#pacific ave

[doo-wop-city]

Stella Star at Le Voyageur

This is the 395th Doo Wop City post. We’re only 5 posts away from the Doo Wop City 400th Post Spectacular! Be sure not to miss it! As a stewardess, I enjoy being a world voyager. Its only appropriate that I pay tribute to Le Voyageur (French for The Voyager). These photos were taken on Sunday, August 25th, 1968. (…Or, was that 2024?) Here I am, outside the front of Le Voyageur, with its massive…

[evershifting]

Dragon Booster Figure Search

Hello the few dragon booster fans that might see this I am in DESPRATE need to get myself a wyldfyr and kitt figure. I can't currently find any for listing. BOX CONDITION DOESNT MATTER! I just need the figures to be in decent condition. I'll even take it if some non important parts are missing. If you know anyone who has one or find a listing where I can't id be internally thankful. If it helps These figures will be well love and brought to the grave with me <333

[nicolasfolch]

Urubu (en Chile, Jote), región de Valparaíso.

"A tragos insomnes fue el aprendizaje / del canelo y su memoria" (Adriana Pinda, fragmento)

[oldshowbiz]

Selma and Wilcox in Hollywood: As seen in an Elvis Presley movie versus today.

[remembertheplunge]

How terribly strange to be 70

June 9th, 1991

Dad’s last day of his 60’s." How terribly strange to be 70” (From the song Old Friends” by Simon and Garfunkel”.

I think that giving him  gifts was tough because it represents a letting go. 70 is a good bye girl year. Zoe said “it will be hard to be without him.” Enough of that.He could have many good years ahead of him.

Monday June 10, 1991

Dad’s 70th birthday. I was happy to hear tonight that Dad was kicking around and content tonight. Dan and Matt went out to see him. Dad and Mom are at Harris Ranch tonight. I’m glad. “He  (Dad) wasn’t mean like usual. He was loose.” Dan said. Interesting that Zoe and Dan both pick up on the same cruelty strain running through Mom. Running through Dad. So lonely thinking you are the only one who sees it.. 

End of this part of the entry

Note:

Zoe is my sister, Dan is my brother and Matt is Dan’s Wife's son.

Harris Ranch was a resort in Coalinga, California

I’m 68 years old now. I was 35 years old when I wrote the above entrie. Simon and Garfunle were probably younger than that when they wrote “Old Friends”. In the song, they portray the 70 year old friends as being old men  reduced to sitting on a park bench in the cold.

I don’t know about 70, but 68 is vibrant and alive. My body thinks it’s 19 and that’ how I ROLL. However, I was sitting in a court room in Stockton today aware that I was so much older than almost any of the 40 or so other people in the room. It’s an odd feeling. 

Today I drove to Pacific avenue in Stockton. I used to haunt the part of it called “The Miracle Mile.” I would do my journaling there.

Empresso Coffee house was in the lobby of an old theater. It had a funky old charm to it. It had a stand up piano that anyone could play.

Kitty- corner to it was a theater in which plays and musicals were performed. Every October they put on a performance of Rocky Horror Picture Show. I went to see it a few times.

When I arrived today, 10/3/2023,  I found that the theater that housed the coffee house had been torn down , and only large chunks of debris and rubble remained.(the coffee house had closed about 5 years ago). The theater kitty- corner where I had watched Rocky Horror had been converted into a Karate studio.

This is what 68 feels like. The things and people and places from the stage of your life  begin to disappear. They are replaced by absences. My life, now, is defined by it’s absences. The world has grown quieter. 

But, the rich glow of the past remains.

I stood briefly in front of the new Star Bucks which is across the street from the old Empresso Coffee House and just was with the essence of the coffee house and the theater, and those times.

And then I returned to court.

[kirillmarchenko]

i think the fact that the only teams not currently miserable are the bruins pens vgk and lightning should be a federal offense.

[ifelten]

Stillehavslom (Gavia pacifica), 1K

Pacific Loon (Gavia pacifica), 1CY

[directactionforhope]

Late notice but

Today 10/5 is an international day of action protesting one year of the Gaza genocide!

Find a protest near you today or tomorrow 10/6! If you're in the US, look at the links below, from the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights!

October 5, 2024

Note: Tumblr has capped the number of outgoing links you can use in one post. Go to the USCPR link above and click on a protest for a flyer/organizer info for each and every one of these events.

Albany, NY | 4:30PM Dana Park

Albuquerque, NM | 2PM Robinson Park

Amherst, MA | Amherst Town Common

Anchorage, AK | 2PM Townsquare Park

Atlanta, GA | 2PM 190 Marietta SW

Austin, TX | 1PM Austin City Hall

Birmingham, AL | 2PM Victoria Square

Blacksburg, VA | 3PM Pylons

Boston, MA | 2PM Cambridge City Hall

Burlington, VT | 1PM Battery Park

Charleston, SC | 2PM Marion Square Park

Chicago, IL | 2PM Water Tower Park

Cleveland, OH | 3PM 11804 Lorain Ave

Columbus, OH | 2PM Goodale Park

Corvallis, OR | 12 NOON County Courthoue

Dallas, TX | 12PM The Grassy Knoll

Denver, CO | 12PM 400 Josephine St

Detroit, MI | 2PM 5 Woodward Ave, Detroit

Dover, DE | 12 NOON 250 Gateway S Blvd

Fort Myers, FL | 6PM Centennial Park

Gainseville, FL | 2PM City Hall

Honolulu, HI | 11AM Ala Moana & Atkinson

Houston, TX | 2PM Houston City Hall

Indianapolis, IL |  2PM Lugar Plaza

Kansas City | 1PM Mill Creek Park

Kona, HI | 12:30PM Old airport by the skating rink

Las Vegas, NV | 2PM 3449 S Sammy Davis Jr Dr

Little Rock, AK | 4PM 1200 Main St

Los Angeles, CA | 2PM Pershing Square

Louisville, KY | 3PM Water Front Park

Maui, HI | 11AM Kapuka’ulua (Baldwin Beach)

Memphis, TN | 2PM City Hall

Miami, FL | 5PM Torch of Friendship

Milwaukee, WI | 2PM Zedler Union Square Park

Missoula, MT | 7PM 200 W Broadway

Nashville, TN | 2PM Centennial Park

New York, NY | 2PM Times Square

New Haven, CT | 1PM New Haven Green

New Orleans, LA | 5PM Congo Square

Ottawa, Ontario | 2PM Parliment Hill

Orlando, FL | 4PM Orlando City Hall

Pensacola, FL | 5PM Palafox & Gregorary St.

Pittsburgh, PA | Film screening, 3PM 100 S Commons St.

Portland, ME | 5PM Monument Square

Portland, OR | 3PM Unthank Park

Providence, RI | 3PM RI State House steps & 5:30PM 1 Finance Way

Raleigh, NC | 3PM Moore Square

Rochester, NY | 1PM MLK Park

Sacramento, CA | 2PM West steps of the Capitol

Salt Lake City, UT | 2PM 125 S State St

San Antonio, TX | 1PM Travis Park

San Diego, CA | 2:00PM 1600 Pacific Highway

Seattle, WA | 2PM TBA, with car caravans from Spokane, Pasco, Ellensburg

St. Louis, MO | Liberation weekend, 9AM-8PM 475 East Lockwood Ave

Tampa, FL | 2PM Bank of America Plaza

Toronto, Ontario | 2PM Yonge Dundas Square

Urbana, IL | 2PM 101 E Main St

Ventura, CA | 2PM 501 Poli St

Washington, DC | 4PM White House

West Plains, MO | 12 NOON Downtown Square

Wichita, KS | 12:30PM Spirit Aerosystems

October 6, 2024

Amityville, NY | 1PM LIRR

Boston, MA | 1PM Boston Common

Green Bay, WI | 5:30PM Leicht Memorial Park

Los Angeles, CA | Vigil, 6:30PM Echo Park Lake

Minneapolis, MN | 1:30PM Gateway Park Fountain

Ontario, CA | 1PM Euclid & C St

Paterson, NJ | 2PM Palestine Way with Gould Avenue

Roanoke, VA | Vigil, 6PM Heights Community Church courtyard

San Diego, CA | 4PM Centro Cultural de La Raza

San Francisco, CA | 1PM 16th & Valencia

San Jose, CA | 12 NOON City Hall

St. Louis, MO | 1PM Choteau Park

[doo-wop-city]

Stella Star's Among The Cars, Part 7

Part 6 Part 5 Part 4 Part 3 Part 2 Part 1 Autumn has returned to Doo Wop City. Much as we love the tourists, in September, we locals revel in cruising our cars throughout the island along the spacious, non-congested roads. Stella was strolling about Pacific Avenue, enjoying the cars in town that are destined to one day become classics. These pictures were taken on May 13th, 1967. (…Or, was…

[briery]

deadstrangeblog​: Endemic to the Wolf and Darwin Galápagos Islands, the Vampire Ground Finch is a rare bird that drinks the blood of other living birds. During times of extreme drought, this unusual blood-drinking behaviour is crucial in the finch’s survival.

[scottpartridge]

Goshawks, American (left) and Eurasian (right), formerly one species, the Northern Goshawk, but split in 2023.

Also some other taxonomic shifts I added to the AVE recently: the Western Flycatcher, a lump of Pacific Slope and Cordilleran Flycatchers, and the Grand Cayman Bullfinch, elevated from Cuban Bullfinch subspecies to full species status.

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Okay, guys, this is your opportunity to buy a house on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, well, the Columbia River, they call it, and it feeds into the ocean, (the pink paint is peeling on the outside - could be the salty air from the ocean - but the inside is remodeled), plus your own crematory business for only $660K. 1892 Victorian home with 6bds, 6ba, (room for everybody), in Astoria, Oregon.

So, this is the business- you have a conference table next to the display wall.

Newly redone customer rest room.

Plus an office. Looks like they're pretty busy.

I'm thinking the oven is somewhere in this cement garage- maybe down those stairs.

Hall to the family quarters. They've done it all in the popular gray and white.

The original pocket doors remain and they put in new floors. Pardon the family, they're very disorganized.

I don't think I'd trust them for not mixing up all the ashes. Unless they're organizing a moving sale in here.

Dining area and a smallish, but open and clean white kitchen.

The rooms are large, but I don't think this one was meant to be a bedroom, b/c of the large open doorways.

The bedrooms look pretty big.

Bathroom is redone. Too bad they don't use the sink.

Could be a nice enclosed back porch.

6,534 sq ft corner lot.

Only about 3 blocks to the river.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1229-1213-Franklin-Ave-Astoria-OR-97103/86304836_zpid/

[tintenfischie]

View from Pacific Ave, Tacoma, WA. Sometime in Summer 2024.

[featherbow]

Critical Role presents Bells Hells LIVE Saturday, June 15th 2024 Presale for Beacon members starts Monday, May 20th at 10:00 AM PACIFIC General Tickets available Tuesday, May 21st at 10:00 AM PACIFIC

Watch Critical Role LIVE at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on June 15th as Bells Hells gather their courage and their allies to stop Ludinus Da’leth and his planned destruction of the gods.

Game Master Matthew Mercer will lead players Travis Willingham, Laura Bailey, Liam O’Brien, Sam Riegel, Taliesin Jaffe, Ashley Johnson, Robbie Daymond, and Marisha Ray through an exciting live performance of Campaign 3, Episode 98 of Critical Role with the extraordinary Brennan Lee Mulligan serving as the Master of Ceremonies.

Here are all the details to join these wayward heroes on their adventure!

WHEN IS THE BELLS HELLS LIVE SHOW?

Our first Bells Hells Live Show will take place on June 15th at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, California!

The Greek Theatre 2700 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027 https://www.lagreektheatre.com/

[findthosedetonators]

A 1979 Photograph shows a man coming up the steps on the IRT Platform at Atlantic Ave / Pacific Street (Station (Today Atlantic Ave - Barclays Center) in Downtown Brooklyn. Photo: NYTM COLLECTION

[guppygiggles]

Hidden Depths

What: Exposition with a dash of hurt/comfort.

Word count: ~3k

Universe: Sea & Sky AU

Who: Avery, Casper, Finnegan

Description: Finnegan finally opens up about where he's from. There is a lot of crying, cuddling, and emotional tenderness in this. Brief mention of illness. No tickling, sorry, but I will probably follow this up with some tickling in the near future.

I knocked gently on the bathroom door. 

“Finn, are you in there?” 

“Yeah?” 

“Can I come in?” 

“Why?” 

“Because I have to pee, and we only have one bathroom, dude.” 

“...Okay, fine.” 

I opened the bathroom door. Finnegan was in the bathtub, anchor-print curtain drawn closed. Beyond the curtain, an open springline window filled the tiny room with morning sunlight and fresh air that carried the promise of fall. It was still too warm for Finnegan to swim in the ocean, so a cool, daily bath was necessary to keep his scales moistened and gills healthy. I was used to hearing him splashing and enjoying himself, but today he was quiet. Only the curtain separated us as I sat down on the toilet seat. 

The faucet dripped.

My toes flexed against the bath mat. 

A seagull squawked as it passed the window. 

I sighed, craning my arm to turn the sink on and drown out the silence. Finally, relief. I finished up quickly, not wanting to invade Finn's privacy any further, but a small voice stopped me as my hand touched the doorknob. 

“Casper?”

“Yeah?”

“Will you stay with me…?” 

I paused. Turning around, I could barely make out Finn's silhouette through the thin curtain; he was sitting with his arms and tail wrapped around his legs, head lowered to his knees.

“Yeah, I can stay... Are you alright?” 

I lowered the wooden toilet lid and sat down on it. Finn took a while to answer. 

“I dunno.” His voice carried an uncharacteristic distance. 

“Do you want to talk about it…?” 

“I don't know right now.”

“Ah… Well, that's okay, you don't have to. Do you want me to just chill in here? It's my day off, so I can stay as long as you want.” 

“Yeah. I just don't wanna be alone.”

At least this was normal. Contrary to Avery and I, Finnegan didn't even like to do solo activities by himself; everything for him was improved with company… Apparently, even bathing. I had a feeling that he did want to talk about what was bothering him, but I wasn't going to push. I pulled out my phone. Quietly enjoying someone's company was normally a non-issue for me, but, well… it was a bit different in the bathroom. 

“Do you want me to put some music on?” 

“Yeah. Can you play that one song I like?”

I opened my music app. Finnegan's playlist was pinned to the top of my feed – I played the first song, then opened Pokemon Go. 

As Caribbean Blue by Enya filled the tiny bathroom, I heard water sloshing as Finn readjusted, laying back in the tub and resting his head on the sloped side. He was quiet. Swirling a pokeball in a circle with my finger, I tried in vain to catch a Shelder. 

“Are there video games where you're from, Finn?” 

“Not really. We had games but not electronic stuff.” 

“What did you do for fun?” 

He was quiet again, for a long time. I wondered if he'd heard me. I looked over at his silhouette again; still and somber, head tilted down. I could've sworn I heard a wet sniff, but I wasn't certain. 

“Finny…?”

“I didn't have a lot of fun there.” 

I winced. In my effort to make smalltalk, I'd forgotten that Finn usually avoided talking about his life before he met us. 

“Oh… I'm sorry.” 

“It's okay.” 

The next song on Finn's list played – Pacific Ave by Pearl and the Oysters. The breezy, poppy track contrasted harshly with the tone of our conversation… or lack thereof. I tried to focus on catching Pokemon. I wished Finn would just talk to me; what was he so worried about? 

An answer came sooner than I expected. 

“I lied to you.”

“What…?”

“I lied to you and Avery about what really happened. When you found me, I told you that I was traveling and I got lost during that hurricane… that’s kinda true… but it's not the whole truth.” He exhaled deeply. Water moved in the tub as he shifted again, his tail peeking through the curtain as he turned away from me. 

I waited with bated breath for him to go on. 

Finn had been living with us for six months. When he’d washed up on the rocky shore of Avery's lighthouse, he was in bad shape; cuts and bruises all over, barely conscious, and sick with an illness Avery had called “septicemia.” He'd made a cloud bed for Finn right next to ours, tending to him around the clock for over a week before he finally came to. At first, he was shy and exceedingly polite… but as he grew more comfortable and we grew closer, an inquisitive and playful side emerged. He said he didn't have anywhere to return to, so we said he could stay as long as he liked; we set up the spare bedroom for him. He spent most of his time diving for treasure and catching fish, and I had to admit… between mine and Avery's busy schedules, the extra income and fresh seafood were both more than welcome in our home. I could concede to being a little naïve at times, but dishonesty was not something I expected from someone like Finn. 

He continued, “I'm from Merrobridge.” 

My eyebrows raised in recognition. I didn't know a lot about merfolk – they were not a populous race, and what was known about them tended to be shrouded in mystery given that the majority of their civilization existed deep underwater – but Merrobridge was a vast coastal hub, partially on land and partially beneath the sea, where nearly all merfolk trade took place. I hadn't considered it before, but it made sense that rainbow trout like Finn would make their home there, considering they were an amphidromous* species. 

“I didn't tell you ‘cause I was afraid you would make me go back.” 

My brows furrowed. 

“I mean… why would we make you go back? You're an adult, you can decide if you want to live there or not.” 

Another deep sigh from the other side of the curtain, followed by more silence. I paused the music. 

“Finnegan… listen. I'm not mad that you lied to me, okay? Whatever it is, we'll figure it out. Like… I'm not forcing you to tell me, but if you're going to tell me… I need you to tell me everything.” 

A tiny whimper from the other side of the curtain wrenched my heart; he was definitely starting to cry. I was tempted to pull it back, but my respect for his privacy stayed my hand… and in this state, I wasn't sure how he'd react. I'd never seen him like this before.

He spoke so quietly, then, I strained to hear him. “The two empresses who live in Merrobridge and rule over the entire merfolk kingdom… They're my moms.” 

My heart skipped a beat. Stunlocked on the toilet lid, my fingers rose to my lips as realization crept through my veins like frost. 

“Finn…”

“I couldn't live that life, Casper!” He cried, his small voice reedy and choked, “I knew the hurricane was coming… I planned for weeks. I left a note saying for them not to look for me, that I'd come back one day, you know? I didn't want them to think I died or anything… I just wanted the hurricane to make it hard for them to follow me… but I timed it wrong, and got caught in it. I thought I was going to die!” 

Then, he really cried; Finnegan cried like someone who'd been waiting months to cry, like someone who'd forgotten how. 

I couldn't stand it any longer. The curtain rod screeched as I pushed the fabric back. As he cried into his hands, I put my arms around Finnegan's trembling, wet shoulders. 

“Oh, god… Finny…” God dammit, I was starting to cry, too. I did my best to keep my voice steady so he wouldn't hear. “Finn, honey, it'll be okay. We'll figure this out, okay?” 

“I miss my moms - choke - and my s-sister! Wh- what if they think I'm d-dead?!” 

I couldn't refute this concern; it was a real possibility, given how long he'd been gone. I didn't know his family or the dynamics of normal relationships among merfolk, though, so I couldn't say. Any human mother would be worried to bits… well. Not mine, but I wasn't going down that road right then. 

“Can we call them? Or send them a letter or something, just so they know you're okay?” I offered, rubbing his back. 

“I can't be e-emperor! I can't sit there and study and work and read and talk to people all day like they want me to, I'm just… I can't!” He wailed, deep sobs echoing off the white and blue tiled walls. 

“Shhh, shhh…” He was too hysterical to listen to me; I would have to wait until he calmed down. I had no idea how we would even get in touch with his family – I was aware of the existence of land-sea communication stations, but I had no idea how they worked, or even where to find one. 

There was a soft knock on the door. 

“Casper? Finnegan? Is everything okay in there…?” Avery’s gentle, concerned voice asked from the other side.

I wanted to shout back “no!”, but I figured that would only freak Finn out more. 

“Can Avery come in?” I whispered, tucking a few strands of wet hair behind his finned ear. 

“I-I guess…”

“Come in!” 

Even with the window open, I hadn't realized how stuffy the bathroom had become until Avery opened the door – the cool draft on my face, much like his presence, was a massive relief. 

“Oh, goodness… what's going on in here?” Avery asked, standing over me as I knelt at the side of the tub, arms still around Finn... who turned away from Avery, hiding his face. The lighthouse bathroom was definitely not built to be occupied by three people at once; I couldn't blame Finn for feeling crowded and self conscious. 

“Um, well… Actually, Avery, why don't you and I talk in the living room? Finny, do you want to meet us there when you're ready?”

He nodded, sniffling. I kissed the top of his head, then closed the curtain.

+++

“He's… a prince?” 

Avery sat on the edge of his reading chair, leaning forward with his elbows braced on his knees, fingers laced together. His brow creased as he chewed his lip with his delicate teeth, something he typically did when working on complex research. 

I flopped onto the oversized sectional, propping my bare feet on the armrest. My back hurt from leaning over the tub. “Yeah, basically. He said his moms are the two empresses of the merfolk kingdom. He has a sister, too.”

“Why did he leave…?” 

“He didn't really say. He pretty much just said he couldn't live that life, and like… I mean, you've met him. Can you imagine Finn as an emperor? I can't really blame him, either, that sounds exhausting.”  

Avery sighed and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. In that moment, his posture and contemplative expression were reminiscent of the way I imagined Atticus Finch. It was a long while until he spoke again. 

“What does he want to do?” 

I sighed, lifting my hands in a shrug. “I don't know. He says he misses them, but he doesn't want to go back. I think he's mostly just worried they think he's dead.” 

The sound of Finn's heavy tail thumping down the stairs brought our conversation to a halt. He appeared on the landing wearing black gym shorts and my favorite navy t-shirt, which featured a great white shark biting a surfboard made of binary data in half, underlined by jagged font proudly summarizing the scene: “Mega Byte.” His eyes were puffy from crying, and his cheeks and fins were flushed a deep green. I normally would have teased him for stealing my clothes, but I decided to save it. 

“Awww, Finny… come here.” I patted my chest. 

Finn sauntered over and collapsed onto me, nuzzling under my chin as his wet hair seeped into the collar of my shirt. Though he was shorter than me by a couple of inches, Finn was heavier, mostly due to his thick tail which spilled over the edge of the couch. The pressure of his warm body against mine was pleasant. I rubbed his back as he turned his head to face the couch. It seemed that he still didn't want to look at Avery – perhaps he was still embarrassed. 

“Finny… why don't you want to go back home? Are you not allowed to say you don't want to be emperor one day?” 

He shifted uncomfortably and sniffled. I was worried he would start crying again, but thankfully he kept it together. 

“My moms raised me to be prepared for this… I'm the oldest, so I'm supposed to inherit the throne, but that life isn't for me. Luney would be much better at it… she's serious and smart and she even likes studying and meeting with all those stuffy ambassadors and going to events and stuff. I just want to swim and fish and look for treasure! And I want cuddles, too,” his arms tightened around me, hands clutching my shirt, “merfolk don't cuddle… touching is frowned on, especially in public.” 

I stroked my fingers through his wet hair, listening. Avery listened, too, watching quietly behind his folded hands. I guessed he could relate to this, in a sense; cloud people did cuddle, but it wasn't like human touch, which he obviously enjoyed. 

Finnegan didn't say it, but we all knew there was another reason; we were close. As he rested against my body and we discussed the prospect of him going back home, my stomach was tying in knots – that was the last thing I wanted, but ultimately, I couldn't allow myself to be motivated by self-interest. If I could truly say I loved him, I had to do what was best for him. My throat tightened as I wondered if this might be the last time I cuddled on the couch with him – I quickly compartmentalized that thought. 

“Did you tell your parents you felt this way, Finn?” Avery asked. 

“I tried… but when I did, they just dismissed it or acted like I was being ridiculous. I know they love me, but I don't think they knew how serious I was about not being emperor… it's supposed to be my duty, but… I should be able to choose how I live, it's my life! I didn't ask to be born royalty…” 

A thought occurred to me, then, that made my stomach drop. My chest felt tight; I was almost afraid to ask the question.  

“I know you said you left a note, but… do you think your parents would try to bring you back? A prince disappearing is something I would expect to see in the news, or whatever… I mean, are Avery and I in danger…?” 

I glanced at Avery, and the look on his face told me he was already considering this. Finn finally turned to meet Avery's gaze.

“Merfolk are secretive, especially the higher classes… the last thing they would want to do is alarm anyone, or show incompetence by telling the world their prince is missing, even if it makes it harder to find me. The citizens probably just think I'm away on business, meeting with dignitaries and establishing relationships with other countries or something… I did have to do that, sometimes… but Jelly and Mina probably sent a private search party for me.” 

Incompetence. Dignitaries. Establishing. These were not words that Finn used in normal conversation, and I blushed a little at my surprise that he knew them. I’d never believed him to be stupid, but he'd clearly had a more advanced education than he let on. It also struck me to hear the illustrious empresses Nigella and Wilhelmina referred to as “Jelly and Mina,” but I supposed if you had two moms, it would be important to differentiate them somehow. 

What a revealing few hours it had been; I was starting to feel overwhelmed, and as he opened his mouth in a sharp, toothy yawn, I could tell that Finn was, too. He must have been exhausted from all that crying. 

Avery was not the reactive type; his method of working through problems, no matter how pressing or emotional for those around him, was to absorb information and ask questions when appropriate. He was great at comforting, too, but Finn seemed more receptive to that from me at the moment. I surmised he was afraid of disappointing Avery; not that Avery had ever shown disappointment in him. I wondered if this spoke to Finn's upbringing, too. 

As the elemental spoke again, I knew that the information-gathering phase of his process had reached its conclusion. 

“I think we should send a letter to your parents, Finn… Just so they know you're alright. It may help if I write one, too, so they can be reassured that you're in the care of a doctor. I have some research to finish today, but I can help you with it tomorrow. Besides, I want you to rest after that confession.” He stood up, walking over to where the two of us laid together on the couch and kneeling beside us. His cool, soft hand cupped Finn's warm cheek, his thumb rubbing gently along his scales. “That was very brave of you, Finnegan, thank you for telling us. I know it's hard, but we'll get through this together, okay? I'm so proud of you.” 

Finn's lips warbled, his hand raising to hide his fresh tears. Avery smiled gently, leaning down to place a tender kiss on my lips. 

“I have to get back to my research, now… will you two be alright?” 

“We'll be just peachy. I'll make sure he takes a nap… I think we both need one, honestly.” 

The tall elemental straightened, then, taking a blanket from the back of the couch and draping it over us. As he started up the stairs, I called after him – quietly, as I could already feel Finn's breath falling into a sleepy rhythm, “Don't work yourself to death, cloudman… there are people who love you, y’know.” 

His bashful chuckle echoed down the stairwell, and I drifted off slowly to the memory of his laugh. 

+++

*An amphidromous fish is a type of diadromous fish which migrates between fresh and saltwater.  Unlike anadromous and catadromous fish, which migrate explicitly for the purposes of breeding, amphidromous fish migrate for other purposes. Source