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realfencinghawkesbay · 7 months

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Real Fencing Hawkes bay

Are you in need of a reliable and trusted fence contractor in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand? Look no further! We, at Real Fencing, are here to meet all your fencing needs. With our wide range of solutions, including Aluminum, Chain Link, and Timber Fencing, we guarantee exceptional results that enhance both security and aesthetics. From repairs to installations, our experienced team delivers top-notch craftsmanship and reliable service. Trust us to transform your property into a safe and beautiful haven. Contact Real Fencing today and let us exceed your expectations!

TIMBER FENCING At Real Fencing in Hawkes Bay, we offer a variety of timber fencing options to meet your specific needs. Timber fencing is a popular choice among homeowners due to its classic and natural appeal. One of the advantages of timber fencing is its cost-effectiveness. Compared to other fencing materials, such as metal or PVC, timber fencing can be more affordable, making it a budget-friendly option for many. Additionally, timber fencing requires regular maintenance to ensure its longevity. This includes treating the wood to protect it from rot, termites, and weather damage. By investing in routine maintenance, you can extend the lifespan of your timber fence and avoid costly repairs in the future. At Real Fencing, we can provide you with expert advice on timber fencing cost and maintenance to help you make informed decisions for your property.

ALUMINUM FENCING We offer a wide range of aluminum fencing options to meet the specific needs of our clients in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. Aluminum fencing has become increasingly popular due to its numerous benefits. One of the main advantages of aluminum fencing is its durability. Unlike other materials, aluminum does not rust, making it ideal for coastal areas like Hawkes Bay. Additionally, aluminum fencing requires minimal maintenance. To keep your aluminum fence looking its best, simply clean it with mild soap and water regularly. Another maintenance tip is to inspect the fence for any loose or damaged parts, such as screws or panels, and repair them promptly. Overall, aluminum fencing provides a practical and stylish solution for enhancing the security and aesthetics of your property.

CHAIN LINK FENCING One of the most versatile and cost-effective fencing options available is chain link fencing, which complements the durability and low maintenance benefits of aluminum fencing in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. Chain link fencing is known for its strength and durability, making it a popular choice for residential, commercial, and industrial applications.

There are several pros to choosing chain link fencing. It is highly durable and can withstand harsh weather conditions, making it a long-lasting option. Chain link fencing is also low maintenance, requiring minimal upkeep over time. Additionally, it provides excellent security and visibility, allowing you to keep an eye on your property while keeping unwanted visitors out.

However, there are some cons to consider as well. Chain link fencing may not offer as much privacy as other fencing options, as it is see-through. It is also not the most aesthetically pleasing choice, although it can be improved with the addition of privacy slats or vinyl coatings.

When choosing the right height for chain link fencing, consider your specific needs and requirements. A common height for residential applications is 4 to 6 feet, while commercial and industrial settings may require taller fencing for added security.

POOL FENCING When it comes to pool fencing, we understand the importance of both safety and aesthetics. As experienced fence contractors in Hawkes Bay, we know that pool safety regulations are a top priority for homeowners. That's why we offer a wide range of pool fencing options that comply with these regulations while still enhancing the overall look of your pool area.

Choosing the right pool fencing materials is crucial to ensure durability and longevity. We recommend materials such as aluminum or steel, which are not only strong and resistant to corrosion but also provide a stylish finish. These materials can withstand the harsh New Zealand weather conditions and require minimal maintenance, making them an excellent choice for pool fencing.

At Real Fencing, we have the knowledge and expertise to help you select the perfect pool fencing solution for your needs. Our team will work closely with you to ensure that your pool fence meets all safety requirements while adding value and beauty to your property. Trust us to deliver exceptional results that prioritize both safety and aesthetics.

METAL FENCING Metal fencing provides a durable and stylish solution for securing and enhancing your property in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. With a wide range of metal fence designs available, you can choose a style that complements the aesthetics of your property while providing the necessary security. One of the main benefits of metal fencing is its durability. Metal fences are built to withstand the elements and can last for many years with minimal maintenance. Additionally, metal fences offer a high level of security, as they are difficult to breach or tamper with. Whether you need a metal fence for residential or commercial purposes, it is a wise investment that will not only protect your property but also add value and curb appeal. Trust our experienced team at Real Fencing to provide you with top-quality metal fencing solutions that meet your specific needs.

PVC FENCING When considering fencing options in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, one popular choice is PVC fencing. PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, fencing offers several advantages that make it a preferred option for many homeowners. One of the main advantages is its durability. PVC fences are resistant to rot, rust, and pests, making them a long-lasting investment. Additionally, PVC fencing is low maintenance, requiring minimal upkeep over time. Another advantage is the wide range of styles and designs available. Homeowners can choose from different types of PVC fencing materials, such as privacy fences, picket fences, or decorative fences, to suit their specific needs and preferences. Overall, PVC fencing provides a cost-effective and aesthetically pleasing solution for enhancing the security and appearance of any property in Hawkes Bay.

GARDEN FENCING As fence contractors in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, we also specialize in garden fencing. Garden fencing offers numerous benefits for homeowners, making it an essential addition to any outdoor space. Firstly, garden fencing enhances the security of your property by creating a physical barrier that deters trespassers and protects your plants and belongings. Additionally, garden fencing provides privacy, allowing you to enjoy your outdoor area without worrying about prying eyes. When it comes to choosing the right garden fencing material, there are various options available. These include timber, which offers a classic and natural look, as well as aluminum and PVC, which are low-maintenance and durable choices. Each material has its own unique features and aesthetic appeal, ensuring that you can find the perfect garden fencing that suits your needs and complements your landscape.

FENCE REPAIRS We specialize in providing reliable and efficient fence repairs that address any damages or wear and tear to your existing fencing structure. At Real Fencing, we understand the importance of maintaining the integrity of your fences through regular fence maintenance. Over time, fences can encounter common problems such as rotting wood, loose or broken boards, rusted metal, or damaged gates. Our experienced team is equipped to handle all types of fence repairs, ensuring that your fences are restored to their optimal condition. We have the knowledge and expertise to assess the issues and provide effective solutions that will prolong the lifespan of your fences. Trust us to deliver exceptional fence repair services that will enhance the security and visual appeal of your property.

GATES FOR FENCES To continue our discussion on fence repairs, let's now delve into the topic of gates for fences, an essential component that ensures both security and accessibility to your property. At Real Fencing, we understand the importance of a well-designed and functional gate. That's why we offer a range of options to suit your specific needs. When it comes to gate materials, we provide various choices, including wood, aluminum, and steel, each with its own unique benefits in terms of durability and aesthetics. Additionally, for added convenience, we offer automatic gate openers, allowing you to easily control the access to your property. Whether you're looking for a sturdy steel gate or an elegant wooden gate, our team of experts can guide you through the selection process and install a gate that perfectly complements your fence.

Fencing Hawkes bay

#Fencing Napier #Fencing Hastings #Fencing Havelock North #Fence Hawkes bay #Gates Hawkes bay #timber fence #Aluminium fencing #Metal fence #Farm fencing #pool fence #Fence repair #Garden fence #Fencing Hawkes bay

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trivialbob · 8 months

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Stupid squirrel broke my hanging bird feeder.

It was right outside the family room window. We'd easily see activity. Like the time a hawk swooped in for lunch but wasn't interested in seeds. I thought the hawk was going to crash through the window. Instead, it abruptly turned, claws now full, leaving a few sparrow feathers fluttering to the ground. Every spring time we watch a momma bird feed her babies in the birdhouse that's mounted on a pole next to the feeder. The babies make a lot of noise, but I like it.

My kids got me this feeder years ago. It's held up well, despite the clear plastic turning yellow. In the past some squirrels have climbed a post near the feeder and tried to leap to it. They were not successful. Until this year.

One or two must have been eating their Wheaties. Several times lately I've seen one hanging onto the feeder as it swings wildly after their leaps from the pole. Nearby bird squawk with displeasure.

Today the thin cable snapped. The feeder fell and the plastic broke. I'm sad to see it go. With winter coming I must replace the feeder. It would be cruel to not replenish the food supply the birds are accustomed to when the ground is covered with snow. We see these birds all winter.

The front yard isn't fenced in. Otherwise Sulley would have kept those squirrels at bay.

I tried that pumpkin "carving" technique some of you mentioned, where you put peanut butter in the eyes and let the squirrels make scary results.

So far the only things the squirrels have done here is carefully eat the peanut butter, barely scraping the eye holes. Probably because their tummies are so full of bird seed they don't need to eat any pumpkin.

Maybe the peanut butter is what gave them the strength to finally make successful leaps from the pole to the hanging bird feeder!

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jonathanwrotethis · 13 hours

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The Rhoscolyn Coastal Path

I finally fell asleep a little after 1am last night - after lying in bed listening to noises in the roof-space of the ancient cottage we’re staying in. A furious guest had written a review on the agent’s website complaining about a mouse infestation that nobody else seemed to have experienced, or found. I figured it out.

The hot water and heating system for the cottage obviously has pipes retro-fiitted through the rafters - some of which run through the bedroom ceiling. Anybody that’s every lifted their floorboards or re-built ceilings knows that pipes are usually cut into rafters. Guess what happens when pipes get hot? They expand. Guess what happens when a pipe expands, and is cut into rafters that might have swollen over time? It sounds exactly like something running across the roof space. Only it doesn’t - unless it’s a clock-work mouse that keeps a perfect pace, or that accelerates to 60 miles per hour when the heating periodically kicks in.

If you’re wondering how I could tell the difference to the real thing, it’s because we HAD the real thing in our roof space a few years ago. A tile came off the roof, and we had visitors for a few weeks. I poisoned them all (I know, I’ll go to hell), and we had the roof fixed - but for those few nights, we heard them.

Anyway.

This morning was an exercise in learning to slow down. After I had got up, had a shower, got dressed, made coffee, fixed the roman blinds in the living room (I wonder how long they had been broken for?) and sat in the garden listening to the local radio, my other half appeared in her PJs - rubbing her eyes. She was obviously showing me how to do this “going slow” thing.

After an hour of eating toast, drinking our own body-weight in tea, and deliberating about what to wear, we set off towards the coast path, and the wilds of Holy Island.

While walking, exploring, and stopping to watch and listen to various birds, we wished we had brought (a) a bird book, and (b) a pair of binoculars. We own both - several of both - and they are all at home. We saw oyster catchers, kestrels, herring gulls, sparrow hawks, and all manner of smaller birds.

Along the western side of Rhoscolyn we saw numerous groups of climbers on the quite beautiful cliffs and rocks - picking their way from hold to hold, and threading ropes through carabinas. I will admit it gave me the willies just watching them.

After crossing to the eastern coast – with Mount Snowdon and Snowdonia painting picture postcard vistas across the horizon - we passed RAF Valley and dropped down into Silver Bay - walking the beach at low tide on our own before spying a small building selling exactly the kids of refreshments you might like after walking for a few hours.

We won't talk about the elderly norther man walking a dog that nearly attacked us. He *knew* it was dangerous as he approached - looking concerned that they had encountered anybody at all. The dog started bareing it's teeth, and lashed out at despite us both stepping back against the fence as far as we could. I will admit to taking some delight in knowing that he would be walking through a field of bulls in a few minutes time. Let's hope they didn't stampede the dog (not).

Walking back into Rhoscolyn, we stopped once again at the White Eagle, and wondered quite who might own the imposing black house on the edge of the peninsula - replete with fake burial mound stones on the lawn, and Tim Burton-esque gates. We really should look it up.

This evening we’re back in the cottage, overdosed on o-zone and vitamin D, and enjoying the peace and quiet once again.

I wonder if the non existent mice will return this evening?

#holiday #vacation #wales #holy island #anglesey #rhoscolyn

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samkat10423 · 1 year

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Spillway area

Rflong added a port lot down by the bay. And while I was over on TSR looking around, as one does, I came across a marina someone built.

The original only had that tiny building, the boat trailer, moving van and the docks with the berthed boats. But since I like for my sims to have something to do when they visit lots, I added stuff. First off, I changed out the dock planking and the fencing for the one that came with Barnacle Bay. The originals were just too pristine. And if you’ve ever gone boating - which I have - docks are not all squeaky-clean. Then I added more lights and all the food-service items. I used Arsil’s ice-cream thingie, Sandy’s barbeque-season’s food table, and the stuff from that Carnival lot EA did. I also gave my sims some tables-and-chairs and a lemonade stand. Then I added a small stone fence behind my trailer, so my idiot sims don’t back it into the bay and added more chain-link fencing on the other end, so they don’t fall off the cliff there. Plus, a small generator and some Sims 1 items that @grandelama created. (Thank you!)

Then I hopped over to that Spillway area under the bridge. Since it’s supposed to be a swamp - as most spillways are - I decided to place a few more industrial builds there. The original lots were all zoned as residential, but who in their right mind wants to live in mosquito-land? Again, the one I used were both cyclonesue builds that were on smaller lots originally. The dark brick one was created fairly early on and consisted of just the building.

This was her glue factory lot. (She built it to showcase her storage tanks). It is now a glasswork’s lot, since I used it to place that glass-blowing machine EA sold. It was on a 20x25 lot and this one is 30x20, so I had space to add stuff. I changed all the windows and doors, added those 3 drainpipe things on the side, plus all the viny stuff. I also changed the roof pattern to a rusty one I got from over on MTS. And I used stuff from Sandy’s “trash” set to grunge the place up a tad more. Inside I got rid of all her residential house crap and made it into a factory. (Note to self: I need to add some fog emitters to add some pigeons to that parking area. Maybe some rats inside).

That other lot in the 1st picture was cyclonesue’s abandoned Split Pea factory, and like I said, it was just the basic building itself on a much smaller lot. I went with her lot description and made it into my town junkyard. (It’s “for-sale” if anyone’s interested! So, I do need to add my “for-sale” sign) First thing I did, was grunge up that building on the roof and change the caps on the four corners, then added some fog emitters so that they “smoke.” I added the fencing, all the outside decor - including that nifty smokestack created by Sandy. And of course, junkyard spawners - and a few others. (There were none). Inside, I left her tiny kitchen area - just grunged it up a tad, then got rid of everything else. (It was originally zoned as a house). I did place 2 of those inventor’s benches and 1 of those gem-cutting machines, because I have that mod that allows you to make trash into sellable stuff. Oh! one of those garbage cans is a “fireplace” so it catches on fire - as does a set of discarded tires she created. And I used a garbage can created by Zedrael for his Hobo set, that sims can root around in and get food to eat. Because everyone eats out of a garbage can, doncha know!

Then I took my Devil Dog outside to help me feed the chickens. Right now, I only have 3 left, since chicken hawks and our resident fox ate the other 3. I plan on getting some Silkie ones to replace the deceased ones. But in the Spring since the ones I have now are on-strike and not laying eggs. Told them there are a gazillion ways to cook chickens, but they aren’t impressed. Stupid chickens!

#sims 3 My Bridgeport more industrial builds

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swldx · 5 months

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RNZ Pacific 1331 15 Jan 2024

7390Khz 1259 15 JAN 2024 - RNZ PACIFIC (NEW ZEALAND) in ENGLISH from RANGITAIKI. SINPO = 55333. English, s/on w/bellbird int. until pips and news @1300z anchored by Angie Skerrett. It has been a busy summer season for police and crisis intervention teams helping women and children living with violence in unsafe homes. Christmas, New Year and school holidays can be a stressful time for some whānau - which the New Zealand Police say leads to increased family harm reports at this time of year. Police said data around the call-outs this summer was not yet available, but confirmed family harm reports were generally on the rise. Police iwi and community deputy chief executive Pieri Munro said violence within families and relationships was a widespread problem in New Zealand. "Money being tight, increased cost of living, unemployment, increased alcohol consumption, difficult relationships with extended family, decisions about where to spend holidays all add extra pressure and stress at this time of year," Munro said. One NZ call centre workers are protesting proposed working from home policy changes. The telecommunications company, formerly Vodafone, has planned to introduce a requirement for some contact centre workers to work from the office three times a week, an increase of one day from their previous arrangement. Unite Union, which represents 115 workers at the company, is advocating against that change and some union members are working from home over the next 11 days in a form of protest. A worker who wanted to stay anonymous told RNZ they wanted to see the company take serious consideration of the people it was placing expectations on. The worker mentioned that the changes would have an impact on the environment and travel costs. Hospitality New Zealand is aiming to have an ambitious new industry strategy officially launched in early March. The strategy will detail what the industry thinks the next 10 years of hospitality should look like. Chief executive Steve Armitage said it would include how to ensure more resilience as well as plans to encourage more talent into the sector. Hastings businesses have been humming this summer after the devastation wrought by Cyclone Gabrielle left many on the brink, its mayor says. After a tumultuous 2023, tourists returned to Hawke's Bay in their droves this season which providing a much-needed economic boost. Many New Zealanders are facing water restrictions due to dry conditions and high summer demand. Residents in the capital Wellington, Picton and other central New Zealand regions, as well as the Otago region in the South Island, are being urged to consider water conservation over the coming weeks, as the demand continues to rise with summer temperatures increasing nationwide. The Wellington metropolitan region will move to level 2 water restrictions on January 17, which means a ban on sprinklers and irrigation systems for residential households. Residents can still water their garden by hand at any time, on any day, so long as this is not left unattended. Water demand peaked at 195 million liters in Wellington on Tuesday, and there are some brief periods of rainfall on the weather forecast, but this is unlikely to help the situation. @1303z Standards and Complaints PSA. @1304z Weather Forecast: rain w/ some heavy falls. @1306z "All Night Programme" anchored by Angie Skerrett. Backyard fence antenna, Etón e1XM. 100kW, beamAz 35°, bearing 240°. Received at Plymouth, United States, 12912KM from transmitter at Rangitaiki. Local time: 0659.

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godesssiri · 1 year

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We're making out second run through to Hawkes Bay tomorrow. While we are not carting a generator, 40 liters of petrol, a spare gas bottle and a pile of camping lights we have the car just as packed. We have a huge box of gumboots because they're asking for them in areas where they're dealing with loads of mud, groceries for the whole rest home, and a pile of clothes for the RSE workers. We took a pile of men's clothes through last week because we were told that the Pacific Island workers who came over to work in the orchards were all men but we've been told that there are some women here for the blueberry harvest so Mum and I have been grabbing things for them, cue me yelling down the stairs that I've been going through my drawers for bras for 'the blueberry ladies'.

My brother is also coming this time to do some grunt work. The rest home took surprisingly little physical damage but there is a fence down and we're going to re-arrange the maintenance shed to make it easier for the care givers to access the emergency supplies. The current maintenance guy is a muppet and the shed is a mess and the care givers are climbing over stuff to reach the bottled water.

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jpat82 · 3 years

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Turn Back The Clock: Duckingham Palace

Let's rewind the time, before you married your beloved Tom, before the endless amounts of feathers floated through the house. Wade was a tiny thing, chirping up a storm, and angrily hissing up a storm anytime Tom would come near the brooder you had set up into the bedroom.

The day after you had called the bird sanctuary and found out they wouldn't take the tiny ball of feathers you had set about learning everything you could about the upkeep and care for ducks. What you hadn't planned was how fast the duckling would grow, and as of now Wade's head would poke above the edge of the brooder and nab anything in close enough proximity.

He had you in panic one day when you saw a bit of red in his poo, Tom was sitting on the edge of the bed talking about an film he was going to be doing two months from now. Your heart raced as the slightly feathered bird chirped and chirped at the corner of the brooder by Tom who was ignoring the duck.

"Tom, there's red, red in his poo, red in the brooder." Your voice raised a notch as you searched for the reason. Tom stopped talking and looked down to see what you were talking about.

"Could this be the reason why?" Tom asked, slight annoyance in his voice as he held up the end of your thick fuzzy red blanket. Bald patches in the corner, the fluff stripped from it, you looked back at the precocious bird, eyeing a piece of red fluff in his beak. He had stopping making his usual ruckus to look over at you, before turning his head and taking a nab at the blanket.

"Naughty little duck, you were caught red beaked, weren't you." You giggled as the panic you felt eased away in an instant.

It was at that point you had both decided that it was time for your feathery companion to live outside full time. His feathers had molted and his adult feathers had come in (mostly). Tom ordered a dog run, the set up to keep the predators out and way from your little friend. He made sure to get one with a canopy to keep hawks and other flying critters at bay.

So in the mean time Tom set about leveling a corner of the yard, it was hot back breaking work but he didn’t complain to loudly about the desk at hand. And before long Tom was shirtless, sweat dripping down his back in the summer sun. Being the gentleman that he was he refused to let you help him, plus he knew where you went the tripping hazard, err duck, was sure to follow.

"Tom, are you sure you don't want any help?" You asked, taking a sip of your iced lemonade as you stayed under the shade on the deck.

"I'm sure darling." He replied stopping for a moment, wiping a tip of sweat that was forming at his brow. "Though I will take a sip of that lemonade."

You smiled sweetly as you stood, taking care not to step on the energetic ball of feathers. You came down the steps on the back porch, eyeing the box that the large dog run came in. You were slightly worried, the box didn't seam like it would be heavy enough to hold the run and the cover but Tom had assured you multiple times that it did.

"Looks like you got the area leveled, I'm guessing that's next?" You asked, hooking your head the box with the words Lucky Dog stamped a tossed in.

Tom nodded as he took a big drink from the cold glass. Wade bustled about, squawking and hissing at the flowers blooming next to porch. He lifted his little wing, feathers taking flight before he karate chopped downward causing the bright purple flower to spring back and hit him in his bill. Wade fell backward in shock, his little webbed feet kicking in the air.

“Yep.” He took a deep breath as he wandered to the box and started to rip it open.

You walked over to the prone animal. He stopped moving for a brief moment and cocked his head at you.

“That mean ole tulip got you good, didn’t it?” You cooed at him as you picked him up. Wake started squawking louder as he nestled into your arms.

You turned around to see your boyfriend. Tom had pulled the contents of the box out onto the lawn and paused for a moment. You stood there biting down on your lip when you noticed just a little bit of metal and a tarp. No chain link, no longer pieces of metal. This was obviously not everything, looked like it was just the top. But you managed not to say anything as you sat back down under the shade of the tree with the ball of feathers who at this point has quieted down.

“Darling.” Tom sighed as he putting his hands on his hips. He pulled his phone from his back pocket and typed away.

“Yes, Tom.” You replied sweetly.

“I think I will finish this tomorrow.” He stated as he looked over at you. “I think I’ll start building his castle first at then put the run together.”

“Sounds like a marvelous idea.” You chuckled lightly as Tom went to the pile of lumber.

Hours passed by, in that time you had weeded your garden, pulled Wade away from Tom, plant flowers along the fence line, pulled Wade away from Tom, started to prep for dinner, pulled Wade away from Tom. By the time dinner was ready to put on the grill Tom had stepped away from what looked like it was supposed to be a dog house with a turret.

However the turret looked like one good gust of wind would knock it over, and the walls were uneven. The roof sloped to the left and the door was already falling off. He stood looking at it with his hands on his fist, Wade hissing the awkward looking castle. Or at least that’s what Tom told you he was going to build. He looked up pictures on the internet claiming how easy it would be to build.

He knelt down after grabbing one more screw, mumbling something about the door when Wade swung his feathery butt around catching the door with his mostly bare rear. The door swung back harshly catching the man in the face. You rushed down the steps as the avian cocked his head at Tom before waddling over and rubbing his head against the man’s chest

“Tom, are you okay?” You asked kneeling down next to him.

“I’m fine darling.” He said pulling his hand away from his face looking at his palm. He had an angry red welt between his eyes and nose but nothing seemed broken. He blinked a couple times and then looked at the bird who was currently try to snuggle on him.

“You know Tom, I was thinking.” You bit your lip as you looked down at your boyfriend. “Maybe Wade could live inside with us.”

Tom took a heavy breath and looked back at the falling castle and down at the mischievous bird. He shook his head as he sighed out.

“Two against one, not fair.” He remarked before looking up at you. “Alright, but only till I can built a better house for him.”

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lesetoilesfous · 3 years

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i dunno if they're open, but can i request from the kiss prompts, 30) kiss in the full moon, with NB!Handers? basically a Hawke who uses they/them pronouns, only goes by Hawke, and no specific descriptors or mentions of their sex? =)

Hey anon! I had way too much fun with this, thank you so much for the request!!! I really hope you like it. I am also going to be adding NB!Handers to my preferred pairings list specifically because of you :D <3

(If you’d like me to write you a dragon age fic, send me a prompt from here!)

@dadrunkwriting Pairing: NB!Handers

Characters: NB!Hawke, Anders

Tags: modern AU, post All that Remains, reference to mental illness, reference to police violence, reference to abusive institutions (the Circle is really, really awful y'all), reference to gun violence, smoking, strong language, everyone's an adult here Anders is just broke (hence the bike)

Rating: Mature

“I knew I’d find you here.”

The Kirkwall marina is quiet and mostly empty - boatowners have retired below decks with the rise of the moon and stars, and the place is mostly closed to the public otherwise. Anders had seen Hawke’s jeep, first, when he’d padlocked his bike to the iron fence. Now, as the wind pulls ripples across the ink-black bay, he finds the person in question.

Hawke is wearing a heavy brown leather jacket covered in patches, their long brown hair wavy with the humidity and blown about in the wind. They’re sitting on a stone pillar near the pier, staring up at the wide full moon. It’s such a clear night that Anders can make out the craters on it, and it’s harder to see the stars in the immediate radius of the moon, which diffuses into silver rainbows in the dark. The ocean falls in soft sighs against the thin beach, and ahead of them the bay closes between two promontories, which are darker black against the deep blue night.

Hawke looks back at Anders at the same time as their mabari, Dog, lifts her great head, sandy ears pricking in his direction. Anders waves at them both, trying to rearrange his features into an expression that doesn’t show exactly how worried he is. Instead, he folds himself awkwardly to sit on a pillar beside Hawke. The stone is cold even through his jeans, and Anders can feel a hole working its way through his battered converse. He’ll worry about that tomorrow.

For a long moment, Hawke is quiet, and the two of them sit there in the dark, listening to the eerie rattle and creak of the boats in the Kirkwall marina. Then Hawke says, softly, “I didn’t think you’d come.”

Anders looks at them, but they’re still staring ahead at the bay, and the moonlight skidding silver over the water. Their nose is smooth and bumped a little with the scar of an old break. Their eyebrows are thick and dark, as are their eyelashes. Their brown eyes glitter in the starlight. They tuck a clump of wavy hair back behind their ear, which is braced by silver cuffs over the shell and a row of hoops along their earlobe. Anders breathes, and the air is so cold that it tastes sweet.

“You didn’t tell me you were going to be here.” He’s trying for a joke, but even Anders can hear the way it falls flat as he feels the smile plastered onto his lips slip a little.

Hawke looks at him, and their eyes are rich and dark and brown and beautiful. There are thumbnail bruises of purple sleeplessness beneath them, too. They speak again, hushed as if the pair of them were in a cathedral and not a car-park outside a half empty marina. “Still.”

Something in Anders’ chest lurches as the wind makes the trees and grass behind them hush a sighing chorus to the sea. He shrugs, and feels the awkwardness of it across his shoulders. He’d never eaten well, in the Circle, and his body as a result felt stretched out and distended: he wasn’t fat or muscular enough to pull off the broadness of his proportions, but ever since he’d hit puberty what food he could get just didn’t seem to stick. He pushes away the memories of old hunger and focuses on the present, instead. “Yeah, well, you’re an idiot.”

Hawke huffs a laugh then, one of their canines hooked a little in front of their other teeth. They look down at their hands, where their nails are chopped short and painted with haphazard, chipped black polish. “Maybe.” They bite the inside of their cheek, and swallow twice before they speak. “I just. Keep thinking that if I dream it hard enough I’ll be able to go back and save her. You know? Like I’ll figure it out, somehow. And this time I won’t be too late and -”

Hawke cuts themself off, blinking rapidly, their dark eyes brighter in the moonlight. Anders swallows the lump in his own throat, and the urge to lean across and squeeze their arm or something similarly saccharine. With a feeling like chewing on breaking glass, he forces himself to pull up his memories of the months following Karl. It’s difficult - most of that time is a blur spent flinching every time he saw a templar in kevlar. Too many nights spent waking up with the sound of a bullet in his head. Anders winds his fingers together, squeezing them tight enough to hurt to ground himself back in the present. He can feel Hawke’s dark eyes on him, their gaze questioning. Anders looks up instead at the moon, and calls himself a coward.

“After...After Karl I, couldn’t really think straight. For a while. I mean, not that I ever thought straight.” Anders tosses half a grin in Hawke’s direction, but they don’t smile back, just watch him, quietly. Listening. Anders always feels as if he doesn’t know what to do with all that attention. He isn’t really used to people respecting him when he speaks. He doesn’t want to waste it. He clenches his teeth, and the wind whispers over the back of his neck, pulling at the hair in his ponytail. “But, um. I didn’t really feel like I woke up until I... Let myself accept that this is just. What the world looks like now. Without him in it.” Anders’ eyes burn, and he blinks rapidly and hopes that Hawke doesn’t notice the way his breath hitches.

If they do, they don’t say anything, instead fishing a packet of cigarettes from their pocket, lighting one before offering him the pack. Anders takes it gratefully, slipping a cigarette between his lips and leaning forward for Hawke to light it. Their lighter has a bright, chipped progress flag on the casing, and Anders can’t help but find it reassuring, for all the cliche. The cigarette lights, and Anders breathes in deeply, savouring the warm ache of it and breathing out a long gust before he speaks again.

“It’s like. They were part of another chapter. And you’re already onto the next one. And you kind of, have to stop trying to go back to those pages, otherwise you’ll miss what’s happening in these ones.” Anders laughs, and scrubs at his cheeks, feeling the graze of his stubble and wishing he’d remembered to shave. “Sorry, that’s stupid.”

“No,” Hawke says, firmly, taking a drag of their own cigarette and breathing it out in a gust of smoke before they speak. “No, that makes sense.” They look at him sidelong, then, and when they blink a tear runs rapidly, silently down their tanned cheek. “I don’t know how to keep reading.”

Anders rests his hand against the stone he’s sitting on. It’s rough and cool. His eyes move from the great belly of the moon to the dusting of stars over the horizon, trying to trace the shapes of the constellations. “I think…” He says, slowly, sounding the words out as he says them, “It starts with this. With people you care about. Quiet places. Places where you feel like you can be everything you are and feel everything you’re feeling without holding it in. Places where you feel safe.”

Hawke shakes their head, and their hair falls over the shoulder of their jacket, catching on the ridges of their patches. “I don’t feel safe.”

Anders ignores the wrench in his chest at that, and takes another drag of his cigarette before he looks down to meet Hawke’s eyes. “You will.” Hawke holds his gaze for a long minute after he says it. Then they nod, once, and glance away, bringing the cigarette back up to their lips.

For a while they sit there in the quiet, smoking, peaceful. Dog has rested her head on her thick paws, and Hawke is careful to tap their ash far away from her. Eventually, the ever-present blur of memory and feeling at the back of Anders’ head threatens to overwhelm the silence, and he tugs his phone out of the pocket of his coat. It’s an old suede thing with feather detailing he’d got second hand. Isabela teases him about it, but it always makes him feel safer than anything else does. He figures that’s enough. Anders taps the cracked screen of his phone, blinking at the blue light. Hawke glances at him, their brown eyes almost black in the dark.

Anders tilts his phone screen at them. “Mind if I play some music?”

They blink, once, then nod, and take another drag on their cigarette. “Sure.”

Anders hits play with a sense of near physical relief, and the tinny, soft sound of some alt rock eases into the air between them. After three songs Anders has finished his cigarette. After four, Hawke has finished theirs. For a moment, they sit there, unmoving and terribly still. Anders sits forward, feeling the weight of his phone shift in his pocket as he does so. “How are you feeling now?”

They offer him a shadow of a smile, heavy coat and baggy jeans disguising long lines of wiry muscle that Anders couldn’t forget if he tried. “Better. Anders?”

“Yes?” Anders wishes he didn’t feel as much like a heroine in some silent film, but Hawke always seems to have that effect on him. They make him feel like some damsel in need of saving. They make him want to be a hero.

Hawke’s lips curl up into a crooked smile that creases the corners of their eyes. “Thanks. For coming out here.”

Anders shrugs and lies. “It’s nothing.” When Hawke snorts, he goes on, grinning, “No, really. What else was I going to be doing? Now my friend, on the other hand. This poor sap is opening his free clinic at 5am this morning which…” Anders gets out his phone, tapping the home button. “Is in about three hours. Now that idiot, him, yeah, I’d feel sorry for. But luckily neither of us know anyone so masochistic.”

Hawke huffs a laugh, their voice rough and climbing into a giggle as they squeeze their eyes shut, scrubbing at their cheeks. “You’re a fucking idiot, you know that?” They say it with a smile.

Anders tilts his head, and tries to ignore the warmth that flushes through his chest whenever Hawke looks at him like that. “You say that like it’s a good thing.”

Hawke shrugs, and pushes their hair back over their shoulders, moving so that they’re facing him, their legs spread wide and their jacket hanging loose over a white t-shirt. They look up at Anders boldly. “You’re my idiot.”

Anders’ flush pushes its way up into his cheeks and on into his ears, the cold of the early morning forgotten in the way that Hawke is staring at him. “Really? I must have missed the memo…”

“Anders,” Hawke’s voice is soft, and as they speak they rest their hand on Anders’ cheek. Their skin is soft and cold with the night air, and Anders leans into it as if he’s lost at sea and their touch is the only thing keeping him from drowning. It takes him too long to unstick his tongue from the roof of his dry mouth.

“Yes?”

Hawke smiles at him, warm and soft and indulgent, and their thumb strokes gently across his cheek as they lean forward. “Stop talking.” Their breath is warm as it blows across his lips, and smells faintly of cigarettes. And then they’re leaning even closer, and they’re kissing him. Their lips are soft and taste like cherry chapstick, and Anders doesn’t care as they tilt their head, the scar on their nose scratching softly against his skin, the warmth of their breath filling his lungs. Hawke licks into his mouth with a hunger that feels like burning, and Anders opens for them, lifting his hands to cradle their head and pull them closer, his fingers tangling in their thick, soft hair. Anders’ heart feels as if it’s going to beat its way out of his chest and that’s meaningless against the way the world is spinning, every inch of him lost except the point where his cheeks brush Hawke’s, where his chin bumps theirs, where their lips move to lock and loosen around his own as they move.

When they pull back, Anders isn’t sure he remembers how breathing works. But they grin at him, and their eyes are silver in the moonlight when they lean forward to bump their foreheads together, cradling the back of his head. Sighing, they shut their eyes. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.”

Anders breathes, and swallows, lips wet and sore with the force of their kiss, wrists resting loosely on Hawke’s strong shoulders. Above them, the moon is bright and full and beautiful. Anders tries to speak past the lump in his throat. “Do it again?”

Hawke looks up at him, and their eyes are almost black in the dark. Then they kiss him.

#nb!handers #dadwc #nb!hawke #anders #my fic #da2 #anon

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queerpyracy · 3 years

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I hope it's ok to ask your farmer expertise for writing purposes? if a farm was abandoned for c. 2 weeks, with no one to care for the animals, how would the ones you are familiar / have experience with fare -- starve, break out of barns/enclosures, etc? I'll drop dollar in your ko-fi if u answer thx

i'm gonna put this under a cut both bc it's long and bc some of the content might be upsetting, general content warning for animal death and injury

so, what kind of farm infrastructure you have/how it was left is going to matter here

animals with outdoor access are going to have a much easier time getting out than those closed up in a barn, though if they are closed up they'll push on anything they can get to move and doors can come off tracks/hinges, a big enough and desperate enough animal will break a chain on a gate or break a latch on a door. (bulls, especially, are great for fucking up gates for less desperate reasons than thirst. we had a mature bull jump over a gate for horny reasons, and there is now a permanent bend in the top bar.) sometimes they even lift gates off their hinges, which isn’t a perfect way to get out bc cows don’t like walking over that kind of stuff but they will if they have to.

chickens aren't great fliers but they can get over fences pretty easy if there's not a roof in the way, so if they're penned but not in a coop, they'll get out to look for food and water. they'll have the easiest time food-wise (unless it's winter) but will also be the easiest for smaller predators (hawks, raccoons, foxes, skunks, coyotes, etc) to pick off. this'll depend on whether or not your hypothetical farm was abandoned during the day with chickens outside or at night when they were shut up in the coop for protection, in which case, unless your birds have access to two weeks worth of water, they're fucked. mine made it about 8 days on the water provided them when we had to evacuate because of wildfires, but they were topped off knowing we might not be able to get back to them and given extra water because of it. we're talking a 2 gallon covered water can + a coffee can for seven hens, it wasn't too hot, and they were almost dry when i was able to come home.

chickens might be able to make it without food for two weeks, but they might also start cannibalizing each other. this would probably start with a bird at the bottom of the pecking order getting injured and then the situation escalating from there. (this, by the way, doesn't happen unless chickens are under a lot of stress. like chickens are fucked up but i feel the need to be clear that this is not Normal chicken behavior. they will give each other minor injuries but cannibalism happens bc of extreme stress.) chickens will also kill small snakes and rodents.

chickens that are outside without being able to get back in their coop will find a tree or other elevated place to roost at night. chickens that are outside with access to their coop might choose to roost in their coop or outside. laying birds will also start to pick fun new secret places to lay their eggs, under bushes and such. even fed chickens will sometimes eat their own eggs, hungry chickens are absolutely likely to become routine egg eaters. extremely hungry chickens will stop laying.

roosters might be able to fend off skunks and raccoons, but hawks drop out of the sky* and anything much larger than a raccoon is going to devestate an unprotected flock. chickens that are outside in winter and can't get out of the cold are going to be vulnerable to frostbite, particularly their toes and combs. also: if a chicken gets wet down to its skin there is a very high likelihood it will get sick and die.

*hawks will kill a chicken but chickens are also generally too large for them to carry off, so they’ll leave most of the chicken where they found it.

a note on predators in general: you'll have to decide how aggressive they were before the humans were no longer around. where i am, the coyotes are pretty good about keeping their distance, but that's not true of every place, and if they were already a problem, they'll definitely increase their hunting in the absence of humans to keep them at bay. larger animals like cows and horses might be able to drive off or kill a coyote/dog or a small bear, but if they're contending with mountain lions that'll be more of a problem for them. not impossible to drive off/kill, but much more likely to successfully kill livestock.

i don't have much experience with sheep but a problematic dog can kill tons of them in a relatively short time so you can extrapolate from there. i can't think of anyway people tend to keep rabbits that wouldn't leave them dying of dehydration after a few days, unless they manage to pop a latch on their cage/hutch, but they too are going to be extremely vulnerable to predation, being small, unaccustomed to wild conditions, and possibly a highly visible color. domestic rabbits also can die of fright very easily. (my sister's rabbit, who survived a cow sitting on her cage and lived many years after, is an outlier and should not be counted.)

what kind of fencing you have is going to matter: cows don't give much of a shit about barbed wire fences even when they aren't thirsty and hungry, so that won't be much of a problem for them either. if the fence is old, they might push over a rotting post and get out that way. downed wires (barbed or otherwise) might result in an animal getting tangled up--they might be stuck or they might have a horrible ankle bracelet which will cut into them and get infected. they might break the wire from the fence, have a horrible ankle bracelet, and get stuck/tie up their back legs somewhere else.

electric fences are going to be a bit more problematic unless the power is down. cows (and i assume most other livestock) will go through an electric fence if the voltage is compromised in some way, which can happen just from having tall grass/weeds that get wet and short out the fence. if an animal gets tangled up in a hot electric fence and there's no one there to free it, then it's fucked. an electric fence isn't going to be hot enough to kill it fast, is the problem, just enough to make it harder to escape. (i had a rather frightening experience this last summer with a heifer getting her back legs tangled in a temporary wire. she's fine but she wouldn't have gotten out without my help and her legs didn't work for a couple of minutes, and she seemed kind of Off for weeks after that. you wouldn't know anything had happened to her, now.)

wire mesh fences are going to be the hardest to get out of. cow/hog panel fences can be busted where they're tied together/stapled to a post (especially, again, if the fence is old and the posts are decaying.) wooden fences they will just knock over or break through. hedges will be eaten and used for shelter. if for some reason this farm has stone walls that could be a problem for everything except maybe goats and chickens.

goats are escape artists anyway, as long as their horns to get stuck in anything/their feet don't get tangled up, they'll be out and roaming. they are smaller and thus more vulnerable to predators than larger livestock.

access to water is going to be the primary motivator in the short term and the thing that will kill shut-in animals the fastest, as for whether or not anything that manages to get outside will starve in two weeks time, that's going to depend on the season and place. the middle of winter in a place with snow and ice is going to be very hard, obviously, but if we're anywhere between spring and autumn and there is food to be had somewhere, then hungry animals will try to get to it. if they can't get out of fences, hunger might drive them to eat toxic plants they ordinarily avoid. how deadly that is to them depends on how toxic it is, how much is available for them to eat, and how big the animal is. a large cow can probably survive a few stems of tansy ragwort but not a field. (sheep, weirdly enough, can apparently eat young tansy ragwort plants without issue? again, not much experience with sheep but this fact has haunted me since i read it. tansy ragwort causes liver damage in almost everything but sheep, which die at the drop of a hat, Fine, I Guess.)

they'll also start chewing on things that aren't toxic but they might avoid for other reasons, like risking scratching up their nose by eating blackberry leaves, or lower branches of conifer trees. any branches of deciduous trees they can reach, if in leaf, will be one of the first things they go after. if they're regularly pastured under these trees, they'll already have pruned up the bottom branches to however high the tallest animal can reach. if it's autumn or after and there are apples or other fruit on the ground they'll absolutely clean those up, no matter how old--tho after two weeks anyone who finds the place will probably have missed the period of time in which there were drunk livestock. goats will also strip bark off trees, girdling and ultimately killing the tree.

if they can get out of fences they'll wander however far they need to go to find more food. how lucky they are again depends on the season and location. steep hills will provide more danger, especially if it's wet and slick. how regularly they return to the farm itself probably depends on where the water is and if there's better shelter there than anywhere else. (depending on how isolated your hypothetical farm is, wandering livestock might be the indicator that something is Wrong.)

if there are stores of grain laying around that ruminant livestock get into and gorge themselves on, they could get bloat and die that way. they'll also eat bedding straw if hungry, which isn't really nutritious, as long as it isn't covered in urine or feces. in a mixed species group of animals they're more likely to graze closer to/around the feces of other species than in their own. don't ask me why this is just something i've observed.

under severe stress like dehydration or hunger a lactating animal will dry up, which could have consequences for their offspring. if they're old enough to eat solid foods this isn't necessarily lethal, but could stunt their growth in the long term, or leave them more vulnerable to hypothermia bc of the decrease in calories.

some bullet points bc this is A Lot:

animals that are closed up in a barn/coop/etc are at a much higher risk of dying in under a two week time span than animals that aren't

thirst and lack of shelter will kill them faster than hunger

winter is going to in general be the most dangerous season for them to go two weeks without care

most livestock find ways to escape their holdings even when they aren't desperate

small and very young animals are going to in general be more vulnerable to weather and predation

that's about all i can think of off the top of my head, if you have any more questions i'm happy to help.

#farm tag #Anonymous

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ugly-crying-over-bucky-barnes · 4 years

Text

Promises Not Kept Part 34

Summary: Tommy Shelby made a promise to Jonah Ward while in the war. A promise he didn't keep. But it comes to haunt him when he tries to drown out his sorrows with a young woman.

Part 34: Johanna growing up.

Johanna nearly scared Tommy out of his skin when she started screaming at eight o’clock at night.

Leah was feeding Molly in the parlor while he was in the big room working. When he heard his daughter shrieking, he jumped up in an instant and made a mad sprint for the stairs. Taking two steps at a time, he dashed down the hall to her room. He ran inside and scooped her up. His eyes shifting with paranoia over the dimly lit room. “What, what is it, Jo?”

“Loose!”

Breathing heavily from the run, he looked at her with a confused face. “What’s loose?” He flicked on the nearest lamp to see what she was on about.

Johanna gave a big smile and pushed on of her front teeth forward with her tongue.

Realizing he’d almost had a heart attack over a loose tooth, he sighed and slumped to the bed with her in his arms. “Joey, it’s a loose tooth, it’s okay, that's supposed to happen.” He sighed, his heart still racing.

“I don’t like it.” She frowned and reached into her mouth to wiggle the tooth. "Feels not good."

“Well, by the looks of it, it’ll fall out soon.” He gently pulled her hand out of her mouth. “Just don’t touch it, it’ll come out on its own.”

A look of terror began to cloud over the little girl’s face. “But I don’t want it to fall out!” She exclaimed. "Where's it gonna go when it falls out?"

“It’ll grow back, Joey. Your baby teeth fall out and your grown-up teeth come in.” He reassured her.

It wasn’t convincing enough to Johanna. “What if I swallow it?”

“You won’t.”

“Yeah-huh, I could!”

“Okay, well.” He sighed and rubbed his eyes. “Ask Charlie tomorrow, he’s lost some of his teeth, he's an expert.”

Then, Leah hurried into the room with Molly fussing crankily in her arms. “What was all that screaming about?” She gasped.

“Jo’s got a loose tooth,” Tommy reported.

“Mummy, I don’t wanna swallow my teeth.” She cried fearfully, wrapping her fingers tightly around Tommy's shirt.

“Oh, lovey, you won’t. Just have daddy pull it out so you won't have to worry about it anymore.”

Tommy frowned it sounded like a terrible idea to him. “I’m not going to pull her tooth out, Lee.” He replied.

“If it’s loose enough, it’ll come right out.” She shrugged.

Charlie peeked into his sister’s room, also alarmed by the screams. “Let’s tie a string ‘round it and then tie it to a doorknob!” He exclaimed after listening in on the conversation about teeth.

“Charles!” Tommy scolded.

“That’s how James lost his tooth. He said his brothers tied his tooth to a doorknob and then his brothers shut the door and it came out.” The boy explained while miming the motion of a tooth being violently ripped out.

Johanna whined in horror and covered her hands over her mouth. “I don’t wanna tie it!” She cried, her voice muffled.

“We’re not doing that, Johanna, it’s okay.” Tommy gave his son a disappointed look. “Charlie was just being silly.”

“Lovey, let me see.” Leah handed Molly to Charlie and knelt down.

Johanna hesitantly moved her hands away from her face and opened her mouth. Leah lightly wiggled the tooth. “Oh, Joey, it’ll be a few days before that comes out.”

“I won’t swallow it?”

“No, you won’t swallow it.”

“Feel better about falling asleep now?” Tommy asked hopefully, ready to end the drama.

Johanna nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you, daddy.”

He smiled and picked her up so he could tuck her back into bed. “I love you too, Joey bear.”

After getting Johanna settled again, Leah took Molly back downstairs. Tommy led Charlie back to his bedroom. He tousled the boy’s hair. “You stay away from string and doorknobs.” He warned.

The boy smiled and nodded. “Alright.”

Tommy wished him goodnight, not about to tell his son that’s how he and Arthur got John to lose his first tooth.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The next Saturday morning was one that Johanna had been anticipating for a very long time. She was officially six and a half and according to Shelby rules, made up some decades ago by who knows who, that meant you could ride a horse.

Tommy distinctly remembered being hauled onto a pony at a very young age. He almost slipped off the second the feisty little pony started to trot but he was grinning the entire time. He only hoped that his children would have the same love he had for horses. Charlie certainly did, looking forward to every lesson and every chance he got to ride alongside his father.

Now it was Johanna’s turn.

She awoke at the crack of dawn, almost too excited to stay in bed for another hour or so. She bounded out of her bed, down the hall and burst into her parents’ bedroom.

“Daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy!” She launched herself onto the bed, causing Cyril to wake up with a startle.

“Joey.” Tommy groaned and blearily ran a hand over his face. Since he had been home more often, he wasn’t as used to waking up so early in the morning. He was actually getting sleep now that Leah and the children were home safe. Having Leah sleeping next to him was like a blessing, a comfort.

“Daddy, time for pony-ride.” Johanna crawled in between Leah and him.

Her mother stirred but was too deeply asleep to notice.

“It’s very early, Jo-Bear. The horses will still be asleep.” Tommy yawned and rubbed his eyes.

“But you promised!” She began drumming on his stomach with her open palms at a rapid pace.

Tommy grabbed her wrists to stop her. “I’m not breaking my promise. But we’re not going out right now. We’ll eat breakfast then go.”

The hushed conversation began to wake Leah. She rolled over and reached out for Tommy. “Who’s that talking?” She mumbled.

“It’s me, mummy!” Johanna exclaimed, thrilled to see that her mother was awake. She flung the quilt up and burrowed herself underneath between her parents.

“It appears we’ve got a stray Joey in the bed.” Tommy sat up, knowing full well that he wasn’t going to get any more sleep that morning. Once his daughter was up, she was up. He cleared his throat and opened the nightstand drawer for his cigarettes.

Leah cuddled Johanna close. “Tom, smoke outside, please.”

“Yep.” He stood up with a groan and went to don a dressing gown. “C’mon Cyril, I’ll let you out.” He patted his thigh to summon the dog.

The bullmastiff looked a little miffed that he’d been woken up so early but rose from his dog bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Breakfast occurred a little earlier than usual but Johanna was relentless. She would’ve inhaled her food if Leah had let her. Charlie came down a bit later only because Cyril had gone to wake him up. But the boy didn’t seem too cranky about it. It was nice to have three happy-go-lucky children at the breakfast table. Charlie eating peacefully, Johanna rambling on happily about her riding lesson, and Molly nursing contently.

It was a foggy morning but the sun was starting to warm up the spring day. Johanna skipped across the lawn toward the stables. She loved visiting the horses and watching her father and brother ride. But she especially liked feeding the horses carrots and peppermint candies.

There was a pony she’d taken a shine to, Peggy, a lovely bay with a white blaze and four almost perfectly even white socks. Standing at fourteen hands, the mare wasn’t large but Leah was still a little nervous.

Charlie wouldn’t admit it, but he was excited to show his sister the ins and outs of the stables. He’d been waiting ever since she was born to share the sport of riding. He helped Tommy walk her through grooming and tacking up the pony. The little girl ate up the information, listening intently and helping where she was able.

Leah was sat outside the riding ring with Molly sat on a blanket in the grass. She got a spike of nervousness when Tommy walked out with the mare in tow. Johanna followed with a spring in her step, so excited to finally ride a horse like her family.

But her mother was terrified. Leah could ride although she was still a little uneasy around the large animals. She sometimes found it hard to watch Charlie’s lessons even though the little boy was a natural. She nearly had a heart attack when Tommy let Charlie’s horse off the lunge line for the first time.

Now she had to go through the same panic all over again with Johanna and most likely Molly too.

Charlie came to sit with Leah while Tommy picked up Johanna to put her in the saddle. He stood with her for a moment, adjusting the stirrups, tightening the girth, and telling her how to sit and hold the reins.

After that, he began walking around the ring with Peggy. Johanna had a huge smile on her face. She waved at Leah when they passed by them.

“Both hands on the reins, lovey!” Leah called out nervously. “Oh that horse looks so much bigger than I remembered.” She mumbled.

“It’s alright, mum.” Charlie assured her. “Peggy doesn’t spook.”

It was almost as if saying it cursed the morning. Because almost ten minutes later, a large hawk descended near the ring. The large wingspan of the bird seemed to frighten Peggy and she pranced a few steps to the side.

This caught both Tommy and Johanna off guard and the little girl slipped right out of the saddle like a rag doll.

Leah jumped up and ran over to the fence. “Joey!”

Tommy dropped the lead knowing Peggy wouldn’t go anywhere and rushed to his daughter.

Johanna sat up and began, to both of her parents’ surprise, giggling. “Naughty pony!” She scolded playfully wagging her finger at Peggy and stood up. She clumsily brushed the dirt off her new jodhpurs.

“You okay, Jo?” Tommy knelt down and inspect her for any cuts or bruises. But it appeared she'd only gotten a little dirty from the tumble.

“Yeah, daddy, I’m okay.” She beamed. “I wanna get back up though, that wasn't long 'nough time.”

Tommy couldn’t help but smile and glance back at his panicked wife with a shrug. “She’s a wild gypsy girl, that’s for sure. Not afraid to fall off, aye?” He stood up and brought Johanna back over to Peggy.

“Oh, Tommy, I think that’s enough for today.” Leah shakily called from the fence.

“Lee, if she doesn’t get back on now, she never will. Can’t be afraid of it.” He assured her and hoisted his daughter back into the saddle.

She chewed on her lip but reluctantly retreated back to the blanket. “You Shelby children, so much like your father.” She sighed and brushed back Charlie’s hair.

He smiled and shrugged. “Did Grace like horses?” He wondered.

“I think so, you know your father had a beautiful racehorse named after her.”

“Has he named a horse after you?”

“He tried to a while back.” Leah remembered, picking up Molly and placing her in her lap. “But I convinced him to go with a different name. I’m not so much of a horse whisperer as you all are.”

Charlie nodded and leaned against her arm, watching the ring. “I like horses.” Then he added quietly, “They’re good listeners.”

Permanent Tag: @papa-geralt-of-cirilla @biba3434 @kimmietea @karmezii @enrapturedbythemoon @vampgirl1997 @tarafaithe @evelynshelby

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nottonyharrison · 4 years

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Rules are simple: List five things you want your followers to know. It can be very simple or very specific. Then you tag at least 10 people.

I was tagged by @sdktrs12 who has more faith in my knowledge of facts than I have in myself. Seeing as I have cornered the tiny weird south pacific nation part of this fandom, here’s five things to know about well... Aotearoa New Zealand

The first year of tertiary study is now free here. The student allowance kinda sucks (if you’re even eligible for it), but at least you don’t have to pay for a one year diploma. Also our student loans are interest free provided you don’t bugger off overseas with your qualification. It is still hella expensive to do a three or four year degree though, and if you want to do postgrad it’s an actual nightmare.

For the first time ever under MMP (our electoral system since 1996 where you vote for both a local candidate and a party), we voted for a one party majority. This is contrary to something I read on some American news sources stating that coalitions are rare here. That’s false, they are the norm and have been for 24 years.

The longest single word place name in the world is Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu which is a hill in Hawkes Bay. Yes, I had to copy and paste that, and yes, I can say it IF I AM READING IT.

New Zealand’s longest running scripted TV show is a hospital based soap called Shortland Street which first aired in 1992. I watched it for a short period in the mid 2000s when there was a serial killer storyline so I wasn’t left out of the water cooler chat.

The longest running unscripted TV show is a farming docuseries called Country Calendar, which has been airing sine 1966. That’s fifty four years. The show is infamous for trolling audiences once a year and making entire segments dedicated to things like farmers playing fences like instruments, and the invention of the first remote controlled heading dog.

Look, I have no idea who has done this, I’ve been a total flake. Join in if you want to (and I mean that) because I am interested in your knowledge.

#new zealand #memes

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naturecpw · 3 years

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Birders’ Tweets Are Causing an Online Flap

Sharing photos and location details of rare bird sightings is boosting the birdwatching community. But some worry that the exposure threatens the animals.

The moment when David Barrett spotted the snowy owl through the fence at one of Central Park’s baseball fields last week, he knew this was going to be an event. Barrett, an experienced birder and the force behind the wildly popular Twitter account Manhattan Bird Alert, immediately understood just how rare a sighting this was: A snowy owl hasn’t graced New York City since 1890. These owls live in the Arctic but are more nomadic in the winters, sometimes flying into Canada and the Northeast, but rarely as far south as New York City.

Barrett also knew this was exactly the kind of bird that was likely to draw a crowd. “I knew going into it this would be big,” he says. Not only was this the first sighting in any New Yorker’s lifetime, but the snowy owl is a species that is likely to get non-birders excited, too. The prospect of attracting so many people to the bird’s location weighed on him as he rushed home to tweet it out to @BirdCentralPark’s more than 40,000 followers.

But tweet he did.

“I run an information service,” Barrett says of his Twitter feed. “A bird in a public park is fair game for my tweets. A rare bird is something that people want to know about, so it’s my responsibility to get the information out. If I don’t do it, someone else will.”

Twitter and other bird-sighting sites like eBird have given a boost to the birding community in recent years. The sites have made celebrities out of a few lucky ducks (and owls and hawks), species that appeal to the less ornithologically-inclined among us. They’ve made birding accessible to newcomers and given avid bird watchers a space to share photos, tips, and exciting discoveries, helping many people to find not just a hobby, but a community. “We just see each other by user names to start, and then we bump into each other out birding and we make that connection,” says Ken Elkins, community conservation manager for Audubon CT and Audubon NY. Online, your age, experience, or background don’t matter, he says: “You can be part of the conversation.”

And Twitter accounts have helped rally bird rescuers. The Wild Bird Fund (WBF), a bird rehabilitation center in Manhattan, often tweets out calls for help, including the location of birds in need, to their more than 9,000 followers. “It is a resource because it's fast and people get it right away, and that’s a big boon versus email or anything we’d post on our website,” says Rita McMahon, WBF’s cofounder and director.

But not everyone in the birding community is thrilled about the idea of focusing the attention of the internet on a bird that’s not in need, and is likely to draw a flock of admirers. Crowds can make birds uneasy and affect their normal behavior. Birds may perceive all those humans as predators or competition for food. Sometimes it’s hard to know exactly how all those leering people with cameras, jockeying for position or slowly inching forward for a better look, are changing the bird’s behavior.

McMahon does not approve of accounts like Manhattan Bird Alert and worries about how the crowds of gawkers are affecting the animals. She isn’t supportive of the Twitter accounts that draw them. “I’d like them to stop,” she says. She points to the example of some owls that used to nest near Shakespeare Garden in Central Park. As their popularity grew, the eager public began to cut away the trees to get a better view. Because of all the attention, owls don’t go there anymore.

McMahon says that while the WBF uses Twitter for rescue calls, the organization never shares where it releases rehabilitated birds, even if they are very rare or popular species. “I don’t want that rare bird being surrounded by people!” she says. “We want it to be in peace. It does not need birders.”

Elkins says that Audubon CT has limited the number of owl sightings they’ve shared publicly, and that he often chooses not to post about some of his sightings if he thinks the bird is in a vulnerable position or if the ensuing popularity might cause a problem. “There have been some sensitive owls that I have found that I might just share with one other person,” he says. He might even avoid hanging around too long with his camera so he doesn’t attract passersby who will ask about what he’s looking at. “I don’t want people to linger around a bird that’s trying to hide for the day in its roost site,” he says.

Manhattan Bird Alert has grown considerably since Barrett first started it in 2013. In the beginning, the alerts were targeted to serious birders and would just share the species and location of the animal. Barrett also automated a system that would retweet others in the birding community who tagged the account. He chose Twitter because it was fast, easy to use, and didn’t require people to join a special group or even to have an account to see the content. He racked up a few thousand followers.

Then, in 2018, The New York Times featured Barrett in an article about young people getting interested in birding. The account’s following got a boost, growing to around 10,000 people. Later that year, the Mandarin duck arrived. The brightly colored duck, a denizen of East Asia, spent several months hanging out around a Central Park pond, attracting huge crowds and the nickname “hot duck.” Manhattan Bird Alert, which had announced the bird’s presence, suddenly became an international sensation. Barrett was interviewed by international media outlets and his Twitter followership swelled even more.

The account has continued to grow since, especially as many New Yorkers are turning to birding as one of the last pandemic-safe recreational activities left in the city. As the handle’s celebrity has grown, Barrett’s goals for the account have changed too. “I’ve realized I was fortunate to have something that suddenly appealed to so many people,” he says. “I wanted to do my best to make it the best I could make it.”

He’s gotten rid of the automation and now focuses on finding good photos and videos to share. He’s also given more space to popular species like owls, which appeal to a larger audience, than to species that might only get the most devoted birders excited. Barrett says he thinks about the account nearly every waking minute. He also runs accounts for bird sightings in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens and Long Island, although those are significantly less popular than his Manhattan account. “I’ve become the nexus of birding information,” he says.

That said, Barrett did take extra care before and after broadcasting the snowy owl’s presence. First, he noticed that the bird was hanging out in the middle of a baseball field and was protected by a fairly substantial metal fence that would help keep crowds at bay. Next, he alerted the city’s Urban Park Rangers so they could prepare for the crowd. And he tweeted out warnings for people not to crowd the owl or get too close. “I figured quite a few people unfamiliar with owls would be coming by. I wanted to make it clear to people that it would be improper to break the rules of the park to get a better view,” Barrett says.

Even though he has some reservations about sharing the locations of rare birds, Elkins acknowledges that a snowy owl in Central Park is something of a special case. “Central Park is so extremely public that somebody else is going to find it,” Elkins says. “There are enough other birders that the bird is not going to live a life of secrecy.”

Still, he warns watchers to err on the side of caution: Don’t stay too long, or spook the bird into flying. Definitely don’t feed it. Think about the specific environment the bird is in before sharing its location: Is it nesting? Is it safe in a high tree branch, or is it in a vulnerable position where it will be hard to for it to escape a crowd’s prying eyes? He recommends that newly-minted birders consult Audubon’s ethical bird photography guide and ask their more experienced counterparts before sharing a particularly exciting find.

As for Barrett, he thinks the flap over sharing bird locations online is misguided. “People who focus on the ethics of owl watching are misleading other people about what the real issues are in conservation,” he says. He points out that while thousands of birds die every year from collisions with buildings, habitat loss, and cat predation, very few—if any—have died from overexcited bird watchers. “There are real issues in conservation that should be addressed,” he says. “I think it’s important to keep things in perspective.”

https://www.wired.com/story/birders-tweets-are-causing-an-online-flap/?utm_source=pocket-newtab

#Birders #birdwatching

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seasonofthegeek · 4 years

Text

A Fortress of Your Own Design, Part 1

I made a post about how much I would like to see Max as the Guardian of the Miraculous and it made me realize I wanted to do a story with all the heroes grown and trying to juggle the hero gig and adult life so here we go. :D

___

“Perimeter breach,” Hawking squawked in his artificial voice. “Initiating security protocol alpha-three-tango--”

“It appears King Monkey is paying us a visit,” Markov interrupted, swinging over to Hawking’s charging bay. “Override security protocol.” The floating AI turned to his creator. “I’ll make a note to have his body scans put into the security system so his perimeter breaches can be ignored. Hawking’s hasn’t learned the difference between friend and foe yet. We need to reconfigure his knowledge banks.”

Max watched his friend stroll towards the building on the security feed, the large fence with its prominent NO TRESPASSING sign at his back. “He knows better than to try to sneak in. He doesn’t get any special treatment. Hawking, initiate the security protocol.”

“Max!” Markov’s digital eyes slanted in disapproval.

“It’s a lesson he needs to learn.” He rolled his chair to a bank of monitors. “Bring up the last ten calls over the police scanner please, Olivia.”

“Yes, sir,” the computer replied in a pleasant tone. “Listed in order from oldest to most recent and will update for the next hour.”

“Thank you.”

“He’s taken down the shockbot you posted by the door,” Markov announced with a hint of amusement in his tone. “Knocked it against the wall with the back of his hand and laughed. I don’t think there will be any piecing it back together.”

Max ignored him. “Olivia, more information on line five please.”

“Silent alarm tripped in the Louvre Museum, exhibit four-nine-seven-bee,” she replied evenly. “Police have been notified and are in route.”

“Security footage?” Max sat forward in his chair to watch as the grainy night vision footage played across the screen closest to him.

“Firewall is temporarily keeping me out on the inside but street and perimeter cameras show five possible perpetrators.”

“Five is a lot for a quick heist. Chat’s on patrol. I’ll see if he can swing by in case the police need help.” He held out his hand and Hawking crossed the room to drop a tablet into his palm and floated back to its station. Max opened the communication app and moved back to his computer bank to pull up the security feeds around the museum as Olivia brought down the firewalls. “Chat Noir, do you copy?”

“Loud and clear. I was just finishing up my route, and I have the sneaking suspicion you’re going to tell me that’s not the case,” Chat Noir answered back. Ambient city sounds filtered in behind his voice.

“Louvre break-in. I can see if someone else is nearby.” Max pulled up the contact list on the tablet and checked GPS coordinates. “King Monkey is currently breaking in here so I can easily send him.”

“Sounds about right. You trying to electrocute him again?” he chuckled over the line. "I don’t mind swinging by the museum.”

“He knows what to expect when he comes here.” Max felt his lips tug up in a smirk as he watched the paw print icon on one of his monitors change direction to head to the museum. “If you’re sure you can handle it on your own, I’ll hold off on calling in reinforcements.”

“Hey, been doing this longer than you have, Oracle.”

“Not my name.”

Chat Noir laughed over the comm line. “Sure, sure. I’ll let you know what I see when I get there. Ladybug is busy tonight though so don’t bother her.”

“I’m aware and I’ll be waiting to here from you.” Max muted his line and leaned in to review the security footage Olivia had sent to his screen. “Any I.D. scans come through?”

“Running partial face scans through databases now. Currently no hits.”

“Hmmm.” He sat back in his chair and the springs creaked. “Big move for first offenders.”

“Hey, are you going to let me in or do you want me to break this door down too? I know you’ve been watching me, man,” Kim bellowed from the other side of the steel door blocking passage to the room.

“You didn’t follow protocol,” Max replied, opening up the video line so he could see his friend on the other side of the door.

Kim stared up at him through the screen with a confused expression. “Huh?”

“No one is supposed to come here except for emergencies. Is there an emergency?”

Xuppu stuck his tongue out from his place on Kim’s shoulder. “This guy,” he scoffed. “Are we sure he’s really the Guardian?”

“The emergency is I bet you haven’t eaten anything except those power bar thingies you keep in there and I know for a fact you haven’t been home in a few days. I checked with Marcus. He’s the best doorman ever. He even gave me one of the donuts he was eating during his break.” Kim lifted a paper bag and grinned. “And I brought something really good for you for dinner. Let me in, Max.”

“Code names,” he reminded him with a sigh. “And I’m fine. You might need to meet up with Chat Noir at the Louvre. There’s a break-in.”

“Cool. Let me in and I can meet up with him after I make sure you eat this.”

“I’m not a child. I know the exact amount of nutrients I need to function at my best level. Actually I knew that as a child as well. I was the one telling you what to eat, if you’ll recall.”

“Come on, Ma...Pegasus. Just let me in.”

“This place is supposed to stay secret. You can’t keep drawing attention to it by visiting so much.” Max shook his head. “Make sure you aren’t seen when you leave.”

“It’s an old office building with a construction fence around it. No one is paying any attention,” Kim whined. “Come on. I miss hanging out with you. You’ve been holed up in there for ages.”

“He has a point,” Markov chimed in to the irritation of his creator. “More human interaction would be good for your overall well-being. I can bring up statistics if you would like.”

“All the calculations show that it’s safer if I stay here for longer and varied bouts of time so an observer couldn’t pinpoint my schedule since there isn’t one,” Max pointed out. “I have everything I need. I’ll let Chat know you’ll be meeting him, King Monkey.”

Kim stared into the screen for a long minute before his shoulders dropped and he sighed. “Fine. I’m going to leave the bag outside the door so if you don’t get it soon, it’s gonna start smelling up the place. Your mom says hi, by the way. She misses you too.” He turned without another word and faded into the darkness of the hall.

“He’s trouble, that one.” Kaalki stretched and rose from the pillow she’d been napping on. “But I think I rather like him.”

Max watched the empty screen and tried to ignore the familiar lonely feeling creeping up on him.

___

“The wine and cheese is lovely and all, Marinette, but do you want to tell us why you really called this emergency girls’ night?” Alya set her empty wine glass on the coffee table and looked to her best friend expectantly.

Marinette stood and smoothed her dress down in a nervous gesture. “Right, uh, well, so here’s the thing... So there was this, um, offer, I guess? Wait, maybe I need to go back further than that.”

Alix snorted. “Come on, just get it out. It’s not going to be as bad as you think.”

“Wait, you’ve been to this moment? Can you just tell what to do?” Marinette perked up hopefully.

“Nope. I like to keep the future in the future. It’s safer that way.” The other woman grinned and plucked a piece of cheese of the tray. “But you’re going to be fine so go ahead and spill the beans already.” She popped the cheese into her mouth with a self-satisfied hum.

“You know whatever it is, we’ll support you,” Mylene added with a gentle smile.

“I was offered a job with a fashion house. Like a real position, not just an internship.” Marinette bit her lip and tensed for the reaction.

“That’s amazing, girl! Why wouldn’t you want to tell us that?!” Alya got off the couch and pulled her into a hug.

“Well, um, it’s not exactly local.”

“How not local?” Rose asked.

Marinette winced, feeling Alya’s arms around her loosen. “New York.”

“Is there a New York in France now? Because I hope that’s what you mean.” Alya stepped back. “New York, really?”

“I never thought they would call me back,” Marinette explained in a rush. “I was looking for job openings and sent in my portfolio, and seriously, never in a million years did I think they would actually want me, but they called for a phone interview and then they called for another one and then the third one was today and the head designer herself offered me the job and I just...” She took in a shaky breath and met Alya’s eyes. “It’s an amazing opportunity.”

“You’ve had three phone interviews?” Alya raised an eyebrow. “And you didn’t tell anyone, not even...?”

“No...”

“But she’s telling us now!” Rose interjected.

“Right, uh, now we know,” Juleka added after a nudge from her girlfriend.

“Are you mad?” Marinette asked aloud but it was obvious who the question was meant for.

Alya shook her head. “Surprised but not mad. You deserve something like this, girl. Your work is amazing and you’re amazing and I think you already know what your decision is.” Marinette pulled her into tight hug, murmuring thanks into her hair.

“So now that that’s settled,” Alix stood and stretched. “Who wants to go grab some real food?”

“We should crash Kagami’s lawyer gala downtown,” Mylene teased. “Chloe would have a conniption.”

“We mere mortals can’t be seen among the royal elite of Paris.” Alya flipped her hair dramatically while still keeping an arm around Marinette. “I could kill for some pasta though. I’ve been craving it all week.”

“Ooo, I think Japanese sounds good. Some teriyaki chicken maybe?” Rose added.

“I was just talking about a pizza or something,” Alix shrugged.

“Call in night?” Marinette suggested, wiping a few stray tears from her eyes after finally releasing her best friend.

“Yes!”

___

“Wait, did Max send you too because I’m starting to feel a little self-conscious about his faith in my abilities.” Chat Noir looked over at Carapace as he settled down beside him and King Monkey.

“Nah, Wayzz and I just needed to get out of the house and spotted you guys on the app. What’s going on?”

“One of the exhibit alarms was triggered and five perps were seen breaking into the museum on camera but the police haven’t found anything out of the ordinary,” he reported.

“So we’re waiting in case they’re hiding inside until they think the coast is clear,” King Monkey finished. “And at least you guys want to hang out.”

“Still no luck getting Max to leave his Guardian fortress?”

“Not so much,” he sighed. “I worry about him in there.”

“He’ll be okay. I think he’s just taking his role seriously.”

“You don’t know him like I do. He gets too caught up in stuff. He has to be reminded that there’s more to life.” The bigger man shook his head. “I’m sure it’ll be fine, but it’d make me feel better if I could get him to take a break.”

“Maybe we can storm his fortress and kidnap him,” Chat Noir suggested, amusement in his tone. “I just don’t want to get electrocuted or shot or something.”

“Eh, it doesn’t hurt as much as you would think.” King Monkey grinned at him. “I think I’m starting to like it actually.”

“That’s troubling.”

___

“Looks like we’re in for the night. Spotted three heroes staked out across the street. We’ll wait ‘em out.” The leader of the museum heist made a show of stretching his arms over his head. “All right, let’s get back into the wall. No need to get caught now when we’ve already gotten what we came for.”

“It’s so cramped in there, man. Can’t we just leave one at a time?” Another thief complained.

“Sure. You get caught and see what she does to you. I’ll see ya at your funeral.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

A third thief visibly shivered. “I’m just ready to be done with this job. The client gives me bad vibes.”

“Says the criminal,” the leader scoffed. “A job’s a job and this one pays well. Now shut up and get hidden with the others in case security comes sniffing around again.”

___

Follow the story on AO3

Buy me a cherry coke?

#a fortress of your own design #i'm still trying to decide ships #i have some ideas though #things might go back and forth #i have a good feeling about this story so yay #miraculous ladybug

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the-awkward-outlaw · 4 years

Text

Second Chances - Epilogue 1

Take Me Home

Warnings: None!

Word count: ~2000

Masterlist

Read on AO3

This version of the epilogue has no kids between reader and Arthur - if you want kids, read version 2 here

You wake up to the sounds of birds singing. Stretching, you open your eyes to view the canvas above your head. It takes a moment for you to wake up enough to sit up, but when you do, you see the tent’s empty. Arthur must already be out.

Stepping out of the tent, you find him kneeling next to the fire. He greets you as you gaze around Cattail Pond before sitting down next to him. He’s just finished cooking some bacon that he packed along for the trip. When you’re seated, he pulls you into a big hug, kissing your temple affectionately.

It’s been five years since he found you near Aurora Basin in Tall Trees. Five long, mostly good years, although you both still often remember the time you spent with the gang, both the good and the bad.

After you left the gang and Hamish died, you decided to head out west where you both belonged. He wanted to go down as far south as New Austin near Tumbleweed, but you never liked it much down there. Too hot, too dry. Not enough green. When he asked you where you’d prefer going to, you automatically said Big Valley near Strawberry. To your surprise, he happily agreed.

He found a good patch in the forest near the huge meadow. Said it was the perfect spot for you both to spend the rest of your lives as there was plenty of space and lots of game to hunt, plus Strawberry wasn’t too far. There, Arthur built you a home. You said it would be easier to just buy one of those premade homes you’d been hearing about. It would take less time and energy, plus it could be built before winter, but Arthur hated the idea. He said he wanted to build you something with his bare hands. You were sure he did it because you’d both lost so much recently and he just wanted something good to come from it.

However, money was very tight when he began. The only money you had was the little from your satchel, which certainly wasn’t enough to buy the right tools for the job or horses or oxen to help. Arthur recalled the money left in Blackwater and he was sure Dutch or any of the others hadn’t gone back looking for it. So one night, you both snuck in and found, in a large tree near a headstone marked “Greta Van der Linde”, a small chest hidden inside with over $50,000. Neither of you could believe your luck, but you wasted no time in taking it.

With the new money, Arthur bought two oxen, tools and even hired a few hands to help him cut down the lumber and shape it before building it. While he and the hands worked, you worked on getting a garden going.

Soon after, the two of you got married. It was easily the happiest day of your life. It was very simple and few guests were there to witness it. Charlotte was one of them. She’d travelled all the way from Annesburg to Strawberry, but she said she wouldn’t dream of missing it. Charles was there as well. Word of the gang’s misfortunes had gotten to him up north. He believed you were both dead, but when he found no signs of your bodies, he pieced the story together and knew you’d both head west. He was the only one from the gang you and Arthur saw after John left. You wished he, Abigail, Jack and Sadie could have been there as well, but you’d heard nothing from them. They probably believed you and Arthur to be dead.

The structure of the house took months to build and then winter came, which forced Arthur to stop building onto it. It didn’t stop him from continuing to cut the smaller pieces, such as the roof tiles. He also worked on getting the fireplace built so that the two of you could huddle under your tent and be warm near the fire in what would be the living room.

It took two years until the house was finished and Arthur couldn’t have been prouder. He said it was for you, but you reminded him it was for his benefit as well. A few months later, he built a barn so Buell could have a proper stall. The old morgan you’d stolen died a few months previously, taken down by a broken leg. It was sad, but not as painful as losing Rannoch or Rain, both of whom you still miss deeply. It was easy to see Arthur still missed Artemis.

When the barn was built, you and Arthur bought two milking cows and chickens, figuring it wouldn’t hurt to make your home into a functioning ranch. Arthur had other ideas, however. He came home one day with four mares and an exceptionally handsome blood bay thoroughbred stallion named Jake, stating he wanted to breed horses. You couldn’t say no, he seemed so excited.

You still felt bad that you couldn’t give Arthur children. You knew he’d be a wonderful father, but he said he was actually happy you couldn’t. He said that after Eliza and Isaac, he didn’t want kids because he was scared he’d mess up or that what happened to them could happen to you. His heart simply couldn’t bear that pain.

Arthur hands you the bacon and then leans back a bit on his hands.

“What you thinkin’ about?” he asks.

“Nothing really. Just how pretty it is out here.” He chuckles softly and kisses your head again. You were the one who asked to go on this hunting trip, still not liking to be tied to one place for too long, as beautiful as your home is. Arthur’s much the same way. He simply spent too much time moving from one place to the next with the gang that he gets easily frustrated when he’s been cooped up too long.

“Reckon we should head back soon though. Carson will probably need help fixin’ the fence.”

You sigh. Carson is a boy from Strawberry. He was the first hand Arthur hired to help build the house and then, to your surprise, built him a small one-room cabin not far from the property. When you asked him why, he stated that when he helped Micah escape the Strawberry prison, Micah killed a man and his wife. Carson happened to be their only son and he was all alone, except for his yellow lab Lily. Arthur felt guilty for Carson’s fate, so he invited the boy to live on your land and work as a hand.

It was one of the best things Arthur’s done. Carson’s a pleasant, kind and thoughtful boy. He works well with the horses, but his affection for them is nothing compared to how he treats Lily.

You could tell Arthur really liked her as well, but she wasn’t his dog so they couldn’t have the same relationship. So, for his birthday, you bought Arthur a mountain dog puppy. He and that puppy were in love at first sight and he named him Timber. From that moment on, they were inseparable.

Timber runs over to Arthur now, his paws dirty from digging and his tail wagging. Arthur rubs his ears happily.

“Hey boah,” he says. Timber groans happily and then turns to lick you in the face. “You ready to see Lily?”

Timber barks. He and Lily are extremely close. Not only that, Timber makes for a wonderful herding dog. He’s very protective of the new foals and when the horses are let out in the big meadow to graze, he watches them like a hawk.

You and Arthur pack up your tent and douse the fire before mounting up on your horses. You pat your dapple bay breton mare who you named Ruby after Rain’s mother. She’s as big and tough as Artemis was, but looks nothing like her otherwise. Arthur hops onto Buell’s back and together, you ride home laiden with pelts.You’ll likely keep a couple and then sell the rest. Your saddlebags are bulging with fresh herbs, which you’ll hang in the barn to dry.

After nearly an hour’s travel, you see the trail leading off to Pinewood Crest, your home. Arthur had wanted to name it Hosea’s Rest but you stated you needed to keep a low profile and try your best not to have any affiliations with the gang for both your protection. Carson waves to you from the meadow, where the mares and their foals are grazing. Timber runs over to Lily, barking madly.

“Welcome back, Mr. and Mrs. Collins,” he says, running over.

You both say hello and head to the barn to dismount and unsaddle. It was Arthur’s idea to change your aliases. You suggested keeping the name Tacitus Kilgore as it was easy for you to remember, but he said it wasn’t smart. That name was likely associated with Dutch now. Instead, he said he’d go by the name William Arthur Collins, that way if you called him Arthur, people wouldn’t find it suspicious. You also changed your name to Y/F/N Alice Collins.

After putting everything away and hanging the herbs up to dry, you go out and stand at the edge of the meadow, watching the horses and cows grazing, Timber and Lily rolling in the grass. Arthur comes up from behind and folds his arms around you, pulling you against his chest.

You sigh and rest your head against him, still watching the foals. There’s a small colt who looks exactly like Rain at that age and you named him Thunder. He kicks his heels, trotting circles around his bay mother named Willow. She ignores him, continuing to graze with the three other mares. Thunder runs near Buell and kicks out near him in play, but Buell just lifts his head, rumbles and then goes back to grazing. Ruby starts rolling in the dirt, making you laugh.

“Thought you were helping Carson fix the fence?” you ask.

“Ah, he’s got it for a minute. Besides, you looked so happy over here, had to come be with ya.”

He kisses your temple again. You turn and meet his lips with yours. He smiles against your lips and then looks out to the meadow once more. After everything you’ve done over your life, after all the suffering and hardship, you’d do it all over again if you knew it’d lead you here. You are happy.

The End

**Thank you all so much for going on this journey with me. It breaks my heart to end this fic, but it has been such an amazing ride. I would never have gotten far without all the encouragement I’ve received. I cannot express my gratitude in words, but I’m still amazed at how this led me to meet so many amazing people and the friendships I’ve made because of this fic that was inspired by the incredible game Red Dead Redemption 2. Thank you all so much!**

#rdr2 #rdr2 fanfic #red dead redemption 2 #red dead fanfic #arthur morgan #arthur morgan x oc #arthur morgan x reader #arthur morgan x female reader #arthur x female reader #arthur morgan x female #Van Der Linde Gang #R* Games #rockstar games #I'm awkward #second chances

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