now, its crazy. It sucks you never got a bike of your own,” Dwayne would say, sitting in the dark with only the tender flicker of candles brushing away the dark. Never again would he let the sun take him. It was the darkest, deepest cave in the hotel. And there, Dwayne spoke more than he ever does outside “Horses were cool, but it’s better to have something that doesn’t stop every time it takes a shit, you know?”

Unfortunately Dwayne sucks at video games. It’s not that he doesn’t get it, but he has the worst gamer rage. Now, Dwayne doesn’t often get legitimately mad, but when he’s been playing the same god damn stupid water level for the past hour and a half just to be killed by a squid-! Well, lets just say Paul practically dove to catch the controller before it was chucked at the tv, and cue a dirty look towards Dwayne for nearly smashing his “baby”. He wasn’t about to have him break ANOTHER controller. Yeah that wasn’t the first. At this point he’s content just watching from afar and sometimes back seat gaming when Marko is going the wrong way. He’s not nearly as bad as David who will openly call someone stupid after dying. 

Dwayne is definitely the type to nap after a long night. Truthfully he misses when he could just lay out in the sun like a lizard on a hot rock after a long day, it’d feel incredible. Instead he’s resorted to a hot water bottle or a heating pad. Yeah, he loves hot weather. Summertime is his favorite time, just savoring the toasted air blowing in his face on rides over the beaches. Sometimes he’ll try to wake up early to watch the sunset from within the cave, although it’s burnt him on more than one occasion he will still try to get a glimpse. Winter is the worst for him, he hates, absolutely despises the cold. Even though he doesn't technically get cold anymore, everything seems to die away in the winter leaving only twisted branches and grey skies. David may enjoy all that gloomy melancholy but not him.

One wouldn’t assume Dwayne to have much of a sweet tooth. That’s because they’re wrong. While he isn’t into the marshmallow caramel double candy bars deep fried and dipped in chocolate like Marko or Laddie, he has a serious weakness for chocolate. Like, a major weakness. Paul is still searching for his stash, tucked away somewhere secret in the hotel. Any time he thinks he’s close to finding it, Dwayne moves it again.

“Dude, sharing is fucking caring you greedy bastard”

“Get your own candy asshole, why do you think I keep my stash hidden from you guys?”

Now the whole hoity toity fancy chocolate isn’t what appeals to him. He can certainly appreciate a well made chunk of dark chocolate sprinkled with chili powder, but he’ll settle for a cheap bar snatched from a gas station. Most sweets weigh heavy on him, but chocolate is such a unique medium that can be changed into almost anything, appealing to every taste imaginable. Sweet, savory, spicy, bitter, semi-sweet, rich, dense, light. Chocolate cake, chocolate doughnut, hot chocolate, fudge, and of course the traditional candy bar. You make him a mug of Mexican hot chocolate and he is putty in your hands. You couldn’t necessarily bribe him with food. But you could certainly butter him up to suggestions when he’s crunching down on a candy bar. Paul knows this, and at this point Dwayne knows this guy has royally fucked up if he comes up to him with a stack of chocolate bars.

“Heeeeey, Dwayne, buddy, old pal, chum, lookie what I found, all for you man how cool is that?”

“....,” Dwayne glances up from his book at the handful of chocolate and slowly lowers it with a firm sigh. “What the hell did you do now?”

“Wha-Whaaa-? Oh! Okay, wow. Woooow. Offend much? I go out of my way- I mean, can’t a guy just, you know, do something nice for his best friend-?”

“Paul. What. did. you. do?”  

“Okay okay, well you see David made me go fill up his stupid bike, and there was this hot chick at the gas station, I mean perfect fuckin ten man, she had the biggest frickin tits- okay anyway! Well, next thing I know the keys are gone, the chick's gone, the fuckin bike- You gotta help me man he’s gonna fucking kill me and dance on my grave!”

Of course Dwayne will help… in exchange for twice the chocolate. Like I said, it won’t always work as a bribe, but it’ll certainly help your cause if you go in with some incentive.

[adelaiderhosynweasley]

The Great Chicken Debacle

Nugget was missing.

Adelaide had spent the entire last evening and several hours this morning scouring the grounds and the castle for her beloved chicken and was beyond herself with worry. She had tried all the usual places Nugget liked to go. Her dorm, the chicken coop, the greenhouses, the courtyard, and that one chair in the library with the threads she liked to pick at. Nugget was nowhere to be found in any of them and thus, the young Ravenclaw had taken to going floor by floor, classroom to classroom, searching for her beloved fowl. It was very unlike Nugget to venture far from her, tending to stick by her side for the most part unless she was hanging out with the other chickens for a change or taking a nap in Adelaide’s bed. They were two peas in a pod, Adelaide and Nugget. Ever since Nugget had hatched from her egg right in the palms of Adelaide’s little seven-year-old hands, the pair had been nearly inseparable. The best of friends from the get go. Adelaide had fed her, kept her warm, and done all of the things a mother hen would have done for her baby chicks. Of course, Adelaide’s own mother had not been too keen on the idea of having ‘one of those horrendous fucking beasts of death and demon spawn’ in the house, but had relented that the chick could stay only until it grew big enough to go outside with the rest of the flock that lived out in the back garden. Adelaide had agreed, naming the chick ‘Fluffy Von Snuggleton’. The name had lasted until her mother had called the chick ‘Nugget’ (in her mind chickens were only good for eating) so many times everyone in the house aside from Adelaide had started doing it to. After the chick started responding to being called ‘Nugget’ and nothing else, it had simply stuck. Of course, Nugget refused to stay in the yard, sneaking her way into the house or Adelaide sneaking her in until she simply became a house-chicken. They’d sleep together, sharing the pillow in Adelaide’s bed like they still did.

Adelaide had looked for Nugget until curfew the night before, her heart growing more and more weary, her eyes watering as tried to sleep and failed miserably. All she could think about was Nugget, all alone, perhaps outside and being eaten by some wild beast or even lost in the kitchens to be killed and served up for dinner. There was nothing she could do. She’d even gotten out of bed, been caught and given detention and sent back to her dorm with the reassurance that her chicken was probably fine and she could look as soon as dawn broke. Adelaide had gotten right up with the sun that morning and spent the hours before breakfast would even be served searching the castle for her dear friend without bothering to get dressed. She still hadn’t located the sweet red hen by the time other students were rising from their beds and making their way downstairs for food before classes began for the day. Heart heavy and body weary, Adelaide trailed her tired feet into the Great Hall, hair a mess of brambles for searching the edge of the woods for signs of feathers. Maybe someone else had seen her dear, sweet…

“Nugget!” Adelaide shouted, her heart leaping in her chest, energy renewing as she spotted the chicken sitting right on the Ravenclaw table. She was pecking at the plate of a red haired boy who Adelaide knew by sight but hadn’t really spoken to much. They were in the same year, but ran in different social circles. His name was… something Stonefyre. G-something. Gabriel? Gregory? Gibson? It didn’t really matter and she didn’t particularly care either. All she knew was that her chicken was there, safe and sound. She started her way over, watching as the boy offered Nugget a berry from his plate. She grimaced, waiting for the bird to nip at him and squawk in indignation like she usually did around strangers, but Nugget accepted the berry like it was no big deal. Surprised, Adelaide picked up her pace, her long braids a tangled mess down her back, a stain on the front of her pajamas pants and her A-sweater she’d gotten last Christmas from Great-Grams pilling slightly on the front. Her colors were pink and white, and had been every year since she’d been born. Reaching the boy and her chicken, Adelaide held out her arms. “Nugget.”

The hen clucked excitedly, jumping down the table, onto the boy’s shoulder and then up into Adelaide’s arms. She gave a strange chirruping noise and closed her eyes, nestling her beak into the girl’s barely-there bosom. At thirteen, Adelaide hadn’t done much but grown upwards instead of outwards like so many of the other girls were already doing. Her mama said it was because she took after her father, which Adelaide wasn’t particularly opposed to. She thought her Dad was quite handsome as far as dads went and he was pretty much the best dad she could have hoped to get. Her classmates always said he had a ‘scary face’ when they saw him on the train platform, but Adelaide knew he was actually just a bit softy.

Nugget in one arm, Adelaide placed her fist on her hip, eyeing the boy with a scowl. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing with my Nugget?”

[mist-chance]

BnHA Chapter 267 Brief Recap

Cuteness overload

Fat Gum is one of my favorite minor characters, because he’s very supportive of his interns and of young Heroes in general. Since he currently holds the strongest defensive Quirk so far on the Hero-side, I think it’s awesome that he hung back from the PLF base assault to keep an eye on some of the interns. After reminding myself not to take Quirks too seriously, I found the intro panels for this chapter to be pretty cute. I’ve seen fanart of Tamaki and Kirishima behaving like ducklings that imprinted on Fat Gum, so the above and below panels remind me of that. The Fataxi is like the Fat Gum equivalent of acting like a mama bird keeping her chicks close; or a kangaroo keeping a joey in her pouch. 

(Source: VIZ Media | Lol Kaminari :D)

It’s a clever alternate use for Fat Gum’s Quirk, and I think the timing of its introduction worked well. It brought a little levity in a succession of serious chapters. 

Tokoyami being an awesome intern/mentee

(Another cute panel of a big bird advising a baby birb :) Hawks probably perches on high because of some buried bird instinct from his Quirk, and also to escape the attentions of his adoring fans.)

It’s great that we get to see more of Hawks and Tokoyami’s mentor/mentee relationship. It’s clear Hawks, like Fat Gum, cares about his intern. Though it’s not expressly stated, I got the impression that Tokoyami is Hawks’s first intern. But even if Tokoyami isn’t Hawks’s first intern, it’s nice to see Hawks spend time with Tokoyami and answer his questions. What’s equally nice to see is how Tokoyami cares about Hawks in return - he remembers Hawks’s weakness, remembers Hawks’s strategy to overcome that weakness. And because he remembers these things, he knows Hawks is in trouble just from seeing a giant blast of fire.

Tokoyami undoubtedly recognizes that these flames belong to Dabi, the Villain who burned up the forest during the training camp and who kidnapped Bakugou. He was almost the LOV’s victim then, too. But if Tokoyami felt any fear, he ignored it in favor of rushing to help his mentor, which is pretty fucking awesome.

(Look at how Dark Shadow is using Tokoyami’s cape/cloak to smother the flames on Hawks’s back, and how Tokoyami puts himself between Dabi and Hawks, when he knows he’s probably outclassed.)

At this point in the series, we actually know less about Tokoyami than we do about Hawks; which is interesting, since Hawks is an undercover agent/spy. But their mentor/mentee relationship is important for showing a side of Hawks that we don’t normally see. It gives Hawks another dimension other than the quick-witted, cheeky Hero and the gritty undercover agent.

But everything we’ve learned about Tokoyami so far is mostly from his relationships with other characters like Midoriya and Hawks. As this arc continues, I hope we’ll get to learn more about Tokoyami. Dabi is my favorite character, but I’ve always wanted to know more about Tokoyami, too.

Miruko being a badass

I may be wrong, but Miruko is one of the first female Heroes we see take some serious damage. It’s really admirable how she keeps going, despite how hurt she is.

Chapter 268 Speculation

Other than Shigaraki most likely waking up, there’s a strong possibility either Shigaraki or Ujiko will put Gigantomachia into play. Once he’s given the order to fight - or is triggered into fighting - he’ll really screw up whatever ground the Heroes have made so far.