#would you still love me if i was a manatee

[missterious-figure]

Imma throw a Wine and feathers situation at you-

The triplets are loopy from residual tranquilizers and numbing agent. They had just returned from a check up from the doctor.

In their loopy state they all start to cling onto yn. By clinging, they are pressing their entire bodies against you. Their arms snaking through and around each others to get to you smaller form the most. You’re burning with embarrassment in your attempts to remain professional.

A coworkers arrives to check on you. Due to your desire to avoid implications and workplace rumors you pull your arms out and away from the cuddle pile and raise them as high over your head as you possibly can. You’re hoping that she sees this like those situations where divers are legally not allowed to touch a manatee but is currently getting cuddled by one nonetheless.

As your arms are raised you feel as Sun very clumsily “climbs” up your arm, one hand after the other, (in more of a dramatic, purposeful sense because he’s larger than you) and firmly presses his face into your open palm. His voice low and begging, but his words jumbled and lacking sense.

You shiver as lips are pressed behind your ear clumsily. Moon joins the babbling with strangely sweet whispers, but just like Sun, his words lack direction.

Then something throws your entire group off balance and you all crumble to the floor. As you lay on top of Eclipse with Sun and Moon clinging to your sides, you guess that Eclipse might have been helping you hold the weight of his brothers. But as his long legs wrap around your own legs, you realize Eclipse had other plans.

You feel their respective grips tighten around you. Any place you attempt to love your hands, Sun is not far away. Moons hand seems to be fiddling with your broach as he continues to ramble quietly into your ear. And not only has Eclipse limbs pull you into himself like your his personal teddy, you feel that he starts to preen your hairline.

With your new position on the ground you can no longer see your coworker, but you suspect that she is watching this all unfold.

Trying to steel your nerves you manage to squeak out a request to her. “Hey, if you’re still watching, could you ask the doctor how long it takes for the laughing gas to flush from a harpies system… for me?” (Gas was not used, you know that)

You would like to say all you heard was silence, but the whispers and the purr like rumbling close to you prevent silence from persisting.

Then a chuckle, a chuckle that prompted the loopy birds to also giggle amidst themselves.

“I’ll see what I can do.” You heard the voice distance itself. The tone your coworker used worried you. As you heard the door shut behind them you fear you may be pinned between three Handsom Harpies for far longer than your schedule recommends.

Prompted from the ‘air jail’ question and me wanting to imagine the bois being clllooossser

*DIES*

HUH?! WHAT!? THIS IS SO GOOD!? YOU KEEP KILLING ME WITH YOUR AWESOME WRITING! Please, it's great!! Thank you!! Can't wait for more if you have any!! I love how they are so loopy and are just absolutely smothering y/n with affection. Rip y/n.

[fallstaticexit]

14, 24, and 37 from the personal asks 👀

14. do you collect anything?

Nothing specific, or typical. But I save every single card I’ve ever gotten. Birthday, anniversaries, holidays. I’m y nightstand drawer is filled with them!

24. Do you believe in any conspiracy theories?

So, by definition I suppose my mother is a conspiracy theorist and she raised my sister and I that way. Back then that’s what being woke was considered (it’s been so flipped these days). Now, I still carry alot of those theories in the back of my head, one being the one about aliens and project blue beam that’s been circulating. I can totally see the gov making a spectacle of what could be remarkable opportunity to connect with other life.

37. what’s an uncommon/specific /obscure topic you’re interested in?

Basically it’s about the previous question (aliens) I love talking about how I totally do not think the aliens we think we would see if they ever revealed themselves are actual physical carbon based creatures. I believe the theory that life on earth was just pure accidental. Like there isn’t really life or beings that looks and operate like us in all of space because what happened here was just a chain effect of events that just- happened. And evolution and so on. That said, “aliens” wouldn’t look like anything we’d ever recognize in reality. How could it really unless this phenomenon happened everywhere. If so, why haven’t we had contact?

I heard that they’re saying aliens are in the oceans? Which sounds insane, because wouldn’t it just be an odd new sea creature species we haven’t discovered? It’s confirmed we haven’t even explored all of the oceans on earth so how do we know this alien isn’t just some deep sea creature? Sounds like the people who thought manatees were mermaids lol also if it lives in the ocean…how is it an alien exactly? AND if it’s actually an “alien” from space, how long does it have to live on earth to not be an alien anymore? Sounds like squatters rights to me lmfao.

If aliens ever revealed themselves on tv and they look like ET, I know it’s government cap. I’m expecting something I couldn’t fathom in my wildest imagination.

[isthedogawolfdog]

You're writing a book about animal welfare vs animal rights? Do tell! I work in conservation education and am always looking for new ways to bring people's attention to actual animal welfare (ie what this animal actually needs versus what we as humans project onto it as needing). We see a lot of this with the manatees my aquarium rescues. People get all fired up and want to go feed the manatees! ...then are shocked when I tell them feeding is why some of ours have such horrible scars (got too close to motorboats hoping for more food). Or they confess to me that they've given freshwater from their hose to one, or want to pull a baby manatee out of the water to take a selfie with it, and I have to find a way to gently let them know that is never OK... in any case, DM me if you need a beta reader or editor! Good luck with the book!

Oh goodness thank you so much! I have no idea how long this has been rotting away in my inbox, but I’ll definitely DM you since I’d love hearing your thoughts. :)

“what this animal actually needs versus what we as humans project onto it as needing” <—— this literally summarizes the book lol. The long and short of it is how people anthropomorphize animals, along with how some individuals are SURE that what they’re doing for/to an animal is good, but refuse to change when told otherwise. Basically it’s how humans let their emotions get in the way of animal husbandry and general care but it’s still a big work in progress.

I made the decision to actually work on the concept after hearing stories from my coworkers at a vet clinic about kitten season, and how people would come in and say “we have kittens for you!” With the biggest smile on their face, while staff could feel their hearts drop, as chances are they would be euthanized. The only problem is that I’m super busy, so I have little time to work on it, not to mention all the other books I’m writing that haven’t been touched :’).

But yeah, I’ll DM you!

[hishoi]

Hello people!!

A couple days ago i got inspired to crochet a manatee, so i did! And, i have a pattern for you guys too, if you want to make one yourself. I am still working on the skykid pattern, but i'm a bit out of yarn right now so there will still be a while until i can post it.

Anyways, here's the pattern!

Sky: cotl manatee crochet pattern

Yarn colors: white and yellow. You can use any size hook you want, but i used a small 2.5 hook

Body (white)

Start every new row with a chain 1, - indicates new row. The entire project is worked in single crochet.

-Crochet 6 sc into magic circle, tighten the circle

-Inc in every stitch around

-inc in every other stitch around

-do 3 regular sc rows

-5 sc, 1 inc, 2 sc, 2 inc, 2 sc, 1 inc, 5 sc

-do 3 regular sc rows

-6 sc, 1 inc, 1 sc, 1 inc, 1 sc, 2 inc, 1 sc, 1 inc, 1 sc, 1 inc, 6sc

-now you do 12 regular single crochet rows. At this point you can start stuffing

-6 sc, 1 dec, 1 sc, 1 dec, 1 sc, 2 dec, 1 sc, 1 dec, 1 sc, 1 dec, 6 sc

-3 regular single crochet rows

-5 sc, 1 dec, 2 sc, 2 dec, 2 sc, 1 dec, 5 sc

-3 regular single crochet rows

-5 sc, (1 dec, 1 sc) x2, 1 dec, 5 sc

-3 regular single crochet rows

-Decrease in every other stitch around

-Sew the end of the body shut by doing one single crochet through 2 stitches across from eachother, and then chain one, and do one single crochet on top of the securing stitch. Chain one, and break off yarn.

Fins (white)

You will do two of these.

-ch 3, start in the second st from the hook, and do an inc in both stitches (4)

-Ch 1, 4 sc

-Ch 1, 4 sc

-Ch 1, 2 sc, 1 dec

-Ch 1, 1 dec, 1 sc

-Ch 1, 1 dec

Ch 1, break off yarn.

Attatch the fins around the ninth row of the body, one on each side of the head, with the side with decreases facing back. (Hope that makes sense)

Tail piece (yellow)

-Ch 2, and do 4 sc in the first stitch

-Ch 1, 4 sc

-Ch 1, 4 sc

-Ch 1, 2 dec

-Ch 1, 1 dec, ch 1, break off yarn

Attatch to the end of the body (not exactly sure how i did it myself you'll just have to wing it a bit)

Head pattern piece (yellow)

-Ch 2, and do 3 sc in the first stitch

-Ch 1, 1 inc, 1 st, 1 inc

-Ch 1, 1 inc, 3 sc, 1 inc

-Ch 1, 1 inc, 5 sc, 1 inc

-Ch 1, 9 sc

-Ch 1, 1 dec, 5 sc, 1 dec

-Ch 1, 1 dec, 3 sc, 1 dec

-Ch 1, 1 dec, 1 sc, 1 dec

-Ch 1, dec through all 3 stitches left, so that you end up with only one stitch. Ch 1, break off yarn

Head pattern piece (white)

-Ch 2, and do 2 sc in the first stitch

-Ch 1, 2 inc

-Ch 1, 2 dec

-Ch 1, 1 dec, ch 1, break off yarn

Sew the white piece onto the yellow piece, and attatch that to the body. After that you should be done!

This didn't take too long to make, maybe an hour at most. If you're looking for something fun to do for a little while, you can make this! If you make it, please let me know, rb this post with the results or tag me, either way i would love to see how you made it!

[quietwings-fics]

Wonder Where The Manatees Go

Rating: General Audiences Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Fandom: The Magnus Archives Ship: JonMartin Additional Tags: Humor, Canon-typical apocalypses, Manatees, Idiots in Love, Crack Wordcount: 344 Summary:

It's a very important question, Jon.

It’s about halfway (for a definition of ‘halfway’ that takes into account that there’s no such thing as distance anymore) through a Buried domain that Martin stops dead. He looks quite beautiful, standing there and surrounded by the countless waterfalls that line their path. The effect would probably be greater if Jon wasn’t fully aware of the people below the waterfalls drowning intermittently.

“Oh my god.” Martin says, eyes wide.

“What is it?” Jon’s ready to pounce on whatever horrifying eldritch being plans to approach them next. He looks around (and Looks around) but there’s nothing there. Except the waterfalls. And the underwater screaming. But he’s pretty sure Martin can’t hear that.

“Jon,” Martin says urgently, “what happened to the manatees?”

“The- What?” It’s very hard to take Jon off guard nowadays, given that he’s literally the embodiment of knowledge. Martin still manages it on a regular basis.

“The manatees! The sea cows! If any animal in the world was too innocent for this, it would be them.” Martin continues, and Jon just... blinks. He wonders, briefly, if this is it, if this is Martin cracking up.

“I can check?” He says, slowly, and Martin nods, tugging the straps of his backpack to re-shoulder the bag. Jon peers into the impossibly huge but not endless apocalypse the Watcher’s Crown wrought. In seconds, he’s overseen hundreds of different domains, fighting off horror and disgust by focusing on his mission of ‘Find The Manatees.’

Which he does, inevitably, because not even sea cows escape the Watcher’s gaze.

“They’re, um. Fine?” He lies horribly. Martin looks unimpressed.

“Don’t tell me even the manatees are being tortured.” Jon fidgets with the ring on his middle finger. “They are, aren’t they? That’s just-”

“Technically,” Jon interrupts, “ they aren’t being tortured.” It takes a moment for that to sink in.

“No.” Martin says in disbelief.

“Manatees are avatars of the Spiral.”

“How?!”

“Don’t ask.” Jon shudders. Martin promptly goes silent as they begin to walk again. Until a few minutes later when he finally whispers,

“We found the bad cows.”

(Enjoyed it? Any interaction is welcomed. You can even support me on Ko-Fi <3)

[staytinyville]

In honor of reaching 1.5k followers, with only 500 more followers left to reach my 2k event, I have decided to give those of my current followers sneak peaks into the eight stories.

These are my favorite parts of the stories. They are just the dialogues but I love them so much and I'm so excited to get them out to you guys!

Can you guys guess what their stories are?

If you wish to be added to the taglist, be sure to comment! I will be posting an imagine a day after I hit 2k!

"Would you mind looking at me?"

"I mustn't."

"Why not?"

"I do not wish to taint you with my ugliness."

"Who has told you such lies? You are the most beautiful man I have ever seen. And I have seven men as my royal guards. Such amazing eyes that sparkle. Smile that captures."

"But I have a hideous mark."

"Nonsense. It's what makes you more beautiful if anything. A mark of a warrior. I would like for you to join my royal guards. Alongside the others."

“Pardon me, but would you like to dance?”

“I'd love to.” “It's very nice to meet you. I am (Y/N).”

“Yes, I've lived in the kingdom since I was born.”

“Of course. Is there something that you do?”

“I am a musician.”

“So are you here to preform?”

“You can say.”

“Sing something for me?”

“I'd love to.”

“Poor lover boy chained like an animal. Pathetic—if you were my real son you'd know how to get out. Now i have things to do.”

“Where are you going!?”

“To pay your little blue bird a visit.”

“No!” “No don't touch them!” “Don’t you dare!”

“Is that a fucking dragon!?”

“It’s Hongjoong.”

“Do you know what you would have been had she not?”

“The servants never wanted to tell me. Would you love me if I was like you?”

“I would love you for who you are. Not what you look like.”

“Would you like to hear a song?”

“I love songs.”

“It's a merman! You were right!?”

“I thought they swallowed water.”

“I thought they saw a manatee.”

“I'm right here.”

“Oh my gods! They are so beautiful! Look at this one!”

“We're not fish.”

“It talks.”

“Did he just call me an it?”

“Wooyoung be respectful.”

“What are you looking at?”

“Them.”

“What about them?”

“Do you see the way they stand? The way they hold their sword? They are so confident and sure of themselves. I want to be like them.”

“You look like us.” “Well, not like us. They do, but you still look adorable.”

“You’re Atlantean.”

“Wooyoung, you have to stand back! You don’t know what they’re capable of!”

“Yeosang do you not see their eye bags? Or the pale skin? They are clearly scholars not fighters! “

“Pale skin?”

“Yes but the others are!”

“No wait!” “Don't go!”

“Ah!” “Why would you scare me like that?”

“I'm sorry. It's just—I didn't want you to leave. I really liked your signing.”

“Ah, thank you.”

“You're really good! I didn't want you to stop.”

“I can sing more if you'd like.”

“Please.”

[the-kr8tor]

NO WAIT SOBBING BECAUSE I JUST THOUGHT OF DEEP SEA WITCH HOBIE! WITH MANATEE MERMAID READER AND I'M SOBBING.

Reader is being so gentle and sweet and friendly that Hobie literally CANNOT even remotely be mean to them. Don't get me wrong he'll still tease them and all the above but being actually mean? God bless his soul he would rather dry up on land with the sun on his whole body as he becomes roasted octopus instead.

Reader who has big eyes and a big pretty smile, always happy to hang out with Hobie in his cave. He can't stop himself from letting them sit on his lap and feeding them some little bits of food as he works on his next client's potion.

Manatee Mermaid Reader! who is very sweet and playful, adores attention and just likes being happy. Just a soft ball of good emotions, which Hobie adores even more so. He knows what precedes him and so do you and yet to still come out to his cave, seek him out only to ask him if he wants to play with you.

Reader isn't innocent by any means, just maybe a bit more affectionate and emotional than some of the other mermaids. Which might be why they're led to be away from Hobie, at least the others try to. Hobie dislikes that, dislikes the fact that they're trying to "protect" you when he has never touched a single hair on your pretty head.

He adores showing you tricks he's learned, even better if you don't understand them the first time. He truly loves to help you understand it all, he shows you things, keeps you safe from anyone who actually has it out for you. He makes his cave less spiky, he's scared that if you two play fight too rough that you might end up scratching yourself.

Deep sea witch Hobie just adores how soft and affectionate you are. Gentle surprise hugs and soft kisses are all you know it feels like, whether that's true or not. He isn't used to the gentleness, he's used to being cut bruised and hurt. He's used to survival. He's used to be cunning and sly. With you he's the person he needs to be. You bring it out of him for the worst or the better.

He recognises you have a slightly poorer sense of danger as well, it's not a bother to him. It's more of a light worry, so he tries his best to accompany you when he can. He doesn't enjoy a good amount of the society but he's able to have scary dog privileges, which means you stay safe. Because who messes with a witch so powerful they can steal their shadow, soul and heart. And you. Then there's you, right next to him with your hand in his as he stands ominously behind you. Staring at whoever you're speaking to, ensuring your protection only in the case where he feels there's genuine danger.

-🪦 I cannot stop the brain is speeding and isn't making any halts or stops

Roasted octopus 😭🤣🤣🤣🤣 yum calamari! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Deep sea witch! Hobie def has scary dog privileges!

Awww they're so adorable!! Imagine that they met bc R was basking in the sun right on the beach and they had no idea that there were some humans coming their way so Hobie had to drag them out of the beach with his tentacles and when you're finally safe he realises that they're still fast asleep! He's like "dumbass, now I gotta protect this dumbass." And when r wakes up they're not even scared of him just blinking confused at how she got back to the ocean and he's like "uh oh, I kinda fancy this dumbass now."

[cupidspup]

Hi hi everyone!! :D

Many of you guys may not know but my birthday is coming up (on September 10) and along with a buncha other things I wanna do something special for it! ^^ Yes, it's very early to do so BUT I LILE BEING PREPARED >:3 and I wanna do fun things ૮( ,,◕ ﻌ ◕,,)ა

SO - HERE IS

35 Days of Agere Questions!!

(A countdown🫧)

Today I'm starting off with 5 because I feel like it uwu

1. "What is your ideal pet?"

Okay so - I actually have a ton of favorite animals from all kinds of interests. I love love LOVE manatees and sea horses and sea bunnies and even sea angels but I also love cute and fuzzy things like ferrets, rats, cats, dogs, hamsters (sometimes) BUT along with these things something I've ALWAYS wanted and still do is a horse. I grew up and always lived (up until 3 years ago) in the city and I only recently lived in a agriculture town :> horses have always been the dream and I hope to have a horse one day!! I would braid their mane and brush them and take them out on walks all the time!! =w= hoise

2. "What is your little space age?"

My little space is very all over the place for sure. I can never pin point it to just ONE age, it's always different!! I find that it's a lot harder to regress these days now that I'm much older and I have so much to focus on. Age dreaming has been more of a thing with me as of late BUT I can say that my little age is a range between 0-6 BUT lately it's been between 4 and 6 as long late!! I've been such a big kid lately!! ૮ ᴖﻌᴖა

3. "What is your favorite candy?"

Oooo okay so as sorta stated earlier, I am terrible with picking favorites OwO;; I HAVE TOO MANY FAVORITES!! Hmmm I can't pick anything that is my favorite for sure but I LOVE chocolate! Especially dark chocolate it's so so yummy!!

4. "Do you like baths?"

A very fun fact about me is that I LOVE baths and bathtime!! My favorite thing ever is mermaids and every time I'm in a bath I always feel like a mermaid :3 I love putting bath bombs in it and bubbles and eee!! I especially love it when my caregiver is taking one with me or decides to spoil me and helps me wash my hair and stuff =w= 🩷 Bath time is the bestest and so so so much fun!! I end up never wanting to get out! 🫧

5. "When is your bedtime?"

NEVER I AM THE NIGHT HAHAHAHA!! (My sleep schedule is ever changing as a person whos (trying to be) a working college student and about to be 21 and who struggles with sleep 💀)

[hunterwritesstuff]

"Raindrops." Hunter Cruz and Thomas Connor comfort fic

Cw: Grieving, loss of parental figure.

(Divider by @bernardsbendystraws)

Thunder rumbled outside the studio, causing the lights to flicker a few times. Rain trickled down the glass panes of the windows of the building. “I bet this one will win, papa!” Hunter heard his younger self echo in his head.

“I dunno, kiddo! My racer looks just as capable!” His heart ached as he heard his father’s voice respond to his younger self. He just wanted to focus on work. He had to get this done as soon as possible, and the storm already delayed him getting to work by a couple minutes.

His pencil stayed on the scratch paper for minutes at a time, still as a statue. He hated this weather. But he loved it, too. It felt like the sky was crying with him. He didn’t feel…alone.

He sighed, getting up from his desk and walking to the break room. Coffee was always in the break room-it was like an omnipresent God of sorts-and he felt calmer in there.

Thinking about God got him frustrated. It made him think back to his Papa and how people kept telling him that it was “all part of God’s plan that he died out at sea!”. He didn’t buy it for one second.

There’s no God out at sea. It’s survival of the fittest. If you’re weak, you’ll get eaten alive out there. But then why did his Papa have to die out there? He wasn’t weak. He was one of the strongest people Hunter knew.

And yet…one of the kindest. He was strong, but he never failed to be kind or caring to those in need. He was always good with kids. Whenever there were storms like today, he would always be there in the blink of an eye to help Hunter stay calm. 

But he didn’t have his Papa anymore to help with that. His Papa was gone. Now whenever there was a particularly bad storm, he’d have to hide away until it was over. Just ride it out.

He held Manny tight to his chest. That was the last gift his Papa gave him. His most prized possession. He never washed it out of fear of losing his Papa’s smell. It was comforting to him. A small manatee plush, about the size of a small water bottle.

Then a loud crack was heard. Then the building went dark.

The power went out.

Hunter groaned, hiding in the first empty cupboard in the break room that he could find, squeezing Manny close to his chest. He hated this, hated being so afraid.

He just wanted his Papa, he wanted some angel to hear his prayers and bring his Papa to him to help him calm down, feel safe again.

Then he heard footsteps outside his cupboard. Familiar footsteps. Workboots that splashed ever-so-slightly with ink with each step, making a slight squishing noise as well. That wasn’t the only pair. A pair of flats. Dainty feet, small, light, fast. “-eard someone come in here. I think it was him.” One of the two said.

Hunter perked his head up slightly. Allison and Tom. “Alright, thank you. You can go back to the music department, okay? Make sure nothing crazy happens down there while the power’s out. I love you.”

“Love you too.” The delicate footsteps receded. 

A knock came on the cupboard door. Hard, rough, firm. Tom. Hunter merely squeaked in confirmation. “I’m opening up, okay, kid?”

“Mhm…” Hunter peeped softly. Tom opened the cupboard, finding Hunter curled up tightly in it, squeezing his manatee plush in a way that would’ve turned it into paste if it were real.

“Hey, kid…” Tom said softly. “You okay…?” Hunter shook his head no.

“Scary…don’t have Papa…he can’t help me calm down…” Hunter sniffled.

Tom thought for a moment, trying to think of a way to coax the young animator out of the cupboard. Eventually, he thought of a way to coax Hunter out. “May I…?” He asked, looking at Manny.

Hunter whined a moment before nodding. Tom gently grabbed the plush, handling it as though it was a newborn, putting on a funny voice. “Hey, Hunter, it’s me, Manny! I like the water! Don’t you?”

Hunter chuckled sadly. “I mean…I like surfing…”

“Oh wow! That’s soooo cool! Come on! It’s okay to come out! It’s safe! Nothing can hurt ya out here!” Tom said in the same, silly, goofy voice.

Hunter chuckled, rubbing tears out of his eyes, slowly climbing out. “Ohhh, I see. So the big guy who’s saved your life multiple times can’t coax ya out of a cupboard, but the manatee can?” Tom joked.

“Oh, hush…” Hunter smiled sadly.

“Are you seein’ this, Manny? Yeah! He’s got total favoritism! And by the way, you should give Tom AAAALL your barbeque chips! I agree, Manny. Wise words.” Tom teased, alternating voices.

Hunter laughed at the goofiness from the typically serious GENT worker. “You remind me of…” Hunter said as a somber look crossed his face.

“...hey, it’s okay, kiddo. I’m sure your pops is plenty proud of ya, needing a manatee plush to coax you out of a cupboard during a thunderstorm or not.” Tom smiled softly.

“...ya think so…?” Hunter asked sheepishly.

“I know so, champ!” Tom said in the Manny voice again, rubbing the plush against Hunter’s face. 

“Okay, okay, I get it!” Hunter laughed. Tom handed Manny back to Hunter, the young animator hugging the plush tight, Tom smiling warmly at the sight.

Then he held a hand over his heart, plopping into a chair. “T-Tom?!” Hunter asked worriedly.

“Ooh, ow, paternal ping, ow.” Tom grimaced jokingly. Hunter scoffed, elbowing him in the side.

“NOT funny!” Hunter chuckled despite himself.

“Oooooh, ow, paternal ping. Oof…” Tom continued.

Hunter rolled his eyes. “You’re fine.”

“Geez, and I thought I was supposed to be the spoilsport.” Tom scoffed teasingly.

Hunter sighed. “Geez…you’re really good at this…” He chuckled dryly.

“Y’kidding? One of the other guys at GENT-his name is Juno, sweet kid-is pretty much…just like you when it comes to storms. Now, it ain’t my job to ‘parent’ my coworkers, but Juno’s a runner, and if he’s down, productivity drops.” Tom explained. “The poor kid’s scared of his own dang shadow. He jumps at the slightest little sound and movement.”

“Huh…poor guy…” Hunter frowned.

“Yeah, we’re, uh…we’re workin’ on it.” Tom nodded. Looking over at Hunter, Tom pulled him into a one-armed hug. “...It’ll be okay, kiddo.”

Hunter squeaked in surprise at the sudden contact before melting into the hug. “...yeah…”

“Wanna head back out and do raindrop races until the lights come back on?” Tom asked.

“...I’d like that…” Hunter nodded.

“Go ahead, you can call me the name.” Tom smiled, rolling his eyes jokingly.

“...I’d like that…Papa…”

“Of course, son.”

[rebelrebelwrites]

Fic Friday! ❤️ Rebel’s Weekly Fic Recs

I'm back. 😊 A day and several weeks late, but I'm back. I've decided I'd like to keep doing these as much as I can. I hope anyone reading enjoys.

As always, this week’s recs are…

As always, please mind the tags on any recommended story for your own personal preferences.

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The Classic You’ve Heard Of But Somehow Haven’t Read Yet: About you, without you by @aylana-ryvain

What you need to know going in:

A lovely, sad, sweet one-shot written for Haladriel Week where Galadriel returns to Barad-dûr after Sauron’s defeat at the beginning of the Fourth Age. Once there, she discovers a treasure trove of trinkets crafted by The Dark Lord in the hopes that she would someday change her mind. 🥹 Another tragic instant-classic, this fic wrenches at your heart in the best way. Be ready to bookmark!

Complete, Teen

Read the story.

Follow the author on Tumblr and AO3.

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The AU You Need to Immerse Yourself In Because, Well, Wow: Someone Taught You Wrong, Kid by @klynnvakarian

What you need to know going in:

The Western AU I never knew I needed! The VIBES in this fic, I tell you—they’re strong, and pitch-perfect. Between the dialogue and the at first tentative, blink-and-you-might-miss-it moments between Hal and Gal, which then blossoms into something that's more matter-of-fact; a frank romance that feels so fitting for this world and time and space for the two of them… it’s lovely. You’ll be swept away the same as they are. Very excited to see the final piece of it!

WIP, Mature

Read the story.

Follow the author on Tumblr, Twitter and AO3.

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The Complete But Never Forgotten Masterpiece: The Nicest Parts of Hell by @myrsinemezzo

What you need to know going in:

Eru have mercy on my soul, my unprecedented foray into dark fic continues with this gripping, dare I say insidiously enticing fic—and, as always, I mean that in the best way possible. This story settles into your psyche; making you feel just as unhinged as the characters feel. You’re probably asking yourself why, so let me get to the heart of it: the story starts with Galadriel stumbling (practically literally) into Halbrand’s arms… Only problem is, he’s her brother Fin’s boyfriend. 👀 From there, she and Halbrand start a toxic, troubling affair that is impossible to stop reading. (Same goes for this story’s sequel, which is still in progress).

Complete, Explicit

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The WIP That Will Wreck You (In the Best Way): And In That Time, I Have Had Many Names by @the-manatee-hammer

What you need to know going in:

I’ve been meaning to share this fic for a long, long time, and I definitely should’ve done so sooner, so forgive me. Full disclosure: I found out about it from a friend who told me that I’d been mentioned in the notes, so again, forgive me for my slightly unbiased opinion. Regardless of how I came to it, I loved it as soon as I started reading! The story sees Halbrand still injured in the healing halls of Eregion—until Galadriel offers to help along the healing with something he’s never tried before. 👀🔥 Cue sexual healing! Spicy, intimate sexual healing, and I think the first time I encountered a virgin Sauron in fic. And hot damn, it’s hot. Unsurprisingly, Sauron is very eager to learn, and a very adept student. It’s been a while since this was updated, but still so worth checking out and subscribing to for it’s sensuality and supremely well done writing.

WIP, Explicit

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The Can’t Stop Consuming No Matter What Time It Is Fic: Stand by Me by @scriberated

What you need to know going in:

Lately I’ve been feeling some major burnout for many reasons, and for me, this fic was a balm at just the right moment! A sequel to this adorable one-shot, it’s an instantly delightful, fully-fledged romcom complete with roommates not-so-secretly pining after each other, fake dating, bed sharing, and that’s just within the first two chapters! 🤩 The premise: Hal and Gal are roommates, and after breaking up with her shitty, absent boyfriend Celeborn in the original one-shot, Hal takes care of Gal while she’s sick. This continuation sees Galadriel trying to navigate their growing closeness, finally agreeing to a trip together to visit Hal’s family—and from there, the romcom shenanigans ensue. This is another one where I can’t wait to see what comes next!

WIP, Mature

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🤩🤩🤩

Me at all these fics:

Don’t see your story on this list yet? Keyword: yet. Please don’t fret! I can only recommend so many each week, but I am always looking for more stuff to read, share, and generally shower with love, so please feel free to reply with your own fics or your pershaladronal faves. I have plenty more to recommend… ❤️

Until next week!

[n0t-1nt3r3st1ng]

The letter.

Okay, full disclosure. I was gonna write about another fanfic I've been procrastinating for a while when this idea crawled into my mind and wouldn't let me do aything else.

This scenario is incomplete because A) I like reading fluff but I'm terrible at writing it, B)It's 3AM and I really need to sleep, C) the more I wrote the more anxious I got about finding the perfect words and no one in the history of written language has ever written anything good thinking that way. So what you get is as good as I can do.

If anyone can or wishes to complete what I've done, be my guest. My only selfish request is that you give it a happy ending.

That been said, let's start.

Imagine Enid writing letters for Wednesday but never having the courage to give it to her and shredding them with her nails.

Imagine her trying to muster the courage to walk the few steps that separate them (thirteen, she counted) and put the papers on her hands only to fail every time.

How the cold fear would grab her by the spine and freeze her heart while Esther's voice sounds from the back of her mind, laughing at the idea of someone like Wednesday finding her remotely likelable. No, it didn't matter Wednesday herself had told her how much she meant to her, she think she was only being nice.

So she pours her feelings on the page over and over trying and failing to convey her love but Esther is still there, reminding her. She's always there.

And every morning she takes the shreds in her pockets to throw them far away from their dorm.

Except one night she falls asleep and wakes up late. She hurries to class and takes what she thought was the letter with her. Except the only thing she took was a few blank pages. The letter was on the floor, under her desk.

Wednesday didn't had as many classes as Enid that day. After taking care of the beehives with Eugene, she walks back to their room. Her writing hour, after all.

She notices the paper as soon as she enters the room. Try as she might, she always checks Enid's side when she enters even though she knows her schedule by heart.

If a person were to enter the room and had a chance to view both sides, they'd probably describe Enid's as warm and homely. Or perhaps they'd wonder where the knife currently lodged in their throat came from and if this was how they die. On both accounts, they'd be right.

Wednesday is a creature of the night and as such despises the glow coming from Enid's fairy lights. She abhors color in the same way a vampire avoids religious symbols and for the same reason too.

But most of all she hates the fact Enid's not there.

Without her the glow of the lights is dim like a distant star in the empty void of space.

Without her, the bed is dead and colourless.

Without Enid... she doesn't want to finish her chain of thoughts.

Instead she walks the thirteen steps that separate one side from the other (she counted) and bends to pick the sheet of paper.

She stands up and is about to put it on Enid's desk when she notices her name is on it.

It reads:

"My beloved Wednesday,

I will love you if I never see you again, and I will love you if I see you every Tuesday. I will love you as the starfish loves a coral reef and as kudzu loves trees, even if the oceans turn to sawdust and the trees fall in the forest without anyone around to hear them. I will love you as the pesto loves the fettuccini and as the horseradish loves the miyagi, and the pepperoni loves the pizza. I will love you as the manatee loves the head of lettuce and as the dark spot loves the leopard, as the leech loves the ankle of a wader and as a corpse loves the beak of the vulture. I will love you as the doctor loves his sickest patient and a lake loves its thirstiest swimmer. I will love you as the beard loves the chin, and the crumbs love the beard, and the damp napkin loves the crumbs, and the precious document loves the dampness of the napkin, and the squinting eye of the reader loves the smudged document, and the tears of sadness love the squinting eye as it misreads what is written. I will love you as the iceberg loves the ship, and the passengers love the lifeboat, and the lifeboat loves the teeth of the sperm whale, and the sperm whale loves the flavor of naval uniforms. I will love you as a drawer loves a secret compartment, and as a secret compartment loves a secret, and as a secret loves to make a person gasp... I will love you until all such compartments are discovered and opened, and all the secrets have gone gasping into the world. I will love you until all the codes and hearts have been broken and until every anagram and egg has been unscrambled. I will love you until every fire is extinguished and rebuilt from the handsomest and most susceptible of woods. I will love you until the bird hates a nest and the worm hates an apple. I will love you as we find ourselves farther and farther from one another, where once we were so close... I will love you until your face is fogged by distant memory. I will love you no matter where you go and who you see, I will love you if you don't marry me. I will love you if you marry someone else--and i will love you if you never marry at all, and spend your years wishing you had married me after all. That is how I will love you even as the world goes on its wicked way.

Yours always. Continuously. With increasing apprehension, and decreasing hope.

Enid Sinclair."

Wednesday can only stare at the letter. She's never been good at handling strong emotions and right now she feels as if she's experiencing all of them.

Then the door opens and Enid walks in. She wants to ask what she's doing but her voice dies as she sees the paper on Wednesday hand.

Aaaand that's all I got.

[crazybutgood]

Thinking of you! Hope you can stay up a little bit longer. Wrote something to help:

“Harry!” Draco snapped. Harry blearily opened his eyes.

“What?”

“The healers say you can’t go to sleep for another hour while the spell on your concussion finishes working.”

“Mmm,” agrees Harry tiredly, letting his eyes close again.

“No, no!” Draco sounds a bit panicked. Harry tries to sit up. He doesn’t like when Draco is scared. Draco shouldn’t have to be scared about anything - not anymore. They’d both been scared enough for lifetimes.

“Tell me a story,” Harry tried.

“So you can fall asleep in the middle of it? Not likely. You tell me a story.”

“Once upon a time…” Harry started, then laughed. Draco wasn’t Teddy and already knew all his Marauders stories. “I don’t know. I can’t think that clearly.”

Draco peered at Harry anxiously. “The healer said you might be a bit confused while the damage finished healing. But I can call her back…”

Harry reached up to that little wrinkle where Draco’s brown was furrowed. Maybe if he pressed there, Draco’s face would smooth out and the worry would go away. Draco caught his hand and held it for a minute. That felt nice. Nice enough for Harry to let his eyes start to shut again.

“Hey! No, sit up. Drink some water. For Slytherin’s sake, Harry! Stay awake or I’m calling Pansy and Ginevra to come badger you for the next hour!”

Harry obediently sipped his water. “What if we took a trip?”

“Took a trip? Tonight?” The worried look was back and Draco stood - to go get someone to poke at Harry’s brain again, Harry realized.

“Not tonight! Like, just in the future. I’ve never gotten to travel much. Where should we go?”

Draco’s shoulders inched down a bit as he turned and came back to sit near Harry’s bed. “Well, where would you want to go?”

“Is Paris nice?” Harry asked.

“It’s fine, but the tourist parts are extremely overrated. No, if you want to see an old European city we should go to Prague. See the astronomical clock, the old town square.”

Harry smiled tiredly as slid further down in the bed. He pushed himself up again, trying to stay awake for Draco, so Draco wouldn’t worry.

Draco saw him struggle with his pillow, and reached over to fluff it before Harry had even thought of it. He fussed with the blankets too for a moment, pulling them sweetly around Harry. Harry’s heart swelled at the affection, the little boy in the cupboard still hardly believing he was so loved.

“Where else? Where else should we go?”

“In Europe? Well, I’ve always wanted to see the Northern Lights in Norway.”

“That’d be cool,” Harry agreed. “What about America? Have you ever been there?”

“Mother took me to New York City the summer of fourth year. Right before the Quidditch Cup. I think she sensed that things were taking a turn for the worse and she wanted to have some nice memories together before that.” Draco was frowning again. Harry didn’t like it when Draco frowned.

“I want to see the Grand Canyon.”

Draco raised an eyebrow. “Great big hole in the ground somewhere in the west?”

Harry snorted. “I think it’s like…Utah maybe? Or New Mexico. That sounds right. I don’t know, all the states blend together when I’m not concussed. But yeah, it’s supposed to be really beautiful. We could rent a car and do several of their national parks. There’s the one with the big geyser too. That’s supposed to be cool. And the one with the alligators -“ Harry paused to yawn. “It would be cool to see an alligator.”

“If you can stay awake for another 30 minutes, I will take you to see all the alligators your heart desires. Tell me, what makes an alligator so intriguing to you.”

Harry chatted with Draco about alligators, then manatees, and then to moose until the healer came to check on him again. He hardly noticed, so excited to plan his trip with Draco, until Draco let out a huge yawn.

Finally declared well enough to sleep, they both fell into the fitful sleep of a hospital. But Harry knew that they’d keep planning tomorrow.

💜 sending love and the hope that you’ll be able to sleep soon! 💜

HELLO @kittycargo omg??? This is the bestest thing ever omg I can't believe you wrote a fic (and so quick!) based on me staying up akfjej 🥺 I *love* the setup you made for it omg and poor Harry jfjej I hope he's alright!! This is so sweet and omg the softness! Draco gently taking care of Harry and them talking about taking a trip together ❣️ they so deserve some time off for themselves,, 'the little boy in the cupboard still hardly believing he was so loved' MY HEART 😭😭😭 Harry is so cute going on a bleary tangent about all he wants to see, esp the alligators!!

I adore this so much, I've read this thrice now and I can't stop smiling 💕💕 I just finished the thing I'd stayed up for, and am pumped full of adrenaline but ready to sleep sometime soon too hopefully fjje and this was like the softest, sweetest surprise of a bedtime story!! Thank you thank you so much, this was so incredibly nice and thoughtful of you 🙏🏼💖💖 I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

[darkestwolfx]

Hi Wolfie! So happy to hear that you've been out there in the world doing some seriously amazing conservation projects!!! Working with manatees? Gordon Tracy would be proud 💛 Just thought I should let you know that your Thunderbirds posts were still doing the rounds in 2020 - 2021 as I reblogged as many of your episode reviews as I could find for the tag-rewatch blog. I loved reading them as part of working on the rewatch and look forward to seeing whatever you do next. Thanks for coming back to us, the TAG Team loves you!

Hey my fab friend! I kept meaning to update sooner but it just never happened between not having time or internet and I've seen a few squids that reminded me of our favourite aquanaut 💛 Oh thank you so much! I can't believe you thought of me for that. And thank you, I think I'll be led by what you've all been missing from me! Aww thank you! I really am feeling that love at the moment from you all, I wasn't expecting such a huge welcome!

[ltwharfy]

"Bob's Burgers" Season 3 Episode Ranking Rewatch (long post)

So, I've been rewatching "Bob's Burgers" from the beginning and ranking the episodes using the spreadsheet that @babsvibes created! If you want to know why I'm doing this or how I view the 1-5 rating scale, you can check out my Season 1 post!

Now on to Season 3:

Average (Mean) Score: 4.43

Mode (Most Common Ranking): 5

Ranking breakdown: 12 5s; 9 4s; 2 3s

Season as a whole thoughts:

Season 3 is a goddamn delight! My season 2 as a whole review was positive and Season 3 just builds on everything I enjoyed in season 2. More wonderful recurring characters are added to the mix- Mr. Branca, Mr. Ambrose, Courtney, Henry, and a certain Regular Sized boy I relate to way too much- among others! The world of the show expanded with our first visit to Kingshead Island. And the show continued to grow creatively- hitting new highs in music with "Lindapendent Woman" and "Topsy". Plus, we finally got a full length season meaning we get our very first holiday episodes, including my all-time favorite Christmas episode! I also feel like the show had mostly conquered the tone/characterization issues that popped up in the first two seasons. Bob's occasionally still a bit more of a dick than in later seasons, but he gets called on it now ("The Unnatural")!

In my season 1 review I mentioned watching that season as it aired and thinking it had potential. In my season 2 post, I mentioned that at that point it had gotten good enough that I would've been upset at the time if it was cancelled. By season 3, it had become one of my favorite shows- one that I would encourage friends and family to check out. If people weren't watching the comic glory of "O.T." and "Topsy" they were missing out big time!

Some thoughts on particular episodes:

(Since these seasons are longer I will be writing about a smaller percentage of the episodes- feel free to let me know if you want my thoughts on an episode I don't discuss)

"Bob Fires the Kids": One of my favorite things about this rewatch is discovering what I think of as the "sleeper hits"- episodes I remember being fine but, upon rewatch, turn out to be even better than I remember. This episode was the sleeper hit for Season 3. The kids are exceptionally hilarious in this one- especially being upset about Bob firing them and their attempts at summer fun before they work on the farm. And everything Mickey does is hilarious- the calypso song he sings, his description of "Big", not knowing how to put his hands up, pretty much all his dialogue with Bob ("B.B. King has that disease" "shut up, Mickey"- that exchange always makes me laugh.) Also, "I knew you so briefly, you dead soap dog" is an all-time great eulogy title.

"Mutiny on the Windbreaker"- Probably one the show's zaniest episodes and I love it! Gene falling in love with a a manatee puppet, Louise getting the manicurist to make her claws, all the Bob and Duval interaction- it never fails to make me laugh!

"The Deepening"- "Our toaster is confused, too. It doesn't know why we put bagels in it." This episode could get a 5 for that line alone. Also, I love Mort's standup comedy attempts in here, and the Bob, Teddy, and Mort vs. the shark finale. I wish they revisited the idea of Bob as Block Captain and Hugo as Quadrant Captain in future episodes- stupid neighborhood power struggles make great comedy, and it could've been a great way to get Hugo in the show without threatening to shut down the restaurant.

"Tinarannosaurus Wrecks"- One of this season's two 3s; in an ask game I once said this was my least favorite episode of the show. I empathize with Tina waaaaaaay too much in it to find it particularly entertaining. The first time my mom tried to teach me to drive in an empty parking lot, I basically had a panic attack. I didn't hit anybody's car, but my mom gave up on teaching me and my dad was out of the picture, so I ended up not learning to drive until I was in my 20s. It's hard not to think of that when watching this episode. That said, Tina's Hell fantasy is funny, I enjoy the Mort as the Belchers' chauffeur subplot, and Bob Odenkirk is always good. But it's still my least favorite episode of this season.

"God Rest Ye Merry Gentle-Mannequins"- My favorite Christmas episode! "Mannequin comes to life" is one of those tropes/plots that always amuses me for some reason, and this episode has some hilarious fun with it. "He said he's not a murder mannequin" is an all-time classic line in my book. Also, the ending with Chet saying he has a loft in Manhattan and Bob's "What?!" is one of the best last lines of an episode. Always leaves me with a laugh.

"Broadcast Wagstaff School News"- If I do a top 25 episodes list at the end of this rewatch, this episode will almost certainly be on it. Both the main plot and the Gene-as-little-Bob subplot are hilarious! "Back to you, Andy!" "Back to you, Ollie!" is the ultimate Pesto Twins moment to me. We get some character development for Zeke (his family moves around a lot), Mr. Branca makes his debut, Tammy and Jocelyn team up for the first time- this is pretty significant episode in the development of the support players at Wagstaff- in addition to just being really freaking funny.

"O.T.: The Outside Toilet"- A hilarious episode with a great "Belcher kids and their friends have an adventure" bit (I live for those), and an emotionally resonant plot for Gene. And drunk Linda repeatedly changing her terms for taxi ("snacky", "snatchy") always cracks me up! One time, I was creating a dating profile on Bumble and I had recently rewatched this episode on Cartoon Netowrk, and in the "About Me" section of the profile I wrote "I will never get tired of that episode of Bob's Burgers where Jon Hamm plays a talking toilet". I'm still single (but that profile did actually lead to me meeting one of the more interesting people I've met through a dating app, so...)

"Topsy"- Pretty much generally acknowledged as a classic, so I'll just specifically mention how much I love Teddy in this one. The whole backstory he comes up for "Dr. Glen Wellness" and the line "What's it like out there? Are people still the same, with their funny ways?" is sooooooo good. Like, I need to think of an occasion to say that in real life.

"It Snakes A Village"- Meh. If you want me to care about a story, don't make it about Gloria and Al. Especially don't make it about their sex life.

"The Kids Run the Restaurant"- I don't watch this one a ton because I can kind of empathize with Bob's squeamishness re: blood, but it is pretty hilarious. I especially loved Gene's idea of reformatting the restaurant to serving chicken. This week, I managed to turn his line "Chicken on a treadmill, last offer" into a running joke with a coworker whose never seen the show, so that was fun.

"Boyz 4 Now"- One of the strongest candidates for the title of my favorite "Bob's Burgers" episode. After rewatching it, I really think it might be the episode I would use if I only had one episode to try to convince someone to watch the show. It's unfailingly hilarious yet also has a relatable emotional core. I'm a 42 year old man, and I still feel like Louise every time I have a crush. Louise and Tina stories and "Louise in denial of her feelings" stories are two of my favorite types of stories and this is both. Plus, the tablescaping subplot really shows the Belchers at their best- all getting really enthusiastic about something pretty weird that one of them is doing! Also, Boyz 4 Now and their songs are hilarious and a perfect parody of pop music. My ranking scale for this project only goes up to 5, but in reality this an A++++, 15 out of 10, no notes.

"Carpe Museum"- Another all-time classic. Putting aside it introducing my favorite recurring character for the moment it also has: some of the show's definitive Bob-Louise bonding moments; the introduction of Henry Haber; Linda joining a picket line and coming up with obscene chants; Frond and the museum lady flirting; Teddy's speech encouraging Linda to go to the museum...so much good stuff! But yeah, there's also the introduction of Regular Sized Rudy, the most "me as a kid" character in TV history. Oh, and that last scene with Bob, Louise, and Rudy cuddling on the school bus? Basically the cutest thing ever in my book. If I ever seem a bit too excited to talk about Roudise on here, please keep in mind that I've basically been shipping them since May 5, 2013, with relatively few people to talk about it with until I joined this silly website last year.

Random Thoughts (stuff that doesn't affect the ratings):

-It is so nice for the show to have the normal version of the theme song and opening credits! Yes, the changes are small, but they matter to me. The opening music and credits in the first two seasons are just not as fun and lively as the version from three onward- and it makes the show as a whole feel a bit more fun now.

-Gene in "Broadcast Wagstaff School News": "Quick! Comb me over! Trump me!" It's so weird when pre-2016 TV shows make jokes about that guy in the genre of "businessman"/TV personality with bad hair knowing now that he is a wannabe fascist dictator.

-"Things that are different in their first appearance" department: Regular Sized Rudy's voice is noticeably different in "Carpe Museum" (it was funny to hear that interview where Brian Huskey said he was told "do what you did at the table read" and didn't really remember what he did at the table read). Also, Mr. Branca's pants are a different color in his first appearance than they normally are- I'm assuming that his normal pants were damaged in an unfortunate incident with his work crowbar.

Well, much like the Deuce of Diamonds and Toad the Wet Sprocket, I gave you my magic and now I am going to disappear. (Not really, I'm just ending this post. I'll still be here. I just couldn't resist making another reference to that line)

[fitgothgirl]

Starting to wonder if I'm in the very beginnings of perimenopause already?... For one, the last month or so I've been often waking up in cold sweats, and I'm not weaning down/withdrawing from weed right now. Not sure if it's the seasons changing but I don't feel hot when I go to sleep - if anything I'm cool/cold so I stay under the covers tightly but then that makes me sweat but when I come out of the covers then the sweat makes me colder, etc... I also haven't had this problem before with seasonal changes. Sleeping in sweats or warmer clothes seems to help. I actually just had a doctor's appointment to get a referral for blood work, so they're going to check a bunch of things. It's been over a year since I've had any done anyway.

The other thing though is that I've been finding myself much more emotional/tearful (for longer than these night sweats have been happening). It's not like depression or my other usual emotionality lol, but certain things seem to hit me harder and set me off. Any sort of negative consequences from humans on animals especially breaks my heart. It's like, they're so good and pure (and very often cute), but lately that just immediately makes me think that that means everything in the world is worse than them, especially in regard to humans. The world just wants to hurt them or is cruelly indifferent to them and it's not fair for a creature so innocent... And they don't know why the world is the way it is, they can't understand, they're just scared and in pain when we do shit to them. I saw some roadkill a week or so ago that was a squirrel and it wasn't just messy splatter - he still had his form and I could see his face, even though it was just an instant. That set off instant full-on crying. I get misty over just thinking of things like the scars manatees have on their backs from propellers, or how many animals (insects and all) are killed or have their lives in total upheaval when trees are cleared for construction, or animals running from forest fires, etc... Just seeing an article headline about a dog getting shot had me sobbing just now.

Seeing old pictures of pets sets me off too because I can't help but think this beloved pet is no longer alive. On another main of mine, I follow someone who sometimes reblogs from an account that's specifically for old flickr pictures from the aughts of people's cats; for some reason those are even worse than really old pictures. I just imagine the pain being fresher in their family, their memory still clung to.

Ahhh I'm making myself emotional! I've always loved animals too and have always been an easy crier, but this just feels different lately, I don't know how to pin it.

The studies are inconclusive, but some people believe if you get your first period when you're older, then you could end up with menopause/perimenopause earlier; I didn't get my period until I was 15 (and a half lol)... And perimenopause can start in your 30s, so that would check out for me at least (if that's what's even happening).

[godlizzza]

prompt: danbert meeting for the first time in an aquarium? like maybe one of them works there? (I love your fics btw)

Herbert glanced up from his book as a shadow fell across the page. He was met with the sight of a boy around his age, wearing a garish blue polo shirt and lanyard. Pinned above his nametag was a badge that read, Ask me about manatees!

"Hey there," Dan (thank you, nametag) greeted. "You need help with anything?"

Herbert, who just wanted to be left alone to complete his Trig homework, replied curtly, "No."

He'd hoped that would be the end of their little interaction. Herbert could get back to his work, occasionally looking at array of fish swimming past in the huge tank, and Dan could go tell some brats facts about dolphins or something. But Dan simply grinned and sat down beside Herbert on the viewing bench.

"I see you here all the time," Dan said.

"I have a season pass."

"What's your name?"

"Do you always bother your customers this much?" Herbert groused.

Dan just laughed and ran a hand through his hair, making Herbert's stomach swoop. It was unfair how cute he was.

"When I want to," Dan quipped. He leaned over to look at Herbert's notebook. "What're you doing, anyway?"

"Homework," Herbert snapped, flipping his book closed. "Nothing too exciting, I'm sure."

Dan raised an eyebrow at him, which really was ridiculous. He was the one pestering him, and yet he had the gall to act as though Herbert were being uncouth by not wanting to share scribbled equations with him?

"You know," Dan began conversationally, "most people do their homework in a library. Your school not got one of those?"

Herbert huffed an irritated breath. "Obviously it does."

"Just can't resist Stella, huh?" Dan said, gesturing to a huge sea turtle swimming lazily past the screen.

Herbert glared at him. Dan didn't need to know he preferred the aquarium to the library. The library was too crowded, full of students all clustered together around shelves and tables, talking loudly more than they were studying. Herbert missed his elementary school days. The school librarian, Mrs. Pillsner, had been militant about maintaining silence at all times. He'd respected that about her.

Also, he did like the aquarium. So long as he came on weekday mornings when no kids would be running around, squealing every time a fish so much as blew a bubble, he had peace. He could sit in front of the saltwater tank, bathed in the ethereal blue glow of the water, and solve his problems without the annoying nag of chatter itching at his ears.

Rather, he usually could. When he wasn't being interrogated by employees.

Herbert didn't answer Dan. Instead, he flicked his eyes down to his chest and asked, "What about the manatees?"

Dan paused then blinked at him. "Huh?"

"Your shirt," Herbert said, nodding at his badge. "It says you have something very exciting to tell me about manatees."

"Oh." Dan glanced down at his manatees badge, as though just remembering it was there. "Right. Well, every month we try to raise awareness for different species of endangered sea creatures. Last month it was humpback whales, now we're onto manatees."

Herbert hummed. "I prefer whales," he said, turning to face the tank.

They sat in silence for a moment, watching a nurse shark swim by, when Dan spoke up.

"I can, uh, still tell you some pretty cool stuff about whales," he ventured.

Herbert looked at him out of the corner of his eye. He was scratching at the back of his neck, sneaking glances at Herbert. He turned away when their eyes met, seemingly embarrassed. Ugh. Even when he was nervous, he was cute. How annoying could he be?

"Alright," Herbert said anyway. He coughed into his fist at the grin Dan aimed at him. "I mean, if you really want to. Seems like you've got nothing better to do."

"Alright then," Dan replied, his smile dazzling. "You still haven't told me your name though."

Herbert rolled his eyes. "It's Herbert. I don't know how that's relevant to whales but there you go."

"Nothing to do with the whales," Dan agreed. "I just wanted to put a name to the face."

Then he started listing off random quips about whale anatomy--"You couldn't swim through the heart of a blue whale, but you could probably sit in it."--and Herbert listened. They sat there, just the two of them and the glow of the tank, for most of the morning, and Herbert didn't even mind. In fact, he might've actually liked it.

He certainly wouldn't be returning to the library anytime soon.