#rescue rehabilitate rescue repeat

[montereybayaquarium]

We have some otterly exciting news!

We're expanding our sea otter surrogacy efforts by opening a new sea otter rehabilitation facility. 🦦

The facility will feature two new sea otter pools and two ICU enclosures, allowing us to care for up to 10 rescued sea otters at a time. 

This expansion will help us continue our ongoing recovery of this threatened species, nurturing them back to health, and releasing them back into the wild. Our Sea Otter Program will continue to support the recovery of the wild sea otter population found along the California coast. 

Stay tuned for updates on when this facility will be completed. To read more about the history of our sea otter surrogacy program, visit the link here: https://mbayaq.co/4evZLGA

[pigeonwhumps]

Superhero's pet

WoW's birthday event: day 9: aftermath of rescue | sickness | "you're burning up"

Taglist: @painful-pooch @i-eat-worlds @a-funeral-romance @rainydaywhump

Caretaker's rescued Villain from Superhero from years in his 'care'. But that doesn't mean things are easy, especially when he's still her boss.

The blame for this goes entirely to @echo-goes-mmm.

1.9k

CWs: Villain whump, pet whump, severe self-dehumanisation, past dehumanisation, past animalisation, asking for punishment, past torture

Caretaker prepares for work quickly and silently nowadays. She needs the extra time, because she has someone else to look after now.

Villain. Superhero's former plaything. The test case in the new villain rehabilitation programme.

Or, as they call themself – pet.

They wanted to be called dog. They were called dog. But pet somehow seems like a slight improvement. They use that now, for themself.

They have the same routine every day Caretaker works, and it seems to help. She wakes them up once she's completely ready to leave. She'd gladly leave them asleep, but the one time she tried, they panicked and hurt themself. She hasn't tried since.

She shakes them gently awake. They're asleep on a human-sized pet bed in her room, snuggled under a large blanket until only the tip of their satin bonnet is visible.

They wouldn't take the bed in the spare room, insisting that "pets don't deserve beds," and she wasn't letting them sleep on the carpet. This was the compromise, when she realised even a room to themself was too much.

They wake and push themself immediately to their hands and knees, reaching out to kiss Caretaker's trainers. She takes a step back.

"Hey, buddy. You don't need to do that, remember?"

Villain trembles, forehead dropping to meet the hard carpet. "Your pet is sorry, Mistress. Please punish it."

"Not happening. Come on, get dressed and then it's time for breakfast."

Caretaker turns her back as quickly as possible as Villain starts stripping without a care who's there. She's not sure she wants to know what Superhero did to make them like this.

They won't take off their collar, insisting that it'll make them a "bad dog", but there's no bell any longer and she's working on the tag.

"Your pet is dressed, Mistress."

"Good pet." She hates the term, but they practically glow when she calls them it so maybe it's worth it? "Follow me."

Villain crawls behind Caretaker, settling into a knelt position when they reach the kitchen. She stifles a sigh. They've come on since she brought them home, but there's still a long way to go. The number one priority of which is to get them to eat like a person.

"What would you like to eat this morning, Villain? Crumpets or toast with jam?" They were their two favourites before they vanished, she knows. And they're edible with fingers, which... Caretaker doesn't ever want to watch them eat like an animal again.

"Whatever Mistress desires."

"Well I would desire you to make a decision. It's okay, I won't punish you for it."

Villain pales, visibly trembling again. "May this pet... may it have crumpets, please, Mistress? It understand if it requires a reminder of its position instead, but please show mercy on your pet for following your instructions." Then they cringe away, repeating under their breath in a monotone, "Good dogs don't ask for mercy. Good dogs take what they're given. Good dogs need regular reminders."

"Shh, buddy. It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you."

Villain's breath hitches. "Please remind this pet of its place, Mistress. It needs regular reminders, This pet is a bad, bad dog and it needs to learn its place."

Caretaker winces. Why does 'dog' sound so much worse than 'pet'?

"You're not a bad pet. You're very good already. Is that where your scars are from?"

"Some, Mistress. This pet requires maintenance."

Caretaker nods, glad she's already eaten. She sets the dog bowl in front of them. "Eat your breakfast."

Villain obediently lifts a crumpet (and god, at least they're using their hands now) and hunches over it, eating like they'll never be fed again.

For all Caretaker knows, that could be a plausible possibility in their mind. Did Superhero threaten that? Villain is still underfed.

She watches as they polish off their meal. As she has before, she wonders if she's using the right pronouns anymore. Sure, it/its are conditioned into Villain, but that doesn't mean she shouldn't use them. Does it?

"I'm going to work today, Villain. While I'm gone, I'd like you to clean the dishes and look after your goldfish. You can go out on the balcony if you like, but no further outside. I'm sorry, we can't risk it yet. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Mistress."

"Good pet."

Caretaker bends down and scratches behind their ear, which they lean into eagerly. "Stay safe."

Then she leaves, unable to think of anything else to say.

_

Superhero has asked to see her.

Superhero has asked to see her.

Caretaker would be nervous normally, because now she's finished her training he only ever calls her in when she's failed, but now... what if he's found out about Villain? As a technopath it was simplicity itself hacking into the system to investigate the rehabilitation centre, but what if she left some trace of herself behind? Online, at the centre itself, in her behaviour over the past few weeks... she could've done anything.

As she walks through the building, she passes many people, some of whom smile or call out greetings. She wonders just how many know what Superhero's been doing.

She hadn't. Villain had been missing for two years and god, she was so naïve. Believing Superhero's reassurances (when she dared to ask) that they were being well taken care of, and he'd visited himself, the conditions were completely up to scratch. They should be no worry of Caretaker's now. His terrible lies that make her blood boil.

She knocks on his office door and waits for a response before entering.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

His eyes are ice cold behind his smile. "Yes. I wanted to ask how you're doing."

"Sir?"

"After Villain's escape. I notice your success rate is down recently."

"Oh." She twists her fingers behind her back. Of course she has, she's not arresting anyone else to be hauled off and tortured into Villain's state or worse. "I'm sorry, sir, I've just been worried about Villain." Not a lie. "I'll do better."

"Mm." He steeples his hands together under his chin, watching her steadily with the gaze of the agency's golden boy, and it's in moments like these that she's reminded of how brutal his training was. How unforgiving. "Any idea where he could be?"

Her mind flashes back to a morning during Villain's first week with her, when they'd licked spilt jam off the kitchen floor because "bad dogs don't waste food".

"No, sir."

"Pity. As their nemesis, I expect you to do better."

"I expect you to do better, Caretaker. We'll try again in an hour."

Caretaker shivers. At least she no longer has to be trained by Superhero.

Why did she ever like and trust him?

"Sorry, sir."

"Let me know if you find anything. Dismissed." He flicks a hand towards the door and she exits obediently. You don't argue with Superhero, even if you're not trying to keep a low profile.

Às soon as she's far enough away, she leans against a wall and closes her eyes, breathing hard. She is so, so glad she doesn't regularly carry a knife around with her. Stabbing Superhero 47 times in the chest might be a slight giveaway that she no longer likes him.

_

Caretaker returns home to the smell of chemicals and Villain kneeling on the freshly-cleaned carpet, behind an array of implements. Lighter, matches, fire poker, broom, knife, bleach, rope, salt...

"Villain, what..."

"You have been stressed, Mistress, and this pet is overdue its maintenance. This pet thought that this might help, as it did Master." Then they say somewhat proudly, "This pet used its initiative, as you requested. Has it pleased you, Mistress?"

The pieces finally click and Caretaker stumbles back, hand flying to her mouth, horrified. Villain thought... Caretaker would want to torture them because she was stressed? More than that, they fetched all these torture implements and brought them together in an effort to please her, knowing how they would be used?

"I... put those away, Villain, please. We won't be needing those tonight. And once you're finished go and wait in the living room. I think we need to talk again."

"Yes, Mistress." They pick up the first implement (a hammer) and crawl awkwardly towards the cupboard where the DIY stuff is kept. Caretaker thinks about reminding them they can walk, but they're shaking so much already. It probably wouldn't do any good.

She changes into something more comfortable before turning the kettle on, her own hands shaking. God. It feels like every day she discovers some new, despicable thing Superhero has done. Forget the knives – she could kill him with her bare hands.

She used to just be able to relax after work. Those were the days. But– she can't very well just leave Villain. They're her responsibility, and she's their only option.

Sighing, she carefully carries two cups of chamomile tea into the living room and sets them down on the coffee table. Villain is knelt in what must be the most uncomfortable corner of the room – difficult to find, as the place is tidier than she's ever seen it.

"Will you come and join me on the sofa, please, Villain? Or at least beside the sofa, if it makes you feel more comfortable."

She's sure they'll do that, they always do, and she arranges soft cushions on the hard carpet to make it more comfortable, since the rug doesn't reach far enough. At least she's always had far too many cushions.

She lives in hope that one day they'll feel comfortable enough to start using furniture again.

"So, first things first. Thank you for cleaning the house so thoroughly. It's never been so sparkling. You didn't have to, but I'm very grateful you did. And I'm proud of you for using your initiative, please keep doing so. However, stop bringing me torture implements. That's an order. I'm not going to punish you, Villain, and nobody deserves being hurt by any of that. Understand?"

"Yes, Mistress. This pet apologises for not letting you choose the method of punishment completely. It will do better in future."

"No, that's not what I–" She cuts off, pinching her brow. She's not going to get them to understand, at least not yet. "Thank you, buddy. Now, why don't we both relax? I'll find us something we'll both like."

"Yes, Mistress."

They settle for an episode of Great British Bake Off in the end. Not that Villain ever comments either way, but they did when they still fought each other and if Villain lied to her about their preferences then that's their own fault.

Villain rests their head on her lap and watches the screen sideways, eyes half-closed. Caretaker rubs small circles into their shoulders.

She feels so incredibly guilty for arresting them in the first place. She's responsible for this, albeit indirectly. The Villain she knew would never have forgiven her.

Speaking of which...

"Why are you never angry with me, Villain? I'm the reason you were tortured for two years."

Villain glances up from under their lashes for just a second.

"Good dogs don't bark."

[amoristt]

-- Colossus content???? *Rubs my hands together* Id like to request something slow-burney! maybe hes trying to gain readers trust after she's rescued and brought to the x-mansion?

HEEHEE part 1 to the idea i have for this >:) i hope u enjoy i really i really love a good hurt/comfort and colossus is just so *chef kiss* abt it hehehehe

ty for any reblogs and comments! they make my day <3

4 or 5 moments. 

4 or 5 moments to be a hero. 

4 or 5 moments to make the difference- to teach a broken soul that there was always light at the end of that dark, dark tunnel. 

Colossus was determined to be the hand that guided for each one.

The first moment was quiet. 

Lingering outside one of the many bedrooms of the X-Mansion, a plate of food in one hand a prayer (a glass of water) in the other, Colossus stands. The faint echoes of voices and steps blend into the soft buzzing ambiance wisping through the halls. All the sounds melt into one, a background track looping on repeat day in and day out. It was a good soundtrack. Safe. It always brought him joy to hear such… Casualty. Veins of life snaking through the kitchen, the foyer, the living areas. 

Everywhere, except for your room. No, that space remained just as dead as the day he’d brought you in. You were almost nothing in his arms- a shattered, catatonic little thing with more bruises than not. You didn’t fight. Barely even breathed, let alone moved, as he settled you so gently into your very own bed in your very own room, where he promptly left you to decompress in your very own silence. 

And silent was how it stayed. 

Of course Colossus knew that this would take time. All rehabilitations did. Though he had to admit, the situation he’d found you in was certainly one of the worst. The state he found you in was barely even human- more like a frightened animal who’d been stuck inside a cage. All across the world, small underground facilities were beginning to pop like roaches. In these facilities, poor humans would be bamboozled and subjected to unimaginable torture until they would forcibly mutate. It was a problem the X-Men were growing unfortunately familiar with. 

But this, the horrible place he’d found you in, was the next step on that awful ladder. 

Mutating was rare in general. And sometimes, those with exceptional powers would be carted off to even more secretive places where the days would be spent being a live guinea-pig. The first idea (that Colossus was aware of) was to seemingly extract the mutated genes from the newly-formed mutant to create more. When that didn’t work, they would begin to target the actual DNA itself, see what they could tamper with and what they couldn’t. Broad studies to see what the mutant body could survive were a given. 

There was never, ever a survivor of this. Colossus himself had seen it almost a dozen times now. Bodies strapped to tables, chained to walls, discarded and dismembered. It always made him sick to his stomach, but he choked down the hopelessness of it all. He would be present at every single one, taking down anyone responsible. Searching tirelessly for even the chance of there being a survivor. Even when he knew deep down in his metal heart that he would only be met with more carnage. 

Every room only confirmed that. 

Until he found you. 

You, in what looked like a cubicle of bars, tucked all the way into the corner, unphased by the chaos of the X-Men seizing the facility. When he’d pried his way inside, he expected you to look up at him, beam when you’d learned that you were being saved. That you would be getting out of this place alive unlike the countless before you. The countless that would inevitably be after you. 

But, you didn’t. You didn’t even look at him. There was nothing behind your sullen, empty eyes. If not for the rise and fall of your chest, he would have thought you were dead. When he picked you up into his large arms, you remained still as a statue. No fight, no sounds. He felt pity in his chest- whatever they had done to you, it certainly broke you. You had truly given up.

But this is what the X-Men were for. Saving people. Helping.

And he knew that you, a mutant who’d been through hell and back, could be helped. It was as true as time- Colossus knew it. 

So, he brought you to the X-Mansion. And, after you were medically cleared and cleaned, he knew now would begin the process of bringing you back to life. To plant seeds and nurture them until you bloomed into something beautiful. But, god, seeing you after you’d been so carefully treated, you were still so empty. Free of all the dirt and grime that stuck to your skin, your bruises and cuts only seemed to get worse. No amount of rinsing would restore the color to your eyes. 

No matter. This was the start of your journey, your new life. 

He was careful to give you your space, as much as you needed. Though he had nothing but questions, and nothing but time between missions, he never tried to force you to talk to him. Hell, for now, you didn’t even have to listen to him. Just exist and breathe and feel the soft bed underneath you, the warm blanket on top of you. The warm plates of food he’d bring every morning that you had yet to touch. 

He knew there were only two reactions to the sight of food in the early days of rehabilitation- either instinctual hunger or disinterest. The former was always the best- food, Colossus had found, was always a gateway into conversation. It was a motivator, a doorway. But of course your case had to be the ladder. It had to be hard. Had to be countless breakfasts, lunches, and dinners tossed into the trash with a sigh. He never pushed. Never urged you to eat- just set the plate and a glass of water on the nightstand beside your bed and hoped. 

At the five day mark, he began to feel the seeds of anxiety sprout in his heart. Uncertainty, stress. You had only, so far, drank a few glasses of water, which taught him you were at least acknowledging the meal before you. You were just actively choosing to ignore it. But, regardless, there was some form of survival instinct at play. Dehydration was a killer. And Colossus knew this was a tricky, lengthy process. Enduring who-knows-what levels of torture didn’t seem likely to stir up an appetite, after all. You just needed time.

But then a whole week came and went. 

Seven days with no food in your belly, plus however long it had been since those bastards fed you before he found you. The sprouts of anxiety had turned into creeping vines that squeezed tighter with every failed attempt to get you to eat something. At this rate, he feared you would die of malnutrition before you even got the chance to heal. Time was the answer- he knew that, it had to be. It always was- but how long could you go?

Colossus stared at the door in front of him, oddly finding himself working up the courage. Was his presence frightening you? Was his size intimidating? Should he send NTW in instead? Doubting himself was a foreign concept but this was something more sensitive than he’d anticipated. 

When he finally reaches for the knob and turns it, he cracks the door open and pauses. Just long enough to show you that you have the option to stop him. You never do. Never even acknowledge his presence at all. Always tucked on your side curled into a fetal position with the blanket up to your ears, unmoving, unblinking. Like a corpse. More than a few times you’d frightened him until he learned that you weren’t dead, just simply… Not all there. Alive, breathing, but not there. 

The first sign that there was brain activity at all was when the shaking began. After a few days, when he’d bring you breakfast, you’d start to shake like a leaf as he stood over you. Scared, you would curl into yourself just a little tighter. It broke his heart, but it also told him something. 

It told him you were starting to take in your environment. And that reminded him that under all that trauma-induced catatonia, there was life.

Colossus was determined to bring that life back into you. Something drew him to it, no matter how frustrated he felt at every hurdle. He was nothing if not patient. 

It’s the second time he’s visited you so far today. The first, like always, was when the sun had just breached over the horizon. He would poke his head through the door as quietly as a giant metal man could be and make sure you were still alive. So far, he was met with that rise and fall of your chest, and he was satisfied. 

Now he brings breakfast, the first meal of the day and in his opinion, the most important. Two pieces of bacon, an egg, a slice of toast, and of course a tall glass of water. Simple, easy to digest and balanced. Just the way it should be. With the daily hope of today being the day, he walks inside and say’s a soft goodmorning. You, of course, remain quiet. 

But, to his shock, progress had been made yet again. 

You aren’t laying on your side curled pathetically into yourself. Your back is to the headboard, knees brought up to your chest, head ducked into them. The blanket pools around your waist. Your arms wrap around yourself like a barrier from the outside world, protecting you from everything. Even him. 

“I’ve brought you breakfast,” He starts for the eighth day in a row, setting the plate and water on the nightstand. “You should eat something today.”

Every morning Colossus drew just a little bit closer to you when he’d speak to you. Now, eight days later, he stands a mere few feet from you. You didn’t acknowledge him, but that was okay. Today was already starting off miles better than any other had thus far.  Much like the other rehabilitation cases he’d taken on, he wished he could read your mind. Wished he could peek into the twists and turns of your psyche, the quiet horrors that buried you alive. He was determined to see you breach the surface, see the color light back into your eyes. 

In the meantime, he knew these first baby steps were pivotal, and as much as he despised pushing you… An entire week at the very least with an empty stomach was nothing to mess with. He didn’t have much of a choice. .

“It has been days. You must eat something.”

He sighs deep in his metal chest, looks over at you and makes a mental note that the bruises on your elbows and wrists have begun to fade. That, and another even more subtle splash of progress: you weren’t shaking. Not yet, anyways. It’s a small victory he takes in stride, another successful baby step. 

The expected silence is heavy. Of course he’s the one to break it, sucking in a short breath before he hesitantly sits down at the edge of the bed. He tries to settle as quietly as possible given how… Intimidating his size can be, but he can’t stop the way the bed dips underneath him. He rests his hands in his lap and stares down at the floor. 

“I know you are frightened,” He starts softly, cringing when he shifts his weight and the bed groans under his weight. You’ve still yet to start trembling thankfully- it grants him a glimmer of hope. He eyes the plate. “This is much to take in. But, you are safe here. You can take as much time as needed. But until then, you must eat.”

No response. Just sullen, quiet fear. He doesn’t push any harder than that- leaves you to settle once more and shuts the door behind him as gently as he could manage. 

In stark contrast, the rest of the mansion is buzzing with life, as always. After his visit with you, Colossus returns to his daily schedule, a modest routine that has him bounding for the wide, open yards to get his daily workout in. The radio chirps at him, the sun is bright, the grass is soft. Afterwards, he makes himself lunch, reads a few chapters of his book. A quiet, mundane albeit lovely day thus far.  

Through it all, he tries to fight off a nagging anxiety that’s been building in his chest. He wasn’t a man of doubts, but a part of him wasn’t so sure anymore. He wasn’t sure what the next step would entail if the food remained untouched. He wouldn’t force feed you. God, no. It would decimate any and all hopes for you to trust him. He’d likely have to transfer you to some specialized hospital, somewhere you could be monitored. But even that was so… cold, so sterile. You needed warmth, peace. You needed to see life would continue on. Not a hospital room and a dozen white coated strangers poking at you in all directions. 

He steps down the hall, his normally confident gait staggering just a little. Just enough. For all he knew maybe you had some sort of healing factor- but even so, would it be able to save you from malnutrition? Hunger was also certainly a killer. Worries gnaw at him- what if your body gave way before you could even get the chance to come around? There was so little of you already.

When he reaches your door, he can’t help but pause, staring at the wooden entry before him. Carefully, he turns the knob, and like always, waits for the chance you may stop him. You don’t- he steps inside. 

You’re laying on your side, back facing him, a position he’s grown used to seeing. Naturally, on instinct by now, he scans for the rise and fall of your chest. The evidence of life. His breath leaves him in relief when he finds it. The curtains blow gently in the breeze. The sun, high overhead in the blue sky, haloes you. He approaches as quietly as a metal man can. When he’s close enough to take in your expression, he can’t help but appreciate your features. You’re sleeping, eyelashes heavy on your cheekbones and your body void of all its tensions. Peaceful, unaware. He wished to see more of it. 

But, he backs away, and glances at the plate. 

He sucks in a sharp breath of pure, genuine joy when it sits empty. His heart rate picks up in seconds flat, a grin spreading over his face before he even realized it. All those anxieties that had been creeping through his chest like slithering veins evaporate, replaced by a sense of relief he doesn't feel himself experiencing too often. It catches him off guard, has to breathe to settle back down. 

He knew it. He knew it, he knew it, he knew it. Why had he been so worried? Why had he been so doubtful of his efforts, of yours? All you needed was time. And now that you’d taken this shaky step, you had accepted the chance to heal. Even the glass of water was empty. You wanted to live, horrified and uncertain or not. While he takes in the incredible sight before him, you sigh in your restful slumber and nestle even more into the bed. 

Colossus plucks the plate from the nightstand and mentally rejoices. It’s a little victory- one of the most simple, but it speaks volumes over all else. He stacks the cup onto the plate and balances it in one hand, the other hesitantly reaching out for your sleeping form. Gently, carefully, he catches the fabric of your blanket between his fingers and drags it up to your chin, tucks you in just a little more. 

Oh, how he smiles when you nestle into it. You nuzzle the blanket and hum- a tune that reaches him like a beautiful song. It’s the first noise you’ve made since you’d arrived- and it was so lovely. He can audibly hear you relax, accepting. 

The walk back to the door is one of victory. The door is shut behind him just as quietly as before. The road ahead was long and winding, he was sure, but there would be an end. You would get better. He just knew it. 

He carries that plate into the kitchen like it’s an award.

[reimagine7]

A thing for Aquaman (Kelley O'hara x reader)

This was a request, but I had a tough time writing it and don’t know if I achieved your expectations. It’s a short one. 

Kelley pov

“Hello ladies! My name is Shean and I’ll be one of the instructors that will be guiding you all today.” We were at the Marine Life Rescue center in Florida. The USWNT is combining forces with the Program to help raise visibility to their mission, so we are making a visit and recording some media stuff. A few of us visited the Clearwater aquarium, some went to the beach to see a turtle and a dolphin release. Me, Lindsey, Alex, Sofia, Trinity and Sonnett are in the group that is going scuba diving. 

“So, a quick story before our leader gets here. The Marine Life Rescue Project was created to support the mission and funding to Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute. We believe in preserving our environment while inspiring the human spirit through leadership in the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of marine life. By research, conservation and environmental education of the community. Alone, we can’t do much, so that’s why your visit here is so important for us…” The boy kept talking and my attention quickly was out of it. I poked Alex and asked. “This guy sounds like he is repeating this line for the hundredth time and has zero animation to be here” Alex laughed but kept looking at the boy, Lindsey that was near heard me and answered. “He is cute though. But I don’t know if I’m too excited to enter the water. I think I will rather stay in the boat talking to him.” Trinity, who was also listening to us, spoke. “What? We are scuba diving for free. Why would you want to stay in the boat?” “What if there are sharks in the water?” Lindsey whispered loudly. “That’s the fun part.” Trinity has a smirk on her face. “I don’t think there will be sharks in there. Right?” I tried to calm Linds, but I was not too sure of myself.”  “Don’t worry, the sharks don’t like humans that much. They usually don’t show up. Usually.” A woman whispered behind us, making the girls who were close jump a little as we haven’t seen her before. “Usually?” She just shrugged. “Who are you?” I was the one making the question now. “I’m…” 

“Y/n! You made it. Come here.” The woman winked at us, stood and went up front. “Girls, this is Y/n Y/l/n. She is going to be the lead instructor that will be diving with some of you. Any questions?” Lindsey raised her hand and asked. “Can I stay in the boat?” We all laughed and Y/n answered. “Of course you can, no one will be forced to be down there. But I must warn you that you will be missing a lot.” “Thanks. But I rather stay here than risk being eaten by a shark.” “First, sharks don’t attack like that. That is a huge myth created mostly due to Spielberg's movies. There is a bigger chance of you dying in a plane crash than being eaten by a shark.” Y/n corrected Lindsey, who still didn’t look convinced. “I think I'll take my chances with the plane.” Y/n laughed but before she could say anything the other instructor called her informing that everything was ready on the boat. “We are going. And second…” She interrupted herself by taking off her hoodie, and Oh, dear! She has muscles. God, she is hot. “Second, I know this beach like the palm of my hand. I know these animals and you’ll be safe with me and my team. Don’t worry. Let’s go girls?” With that she walked toward the boat leaving us behind.

We watched her going and I broke the silence “Have anyone else seen those muscles?” “Yeah. You know what Linds, you can stay in the boat. I will dive with her.” Sonnett grabbed her backpack and started her walk to the boat. “Wait. I think I changed my mind. With those arms, I think I will be safe.” Lindsey says following Sonnett. “You know Kells, if you want a chance to stay near those arms you’ll have to run. Sonnett and Linds are thirsty.” Alex laughed at me and we all ran to the boat. 

An instructor started the drive and we all sat in the boat waiting for the boat to stop at the diving spot. “So Y/n, is being this muscular and hot a requirement to being a scuba diving instructor?” She laughed and answered. “If it was Shean over here would be with his days counted.” “Hey! I work out.” “I’m just kidding man. But answering your question, it’s not. But it helps to keep the girls' attention at you when you’re repeating the program instructions.” She winked at me. “I noticed, but don’t know if I paid too much attention to what you were saying, was occupied with something else. Too distracted. I would love to learn more about it.” “Well, unfortunately that isn’t part of the tour but I’m always open to show what those muscles can do some other time.” “I think I know how those muscles work in the gym.” “I imagine, but I wasn’t talking about the gym.” My eyes widened and I stayed speechless. She stood up and started grabbing the equipment.

“Well, as we already pass through instruction on the beach, I won’t repeat them. The only thing I’m reinforcing is to make sure to be close by. This water is normally safe and calm, and you will have the chance to watch the most different species of animals and corals, but your safety is the most important thing here and any caution is too much. Any question?” This time it was Trinity who raised her hand. “How close can we stay to you?” “Can I hold your arms?” Sofia asked. Y/n only laughed and put her backpack on. “Calm down girls, there is enough of me for everyone. Now, who is ready to dive?”

Next thing I know Y/n was helping the girls with their equipment and Alex poked me. “Really Kell? You’re almost drooling over her.” “Can you blame me? Look at those muscles.” “She is more than just that, you know?” “I know, but how can I not want that? She is smart, strong, funny, and hot. She is friends with the fishes, sharks, and almost the whole marine life. She is basically the female Aquaman.” “Kids, why did I have to stay in the kids group?” She walked away and Y/n came near me to help me with the equipment.

“Everything is good?” Y/n asked. “Yep.” “Great. Let's finish our tour then and wish for it to end with a success.” She said finishing tightening the strap. “Success? I thought you said we didn’t have to worry about it.” She looked at me. “You don’t. Not on my part anyway.” I looked at her confused. “What do you mean?” “You know the story, the hero saves the ladies from the sharks and gets the girl in the end.” “Who says you were the hero?” “We are in a small boat Kelley.” A smirk appeared on her face and she went near the edge of the boat. “But don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone you have a thing for Aquaman.” She winked at me and jumped in the water. Oh God, I have a thing for the female Aquaman.

[boyjumps]

"Severe punishment for the sake of order is a separate issue from individual help." – Zen teachings

An anecdote from a monk at the end of the Edo period who argues that individual rehabilitation and social order are separate issues:

One of the greatest exponents of Nichiren Shoshu doctrine in modern times was Monk Nichiki. He was active around the end of the Edo period (mid-19th century), and is known as the sect's leading master.

When he was teaching Buddhism, there were repeated incidents of theft in the school dormitories. Eventually the theif was caught. The representatives of the school dormitory bring the wrongdoer in and asked the superior to punish him. “Will do,” replied the master. 

However, the thief was never punished. The representatives of the dormitory were so distressed that they went to Monk Nichiki again and said, "We cannot train with that man. If you do not punish the man, we will leave.”

"Well, that's inevitable.” The Master said, "Well then, I will let all of you take break.” "Why does he stay and we have to leave?” the disciples asked.

To which the Master replied,  "That man will never make it anywhere. So I want to keep him here with me. I think you all can make it wherever you go. So I'll let you go. Take care of yourselves.” Knowing the Master's heart, the disciples apologised. And the man who did it also shed tears and apologised to everyone.

It's a good story. But when we write such stories, some people are often misunderstood, if we approve of thievery. What we want to say, however, is that maintaining social order is not the same thing as truly saving the individual. And we are talking only about the rescue of the individual. Sorry to say, but we are not so much interested in maintaining social order but in saving the individual. The social element is the business of politics.

[deleted-files]

Here we have Iota Squad all together and ready for action. One of hero factories many search and rescue teams. Though, this team in particular is usually assigned to more hazardous conditions than usual. They're more than capable than handling themselves alone but when together, as with all teams, they can achieve great things. Listing them off from left to right (In the group photo):

Heinrich Phase: A brash and boastful rookie always looking to prove himself to his team's lead, Pixie. He feels that the Hero Factory could be doing more with it's influence and power. Heinrich made a name for himself while using the experimental short range phase generator mounted on his upper back. This device allows him to "teleport" or blink a short distance, leaving an after image in his path. Depending on the mission at hand you'll either see him with his High Frequency Dual Claws, able to cut through even the densest of metals and rock. They come quite in handy for clearing debris and clearing paths to rescue targets or ripping the armor off of foes. Or his Dual Concussive Photon Repeaters, usually mounted on the side of a Mach Bike, he took the opportunity from a wrecked one to see if he could put them to use himself. They have a lot of kick… unsurprisingly.

Gretchen Ranger: An overprotective, unyielding, near-unstoppable force of a hero. Not afraid to speak her mind, she tends to butt heads with the team lead at times. Even so, they're the closest of the four. Despite her predisposition, she willingly chose the role of tracker of the team. Ranger's armor and equipment are reminiscent of a badger. She comes equipped with similar strength augmenting tech implanted in Duncan Bulk with optimized actuators in her hands for more grip strength, allowing her to crush even stone in her claws. She can scale sheer vertical surfaces with ease as well. Her tool of choice is a modified version of the M.D.S.B (Mega Decibel Sound Blaster). Referred to as, lovingly, the "Search Light". Instead of sending out masses of explosive sound, it acts as an advance echo-locator. Though, the output can be turned up higher for sustained and devastating firepower should the need arise.

Clara Pixie: Team lead, voice of reason, and a great shot. Pixie, despite being the shortest in the team, is the most capable fighter out of all of them. She traded in the standard plasma gun issued to all heroes for a condensed combustion hand cannon. The design of the handgun is very much "lightning trapped in a bottle". However, that is a topic for another time. Pixie while not leading the team, is often participating in Hero Factory's rehabilitation program. In which a select few potential ex-villains are given a second chance. In the form of being assigned to a city and being charged with protecting and helping the inhabitants in anyway they can. Of course, under the close supervision of an assigned handler. Pixie, being part of this program, has been assigned with being Corroder's handler. The two have grown quite close as time passed. Even bringing him along on missions with the rest of the squad every now and again. The two would be near inseparable if it weren't for responsibilities that need most of their attention.

Andrew "Andy" Bolt": Quiet, patient, disciplined, Andrew Bolt is one of the best scouts Hero Factory has had in years. It's rumored that he could've been on the fabled H.R.T (Hero Recon Team) at one point or another. His actions, speak much louder than words in most cases. Not much is really known fully about him aside from him being a veteran hero and his blinding speed. He is equipped with an energy condenser mounted to his quaza core that passively absorbs any ambient electricity in the air. Giving him a constant flow of energy to power his tools/weapons. Speaking of, Bolt's equipped with Dual Stun blasters that have an extended function, when drawing directly from his energy condenser, to create nets of energy capable of neutralizing weapons and powers similar to the hero cuffs used during the breakout event. His pride and joy comes in the form of the Mach Saber. in it's normal state it functions just like any other sword made by hero factory. But, when drawing power directly from his energy condenser, it's high frequency function activates, allowing him to cut through even the strongest alloys. Bolt is also capable of diverting extra power to his legs for short bursts of speed or a constant, blinding sprint. Doing so charges the condenser further. If not released he could overheat himself. After long sprints Bolt requires venting almost immediately.

This was a really long one but, I really needed to get this one done since I've been sitting on the idea of this team for a while now. I figured now would be as good as any since it is Hero February and all. Hope you like them as much as I do. Enjoy!

[chaifootsteps]

God, I fucking hate the morons that go "Here come the dummies making comments about animal abuse!!! It's called conservation, sweaty <3" because they're so fucking obnoxiously uneducated, it's not even funny. Like you said, REAL conservation sites will not let you feed the animals, for one thing, and I also literally volunteer at a raptors rescue center in which TONS of our birds had to be rescued from horrible fucking "owl cafe" type locations in which the birds are neglected and treated like decorations rather than living fucking creatures. These people have LITERALLY NO IDEA how bad these places are for the animals, and yet they pretend like they do, they're literally telling on themselves by showing how fucking stupid they are. In an ACTUAL conservation center like mine, we do have flight shows and we have SOME birds that we allow customers to pet and hold (ones that have been with us for years and that we know have the temperament for it, as well as it having to happen with a staff member present and not for long periods of time) but after that, they get put back into their own enclosures. Repeat, ENCLOSURES, that are large, and with space for them to move and fly as they please. Not one fucking stick that they're goddamn chained to for people to gawk at. These people are tone-deaf, brainless idiots if they genuinely believe those cafes are suitable environments for wild animals. To all Vivzie stans that are defending her support of these places, from the bottom of my heart, fuck you, you horrific, awful, animal abuse enablers. That is what you are, no matter how much you yell and cry that it's not. Fuck you.

It's absolutely maddening. The smug "um, it's called conservation sweaty, it's being rehabilitated in a sanctuary" remarks on the false killer whale burned me the most because cetaceans are my thing in the way birds are yours and there are very few real sanctuaries for cetaceans.

One is the Umba Lumba Center in West Bali, which rehabilitates and releases show dolphins and cares for those who can't. The beluga whale sanctuary in Iceland is another. They're trying to set up one in Nova Scotia, and the Baltimore Aquarium has (ostensibly) been trying ever since 2016.

Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, where Viv visisted, is not one of these. Okinawa Churaumi keeps Taiji dolphins.

[rebellionmoon]

💚 ILLUMI HEADCANONS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY 💚

idk but i just love imagining random facts about illumi, that don't really add to his character, but kindof do too? Maybe it's because there isn't much screen time of illumi in the anime that my brain needs to fill all that empty space of longing in my heart of what could have been.

SO HERE ARE RANDOM ILLUMI (HEADCANON) FACTS THAT SERVE NOTHING:

He drinks beer and uses his teeth to open the bottles. He used to have a collection of bottlecaps, but then he gave them to Killua. So whenever Illumi opened a bottle, the cap would hence force go to Killua. Now the jar of bottlecaps is somewhere in Killua's room collecting dust.

After finishing an assassintion, he likes to get fastfood. Something quick and indulgent, like it's a cheat day. If he was on a job with his brothers then they'd hit a bodega afterwards. Sometimes he would bring food back to Milluki too.

He can hold a burger in one hand and tear through a ketchup packet with his teeth. He dips his food so much, he rarely eats anything without sauce.

Like Silva, Illumi has had a few pets in his life. One of them being a bear. He named it Pikelet. (I'll explore this one more in my fic!)

Although murder is his trade, that shouldn't hinder his other passions, including wild life conservation! This boy grew up in the mountains, albiet privately owned. You can't convince me he isn't a goblin child at heart.

He always thought he deserved to have fangs.

When he sees a walking stick lying on the ground, he has the urge to pick it up and wield it like a sword.

When he was eight he read all the narnia books. Peter was his comfort character, but he wanted to be Prince Caspian. To this day, if you ask him why he likes Narnia, he will give you a disseration and explain why Lucy is the strongest of all the penvensie siblings. He has never had turkish delight, but believes he would betray his siblings for them, they just look so good!

He could grow antlers out of pure will power. No, literally, he can. He can and will show you. "I'm a crytid. Look at my antlers."

He's still a Goosebumps kid at heart. When autumn rolls around, he he lays in bed and watches his favorite spooky shows (scooby doo, goosebumps, are you afraid of the dark?, tales from the crypt)

When he was little, he used to play in the forest by himself ALOT. One time, he crawled into a log, but the log was at the top of a hill and it began to roll down with him in it and then it rolled into a pond. He was able to escape, but he almost drowned and never told anyone what happened. He was a little mortified to tell anyone because he almost died doing something stupid. He'll tell you he has done alot of stupid things in the woods, but won't divulge more than that.

He's actually kind of good at acting and loves watching movies. This is part of why he is so good at diguises, he studies the actors in movies lol Sometimes he repeats lines from movies randomly in the house. Out of nowhere, he shouts 'BILBOOOO BAGGINSSSS' in a gandolf like voice. It's okay, just accept it.

Illumi has rehabilitated many opossums in his life.

He owns an animal rescue ranch, under a different identity of one of his disguises, that rebahilibates injured animals and prepares to release them back to the wild. His current disguise is an old man, but Illumi plans to 'die' and come back as his son/heir. Yes, he has worked out an entire line of succession for a rescue ranch. Did he have to do this? No, but he did anyway.

Once Illumi officiated the wedding between a frog named Freddie Lime to another frog named Emily Spinach. Oh, he was also high, but the wedding was beautiful, and Milluki fished him out of the pond afterwards.

There's a deer in Kukuroo Mountain that is fond of Illumi. If it sees him, it will run up to him. Illumi doesn't know what the forest calls the deer, but he calls it Thimble. He gives Thimble treats, and Thimple lets Illumi pet him, the arrangement has worked out very well so far.

Kukuroo Mountain is self sustainable, and alot of the food they cook they grow themselves. There's also a farm, with cows. Illumi would just be chilling on a hamick and then suddenly killua runs past him, and then so does a cow. Illumi goes back to napping, this isn't his mess to clean up.

"Concept: I will continue to bottle up all my emotions until I snap."

Moss.

Here were some facts! I have more stuff, but those are spoilers for my fanfic (where shadows touch), My obsession might be unhealthy but it's delicious and i love it so I'm not gonna stop.

[anthonyxblake]

starter for @lilianaxsantos

location: liliana's home

Anthony's release from an intense year of rehabilitation back into the real world, he knew that he had to find Liliana. The last memory he had of his wife was the one when he ultimately walked away from the life they had been building together by signing up for another tour in the air force. It hadn't been the right decision and it was all he thought about as the helicopter he was flying crashed into a body of water. All he could think about was how much he had disappointed her, been a terrible husband and frankly, he had hoped he wouldn't come up from the depths of the water. When he did, he swam through the icy cold waters to shore, only to be captured by the enemy.

Every single day he spent as a prisoner of war, he felt was karma for the man that he was before he was captive. When what happened to be a year and a half later came around, Anthony found himself rescued and immediately returned to the United States where he was promptly placed into an intensive care unit to make sure that he was sound. No matter how many times he asked for his wife, she never showed and doctors, nurses and other hospital personnel told him that his recovery was the only thing that mattered - that they would get in touch with his wife.

If they did, she never showed. Though he wanted to reach out himself, he didn't have the means. His healing became the ultimate priority and Anthony dove deeper into himself than he ever had. Therapy found ways through the darkness that wrapped around his soul and through the repeat nightmares of his time as a prisoner of war. It wasn't easy - not by a long shot and honestly, he found it to be worse than being a prisoner of war, at times, but what happened when he got to the end was more than he could have ever imagined. Anthony felt like a different person but, he was a person that had no one left to turn to. He couldn't get in touch with anyone in his family and most of all, he couldn't get in touch with his wife.

Finally able to get in touch with family, he returned to his family home for many months while he tried to get his situation under control. It took time and a private investigator before he had been able to track down Liliana and well, the last thing Anthony wanted to do was give the woman a call on her new phone number he was given. As he was informed, people thought he was dead. So, with packed bags, which weren't very many, he took himself to East Haven, Vermont.

He was living out of the local motel for several days before he worked up the courage to stop by at the address that was tracked down for him. Today was that day. He took the bus, as close as he could get before walking along shoveled sidewalks and standing in front of the door. He stood there, for what felt like an eternity before he lifted his hand and knocked against the door.

[arbitrarygreay]

Who has two thumbs and is back on their "defending Alder" bullshit?

Something I love about the show is the way that everything is multifaceted. Most everyone's actions get to be a blend of righteous, self-serving, justified, and both productive and counter-productive all simultaneously, because that's how it is in real life.

In this post we are examining S1, the unavoidable way narrative and world-building intersects, which is that the beginning of the show is a permanent turning point of change in that world. The question then becomes why this specific year? There a relatively stable status quo to be disrupted in the first place, so what changed for it to set the stage for revolution?

Since this is a "defending Alder" post, we must answer the implicit questions in Anacostia's statement from 1x9: "I've known Alder since I was a kid. I've seen her make hundreds of tough calls. But never like this. Never with such disregard for the cost of her actions."

What changed this particular year that was not the case throughout Anacostia's lifetime? Obviously one could assume that Alder was actually this corrupt the whole time and Anacostia just never saw it in person before, but even Petra wasn't perturbed by Citydrop, only moving to action when she learned about Scylla (and, of course, the unit end up making the same call later with Penny). So Citydrop isn't really the thing. Especially when in 1x2 General Clary actually faults Alder for not being more extreme and ruthless after losing her daughter. It's not even the telling of lies to everyone about The Spree executing the hostages, because President Wade made the same call twice (the second being Nicte's execution) to uphold those lies to the public while Alder stepped down. Well, there is Alder's total dismissal of rehabilitating Scylla, but I feel like she has a point because Scylla carried out the damn mall massacre and also Porter's suicide. As with how Wade treated Nicte, a pardon should not have been on the table.

The thing that was almost undeniably corrupt in S1 was Alder puppeting President Wade. Not only was it violating the Hague's laws and the ethics for which those laws were made, but she did it to prevent her retirement, and increased her authority while at it. When combined with the reveals of S2 (Alder keeping the Spree around as a convenient enemy), there are some real "Chancellor Palpatine grants himself war powers" vibes.

And yet. The details that go unsaid in that paragraph. Was there something new that made Alder decide that she could not let her trusted subordinates take up the torch, that she had to handle it all personally? Let's work backwards (and also set aside aforementioned General Clary saying they should move to more extreme methods, does this not apply). What came before that order to retire? Well, before we get to the defense, there is an accusation of Alder hoarding information from the chain of command, which is also extremely fair, and an issue she repeats in S2. There's Citydrop again, which we discussed above.

But then. The Tarim. The entire purpose of the meeting from Alder's end was to ask Wade for permission to save the Tarim. Wade denied that permission before she transitioned into everything else. So, when Alder puppeted Wade, yes she blocked her own retirement, and yes, she increased her own authority. But what does that increase actually entail? What did Alder change from her power before? To now be able to take action globally at her discretion. What did she do in the immediate aftermath of that power grab? A disproportional retaliation against the Spree and Dodgers, as she did in Liberia? No. Alder used her new powers to create a Tarim rescue mission, at the risk of causing geopolitical strife with Russia and China. And did she sit back on her throne and let her war meat carry out her will from a distance? No, she decided that for this specific mission, she needed to go herself. Not the decisive and final strike against the Spree that she also made Wade talk about, but this rescue.

So, Alder's desperation to save the Tarim played more of a role in her corrupt puppeting than The Spree. Let's keep working backwards. She set that meeting up with Wade to plead the case for the Tarim mission. What happened before that? She expressed the intent to have that meeting to Khalida and Adil. Before that? She learned about the state of the Tarim from Petra, and then dismissed the existence of the Camarilla. So, at this point in time, Alder really was focused on the Tarim above concerns about Russia/China or the Spree (in the US), much less the Camarilla.

Still working backwards, what's next in that Tarim thread? Alder met Khalida in the greenhouse after she was healed of the Witchplague. Now, this is operating very much on interpreting Lyne's acting in that scene, but there is a vibe that Alder wanted to interact with Khalida as a child, as she does the Fosterlings. When she first tries to sing with Khalida, her demeanor doesn't mirror how witches look when performing military techniques, but instead matches how Alder looks as she sings a lullaby to the Tarim boy in 1x10. Singing with Khalida wasn't just about gaining an asset, but a social activity.

Speaking of 1x10, Alder is specific and consistent in how she speaks about her sharing of Seeds (as she would do with the Tarim songs). She saw that the Veil Of Secrecy state that the Tarim maintained is an extension of how apparently all witches were before Alder acted out on the scaffold. Alder knows from experience that that security through obscurity is untenable. Only by going public could she create the kind of stable witch's place that did not exist in history before then. She permanently changed the paradigm of who did the hunting. It's very hard to argue with the claim that the world is a "better safer world" compared to the counterfactual where all witches continued to act like the Tarim for those 300+ years, despite militarization opening up novel avenues of corruption. Base rate fallacy strikes again! More people die now every second than they did the past, but that's also because we have billions more people now, too. The proportion of people dying now is so much lower (especially infant mortality). I bet, also, that by creating the Hague to regulate the interaction of witch militaries (basically, so we didn't have World War Witch all of the time), they even reduced non-witch losses to armed conflict compared to our world.

But that line of thinking applies to everyone and everything (like, in the future, the Witchbomb as asset). Why, then, is Alder focusing on the Tarim here to the exclusion of other groups that need help? In 1x10, she says, "The Tarim and their songs, they're the last surviving link to something I thought was gone forever." In 1x6, she says, "The songs your people sing remind me of those my own family carried for centuries." This puts her enthusiasm to sing with Khalida in a whole new light. Sharing the song is a way to relive that familial connection (Eliot says as much in After the Storm 1x3).

But if we go further back, there's a startling reversal in Alder's position on the Tarim. She discouraged proliferating any information on them. In 1x4, she told Petra to focus on the Spree (it's only in 1x9 that they learned those hunting the Tarim were the same people who attacked the Bellweathers), that the Tarim were classified. And, of course, we complete our backtrack of this thread in 1x3's Hague council. Ironically, here Alder advocates for what she will puppet Wade for in the future, telling everyone to stand down in order to avoid geopolitical conflict. This is after being told that children and elderly are dying. Yes, Sharma insinuates that it's so Alder can go after them herself, but Alder's later discouraging of Petra to do anything about them shows the truth of Alder's intent. Before that, Alder extremely notably supports the Tarim not be militarized (which therefore shows in hindsight that she did actually learn from the Martyrdom!!!), directly after she exclaims that the Tarim's song was something she recognized on a visceral level ("in my blood"). After hearing their potential military asset rare Seed, Alder was still all for the Tarim's self-determination to die without compromising on their ideals. Not until Adil and Khalida seek their help does Alder decide that they (and their songs) need preservation.

So, we have completed winding back through the season, and what is the seed that will eventually grow into Alder grabbing power by puppeting the president? That she heard something precious, reminding her of her own family. In the 1600s, Sarah Alder destroyed a status quo that had lasted for millenia in order to prevent losing such things ever again. Was that a power grab, too?

[montereybayaquarium]

Hop into our Otter Spa Time Machine and dive deep into over 40 years of saving southern sea otters!

Through research, rescue, rehabilitation, and release, we’re making every effort to protect these marvelous marine mammals. Check out this critically impawtent work on our Sea Otter Program Timeline!

[vanilla-phantoms]

I could be so interested in a breakdown of your playlists! I love when people tell me their Kepler thoughts :)

Hoo boy here we go (I think I will do this in three separate posts bc otherwise it will be miles long, but here’s part one)

First off, here’s the playlist again for reference:

1. Tombstone Blues by Richie Havens

This one is on his official playlist by Urbena and it really influenced some of my hcs for him. It feels like a good tone setter for the whole playlist as well as starting off chronologically with his childhood.

“Mama's in the factory, she ain't got no shoes

Daddy's in the alley, he's lookin' for food

I'm in the kitchen with the tombstone blues”

I headcanon he grew up poor with parents who were often absent and working, leading him to become very competent and self sufficient at a young age.

The verses to this song also have this sense of absurdist parody of capitalist wartime America which really fits well for his character as a whole

2. White Room by Cream

This one is also on his official playlist and I’m gonna be honest I mostly put it here for vibes. The lyrics don’t make too much sense except for the repeated train station setting. I especially like this verse for him:

“You said no strings could secure you at the station

Platform ticket, restless diesels, goodbye windows

I walked into such a sad time at the station

As I walked out, felt my own need just beginning”

Idk man. It just fits. There’s going to be a theme in these early life songs of restless frustration.

3. Time Bomb by Rancid

I discovered this song as a Jacobi song, but I can imagine Kepler in his mid teen years falling in with the ‘wrong crowd’ and having a rebellious phase. Once more mostly a reflection of an upbringing forcing him to grow up too fast and a restless anger from being someone very intelligent with few opportunities.

“Well, he's back in the hole where they got him living

Like a rat but he's smarter than that nine lives

Like a cat 15 years old, take him to the youth authority home

First thing you learn, you got to make it in this world alone”

4. King for a Day by Green Day

This is on there for gender headcanons that are very influenced by the headcanons of a friend of mine @vvarren-kepler (who will have more insightful comments about this than me). But it boils down to, Kepler is always someone who uses his image as a tool, and maybe at goddard he uses a traditionally masculine presentation to achieve a specific image and effect and because he knows life will be easier for him that way. Maybe, just maybe, when he was younger with a bit more freedom, he was a bit different.

5. Dirty Imbecile by The Happy Fits

See my other post here for this one:

6. Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

This one is here for his recruitment into Goddard. I like to hc that Cutter recruited him himself, and so in this song Cutter is the man with the red right hand, coming to “rescue” kepler from his life with high and dangerous promises

7. The Devil Wears a Suit and Tie by Colter Wall

This song is a fun one for Kepler in general, but like the one before the “devil” in this song is actually Cutter. This is another one I have on here for his recruitment. I really like the metaphor of goddard as something kepler “sold his soul” or his humanity to, like Lovelace points out in that one scene.

Highlighting this lyric because I can really see cutter using a “you’re just like me” kind of technique when recruiting kepler:

“I know you, I know you young man

I know you by the state of your hands

You're a six-string picker

Just as I, I am”

8. Megalomania by David Lemaitre

This is for him as he’s just joined Goddard, getting used to the cutthroat lifestyle and feeling a little out of his depth.

9. Call Them Brothers by Regina Spektor

I’ve mentioned before that I hc Kepler as having a younger brother that he was the primary caretaker of growing up but who he is now estranged from. This is the process of that estrangement. I think kepler did stick around and take care of him at least until he came of age and could take care of himself, but not for long after that. This could also be the time he decides to change his name and separate himself from his family entirely (I also hc that Kepler isn’t his real surname)

10. Glory and Gore by Lorde

This one is also on his official playlist, and I’m using it to represent his transfer from more normal work in goddard to the black-ops work he ends up leading. I think he probably didn’t start there, but it’s always where Cutter intended to put him. This lyric is one I think fits him pretty well:

‘Delicate in every way but one (the swordplay)

God knows we like archaic kinds of fun (the old ways)

Chance is the only game I play with, baby

We let our battles choose us’

[jadekitty777]

Love on Borrowed Tai: Chapter 7

I have a more important update today! The long awaited (?) final chapter of the Taiqrow RWBY Pokemon Au... is now complete! It took me a bit longer than I was expecting, but I hope it was well worth it!

Rating: T overall

Word Count: 9k

Summary: Tai’s life was simple. He rescued and rehabilitated injured Pokemon, helping them get back on their feet and back into the world. Then fate decided to throw him a curveball in the form of Qrow Branwen.

He had no idea how to rehabilitate a person… but his natural goodwill, and maybe a speck of loneliness, made him want to try.

~

Qrow was lost in more ways than one. With no home, no job, and his team and himself left severely injured, he finds himself desperately turning to the one man in Alola who could help him.

…A man he’d already met once before, but could never tell him how. [Pokemon AU]

Ao3 Link: Chapter 7

~

Tai couldn't sleep.

The day had been a whirlwind of emotion. They didn't talk much more after the end of the story. It was clear to him Qrow was no longer up for it and he wasn't going to push. Well, not anymore than he already had at least - and it was clear to him now that it had been too much.

Tai's guilt over his own selfish impatience could have filled the Bottomless Sea until it wasn't bottomless anymore.

Somehow, by the miracle of Arceus, he had managed to convince Qrow to return home with him and even let his Pokemon back out. But between Qrow's quiet and bizarrely meek behavior and the way it took no effort to convince him to just take the day off, it was certain something between them had shifted. Something bad.

Qrow wouldn't even look him in the eyes anymore.

So now here he was, sitting on the back porch of the greenhouse in the middle of the night, wallowing in his own self-pity.

"Idiot." Tai whispered, lowering his head until it pressed against the rim of his mug.

"You have your mother's temper, that's for sure." His dad had said once, long ago.

A teenager at the time, Tai couldn't even remember what he was angry about, just that he was, and was willing to take potshots as he scoffed back into the phone. "That why you two split?"

He was surprised by his dad's genuine laughter. "Hah! No. I love that about her. She's a firework of a woman. Kept me on my toes." His amusement petered off soon after. "But that isn't to say it didn't cause us problems. It'll get you into trouble one day too, if you don't learn to rein it in."

Tai wished he had listened to him.

He wished he was still here, so he could talk to him, ask him for advice like he used to.

A swell of sudden remorse caught in his throat. He pushed the palm of his hand against one of his stinging eyes, repeating, "Idiot..."

He might of let go, if not for the creak of the house door swinging open. He jerked his head around.

"Oh." Qrow said quietly, hesitantly, one foot out the threshold, slowly being pulled back. "Uh, I'll just-"

"No!" Tai called and it came out like a croak. He coughed to clear it. "I mean, join me? Please?"

He didn't expect Qrow to take it - wouldn't blame him if he didn't. So he was both surprised and pleased when he instead stepped forward, shutting the door behind himself and Yoraito before meandering his way over. He took a seat next to him, shoulders tense and hunched.

Tai could feel the various stares of the other trainer's Pokemon around the greenhouse watching them. Judging him.

In an effort to spur up some sort of conversation, he held out his mug in offering. "Tea? I, uh, haven't had any of it."

"Oh uh, sure." The hand off was as awkward as their words, but at least Qrow didn't hesitate to take a drink. A second later, his nose wrinkled and he set it beside himself. "Uh, how long ago did you make this?"

Tai had no idea. He didn't even know what time it was. 

Instead of saying that, he blurted out, "Sorry."

"S'no biggy. Ain't picky."

"No, not about that." Tai clarified, "About... everything else. This morning and... how I acted. I completely flew off the handle and that wasn't - I mean I shouldn't of-" He grunted, raking a hand through his hair. Why was this so hard? "Fuck I'm just... so sorry."

At least Qrow was looking at him now. Too bad he only seemed confused. "Don't be. I fucking lied to you."

"That doesn't mean I should... intimidate you." The word felt vile on his tongue. 

He frowned. Turned away. "Yeah well. I deserved it."

For a moment, the words took him off guard. But it didn't take long for his mind to right itself. Of course Qrow would say that. He didn't know if the defeatist attitude had come around from recent events or if it was something that he'd had much sooner in life - either way, Tai knew he couldn't allow it. Not this time.

"No. You didn't. You never did Qrow." When the other started to shake his head, a rebuttal no doubt on the tip of his tongue, Tai cut him off, "No, I mean it. Nothing that day was your fault. I don't think it was anyone's fault."

"But if I had just hit the right button-"

"How did you know you didn't?" Tai challenged. "How do you know it just wasn't too late?" When no response came immediately, he pushed his advantage, "Everyone played a part. Ozpin and Salem trusted their research. You and my family trusted them. But it doesn't sound like any of you wanted what happened to happen. It just... did." He placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. "And I know it's hard, because you're here and they're not, but that doesn't mean you don't deserve to be here."

Much like this morning, Qrow shucked off his hand, grumbling, "Don't act like you wouldn't of wanted your dad or grandma here."

His thoughts just minutes earlier stung anew.

"Of course I do." Tai agreed. "But not in place of you. Qrow, I'm glad I met you - or well, re-met you, I guess. I enjoy your company and I've really come to-" Like you with the burning intensity of a thousand Moltres, "-Value you as a friend."

Qrow studied him, as if looking for the lie, before he groaned. "Why are you like this? You should hate me! I... kind of wish you would."

"Why?"

"I guess 'cause I want someone to agree with all this fucking mess up here." He waved blindly at his own head. "Doesn't that sound ridiculous?"

"Pff. Well you can forget that. When you're completely ass backwards wrong, you better believe I'm gonna tell you." Tai declared.

Qrow rolled his eyes, "Well thank you for that."

"You're welcome." He chirped with extra cheer.

He considered it a win when the side of Qrow's mouth turned upward ever so slightly.

And for the first time since this morning, he started to feel like they were going to be okay after all.

~

To Tai's surprise, things fell back into relative normalcy quickly. Not in regards to himself, of course; while he'd always been quick to anger, he was just as quick to peace. Keeping grudges was something he'd grown up being told he should never keep lest he wanted his heart in constant turmoil. Besides, even if he had wanted to hold onto it, after learning all he had, how could he?

No, what truly surprised him was Qrow. He'd expected the other man to avoid him at least a few more days or, at the very least, tiptoe around him much like he had when he'd first arrived. But perhaps a bit of Alola's Pono way had touched upon Qrow's consciousness, as by the next morning, he was already back out on the field, crude and rude as ever. 

It was unequivocally a relief to see.

A week later, just shortly after dinner, Qrow even offered softly, "If you still want to ask questions, about your dad or anything... you can."

So Tai did. He started small, a simple question or two every few days. 

"When did you realize it was me?"

"Your signature on the form you gave me, that day in the hospital. Seeing it, and how much you look like Huáng, I knew it wasn't a coincidence. I think that was the first time I really came to grips with what had happened."

"Must of been... a lot."

"Tch, doesn't even cover it buddy."

"I'm sorry you had to face all that alone."

"Yeah well... I did it to myself. Coulda told you ages ago. Only told Shamlocks a few days ago."

"Speaking of which-!"

"Ow! Why'd you pinch me?!"

"That's for telling Clover first!"

But then it became more and before he knew it, entire evenings were spent with Qrow regaling all sorts of tales he and  his estranged family had gotten up too. Most nights it got them laughing, but some got a little more melancholy. 

"Your dad would talk about you a lot."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah, he'd chat up anyone who would stop long enough to go on and on about the great new things you were up to. Hah, I don't think a single person in the office hadn't heard about the day you passed the first Alolan trial."

"Oh Arceus, please tell me you're exaggerating."

"Nooot even a little. He couldn't shut up about how his little Tai-terra was all grown up and soon you were gonna be a man and uh, - hey, are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah! I just - hic - haven't heard that nickname in a long time. Brought back a lot of memories is all."

"..."

"..."

"...Well uh, if it helps any, when he was mad at you, he'd call you his little Tai-terror instead."

"Pff... hahahahaha, of course he did!"

Despite the emotional rollercoasters, there was something safe and comforting about those talks. But, when he was feeling up to it, Qrow was often the one to start asking the hard questions.

"Isn't this weird for you? Seeing me as the same age I was when you were six?"

"I mean, don't take this offensively but I don't actually remember you too well."

"Gee, glad I left an impression."

"If you had, I think things would of been way more complicated right off the bat, don't you?"

"...Yeah I guess so."

"What about you?"

"Mm?"

"Is it weird for you, having known me since I was six?"

"Well, like, you're not really a person that young."

"You're a real advocate for human rights, you know that?"

"I'm just saying! I know logistically you and that mini you are one in the same but, I guess for my own sanity I'm not seeing you like that. Kids that young are blank slates, with pretty basic personalities, but you're, well, Taiyang. Though, I guess, if anything stayed the same it's your kindness. You used to give me flowers all the time." 

"Fairy flowers."

"Huh?"

"I used to think your eyes were the coolest, so I would bring the flowers to you because they were the same color."

"Huh... I take it back, you apparently were always a sap too."

"HEY!"

And sometimes, neither of them were much up for questions, and just wondered aloud instead.

"Even after all this time, I still don't know how I escaped and wound up here. Last thing I can really picture is Dialga's eyes looking down at me. Everything else is just... gone."

"Maybe you slipped through another time thingy?"

"Real scientific conclusion."

"Hush. Though... I wonder..."

"What?"

"The day you arrived, there was an unusual storm. It was like it blew in and then just disappeared. Then Reaper was on Top Carat. I think that's what got you here, somehow."

"Tah! Too bad I can't explain it."

"Maybe we could ask Bart?"

"And have my ears bleed as he chatters himself out to the moon? No thanks."

"Come on, he's not that bad."

"...No, sometimes he's not."

Before they knew it, an entire month had passed.

And the big day had finally arrived.

~

The weather channel was on again.

Tai sighed softly, setting the last of the rinsed dishes in the drying rack and turning off the tap. He whipped the hand towel off the fridge door, patting his hands as he made his way around the kitchen, pretending to look for other things to tidy while discretely staring at the man in the other room.

Qrow was watching the TV gravely, face was lined with so much tension, it crackled along the air like a thundershock. Emerald and Yoraito bookended his thighs, dittoing furry comfort pillows. Something the reporter said made Qrow's eyebrows draw down, and he called, "They're saying the wind's at 8 knots now!" 

This time, when Tai sighed, it was full of affection for this stupid, overdramatic fool. "That's perfect. You might even say... it's a breeze."

That managed to tear the man's gaze from the screen long enough to glare. "I pray a Dusknoir mistakes you for the dead today."

"Sorry, the only Reaper I'll be dealing with today is yours." He shot back, smug.

"Ugh. Hate you so much."

Funny, because he could kiss him right now.

Before he could think to follow through on that crazy impulse, there was a knock on the door.

"Surprise!" Was the greeting waiting for him after he opened the door, Clover smiling widely at him. Leis of all sorts and sizes hung from his arms, decked out enough to stand in for a western region's holiday tree.

A few short feet behind him, Bart poked his head around, waving. "We haven't missed it, have we?"

"No, no, not at all. We only just finished breakfast." Tai ushered the two of them in. "I'm glad you two could make it."

Their presence also managed to finally tear Qrow's gaze away. "You guys really didn't have t-" He paused, arched his brow. "What is all that?"

Clover grinned, holding up the miniature garden with pride. "Good luck charms! You can't have an event like this without them!"

"Why yes! It's a very important ritual of-" Bart piped up, before it was his turn to pause. "Actually I don't know what ritual this is."

Tai chuckled, fussing about the kitchen once more to brew a new pot of coffee. "It's not a ritual exactly. More of a superstition, really. Qrow's Pokemon are all at the end of their recovery programs. They won't need me from here." He turned on the burner. "In Alola, we consider any crossroads between the end of one life and the beginning of a new one to be critical. That's why they say you should always be wearing a good luck charm the moment it happens, because if you step into your new life on the wrong foot, then Tapu Lele will haunt you with your past and bring bad luck upon your new life. Usually it's for things like weddings or job promotions or getting a new Pokemon. I've always considered the end of a Pokemon's journey in my care to be the same. Though," He gave his oldest friend a pointed stare, "Not normally with quite this much fanfare."

In quite the imitation of a Lickilicky, Clover stuck his tongue out at him. 

"Real mature Ebi."

Bart dropped a set of mugs along the counter, eyes alight. "Well I for one find it quite fascinating how much the four Guardians have shaped this region's culture and heritage. Don't you think Qrow?" 

At some point, Qrow had drifted across the room and was inspecting one of the leis critically. "I suppose. Though, you really didn't have to go through all the trouble Clover."

"Oh please, if you think this is bad, you should come to my family's flower shop during tourist season. Now that's a nightmare of trouble." He laughed heartily in return. "And anyways, for all his grousing, it was actually Tai who asked me to make them."

"Oh he did, did he?" 

Tai wasn't sure if the heat he suddenly felt was from the blush on his cheeks or Qrow's sudden gaze.

"Um, I mean." He cleared his throat, trying to pull himself together even as his words tumbled out like a group of Exeggcute down a hill. "It's an important day for you, and uh, everyone! And well, I uh, I want it to go well! Is, is all..."

Any haphazard embarrassment he was feeling quickly melted away at the sight of Qrow's smile. "Thank you."

He felt more confident than ever that today was going to be a perfect day.

As promised, the day was warm with a gentle breeze ruffling the fronds of the trees. Perfect weather for flying. 

Tai looked up at Reaper, perched with anticipation on the roof, watching the progression below her with a hint of impatience. "Only a little longer, I promise Reaper!" He called to her.

With a low trill, she spread her wings and flapped them for the umpteenth time, giving them a flap that had just enough power behind it he could feel the gust, as if she hoped the sign of her disgruntlement would hurry along the show. It was so very much like her trainer, it was almost comical. 

Speaking of...

"We better get this started before she takes off on her own." Qrow said as he came to stand beside him, smile bent crooked from nerves. 

The reassuring response Tai wanted to give fizzled away as he got a gander at the other.

While he'd been in midst of preparations, Clover had been bestowing the leis upon the crowd - which included his and Qrow's Pokemon teams, Bart, Mocha, Kalā and Clover himself. All of them were made of simple deep green Alolan Ti leaves and Hibiscus flowers with alternating yellow and pink blooms. 

But Qrow's was unlike any of theirs - while he still had Ti leaves, his had come from the Red Sister variant. Like the name implied, the shoots were a familiar light red shade that, just like fairy flowers, happened to match the man's eyes perfectly. But what truly caught his attention were the bright red and yellow Chrysanthemums dotted between the bushels. 

Both items too precise to be anything but intentional.

Tai felt his cheeks heat up once more. That was the last time he told Clover anything.

As if called by his thoughts, the sneaky Impidimp approached, announcing, "Luckily for you, we've only got two more to give out."

"Two?" Qrow questioned, pointedly looking at the last one in his hand.

"You'll see." Clover promised, before turning to Tai. "Ready?"

"Of course." Tai dipped his head.

His own lei was delicately placed across his shoulders, Clover avowing, "May this bring you good luck to today's journey," as he draped the ends along his back and across his chest. 

Next to him, Qrow gave a little snort. "We match."

"Almost." Clover's tone was as teasing as his smile, sauntering away with the smugness of a man who was pulling a prank only 50% of his audience was getting. 

Tai straightened up, blinking down. Sure enough, red and yellow Chrysanthemums and Ti leaves that, at first glance, could be mistaken for Red Sister. But the leaves were not nearly as vibrantly reddened, rather they were almost pink, with stripes of laurel green and sunglow yellow cutting through the blade. 

Morning Sunshine.

That settled it. Next Pokemon that came into his care who knew Curse was being sent straight to Clover's house.

"Now to the star of the show!" Clover's voice had risen, loud and clear. He stood closer to the barn, peering up at the fearsome bird atop her throne. "I'm afraid I wasn't able to find enough material to make a lei large enough for you Reaper, so will you allow Kalā to do the honors?"

With all her agitation, Tai almost expected her to disagree. So it was to his surprise that her only response was to lower her head, much like the rest of them had. 

A little shadow dashing forward did the disagreeing for her.

"Bre, Bre, Br-eon!" 

Yoraito's yaps turned into a squeak as Qrow scooped him up under one arm, pinning him to his chest. He clamped a hand around his muzzle, quietening him further. "Hush. She's not gonna hurt her."

A few months ago, weeks ago even, Qrow never would have dared to be so rough. As if he thought he'd irrevocably shatter his eeveelution if he didn't treat him like he was made of the finest porcelain. Actually, he seemed to handle almost everything with an overcautious air about him, whether it be Pokemon or people.

(Even me, Tai mused curiously.)

Maybe it was their talk that did it. Maybe it was the days afterwards that proved the world wouldn't immediately end after things got rough. Maybe it was something else entirely that he had missed. But Qrow had become bolder. Brasher. But also more relaxed. 

It was relieving to see.

"Magical Leaf!"

At Clover's call, Qrow tensed up.

(Though, he still had his hang ups. And that was okay too.)

Tai placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. 

Before them, the blades along the Leafeon's body began to glow, and with a toss of her head, a volley of leaves burst forward, flying at the corvid. But rather than strike, they seemed to surround Reaper in an array, floating delicately in place.

"Alright Kalā, finish it up with Grass Knot."

"Leee!" Kalā's eyes glowed in response to her master's call, and from the stems and blade tips of the leaves, vines began to grow, reaching out for the one beside it like set of dancers reaching for their partners. Upon touching, the vines tied together, until each one had found a mate and the circle was complete.

The newly formed lei fell into place around Reaper's neck, a faint glow continuing to emit from it.

"Marvelous!" Bart applauded. 

"Wow." Qrow grinned. 

"Um-bre?" Yoraito's gaze was trained on Kalā, the moonlight Pokemon seeming a little moonstruck himself.

Clover turned and gave a bow. "Thank you, thank you!"

"Leaf-e, leaf-e." Kalā echoed in the same boisterous cadence, dipping her own head.

Walking forward, Tai snorted, rolling his eyes at them. "Show offs." Despite his false disgruntlement, his smile was honest as he passed by his friend, offering a sincere, "Thank you."

Clover just winked, before heading off to join the others.

Tai hooked his hands on his hips, tilting his head back to look up at the fearsome bird that had made his barn her home for the past several months. "You ready?"

Reaper's return cry boomed over the field. An overwhelming yes.

Nodding, he glanced over his shoulder. "Liusha!" His Flygon glided over, landing before him.

But when Tai reached for the reins, he backed up. "Hey!" 

He tried again - only for Liusha to flutter back a few steps.

His brow furrowed in confusion. What was he doing?

"What's wro-agh!" Qrow's sudden shout had him whirling around - only to bite his lip on his laughter. 

Sunflower had lifted the man up by the back of his shirt as if he were a newborn Growlith, trotting forward until she was unceremoniously dropping Qrow down in front of him. Tai reached out to steady him.

"Uhh?" Qrow glanced between him and the Arcanine, clearly unsure what to make of this.

But Tai was beginning to get the idea. Pokemon communicated between each other in all sorts of unique and fascinating ways - ways that weren't fully understood, even by researchers. Over the years, he'd learned to lean on his team's guidance, just as much as they leaned on his. So he knew when they were trying to tell him something important.

"Tai, what's up with them?"

"I think they’re letting us know that Reaper wants you up there with her." He answered. Said like that, it seemed so obvious. Even if Tai was the one helping her get better, the bond she had with her trainer would always be something special.

Qrow tipped his head back, looking up at the corvid for a long, quiet moment, before he frowned. "But... we can't. She's not strong enough yet."

He had to stop himself from laughing again, the same bubble of affection he'd felt earlier in the day swelling, leaving his chest feeling floaty. "Not riding her, silly." He reached for Liusha's reins, able to grasp them with ease this time. "With me."

Qrow's gaze found his. 

Held it for three seconds that felt like an eternity.

Then he looked past Tai's shoulder and snarked, "Can he handle that?"

"Fly!!"

"Just get on you jerk."

It only occurred to Tai after they were in the air, hovering level with Reaper's face, Qrow’s hands clutching his shirt like a lifeline, that this was also the first time Qrow had been in the air since he and Reaper had been struck down. 

If all that was whirling through Qrow's head though, none of it came through his voice. Steady and sure as he yelled to his bird, "Reaper! You ready to take the sky back as yours again?"

Her call was even more impressive than the last. 

"Good! Then show me what you're made of!"

Her wings spread, the gleam in her eyes sharp and determined. 

With nothing left to add, Tai led his own mount backwards so they wouldn't get tossed in the blowback. A chorus had started up from below, every pokemon and person in attendance shouting their encouragement as the Corviknight began to flap. Each sweep of her awesome wings stirred the air, the wind draft giving weight to her powerful presence. 

It was no wonder these Pokemon were recognized as one of the masters of the sky. 

And then, with a leap of her claws, she was up!

And then up and up and up, gaining height until she bypassed the furthest she'd been allowed during practice and going well beyond. When she reached an air current that suited her, Reaper pulled in her wings some, canting above them in slow, wide circles.

It was already a promising accomplishment. This was only part of the trial though.

They had her in the air, now they had to make sure she could stay in it.

"Ready?" Tai asked, glancing back to his riding partner. 

Though his grip tightened to a near painful squeeze, Qrow's face was as sharp and determined as his bird's. "Yeah. Do it." 

Nodding once, he turned his face back to the sky, and with a pull of the reins, Liusha was rocketing upwards, pulling even with Reaper within seconds.

"Corvi!" She greeted, her next cycle widening to encompass them. 

"Looking good, girl!" Qrow flattered. "Ready for the next part?"

In answer, Reaper pulled in her wings, whole body twisting midair. Barrel-rolling with more finesse than any jet could ever truly accomplish. 

Tai just laughed as he realized that she was just as much of a grandstander as her trainer. "To Ten Carat! Beat us if you can!" And with that challenge in place, his Flygon swooped down into a soar, the wind whipping their clothes into a frenzy as they picked up speed. 

Reaper's wings audibly cut through the air as she gave several mighty flaps in pursuit. 

He'd crossed this distance a thousand times before, usually to go see Bart. At a leisurely pace, it took ten minutes. But Flygons weren't exactly the Slakoths of the dragon Pokemon world. Even with two passengers, at top speed, Liusha could easily clear it in a third of that time. With how fast the world below was going by underneath them, Tai could tell they were on pace to do so. A glance back told him Reaper was several paces behind but not struggling to keep up. It was clear she was giving it everything she had, but between her heavier weight and bulky form, there wasn't any way the bird could catch up.

It wasn't really meant to be a race, just something to feed into the competitive spirit most Pokemon held. A roundabout bit of motivation that seemed to be working like a charm.

He might have tugged at Qrow. Told him "See? She's got it!" - if not for the fact the man already had his eyes on her, witnessing the marvel for himself.

Really, what words compared to actions anyways? 

Tai could tell Qrow that things would be alright until he was blue in the face - but it was in these moments that the other finally, truly believed it.

Knew for sure he knew it, for when they passed over the mountain's peak and they pulled into a hover, allowing Reaper to go past where it all began and cross over the ocean, and they watched the bird's steel feathers gleam in the sun as she cried her triumph to the sky, it was only then Qrow's grip turned from a clutch into an embrace, voice trembling with emotion as he verbalized a small "Thank you" that seemed to stretch into an endless well of gratitude.

Tai covered one of Qrow's hands with his own in silent acceptance.

~

Reaper's landing was perfect, fluttering down onto the field with the grace to rival an Altaria. 

It was also, perhaps, ill-chosen, as it took but seconds for her to be surrounded by all their combined Pokemon as they chittered, growled, clicked, yipped and barked their glee at her. But rather than be overwhelmed, Reaper drank it all in, chest puffing up proudly.

Qrow was so eager to join in all the festivity, he practically leapt off of Liusha to sprint the short distance over. The Corviknight lowered her head at his approach, Qrow wrapping his arms around her crown, face alight with joy as he spoke obvious praises. With all the sound, Tai couldn't hear a word of it, but did hear Reaper's happy trills.

The whole thing left his heart feeling warm. 

"It seems it was a flawless success." Bart announced as he came over.

"Heh, it sure was." Tai dismounted, watching Liusha fly over to join the others. "I mean, she'll still have some strength training to do from here, work her way up to longer flights and carrying additional weight. But, she'll be able to tackle that on her own." 

Clover was talking animatedly with Qrow and clapping him on the shoulder. Siren was singing a celebratory ballad, voice complimented by Liusha's musical wingbeats. Many of the other Pokemon had started to dance or sway, bopping heads and stomping the ground. Between the gaps of all the feet and paws, he even spotted Yoraito and Kalā sharing a nuzzle.

So much excitement and happiness felt at every corner, his smile became uncontainable. "This is always the best part, seeing one of my rescues graduate."

"Yes, it is quite something." Bart agreed, adjusting his glasses. "Has Qrow decided where he's going from here?"

It was like Tai had thrown himself over Kala’e Cliff all over again, the shock as paralyzing as the plunge into the freezing waters and even more frightening. "I, well, uh... no, we hadn't discussed it."

More truthfully, he had never wanted to ask. Because if he never brought it up, then maybe this new living arrangement he'd come to enjoy far more than he ever thought possible would never have to end.

Maybe even thought, once or twice, that if Qrow stayed, then the heat that had been building between them would finally have a chance to spark.

Tai shook off the thoughts, forcing his smile back in place. "But I'm sure he'll find something that suits him. He's...perseverant like that."

"Is that so?" Bart's gaze was more piercing than his Luxray's x-ray vision. But just when he thought his friend was going to call him on his bullshit, instead he turned away, giving a nod. "Well, if he wishes to continue his work in the scientific field, send him my way. I'm certain the team back in Sinnoh would love to have him." 

He turned his head to hide his grimace. "O-Oh. Yeah... I'll do that."

"Hey!" Clover's sudden shout carried across the field. "What are you two doing? Get over here!"

"Coming!" Bart called. Then to him, quieter, "Though, a word of advice Tai?"

"Mm?"

The historian started to cross over, throwing over his shoulder, "If you want Qrow to stay, you should probably just ask him."

He blinked, looking up from the dandelions he was frowning at, watching him stride away. 

Shifted his eyes, until all he could see was Qrow, laughing openly as Beatrix transformed into a Jynx and made ridiculous kissy faces at the eeveelution pair. But, as if he could sense it, Qrow glanced away, those red eyes Tai had absolutely fallen for finding his. 

He couldn't just ask...

...Could he?

The smile Tai had forced just moments ago suddenly came so easy.

~

Sometimes days, even the good ones, could be exhausting.

They wound down the night as usual - settling in together with a cup of evening tea and playing the television for the hour. Qrow found his spot at one end of the couch, crossing his feet on the coffee table and allowing Emerald to curl up in his lap, running his fingers down her back idly. Tai, on the other end, plucked the remote off the side table and turned on the TV. Between them, one of the other Pokemon usually took the middle cushion - today it was Mercury, nested in the overthrow that was usually on the back of the couch.

The broadcast hadn't even been going for ten minutes before a soft snore had Tai glancing over.

Qrow's head had tipped downward, chest rising and falling in slow intervals. It wasn't the first time he'd fallen asleep like this - in fact, had done so almost every night when he first started helping out at the Daycare. The schedule could be brutal and the work even moreso. Even with all their Pokemon's combined help, there was still a lot of organizing, lifting, and cleaning to be done every day.

But Tai had an inkling that, for once, the day's work had little to do with it.

His eyes flicked down, meeting Hau'oli blue. "Worked himself in a frenzy last night, didn't he?"

Emerald gave a little chirrup that confirmed nothing, before laying her head down on the man's knee, intending on a catnap as well.

He let them sleep, turning back to the show.

Still let them long after it was over, instead tidying up the room and finishing up the dishes from dinner. 

The last plate was finding its way in the drying rack when he heard shuffling footsteps on tile. 

"M'sorry." Qrow said around a yawn, "Miss anything good?"

He shook his head, drying his hands on the towel. "Nah. Mostly filler. They haven't even made it to the Trovita Gym yet."

"Tch, they really wanna drag out this season, don't they? And I'm sure Ash won't even win the league." Qrow scoffed with a roll of his eyes, leaning back against the counter. Emerald took it as an opportunity to hop up behind him, butting her head against his arm until he gave her some obligatory chin scratches.

Tai watched them, leaning back against the opposite counter. Took a deep breath. Here we go. "You know, I've been thinking..."

"Hm?"

"Emerald's Graduation Day seems to be coming soon too. Though, it depends entirely on you."

Qrow arched a brow. "...Meaning?"

"Wellll..." He stretched out, unable to keep the grin off his face, "If you were to adopt her..."

What he expected the other man to do, as he had the dozens of times before, was either give him a flat look or rightfully jerk his chain a bit for his neverending adoption threats.

What he wasn't expecting was for Qrow to look down at the Glameow, smile softly, and say, "You know, I think I might just have to."

"Wait, really?" Tai spluttered. 

"Well yeah. Come on, don't look at me like that. I know you were gearing up some silly speech about how all she's needed is to form this oh-so great connection with a trainer who is willing to nurture it and you couldn't think of anyone else besides me."

No, no this was going all wrong! He wasn't supposed to agree. He was supposed to say no so Tai could joke about how he'd just have to stay forever then.

"Besides," Qrow looked back down at the cat and thus entirely missing the look on Tai's face as he added, "She shouldn't stay cooped in this house forever - not when there's a whole world to see, right?"

It felt like a hole was punched through his heart - which was kind of marvelous because they weren't really anything. Just a couple of young crushes that got shattered by the same reality. Or, more accurately, Tai had shattered by being a total Assimian.

So why did it hurt so much?

"R...Right." Tai choked out, quickly turning back to the sink and busying himself with checking the coffee maker that he'd already cleaned ages ago. Forced a laugh. "G-Glad we agree!"

"Uh-?"

He kept talking, hoping it would mask the absolute devastation wrecking through his chest. "And oh, I'm sure she'll love it wherever you take her! You could even introduce her to some Glameow in Sinnoh."

"...What?"

"Bart even told me he has a job offer for you if you like." His laugh was too loud. Or maybe his ears were just ringing too much. "I mean, I don't know if you want to go back there after everything. But the offer's there if you want it. And if not then hey - there's Glameow in Galar too, so I'm sure you'll find somewhere for her to fit right in!"

"You... want me to leave?"

The small, almost hurt tone drew him up short immediately, his spiraling thoughts crashing to a stop. He looked back, just barely catching the pained look playing across Qrow's face before the other was turning away, rubbing the back of his neck and hiding it all behind a scowl. 

Tai's breath stuck in his throat, hope starting to build. Was he still-? Did he not want to-?

Oh Arceus were they both just complete idiots?

"I mean, tch what am I saying? 'Course you do, I shouldn't of thought - no, nevermind." He shook his head almost violently, pushing off from the counter and started to walk away with a parting grumble, "I'm gonna head to bed."

Wait. 

Waitwaitwait!

Without even fully thinking it through, Tai lunged forward, gripping onto Qrow's wrist. Didn't have a damn clue what to say but, knowing if he didn't fix this now, then he was going to lose him forever. So he forced out the first thing to come to mind as those striking red eyes looked back at him:

"Do you want to go to dinner?!"

The hurt on Qrow's face melted into confusion. "Uh... what?"

The good thing was his panicked state was pretty similar to his depressive one as he swallowed his nerves and blathered on, "There's this really gorgeous restaurant in town, by the bayside. Kinda fancy, but the food's amazing and there's a dancing stage too for, um," His face flushed brilliantly as he stuttered, "C-Couples."

It was the longest five seconds of his life. Qrow stared at him, shocked, mouth open but emitting nothing.

Then he turned his head, hiding a snort behind his hand. "That has to be the most awkward confession I've ever heard."

"I'm out of practice!!" Tai cried.

But it worked to break the tension as they both laughed, harder than they should have even though it wasn't really funny. But Tai could care less, because it was so rare Qrow laughed so openly - and seeing his eyes crinkle at the edges and his smile go wide, it reminded him how beautiful he was.

When they calmed down, the air more light and amicable, a tentative smile played across his face. "So... is that a yes?" 

"I... want it to be. Arceus how I want it." The wrist Tai still held rotated, sliding out of the grip. In its place, long, slim fingers curled over his. Qrow looked at their hands as if the connection held all the answers in the world - before sighing, and meeting his eyes. "But I'm not ready. I'm still a total mess right now. I need to feel like me again before anything else. If I'm gonna be with you, I want you to have the best of me, not the trainwreck."

And, well, there was really only one answer to that: "Okay."

"Okay?" Qrow almost sounded like he didn't believe it - whether it was Tai taking it so easily or just believing in him was anyone's guess.

So Tai nodded, assuring, "Yeah. I mean, it's not a no." 

"Yeah but," He frowned. "It's a no for awhile. I can't even tell you how long."

"That's alright. Besides," In a fit of flirty impulsiveness, he rose their joined hands up, dropping a kiss along Qrow's knuckles, winking as he did it. "You're worth waiting for."

It was Qrow's turn to be lost for words, rambling incoherently, "I - you - what!?" Then, finally, he got in a jab, cheeks coloring all the while, "Where was that five seconds ago!?"

Tai made a mental note that when they were done waiting, he was absolutely going to make it his mission to make Qrow blush as much as possible. "What, did my wiles captaivate you?"

"Annnd you ruined it."

His smirk grew. "I had to. I couldn't risk hypnotaizing you."

"The only thing you're risking right now is my attraction flying out the window." Qrow deadpanned.

Tai could only laugh. 

Eventually, Qrow cracked too, shoulders shuddering as he chuckled. "You're such an idiot."

"Yeah." He conceded. After a reluctant moment, he slowly pulled his hand away from Qrow's. It felt cold immediately. "Can't be any more idiotic than almost allowing one of the best things in my life almost walk out the door on me." He paused, then amended quickly, "I mean, that is, you're welcome to still stay, as long as you want. If you want?"

It was a question and a hope and a plea all in one, but it hardly had time to fester into something dark as Qrow's smile, soft and warm, came as immediately as his answer.

"Yeah. I'll stay." 

~

~Epilogue~

They'd been flying circles above the forest of Mahalo Trail for at least an hour before Qrow's voice crackled through the x-transceiver of the C-gear. "I spotted her!" 

Liusha's wings gave off a jubilant set of notes while Tai sighed in relief. "Thank Arceus!" His eyes sought the skies, finding Reaper doing cycles more towards the north, closer to Tapu Koko's cave. "She alright?"

"Far as I can tell. Going in for the capture now."

Tai watched the duo dive down, disappearing into the treeline. He pulled Liusha into a hover, waiting with baited breath as the minutes ticked on, not a sound to be heard beyond the wind rustling the leaves of the trees.

Then, another crackle. 

"Got her."

Tai whooped. "Ah, Qrow, I'm so proud of you!"

"It wasn't that big of a-" Qrow cut himself off. "I mean, thanks."

Before Tai could sing more praises, Clover's voice came through the line, "Hark, was that the sound of Qrow accepting a compliment I heard?"

"Haha, shutup."

Clover chuckled, before his tone shifted back into officer mode. "Good job, both of you. Not a minute too soon either. Siren's getting exhausted." 

"On my way." Tai pulled his mount around, leading him back to Iki Town.

"I'll be right behind you." Qrow assured.

It was only a few minutes before Tai was soaring over the small town, finding it still much in the state he'd left it in. The center arena had been smashed to splinters. Miss. Peach's porch was caved in, blocking the front door. Several palm trees had been felled, laying haphazardly about in yards and, for one extra unlucky plant, propped up against the Kahuna's rooftop.

It looked like a typhoon had hit - but the real culprit wasn't quite as fearsome looking. 

Tai landed a few feet from Clover, sweeping his eye over the 'battle'. His Primarina was resting on her belly, taking an obvious break between lullabies, but eyes remaining intent on her opponent for any signs of stirring. 

And the one who had started this all? Nothing more than a single Bewear, slumbering at the base of the second set of stairs that led down to route 1, which was currently full of the newly appointed trainers for the season, all of whom were hunting around for their next catch and certainly not in the skill level to handle an aggressive high level Pokemon.

It was a disaster waiting to happen, had she gotten any further.

Still, he couldn't find it in his heart to blame the bear.

Then again, perhaps he was just biased. Even from here, he could easily spot the metal tag clipped to one rounded, white ear.

An hour ago, when the sound of Clover's motorcycle racing across the field cut through the calm of the Daycare, the last thing Tai had expected when Clover rattled off the details of the crisis and how he needed their assistance, was for him to turn to him and tell him solemnly,

"And Tai? It's one of yours."

One look at the scars across her muzzle and he'd recognized ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Ākala immediately. She'd been a rescuee from a few years back - a timid and terrified Stufful at the time who had been trapped in a cave in. She had bashed her poor nose raw trying to dig her way out.

Though she hadn't had a long stay, she had a memorable one, as Yin, his Pangoro, had developed a paternal bond to the little cub. So, after returning her to the forest, he'd kept an eye on her throughout the years.

A well enough one to know she had had a cub of her own recently.

A cub that was concerningly missing.

The swooping noise of Reaper's wings reminded him that it wasn't going to be the case for much longer. 

"That's it. Nice and easy." Qrow coached as they came in for the landing. Perched around his shoulders like a scarf was Emerald, looking mighty proud of herself. And in Qrow's lap was a little golden bundle, sleeping away just like her mom. "Found her hiding in the bushes by the stream." He told them as they approached, "If it weren't for her coat, I don't think I woulda seen her at all."

"Well, I wasn't worried." Tai grunted as he and Clover maneuvered the shiny Stufful into his arms. He still managed to spare a moment to wink up at his ku'uipo. "You always had an eye for the prize."

The snort Qrow let out was stifled by Clover's laughter. "You can't be implying yourself."

He gasped overdramatically. "Are you implying I'm not a catch, Lieutenant Ebi?" 

"Even a Magikarp's worth more than you." The officer gave another mournful sigh, throwing an arm around Qrow's shoulders the moment he hopped down, telling him woefully, "You must have touched the tail of a Ninetales to get so unlucky."

With a roll of his eyes, Qrow elbowed him in the ribs. "Stop being an idiot Cloves."

Leaving them to bicker as they often did, Tai hefted the cub a bit higher in his arms, carefully making his way over to Ākala. She didn't stir at his approach, but as he laid the young Stufful down by her belly, he picked up on her twitching nose. 

"Ssssh!" He hissed sharply.

Clover and Qrow fell silent immediately. Even with his back to them, Tai could already imagine the way Clover's hand fluttered down towards his belt or how Qrow's raised to press against Emerald's side, both ready to call upon one of their partners should things turn nasty. Could feel Reaper and Siren's gazes bearing down on the field.

So Tai did what he did best in such tense situations - he took three steps back and sat down right there in the dirt, all caution Mach Punched to the wind.

Beady, black eyes squinted open, Ākala sniffing in the scents around her as she slowly came to. The moment she caught her cub's, she snapped fully awake, sitting up with a surprising speed for someone of her girth. 

The sudden shift caused the Stufful to whine, curling up tightly to compensate for the loss of warmth. But the minute she found her, Ākala was lifting her up and cuddling her to her chest in a big embrace. Her cub gave a little huff like a petulant child asking for five more minutes, nuzzling into her fur.

It was absolutely precious.

Tai smiled, though he still kept his tone chiding, "You've caused a bit of a stir Ākala."

"Wear?" Her attention shifted to him. She'd been in such an outaged state when he'd first shown up on the scene, she hadn't even recognized him - but now her expression lit up. "Be-be!" 

In an almost human-like askance, she held out an arm. Tai could hear his poor Qrow choking on air as he dared shuffle forward, letting Ākala wrap him up in a hug. 

Even with just one arm, she could easily snap his spine.

While it was a tight squeeze, it wasn't life-threatening. He chuckled, letting himself sink into her soft fur. "Next time, will you just come and ask for help instead of destroying half a town?"

"Be?" 

Ākala looked about, at first in confusion, then in dawning mortification as the state of Iki registered. 

And just like that, she burst into tears. "WEAAAAAR!"

Tai pat her cheek. Really she was just an oversized Teddiursa. "Okay, it's okay. No one got hurt and everything else is fixable." He kept soothing her until she calmed - just in time, because her little one was just starting to wake. "How about we get you two home, huh?"

A few sniffles and a nod, before she was climbing to her feet. Tai stood as well, glancing back. 

Clover offered him a thumb's up and Qrow made a shooing motion - they had things from here.

He recalled Siren and led the way back to the forest.

~

This time, when Tai returned to Iki Town, it was much more put together. Clover was making rounds, checking on the people, taking damage reports and making sure no one was in need. Miss. Peach's porch had been cleared away for her to be able to reach the door, the remains of the framework being moved aside. The Arena was likewise being torn apart - salvageable parts being put into one pile, the rubbish in another. The fallen trees had been collected and placed into neat rows - the last of which Qrow was guiding Reaper to carefully lift off the Kahuna's roof.

That is where Tai found himself drifting over to.

"It's got a bit of a dent, but shouldn't be too bad to repair." Qrow was saying as his Corviknight rested it down.

"Ah, no matter." Leo replied, stroking his beard. "As they say, a little Ho'omau goes a long way."

He tilted his head. "I don't think I've heard that one."

"It means perseverance. There is great value in not giving up even in great adversity, don't you think?"

"Ah well..."

Tai took the opportunity to chime in, stepping up next to his ku'uipo. "We do that every day."

He did not think a day would come that he would get tired of the way Qrow's eyes brightened up the moment they looked upon him. "Everything go well?"

"Got them back to their den. I didn't see any sign of what caused them to be separated, but I left Yin with them for now to make sure they settle in alright. If there's any predators around, he'll take care of them." Not that many were daring enough to go after a Stufful, knowing a mother might be nearby. "But, I got a cute picture before I left!"

He tapped the button on the C-Gear, bringing up the mini-camera. It was fairly outdated by today's standards, the quality hard to capture on the weak processor, but the pixelated appearance didn't diminish the homey little scene of his Pongoro lifting up the happy cub high into the air, beaming like the proud, adopted grandfather he was.

"Heh. Who knew that lug could smile?" Qrow snarked.

"You've just never seen it because he's too busy being competitive with you." Tai replied smoothly. "Can't let you out-grump him."

"You're lucky I love you, you cheeky, little-"

Letting him grumble himself out, Tai turned to Leo, all smiles. "Is there anything pressing that needs doing left? I'm afraid we've been away too long."

"No, no, you've both done quite enough." Leo said, a bit of a twinkle in his eye as he added, "I'm sure you're busy lately with the big day drawing near."

He tried not to mentally wince at all the things still spread out on their kitchen table of things to do and decide on. Had they even figured out the floral arrangement mishap yet? Or checked in with the ring engraver? One more look at the guest list wouldn't hurt either...

"Busy is... a word for it, yes."

"Ho'omau, right? We've got it." Qrow came to his rescue this time, catching his hand in his. "But for now, we really should get going." 

A few more quick goodbyes to the locals, a quick recalling of Pokemon, and a short update to let Clover know they were heading out, and soon enough they were on the trail home.

In the privacy of Route 1, Tai lifted their joined hands up, kissing the back of Qrow's hand. "Thanks. I couldn't have done today without you."

"Sunshine, you're going to break me." Qrow groaned, using his free hand to hide his blush. 

Feeling mischievous, he started to drop little kisses against his wrist and up along his arm, murmuring all the while, "But it's true. I shine so bright only because you're with me, you know."

"That's - mm - really sappy." 

Tai had made it to his neck now. "Only the best for you, ku'uipo."

Another one, right along his jaw, had Qrow turning into the kiss. Soft and sweet.

"And I'll always give you my very best." Qrow promised when they broke apart.

Tai cupped his face in his hands, assuring, "You always do," before pulling him in for another kiss. 

A declaration of love that was truly timeless.

[avecpardon]

The Dreams of WoM

There are several Dreams in my AU I call World of Minecraftia, a living dimension generated from code from the game Minecraft but exists 'beneath' the game and the real world. Think Log Horizon but the avatars you play are independent people from the people playing them.

--

Black Market Dream - The Dream that existed before the account was bought by Player!Clay; never Awakened, so never sentient/aware.

OG Dream - The Dream that was Awakened when Minecraftia took notice of Player!Clay's trapping and parkour skills in PVP and jump maps. Because he was Awakened during his e-boy skin he looked human and retained that human look even when his skin in the game was changed to the brand green. Status - Deceased, suffered Core Death when Herobrine consumed his soul to take over his body.

Dream - Before OG Dream was consumed, he created a backup of himself that was then reinstalled into his body after George defeated Herobrine. This is the current Dream who now is investigating the corruption of the world that is causing DreamSMP lore to become active in his friends, racing to solve the issue before his own lore fully installs. Status - Active.

DreamXD/Exdee - The Alt Account. DreamXD spent his time posing as Dream in Sky Capital to prevent the authorities from noticing Dream moves constantly to avoid being pinned in one place. He also would run as far from spawn as he could to find new training fields for Dream, only stopping his runs when killed as he doesn't bother to try surviving. Suffered repeated Core Deaths for the process. His most recent Core Death came after he and Dream reconciled their differences and decided to become twin brothers; upon returning to life with limited memories of his previous self, he was given the nickname Exdee and became the Overseer of the DSMP, using Creative Mode to protect himself from the dangers of the corrupting world. Status - Active.

C!Dream(Copy!Dream)/Nightmare/Oneiros: Before OG Dream was consumed, he was captured by a faction of Avatars known as The Disillusioned and tortured until a copy of his data was forcibly taken. This copy was then taken to the Nether and installed into an NPC body before an incident caused him to activate. Believing himself to be the real Dream, C!Dream was put through horrendous experiments by the Disillusioned before he was able to escape them and end up in the clutches of warring Piglin factions. Whenever he is able to break free from them, he hunts after Dream in attempts to kill and replace him, often going by the name of Nightmare. The Syndicate rescued him, first by accident and then later intentionally when he became a member of their group, and are currently rehabilitating him by helping him find a new identity. Technoblade gave him the name Oneiros. Status - Active.

--

[reidmania]

hey just wanted to talk about your recent post in regards to animals in captivity :3 im quite passionate ab this subject so i apologise if i come across kinda aggressive!!!! thats not my intention at all i just like talking ab this stuff :D

i did enjoy your fic because you’re right!!!!! places like seaworld, where animals are kept in much too small enclosures and forced to tricks, are a huge issue. i really appreciate what you had to say on that topic in particular!

but, i personally really dont like all the hate that zoos and aquariums get by association. there are definitely cases to be made for larger animals such as sharks/whales/elephants, but something that you have to remember is that zoos+aquariums are conservation efforts! most animals that are in captivity are either born there and have no concept of the outside world, or were injured in such a severe case that they can not be released. zoos and aquariums (at least repeatable ones) try their absolute hardest to meet every one of their animals needs, and rehabilitate them if possible.

not only this, but these institutions also have programs that work towards rebuilding endangered populations and reintroducing them into the wild!! an example of this would be the american black-footed ferret, which was successfully reintroduced, but there are programs happening right now for even more animals. without things like zoos & aquariums, we wouldn’t have all this amazing research and progress!

my final point is the education opportunities that these places bring :3 i adore animals and when i was younger, i went to a zoo camp program every summer! i learned so much about animals and ecological conservation that helped me become so passionate about it today !

sorry this ask is a little all over the place i have a lot of thoughts!!!! please know that i am not trying to tear you down for your story, it just got me excited and wanting to talk ! thank u so much for reading :3

do not apologise bc its a topic that definitely needs to be talked about!!

i agree with a lot of what you said, zoo’s and aquariums are definitely not all bad!!. if you look at my comments on the post i made before that fic i mention that i understand that these institutions need to make money in order to be able to continue helping & providing these animals with care, and they make that money by doing shows or by people paying to see them.

some places are really really great in the way they care for their animals, and i completely agree that they are a great way to learn and become more educated on animals and etc and im sure they are not all bad in anyway what so ever.

In saying that the whole point of the fic (which was mainly about orca’s) was that i got the idea for it after watching blackfish which was a documentary about how horrible these orca’s were treated — and at that point in time SeaWorld was not rescuing their animals, they were capturing these animals, stealing them away from their parents, and then putting them through the worst stuff and actively spreading misinformation about these animals, saying stuff like 25% of orcas have flopped over dorsal fins when in the wild its less then 1%.

also saying that they live 25-30 years. When in the wild they can live to over 100. they would act like these werent wild animals, & these animals were being used for shows, then isolated.

Also i think its mentioned in the fic but these orca’s all come from different families, and pods which means they all have completely different sets of vocalisations which is how they communicate with each other and because of that they wouldn’t understand each other so they were still isolated!! which is the case with a lot of places, they can say the animals r with their ‘family’ but a lot of the time its just the same species put together in a close proximity.

they were punished by being starved, males were used purely to breed and then those babies would be ripped away from their mothers & sold to some place else. and dolphins being used for shows back then, trainers standing on their noses as an act, when that can do sooo much damage to dolphins jaws.

i think rehabilitation & rehab centres are great for all animals, and zoo’s or aquariums who rescue and genuinely care for their animals are great. theres definitely multiple sides to it and a lot has definitely changed since the backfish documentary came out, it just had me very frustrated. the places that rescue their animas & then if those animals can be released (and would survive) and they release them, those places have my respect but this is definitely not the case for every place.

thank you for giving me something to yap about!!

[mandaplayswithlife]

I'm Starting a Sims 4 Challenge!

Today on my Twitch channel I mentioned that I am starting my own Sims 4 legacy challenge.

This one is called the Cottage Author Challenge.

Generation One:

Must choose one genre of book to write every day. Must write the same genre every day.

2. The game must begin in an apartment.

You do not need to lose all your money. BUT you CANNOT use any money cheats during the challenge.

3. They MUST max out their writing skills on a typewriter BEFORE having a laptop or PC.

4. You must either reach level 10 in the writing career or make 100,000 simoleans whichever comes first.

5. Must become a best-selling author

6. Then you must move to a cottage( you can download one either from your preferred cc website or in the library of the game.

7. You must choose 1 dog or cat to care for. You can create one with your sim or adopt one when you get the apartment if you wish.

8. Then you must choose either to be a hen healer(Successfully care for 4 families of hens. cow caretaker( successfully raise 4 cows), or horse rescuer(Successfully rescue and rehabilitate 4 horses)

9. Once you accomplish all the tasks above you can start dating, get into a relationship, and have children.

10. The child must max out the imagination skill BEFORE becoming a teen.

11. Once they are a teen they must be a straight a student.

12. When they are a young adult you will start with step one and repeat.

Use the hashtag #cottageauthorchallenge on Tumblr and Instagram.

I can't wait to see who else is going to do this with me.

Catch me every Monday from 5 pm to 7 pm CST on Twitch below: