#Rescuing Rusty

[sysig]

Did you expect Rescuing Rusty in 2023??? (RR is @zeejax‘s ♥) (Patreon)

Trick question! Even I wasn’t expecting Rescuing Rusty, but since it was up next on my fics to vet for construction, I had to give it a reread!

Didn’t it turn out lovely 💕 There’s not a lot of sky-related imagery in RR, but I couldn’t not go with this colour - it’s an even richer rust colour IRL :D

The spine ended up being big enough that I was able to sneak in two bookmarks! One for Zoom (the black) and one for Rusty (the red)

Even though they sit separately, Rusty’s still crosses over Zoom’s hehe ♥

[jadeseadragon]

Rusty Spotted Cat Kittens

Wildlife SOS on Smugmug

[sythetik]

Yknow that moment when you open MSPaint expecting to make something of questionable quality and then you make a masterpiece or four?

Just me?

[mean-scarlet-deceiver]

Concept: The episode Rusty to the Rescue where everything is the same except Rusty is on the old Skarloey haulage wagon.

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

and omg Skarloey coaching them on the finer points as Rusty takes a practice spin in the yard?? and Duncan seeming to pah-pah the whole mission but really he's just concerned for Rusty's safety

[weepingfoxfury]

After dinner cage chilling ... part of an old bird cage found on a friend's farm ... an old cushion retrieved from a ditch ... combine the two and Captain Blackbeard has the best sunny seat in the house ...

[kristsune]

And of course, I couldn't do audio for Into the Wilds without doing a post specifically for the beloved Zoya. I just love her SO much, I had to dedicate nearly 15 and a half minutes to her. Please enjoy, I know I will.

[ryan1014n2]

After the closure of the Mid Sodor Railway and being sold to the Peel Godred Aluminum Works, Falcon and Stuart were the closest thing each other had to any sort of home.

Stuart tried to stay cheerful enough for the both of them, but it was much easier said than done.

[raisetheroos]

NAH CUZ THE WAY MY OCEANS TRILOGY AND BONDI RESCUE POSTS STILL GET REGULAR NOTES 😭

[seagullcharmer]

still feeling unwell abt leonard vanderboom btw. if you even care

[leatherbootlace]

Adams had a laugh when he heard the news.

“Really?” he chuckled. “A High Peak engine having trouble climbing hills? Dear Cromford, whatever has gotten into you?”

Cromford snorted. “So, it might’ve been too heavy for me. Big Deal! I got them all to the Works Station, anyway. I’d like to see you do better, Big Guy! You’d slip before you made it halfway up the hill.”

Adams was about to retort when an idea curled around his funnel. “Is that a challenge, Dear Cromford?”

Cromford grimaced as she recognized his grin. She hated it whenever Adams had an idea.

[waterfall-ambience]

i actually counted the 'evil x eras' i went through for fun and lo and behold there are at least seven of them off the top of my head ohhhh i hate it here lmao

[hollers-and-holmes]

Another run of silence. Elrohir shuts the water off and rises and returns with new accoutrements. He dries her dripping foot. He warns her of the sting and anesthetizes the little puncture-wound until the skin is blanched around the margin. He swabs it deeply with iodine, and again with silver hydrosol, and finally dresses it with a sulfa salve and enough compress on the bottom to cushion when she walks.

[mojoworlddotcom]

Despite how little I post about it (never), I am always thinking about hypothetical x-force cartoon.

[mysticdragon3art]

SEAL-RESCUER CLAUDE & SELKIE-DIMITRI part 1

Claude pinned the seal's head firmly to the sand. But the large animal threw his hands off. Luckily, it was disoriented by the net constricting its body and blinding its face. The seal was unable to buck Claude off, as he sat on the seal's trunk. Hilda rushed in to help Claude pin down the seal's head again. "He's feisty!" Claude laughed. "Claude, he's ANGRY!" Hilda's strength made Claude's hands on the animal moot, but she kept arching her face away, afraid of being bit. Even though they hadn't unzipped the net yet. Claude got to work, partially unzipping the net, finding the plastic garbage looped around and cutting into the seal's neck, and carefully snipping the garbage off. At the time, Claude hadn't thought anything of it. It was just another seal rescue to him. He and Hilda released the one-eyed bull from their net, and it scurried off into the ocean. Maybe Claude didn't notice or maybe he couldn't see past the misty surf, but the seal turned at a safe distance in the water, watching him. Claude waved happily, regardless, picked up the pole of his big net, and went scanning the seal colony again for more seal necks, almost choked by garbage.

It wasn't more than a day later, when Claude started to notice.

"Hey, Hilda?" he glanced over to where Hilda had plopped backwards onto the beach sand beside him, groaning about having already done too much work that morning, running after seals. Both of their nets fell to their sides during a much needed breather. "Is that big, one-eyed bulll behind me, still staring at us?" "Oh, you're right, Claude! How long as he been looking at us?" "Since before our break. Maybe all morning." "Do you think he's afriad we'll threaten his harem?" "He doesn't look aggressive at all." Indeed, the large seal was stretching his neck, high above the rest of the seals, staring directly at them, the entire time. "Maybe he's evaluating our work?" Claude waved his arm in the air. "How are we doing?!?" He called. "Claude! You're the one who said not to scare the colony!" "I didn't yell that loud. See? Most of them are still lounging around." Except the large, one-eyed seal, who started waddling towards them. "What the…?" Both Claude and Hilda held perfectly still. "That…Is a big seal…And it's getting pretty close…" She never took her eyes off the one-eyed seal, while carefully getting back onto her feet and grabbing the pole of her net. Claude also warily kept both eyes on the seal approaching them. "Still…Doesn't really seem aggressive…" Regardless, he also slowly got onto his feet, prepared to run with his net. The large, one-eyed seal was only a few feet away now. "Yeep!" Hilda took several steps back. The seal's head lunged at Claude, then stopped. "I think he's just sniffing me?" Claude made sure to keep his hands out of biting range. "I'm ready with my net if he tries to bite." He waved down Hilda. "Wait. Just wait." Large whiskers wiggled on the muzzle huffing near Claude. The seal's neck relaxed back, and he made a soft crooning sound, and waddled away. "What was that?" Hilda watched in disbelief. "Not sure… Maybe we made a friend?"

~

Claude really didn't need to be on the beach. It was his day off from seal rescues. No need to see stray fishing lines horribly cutting into seal necks, or running himself ragged, chasing down such seals. But maybe that's why he needed to be there, to simply enjoy the beach instead. Derdriu had wonderful beaches after all. It was no wonder the seals rested here. "Oh, it's you again." Claude said aloud, but tried not to disturb the seal colony. The large, one-eyed seal was outstretching his neck above the other seals again, staring at him. Claude played at walking in one direction, then quickly pivoted in the other. The one-eyed seal accordingly, turned his head, following in each direction. "So you really are watching me." Claude laughed. The seal crooned in response. "Ha!" The one-eyed seal ducked his head down, behind the other seals, and Claude almost lost sight of him. But the large seal started writhing in a way Claude had never seen before. Then a tall, blond man, with one eye, stepped out of the seal colony and came towards him. Claude couldn't do anything but watch, agape. "Hello." The one-eyed man smiled. "I must thank you for the other day." "Uh…" "See?" The man arched his neck up, showing a well-scabbed red line around his neck. "It is already healing, thanks you to. So please accept my gratitude." "Uh…" "Am I not speaking human tongue correctly? It has been many summers since I last spoke it." "No, no, I---I understand you. I mean, I THINK I understand you…" Clauded glanced up and down and seal-turned-man. "Are my words incorrect?" "Your words are fine!" Claude exhaled a deep breath he didn't know he was holding. "It's YOU, I don't get!" "Have selkie stories faded from Derdriu? If that is the case, then, you see---" "PLEASE!" Claude turned his hands up in front of him and his eyes away. "Please put something on!" The blond selkie blinked his one eye, and glanced at his naked human body.

~ "This is delicious!" The blond, one-eyed selkie eagerly took another bite of the cheese-slathered seafood in front of him. Claude, wearing only the shirt and swim trunks he had under his jacket and pants, was far less interested in his own meal. The selkie almost dripped some oil onto his borrowed jacket and pants. (Though he couldn't zip the jacket closed.) "Ah!" He caught the drip running down his hand, just in time. "Apologies! I've already been so careless with your generously loaned clothing. I will take more care." "It's fine. Don't worry about it." Claude handed him a napkin. The selkie stared quizzically at it for a moment, before Claude took his hand and wiped the cheese oil off. The selkie thanked him, smiled, and returned to happily eating his provided meal. "I had seen this structure from afar before, and long wondered what types of foods smelled so delicious. But when I approached, humans attempted to drive me away." "Well, you are a very large seal. And they probably didn't want you snatching people's meals." "Yes," the selkie looked downcast for a moment. "I feared I had fightened them. So I made efforts to keep my distance. Therefore, I must doubly thank you for this meal." His bright blue eye smiled. Claude couldn't help but smile back. "So…Selkie, huh?" "Yes, indeed. Are you not familiar with any of the legends?" "Just that you take off a seal skin, walk around as a human, and can't go back to seal without your skin." Claude tilted his head a bit, still resting his chin on his palm, observing his lunch partner. "I thought you guys couldn't be seen transforming?" "Ah, that is not quite so." "So is this your first time around humans, as a human?" He blushed. "My apologies for being so oblivous." Maybe it was kind of cute. "But you speak human pretty well." "My father taught me. He used to walk among the humans to learn what he could. But I had been advised I keep my distance from humanity, nonetheless." "So he didn't like what he saw?" The selkie was silent for a moment. Almost forlorn in his blue eye. "I do not think he thought badly of humanity. But he died when I was young, and my uncle and others warned me against imitating his risks." "Ah, sorry." Claude paused a moment. Seal fathers didn't really look after their young, but it must be different for selkies. "Risks, huh? What made you think changing in front of me and walking right up, was safe?" Claude smiled, already warmed by his display of trust. "One cut loop was all it took?" "I would have died had you not saved me. I could not transform out of my skin to remove the line myself. I'm sure even my uncle would understand. I must repay you." "Repay me?" Claude's eyes lit up, but with amusement. "I do what I do, because I wanted to. I just wanted you guys to be okay. But since you're offering…" The selkie gave the human his full attention, with the weight of a beholden vow. "Tell me everything about being a selkie, a seal, the ocean---Everything!" "I will gladly. Especially given you are one who protects us." "But first thing I wanna know: Your name." "It is Dimitri." He laughed, seeing Claude's curiosty had only just whet its appetite.

[therustybucketco]

Even an online antique store need a shop cat. Meet Trinket our little chaos gremlin, inventory inspector, and one of the reasons we don’t deal in fine glassware

[charliemwrites]

Part 2 of charmed serial killer Simon. (Part 1 is here.)

This part is heavily inspired by this particular Badjhur audio “Surviving the Slasher” from, like, a long time ago. Where he’s a killer. Easier to find than expected, thank you masterlist. It permanently has a room in my pea brain, no rent, utilities included.

You’re out with your little friends again. Simon scoffs to even call them that. You give them so much more than they even try to give you - support, encouragement, time, energy.

One of them has a shitty deadbeat boyfriend that’s throwing a flat party, so they’ve dragged you along per usual. You’re still swearing off alcohol after the last time you went out - when you got a ride home with him. So you’re totally sober when the rest of the idiots suggest “investigating” the abandoned hospital on the other end of the block.

You go with them as the only fully-sober one, but spend the whole, stumbling trip trying to convince them to go somewhere, anywhere, else.

Apparently the boyfriend fancies himself something of an urban explorer because he knows just how to get in, bragging that he’s going to start some stupid internet show looking for ghosts there. You end up getting knocked into a half dozen times just trying to keep your woozy friends from getting tetanus.

It doesn’t take long at all for someone to suggest hide and seek. You try adamantly to put your cute little foot down - reminding them that it’s dirty and structurally unstable and there could be people just trying to camp out in peace in here. You’re adamantly ignored and your friends scatter.

And Simon starts to hunt.

Oh, he wishes he could have seen your face when the screams first started. If you recognized the shriek of Addy, the one who yanked you away from a proper apology when you first bumped into him at the bar. Wonders if you felt anything when Simon stabbed her boyfriend in the stomach and sent him stumbling away to incite more terror.

Of course you did. His pretty little chatterbox, coming to the rescue as soon as you heard their cries.

You get yourself lost trying to find someone, anyone. He picks off your group one. By. One. He finds you trying to triage a nasty slice to Heather’s thigh. She was talking shit about you just two days ago to Addy.

And oh, how brave you are, trying to stick with her to the very end. All it takes is one well-placed throw and you’re scrambling back as Heather burbles blood.

He takes a single, loud step towards you - and you bolt. Such a smart thing, you don’t even glance back to see if he’s following. He’s not; there’s still trash to take care of.

You find one more friend - one he doesn’t mind so much, mostly because you just met tonight. She’s crying, making a fuss and you’re trying to soothe her while still focused on escape, letting her cling to your arm.

Simon starts herding you both towards an easy exit. A few well placed foot falls here, a jaunty whistle there. He loves watching your big eyes dart toward the noises, how you get low like a bunny hiding in brush. Always put yourself between your new friend and wherever you think he could come from.

Your friends’ blood is beginning to dry when he decides it’s time to wrap things up.

He appears in a doorway, and you shove at your fellow survivor, make her squeeze through the rusty door first. You’re just starting to follow when he snags you around the middle. You yelp, feet kicking at air, tugging at his soaked hoodie sleeve.

He shoves your back against a wall and presses close, the flat of his knife against your pretty cheek.

“What did we learn tonight, hm?” he mocks.

You’re flinching away, but know better than to struggle or scream. So clever.

“W-why are you doing this?” you ask.

How sweet, that you can’t understand the motivations of monsters like him. He indulges you.

“To teach you a lesson,” he answers. “Get better friends.”

You look furious, even as tears well in your eyes. He coos over them, tugs the bottom of his mask up enough to lick them as they fall down your cheek.

“S-Stop, that’s - that’s so gross,” you hiccup, pancaking yourself to the wall.

He snorts in amusement and tugs his mask down again.

“Now, I know you’re a good girl with good manners, so let’s see them.”

You blink at him, eyes soooo big. Don’t understand what he means.

He tuts. “Say: thank you, ghost, for teaching me a valuable lesson.”

You press your lips together in a tight, pouty line. He wants to bite them. Instead, taps the point of the knife against your jaw. A silent threat that’s he’s still debating if he means.

But you manage to get the sentence out, stuttering, voice breaking halfway through. Mm, he’s missed hearing your gratitude. It’s almost sweeter this way than all the times you said it in his car.

“You’re very welcome, sunshine. Now, off you go, before I decide to teach you something else.”

You don’t hesitate when he steps back. Peel yourself off the wall and wriggle out to freedom.

Simon chuckles. What a fun little playdate, he’s so glad he let you go that first time. He’ll have to arrange another one soon.