#reminder that animals travel vast distances in the wild for food

[whaleexpertsanonymous]

One of these days, I’d love to be able to look at pictures of beautiful wild whales without the caption waxing on about the evils of captivity.

There are an estimated 50,000 wild orcas, and less than 60 in human care worldwide. Orca breeding has already ended in western nations, and the SWIMS Act does absolutely nothing to address the very real threats facing wild whales. It will however, end the vital research efforts of accredited aquariums studying the beluga whale (of which endangered populations exist) by prohibiting future reproduction.

[my-brothers-corrupted]

My Brothers, Corrupted

Chapter 1 : Section 3 : Oh Happy Day

We’re at the end of a difficult day. After his first real round of hypnosis, Marvin – or Blue, perhaps – became hysteric and had to be restrained by Red when his magic ran amok and flowers began growing up through the floorboards. Doktor, triggered when Trick grabbed him by the back of the throat, went into a state of confusion and ended up throttling Trick in return, but they’re doing their best to make up. As for Dapper, the youngest sits alone in the attic, staring up at the Northern Lights, and you see the lines between who he is and who he was blur gently, for a time traveler’s amnesia is never quite as strong as Anti would like it to be.

Trigger warnings: (not necessarily a complete list! Please tell me if you need others added up here because I’m just trying to remember what’s in here) blood, mentions of alcoholism, grief, hypnosis, discussion of psychosis, and abuse, including infantilization of a disabled character and abuse between brothers.

The masterlist for this chapter is linked at the bottom because I can’t get it to link here for whatever reason.

 Part Three of Chapter One: Oh Happy Day

loganandoli asked: Carver, is that Poe? Is she finally back?

Carver darts out from underneath the bed, uncurling, a light returned to his eyes. “My bird!” he signs, clapping his hands together. “My Poe!”

There’s a huge black raven in the windowsill, her wings spread wide. Dapper leaps up onto the bed beside her, nearly weeping for joy, and she lets him stroke her beak, cawing softly in the evening light.

“There’s my good girl,” he signs, delighted. “Oh, oh, my good girl. Here to keep me company? Not alone. Not alone. Here’s my bird, my bird, my friend.”

optimistic-violinist asked: This is probably a dangerous question.... but could Dapper go back before they were all Anti's?

Dapper blinks. “I need frames of reference. I can’t remember the time before we were Anti’s, so I can’t go back to it. Even if I could, I’ve never turned back farther than a week. And that nearly… that almost… it wasn’t good for me. Anti says time travel is bad for the baby, and I am the baby.”

He rubs Poe’s head, considering.

“Not that I would go back so far, of course,” he adds quickly. “I’m quite happy with Anti, thank you very much.”

Anonymous asked: Maybe a little out of left field, but does Marvin still have his mask?

Marvin’s mouth pales and he turns away from you, touching his face, patterned in scars. “No,” he whispers. “Anti tore it off as he dragged me back to the house. I suppose it’s been thrown away now… I had that mask for years… I was born with it. The last little piece of Ja - of my old master that I had left.”

He stares down at his hands, then up at you, teary-eyed.

“But don’t worry about it,” he whispers, trying to smile. “We have bigger problems right now, don’t we?”

Anonymous asked: Who wants to hear a song?

Dapper frowns at you, confused. “A song?”

Anonymous asked: 🎵 Look to the stars my darling wonderful boys. Life is strange and vast, filled with wonders and joys! Face each new sun with eyes clear and true! Unafraid of the unknown, because I'll face it all with you! 🎵

Dapper melts onto the windowsill, putting his chin down. “Oh… pretty, thank you. You’re too sweet.” His cheeks are rosy red and he smiles easily, letting his contented eyes slip shut.

musical-in-theory asked: Ope, would you look at the time? It’s time for Anti’s daily reminder that he can kindly go fuck right off.

Anti ignores you. He’s got three laptops open around him and he’s so focused he’s lost most of his opalescence. The screens flash with color and letters, though you don’t see his fingers typing. He wears an old form he’s fond of, a younger Jack dressed all in black, with a lot of light green hair and big black eyes.

Anonymous asked: anti, do you know your carver is making friends with wild animals? i though he was being kept alone as a punishment

Anti glances up, frowning. “Wild animals? What’s he playing with now? I thought I got rid of his fucking mice. Filthy little things. He’ll make himself sick.”

Anti rises to his feet, glancing towards Dapper’s room. “And he’s not there for punishment. He’s just a little fragile. Needs more careful care than the others. I made sure they all keep plenty of distance from him. But thank you for letting me know.”

Anonymous asked: for anti. why did you tie him up? he could just untie it right?

“He could! He could, he certainly could. But he doesn’t.” Anti glances at you. “I mean, it’s tied up a little too tall for him and the rope is quite thick, so it wouldn’t be easy. But I’ll tell you a secret - it’s not about keeping him there. It’s about the shame.”

Anti stares out the window, his eyes momentarily clouded. “He was the first one I trained,” he tells you, almost wistful. “And back then I used real chains and kept him strung up for days on end, until he was crying to be allowed to move. To have the awful chains off his throat. To not be tied up like a dog, licking food off his plate when I gave it to him, whimpering for affection. I don’t know how much of that he remembers - but enough. Enough. It’s an awful humiliation for him. He hated it more than being tortured, even when he still belonged to his last master. So he knows, if the rope is there, that he has been a bad dog, and that, if he wants to be free, he must show me he can obey. So, you see, he doesn’t try to take it off. He remembers who his master is, and makes better choices in the future.”

He returns his focus to you, blinking. “Well! Should we go check on the little puppy? Sounds like my stupid little pet found himself a stupid little pet. Dogs shouldn’t play with nasty things.”

Anonymous asked: Why don’t you let him see the others or let the others see him?

Anti stares at you, considering.

“The boys downstairs need each other,” he tells you, carefully picking his words. “And so I allow them to have each other, because I do not have time to care for each one of them myself. They wouldn’t get enough attention, enough affection. But there are dangers to that too… an independence and a sense of self-worth that come along with it. So I decided from the start that the most precious one - the one I cannot lose - he must stay close, and I will care for him myself. That way he will never slip through my fingers.”

He smiles coldly, his eyes flashing with victory pride. “Dapper will never slip through my fingers.

“Beside, you’ve seen how rough the boys downstairs are with each other. Even twins will strike and bite. Why would I subject my powerful little Dapper to that? He gets preferential treatment and they all know it. He has proven time and time again to be the most valuable, the most vicious of all his family. The others are all so jealous, it makes me laugh so much! The hierarchy is good for them. It makes them work to be more like him. Gives them a little ferocity of their own. Nothing to match my Carver… my mean little Carver, with those cold sharp teeth… of all of them, he is the most like me. Shouldn’t he deserve the best for that?”

musical-in-theory asked: Is Marvin back to being Marvin again?

You find him lying on the island, sitting across from Red. They’re watching each other with a cool wariness, unsure of where they stand.

“I’m not sure who I am,” says Red’s brother finally, glancing over at you with a grimace on his exhausted mouth. A cut on his forehead drips a little blood as he turns. Red moves forward, as though to brush it away, on instinct - but before his twin even notices the movement, he has drawn his hand back and recoiled on himself, crossing his arms over his chest, blushing in the low light. He has re-bandaged his head himself.

musical-in-theory asked: You are Marvin the Magnificent. A smart man with a deeper understanding of things. A man who carved out his own place in the world. A man who never needed a master.

Marvin blinks, looking up. “Hey!” he laughs. “Who told you that? I’ve heard those words before! Someone who loved me - ”

The camera is snatched off its spot on the ground and thrown several feet off, leaving your view crooked and fizzing.

“You’re going to get him killed!” cries Red, and his voice breaks right down the middle. He could scream for the pain of his own weakness. “Stop, stop! Can’t you just let him go, and then things will be easier on him! What, you’re crying out now, trying to stop this now? It’s too late, don’t you understand? Where were you when I was shattering, huh? You call out for him! You don’t know anything! I can’t - ”

He stops himself short, startled by the look of fear in Marvin’s eyes.

“Jackie,” he whispers.

“I - ” Red’s voice shakes, he retreats to his corner. “Don’t goddamn say that name. Fuck, I wish you had never come here. I wish you had gone free, I don’t care if we spent the rest of our lives searching without ever finding you. I don’t need you, you know… Anti acts like I do, but I don’t. I don’t want you.”

He curls in on himself, panting; his body hurts him, his body always hurts him and he’s tired. He wishes hatred hurt less. Breathless, he turns to look at Trick and Doktor, curled up side by side, crying softly in the darkness. He does not know why and he does not care. He sees them cry often, and chances are only one of them was hurting - or only one of them would be hurting, if he didn’t care about the other.

“Twins are just weakness,” he cries, reaching up to grip at his hair. “I don’t want to feel sorry for you! I don’t want to feel scared and miserable for you! I don’t need another person to feed, I don’t need someone to be reliant on! I’m stronger alone! And if you’re not careful, I’m going to have to watch you die. I don’t want your pain! I wish you had never come here!”

Marvin has edged in close to him, calling “Red, Red,” and maybe there’s some truth to his words, because the truth is seeing him in pain makes him feel like his own chest is on fire. “It’s okay, it’s okay.”

“Not okay,” whispers Red, sinking down against his cupboards. “Don’t touch me, no - don’t touch me, I don’t want you, I don’t need you…”

“We were brothers once already,” chokes Marvin. “And, fuck, there were times that it hurt, but I can promise you - I swear to you, I swear - it was always, always, always worth it. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry you’ve been alone so long. But, I mean - you’re not now. I don’t plan to stay, but… I don’t plan to leave you, either. I promise that. I promise. And this brotherhood is always worth it.”

Red sits in silence for a long time, his eyes closed, his head on his knees, hiding his face.

“Life is different here, Marvin,” he whispers. “Stop believing in anything that ever made you happy. There’s only Anti now.”

Marvin puts a hand on his knee. Red takes his wrist, gentle, gentle in his cold scarred hand, and he pushes him away.

“There’s only Anti now.”

They fall asleep pressed against opposite sides of the island, huddled in on themselves, silent.

loganandoli asked: Carver. You need to trust me. Push Poe out, now. I know you won’t want to, but please. Please. For her and your safety, push her out and close the window. They told him.

Carver turns to you, stunned. “Push Poe out? Push her - told him! Who would tell him, they wouldn’t tell - ”

His head whips around at the familiar sound of Anti’s static growing in volume. He stares between you and the bird, who picks playfully at his ear, cawing. “I don’t - I don’t want her to go,” he stammers out, tears rising hot in his eyes. “I don’t want to lose my bird, my bird. What if she never comes back? She’ll be like my brothers and hate me. What if I never see her again? What if I’m just up here alone forever? Why won’t master let me keep anyone?”

Anonymous asked: It's all right, Carver, we'll keep you company!!! Now let the bird go!!!

You don’t know if he trusts you enough or if he’s just that afraid of Anti, but one way or another, he stands up on his bed and reaches up to close the window, shoving Poe out into the air. She gives an indignant cry, harsh and berating, and tries to land again, but there isn’t enough space to her feet. She wings away.

Carver stands on his bed, panting, staring out into the air after her.

“Hey, little man, what’re you up to?”

Anti stands in the doorway, his hand shoved into hoodie pockets. Flushed red, Carver turns to him with a trembling mouth, his eyes full of tears.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” murmurs Anti, instantly a picture of concern, moving forward to grab his hands and pull him to sit down on the bed beside him. He plays anxiously with a strand of Carver’s hair, touching his face gently. He glances around the room, but doesn’t see anything moving around. If Dapper has an animal here, he’ll find it and kill it violently enough that he’ll regret hiding it. If not, then he’s distressed enough already for one night. “Hey, hey, look at me. What’s wrong? You feel okay?”

Sniffling, Carver glances over at him, then up at the window, and then - exhausted, exhausted, exhausted, he tumbles against Anti’s chest and begins to cry in earnest, clutching onto Anti.

Clutching onto the only person he is ever allowed to hold on to.

 Posted the next morning:

Dawn breaks cold over Doktor and Trick, wrapped up in blankets. It’s getting too late in the season for them to keep warm with their nest and jackets alone, but at least Trick has fallen asleep curled in Doktor’s lap, keeping him warm after their fight.

Red and Blue sleep across from each other, neither making use of the sleeping bag, a tension fallen between them. Red’s bandages have begun bleeding again during the night and he will have a pounding headache when he wakes.

Upstairs, Dapper has not slept. He lies in his bed in Anti’s arms, staring quietly at the wall. Today is one of his confusion days, which might come out as anger, grief, or a desperate, slightly insane sort of boredom.

Anti wakes up and kisses the side of his head, noticing his mood immediately and leaving him to his distress. He takes the rope off his throat and leaves a clean outfit - sweatpants and a t-shirt with a big black coat - on the bed. Moving downstairs, he greets Dok with a cluck of his chin and then shakes his twin awake.

“Want you to go into town today,” he says.

Trick sits up straight, wide-eyed, disoriented from sleep. “M-me? I thought I was only allowed to go to the laundromat - Red is usually the one who goes to the store, I - ”

Anti puts a finger on his mouth, silencing him, and then digs into his pocket, pulling out a huge wad of cash. He shoves it into Trick’s coat. “Red’s still not well. You go. Get food. And something nice, pick out something nice for all your brothers. Or Red and Dok and Dap and yourself, at least. I’ll get Blue what he needs on my own. Spend it all, Trick, I don’t want to carry it around anymore. Understand?”

Trick’s eyes are alight with joy. He nods enthusiastically, his mouth shaking around the words “are you sure?” just to double check.

Anti hums and runs a hand through his hair, brushing a curl out of his eyes. “Course, Stammer, I know you’ll do well. You’ve been good lately.”

“Can I bring Dok?”

“Sure, just don’t draw attention to yourselves. No names, no nationalities, no talk of home where anyone can hear it.”

Trick is panting slightly with relief. He nods, and for a second he reaches out, as though to touch Anti in return, maybe looking for a hug or at least to brush his hand along his sleeve, but he thinks better of it, his hand falling fearfully. Anti gives him affection anyway, leaning in to kiss his cheek and ruffling his hair playfully. “We’ll have a quiet day today, Alright? Okay, be good. Bye, Trick.”

“Bye, Anti,” whisper Trick, with reverence, watching as his brother disappears.

There’s a long silence.

“Fuck yeah!” cries Doktor, and Trick lets out a loud, bursting laugh, and tumbles back onto his brother’s lap, holding up the cash, delighted.

Anonymous asked: well little stammer, what are you going to do with all that? (theres no record with cash, so you could even get stuff anti doesn't want you to have :0)

Trick flushes slightly at the nickname and you see Doktor’s eyes narrow, but Trick is already sorting through the cash again. “Well, first - first priority is food, yeah? And the first aid kit - Dok, will you go see what we need? What else, um… is there anything else we need? Maybe new clothes, if anything’s left over? More soap, we’re getting low…”

He pauses, seeming to register the second half of your question, his cheeks reddening. He glances up at you and down at the cash several times, but doesn’t say anything, memories of hunger and cold stirring in the back of his head.

loganandoli asked: Trick!! What do you think you’ll get everyone? And what are your favorite foods? :)

“Um, um, what will I get everyone?”

He’s more excited than you’ve ever seen him, pacing around his nest, combing his hair with his fingers. “I have to pick things out, don’t I? I’ll have to see what’s in town, um. Oh, I could get Dok a whole coat, a whole winter coat… and gloves, maybe, for when he has to do his - for when Anti needs him. A book! Holy shit, a book, he hasn’t had a new one in weeks!”

He grins, fantasizing. “My favorite foods, wow… I like, um, those chocolate granola bars and mandarin oranges and… well, a bunch of junk food, we don’t need all that… and nothing that we’ll have to cook, really. But I can get maybe some chips or good bread. Could really go for a drink, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. What else?”

He glances over at the island and up at the ceiling. “Fuck, I have no idea what they want,” he frowns. He turns to you. “Any ideas for Red and Dapper?”

immabethehero asked: If Dapper still has his moustache, what about a moustache grooming set? For Red, a new red hoodie for the winter! For Blue, magic cards!

“Haha, okay, that’s pretty good! We have knives for shaving but I like the new hood!”

loganandoli asked: Oh!! Get dapper some markers or charcoals! Or even a stuffed animal! (maybe a bird? He seems to like those)

“A stuffed animal for the baby!” teases Trick, grinning to himself. “Spoiled pet. You’re right, though, he likes animals.”

He pauses for a second, the smirk fading from his mouth. For a second, he almost looks like he’s in pain.

“I think he always liked animals… I think we used to… no, I don’t remember…”

oasisofgalaxies asked: Dapper may really love a sketchbook and pencil set! Don’t forget a sharpener and eraser! Anon added: you could get dap some new chalks/colored pencils! I’m sure he’d love that

“Oh, okay, yeah! Sounds like he’s kind of an artist, fuck. I guess that’s what he’s doing up there all day, huh? Okay, art shit for Dapper, that’s good. Thank you.”

Anonymous asked: dapper wants pens and charcoal to keep him busy. anything you can get red for his pain would help too

“Hmm,” nods Trick, thinking. “Something for his pain, shit, yeah. Okay, I’ll look!”

Anonymous asked: Are you going to have enough money to buy all you want/need? I don't know, this seems a little bit too easy...

“I’ve got…” Trick flips through his cash. “2,400 krone.” He bites his lip and looks up at you, slightly stressed. “I don’t know how many pounds that is. It seems like a lot. I need - I need to make sure I get everything Anti wants, or I could get in trouble. Red usually does this. Food, presents, soap, clothes - is there anything else we need? I need to get everything.”

Anonymous asked: Do you look presentable enough to be in public? Wouldn't want to catch too much attention, now do we?

“Good point,” agrees Doktor, returning to his brother. “Let’s get cleaned up.”

They don’t have mirrors, but they do have twins. Trick needs to shave, so they go outside and Doktor pulls a long sharp knife out of his coat, holding it up to his face. For a second, Trick can’t help but flinch, reaching up to grab his brother’s wrist. Doktor stops immediately. They meet each other’s eyes.

“Is okay,” mumbles Dok, using his spare hand to touch his shoulder. Just gentle.

Trick swallows the sensation of tears, nodding, letting his wrist go. He knows the difference between the brother who loves him and the one who can’t recognize him as anything other than one of his victims.

Doktor’s eyes are sorry. They talked about what happened. He wishes he could say yesterday was the first time he has looked around him and seen nothing but violence, the first time he has woken up holding a knife or a scalpel or a syringe that he doesn’t remember grabbing, but the truth is he’s often confused, and more than once he’s hurt himself or somebody he shouldn’t have. It haunts him. He doesn’t like to admit that it happens. Sometimes he doesn’t tell Trick, and sometimes he forgets the episodes once they’ve happened, but one way or another, he is cognizant of the fact that there’s something wrong with him, and the fact that that something could be harmful to his brother is a nightmare becoming a reality for him.

He shaves Trick’s beard down carefully, carefully, holding his chin in his hands. Trick closes his eyes.

They wash their faces with washcloths and water and change clothes - somewhere in their blanket huddle, there are t-shirts and pants, which they share indiscriminately, most of their personal style having blurred into necessity and apathy a long time ago. Dok puts a bandage over a particularly nasty scar on Trick’s hand, they both tug on their jackets, Dok pulls a scarf out of his pocket, they tuck weapons safely away, push their trackers beneath their sleeves, brush through their hair, and finally turn to look at each other, checking that they could pass for normal in the city.

“We’re okay?” asks Trick without words.

“We’re okay,” answers Dok with a smile.

“Okay,” sighs Trick, grinning and shoving the cash in his pockets. “Anything else, or are we ready to go?”

There is a low thumping coming from upstairs. Red and Blue are still asleep. Anti is nowhere you can see him.

spicydanhowell asked: carver? you okay up there?

The connection’s still up, but he hasn’t touched the camera. You can only see the empty bed, the clean clothes still draped over the unmade sheets.

loganandoli asked: Carver? Are you ok??

There’s no movement on the video feed, just the thumping noise, steady, steady. Downstairs, you see Doktor glance up, a frown twisting his mouth.

“Okay, ready to head out?” asks Trick, throwing his backpack over his shoulder and holding a second one out for Dok.

“Umm.” Dok accepts the backpack without looking, listening for the thumping noise. It’s clearly not the sound of him fainting. Should be okay…

loganandoli asked: Doktor, Carver isn’t answering us. I know you are not aloud to go up to check on him, so should we ask Anti to check on him?

“Oh, I - I am allowed up there. Only to check on him, but I am allowed. He’s not answering? I should go check on him.”

Trick whines, reaching out to grab his brother’s sleeve. “Dok, no! I hate it when you go up there! Anti might get angry anyway, if it turns out that he’s fine, that you went up there for nothing. Besides, Anti’s home, or at least he didn’t tell us he was leaving. Let him handle his little pet, don’t go up there. This is supposed to be a day out, when was the last time we were allowed to go into town? Come on, bro.”

“Trick,” sighs Dok, stepping back from him. “Just real quick, alright? It’s my job to look after everyone in the house.”

Gritting his teeth, Trick shakes his head, snatching his sleeve again, a sort of desperation in his eyes. Frustrated now, Doktor pulls away. “What, you want me to just leave him? He could be hurting!”

“That brat has everything he wants up there!”

“You don’t know that! When was the last time you even saw him, Trick?”

“Just the other day!”

“Yes, when Anti was dragging him into the goddamn basement! Is that what spoiled looks like to you, or are you just jealous that Anti hasn’t let you sleep in the same bed as him since the first time you called him your master? Why do you hate the little one so much? Has it ever occurred to you that maybe you should give a fuck about anyone other than yourself and me?”

He doesn’t realize his voice has risen to a shout until he’s stopped yelling. Trick stares at him, wide-eyed, mouth trembling. Blinking, Dok sees Blue’s head rising above the island, his eyes wide and confused. “Why are you fighting?” he asks, sleepy and confused. “What’s that thumping?”

Flushed, Doktor turns away from his twin and heads towards the stairs. “Deutsch!” cries Trick, remembering all too vividly Blue’s body crashing down those stairs.

“Enough, Trick.” Doktor makes his way up the stairs, taking a steadying breath at the top, but nothing comes to drag him away. Turning the corner, he enters Dapper and Anti’s room.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

He steps gently in, looking around, glancing under the bed, opening the door to the bathroom -

“Oh, darling, stop, stop,” he whispers, rushing in to grab Dapper off the floor, dragging his head away from the leg of a broken claw-foot tub, where he has been striking his forehead hard enough to dampen his hair red. “Oh, poor thing, poor thing.”

All his anger, all his caution, all his resentment for the boy is gone. He holds him in his arms and tries to get him to respond, staring down at the glassy grey eyes as his head goes thump, thump, thump against the doctor’s arm.

Anonymous asked: carver stop hitting your head please? you're okay. everything's going to be okay

Carver whimpers wearily, curling in slightly on Doktor, seeming to register the presence of another living thing. He waits for the shock and the heat of Anti’s flesh, but… it never comes.

“You’re okay,” whispers Dok, rocking him gently. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

Dapper stares numbly up at him, trying to understand.

“It’s me, it’s Dok,” he murmurs, suddenly very aware of just how long it’s been since they interacted while the little one was conscious. Fuck, he remembers so little about him. He could have sworn there was more, but, now, Dapper is hardly more than the noises in the attic and the safety net that Anti returns to at the end of every day. “I’m your big brother.”

Dapper breathes stickily, knocking his head against his knee. “Stop this, now,” murmurs Dok, taking his head in his hands. “You’re okay. Just a little out of sorts, huh? Sometimes I get like that too… sometimes I lose track of everything.”

Carver nods, processing slowly the shared sentiment. He speaks so softly, with that nice warm accent. Carver can’t remember the last time anyone but Anti spoke to him - let alone touched him.

Wait, no, he can… there was a boy with charcoal and long hair, reaching out to him, smiling on the stairs…

“Did you take your medicine this morning?” asks Doktor gently, brushing the hair from his eyes. Swallowing, Dapper shakes his head no.

Leaving him on his side on the bathroom floor, Doktor gets up to get his prescription out of the bedside drawer, pouring two tiny white pills into his hand and returning to him. Carver instantly curls back up against him, gripping plaintively at his hands.

“Here, here,” murmurs Dok, helping him sit up. He presses the medicine to his mouth and Dapper takes them in his mouth with a groan, knowing better than to refuse his pills.

“What’s going on here?”

Doktor’s head jerks up, his body suddenly shaking as he registers Anti’s presence behind him, peering over his shoulder. “Master,” he gasps. “Scared me, Anti. He was hitting his poor head, look.”

Anti blinks, disconcerted, reaching down to brush his hand over his youngest boy’s hair. Dapper stares wearily up at him, expecting little pity, but, whether it be the blood on his head or the attempts Anti is making to keep them all happy as he breaks in Blue, he seems concerned. “Poor thing,” he murmurs, stroking his eyelids with his thumb. Dapper closes his eyes obediently. “Dok, what’s wrong? His medicine isn’t working.”

“I don’t think it’s that, Anti,” sighs Doktor, leaning back against his chest as his big brother sinks to his knees beside him. He takes any chance at comfort he can get. “He’s just…”

Doktor trails off, biting his lip.

“What?”

Doktor winces, trying to pick safe words.

“Deutsch,” mumbles Anti, putting an arm around him to rub his shoulder. “Sprich mit mir.”

“Anti, he’s bored. He doesn’t have enough to do up here.”

“Aren’t you and Trick going to get him some pencils and things?”

“Yes, we - ” Doktor blinks, trying to remember when he told Anti that. “We are, but he’s still stuck in this room all day, and he - I don’t know how often you’re here but - he’s lonely, Anti.”

Dapper hides his face against his stomach. Words like these he does not dare speak aloud.

Anti stares down at his little one, stroking his hair. His face is quiet and thoughtful.

“You’ve been good lately,” he murmurs.

“Yes, Anti,” replies Dok softly.

“You’re steady. Reliable. You do as I tell you. Take care of Trick. Keep the others functioning.”

“Yes, Anti, I do.”

Anti looks up at him. Brushes a strand of hair away from his broken glasses.

“Take Dap with you,” he says. “Take Dap with you into town. I won’t risk him snapping again.”

Anonymous asked: Aight, nobody get separated! Buddy system plus one!

Doktor watches Anti go, biting his lip. Once he’s disappeared, he turns to you with a deep exasperation in his eyes. “Trick will not like this,” he groans, running a hand over his face.

Someone squeezing his other hand brings him back to Dapper, who is staring up at him with a cautious, hopeful sort of confusion in his eyes. He’s not sure he heard Anti right…

Doktor sighs and gets up, reaching down to help the boy to his feet. He’s shaky and still a little distant, but he’s responding better and better with every moment that passes. “Well… Dapper.” Feels weird to call him by his name. “Would you like to go into town?”

Dapper stares at him.

“To town?” he signs.

“Yes.”

“Downstairs?”

“Yeah.”

“Outside?”

“Mostly, yeah.”

“And Anti said… that… I could?”

“You heard him as well as I did. You just have to stay close to me.”

Dapper stares at him.

“Dapper,” says Doktor flatly, frowning.

“Anti said I could go?”

“Yeah!”

“To town? Downstairs? Out - ”

Doktor sighs and grabs his wrist, leading him towards the door. “Put your clothes on and let’s go,” he says, turning around.

Confused, Dapper obeys, checking to make sure Doktor doesn’t turn to look at him, his hands scrabbling at his scars. He tugs on his pants and the t-shirt Anti got him - oh, it was a Shiba Inu on it! - and then throws on the coat, hurrying to follow Doktor into the hall.

“Doktor!” cries Trick, pacing anxiously at the bottom of the stairs. “Dok, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, um. Just - we’re, um. Trick, we’re taking Dapper into town.”

And with those words, it somehow becomes true in Dapper’s head. Panting with relief, he sets foot on the stairs -

And then he’s running.

Down the stairs, past the other boys, through the door, outside.

Outside, outside, outside!

He begins to laugh, kicking leaves into the air. What does it matter that the other puppets stare at him, that Trick and Dok are arguing behind him?

It’s been two months since he left the house.

Anonymous asked: What did you do the last time you were out of the house, Dapper?

Dapper grins up at you, his eyes almost wildly bright. He processes your question and his face twists up slightly with fear. “Anti didn’t come home,” he says. “First try or second try or third try, Anti didn’t come home. I went after him. Made sure he came home. And before that - the plane, and the running, the running away. But then we were here. Now we are here. Right? This is now? I’m outside? We’re going to town!”

He flips a cartwheel like a kid and laughs as he makes the birds fly up into the air. “Hopefully today is a better day than those days were.”

Anonymous asked: trick, you better not argue. it's what anti wants. but doktor you should probably hold onto him tight so he doesn't run off or get hurt

“I don’t understand what’s happening,” whimpers Trick, turning to you, chewing on the nail of his thumb. “I don’t understand, I don’t understand. He never lets Dapper go.”

“Trick,” sighs Dok, grabbing his sleeve and leading him towards the door. “Come on, don’t be so stressed! It will still be fun, yes? Come on, brother mine.”

“This is a trap!” shrieks Trick, yanking against his grip. “This is a trap! This - this isn’t right!”

Red sits upright, startling them all with the realization that he’s awake.

“Here’s something that’s not a trap,” he shouts. “If you don’t shut the hell up and get out of the house so I can fucking sleep, I’m going to dump your body in the ocean. Got me, Trickshot?”

Trick flushes red, his mouth open but no words coming out. Then he flees out the door, Doktor following quick behind him.

“This is fine,” he mumbles. “This is fine. Okay, okay. You’re right. I have to look after him. I have to keep them functioning. I should hold onto him, I - Dap?”

Dapper turns towards him, beaming. Doktor snatches his hand and pulls him closer, and Dapper is happy to go, squeezing his fingers tightly. Trick is hurrying along the path before them, panting.

“Let’s just calm down,” calls Dok, coming carefully after him with Dapper beside him. “Let’s stay calm, you know how you get when you’re too stressed. Come on, Trick! Nice calm walk, okay? Nice calm walk.”

Anonymous asked: Damn it, what did I just say? Dapper, I know you're excited but be mindful of the others okay? Stay close!

Dapper flushes, flinching slightly away from you, clinging to Dok’s shoulder. “Sorry,” he signs, moving closer to his brother. “Okay, yes. I will stay close, I can be good. Will you tell Anti if I’m good? So I can go out again?”

Anonymous asked: does... does anti purposefully lead you into situations where you're forced to disobey him and be punished? is that why you're afraid, trick?

“He wouldn’t do that to me,” sobs Trick. “No, no, no, that’s not what that was! I must have heard him wrong that day! And then - then Dapper couldn’t redo it, or - It’s my fault, it’s my fault, it’s my fault! He wouldn’t - he wouldn’t trick me… he wouldn’t, he wouldn’t, he wouldn’t…. I just heard him wrong. I just heard him wrong. It’s my fault. Why would he punish me if I didn’t do anything wrong? So I must have done something wrong. I must have, I must have. It’s my fault. Don’t say things like that, no, no.”

He grips at the bandage over the scar on his hand, trembling. “No, no, no… I didn’t mean to be bad…”

“Trick!” Doktor calls on the path behind him. “Stop, dammit! Can you slow down?”

Flinching, Trick stops short, like his obedience is a tangible thing holding him to his older brother. Doktor catches up to him with the boy holding onto his hand, and a rush of jealousy cuts through Trick’s distress.

“He shouldn’t have come,” he cries, whirling on them. “He shouldn’t - ”

“Trick!”

Doktor’s hand is on his shoulder. “Trick, Trick. Just… just breathe.”

He pulls Trick under his shoulder. For a second, he feels no different from Anti - but Doktor, unlike Anti, is not laughing at him.

“It’s okay,” murmurs Doktor, knocking their heads gently together. “It’s okay. Nice calm walk, right? Nice calm walk. Don’t think about that night.”

Trick stares at the forest floor, crying quietly, ashamed and angry. But at least he’s with Doktor.

“And we’re going into town,” soothes Dok. “You were excited just a few minutes ago. Yes? So let’s go back to that. No stress right now. Just going to town. Nice, slow, quiet walk. Okay?”

Trick swallows hard. He’s right, really. He doesn’t want to ruin this for Doktor. He’s going to get him a coat and maybe new glasses… something for Red, so he gets off his back… and even the kid doesn’t seem so scary now, staring in awe at the world around him, clinging to Deutsch’s hand…

“Okay,” he whispers, taking a deep breath. “Okay.”

It takes forty minutes to walk to town.

It’s pretty out and the leaves are falling in red and gold around the trees. The town is an old town, a small town, a quiet town, with cobbled streets and tiny shops with foreign writing on top.

“There’s the shop,” says Dok, letting Trick out from under his arm. “You know what you need to get?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Okay then,” grins Dok, stepping back behind his little brother. “Lead the way, my friend.”

And Trick, gripping the cash in his hands, smiles right back.

spicydanhowell asked: (psst dok. wipe the blood off his head before you go into the store)

“Oh, scheisse! Good point.” Dok turns to Dap and pulls out a smaller canteen from his pocket, tugging Dapper’s head slightly down and washing out his hair. “I should have bandaged this, I’m sorry.”

But Dapper just has his eyes closed, enjoying having his hair touched.

Truth be told, Doktor’s surprised to find him so gentle. Most of his memories of Carver are stained heavily in blood.

“How did you manage to hit your head so hard?” asks Doktor, trying to sound nonchalant. “You were doing it because you wanted to hurt yourself, or just bored?”

Dapper looks up, his eyes cloudy. He reaches up softly to touch his head.

“Did I do that to myself?”

Trick is waiting for them expectantly by the door. Doktor sighs and takes Dap’s hand, heading after him. “We don’t have to worry about that right now.”

Anonymous asked: whiskey? cigarettes? do you need infant formula or- oops, forget i said that :)

Trick blinks as he enters the store, his mouth falling slightly open. “Why would I need that?” he mumbles, trying to keep from looking like he’s talking to himself. “Oh, I get it, you’re teasing Dap? That’s funny.”

He gets a basket and starts picking up the things they need - food, soap, cough drops, gauze, vitamins, iodine. Turning around, he always finds Dap and Dok close to hand, and makes sure to shoot Dapper a few warning glares, hating the sight of his hand in Doktor’s and his kiddish delight with everything in the store. Dapper always cowers away from his looks, but Trick’s not about to fall into his sweet, innocent little kid trap. He scowls and turns back to his shopping.

“Look at this,” Doktor laughs, examining some foreign cookies with funny faces on them. Dapper grins and pulls away from him, wandering the aisle with a soft smile on his face. Trick’s relieved. He turns back to his basket, trying to focus.

And he’s still thinking about those fucking words.

Whiskey, why would he need whiskey? Henrik has disinfectant. He’s not allowed to drink. No one asked for it. He doesn’t need it.

Cigarettes, as if. He hates those fucking things - the nasty smell of the cancerous smoke, the taste of a kiss coated in tar, still sweet despite the poison, because it was her mouth and he loved her -

He bites down hard on his lip, staring at the shelves in the aisle before him, surrounding him with baby supplies.

Sippy cups. Pacifiers with monkeys or bears in tutus on them. Shampoo, sweet-smelling baby shampoo, warm and familiar, wafting. Rows of diapers with chubby, smiling infants patterned along the green boxes. Tiny outfits, tiny shoes, tiny socks in different patterns. Monitors, tubs, hygiene products, wipes, toys -

He’s stopped in front of the toys, shaking.

He can’t breathe. He can’t breathe. He’s just standing here, motionless in aisle six, staring at the toddler toys.

This feeling is familiar to him, though he wishes it wasn’t. The feeling that his heart is trying to benchpress a lot more weight than it can carry, that his lungs have gotten a fight with his ribs and made friends with his backbone instead, that his whole body is one great vessel of this terrible, terrible agony - the feeling that something is gone from him that he loved more than anything else that has ever drawn breath on the face of the earth.

He chokes. Sobs. Puts a shaking hand on his chest. No, no, why is he always so weak? He has to keep it together. He can’t keep crying so much. Everyone must think he’s so pathetic. No matter what he does, so pathetic. He’s never enough to earn any love. Never enough to have back what he wants, what he wants, this terrible ghost of a love he can’t remember, the wonderful warmth in his arms -

A hand touches his.

He jolts hard, recoiling.

Dapper falls back too, his hand drawing away.

His eyes are large and worried. His eyes are intelligent. Trick feels that he is staring a fox in the face.

“Why upset?” signs Dapper, tilting his head at him.

Trick backs off, panting, and lets out a sharp snapping scoff, turning his teary eyes away, fixating again on the toys in front of him. His eyes lock on a little sheet of crinkle paper and he sticks with it, trying not to cry. He won’t cry in front of Dapper. Won’t prove to him that he is better than Trick in every way.

Dapper reaches slowly forward and pulls the crinkle paper off the shelf. He holds it out to Trick.

Biting his lip to blood, Trick accepts it.

“It’s okay,” signs Dapper gently. “I think little kid stuff is really cute too.”

“Yeah,” chokes Trick, squeezing the paper in his hands. It has whales on it. “Yeah, cute.”

Dapper smiles and steps back, turning around to go find Doktor again. It is only after he is out of sight that Trick realizes he knew he was not crying because of the cuteness of the baby aisle. He gave him a chance to save face.

He should be grateful, but he’s mostly ashamed.

With shaking hands, he sets the crinkle paper in his basket.

There’s my gift for myself, he reasons, rubbing at his eyes. Now I need to get things for my brothers.

florenceisfalling asked: chase, why aren't you allowed to drink? and oh- what's doktor looking at now?

“Well, it’s not good for you to drink, you get sick and addicted and then you can’t function and shit - fuck, what is he looking at?”

Trick moves forward again and looks back at the last aisle, managing a grin at the sight of Dok happily shuffling through a bin of discount books. “How about this one?” asks Doktor, wheeling on him.

“What is it?”

“Thornton Wilder.”

“Am I supposed to know who that is?”

“I don’t know. I’ve heard the name so he’s probably famous. It’s 10 krone.”

“Fucking bargain. Get it.”

Dok beams, hurrying forward with the book clutched under one arm. He grabs Trick’s free hand and Trick tries to smile back at him, without much success.

“How about a coat for you?” suggests Trick.

“Oh, I’d rather get a coat for you.”

“My jacket is thicker than yours. We’ll get you one.”

“Gloves, at least, for you.”

“If we have money.”

“Red said I could get you gloves. That means you have to.”

Trick sighs, a small smile flickering over his mouth. “Okay, fine. Dapper, stay with us, we’re moving. Just a few more things before we head home.”

Anonymous asked: Dapper, how are you enjoying being outside the house! What's your favorite part? How's seeing your brothers again?

“I like it, I like it, I like it! I am a little scared because I don’t understand why Anti said I can go and usually only lets me out of the house for my chore, and he didn’t tell me if I need to do my chore today or not.” You notice that his hands, and even his smiling mouth, are trembling, but he still looks happy and bright-eyed. “My favorite part is probably when we were walking around, because I haven’t seen any trees but the ones right outside my window for a long time, and there were different trees today, and I liked them. I hope we will see a dog today! And seeing my brothers is - ”

He glances up at Trick and Dok, walking hand-in-hand in front of him.

“Well, Trick is not different from what I expected, but Doktor - ”

Dapper is suddenly wiping miserably at his eyes, a darkness returned to his face. “Well, Doktor doesn’t actively hate me, so… better than I thought. I really like having someone to touch other than Anti… I know that sounds stupid.”

“Hey, Carver,” calls Doktor, and Dapper hurries after him, reaching his side to find him standing in the school supplies section, complete with notebooks, pencils, and art supplies. “You want to pick something out?”

Dapper’s eyes widen. He stares at the pencils and paper for a long time. Doktor waits patiently, watching him with analysis in physician’s eyes, concerned with the boy’s erraticism. Finally, Dapper reaches out with shaky hands to take a small pack of charcoals and a big sketchbook with a windmill on the cover. 200 krone total. Not bad, Doktor figures, for a man trapped in a single room all day, every day.

“Come on, then,” says Doktor, reaching out a hand, and Dapper, smiling sweetly, reaches out to take it.

spicydanhowell asked: hey if you guys bought a coat for one of you, the other could wear both jackets at once? then you'll both be warm. (but also dok... why do you cover the scar on trick's hand? what happened to him?)

“Oh, that’s a good idea,” admits Trick, picking a pack of nice black gloves off a rack near the back of the store. “Sometimes Anti takes clothes away if we’re not using them enough or he gets tired of them, but maybe we could. That would be warmer, especially at night. It’s getting so cold.”

He blinks down at his hand as Doktor comes up behind him, adding neosporin to the basket. “We cover that up because, um… people have noticed it before.”

“It’s ugly,” Trick snaps, tired of mincing words. “Looks like my skin’s fucking tree bark. Disgusting-ass burn.”

“Hey,” snaps Dok, snatching his hand out of the air. “What have I told you about putting yourself down like that?”

“What, like it matters?” growls Trick, gripping at his hair. Doktor recognizes anguish in his movements and frowns, reaching out to touch his face, but Trick only shoves away from him, clutching at his crinkle paper, reassuring under his fingers.

“You want to hear about that night, do you?” he snaps, glaring at his scar. “I was just trying to keep us warm! It’s not my fault! Anti said to look after them while he was away and they - they were so cold!”

Tears spark in his eyes and he backs away.

“Enough,” demands Doktor, shoving the camera away from him. “Enough, let’s speak no more of this.”

“I didn’t mean to disobey,” whispers Trick, holding his own burned, scarred fingers in his hand. “I just didn’t want you to freeze… he told me to look after you…”

Anonymous asked: anti burned you? that doesn't sound like a loving brother

Trick flushes bright red, staring at you.

He glances down at his hand. Back up again. Down at his hand.

“Well,” he whispers, curling his hand into his chest. “Maybe that’s because Anti doesn’t love me.”

Uncurls his hand. Curls his hand. Stares at his hand.

“Not like he loves the others.”

His fingers were so burned he couldn’t move the hand at all for three weeks. Try handling a sniper like that. He earned plenty of abuse for his inability to do what he was supposed to, too, and every time, he faced it with more confusion, more distress. He was trying his best, he promised, he promised.

“Anti’s too good for me, really… I’m just the little fuck-up of the family. I know he doesn’t love me like the others, but… at least he keeps me, right?”

His hand opens, trembling.

“I started a fire,” he whispers. “To keep Doktor and Dapper warm, while Red and Anti were away on a mission. We were staying in this warehouse… it was January and freezing. Anti didn’t like the smoke. When he got back, he told me to put it out with my bare hands… so I did. Better a burn than what he would have done to me otherwise. And I was such a baby about it too. Couldn’t s-stop crying. He was so - he was so - so angry - so - so - ”

Trick snarls and backs away, angered by his own stammer. Ashamed. Clutching his hand to his chest.

“It doesn’t matter now,” he chokes out. “As long as Anti keeps me. I don’t think that I’ll ever earn his love. But at least he hasn’t thrown me out and taken my brothers away from me. I wouldn’t survive it.”

spicydanhowell asked: is red going to like what you all picked out? if i know him, he'd probably be mad if you forgot something... (also i think he has a thing for peanut butter so that might sate his rage a bit. ;) he seemed angry this morning.)

“Oh, peanut butter!” Doktor’s glancing around the store, trying to figure out if they forgot something. “Good idea, good protein! Let’s put one of these fruit cans back and get that instead. And I think he’ll like these?”

Doktor holds up a pair of good running sneakers, cheap but stylish, with blue laces and a white-grey pattern. “Not too expensive, either. They’re off-brand of course.”

“Not like Trick’s,” he adds, puffing up a little, grinning proudly at you. “He’s got real Converse. He loves those things. But Red, I suppose, needs some running shoes too.” He shrugs with fake modesty, grinning,

“Having money for once is going to your head,” grumbles Trick from an aisle away, and Doktor laughs.

immabethehero asked: Hey Anti! 🖕 Bitch. 🖕

Your cameras back home have lost connection, but the boys at the store hear you. Trick sighs and rolls his eyes, rubbing at his face. He wishes he could keep it together for a single day, but here they are. “They don’t have anything to say, let’s go,” he grumbles, heading towards the register, where a portly, cheerful-looking old woman is offering a smaller child a coloring book to play with on the counter.

“We got everything?” asks Dok.

“Present for me, present for Dap, present for Red. Food, all the medicine stuff you asked for. Got your coat?”

Doktor holds it up proudly. It’s green and thick, with faux fur on the big comfy hood, good for sleeping on. It’ll fall all the way to the backs of his knees. 370 krone. The most expensive thing they’re buying, by far, but worth it. Trick feels a rush of pride. It’s been a long time since he was able to get anything for anyone, let alone something nice for the person he loves more than anyone he remembers in the whole world.

Well, not more than Anti, obviously. “Let’s just check out,” he says, flustered.

The child on the counter ignores them as they unload their basket, cheerfully coloring in a picture of a storm trooper. Trick gazes at the gun in its hand while Doktor tries clumsily to make conversation with the woman at the counter. They usually pretend to be German when they’re out, so Doktor’s doing his best to make himself understood, while she only speaks a few words. She’s polite, though - interested, patient, friendly. She gives Dapper a big smile and he gives her a big smile back. Trick wonders idly if his little brother is always this friendly, even with the people he’s sent after - until, of course, he pulls out a knife. He’s a good little actor, he thinks, glaring over at him. Dapper blushes and looks away, scooting a little closer to Doktor.

Their total is close to 2000 krone, and Trick is so flooded with relief he almost faints. He’d been keeping track of the cost, of course, but he can’t help but always expect that something will go wrong. He counts out the cash quickly, smiling at the woman, who looks a little concerned at his enthusiasm. She pats his hand when he’s given it over with a comforting little smile and he tries not to flinch away, his burned fingers coiling up in his palm.

“Takk,” he says, grinning as he and his brothers scoop up their groceries and start shoving things in their backpacks. Doktor pulls the coat on and Trick beams.

“Takk,” answer the cashier and her grandchild, and then laugh at their synchronization, waving them goodbye. Trick is warmed by the fondness between them, by the presence of his brother, by the bags full of food and medicine and everything they need.

“That is everything we need, right?” he asks as they get outside.

“Umm,” says Doktor, thinking. Glancing around, he spots a pharmacy, a little tourist shop, a boat rental place, a fish and chips place, and a playground. “I think so? Is it?”

“We can’t forget something, Dok. Anti won’t like it.”

“I know. But I can’t remember if we need something else?”

“Well, we’ve still got like… 400 krone. Anti told us to spend it…”

Trick crinkles the cash in his hands, biting his lip. “So we…. could do that.”

Doktor glances at him, surprised, but he doesn’t say anything.

“We could… spend it if we wanted. Or… well, we could spend it. On something we need, if we can think of anything. Or, well. It’s midday, we haven’t eaten yet.” He glances over at the restaurant.

“Can’t remember the last time I ate something fried up,” he sighs, wistful. “Homemade. You think it’s normal fish and chips or something local? I guess it wouldn’t matter. Still be tasty.”

“So - lunch, something we need or save it,” Dok summarizes, pushing his glasses up on his nose.

“Shh,” hisses Trick, glaring over at Dapper. “But… yeah. Yeah. What do you think?”

“I’m not sure. I almost feel like we’re missing something. But I’d really like something to eat. Or it could be safer to… not spend it.”

Trick sighs and glances over at the camera. “Well, what do you think?”

Anonymous asked: Did you get something for Blue?

Trick glances up. “That’s a really good note, but Anti said he’d get what he needed for Blue. Thanks for reminding us anyway, we would have been in trouble if we forgot something for him otherwise. We’ll share food and stuff with him, of course, but I guess Anti has his own plans for the other stuff he needs. New pets sometimes get… different treatment than the rest of us.”

Anonymous asked: dapper keeps secrets from anti too. he likes to keep little animals as pets, so as long as you don't tell anti about his raven, he definitely won't tell anti about you stashing the extra 400 for an emergency... orrr you can buy yourselves a luxury haha

Dapper flushes white and staggers away from his brothers, his hands rising up in front of his chest. He shakes his head hard, trying to stay steady through the rising rhythm of his heart, shaking his whole body.

“You keep secrets from Anti?” hisses Trick.

“You keep a raven?” asks Doktor, bewildered.

“No, no, no!” Dapper’s back slams against the wall of the store and he shakes his head. “No, no, no, she’s gone now!”

“Oh, this is too fucking rich,” laughs Trick. His voice is bitter as rhubarb. “You’re Anti’s spoiled little brat and even then it’s too hard for you to follow his orders? Oh, wait til he fucking hears about this.”

Carver gives a little croaking gasp, his hands finding the knife in his coat pocket.

“Trick!” snarls Doktor, grabbing him and yanking him towards him. “Stop, now. Drop it.”

“What? You just think we should let him get away with - ”

“I don’t fucking care if Anti knows or not,” snaps Doktor. “It doesn’t concern me. But how about this hypothetical, Trick - Anti finds out you threatened his little one. How do you think he’d take that, huh? Or better put, how do you think you’d take another beating?”

Trick’s gone almost as white as Dapper. “Okay. Okay.”

“I don’t care if you tell Anti. But don’t threaten the boy. I don’t want to get my ass beat because of the stupid decisions that my little brothers make. Understood?”

Trick nods. “Yes, Doktor.”

Dapper stares at the ground, his mouth trembling.

“Okay,” says Doktor, releasing Trick. “So that’s one in favor of saving the cash… provided we don’t all snitch.”

Anonymous asked: Wouldn’t Anti be mad if you saved it? I feel like that’s the best option but I’m worried that he’d get mad and punish you if he found out you had some money left.

“Yeah,” sighs Trick, staring down at the krone. “He would be. It’s just… well, never mind. Okay. That’s one for spend it.”

Anonymous asked: Well, Anti did say specifically to spend it all. So at the very least, if you want to save it, don't give it back to him because he doesn't want it. Do you ever go into town and have not enough money so savings would be helpful, or would it be better to have something you can use? Or food, now?

“Yeah, sometimes we don’t have enough for anything,” murmurs Trick. “Red never says it, but I can tell, because he stops eating. So that’s two for savings.”

florenceisfalling asked: maybe you could get a gift for anti? he didn't tell you to, but he might appreciate it. that could help you out, trick.

“Oh, interesting.” Trick blinks up at you, thinking. “Guess I’m not sure what I’d get him, though. All he likes are knives and computers. If someone has an idea, let me know.”

loganandoli asked: Anti said to spend all the money and to get food and gifts! You said before you needed a first aid kit and some soap too, so if you got all that then I think you’re good! :)

“He did say to spend it all.” Trick sighs out a deep breath. “And we got all that… And I’m really hungry right now. I don’t think we forgot anything… did we?”

immabethehero asked: Get Anti one of those toy phones. They're cheap. Or a black scarf.

“Haha, that’s pretty good really! A black scarf, I bet he’d like that. He has a red one he wears a lot when he’s out in public. Well, maybe I’ll think about that. I guess I’m not sure how he’d take it. I don’t want him to think I’m wasteful.”

Anonymous asked: I don't know what 400 krone can but, but maybe a space heater?

“A space heater, holy shit,” groans Trick. “Can you imagine? That would be fucking incredible. But there’s no electricity back at the house. Plus I don’t think we’d have enough. I’m sorry, I’d like that too.”

immabethehero asked: Use Anti as your electricity

Trick laughs. “You think he’d waste energy on keeping us warm?”

Anonymous asked: More ammo for your gun perhaps?

“Anti gets that for me! I never have to worry about that.”

Anonymous asked: Hmm. I read that you can use things like duct tape and plastic wrap or towels along windows and doors to prevent drafts, maybe?

“Oh, yeah! I think we have duct tape still in the med kit, right, Dok?”

“Yeah, from that time we ran out of gauze.”

“And we do have blankets.”

“Yep, yep.”

“We should try that, though.”

“Yeah, might help. House is drafty.”

immabethehero asked: If he wants you, he should. Give it a shot

Trick grins a little sadly. “I’m sorry, but Anti just doesn’t have time to fuel a fucking space heater for us. It’s a nice idea, though. Thank you.”

spicydanhowell asked: trick! be fucking nice! he's your brother and he loves you. he wants to love you but you treat him like shit because you're jealous of him. there's nothing spoiled about how carver has to live. he gets left alone all day and he's not allowed to touch or talk to anyone but anti, and anti hurts him and ties him up and you think that's special treatment? that's fucked up.

“Well, at least Anti fucking loves him!” shouts Trick, whirling on you. “At least he gets held and coddled and told he’s wanted and shit! Maybe that’s not spoiled to normal people, but my family’s not normal! At least he - at least he - at least - ”

Trick screams his frustration, only to find himself yanked towards Doktor and pressed against his brother’s side. “Calm down, Trick, goddammit! Calm down, they’re right! He’s your little brother too, you know.”

“He’s my only little brother,” snarls Trick, hiding his face in his hands. “And I never, never, never even get to see him!”

His voice shatters and he slumps against Doktor’s shoulder.

“Never get to see him,” whispers Dok, confused, brushing patiently at his hair. “Why does that upset you?”

Against the store wall, Dapper watches wearily, exhaustion in every line of his face - but a certain curiosity too.

“It doesn’t!” cries Trick, gripping Doktor’s shirt. “It doesn’t, it doesn’t! It - I don’t know! I don’t know! If I’m not supposed to remember anything why do I still miss him? I’m so angry! I’m so fucking angry all the time! I’m so fucking tired!”

“Okay, okay,” murmurs Dok, leading him to a bench on the playground and sitting them both down. “Okay, calm down. Let’s just breathe.”

For a few minutes, they sit in silence. Doktor rubs his brother’s back. Dapper watches, something hungry in his eyes.

After a little while, Trick lets out a soft laugh.

“Maybe they’re right,” he murmurs, pressed to Doktor’s chest. “Maybe his life isn’t any easier than this, up there all day, all alone. Cause much as I’d like Anti to want me more…”

He looks up. The earnestness in his eyes surprises Doktor. “Much as I want that,” says Chase. “I think, at the end of the day, I’d rather have you.”

Warmth blooms in Doktor’s chest like a rising tide. His cheeks fill in rosy red.

“Little sap,” he whispers, shoving their foreheads together. “I’m going to punch you in the arm for that one.”

Trick laughs, hiding his face in his shoulder.

“Don’t you go saying anything like that around Anti,” murmurs Doktor.

“Okay, Doktor, I won’t.”

“I love you too, Trick.”

“I love you, Dok.”

“Feeling calmer?”

“A little. Yeah. Calmer.”

“Well, let’s just… let’s just calm down. Let’s just - Trick, let’s get some lunch.”

Trick draws slowly back from him, hope in his eyes. “Really?”

Anonymous asked: Anti said to spend it ALL and I think he meant it...

Trick nods slowly, counting through his cash a second time. Swallowing, he looks up to meet Doktor’s eyes.

“So… spend it?”

Doktor grins slowly. “You want fish and chips?”

Trick shifts, smiling. “Haha, really? Really really? I was sort of kidding… it’s been forever since we had anything cooked.”

“Yeah. It has. We deserve a treat, huh?”

Trick grins dopily, like a little kid. “A treat, wow… um, maybe… I don’t know, Dok…”

spicydanhowell asked: if y'all are already hungry... you've got a long walk back, just buy some lunch and stop worrying :/

“That’s a good point,” giggles Trick. “We do have a long walk. We do need something to eat. We are supposed to spend it all.”

He stares down at the cash. Up at Dok.

“We’re getting fish and chips.”

“We’re getting lunch?”

“Dude. Dude. We’re getting lunch.”

They’re both laughing now. Trick feels a little overwhelmed. This is the fucking best.

“Okay, well, come on, then!”

“Okay, man, okay! Haha. Let’s get food!”

Doktor calls Dapper over to him - pausing gently to push a strand of hair out of his eyes before taking his hand - and they head past the pharmacy, over to the restaurant. There are other people milling around and the sun has risen cool and cheerful, sending wind brushing through their hair. They can smell the sea from here, crisp salt making the air clean.

The restaurant is more like a bar than anything else, and there are local workers off for lunch crowded around the bar, talking and laughing and chatting. After so long cooped up in that little house, Trick finds there’s something very comforting about the old, familiar feeling of other people being happy and safe around him. He squeezes Doktor’s hand and then asks for a table from a nice teenage waitress, who, luckily, seems to speak good English.

They end up in the corner, exactly where they’d prefer. Dapper presses up against the wall, looking tired.

“You want fish too or what?” asks Trick, avoiding his eyes.

Dapper sits up uncertainly, wondering if he’s being made fun of. He glances at Doktor, who shrugs and smiles.

“Yes?” knocks Dapper, frowning.

“Okay,” says Trick, checking prices. “We can get fizzy drinks too and then we should be close enough to spending it all. Safely close. Sound good?”

Dapper stares at him. “Yes,” he says finally. Sounds really good. He’s not sure he’s allowed to eat anything without Anti’s permission, but… Trick’s in charge right now, so he’ll go with it.

He glances over at Doktor again. Doktor smiles back. Trick looks cheerful, bouncing a little in his seat. The sun shines through the window.

Dapper giggles and sinks down in his seat, resting his head on Doktor’s shoulder, and he isn’t pushed away or even glared at by Trick.

Today’s a good day.

Anonymous asked: Eat out and save your goods for later!

“True!” grins Trick, setting his backpack down beside him and looking down at all of his stuff, proud of everything he’s secured for his family. “Saving more food for later!”

musical-in-theory asked: To quote my favorite show: “Love, hate, they’re so close. It’s easy to mistake one for the other.” Trickshot. Hate is easy, but it’s wrong. Hate is easy, but it’s not the only option. Hate is easy, but that’s not what this is. You get a choice. He’s not your twin, but he is your little brother. He’s your family.

Trick and Dapper exchange uncomfortable looks and turn back to their food, gone quiet. Trick and Doktor are mostly done, but Dapper has only picked at his food, though he has looked pretty happy, if a little tuckered out.

nikkilbook asked: This has to be the most physical activity Dap’s had in... what did he say, two months? Given how small that room is and how often he ends up tied up or restricted, I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended with muscle atrophy. How’s he doing? He’s gotta be exhausted, especially with how out of it he was this morning.

Dapper giggles. “Anti and I tussle a lot, he doesn’t want me to get too out of shape. I roll around a lot and stuff. Sometimes Anti even dances with me.”

He puts his chin in his hand and stares dreamily out the window. “That’s the most fun, when he does things with me. But I am a little tired… I haven’t been sleeping well. Or I don’t think I have. Have I? I can’t remember what time we’re in. Is it still today?”

Doktor and Trick exchange quizzical looks over the table.

Anonymous asked: You know, Dap. You have the ability to keep reliving this day. This one good day. Anti wouldn’t have to know.

Dapper sinks down in his seat, avoiding his brother’s eyes.

“The thing is, he often knows,” he sighs. “I get tired within a couple tries and he sees… my eyes change and I wear down… and if I ever used too much power and then wasn’t able to reverse things later…”

Dapper pauses, clutching his shaking hands together, biting down on his lip. Trick frowns. He never noticed they shared that tic before.

“I think he would just kill me,” admits Dapper. “I wouldn’t be of any use to him then.”

Trick and Doktor have gone quiet.

“But, if I could pick a day to relive…” Dapper grins and takes a sip from his drink. “It might be a day like today.”

musical-in-theory asked: Oh and Anti. My “fuck you” alarm just went off. You know what that means! Damn you, you absolute pecan. You three-month-old stale potato chip.

Your connection back home fizzles. You catch sight of Dapper’s room. There is something red drizzling across the floor of the bathroom.

musical-in-theory asked: Wait, wait. Hold the fuck up. What?

“I’m the fuck up,” whispers Trick. “Hold me.”

He and Doktor dissolve into giggles over their fish. Dapper tilts his head at you, confused.

florenceisfalling asked: well, maybe look for some hand warmer packs? they might be hard to find, especially if you don't know the language, but they heat up really fast without electricity (they're just lil chemical things in a bag). i dunno, we use them for hunting and hiking here. irrelevant but how's blue doing? or have the cameras lost connection still?

“Hand warmer packs,” repeats Trick, popping his last chip in his mouth. “That’s a really good idea! Fuck, I gotta tell Red that. They don’t use electricity? That could be really good, especially if - ”

“Wait, hold on,” protests Doktor, sitting forward. “The cameras lost connection?”

Trick blinks and sits up, looking at you. Dapper reaches quietly into his vest.

“The ones back at the house?” asks Doktor. “All of them? Entirely?”

He turns to look at Trick.

“I think we should go home. Cameras being disrupted could mean Anti’s in danger.”

“If Blue got loose…” murmurs Trick, remembering flowers bursting up through concrete.

“Blue didn’t get loose,” snaps Doktor. “Nobody ever gets loose from Anti. Come on, let’s just - I think we should just get home.”

“Okay, shit - I - okay.” Trick leaves the cash on the table and slings his backpack over his shoulder. Doktor grabs Dap’s hand and they head out together. The sky is beginning to cloud over.

Anonymous asked: Red? Blue?? ... Someone there?

Your downstairs camera flickers, trying to answer you. You’re fairly sure there is a body at the bottom of the stairs. Nothing is moving. The camera screen is glitching heavily. There is a soft but painful whining in the air - and maybe, if you listen, someone singing.

musical-in-theory asked: Guys hurry up!! Something bad went down back at the house and we can’t make out what happened!

“Fucking hell,” whispers Trick, picking up his pace along the trail. Dapper, on the other hand, is slowing down, his face dark with concern.

“I can feel his power,” he tells you, but his brothers are not looking at him. “He is dangerous when he uses this much.”

nikkilbook asked: Boys, I’m not sure what, but something’s gone sideways back at the house. I’d suggest you hurry, but be on your guard.

“We do need to be on our guard,” groans Dok, growing closer to the house. “Trick, maybe we should - maybe we should stay away.”

“The others could be in trouble, are you sure?”

“No, I’m not sure! We’re just not exactly the fighters of the house, are we?”

Trick pants, biting down on his lip. “Got your gun?” he asks.

Dok’s face steadies and he pulls from beneath his jacket a beautiful silver handgun.

“Well, there’s something, isn’t there?”

Doktor nods, face white. “Get your knives out. Both of you. Trick, you’re sure about this?”

“No,” answers Trick, grinning. “But I don’t think we have much choice, do we?”

“Well,” sighs Dok, resuming his march. “When do we ever, my friend?”

Anonymous asked: Goddamnit.... Anti, anything you can tell us?? (Two others asking after Anti were added)

The screens flicker as one.

“What,” read green words glitching across the screen. “Are you so afraid of?”

The body at the bottom of the stairs is not moving. From Dapper’s room, something blue has joined the red on the floor of the bathroom. There is movement inside, and then quiet laughter.

The screen steadies.

Anti steps out of the bathroom.

There’s a towel, stained red and blue, wrapped around his throat. He approaches carefully, leans down to the floor, and scoops the camera up.

He looks exhausted.

But proud.

“Well, hey there, puppets,” he purrs. “How was your day out on the town, huh? Do you want to see what I’ve been working on? Huh? Or are you too scared to see what’s happened to your favorite boy?”

musical-in-theory asked: We are not puppets!! Just fucking show us the damage!! FUCK YOU

Anti drops the camera on the floor, sniffing. “Well, you can wait for the other boys to get home and hope they have the courage to investigate if you want.”

ari-trash asked: I'm a bit scared of what we'll see but I do wanna see the boy

“Now there’s a politer way to ask,” purrs Anti, scooping up the camera. “Or at least the bare minimum. Of course you want to see him! He’s a good boy! He’s wonderful, he’s mine. I’ll consider it.”

nikkilbook asked: Is it too much to hope that they had a roaring good time and Good Boy A is just taking a snooze downstairs and Good Boy B is getting his hair dyed in the bathroom. Cuz like. What the frick else is that blue stuff.

Anti laughs aloud. “You guessed it, Nikki, good job! Hahaha! That’s too funny. Good job, you must be the smart one. I’m not sure Red’s sleeping, but, hey, he’s quiet, isn’t he?”

nikkilbook asked: Not sure how I feel about Concerningly Amoral Boy calling me the smart one, but okay.

“Concerningly Amoral should be the name of a band. I like that.”

Anonymous asked: Ooh, our favorite puppetmaster's been busy? Well, if you'd let us see, we'd be glad to see your latest project :)

Anti giggles. “Okay, someone knows how to have fun. Come here, I want you to see.” He carries you back towards the bathroom and knocks gently on the door. “Blue? I’m bringing someone in to see you, okay?”

A pause. Soft breathing in heavy air. Then, shakily: “Okay.”

Anti carries you into the room.

Blue is stretched across the floor, shirtless.

His long, neatly-kept hair is gone, or at least it is lying on the floor of the bathroom instead of clipped up on the back of his head. Anti cut it off with warm hands, shaving the sides, leaving it longer on the top, which is soaked in a fine blue dye.

Blue’s eyes are dazed and empty. He stares blankly up at you, shaking a little from the cold. He moves, but only very slowly. Anti crouches down and puts a hand on his shoulder, rubbing his bare skin gently. “That looks good, doesn’t it?” he murmurs, playing with a lock of his hair, leaving blue on the ends of his reddened fingers. “That looks nice. How are you feeling?”

Blue blinks and swallows. “F-feel sick, Anti.”

“Poor thing,” whispers Anti. “It’s okay. I told you I’d look after you, wouldn’t I?”

Blue nods slowly, tears in his eyes. Anti brushes them away and leans in to kiss the side of his mouth. “You’re okay. It’s okay. Hey, tell them you’re name.”

Blue stares up at the camera, his face very pale. “It’s Blue,” he says. “That’s what Anti told me.”

“Right,” murmurs Anti, stroking his shoulder. “Right.”

Anonymous asked: Wait, really? Why would you dye his hair?

“Oh, simple,” says Anti, standing up. “I fucking love character design.

“Isn’t it fitting that a new man should have a new haircut? New clothes? A new name? You know, in the Bible, when God would give a mission to someone he loved, a new purpose for living, he would rename them and send them away from the places they grew up. Simon becomes Peter, Abram Abraham, and so on. You have to destroy the old person to make way for the new.”

Anti pauses, tapping his lip. “Jack told me I was misunderstanding those stories, once,” he admits. “But I like to think my point stands. This is my new pet. He is no longer the man you knew. And he does not look it. You will see soon enough that nothing at all is left of your precious boy.”

Anonymous asked oh god, what have you done? What did you do, what did you do to them Anti? Was sending them out just a distraction? What did you do? WHAT DID YOU DO?

Anti smiles. “Hey, Blue,” he calls. “How long have you been with me, darling?”

Blue looks up, his eyes bewildered. He rubs dully at his face. “Don’t… don’t remember…”

“No? Can you tell me how many brothers you have?”

Blue frowns, squeezing his eyes tightly shut. “You,” he stammers out, trying hard to think. “And… the other boy… Red… right?”

Anti simpers, smirking at you.

“Anti, my head hurts,” whines Blue, sinking down against the bathroom floor.

Anti reaches down to help him up again, rubbing his back. “Let’s get you downstairs, huh? Twin’s going to look after you. Okay? Let’s get you down for some sleep.”

nikkilbook asked: While I agree that Biblically, the new name is associated with laying aside your old life, I think the real misunderstanding here is yOU AREN’T GOD.

“No one is,” sighs Anti, sounding disappointed. He helps Blue get to his feet, stroking the back of his head, and his little brother leans in to rest against his shoulder.

musical-in-theory asked: Fine. A punishment, slight or harsh, is far better than a reward in this case. To do right by you is to give in to evil.

“Evil,” sighs Anti, and then, distantly, “What is truth?”

Anonymous asked: Anti, I hope you realize that when karma comes back around, shes going to make you pay dearly for what you have done here

“She better hurry up, then, I’m tired of waiting for her. No one ever makes me pay for anything. Being unequaled can be boring, you know.”

musical-in-theory asked: Okay Anti. I knew you were a damn psychopath, but why did you have to cut the hair? His gorgeous hair! Imma start calling you Telly the Barber for this

Anti giggles and there is a flicker in his audio. A second later, his mouth is moving, but out comes the voice of Cecil Palmer, intoning, “He talks with an accent and sneers. Telly the Barber cut Carlos’s beautiful hair. According to reports. Telly. Now, while I gather myself, let’s have a look at traffic. Oh, wow! Well, that looks pretty good. Yup.”

Anti sneezes and cuts himself off, laughing, his voice returned to normal. Blue, close at hand, looks vaguely unnerved.

musical-in-theory asked: Nope you don’t get to wax poetic here with philosophical questions. You’re a damn brainwasher and torturer.

To your credit, Anti is in fact beginning to look tired of talking. He heaves Marvin closer to hand and strokes along his stomach, glaring at you.

ari-trash asked: Is the new look the "gift" you mentioned giving to blue or do you still have something left for him?

“Ah, there’s a good question,” purrs Anti, helping Blue to sit on Dapper’s bed. “In fact that was only the first part of the gift. I got him a lot of presents. It’s his birthday, after all! His and Red’s.” He leans down to kiss Blue again, self-satisfied to the extreme, and Blue doesn’t flinch away. “Stay here for a second, kitten.”

Anti leaves the camera with Blue, who stares blankly down at you.

Anonymous asked: Marvin....? Are you still there? I said once that I wouldn't let your forget who you were and I am desperately hoping I haven't failed you. please, Marvin, you have to remember! You cant let him brand you!

Blue flinches every time you try to say the name, rubbing at his ears as a sharp shrieking noise reaches him again and again. “That’s awful, please stop,” he murmurs. “I have such a headache. You’re going to help me? I could really use that, I - ”

Tears spark in his eyes and his mouth quivers. He turns away, angry for crying in front of strangers. “I can’t remember who I am and Anti - well, he’s not very good at explaining…”

Anonymous asked: My, my, what a thorough job. That’s honestly impressive :P What happened to the little redbird, if we may ask?

“Thank you,” hums Anti, sorting through his closet. “And good question. My little cardinal has been so anxious lately. I noticed he was having trouble getting on with his twin. And that won’t do. I made it easier on both of them. You’ll see.”

spicydanhowell asked: could you put some clothes on him!? it's fucking freezing

“Good idea! I sure can.” Anti slings a bag over his shoulders and hurries back to Blue, setting it down beside him. “You must be freezing, Blue.”

“Yeah, it’s cold…”

“Here, get dressed, and then we’ll get you downstairs to lie down with twin. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Anti pauses, tilting his head. “Okay?”

Blue blinks, swallows, remembers. “Okay, Anti,” he manages. “Yes, sir.”

Anti laughs, hard, stroking his cheek. “There’s a good boy. There’s a really good cat. Everything’s going to be okay. Get changed, now.”

Anonymous asked: Ah. Right. He can't be disagreeable if he's not conscious. A-plus logic in peace building there.

“Oh, no, no, nothing so shallow as that.” Anti shakes his head, tsking his tongue against his teeth. “What do you take me for? No, something more permanent for my red dog.”

nikkilbook asked: I take you for a toddler with very few positive conflict resolution skills.

Anti pauses, considers, shrugs. “I’m five, so. It is what it is. PMA, right, guys?”

Anonymous asked: Tenacity, maybe. But not pma sorry.

“Yeah, well, I never understood that saying anyway.”

Anonymous asked: Boy howdy am I afraid for what's gonna happen next :D

Anti giggles and looks at you, giving you a huge smile in mimicry of the emoji. A second later a “:D” flickers across the screen and Anti bursts into laughter, turning away. “Okay, enough, enough! You’re all fucking comedians tonight, huh?”

Anonymous asked: what the fuck have you done to red? specifically what.

“Check him out for yourself, fuck, I’m exhausted,” snaps Anti, suddenly irritable. “When are my boys coming home? I’m tired, I want Monochroma, the bed is cold.”

Anonymous asked: Red? Can you hear me?

On the stairs, a soft whimper. The body stirs, turning slightly on its side.

Anonymous asked: Are trick and doktor still far away from the house?

Doktor approaches the house with the others close beside him. He keeps them at his back - he’s the older brother and he understands that, despite the benefits of his birth order, this also means his job is to protect the younger ones.

The door to house is shut, or as shut as it ever is, missing its topmost hinge. As they get closer, Dapper begins to gag, shaking his head hard, yanking back against Doktor’s grip.

“Hey, hey,” hisses Doktor, turning to him. “What’s wrong, the hell are you doing?”

“Power, power,” signs Dapper, shaking. “Bad, bad.”

“Blue’s power?” asks Trick, clutching his knife tighter. “Did he hurt Anti?”

“No, no, Anti power.”

“Well, then, what’s the matter?” sighs Doktor.

“Bad, bad,” whines Dapper, tears filling up his eyes. “Don’t want, don’t want go. Hurt me too.”

“No, no,” murmurs Doktor, turning back to soothe him. “It’s okay, it’s okay.”

loganandoli asked: Hey Trick, Doktor, Carver, you’re all good. Anti was just dying Blues hair. He did do something to them both though, so be careful.

“There, there, see?” Doktor hushes Dap, reaching out to squeeze his shoulders gently. “Just hair dye! Just silly, fun stuff, yes? It’s okay.”

“Power, power, power,” signs Dapper, gagging, pulling away. It’s pretty clear that Doktor isn’t enough to reassure him.

Anonymous asked: Trickshot? You guys close yet? Where are you? We only have a vague idea of what's going on but I think the danger's passed for now.

Trick glances at you, nods, and stands up. There is a sudden light returned to his eyes, one you have never seen before. He turns to Dapper, hiding his face in his hands, and then reaches out, just gentle, to take his hand.

Dapper flinches at first, staring up at him with fear in his eyes, but a second passes, and Trickshot doesn’t hurt him. He’s finding it difficult to even meet his eyes, but he doesn’t pull away.

“I get it, okay?” he whispers. “It’s scary even when it shouldn’t be scary.”

Dapper stares, his face loosening slightly.

“But we can’t not go in. Right? It would be worse to try and run away than to stay and risk it.”

Dapper nods slightly, considering.

“If something goes really bad, you can reverse it, can’t you?”

Dapper looks exhausted. But he nods again, reaching out to touch Trick’s cheek.

Trick sighs but allows it, taking Dap’s hand in his own.

“And they say the danger’s past, don’t they?”

Dapper scowls, turning his face away. “Don’t trust them,” he snaps, baring his teeth. “Snitches!”

Trick can’t help it. He’s laughing.

“Okay, you’re right.”

“Told on me!”

“They did.”

“Twice!”

“I know, Dap,” sighs Trick. “I know. And yet…”

And yet, they have to go in. And yet, they have to trust you. And yet, Trick does not plan to tell Anti.

“We gotta go in there,” says Trick. “Don’t we?”

Dapper sighs and steadies himself, standing up straight. “What if I don’t get to leave again? For months, maybe?”

Trick bites his lip. Dapper copies him. Trick smiles, suddenly weighed down heavy by all the bullshit sorrow in his bullshit life.

“Well,” he says. “At least we had one day of freedom, didn’t we?”

Dapper’s mouth flickers in a smile. He reaches out to touch Trick’s cheek again, and this time, Trick takes his hand in his own, and squeezes it tight, staring him right in the eyes.

“Okay,” say Dapper’s exhausted hands. “Okay. Let’s go in. Come what may.”

loganandoli asked: Red? Can you hear us? Are you ok? What did he do?

The body turns over, revealing open blue eyes, staring right at you. A look of confusion on his face, a slight tremor on his mouth, red dye in his hair, cut short at the sides, left longer on top, just like Blue upstairs.

“Red,” he repeats wearily, his voice frail, and shaking, and very, very confused.

Anonymous asked: Red, are you alright? Can you move, buddy?

He blinks, swallows, and tries his best to sit up, managing to slump against the wall next to the stairs, panting hard. His head is unwrapped and he clutches at it, groaning. “I can move,” he manages thickly. “I can… Red…what’s…”

musical-in-theory asked: Wait, Jackie? Is that you?

“Ow, fuck,” he moans, clutching his head at the screeching. “Please…”

Anonymous asked: Dok, get your medkit ready. There's gonna be blood...

Dok rummages in his backpack to draw out gauze and disinfectant, so he at least has something ready. In his other hand, he holds the gun out.

“On three, okay?” he whispers, nodding at his brothers. “One, two…”

He shoves open the door and points his gun, staring around. Near the bottom of the stairs, Red jolts up, staring back at him, letting out a quick, panicked shout. Above him, on the stairs, a second man has gone still, frozen by the gun in his hand.

“Umm,” says Doktor, fixated on him. “What… uh…”

“What the fuck?” gasps Trick. “Blue?”

Blue stares back at them, his mouth slightly open.

He wears a long black coat, thin but sturdy, with sleeves drawn up to his elbows and the tail hanging at the back of his knees. His hands are coated in rings and bracelets, his ears glimmer with silver, his shirt depicts the turning cycles of the moon, he wears blue jeans and soft black boots.

“Um,” he chokes, backing up. “I think so?”

Dapper, Doktor, and Trick exchange glances.

Red staggers to his feet, pointing at the his brothers in the doorway, paranoid. “Okay,” he barks, panic in his voice. “I’m going to ask this once and once only - who the fuck are you?”

nikkilbook asked: Okay, this may sound horrible, but are we ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN which boy is which? Like, is the boy we’re calling Red the same boy we were calling Red this morning?

Anti laughs, his form flickering as he steps down the stairs, until he just ends up looking like a fanged Jack with his hood pulled up. “Haha, can you imagine? I just lose track of which is which? They lose track of which of which? So fucking lost in their heads they can’t tell where the old breaks and the new begins? Mind you, I might have with Trick and Doktor if not for the accents… needy, clingy little boys they were, pressed side-to-side in their little collars and chains, crying for Red to remember them… Funny. You’re funny.”

He staggers slightly and catches himself, anger flashing across his face. Straightening up again, he sets his feet down on the bottom step of the stairs, looking around at his puppets.

Red has pressed Blue protectively against the wall. He looks shaky and terrified - Blue just looks exhausted, his fingers curling around his twin’s hoodie. Doktor and Dapper and Trick stand in the doorway, staring at their brothers. Anti sees horror, grief, and confusion in their faces.

“Alright, everybody chill out,” he sighs, heading over to Trick and unzipping his backpack, pulling out a bag full of groceries. He walks over to the cabinets and begins putting food away, stacking peanut butter and canned fruit while his toys readjust to the situation. They’re so fucking slow sometimes. Not his Dapper though. His Dapper is already resigned, avoiding Red and Blue’s eyes, playing with the fringe of his coat. Sometimes Anti thinks he remembers more than the others. He is lucky to have not been in the house while Anti played with Red and Blue. He is lucky you sent Doktor to look after him.

“Anti, what’s happening?” pants Red. Doktor has lowered his gun, but he doesn’t look any more at ease.

“I told you,” sighs Anti. “You hit your little heads, you don’t seem to remember much.”

Doktor’s mouth tightens with a quick flash of anger, but he schools his face again immediately, drawing Trick closer.

“You know your twin. These are your little brothers, Doktor and Trickshot. They won’t hurt you. You need anything, you tell them, and they’ll do it. Right, boys?”

“Yes, Anti,” they promise in sync, twin faces white.

“And this is my Carver,” he adds, nodding to Dapper. “You leave him alone upstairs, he’s violent for such a tiny puppy.”

Carver blushes but offers no protest, staring at Red with sunken eyes.

What does it matter? He won’t see any of them again. What’s to say they’ll even remember him if he does? What’s to say any of this will still be real tomorrow?

Anti hums and closes the cabinets again, fighting off a wash of exhaustion to make his steps unsteady. Leaning slightly against the island, he glances over at you, considering turning you off, but another look at the confusion in Red’s face makes him smile again, and he decides to let you watch.

He yawns, licking his canines, and reaches out a hand. Dapper responds immediately, hurrying over to him to take his hand in his own.

“I need to sleep,” he admits, rubbing at his face as he turns back towards the stairs. He takes Red’s chin in his free hand and examines his frightened face apathetically.

“Keep your brothers in line tonight,” he says.

And Red, never washed clean enough to forget his training, responds: “Yes, Anti,” in a small, steady voice, the emotion draining from his face as he pulls himself back together.

Anti smiles.

The others watch him and Dapper walk upstairs, the shutting of the bedroom door leaving them alone and staring, confused and afraid, from opposite sides of the room.

Trick thinks Doktor is crying.

 End Section 3 of Chapter One.

Find this chapter’s masterlist here.

[theramseyloft]

Please don't compare autistic people to animals. It's super not cool.

I’m assuming you’re referring to this quote from the ask about pigeons and parrots.

“And if your mom is prepared for that and able to deal with what amounts to an autistic 5 year old with wings who can scream literally as loud as a jet taking off and bite through a broom handle for the next 60-80 years, then awesome!More parrots deserve a home that’s actually prepared for them!”

And I am sorry if that was offensive to any one. Another friend pointed out that it might be, so I went back and made the following edit to the post, immediately following the paragraph above.

“(Before any one gets concerned, I am autistic! I do not describe parrots this way as an insult. The similarities are just glaring to me, and if the thought of living with an autistic human child is upsetting, you should really rethink getting a parrot.)”

I stated at the beginning of the post that I’m not good with words either. 

Writing is the way I communicate most eloquently. I literally can’t talk like this vocally, unless I’ve spent HOURS practicing.

If I don’t mean any harm by it, I often can’t see how it could be hurtful, and I depend on more socially adept followers and friends to take me aside and point things out when I miss them.

I did not make the comparison for shock value or to degrade any one.

I am autistic. 

The similarities are genuinely glaring, to me.

I see myself and other people like me in every complaint I have ever heard some one make when they got rid of a parrot.

“It’s too loud!” “It destroys EVERYTHING!” “It won’t let me cuddle when *I* want to!” “It won’t stop plucking!” “I’m scared of it.” “It’s food/toys/housing/care/ is too expensive!”

All leads to:

“I don’t want it anymore!”

Parrots are BRILLIANT! 

Not only are they incredible mimics, but they are amazingly mechanically adept! They LOVE puzzles and climbing and they need TONS of time and mental stimulation! Space to play and forage! Toys they can destroy with out getting hurt. The company of some one that understands their needs and their behaviors.

They are adapted to live in HUGE flocks! Screeching that carries for miles keeps them in contact with each other.

Screeching is not bad behavior for a parrot. It’s just calling out to see if some one will answer. Cockatoos especially genuinely NEED loud, excited time!

Humans that vocally stim are not misbehaving. They NEED to make noise to express emotion.

Expecting a parrot or the humans who need to vocally stim to keep silent all the time is TERRIBLE for their mental health! It stresses both unspeakably to bottle that up, especially if they are loud because they’re happy or excited!

Loud time is necessary, and people who think they want a parrot have to be ok with and prepared for that. 

Parrot’s thick, powerful beaks are designed to cut, crush, and splinter.They eat hard nuts, tough fruits, and many species chew through wood to make nest holes. They even use their beaks as an extra hand to climb.

They are not being bad when they bite.

They don’t usually mean to bite hard. But human hands are fragile, and biting hard enough to hurt is really easy to do by accident.

I accidentally put one of my elementary school teachers in the hospital by running up and hugging her as tight as I could. 

I didn’t mean to hurt her. I was just SO overwhelmingly happy to see her, and it didn’t dawn on me that I even could have.

People who think they want a parrot need to be prepared for the fact that they don’t innately know how hard is too hard, or that they can hurt their handler without meaning to.

Scared, cornered parrots can inflict a LOT of damage attempting to defend themselves or their eggs from The Scary Thing!

They aren’t being bad when they do that either.

It’s usually a misunderstanding. 

Bird warning signs are just not intuitive to humans, and when we want to touch a pet, we tend to insist the pet be ok with that when ever we want them to be with little to no regard for its comfort.

You guys have NO idea how afraid I was of the neurotypical kids who seemed to go out of their way to harass me, bully me, and kill or destroy things I liked because my behavior was not normal.

They’d be friendly one second and hateful the next, from my perspective, and not knowing what to expect made me skittish and defensive and withdrawn.

People that think they want a parrot need to be prepared to learn to understand enough of its behavior to know when it’s receptive to interaction and when it’s overstimulated pr afraid and needs its boundaries to be respected.

You also need to understand that all parrots tamed by imprinting are at least some degree of mentally ill.

Mental illness and neurotype are not the same thing.

There is nothing wrong with an autistic person. We are healthy people whose brains process and store and retrieve information differently from what is more common and thus considered typical.

Mental illness is usually caused by physical or emotional trauma or neglect.

Let’s start with the fact that the vast majority of parrots do not get to live their lives as parrots.

They are removed from their parents and raised by humans, which is, let me remind you, genuinely necessary for them to be safe to handle in captivity.

Imprinting, as stated in the post, does not just make an animal think you are its mother. 

A birds entire species identity is conveyed through imprinting. “This is what you are, this is your social structure, these are your normal behaviors, this is what you eat, how you live, what you should be sexually attracted to.”

Parrots raised by humans think that they are human because that’s what imprinting does.But all of its instinctual urges will be parrot, and they will not match the thing it has imprinted on, which leads to a LOT of the miscomunication that stresses the bird and overwhelms the owner.

Humans don’t imprint, but I can tell you from experience that there is a disconnect between the way neurotypical and autistic humans think and process and interact with the world just drastic enough that it makes it hard to communicate effectively, despite being the same species and speaking the same language.

It’s incredibly frustrating, and with out any indication that the other can understand you, you just... give up and withdraw. 

People who think they want a parrot need to understand that a withdrawn bird doesn’t hate them and isn’t being bad. Its attempts to communicate have failed and it has given up.

An understanding of psitticine body language will go a LONG way to prevent this issue.

Most pet parrots live functionally alone and spend most of their time confined to their cage. They may never see another bird of their species, or even another bird, period, in their lives.

Look at most parrot cages on the market and the species they are marketed as suitable for.Most parrot cages are just display stands, barely large enough for the bird to stretch its wings out all the way, never mind flying or climbing or engaging in any natural behaviours!

And keep in mind that these are wild animals, less than ten generations into domestication.

Adapting to confinement takes GENERATIONS of selective breeding, and all ethics aside, parrots just haven’t had the TIME!

An intelligent, intensely social animal used to traveling great distances, spending a lot of time foraging and relying on chewing to get almost every comfort met from food to nests will hallucinate, pace, tear up its enclosure, lash out at its handlers, and eventually self mutilate when deprived of all social interaction, mental stimulation, physical activity, and behavioral outlets necessary to reduce stress.

Sound familiar?

Parrots don’t get to choose who they live with. Autistic humans don't get to choose who they are born to or who becomes their care taker. And the consequances of willingly or accidentally failing to meet their needs are STRIKINGKLY similar.

I am sorry if that is offensive.

I was not drawing attention to these parallels to say “Parrots are terrible because they are like autistic people!” 

I am pointing them out as food for thought to remind people to respect that their needs are complex, not especially intuitive to the typical joe, and if you want one, you need to be prepared to spend the next 60-80 years doing your best to keep the commitment you made to meet them all.

[thephoenixfields]

Session 1: Flesh to Stone

Our campaign begins on the continent of Valadris: a land that stretches from the Kibrian Sea beyond Soraya all the way to the glimmering streets of The Gilded City—a name that has been elided over time into just one word: Gilead. The word is vast, populated by cities and rural areas alike. Magic is plentiful but, depending on your location, also feared.

“None of this would have happened under Queen Portia.”

“Quit yer belly achin’! The bitch is dead, ain’t nothing doing about that. Long live the king is what I say. Long live the damn king.”

The story starts in the satellite town of Anka: a small, meager village in comparison to the large, tiered city of Soraya that sits on a tall hill in the distance. Anka has always sat in the shadow of was once a bustling, prosperous city. These days, however, the only things coming out of the royal city of Soraya are hushed whispers and curious tidings. On one side, it stands aloft on a sharp cliffside that has a terrible drop of over a thousand feet; on the other, miles of farmland stretch as far as the eye can see. It is rumored that, in certain circumstances, the cliff was used as a form of capital punishment, though no one has heard of anyone taking “the Great Leap” in over fifty years. Anka, the town in which the party has found themselves, is full of travelers and tradesmen: it’s meant to be a merchant’s stopover between the traveler’s road and Soraya itself. The town is near to overflowing, though, like people who should have made their way on to Soraya a few days ago or even a few weeks ago have been forced to rethink their plans.

The gates at Soraya are closed.

The party is gathered at the Quick Cup, an inn about a day’s ride from Soraya splat in the middle of Anka.

Current party members as of session one:

Aeleyn, Elven Ranger (played by Renne): looking for answers in all the wrong places. She has lost trust in her father and has decided to seek out the truth on her own after living a life of privilege.

Fen, Human Druid (played by Jade): plagued by prophetic dreams, she sleeps uneasily.

Nemo, Human Umbramancer (played by Amanda): As he faced the sun, he cast no shadow. Has little memory of what happened to him before acquiring these interesting shadow-based powers. Only his brother, Linus, remains in his heart.

Rowan, Lightborn Cleric (played by Rogue): optimistic and a bit naive, hoping the world is as good as she’s always dreamed it would be.

Sariel, Elven Fury (played by Jordan): ruled by a power she cannot control, she has run away from home to protect the ones she loves...from herself.

An older man who introduces himself as Brendan Tubow is complaining loudly about his inability to enter the city and sell his season’s harvest. Brendan’s son, a skinny, blond farm boy named Gaer, looks embarrassed but hopeful as the party takes interest in the farmer’s plight.

“My crop is good, but bloody hell, there ain’t no way into that damn fortress these days!” Brendan complains.

A swarthy looking duo from the table next to the party growls back, “The Guild will take what you’re selling, you know.”

Brendan gets red in the face and nearly spits. “Yeah, the Guild will buy our product: for a tenth of what it’s worth, and then sell it for twice what we ought to have been paid. Agrona Three Fingers is just as likely to slit my throat as pay for my supplies. No thank you.” Brendan turns back to the rest of the table and remains morose about his plight.

The group figures out that the Thieves’ Guild is somehow managing to get food and other supplies into Soraya in some capacity. They must have a way in, but the party is not inspired to approach the Guild for help, considering how Brendan talks about them.

Nemo sees Agrona, a rugged looking woman in the back, wearing a hood over her blond hair, fiddling with her daggers. She does indeed have only three fingers on her left hand. “Be careful,” Gaer whispers covertly. “She’s real dangerous.” In an attempt to find an alternate way into the city, Nemo approaches Agrona and asks, “So, if we were trying to get into the city without using the Guild’s methods, how would we do it?”

She replies with a curt, “I am Guild.” And Nemo promptly turns tail back to the rest of the party.

A mysterious woman at the bar with jet black hair cut around her ears makes eyes at the table and Rowan, curious, approaches her. She introduces herself as Selene Shou and buys Rowan a beer. “To Soraya,” she says. “May she someday break her chains.”

“Oy, we don’t tolerate treasonous talk around here!” the barkeep shouts, shaking his finger at her.

“I can’t speak freely here,” Selene bites out through gritted teeth. “But if you can get inside the city and meet me at the Silver Jackal, you may prove useful to the cause. Use portends gold, amongst other things.” Selene wants proof that you are intelligent or sneaky enough to get into the city on your own. She has her ways, but she wants to see how you fare. “Just know, there’s always another way.”

Gaer explains that it has been six months since her Majesty Queen Portia, hallowed be her name, passed into the great unknown, leaving her half-brother, Lord Karver Cane, to rule over the Phoenix Fields in the wake of her untimely demise. “She was so young and good. They’re not sure what exactly did her in.” Ever since then, the gates to Soraya have been shut.

The party agrees to help Brendan and Gaer get inside the city. Gaer offers his late mother’s necklace in return for helping the group, which the party refuses (mostly: Nemo is definitely eyeing it). Otherwise, the two farmers have little to offer. The group decides to help regardless.

The party spends the night on the outskirts of Anka in a barn owned by one of Brendan’s acquaintances. Sariel has a bit of a run in with a cow. Aeleyn and Sariel, as they both only need 4 hours of meditation per night to get a full night’s sleep, take turns keeping watch. While Sariel is awake, she sees that Gaer is pretending to be asleep. She approaches him and Gaer admits that he is an arcane caster, or a magic user. He is keeping this secret from his father because he wants to be seen as normal. He also knows that there are rumors about Soraya, about how magic is feared there, about how arcane casters are being arrested just for being who they are. Sariel agrees to keep his magic a secret.

The next day, the group makes their way to the gates of Soraya, which are indeed closed. A large group of people are standing in line outside the gates, regardless, in various feeble attempts to bribe their ways into the city. Sariel and Rowan, through a couple of key persuasion rolls and bribery, manage to acquire passage for the cart and one person to enter the city. The guard says that Rowan reminds him of his sister. “You have her eyes.” The group decides that Brendan should go and that they will keep Gaer for now.

An old woman Gaer refers to as Granny Allie sees that the group is a little lost at how else they can enter Soraya.  “You’re wasting your luck,” she croaks out. “You’d be better off going through the tunnels than waiting for these lot to grow more tender hearts.”

Gaer waves her off. “Come on, Granny Allie, enough of that fanciful talk.”

The group asks Gaer if it is possible there are tunnels under the city. “Well, the city is very old. And it’s said that before the city of Soraya was build, another stood below it. This place is called Pheonix Fields, you know. Out of the ashes, Soraya grew. In the soil beneath, it’s said that there are ruins of another city. But that’s just a story, part of the myth.”

“Not rumors! I’ve been there, to Hellbor, when I was younger and I still had my leg,” Granny Allie tells the party. “I’d be going through the tunnels now, but I’m too old and too broken. You lot, though. You have spirit. You should be able to make it through.” She tells the party about a group of ruins in the Northern Wilds, the forest next to the Phoenix Fields and Soraya, where there is an entrance to the undercity of Hellbor. “You’ll be able to get into the city from there. No use haggling with these miscreants. I’ve seen them take your money and then close the gates in your face before.”

The group decides to try to find the tunnel into Hellbor and makes their way across the farmland that divides the gates of Soraya from the Northern Wilds.

Sariel has experienced the Northern Wilds before: her people live in the Southern Wilds on the other side of the Felian Wall, the structure that divides the forest into two distinct halves. The Southern Wilds holds the city of Alanar, Sariel’s home. The Northern Wilds, on the other hand, is where Alanar sends its young people to complete their coming of age. The Northern Wilds is known to hold many great beasts, monsters and animals that are held off by the wards around Alanar. She tells the group that the Northern Wilds are dangerous but the group decides to press on regardless.

Fen, as a druid, senses that something has disturbed the wild nature of the forest. The group makes their way deep into the forest before coming across a bizarre scene: a few statues of fearful goblins seem to have been embedded into the tapestry of nature around them. Another statue, one of a girl looking out resolutely, is discovered.

“Oh shit,” Sariel says nervously, remembering stories her parents told her about the things that lived on the other side of the Felian wall.

The group is then attacked by a large basilisk, which is handled fairly successfully, besides the fact that Gaer, the party’s ward, has been turned to stone. By the end of the battle, another basilisk approaches as well as the sound of many footsteps.

A handsome man with long hair tied back into a short ponytail in perhaps his mid twenties comes upon you with nearly twenty men and women in tow: all with weapons aimed at you, all dressed in similar garb, all ready to kill. “If you want to see your friend alive and well once more, you’ll drop your weapons and come quietly,” he says gravely.

session 2 recap »

[mmoxie]

50 Character Questions For Karalonde

@memes4less​ asked me to do the whole darn ask meme for a character of mine that i like a lot, and it took some time, but

it happened, and i’m just, so incredibly sorry to mobile users if this somehow eats your dash

here’s a readmore tho

What is your OC’s favorite color? Yellow.

Does your OC collect anything? What do they collect? Curios and antiques from Elven history.

What kind of things is your OC allergic to? No allergies.

What kind of clothing does your OC wear? Very huge yellow cloak full of pockets is a must. Steel-toed boots, sweaters, comfortable all-weather pants. It takes a lot to get her into something elegant.

What is your OC’s first memory? Her mothers and mentors, the spooky old Ravens Grey, holding her hands and singing songs to her.

What’s your OC’s favorite animal? Least favorite? Karalonde gets along very well with corvids. They tend to recognize her as another corvid, like a very big crow or raven. On the flip-side, dogs don't trust her, and she doesn't trust them.

What element would your OC be? Sodium.

What is your OC’s theme song?

The Heavy - No Place For A Hero

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhwDxNqWtxk

Do you have a faceclaim / voiceclaim for your OC? Nah.

What deadly sin would best represent your OC? This one's a toss-up. I'm going to go with Pride though, because she's sure of herself to a tragic fault. Believing without question that she's making the right decision, because she's Karalonde, so of course she's right, has been her downfall more than once.

What are your OC’s hobbies? She used to play guitar. Hasn't picked it up again since she lost her eyes, but she could.

How patient is your OC? How hot-headed are they? She's patient until she's not. Dynamite with a really, really long fuse is still dynamite. When she's angry, she's Category Five Angry.

What is your OC’s gender / sexuality / race / species / etc.? She's a night elf, a trans woman, and a lesbian.

What foods does your OC like to eat? What are their least favorite foods? She's a total disaster about modern food. Absolutely spoiled by the world of greasy and salty and deep-fried. But she's got a soft spot for kimchi, which she grew up on, and likes her meat rare.

If your OC could have any pet, what would they choose? Why? A corvid of some kind. She's always had an affinity for them due to her upbringing. Whenever she encounters one in the wild, she has a way of approaching them that makes her seem to be a Very Large Raven, rather than a different creature altogether.

What does your OC smell like? Boot polish.

How do they make a living? What kind of job do they want / not want? What is their dream job? What do they think of their current job? Karalonde found and sold a great deal of her belongings from half an eternity ago in order to build a large savings. Large enough that she can coast on it for basically as long as she wants, as long as she lives simply- which she prefers. Most days, she takes a boat to the Broken Shore and participates in holding the line there, helping to keep the demons from advancing any closer to the mainland. Her dream job requires that the war be over. She wants to go back to being a public servant. Maybe the mayor of a small town, or some other low-caliber politician. She considers her current "job" a necessary service, but it places her uncomfortably close to the Illidari.

What are your OC’s greatest fears? Weaknesses? Strengths? Karalonde fears failure to the point of outright "you didn't win" levels of denial. She also fears abandonment. She's absolutely awful at expressing herself, and this distances herself from would-be friends and romantic partners, and this is exacerbated by her vast ego, which insists that she can't be in the wrong for acting that way. She is, however, phenomenally physically strong, literally fireproof, and she can, on occasion, channel her inability to otherwise express herself into a passionate drive to protect the few people she can keep close to her- even if that means doing something as dangerous and oafish as picking a fight on their behalf.

What kind of music do they listen to? Do they have a favorite song? Karalonde likes things that sound like Spanish guitar. She also has a certain fondness for the powerful drums the Trolls use.

If they came from their world to ours (if not already in our’s) how would they react? What would they do? She's been traveling offworld for half an eternity, thanks to her career with the Illidari. If anything, she'd just be shocked to find out that the Earth isn't a smoldering husk. The next step after that would be to casually assimilate, never explaining her appearance or origins, pawning off her extremely valuable gold coins from Azeroth in exchange for fat stacks of cash. She'd miss out on a lot of our visual media due to her general eyelessness, but once she got the hang of things, she'd almost certainly end up a celebrity. Maybe even star in an action movie.

What personal problems/issues do they have? Pet peeves? Lack of decorum makes Karalonde very upset. She's got a strict sense of what's proper behavior, and she's not above delivering a hard slap to remind her close acquaintances to behave when she's around. She also has a stomach ulcer, and arthritis in her knees and hands. Her only pet peeves are all to do with communication- she hates when strangers interject with "their two coppers," and she'll often deny them outright if they ask to contribute. Likewise, she hates un-asked-for explanations, and will mock anyone providing one with "ah, look at the young scholar," or something to that effect.

What kind of student were they/would they be in high school? Horrible. Just the worst. Not even a disruption in class, just the kid who seems to always have better things to do than be there. Abysmal attendance record. Shows up whenever she wants. Gets into fights in the cafeteria pretty often over basically nothing. Steals little things all the time. --Librarian's pet, though. If she's not in class, she can be found there, helping stock returns and organize the shelves, holding surprisingly mature and serious conversations with the librarian about her future.

What is a random fact about your OC? At least once in her life, Kara has- just like a dog- chased after and eaten a bee. With the consequences you'd expect.

What is their outlook on life? What is their philosophy / what do they think in general about living? Kara is a firm believer in "all the fake things, all the bullshit, all the wishy-washy myths and mysteries." Every cryptid is real, every mystery has its fantastical conclusion, every conspiracy is worth investigation. She insists that it's the fake things- "the things we invent, because we like the sound of them" that contribute a newfound value to the dirt and grass and trees. Every ritual, she believes, is a total fabrication- an invention that, by virtue of our commitment to it, achieves its function. The only "fake thing" she questions is the Holy Light, because she finds it uncomfortably godless. "Where in the hell is their deity," she's asked more than once, "how in blazes did they reckon on just -light?-" The truth of that is, she just finds it unimaginative- lacking the spark of imagination that comes with grander rituals and other "fake things." But a world rich with fake things is a world she wants to protect. She's invented a great many, herself, ascribing value to trinkets and places and even articles of clothing. She'd save the world just for the sake of the value she finds in an idea. Even a really silly idea. Especially a really silly idea.

What inspired you to create them / how did you create them? Were they originally a fancharacter? What was their personality / design like when you first made them? In a lot of ways, Kara is wish fulfillment. She's beautiful, she's strong, she's capable. But in other ways, she's constantly failing, She's a lapsed Illidari who broke the bond with her demon because the two of them fell in love, for goodness' sake. Talk about taboo on top of taboo. She's wrong about most everything, but she believes so hard and so sincerely- and again, that's wish fulfillment. I wish I could believe like Karalonde believes. She's only a fan character in the sense that she's not built out of My Original Lore, but really, there's only so much structure that Blizzard offers to characters, so they end up 1% Blizz, 99% Your Effort. She's always been kind of the same, ever since I made her, but she's changed in subtle ways- being more indulgent, telling more jokes, opening up little by little, learning to care about others again. Her journey's gradual, and she's got a long way to go.

Who is the most important person in their life? Why? Who is the least important to them (that still has an impact and why? It's hard to say. Kara makes herself into a mother figure accidentally, all the time. She ends up attached to someone and worries about them, and next thing she knows, she's rushing to protect them. But there are a few- a very select, very distinct few- who she sees the "makings of greatness" in. And yes, John Silver from Treasure Planet went into the pot, when I was making up Karalonde for the first time. She fixates on these people- often slow-witted but sincere, brave but prone to accidents, full of self-doubt but in possession of great ambition- and she dotes on them. She provides what she can for them, even if it's just providing encouragement. She wants them to succeed, because she's already lost the war, as far as she can tell- but they don't have to. They could win it. To contrast, boastful warriors who go on and on about their conquests and victories, she considers fodder to be fed to the Legion. Let them go and die, if that's what they want, because they don't have or make any fake things to enrich this world.

What kind of childhood did your character have? A very strange one. The Ravens Grey served as three different mother figures- One was tall and thin and very judgmental. One was hairy and squat and very slow to speak. The third was near-about the elven ideal, beautiful and youthful- but she had strange habits, drinking smoky concoctions and babbling prophecy. They each raised Karalonde in their own way, but also together, as a family. They taught her to be shrewd and clever, and never meaner than she had to be. To be tacit when it served her, and to make speeches when- and only when- they were called for. They molded her into an elf that could serve the woods, one of the finest politicians their village would ever see. None of them- not even the babbling prophet- expected that the woods would burn and Kara would find herself trapped in service to the Illidari. They were kind to her, but not coddling. They chose lessons over discipline. If she was going to scrape her knee, she was going to learn how to mend it. If she was going to throw a rock at the boy across the street, she was expected to explain why he deserved it, to their satisfaction. Otherwise, she'd get a lecture on when it's appropriate to throw rocks, and what rocks are the best kind to throw, and where you ought to throw a rock depending on how upset a person makes you. She grew up to be a woman who is very good at throwing rocks.

What kind of nervous habits do they have? Do they stim? Do they have any kinds of addictions? Her ears twitch when she's angry or overstimulated. When she's frustrated, she'll grab an old trinket out of her coat and polish it until it squeaks. She's not an alcoholic, but she's fonder of a cosmopolitan than the average elf. 

If they could choose their epitaph for their grave, what would they choose? [KARALONDE - BORN IN TIME IMMEMORIAL - DIED IN BED, BENEATH A DOZEN GOBLINS] She always was too friendly with the waitresses in the Bay.

Do they want to get married? Why or why not? Would they ever want kids? Do they have kids? Why? She considers marriage an "Eastern tradition," like worship of the Light, necromancy, and failing to maintain a functioning kingdom. That said, if she was proposed to, she might open up to the idea. Just for the sake of trying something new. As for kids, she's never had one. She was meant to have one- a child intended to be the next leader of her village- but it never came to fruition, due to the woods burning. As things stand, she may end up a godmother for one of her friends. She might like a child of her own, but she's not ready to settle down. Not even after all this time.

What is their most traumatic memory/experience? What is their favorite memory? She wasn't taken offworld by choice. She wanted to stay in the woods, hold the line, defend her village. She was dragged by the armpits through a portal, to go "fight them where they live." She's been bitter with Illidan and his ilk ever since, and it hurts her every day, to think back on what she was forced to leave behind. To contrast, her very favorite memory involves going to a quiet glade in Duskwood where the green dragons used to stay, and finally being able to touch the waters of a moonwell without them burning her skin. She was in the company of a young druid, who sang and kept her safe while she fretted and protested and doubted aloud until she finally found the courage to try. There was no greater relief than knowing that the mother moon recognized her again, even a little bit.

If they could have one thing in the world, what would it be? One thing? How big or small scale is this? Like... one article of clothing, or one concept? For the sake of a good answer, I'll choose concept and go with "a home." She hasn't had a place to call home since the woods burned, and she wants one very badly. So badly that she's willing to occupy old elven ruins that've been abandoned and start dressing them up again.

Would they ever kill someone? What would someone have to do to push them to kill someone? If they would kill someone, why? She "doesn't kill things of the good dirt that walk on two legs." This has to be broken down, a bit- "things of the good dirt" means creatures of all kinds who are made out of flesh and blood as a result of living somewhere. By this metric, demons are not things of the good dirt, largely. Many of them are composed of dark magic from the nether in their entirety- or they've been killed and remade so many times that nothing remains of what they once were, when they came up from their "good dirt." Then there's the matter of two legs- if it moves on four, it tends to qualify as prey. She considers herself an old creature of the woods, and as such a creature, she eats what she damn well pleases. These aren't hard rules, however. She'd eat a human or an orc or any such creature if she had to, and feel no moral or ethical dilemma whatsoever- she considers them to be "made of the same meat I am." If it's not a matter of eating or driving back the Legion to protect her home, then she absolutely will not kill. Maim, bludgeon, assault, she'll beat the daylights out of someone who crosses her- but she won't kill them. She, like the Ravens before her, would rather teach a lesson.

What social groups and activities does your character attend? What role do they like to play? What role do they actually play, usually? Kara isn't the life of the party, but she's an active participant. She's belligerent and traditional in a lot of ways, but she likes to laugh and she likes to have a good time, and she's got the good sense not to make a bad situation out of a good one- unless she's really, terribly bothered by something, in which case she'll raise hell. She doesn't belong to any clubs or organizations anymore, but she's casually trying to form some- a township in some abandoned ruins, for example- and she hands out yellow cloaks to match hers, to any lapsed, failed, or rejected Illidari in need.

How is your character’s imagination? Daydreaming a lot? Worried most of the time? Living in memories? She has a spectacular imagination, but it's limited by her perspective. Her ideas are fanciful and sometimes brilliant, but they have the same kind of old-fashioned charm that "old sci-fi" has compared to the sci-fi we're used to now. She doesn't worry, but she is prone to fantasizing- and she does do a great deal of living in memories, because she has an eternity of nostalgia to sift through.

What does your character want most? What do they need really badly, compulsively? What are they willing to do, to sacrifice, to obtain? She wants the war to end. She's tired of having to fight in it, she was never meant to. She doesn't have many compulsive needs, but she does like to fight more than the average elf. By a long shot. She's done sacrificing, though. She'll kick ass and take names all up and down the Legion front, but she's already given up her eyes, her home, her lover, her allegiances, her dignity, her glaives, her traditions, her family, her friends, her neighbors, and every last tree in the woods we now call Felwood. She's Fucking Tired Of Sacrifices And She's Going To Keep And Protect Everything Else That Exists Now, God Damn It.

What’s something that your character does, that other people don’t normally do? Bumps into walls. If it's not enchanted, she can't fucking see it. But she's too proud to use a cane or a dog, so she just struggles against the physical world because she needs to insist to herself that she's fine.

What would your character do with a million dollars? She already has a million dollars. She's chosen to live well within her means, do a job that satisfies her, and make meaningful personal connections.

What is in your characters refrigerator right now? On their bedroom floor? Nightstand? Garbage can? Fridge: Several stolen platters from New Years celebrations. Meat and cheese and vegetable dip trays from several different parties she wandered through. Also, a gallon of milk, a gallon of sweet tea, and a gallon of lemonade.

Bedroom floor: Gigantic heaps of treasure, stolen from everywhere. Rugs, quilts, piles of loose gold and silver trinkets, pottery and riches. It looks like the Cave of Wonders from Aladdin in there.

Nightstand: Flask of spring water from halfway up Hyjal. Gnomish audio recorder featuring a tape with instructions on how to read braille. Three other gnomish audio tapes are nearby, with instructions on how to use the Common alphabet, a recording of some very good guitar played by a pirate in the Bay, and a highly explicit tape, also bought in the Bay, which features very animated readings of a couple "steamy romance novels."

Garbage can: Empty soup cans, spent matches, various wrappers and shreds of wax paper.

Your character is getting ready for a night out. Where are they going? What do they wear? Who will they be with? You can count on somewhere expensive. Kara likes paying extra for something quiet and special and well-crafted, so fine dining suits her. Even if she eats with her hands. She was given a dress over Winter Veil, made of embersilk. It fits, and she likes to wear it out. Odds are, she'll go out with a friend- but if she had a choice, she'd get a celebrity on her arm. She'd love to stir up a controversy by being caught out at dinner with a world leader, like Tyrande or Sylvanas. Especially Sylvanas- she feels like they'd have a lot to talk about, in their long years.

What does your character do when they’re angry? Why? Pick fights. She's an extremely physical woman.

Does your character have any scars? Where did they get them from? S h i t l o a d s. Where do you think? She's been fighting the Legion for goodness knows how long. Longer than most.

What was the most offensive thing your character had ever said? "It's only a human. Wheel it off to a priest before it stinks, or eat it."

How does your character react/ accept criticism? ...It takes her a while. A long while. Usually something painful and humbling has to knock some sense into her before she'll accept a new idea.

If your character was given a slice of pineapple pizza and they HAD to eat it (or something bad would happen), how would they react? Do they even LIKE pineapple pizza? She fucking loves pineapple on pizza.

Your character is given a voodoo doll of themself. What do they do with it? Do they see if it actually works? Poke at it, then put it away. She believes very strongly in the sorcery of the Trolls, and she's not going to test her luck.

Can your character draw? What do they like to draw? Do they doodle? She can't draw. She also can't read, or see.

What were their parents like? How has that affected how they are as an adult? I feel like I already answered this one. The Ravens Grey were strange, confusing, but ultimately compassionate old witches whose methods carried both the danger and directness of the old trolls, and the dignity and decorum of the new elves. Kara, as an adult- having gone through so much- still tries to make herself like them. They were good to her. She appreciates how they raised her.

Does your character like candy? Do they get sugar rushes? What are they like when they get a rush? Candy makes her sick. She'd never eat enough to get a rush, she'd vomit. Hates the taste. Even chocolate.

If your character was presented with imminent and unavoidable death/fatality, how would they react? Would they try to avoid death anyways? Would they try to make their last days count? She'd embrace it with open arms. She's been waiting to die for a long time, and death simply hasn't come to her. She'd feel relief, in passing away. She'd get her affairs in order as best she could, distribute her wealth, talk to the people she wanted to talk to- Tyrande, Sylvanas, Boss Mida, Alexstrasza, Chromie, Shandris, and Varok Saurfang, in particular- and then call it quits. Take it easy, stay home and close to her loved ones, and just let herself finally die. An eternity is long enough to live. Let someone else handle the next one.

[rajasthantourplanner]

Ranthambhore Tour Attractions

Ranthambore National Park is a vast wildlife reserve near the town of Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan, northern India. It is a former royal hunting ground and home to tigers, leopards and marsh crocodiles. Its landmarks include the imposing 10th-century Ranthambore Fort, on a hilltop, and the Ganesh Mandir temple. Also in the park, Padam Talao Lake is known for its abundance of water lilies.

Places to Visit in Ranthambore –

Ranthambore Fort – The noteworthy Ranthambore Fort was built by the Chauhan rulers in the 10th century. Due to its strategic location, it was ideal to keep the enemy at bay. The fort is also related to the historical legend of the royal women performing ‘jauhar’ (self-immolation) when the Muslim invader Alauddin Khilji laid siege on this fort in 1303. The fort is characterised by temples, tanks, massive gates and huge walls.

Trinetra Ganesha Temple – Ranthambore Ganesh ji is very old temple on the palace of Ranthambore fort. It is very heart touch place for devotee and visitors. Ranthambore Ganesh Temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha is located in the fort of Ranthambore, about 12 kms from Sawai Madhopur It is said that; in 1299 AD, there was a war between King Hammeer and Alauddin Khilji. During the time of war they filled there godowns with foods and all the necessary things in Ranthambhore Fort, where King resides. Since the war lasted for several years, the stock in godowns were over.

One night when King Hammer; who was a great devotee to God Ganesh, was sleeping, he dreamed that Lord Ganesh came to him and said that by tomorrow morning all the problems and lacking would be over. In the morning an idol of Lord Ganesh with three eyes*(Trinetra), embossed from one of the fort’s wall. As a miracle the war was over and the godowns were full. In 1300 AD King Hammer built a temple of Lord Ganesh and placed Riddhi Siddhi, his wife and two sons Shub Labh along with the idol of Ganesh. His vehicle mushak (mouse) is also placed there. Ganesh Chaturthi holds a special place in Ranthambore and is celebrated to commemorate the origin of Lord Ganesh, who is said to have been born on this day. The Ganesha temple in the fort of Ranthambore is one of the most eminent Ganesha temples of Rajasthan.

Surwal Lake – Surwal Lake, a beautiful seasonal lake, is situated at about 25 km away from Ranthambore. The lake is heaven for a variety of birds. Travellers are mesmerised and captivated by the beauty of this lake, especially, during the months from November to March. Surwal Lake is another popular tourist destination, which offers beautiful view of flora and fauna in Ranthambore.  This lake is situated at a distance of 25 km from Ranthambore. The ideal time to visit this place is during the months of November to March, when nature presents beauty at its best. During winters, many migrated birds can be seen at this lake. Plenty of birds which can be witnessed by visitors are demoiselle cranes, pelicans and many others. The place is mostly frequented by nature lovers, who can enjoy sunrise and sunset along with the chirping of birds. Tourists should avoid visiting this place in the months of April and May because there is no water in the lake.

Padam Talao – The famous Ranthambore National Park is home to one of the largest lake around this place named as Padam Talao. The name of this lake comes from the lotus flower (called as Padam in Hindi language) that grows readily here. It is a major source of water for animals and birds living in this national park. It is one of the prominent places where tourists can watch different wildlife animals as they often come here to quench their thirst. Wildlife lovers can climb the machans that are built around this lake and watch the wild inhabitants of this park closely.

Kachida Valley – Kachida Valley is situated in the outskirts of the Ranthambore National Park. The valley treasures an array of flora and fauna. A majority of the panther population of the park is found here.  Tourists can also witness sloth bears and deer in this part of the park. Travellers can hire Safari Jeeps to tour and enjoy the beauty of Kachida Valley. Kachida Valley is one of the picturesque and a must-visit place in Ranthambore. It is blessed with wide range of flora and fauna species. This area contains a majority of the Panther population of the park. The Panthers avoid venturing into the main jungle to avoid conflicts with tigers, which are known to kill them. Tourists can also see a variety of sloth bears and deer in this valley. Visitors will have to reach this valley via the jeep safari.

Raj Bagh Ruins – Raj Bagh Ruins are an agglomeration of prehistoric ruins including arches, palace outhouses, domes and minarets. This place lies between the Raj Bagh Talao and the Padam Talao. The Rajbagh ruins located along the banks of the lake add to its exotic ambience. The ruins of these structures consist of broken down rooms and outhouses with arches, partly standing walls and domes. The majestic tigers of Ranthambore can be seen relaxing in the shade of these structures in Ranthambore National Park. These ruins are what give the Ranthambore National Park such a unique mixture of a wildlife reserve and a reminder of the past, which together make it one of the most picturesque parks in the world.

There are many more wildlife attraction and national park in rajasthan with lots of wildlife varieties . people come from all over world to see the wildlife attraction in rajasthan. Visit our website for more information about rajasthan and its other attractions.n

Rajasthan Tour Packages Wildlife Tour Package Rajasthan Rajasthan Tourism Rajasthan Car Hire Packages

[madpaule]

Living at Kalinga Centre for Rainforest Ecology (KCRE)

Ever dreamt or imagined yourself walking through the endless jungle trails looking for snakes and insects and getting a peek at their mysterious world? Well i always did as child and do even now. And ever since i watched the documentary on King Cobra featuring Romulus Whitaker and Gowri Shankar, i wished to visit Agumbe. So when i heard about KCRE (Kalinga Centre for Rainforest Ecology) i couldn't stop myself from planning a trip. I read about it again and again and told myself if i have to go Agumbe, there is no better place than camping at KCRE. July is the peak of monsoons at Agumbe and other parts of Western Ghats so i decided to travel around the third week of July.  

Fields on the way to Agumbe

Agumbe is one special gem of a place in The Western Ghats, the Cherrapunji of South India, as they call it, with rainfall anywhere between 6000 - 8000 mm ( second highest), every year. This benefits all the living beings who are dependent on the rivers which originates from these forests. 

Getting there

The nearest airport is Mangalore. The taxi ride is around 2 - 2.5hrs from airport to Agumbe. The ride to Agumbe is as beautiful as i imagined, with lush green fields and moss coated brick walls and trees, all the way. The thatched traditional Village houses will remind you of the illustrations from R.K.Narayan's Malgudi days, in fact you ll cross the exact same location while crossing Agumbe and going towards Guddekeri, the village where KCRE is located.

Even though i would have loved to take some pictures of the village, i couldn't as the rain was pouring in heaps of showers. That's the first time I have experienced rain this heavy. We crossed the Someshwara wildlife sanctuary and reached the famous hairpin bends just before arriving at Agumbe. In between the heavy rains got the glimpse of fog covered hills as we elevated mountain.

View from the car, Passing Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary

The hairpin bends on the way to Agumbe

The air can suddenly becomes misty during heavy rainfall.

KCRE

Reaching Guddekeri village was blissful. Lush green village with vine covered fences and crystal clear brooks. Life starts to looks good here. After sometime the taxi stops and this is as far as the taxi can go. The road ahead needed a 4X4. And this is when the “tank of a car” arrived from KCRE to pick me up. I met the Manager Prashanth who drove me to our destination.

It was ride into the thick rain forest, the best you can imagine. Orange muddy roads with stark green contrast of the younger leaves and deep dark green leaves with older roots with vast net of brown vines in the background. Prashanth told me it took them almost 2 years to find this location and set up the research Centre there. The centre now is over 5 years old. The excitement of encountering any wild animal on this path is second to none.

It was still raining as we reached the centre, i unloaded my bags at the meeting /dining hall and met these two young boys Veshal and Pranav. They both are young naturalists who will later join me in all the hikes ahead. I also met Somanth who is perusing his internship at the Centre. Later Moulika, a journalist and Sharath, a video analyst both from Hyderabad also joined.  Prashanth gave me a real quick crash course on the do's and don'ts in the rain-forest and the site. That was some valuable advice as it was my first time camping in the rain-forest, and then we headed for the lunch.

The lunch is simple but delicious. Most of it is south Indian cuisine served with local rice and occasional desserts(local too). 

Way to the Bathroom

The forest crab

The life starts showing up even within the dining hall. There are dozen of spiders just around the table if you look closely. Fungi growing just around the edges of the table foot. A jungle crab trying to hide behind the shoes. And then my first encounter with the Leeches (the constant companions).

After a power nap of 45 mins in my tent it was time to gear up with Leech socks, gum boots, t-shirts fully tucked ( to prevent the leech from moving inside ), and an umbrella ( to protect my camera gear). It is always raining. You get a break of 5 mins and sunlight is illusion.

You actually don't have to venture too far to look for your subjects. It starts right there. You are living in the middle of a rain forest surrounded by known and unknown stuff waiting to be discovered. 

The pond at KCRE

You can actually start by picking any small tree or a bush, and if you hang around enough, chances are you might see a complete food chain, courting insects, pair of vine snakes competing for prey, new hatchling of a jungle lizard, bush frogs making mating calls, in short all sorts of life signs. It is a patience game at the end of the day. The more you look and the more your eyes will get trained in spotting and observing the behaviour of these beautiful creatures.

Moving forward you can go around the pond (within the boundaries of the centre) and a stream running along it, another great place for spotting  dragon flies, damselflies, various spiders and of course the frogs. Going beyond that will take you the jungle trails, the dreamlike experience if you love the nature brimming with life. This will be your day routine. 

 If you think days are engaging then wait for the night walks, they are absolutely thrilling. Prashant leads the night walks, he has immense knowledge about the rainforests and the wildlife in the area. His spotting skills are excellent. You gear up for another adventure with your headlights, torches, raincoats and gum boots. The trail is pitch dark and it gives you a wonderful opportunity to observe the nocturnal life of animals. Its a great time to see snakes such as pit vipers in action. Lot of amphibians such as amboli bush frogs, blue eyed bush frogs, Malabar gliding frogs are active during the night. And if you are lucky you may encounter the rare Caecilian. The prospect of finding something new or unknown keeps the walk exciting, just like the bio-luminescent fungi which looks like something out of a fairy tale.

The night ends up in your tent, again complete darkness with loud sound of rain, crickets and cicadas. It may be a contrasting experience, uneasy initially, but the sleep eventually fades in and you get up to a beautiful view of the morning through the window of your tent. 

Perks of going for the night trails.(in order top to bottom) A sleeping Roux's forest lizard, a whip tailed scorpion, Wayanad Bush Frog, a Malabar pit viper digesting its food ( look the bulge on that belly).

Next morning there was a surprise visit by the founder Gowri Shankar, The man behind KCRE and who has done tremendous work in the field of studying King Cobra and the rainforest. He is not only a Conversationalist, but also a scientist and an excellent Naturalist. It was great to hear stories from him about the place and getting knowledge about the behaviour of different reptiles in the region. But the icing on the cake was following him to the King Cobra rescue.I ll be writing a separate blog post for that terrific experience.

 Sharath, Moulika, Gowri, Me and Prashanth.

Pranav and Veshal, The young Naturalists.

KCRE is great place to meet interesting people who are collectively working towards the conservation of these forests and wildlife there. Conversationalists, Film makers, Naturalists, Photographers and Students keep coming over to this place. So you ll always find some one or the other who can give you a new perspective about this place and general wildlife. Keep your mind open and you can learn a lot. 

You can view the photos of the flora and fauna i documented around KCRE during my stay in the following posts.

DOS AND DON'TS

* It is an exciting place especially for enthusiasts, amateur photographers and naturalists and they may make some mistakes initially. But try and learn quick. Respect the nature and keep distance while observing or photographing the animals, especially snakes. Not only certain species are poisonous but their life cycle and food cycle is also dependent on being camouflaged in the environment, so a safe distance is must. A snake might puke out its food if it gets disturbed. Snakes like Vipers can wait upto 15 days in same position to get the opportunity to hunt. One small mistake from you and all the efforts of viper can go to waste.

*Keep the place clean. Specially your tent and the Bathrooms. The dirtier it is , more the chances you have something lying hidden in your tent. You wouldn't want to sleep with a leech in your pants.

* Try not to take your wet slippers and raincoats inside the tent. Your pillows and sheets can catch fungus in no time.

* Take torches with you, if possible a head torch. That is really helpful during night walk so that your hands are free during hiking.

* Keep polythene bags to keep the waste or protect things from getting wet. Just don't leave it back there.

* Keep silica gels packets, they are really helpful and keeping the moisture away from your equipment, especially Cameras and lenses, even phones.

*Gum Boots and Leech socks are provided at the centre, but you can carry your own if you are not comfortable with what is provided over there.

A leech on my Thumb (above). Gum boots - your best friends(below).

A quick doodle of the view from my tent in the morning.

[photomaniacs]

5 Reasons Landscape Photographers Have a Screw Loose http://ift.tt/2vTf87B

My name is Scott Davenport, and I’m a landscape photographer. And I’m part of a crazy lot. I had this realization during a sleep deprived afternoon. My hazy mind was trying to get me through the rest of the day. It was also trying to comprehend how I arrived at the miserable state I was in.

It wasn’t hard to come 5 reasons why we landscape photographers definitely have a screw loose.

Reason 1. We Work Crazy Hours

Good light happens when it happens. Unless you live at the extreme upper or lower latitudes of our planet, that means sunrise and sunset. Sunrise shots are rough if you like sleep. A 5 AM sunrise might mean getting up at 2 AM to reach a location. On the good days, we get 30 minutes of excellent light on either side of sunrise. Then trudge out of wherever it is we trudged in. We’ve put in a full 8 hour day before most folks have had their second cup of coffee.

Getting to that sunrise location might include a significant hike. In utter darkness. Over uneven terrain. On a narrow path along a cliff edge. In coyote or bear country. That’s a smart place to be when you’re half awake, right?

The sunset shoots don’t deprive us of sleep. Instead, they deprive us of food. While most others are enjoying dinner and drinks, we are laden with gear and out at a location. Our stomachs remind us how long ago lunch really way. And our tongues promises to declare mutiny if we reach for another energy bar.

What about astrophotography? The best of both worlds. We are sleepy and hungry. And usually cold. If you’re a night owl, maybe you’re just hungry and cold. It’s kinda scary, too. Every stray sound is surely a wild animal that wants to eat us.

Reason 2. We Travel Vast Distances for Brief Moments

Landscape photographers will travel hundreds or thousands of miles for brief moments of light. That travel may include multiple planes, trains, and cars. Throw in a physically exerting hike in extreme cold or hot temperatures… you get to wondering pretty quickly “Why am I doing this?” That’s of course if we have the mental capacity to compose a sentence due to the sleep deprivation.

Did I mention we are carrying some serious gear all the way? Good glass is heavy. Solid tripods are heavy. Of course, we have a backup camera body. You brought water and energy bars, right? Water is heaviest when it’s not in our bodies. Surprisingly heavy. Depending on the weather, we might also be hauling camping gear.

Astrophotography is almost a guarantee of a long day’s journey. We have to get well outside of any city for a dark sky. And I use the term “city” loosely. The lights of a small town are enough to ruin a night sky photo.

Have you ever felt you’ve found The Middle Of Nowhere? I have. I also think landscape photographers are mapping the areas of the planet not covered by mobile phones. I’ve pretty sure I’ve found half of the 3% of the United States not covered by AT&T.

Reason 3. We Get Uncomfortable for Our Photos

Getting out of bed and getting to the location is just the beginning. We want unique angles and strong compositions. We want our own unique take on the landscape before us. Sometimes we push ourselves hard to achieve that.

As a seascape and water lover, that means getting wet. To capture the photo above, I was in rushing ocean water with surges about thigh deep. I was wearing denim. Why? It was January. It was cold on land. It was raining just 40 minutes before I took the photo. I hadn’t planned to get in the ocean that morning. However, that’s where the photo was. I left cold and damp (and grinning).

The truly dedicated spend several days off the grid for the epic photo. Bug bites. Inclement weather. Blisters. Sunburn. Cuts. Scrapes. Standing still. Yeah… standing still. That’s a lot harder than it seems. We find a perch that has the composition we want, set up all the gear, and… wait. Sometimes we wait hours for the light to be just so. I have a deeper appreciation for the unsung folks in museums, banks, and shops that simply stand the majority of their day.

Reason 4. We Invest Hours in a Single Frame

The planning, travel, and field time alone are hours of time invested in a photo. There is a bunch of learning we do up front. Countless hours spent learning our camera system. We toil over endless frames to determine the sharpest focal lengths and apertures – for every one of our lenses. We learn filter systems and specialty gear, too.

For our very best work, we invest another large chunk of time in front of our computers post processing. We pixel peep. We root out dust spots. We squint as we adjust tone, color, contrast, and sharpness. We selectively brush in effects. We mask. We unmask. We round trip through plug-ins. We blend layers. We retouch again.

How many post processing tools have you learned over the years? I can rattle off close to a dozen without breaking a sweat.

Reason 5. We Can’t Wait to Do It Again

After the planning, the learning, the traveling, the hiking, the sore muscles, the cuts, the bruises, the joys, the disappointments – the hours invested in a single frame… we cannot wait to head out again for another adventure. When the soreness has left our bodies and the chill has left our bones, we begin planning again. The cycle repeats.

Even after the most dreadful shoot that tests our will and yielded no keeper shots, in a few days we want to try again. Perhaps it’s the chase of the next great photo is the thrill. The next amazing frame is just around the next bend in the trail, over the next peak, around the next rock.

I Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way

Landscape photography is a labor of love. Outings can take days, weeks or even months of planning. Our muscles ache from an arduous journey to reach our chosen location. Mother Nature may or may not cooperate. Some days we leave with no photographs to show for our efforts. Although I’ll argue we always leave a shoot with something more. Experience matters in my book.

Landscape photography has hurdles and challenges – like any genre of photography, really. There are pain points. A hefty investment of time is required. It takes focused effort to learn the craft and create a great photo.

We are landscape photographers. We are crazy. We may be certifiably mental. We are genuinely nutty. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

About the author: Scott Davenport is a landscape photographer and photo educator based in San Diego, California. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. You can find more of his work and writing on his website, blog, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. This article was also published here.

Go to Source Author: Scott Davenport If you’d like us to remove any content please send us a message here CHECK OUT THE TOP SELLING CAMERAS!

The post 5 Reasons Landscape Photographers Have a Screw Loose appeared first on CameraFreaks.

July 29, 2017 at 09:00PM

[scottdavenportphoto]

5 Reasons Landscape Photographers Have A Screw Loose

I'm a landscape photographer. And I'm part of a crazy lot. I had this realization during a sleep deprived afternoon. My hazy mind was trying to get me through the rest of the day. It was also trying to comprehend how I arrived at the miserable state I was in.

It wasn't hard to come 5 reasons why we landscape photographers definitely have a screw loose.

1. We Work Crazy Hours

Good light happens when it happens. Unless you live at the extreme upper or lower latitudes of our planet, that means sunrise and sunset. Sunrise shots are rough if you like sleep. A 5AM sunrise might mean getting up at 2AM to reach a location. On the good days, we get 30 minutes of excellent light on either side of sunrise. Then trudge out of wherever it is we trudged in. We've put in a full 8 hour day before most folks have had their second cup of coffee.

Getting to that sunrise location might include a significant hike. In utter darkness. Over uneven terrain. On a narrow path along a cliff edge. In coyote or bear country. That's a smart place to be when you're half awake, right?

The sunset shoots don't deprive us of sleep. Instead, they deprive us of food. While most others are enjoying dinner and drinks, we are laden with gear and out at a location. Our stomachs remind us how long ago lunch really way. And our tongues promises to declare mutiny if we reach for another energy bar.

What about astro photography? The best of both worlds. We are sleepy and hungry. And usually cold. If you're a night owl, maybe you're just hungry and cold. It's kinda scary, too. Every stray sound is surely a wild animal that wants to eat us.

2. We Travel Vast Distances For Brief Moments

Landscape photographers will travel hundreds or thousands of miles for brief moments of light. That travel may include multiple planes, trains, and cars. Throw in a physically exerting hike in extreme cold or hot temperatures... you get to wondering pretty quickly "Why am I doing this?" That's of course if we have the mental capacity to compose a sentence due to the sleep deprivation.

Did I mention we are carrying some serious gear all the way? Good glass is heavy. Solid tripods are heavy. Of course, we have a backup camera body. You brought water and energy bars, right? Water is heaviest when it's not in our bodies. Surprisingly heavy. Depending on the weather, we might also be hauling camping gear.

Astro photography is almost a guarantee of a long day's journey. We have to get well outside of any city for a dark sky. And I use the term "city" loosely. The lights of a small town are enough to ruin a night sky photo.

Have you ever felt you've found The Middle Of Nowhere? I have. I also think landscape photographers are mapping the areas of the planet not covered by mobile phones. I've pretty sure I've found half of the 3% of the United States not covered by AT&T.

3. We Get Uncomfortable For Our Photos

Getting out of bed and getting to the location is just the beginning. We want unique angles and strong compositions. We want our own unique take on the landscape before us. Sometimes we push ourselves hard to achieve that.

As a seascape and water lover, that means getting wet. To capture the photo above, I was in rushing ocean water with surges about thigh deep. I was wearing denim. Why? It was January. It was cold on land. It was raining just 40 minutes before I took the photo. I hadn't planned to get in the ocean that morning. However, that's where the photo was. I left cold and damp (and grinning).

The truly dedicated spend several days off the grid for the epic photo. Bug bites. Inclement weather. Blisters. Sunburn. Cuts. Scrapes. Standing still. Yeah... standing still. That's a lot harder than it seems. We find a perch that has the composition we want, set up all the gear, and... wait. Sometimes we wait hours for the light to be just so. I have a deeper appreciation for the unsung folks in museums, banks, and shops that simply stand the majority of their day.

4. We Invest Hours In A Single Frame

The planning, travel, and field time alone are hours of time invested in a photo. There is a bunch of learning we do up front. Countless hours spent learning our camera system. We toil over endless frames to determine the sharpest focal lengths and apertures - for every one of our lenses. We learn filter systems and specialty gear, too.

For our very best work, we invest another large chunk of time in front of our computers post processing. We pixel peep. We root out dust spots. We squint as we adjust tone, color, contrast and sharpness. We selectively brush in effects. We mask. We unmask. We round trip through plug-ins. We blend layers. We retouch again. 

How many post processing tools have you learned over the years? I can rattle off close to a dozen without breaking a sweat. 

5. We Can't Wait To Do It Again

After the planning, the learning, the traveling, the hiking, the sore muscles, the cuts, the bruises, the joys, the disappointments - the hours invested in a single frame... we cannot wait to head out again for another adventure. When the soreness has left our bodies and the chill has left our bones, we begin planning again. The cycle repeats.

Even after the most dreadful shoot that tests our will and yielded no keeper shots, in a few days we want to try again. Perhaps it's the chase of the next great photo is the thrill. The next amazing frame is just around the next bend in the trail, over the next peak, around the next rock.

I Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way

Landscape photography is a labor of love. Outings can take days, weeks or even months of planning. Our muscles ache from an arduous journey to reach our chosen location. Mother Nature may or may not cooperate. Some days we leave with no photographs to show for our efforts. Although I'll argue we always leave a shoot with something more. Experience matters in my book.

Landscape photography has hurdles and challenges - like any genre of photography, really. There are pain points. A hefty investment of time is required. It takes focused effort to learn the craft and create a great photo.

We are landscape photographers. We are crazy. We may be certifiably mental. We are genuinely nutty. And I wouldn't have it any other way. 

What did I miss? Share your top reason landscape photographers are just a wee bit batty.