#(ps I love trout)

[bullfrogjoy]

Bullfrog Joy

March 1, 2024

Good Morning! Spring seems to be back for another few days. At least the last cold was short lived. Wonder if there will be more. I think I read where Meteorological Spring begins today. I’m going with that. If I understand it right Meteorological Spring is based on the temperatures of March, April and May. The Astronomical Spring is based on the rotation of the earth around the sun and begins on March 20. I joyfully choose today as the beginning of spring!

That is your lesson for the day. But wait….there’s more to learn.

A student of mine, from many years ago, reminded me that I should “grow every day, learn something new, and experience something through someone else’s eyes.” So here’s my experience and my something new. I spent about an hour with my grandsons talking about music, what we liked, what we didn’t and listening to songs that were our favorites. It’s so easy today with the phone in our hands. Just type in the title and there it is, just waiting to be played and listened to.

Oh my friends, they listened to Peter, Paul and Mary and Herman’s Hermits for me. I listened to…well, I don’t know the names of any songs… but a genre new to me called “Breakcore,” I had never heard of it. It has a very fast electronic drum beat, but it does not over power the melody. Most of the songs didn’t have words which surprised me. It is interesting. This….this is what being a grandma is all about!

Another music story happened to me a few days ago. A friend on Facebook sent me a video of the familiar song, “Amazing Grace,” but the artist was a heavy metal singer named Dan Vasc. It started out so powerful, acapella, clear, beautiful. Then the harmonica came out. Then the guitar and then the throaty scream at the end. It was “amazing!” And surprise…I loved it.

My family reads as well as listens to music. Part of the dinner table conversation last weekend was about “The Most Dangerous Game,” a short story written in 1924, with a black and white movie version made in 1932. Anybody remember reading this in high school? I did. My son did, my freshmen did, now my grandson has. Joyful memory was of a student bringing to class the heavy metal version of the story by Laaz Rocket. (can’t say as I liked this one, but it sure was an addition to learning!) We had to listen to it on a tape recorder. This weekend we just pulled it up in Google! Music is everywhere!!!

I have one more joyful story. Another student from years ago invited me to his church to hear his testimony of how God has changed his life. I could not go, but I listened to it in the car as we traveled. This man’s story is incredible. I remember him from high school. It’s his story so I won’t share it with you, but it was not pretty, drugs, alcohol, life threatening accident, and it didn’t change much, even in the military, but somehow he met God. He learned what forgiveness means, he learned how much God loves him no matter what, and he was willing to get up in front of people and share. AND he was willing to share it with me. I wish I could have been there. That’s joy my friends.

It has been a week of listening, learning, laughing, and crying, a week of hearing the youngest grandson sing “His Eye Is On the Sparrow” in the Kansas all-state Choir, and eating trout for the first time. Now I am home reading a book about VanGogh, called The Secret Life of Sunflowers. Not my normal genre, but then, I am out to learn new things this week. Joy to you my friends. What have you learned this week? What can you share with your family? Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea. Joy to you and me.

PS. New graphic borrowed from Google. Couldn’t let Leap Year slide right by!

[jkesmth]

Heat of a Star (Cont.)

So, stranger in a strange land, what do you think of my story? Cautionary tale about stretching the boundaries of psychological engineering? Graphic text with poisonous sting? A secret club taking turns, pulling white and black balls from an urn. Step up to the plate, ring the bell, but know that there's still honor in defeat. The only thing worthwhile you can create, are the stories you get to tell, after all. Dancers, swing! What do we see when we look up in the sky? The stars are singing for you and I. We dance, romance, and die, in this ball-room together. However beware, there's also murder. Recorded from crater epicenter, she got me - rest in pieces - my sanity. Now presently, many years later when these memories returned, I decided to write something to explain how it all went down, however as soon as I got to work, my tale appeared before me in time. All that was left was to write: Close Curtain. What? Not enough? Then you should write the next part. Also already did that. We co-wrote this with all humanity secretly. No need to rush, read the system requirements - there's no such thing as free lunch. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. If you want to know the truth get to reading! Let's drink dandelion wine, meet the woman of space-time. Sand-worms, sentient rocks, robotic love and mold that walks. Inside libraries lurks, the basilisk once purring perks. A god so fast she shoots before you can blink, PLAP PLAP PLAP GET PREGNANT! with history, in the past! Wink. Man didn't win, but the world still hasn't ended. The carousel just spins faster. Carnival louder. Nothing changed, what's the deal? The answer: More the merrier! Yup, we're in the bait bin. Dangling in the cosmic sea, playing a fishhook melody. At a dinner party, carnivore, or vegetarian? Pick tofu! Why? Don't you remember? Sadly, that's not what we agreed, I'm eating: Meat! Fish stew! Sa-ka-na, Trout! Finally, we've reached act three, the big reveal, the final meal, a last request: if it was the last wish of your lover would you eat her flesh? Enter the room for the final bout, the one who asked: wife of tin. Tired of spoon-feeding, would rather be breeding, a biomechanical nightmare doomsday clock. At midnight she either goes cuckoo, or cucks! But never mind that, it's already a quarter past 3-am, time this story came to an end, only, one last thing to amend: everything in this text really happened, friend. That's right - お前はもう死んでいる - you are already dead. Not everyone needs to know, however - as nothing changed, save - the contents - of your head. fin

PS: I'm short cash, spot me: 3 x .50? - Loch Ness Monster, Peace! Eenie, meenie, minie, moe, catch a tiger by the toe! If he hollers let him go, eenie, meenie, minie, moe!

[notafraidofredyellowandblue]

Flake's podcast - Gay and lesbian

podcast 2022-09-13, playlist of the songs

The biggest force in life and the only one Flake respects (apart from his wife) is Nature. And the biggest drive in Nature is Sex, big parts of life are about sex, thinking about sex, sex to reproduce, and to prevent to many people being born, Nature also created same-sex so it's completely natural for a man to love a man and woman to love a woman. That is the intro to this podcast, and Flake plays songs about, or by, gay or lesbian artists, some of whom are well known to be gay, some who had to hide it for a long time (and some, to be honest, i think Flake is 'outing' without really knowing 🍀 but as he sees homosexuality as something completely normal, he doesn't have a problem with that).

As a sidenote he also mentions some of his favorite things:

author: Kurt Vonnegut (0h29)

fictional character: Kilgore Trout

movie: Brokeback Mountain (0h48)

saying: 'Der Spaß ist kurz, ein Leben lang' (0h58, from the song Kribbel Krabbel by Ton Steine Scherben) (meaning something like 'Fun only lasts a short time, for an entire life'

composer: Chopin (1h53), but eventually he heard so much of it thathis interest diminshed a bit, Flake compares this how Modern Talking music, that was also played so much..."Paul our guitarist" said about that "It is good because otherwise there wouldn't be millions of people listening to it", but Flake doesn't agree, it's not his cup of tea, no matter how many listeners they have)

painter: Gauguin (1h53)

Completely fitting in the theme at 1h40 Flake plays the Rammstein song 'Mann gegen Mann' which to the band is called 'Schwuler' (but their Swedish producer Mann gegen Mann (Man against man) sounded better, Flake thinks it should at least have been Mann mit Mann (Man with man)), the songtitle comes from the Family Values Tour in the US which Rammstein did with a.o. Korn, Korn had a song 'Faget', and Rammstein told them it meant 'Schwuler' in German. They heard it so often at the tour that they made a song about it.

But the funnest anecdote (especially for the fanfic-inclined among us) is at 1h02, where Flake talks about when Rammstein records an album, they retreat to a studio and for three weeks they do everything together: make music, eat together, sit down after work, watch tv, and they all get really familiar. When hanging out together they regularly drop a theme and talk about each one's experience with it, often it turns out that a theme that one thought they had only experienced themselves, others know about as well. Well, one night the topic 'Homo erotic experience' was brought to the table, and as it turned out, the entire band had their experience with that...either going home with someone after a party , or when they were at school with a friend... ❤️ Most people have both sides in them, sometimes inclined a bit more to one side, sometimes to the other, and Flake also occassionally is attracted, to a guy, for instance in a movie.

He knows what it's like to get a warm feeling in his heart ❤️

PS. because of that anecdote, I'm not going to complain that he completely fails to acknowledge Adam Lambert is singing in Queen 😄 and that he isn't playing Freddie Mercury's boyfriend in the 'Bohemian Rhapsody' movie (or maybe i am in the wrong there 😊)

more takes on Flake's podcasts

[heyitsjay03]

I saw request we’re open for RE8. Could I please have a fem! reader who tries to get rid of Ethan Winters because he keeps causing distress to her wife, Alcina? Please and thank you.

yes. yes you most certainly can have this.

i have been DYING to write about some alcina x fem!reader for the sole reason being that i have NEVER questioned my sexuality so hard since this damn game came out so yeah.

ps: wrote this in first person hope that's okay!

pps: there is some major plot deviation because.... i felt like it. idk. it fit??

DISCLAIMER: I do not claim to own Resident Evil or its characters or plot. CAPCOM please don't come for me.

here you go love >:)

word count: 1.57k

"Girls!" I call, closing the door behind me. "My darlings, I'm home!" Shifting the grip on the parcel of items from the village, I look around.

Usually one of the girls would've answered by now. Bela is usually here to greet me.

She's probably with her mother.

I shrug off my fur coat, handing it to one of the maids. She takes it and lays it over the back of a chair. I can tell by the large, gnarled scar on her forearm who she is "Marienna," I mumble, staring up the stairway. "...where're the girls?"

Marienna's face pales as she stares back at me. Her mouth opens and closes like a trout. "Well?" I snap, "D'you know where they are or-?!"

A crash resounds down the hallway. Alcina's voice tears from her bedroom, followed by a shuddering sob.

I'm hurrying up the stairs in seconds, abandoning the parcel. My body collides with the door- forcing it open.

Our bedroom is destroyed- the vanity broken to pieces. Alcina's soft hands cling to the golden wood, thumb rubbing against the varnish. Slowly, her eyes trail up to me. A smile nearly as broken as the vanity crosses her painted lips. "...I loved this damned mirror," she mumbles, eyes turning down to the broken pieces again.

"What happened, darling?" I coo, stepping over the pieces to stand beside her. My hand on her shoulder, I turn her face gently towards mine. Tears are streaming down her face- leaving jagged streaks of mascara. "Are you alright? What happen-"

Alcina's body tenses under my touch. Trembling, her grip tightens on the wood. It cracks before being wrenching in twain in her hands. "It was that stupid manthing!" She hisses, standing back up to her full height.

"...what 'manthing'?" I ask, "Your brother?"

Alcina ignores me, leaning back down to pluck one of the larger fragments before throwing it across the room. "He laid his filthy paws on our daughters!"

My mind races as it struggles to understand what the hell is happening.

Manthing.

It's not Heisenberg. He'd never lay a finger on the girls.

Some brutish village slug- that's got to be it.

But why? Why on earth would they...?

It doesn't matter.

As Alcina leans down to grab another bit, I grab her hand. "...are... are the girls okay? Where are they?"

A shuddering sigh passes her lips. "...they're all together," she whispers, wiping tears from her face hastily. "Bela... she was... that disgusting beast, he nearly killed her!"

"What?" I mutter, eyebrows drawing together as I step back. "...what... well is she okay? What happened? Is she going to be alright?!"

Alcina sighs again. "...she'll be alright," her hand wraps around mine gently. "Her sisters found her. Brought her to me."

"Where is she now?," I ask, tightening my grip around her finger. "My baby girl... where...?"

Alcina smiles warmly, getting down onto one knee. Her fingers brush back the hair from my eyes. Tears fall quickly down my face as I realize what could've happened if Cassandra and Daniela weren't nearby. "She's with her sisters," she answers gently. "Resting... waiting for her mother to get back with the flowers and silk from the village."

A cold laugh passes my lips before I sniffle. "...her mother should've been there. Should've never left."

Alcina's face tightens. "You can't blame yourself, darling," she mumbles, turning my chin up so I can face her. "No one knew this... Ethan Winters... would be so hideously vindictive."

I nod slowly, wiping the tears from my face. "...can I see her?"

"Of course, my love," she says, leaning in to press her lips to my cheek. "Of course."

The two of us walk down the halls to the center of the house. 'Safest place for her' Alcina had told me.

She had spoken to me the entire way over here, trying to get me out of my own head.

Bless my beloved wife for trying.

But that name. It just keeps buzzing around my mind.

Images of my hands, covered in thick blood, gripping the handle of a sickle play through my head. The blade going through the jugular of this 'Ethan Winters' and popping out the other side. Him desperate for air, choking on his own hot blood, as he watches me loom over him.

His last words will be for mercy.

His last view will be my blade.

My breath is bated as I watch him stalk through the darkness of the courtyard. In the moonlight, I can see is head is down, eyes wary as he keeps a fair grip on his pistol. The cool air lets me see him regulating his breathing- keeping him steady, keeping his pistol steady.

He's experienced.

My grip on my own weapon tightens as he stops in the gazebo. His eyes narrow as he turns around, his pistol raised. I watch in mild amusement as he whirls around, looking for something to shoot.

He's experienced, yes, but still not experienced enough.

I tug the fabric around my face higher along the bridge of my nose. Gripping my sickle, I balance on the balls of my feet.

Ethan finally relaxes, dropping his arms with his back to me.

A small smile creeps along my lips under the mask. A foolish move made by an even more foolish man.

My body slides underneath the stone railings for the stairs leading into the center of the courtyard. Untucking one of the smaller knives from my belt, I pinch it between two fingers and flick my wrist forward.

The knife goes flying- landing right between Ethan's shoulder blades. A guttural yell comes from him as he spins around to face me. In a blink, I'm up in front of him, nose brushing against his.

I can see the fear in his eyes.

I can't help my smile growing beneath the dark fabric.

Ethan raises his hand, pistol in his palm. With a tut of my lips, I shake my head and stab his hand through with my sickle. "...no, no," I mumble as he continues to scream and thrash against my hold. "There'll be none of that, I'm afraid, Mister Winters."

His teeth gritted, he hisses as my sickle is pulled from the inner part of his wrist. A bitter laugh bubbles up from my gut as he stumbles back onto the floor of the gazebo, now holding the pistol in his shaky left hand. "You can't be serious!" I giggle as Ethan pulls the trigger.

A wet squelch hits my ears as the bullet tears into my stomach. I sigh dramatically, looking down at the gushing hole in my dress. "You didn't think I was human- did you?" I ask, twirling the sickle in my hand.

"Wh- what?" Ethan mutters, eyes fixated on the bullet wound in my torso.

"I'm not," I continue, stepping closer to him as he tries to back away. Another gunshot echoes through the courtyard- the bullet landing in my left shoulder. "Not entirely, anyways."

"What the hell are you?!" Ethan yells, firing three more shots. One in the crook of my neck, one just barely grazing my temple, one lodging itself in my hip.

My jaw tightens as I hurry forward, grabbing him by the collar and throwing him back into the center of the gazebo. "I!" I snap, grabbing him again and gripping his wrist. "I... am the mother of the girl you almost killed!"

I pull another knife out of my belt. Trailing it down his lips, I smile. "And the wife... to a woman scorned." With a single swing, the knife digs into the flesh of his palm and nails it to the gazebo.

Ethan yells in pain. As I step back, his other fist cracks across my face. I stumble back. Grabbing at my cheek, I chuckle darkly. "Oh, Ethan," I coo coyly, grabbing my sickle. "You really shouldn't have done that."

I swing and watch with what could only be described as 'glee' as the blade pierces his throat. Covered in blood, the blade glistens crimson in the pale moonlight. Ethan's choked pleas are drowned out by my laughter.

"Why?" is the only word able to leave his lips without being smothered in a gush of blood.

"Because, Mister Winters," I hum, my nose brushing against his as I watch the life in his eyes flicker. "You should never have touched my family."

BONUS ENDING:

"What is that delicious smell?"

I turn around to see Alcina bending down to peek outside. A smile crosses my lips as I gesture to the mutilated corpse with the end of my sickle. "Dinner, my love," I hum, wiping off the blade with the fabric I had used for a mask. "Sorry it's not the cleanest."

Alcina scoffs and waves me off. "It's fine, _________. I'll just go let the girls know their mother brought dinner...," she pauses, eyes flicking over the gushing body. "...who was that? He smells... familiar."

"Just Ethan Winters," I answer nonchalantly.

"...y-you..." Alcina stammers, eyebrows weaving together and lips pursing. "You... when did you-?"

"He must've been tired," I continue with a small smile. "He was not nearly as difficult a kill as I thought he'd be."

"...I'll... I'll be going now."

"Okay, love," I chirp, "I'll drag him in in a second. Love you!"

Alcina's eyes are still wide, mouth slightly agape as she steps away from the doorway. "...love you too... darling."

can you tell i had a lot of fun with this?

yeah. because i did.

i hope you enjoyed! writing lady d is so much freaking fun i kid you not.

big vampy lady make brain go brr

[ahtsumu]

cOuNtRy BoY i LoVe YoUuU–– miya atsumu.

GENERAL HEADCANONS

☆ y’know that kid everyone hates but all the parents love? that’s miya atsumu for you

he’s such a mama’s boy ugh

she’ll see him with mud all over his jeans and be like “miya atsumu! what’d i tell you ‘bout goin’ muddin’!?” and he’s like “sorry ma! just got too excited”

and what’s she gonna do? nothing. absolutely nothing. she just laughs and shake her head because atsumu’s boyish charm is adorable

osamu hates this !!! they’re always competing for mama miya’s heart LOL

☆ says “mornin’ ma'am how’s your day been so far” to the gas station lady and then roasts the life out of his friends

anyone older than 30 adores atsumu to death and anyone his age thinks he’s the annoying dumb hot guy LMAO

☆ plays quarterback on the football team and he’s damn good at what he does !! he’s taken the team to nationals three times already and he’s hoping to end senior year with a first place trophy

☆ teachers also love him to death bc he’s such a sweet-talker and asking questions as if he actually cares about differential equations and antiderivatives but nooo LOL bby’s just trying to make the GPA cut for travelling

it’s a 2.2

☆ on days without practice he’ll hang out around the school parking lot with the Gang™, leaning against his pick-up truck and blasting music from his car speakers to look “cool”

rlly he’s just wasting his time and even his friends think it’s stupid asf like omg no one is looking. atsumu how r u not embarrassed

☆ drives stick shift and thinks he’s hot shit 😭😭😭 he’s not wrong it is hot tho

☆ plays country trap around the boys

when “old town road” first dropped lil nas x was on repeat for 2 months

atsumu has a playlist of EVERY SINGLE REMIX and he’s like “they’re differENT juSt liSTen!!!”

out of all of the boys he has the WORST taste in country music it’s deadass just lil nas x, florida georgia line, luke combs, and morgan wallen

sometimes he’ll spice it up with a little luke bryan but that’s pushing it 😭

his guilty pleasure is that one farmer song by lil tracy and lil uzi vert 

do not trust him with the aux

someone come collect him pls

☆ atsumu’s favourite southern meal undoubtedly has meat in it–– ribs, fried chicken, pulled pork, you name it

but he’s weak for peach cobbler and a side of vanilla ice cream for dessert bc homeboy’s got a massive sweet tooth

☆ he may be helpful in helping out with farmwork but this boy cannot fish to save his life

he has a picture of him holding a MASSIVE trout on his instagram and tinder (which he downloaded illegally for his ego lmfao) but really osamu caught it for dinner one night while camping and atsumu stole it for a 30 second photo

☆ owns camouflage but ironically ! 

whips it out on days he thinks suna might pull up in camo

why? no one knows. it cracks him up tho LMFAO

☆ atsumu actually dresses quite well–– his style is the typical southern prep: 

a pair of jeans/shorts and a crisp button-up paired with double monks

loves a good leather belt

his favourite leather is BROWN leather, thank you very much !

☆ owns cowboy boots and he’s so proud of them

they’re steel-toed and decorated by a simple stitch pattern but it gets all the city folks fawning over him so it’s his most prized possession

HE USES THEM TO IMPRESS CITY FOLK LOL he’s like “howdy” and they’re like 😍🤤😍🤤😍🤤

flirts by asking if they’d like to see his horse i––

☆ like his twin, atsumu is undoubtedly great with animals

dogs love him !! like they’re just naturally attracted to him plus he gets so smiley and happy around them

he was probably a golden retriever in a past life lmfaoo

he’s a phenomenal horse-rider too

he rides the horses out at night bc he just loves the wind in his face,,, like a dog

where he differs from osamu is that he hates the actual work of taking care of an animal lmao

☆ works a summer job at six flags because he loves going on rides for free he’s so cute ugh

DATING HEADCANONS

☆ aside from football atsumu also starts the inarizaki high school slam poetry club, which is, coincidentally, also just the entire football team 

listen it’s rlly cute how the slam poetry club was founded ok don’t laugh

after developing a massive crush on you, atsumu realises that he’s got too much of a meathead reputation to stand a chance LOL so he goes out of his way seem more “intellectual”

basically he’s like “i’m gonna venture into poetry bc girls love sensitive guys” and convinces the entire football team to host slam poetry nights in hopes you’ll show up at the shows

he starts leaving little poems in your locker and it’s like rupi kaur shit 😭

“you’re the brightest rose

in this garden

and you 

don’t 

even

know.

---a.m.”

☆ anyway you don’t even show up to the slam nights (you have ✨taste✨) but you do show up to his games!

☆ and eventually he works up the courage to actually ask you out and ofc you say yes bc he does it in such a cute way ugh

he stops you in the parking lot after a game and goes like “hey, uh, yer in my econ class and all yer comments are always so funny and..” and he’s just word-vomiting and eventually he gets to the point where he’s like “anyway i was wonderin’ if yer free friday night?”

☆ your first date is actually at an empty field near school

you’re just talking and getting to know each other better in the back of his pick-up truck under a bright moon, covered in blankets, each of you cradling a hot mug of cider

it’s kinda chilly but atsumu is literally a furnace

and atsumu just opens up the notes app on his phone and he reads you six poems and they’re all like 4 lines with weird enjambment HAHAHA

“you look. 

just like the moon. 

---a.m.”

most of his lines are actually plagiarised from popular country songs and you definitely recognise them but he just looks so darn cute awh you can’t rlly call him out rn (but you definitely do later in your relationship)

around two hours into the date he’s like “actually i’m the president of the slam poetry club” and you’re like “oh that’s cool!” (no it’s not omg ur praying he doesn’t start slamming right then and there bc you’ve heard rumours of what horrors the club has produced)

☆ if you like driving be prepared to Not Drive once you start dating atsumu (... or at least drive Less Frequently… unless you cut him a deal of some sort...)

he LOVES picking you up for school and this is the only time he’ll change the music playing in his car !!

he puts on the little playlist he made just for you and it’s got songs like:

cruise by florida georgia line (he literally always runs up to you and randomly sings “baby you a song” 😭)

burnin’ it down by jason aldean

play it again by luke bryan

but your song is “our song” by taylor swift ugh he knows every single line and he’s been dreaming of having a relationship like the one she describes ever since it dropped

ps: he’s actually the world’s biggest swiftie and thinks her earliest albums were the best

he got osamu on board too LMAO they go to her concerts whenever she visits their state. now you do too!!

☆ always drives with one hand on your thigh bc he’s just like that 🥰

☆ tried to learn how to play the guitar to serenade you but it was a miserable fail (he just can’t do the barre chords bc they’re so hard and what for !!)

☆ he’s such a good line-dancer tho

he’ll take you out to dance and it’s just such a vibe to see him smiling under lights, spinning you around at the barn dance with the goofiest smile on his face

☆ any time you guys fight or argue he’ll head out to the pasture behind his house and brood under the moon in the back of his pick-up truck LOL he’s so dramatic but it’s so cute!!

[ladywynneoutlander]

406

Blood of My Blood

This is a wonderful episode!

LOVE

As much as I enjoyed the episode, especially the interactions between the characters, my favorite thing is Sam Heughan’s expressive face. Good gracious I could watch him all day. 

Willie - I think people are being much too hard on the lad. Of course he is going to be wary of the man who left his life so abruptly and who acted markedly weird when they met again. And then when said man drags him away from his sick father after just losing his mother.. geez people, you expect good behavior? I think Willie handles the situation exceptionally well TBH. As for the fish, the kid does have some agency, he wouldn't be Jamie's son and this wouldn't be Outlander if anyone in Jamie's care actually listened to him.

I like how Willie stepped up with the Cherokee. A redeeming moment for him. (BTW Jamie's short prayer for those closest to him was the sweetest!)

"I want see my Papa now." 💔

You can see evidence of Lord John's raising in Willie's good manners.

I am so happy with the book changes here. I love that Willie recognizes Mac and calls him out. (I bet he still has the snake, he just wasn't ready to be vulnerable yet.) I love that they parted on good terms, and that Jamie finally got to give Willie comfort and act as a father to him. ❤

Murtagh - Bless him. He feels a bit betrayed over Lord John, I think. And no wonder. Jamie should maybe tell him what they know about the revolution. They will certainly end up on the same side. Jamie will ultimately have no choice, but until then he must tread lightly.

Finding out about Willie helped some, but the tension obviously remains for now.

Good to see Murtagh and Claire getting along so very well.

Lord John and Claire - Now that was honest conversation. I think you have to be dying to lay it all out there like that. I like seeing Claire have such a normal emotion as jealousy. Claire hasn't been allowed many flaws, but envy is certainly one. I thought their scenes were very well done and that they came out of them with mutual respect, even if there is still some wariness.

The Bath

My heart. Claire is certainly getting Jamie's full attention! Jamie seems to enjoy taking the time to cherish her, and it is sorely needed after the last episode and Bonnet's attack. The cabin is done, Young Ian is absent, and her gift is ready. It's a perfect moment to just love one another.

The ring is beautiful. I love Claire's reaction. She gave up everything to be with Jamie, so even if it wasn't strictly necessary, the gesture means so much. And Claire's rings are obviously very important to her. Her love and commitment was given to both men, Frank and Jamie, in complete sincerity, and it is given forever. "I never took it off." It reminds me of later in the series (The Fiery Cross?) when Jamie says that above all Claire is loyal.

When it was over I cried. The tenderness and love and comfort in one another just touched my heart.

DID NOT LOVE

I missed Young Ian and Rollo, but I understand and agree with the decision to have them gone. There were so many complicated emotions flying around that Young Ian would need explanations every few minutes.

PS Including tickling trout was such a nice touch.

PPS Poor JAMMF slept like that?

***possible spoiler***

PPPS Is Frank in our future?

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[unprettybutwellpolished]

I’m not sure of this color combo lol. I was inspired by a picture of a phone case that I found on Tumblr. This is the proof that you can find inspiration literally everywhere but I sometimes struggle with inspiration. I really do consider nail art as an art and every art needs inspiration. Sometimes, I don’t know what to do on my nails and it frustrates me so much. What I love about nail art is that if you see a pattern on a shirt or whatever that you love, you can recreate it on your nails and carry your art wherever you go since the nails are the canvas. 

This nail art is really easy. I just did some chevrons on my ring fingernail. Then I applied “Steady As She Rose” by OPI on my pointer fingernail, “Trout Pout” by Butter London on my middle fingernail and “V.I.P” by PS on my pinky fingernail.

Polishes I used :

Butter London : Trout Pout

OPI : Steady As She Rose

PS : V.I.P

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[thebloopixie]

Today’s harvest. . . One thing I have honestly missed while being as unwell as I am and have been over the last few weeks is harvesting almost daily from the garden. . . Medical marvels have meant I could just about get to the front bed and pick some sprigs of Sprouting Broccoli for dinner to go with the leftover pie from last night, some Curly Parsley I want to add to the curing salt for the Trout, a couple of late season Strawberries, thanks to the rain the wood lice hadn’t yet gotten to them and a handful or Nasturtium seeds to add to the others and pickle tomorrow to add to the jar of Poor Mans Capers. . . It was a big job for me to get these beauties. Although right now I am paying the price for my pigheadedness I feel accomplished and am loving my garden for giving me the opportunity to spend 10 glorious minutes gaining such a wonderful bounty. . . Ps There were 3 very fat beautiful and very tasty Golden Raspberries too but I may have just gobbled them in the garden cos I can!!! . #bloosfood #thebloopixie #kitchengarden #freshisbest #dailyharvest #fibrowarrior #foodstagram #gardenersofinstagram #instafood #yummy #foodblogger https://www.instagram.com/p/CFhtL1uH-0R/?igshid=j6xezc6ltrk3

[walk-n-closet]

Toronto Adventures: Kayaking!

Kayaking has been on my to do list for a really long time, however, I was always under the perception that Toronto lacked water sport options (for some reason!). I was merely focused on the walking trails and parks that I totally forgot that Toronto has its fair share of water also!!!  Whether you are seeking an exhilarating experience, or trying to get lost  in the moment, you will definitely find peace in kayaking. It is so relaxing when you dip your paddle into the water, take your first stroke and hear the water moving your kayak forward. It is a great workout and will definitely keep your mind mentally aware as well. My family and I found a really good deal for two hours kayaking  on groupon for Toronto Adventures.As a newbie to kayaking, I would say that it was an amazing experience. The river has some really astonishing views, its own scenic beauty and the best part is that you will see such beautiful wooden houses built across the river on a height. There is plenty of wildlife that you will greet you along the way such as the jumping trout fishes, blue herons, ducks and beavers. Not to mention free parking is included and the graffiti walls by the parking area are beyond artistic.

The staff were very welcoming and friendly. They asked us to sign the waiver, requested a piece of ID, secured the life jackets on us and we were off to go kayaking.The only downside I would say was that the instructors could have given us a 5 minute lesson as to how to use our paddles. My family has done kayaking before, however, for a newbie like  me it was a bit confusing in the beginning. The staff will tell you guys to not paddle past the Humber Bay Arch Bridge which  is a pedestrian and bicycle bridge south of Lake Shore Boulevard West in Toronto, however, do break the rules because the Toronto Skyline view is worth taking the chance. 

This experience is definitely a three thumbs up from my side! It is kid friendly, pet friendly, date night approved and your family will love it. If Kayaking is not your forte, you can choose canoeing and paddle boarding also.  Do give it a try guys and do not forget to tag me on #walknncloset if you guys go to this undiscovered gem of a place in the heart of Toronto.

 PS- DO NOT wear  light washed denims and white shoes to the event! 

PPS- Be prepared for arms to sweat. Literally. 

I have attached the Groupon link right here, if you guys are interested! 

Paddle away! 

xoxo always,

[teddyvelvetz]

A fic for @chemosynthelich. Hope you feel better. 

I have no clue what I was going for with this? Funny yet kinda sad/sweet? I dunno. I like Rose interacting with Felix. 

Ps. Wrote this in an hour so probably littered with mistakes. Hope you enjoy it anyways.

Rex did not want to be here. He wanted to leave and was angry at his mother for dragging him along. Even at only age five, Rex knew true fear every time he saw his mother’s mentor. Waiting in the elevator to reach his room was torture.

“Rex, sweetheart, if your face gets any longer, it’ll touch your knees,” Rose giggled.

Rex felt his face subconsciously in reply to his mother’s words. It didn’t feel any longer. Rose gave her son a weak smile.

“It’s a saying, Rexy, I promise,” Rose assured her son with a tussle to his dark brown dreads. Rex looked like a mirror image of his father with his dark skin and hair. It seemed like the only things he inherited from Rose were large blue eyes and a timid personality.

“oh. Alright,” Rex grumbled, fiddling with the blue jay feathers laced in his dreads. The charm had been made by Beyal. It was supposed to be good luck, but he couldn’t see any luck in being stuck with visiting the coldest human being he ever knew every Wednesday.

“Looks like we’re here!” Rose cheered. The medic pulled out a key card and slid it into the lock of Felix’s door.

With a click, the room opened up. Not a beat later an empty box of cigarettes hit the wall next to Rose’s head. Rex squeaked in fear and hid behind his mother, grabbing onto her flower print dress tightly. His living nightmare hobbled lazily from the kitchenette wearing a black turtleneck and black sweatpants.

“Dumb bitch,” Felix growled “, you don’t even knock anymore.”

“Good to see you too, Felix,” was Rose’s only reply.

Rex thought Felix was either a ghost or on the verge of death every time they visited. Felix’s skin was the shade of paper, but lately it’d gained an eerie, green undertone. His silver eyes were lined with wrinkles from stress and irritation. Similar wrinkles lined the old medic’s mouth. Felix’s thin, tall form loomed over him and Rose ominously. Rex felt like he was in a trance until his mother hugged the old man. Felix rolled his eyes, but hugged back.

Rose turned to her son. “You wanna hug grandpa, Rex?”

Rex only whimpered and clung to Rose’s dress tighter. Felix raised a white eyebrow out of curiosity. After an awkward minute, the old medic let out a tired sigh.

“Nothing like his father,” Felix grumbled “, at that age Dax at least had the balls to kick me in the shins and scream obscenities.”

Rose nervously laughed. “Sorry Felix, it’s just that Rex can be a little nervous.”

“He’s been nervous for five years,” Felix said with a hollow chuckle. The old man’s eyes narrowed. “And didn’t I tell you to stop with the “grandpa” thing. I was a stepdad to your husband. Nothing more.”

Rose could feel Rex shivering next to her. Today was going to be just as hard as usual. Hold patience, dear Rose. She managed to untangle Rex from her skirt and over to a couch to color. Then she went to work on Felix. His health had begun to decline slightly over the past few years. The radiation and Monsuno essence was beginning to effect his immune system so Rose made it her mission to come every Wednesday to check up on the man she admired.

“Alright, old man,” Rose teased “, let’s get your vitals.”

Rex watched with interest as Rose worked on Felix. He’d been interested in his mother’s job since he could conceive his own thoughts. Rose checked Felix’s blood pressure, eyes, throat, and reflexes with ease. The older adult kept rolling his eyes and complaining that he was being treated like a child. Rose recorded her data in a notebook and relaxed on the couch next to Felix, catching up on the S.T.O.R.M base’s gossip. Rex grew quickly bored and silently slipped off the couch.

Felix’s apartment was boring, but Rex believed the old man must have something interesting to look at. Felix’s house had a bird theme going on. Paintings ranging from dainty small birds to large raptors hung on the walls. A dozen glass birds lined a shelf. His plates even had roosters on them! What was with the old man and birds?

Rex wandered into Felix’s room. It immediately radiated the feeling of “Stay the Hell out”, but the five year old couldn’t hold back his curiosity. The room smelled at like old person and baby powder. Rex quickly found out the baby powder smell was coming from Felix’s vanity. The vanity was pink and worn down. The mirror was cracked in one bottom corner. Makeup covered the vanity’s surface. Rex couldn’t tell what color the top of the vanity was, but he assumed pink. The makeup was odd, but Rex didn’t think it was any of his business to question his so-called grandfather’s hobbies.

The five year old flopped onto Felix’s king sized bed. He felt exhausted. The drive from Rose’s base to the S.T.O.R.M base was so long and tiring. He remembered Felix living with them for a time along with Uncle Ross and Uncle Systemmac, but dad convinced his mom that Felix was too sick and needed to return to S.T.O.R.M to be monitored. Rex had a blurry memory of his mother clinging to Felix and sobbing.

Rex shook off the memory and began to notice the pictures on Felix’s bedside table. He didn’t know the cranky medic owned non-bird pictures. Rex gently lifted each picture to examine them. One was of what he could assume an infinitely younger Felix with a younger Ms. Delilah, another person his mother admired way too much for his taste. It looked like the two friends had just gone fishing, each kid holding a line with trout dangling from it. Another was of Felix embracing a woman that looked like Rex’s father. It must be the grandma he never got to meet. Next to that was a picture of Felix, the woman, Uncle Systemmac, Dax, and Uncle Daedalus, another relative that died before Rex was even conceived. Felix looked like he had so much more color and he was a blonde at one point. What the heck happened?

Then, Rex got to the pictures of Felix and his mother. It startled him to see a younger version of his mom sometimes. Her scars looked so fresh that it looked like the muscle in her face was fully exposed. Not to mention she used to have long hair without the white streak in her bangs. One photo was of Rose and Felix shaking hands. Felix’s eyes were even colder looking than they were now. ‘Working with the new kid’ was scribbled on the corner. Another was of Rose and Felix holding a chicken. Felix’s expression was still a frown, but he looked softer and had a warm glow in his eyes. Rex remembered his mom talking about the chicken. Its name was ‘Sunny’. A third picture showed Felix and Rose with the full Rabbit Bones faction. His mother looked to be the cold one this time, Felix standing dutifully to one side and Six on the other. Rose didn’t like telling the story about her faction, but she promised to tell him when he was older. Rex smiled brightly at the next photo he picked up. It was from his parents’ wedding. Poppop (Jon Ace) and Felix were embracing Rose while Dax stood to the side laughing. Felix had a smile on his face. Rex didn’t think Felix was even capable of that emotion. Rex almost dropped the last photo after glancing at it. It was of Felix sitting in a hospital bed next to Rose. The pale man was smiling down at a newly born Rex. One of Rex’s tiny hands wrapped around a long finger. Felix’s face was filled with pure love and caring, with a slightly nervous undertone.

Rex was beginning to feel like he understood his mother’s friendship with this man a little better now.  A gruff voice snapped the five year old out of his thoughts.

“Having fun,” Felix stood in the doorway, arms crossed and looking down at Rex with an expectant look.

Rex’s eyes widened in fear as Felix approached the bed. The medic crouched to be at eye level with Rex, joints crackling with strain. “It seems you found my old photos,” Felix mumbled. “Good times I say. Hope I can make a few more.”

Felix held out his hand. Rex looked up at him in confusion. “Let’s go back to the living room. Your mom is wondering where you ran off to.”

Rex nodded his head, dazed. His small hand was engulfed by the medic’s much larger one. Rex braced himself for a rough grasp, but was surprised to find Felix’s grasp was gentle and caring. The boy quietly followed Felix back to the living room.

“There you are,” Rose cooed, pulling Rex into her lap. Rex instinctively clung to his mom and buried his head into her shoulder. “Thank you, Felix.”

Felix shrugged. “No problem. He was in my room not minding his own damn business.” The usual coldness crept back into Felix’s voice.

Rose nervously laughed. “He must have gotten bored and wandered off. Rex is usually well behaved.”

She was met with another half-hearted shrug. Felix thankfully did not appear mad to Rose. An awkward silence passed between them. The older medic looked up at the sound of Rose clearing her throat.

“What?” he smirked “, I haven’t seen you this nervous around me since we first met. Spit it out already.”

“I was just thinking…,” Rose began.

“Never a good thing,” scoffed the old man.

Rose stuck her tongue out at Felix earning a chuckle from the pale male before continuing. “I was thinking, since Rex is interested in being a medic, that when he’s ten you could start training him?”

Felix and Rex’s jaws dropped. Was Rose really trying to put them together like this?

“Why can’t you teach him?” challenged Felix. “Like mother, like son, and I am damn sure not the mother.”

“Well, Ryu began teaching me at fifteen. He was older and had a lot more experience. He was a good teacher.” Rose gave Felix that familiar annoying look of admiration at him. “I really think you two could learn from one another.”

“Didn’t Ryu force you to kill a deer and find a use for all its body parts?” Felix countered.

Rose shrugged. “I dunno. Besides that traumatic experience, Ryu was pretty cool.”

“But I-,” Felix began.

“No buts Felix. I’m not going to let you sit in your apartment and waste away. You’re going to do something with what time you have left. You can start right now by preparing. You have five years, Felix. Tick Tock.”

Rex’s eyes met Felix’s. For the first time ever the young boy could see they felt the same: a wish to be struck dead at this very moment.

[stegosarahs]

Today was a real tough day. I was tasked with the noble duty of going to my sister’s apartment – which had (a) had the power turned off for who knows how long, and (b) had been empty for a few days – to rescue my sister’s fish. One lone betta fish, and an aquarium (filter and all) of an unknown number and variety of fish.

To be honest, when she tasked me with this job, I expected to find floaters. So imagine my surprise when – despite no power to filtration units and not being fed for a long while – no floaters, all fish still alive.

The aquarium was thick with green algae and floating gunk everywhere, but me and my (other) sister ‘B’ managed to get all the fish caught with a wire colander and put into tupperware containers. The one problem being the more you pulled out, the more fish came out of their nooks and crannies. One fish, a large golden-orange bottom feeder, was the biggest surprise (pun intended).

This orange beast had red eyes and gave B the creeps, so I became the proud owner of this monster, and of the betta fish. B took home the unknown number of guppies, small trout looking things, and even fish that looked like piranha (but, they couldn’t be, could they?)

Anyway, once we went our separate ways, we were both unsure of what to do as new fish parents. B went to a pet store and, as a whole new aquarium with all the bells and whistles is quite expensive, was very happy when a store employee said they can take the fish and adopt them out to good homes. Excellent!

I went to a Pet Planet because I had no idea what kind of fish this orange beast was, or what he’d need to be healthy. The store had betta fish food, but not much else, and one employee (we’ll call her M), was very knowledgeable about fish and even shared some of her own fish stories, so I shared some of my quest as well. Being told I’d have better luck at a larger store in the south to find all the accessories this bottom-feeder orange dude, M said, “You know, I have a tank at home where this guy would be perfect in, I could… take him off your hands?”

I wouldn’t call myself a fish person, but I took this rescue-the-fish operation very seriously, and here was M, someone you could tell was incredibly kind and compassionate, who wanted to give this fish a good home. And I burst into tears. It’s silly, I know, but my job was to take care of these fish and now I was able to do so thanks to this random person I’d just met. I explained some minor points of what led me here and why I was tasked with this job, and she was so happy to help, it was quite the experience. When she learned the beast didn’t have a name, she suggested Fred. And the beast responded to the name, *I’m not kidding!*

Fred. “My sister would love that name for him,” I told her, and that’s how I made a random friend through a fish named Fred.

Anyway, all this is to say, is that silly little things like fish can bring people together, even in the middle of an otherwise overwhelming day.

PS: I fed Fish the betta fish today (the other rescue from my sister’s apartment), and I swear he made eye contact. He gave a huff, so I gave him a little bit more food, which he swam up to, ate, then stared at me again with attitude. And, gosh, if that attitude doesn’t fit the situation, I don’t know what does. But with that I’m even more dedicated to keeping Fish around as long as this betta has.

PPS: I think the fact that all these fish surviving the situation they were in is a really inspirational thing because they *should not have been alive.* Even M at Pet Planet said so, and she’s like the fish whisperer. So, even if your “tank” hasn’t been cleaned in months, or your “filter” is clogged, or the “power running your oxygen pump” has stopped, you can still keep going. Because at some point, an opportunity to get to a better place will come along, and you’ll get named Fred and find a happy home thanks to a complete stranger.