#Well That Took a Tern

[latanyalove]

My Daddy

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

Sorry if there is not enough sexual tension in here that you guys must have wanted. I'm personally not used to the tern 'daddy' in that way but I tried my best!

-ˏˋ♥̩͙♥̩̩̥͙♥̩̥̩ ⑅ I hope you guys enjoy it! :) ⑅ ♥̩̥̩♥̩̩̥͙♥̩͙ˊˎ

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

"Straw Hat" Luffy

- was eavesdropping because he smelt food inside the room

˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚＊˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚＊˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚＊˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚＊˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚＊˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚＊˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚＊˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚＊˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚＊

"Okay Y/N, let's play another game. Uno is getting too boring," Nami muttered.

You nodded in agreement, your eyes scanning the room for a more exciting game to play. "How about we try a round of Charades?" you suggested, a mischievous smile playing on your lips.

"Nah, I've got a better idea," Nami smirked.

"What is it?"

Nami grinned and explained, "It's a game where I'll say a word, and you have to say the first word that comes to mind. We'll go back and forth, and the goal is to see how quickly we can come up with a word."

"Sounds like a fun game! I'm up for the challenge," you replied with a competitive glint in your eyes.

"Okay, what do you associate with me?" Nami asked.

"The navigator," you said confidently.

"Wow, not drawing a map of the entire world?" Nami pouted, taking a sip of her drink.

"Well more people know you for the weather," you said, not affected by her whining.

"Okay, now what do you associate with me?" you asked, snacking one of the Sanji's desserts.

"Probably Luffy,"

"Luffy? Why Luffy?" you repeated.

Nami questioned, a playful smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "Well, you two are always together, embarking on wild adventures and stirring up trouble."

"That's because I'm the one who keeps him in line and makes sure he doesn't get too carried away," you responded, causing Nami to laugh and playfully swat at your arm.

"What about you? What do you think of Luffy?"

"Daddy," you blurted out, causing Nami to burst into laughter.

"Oh, Daddy, huh?" Nami teased, raising an eyebrow mischievously.

"I never took you for the paternal type, Y/N. Are you sure there's nothing you want to tell me?" she added, laughing uncontrollably as your face turned beet red.

"It's not what you think," you muttered shyly, your cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"Of course not," Nami teased, "Don't worry, I'll keep this a secret," she added, still giggling at your embarrassment.

Little did Nami and you know, Luffy had been eavesdropping on their conversation the entire time, his curiosity piqued by their game.

As Luffy listened in on their conversation, a confused frown spread across his face. "Y/N thinks of me as a daddy? What does that mean? I'll have to ask her about it later," Luffy muttered to himself.

The tantalizing aroma of dinner filled the air, diverting Luffy's attention from his bewildering thoughts about your comment. His stomach growled, and with a wide grin, he quickly made his way towards the source of the delicious smell. . . .

˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚＊˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚＊˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚＊˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚＊˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚＊˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚＊˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚＊˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚＊˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚＊

You had been fixing Luffy's hat after he fought a big boss and had gotten hold of his hat, carefully straightening out the dents and smoothing the fabric.

You had to carefully sew the straw hat back to gather, making sure to mend any tears or loose threads. As you worked, you couldn't help but marvel at the countless adventures Luffy had embarked on while wearing this iconic hat.

A part of you felt honored that you were responsible for fixing his hat, knowing that it symbolized not only Luffy's resilience and determination, but also the trust he had in you to take care of something so precious to him.

"Y/N! Y/N!" A voice yelled from behind you, making you jump. You turned to see Luffy himself, a wide grin on his face.

Luffy's wide grin was accompanied by beads of sweat dripping down his forehead, evidence of the intense play session he had with Usopp and Franky in the scorching heat. Despite the sweat, his vibrant energy seemed unfazed as he eagerly approached you.

"Luffy, you're supposed to be healing," you scolded, sighing as he sat beside you. "I can't believe you're already up and about after that intense battle. You really are something else."

"It's nothing," Luffy shrugged, his eyes fixated on the carefully repaired hat in your hands.

You sighed again before placing his hat on his head, feeling a sense of satisfaction as you saw it fit perfectly. "There you go, Luffy," you said with a smile. "Good as new. Just remember to take it easy and let yourself heal properly." Luffy nodded, his grin widening even more, as he proudly wore his beloved straw hat once again.

Though Luffy didn't stand or move as you placed all of the materials that you used away, his eyes never leaving you.

"So why did you call me daddy?" Luffy said suddenly.

You choked on your own breath, coughing in surprise as Luffy's unexpected question caught you off guard. Your mind raced, trying to make sense of what he had just said. "Wait, what?" you spluttered, eyes wide with confusion.

"I overheard you and Nami talking," Luffy started, munching on the food that was left on the table.

You turned to face Luffy, and despite his unexpected question, his eyes sparkled with pure energy.

"Do you even know what it means Luffy?"

"Nope,"

You turned away from him to collect your thoughts, trying to figure out how to explain the meaning of the word "daddy" to Luffy without making things awkward.

"But Nami told me," Luffy said, his mouth full of food.

"Really?"

"Yeah, but I still don't get it," Luffy munched. "It's used to address a male authority figure or idol in a sexualized manner."

Your cheek felt red as you struggled to find the right words to respond.

Nami! How could you tell him! You traitor!

"Does that mean I get to call you Mummy?"

As you processed Luffy's question, your mind started to malfunction, unable to comprehend the absurdity of the situation.

"Luffy," you stammered, trying to regain your composure, "saying those things is reserved for someone you deeply care about, someone you love romantically. It's not something you just casually say to anyone."

"That's exactly why we should do that!" Luffy argued. "I like you."

You froze, unsure of how to respond to Luffy's declaration. A part of you wanted to brush it off as a joke or a misunderstanding, but the sincerity in his eyes made you realize that he was serious.

"I need to go," I said, getting up and leaving, when Luffy grabbed your arm. His grip was unsurprisingly strong, and as I turned to face him, I saw the determination in his eyes.

"Don't you like me too?" he asked softly, his voice filled with vulnerability. You looked into Luffy's eyes, conflicted and unsure of how to respond.

A thousand thoughts raced through your mind, but you couldn't deny the growing affection you felt for him.

You then quickly went down on your knees and placed a small kiss on his lips, feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement. As you pulled away, Luffy's eyes widened in surprise, and a wide grin formed on his face.

"Let's take it slow okay," you said, flustered as you started to leave again.

"Okay!" Luffy agreed, following you with a beaming smile on his face, his hand reaching out to hold yours.

For the next week, Luffy continued to follow you around the ship, his excitement and affection evident in every action. However, his clinginess eventually caught the attention of Nami, who scolded him for being too clingy and reminded him to give you some space. . . . .

 "Pirate Hunter" Zoro

- was eavesdropping because one of his swords was in the room (probably got lost)

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:

"Okay Y/N, let's play another game. Charades is getting too boring," Nami muttered, picking up an alcohol drink from the small nearby fridge.

You nodded in agreement, your eyes scanned the room for a more exciting game to play. "How about we try a round of Pictionary?" you suggested, a mischievous smile playing on your lips.

"Nah, I've got a better idea," Nami smirked.

"Really? What is it?"

Nami grinned and explained, "It's a game where I'll say a word, and you have to say the first word that comes to mind."

"Sounds like a fun game! I'm up for the challenge," you replied with a competitive glint in your eyes.

"Okay, what would you associate with me?" Nami asked.

"Being the navigator," you said confidently.

"Wow, not drawing a map of the entire world?" Nami pouted, taking a sip of her drink.

"Well more people know you for your weather skills," you said, not affected by her whining.

"Okay, now what do you associate with me?" you asked, snacking one of the Sanji's desserts.

"Probably Zoro,"

"Zoro? Why Zoro?" you repeated louder, shocked.

Nami questioned, a playful smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "Well, I see how you look at him when he's fighting."

"That's because I'm just trying to study his moves to use them myself," you responded, causing Nami to laugh and playfully swat at your arm.

"What about you? What do you think of Zoro?" Nami asked after finishing her drink.

"Daddy," you blurted out, causing Nami to burst into laughter again.

"Oh, Daddy, huh?" Nami teased, raising an eyebrow mischievously.

"I never took you for the paternal type, Y/N. Are you sure there's nothing you want to tell me?" she added, laughing uncontrollably as your face turned beet red.

"It's not what you think," you muttered, your cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"Of course not," Nami teased, "Don't worry, I'll keep this a secret between the both of us," she added, still giggling at your embarrassment.

It was unknown to them that Zoro had been listening to their conversation from behind the door while they were talking.

His face turned slightly red at your unexpected response, and he quickly turned away, pretending not to have heard anything.

"Daddy, huh?" Zoro muttered to himself, flustered and completely forgetting about the sword he was going to retrieve.

He couldn't help but wonder what you meant by calling him "Daddy." The unexpected revelation left him feeling both intrigued and slightly embarrassed. . . .

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:

After landing on another weird island, the crew was separated into two team; Nami, you, Zoro, Usopp and Robin, Franky, Luffy and Sanji while the rest stayed at the ship.

Unfortunately for you, you were stuck with the two biggest scaredy cats and a man with no sense of direction. What good luck did you really have?

First Zoro had got lost as soon as the group stepped into the forest and then a 13 foot tiger came over and scared the scaredy cat duo away, leaving you with a tamed tiger and an untamed forest.

"Where are these guys?" You asked yourself as the tiger let you on its back and they started to walk deeper into the mysterious forest.

The dense foliage began to give way to a clearing, revealing a hidden paradise unlike anything you had ever seen before.

"Where is who?" A voice said behind you, making you jump and turn around with your sword in your hands.

To your surprise, it was none other than Zoro himself, who had finally found his way back to you. "Zoro! How did you...?" you stammered, unable to hide your astonishment.

"Oh, were you looking for me?" Zoro smirked, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "I guess even a sense of direction as terrible as mine can still lead me to the right place. Lucky you, huh?"

You blushed at his comment, feeling a mix of annoyance and admiration for Zoro's confident demeanor. Placing your sword back into the sword holder, you replied, "Luck has nothing to do with it. I was perfectly capable of handling myself without you, you know."

"Of course you wouldn't admit it," Zoro said casually, walking closer to you on the tiger's back.

"Admit what?"

"Admit that you missed me," Zoro teased with a mischievous grin, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

"Why would I miss you?" you retorted, rolling your eyes. "I was doing just fine without your sense of direction and constant bickering. In fact, it was quite peaceful."

Zoro chuckled, his grin widening. "Oh, I see. So you don't miss my amazing company, huh? Then why did I hear that my nickname is daddy?"

"You spun around and looked at him in shock, unable to believe what you just heard. "Who told you that?" you asked, your voice filled with disbelief.

Zoro bursts into laughter, thoroughly enjoying your reaction. "Ah, so you do miss me after all," he said, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

How does he know? Did Nami tell him or was he at the door when I said it out loud?

"N-No," you said, your cheeks turning red with embarrassment. "That was just a silly joke someone made. It doesn't mean anything."

Zoro's laughter subsided, and he looked at you with a playful glint in his eyes. "Sure, sure," he said, his tone teasing. "Whatever you say, Y/N."

"So as your daddy, shouldn't you be more nice to me," his voice said behind you, catching you off guard.

A hand crept up to your waist, causing a shiver to run down your spine. You turned to find Zoro standing close, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips. "Or maybe I should teach you a lesson," he whispered, his voice low and seductive.

You raised an eyebrow, trying to maintain your composure despite the sudden proximity. "Oh, is that a threat, Zoro? I'd love to see you try," you replied, a smirk of your own forming on your lips.

Zoro's mischievous grin grew wider as he leaned in closer, his breath brushing against your ear. "Oh, it's not a threat, Y/N," he murmured huskily. "It's a promise."

Quickly, you turned round to face him, unable to resist the magnetic pull between you. The air crackled with tension as his mischievous grin transformed into a smoldering gaze, and you couldn't deny the thrill that coursed through your body.

"How do you intend on fulfilling this promise?" you challenged, a mix of curiosity and anticipation in your voice. Zoro's eyes sparkled with mischief as he leaned in even closer, his lips dangerously close to yours.

"Oh, I have a few ideas," he whispered, his voice sending shivers down your spine.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to see if your actions can live up to your words," you responded, a playful glint in your eyes.

Zoro's lips gently brushed against yours, sending an electric jolt through your body.

The kiss started soft and tender, filled with a mix of longing and desire. As the intensity grew, his grip on your waist tightened, pulling you closer as your lips moved in perfect synchronization.

Time seemed to stand still as the world faded away, and all that mattered was the intoxicating sensation of his lips against yours. Every touch, every movement, was a dance of passion and connection, igniting a fire that burned between you.

It was a kiss that spoke volumes, a promise of the desire and pleasure that awaited as you surrendered to the magnetic pull between you. . . .

"Black Leg" Sanji

- was eavesdropping because he was looking for the girls to try his new drink

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶ ༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶ ༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

"Okay Y/N, let's play another game. Pictionary is getting too boring," Nami muttered, picking up an alcohol drink from the small nearby fridge.

You nodded in agreement, your eyes scanning the room for a more exciting game to play. "How about we try a round of Uno?" you suggested, a mischievous smile playing on your lips.

"Nah, I've got a better idea," Nami smirked.

"Really? What is it?"

Nami grinned and explained, "It's a game where I'll say a word, and you have to say the first word that comes to mind."

"Sounds like a fun game! I'm up for the challenge," you replied with a competitive glint in your eyes.

"Okay, what would you associate with me?" Nami asked.

"Being the navigator," you said confidently.

"Wow, not drawing a map of the entire world?" Nami pouted, taking a sip of her drink.

"Well more people know you for your weather skills," you said, not affected by her whining.

"Okay, now what do you associate with me?" you asked, snacking one on the Sanji's desserts.

"Probably Sanji,"

"Sanji? Why Sanji?" you repeated, surprised.

Nami questioned, a playful smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "Well, I see you are with him."

"What do you mean?"

"Like how you're nice to him all the time," Nami gave an example.

"I'm being nice to him because he's nice to me," you responded, causing Nami to laugh and playfully swat at your arm.

"What about you? What do you think of Sanji?" Nami asked after finishing her drink.

"Daddy," you blurted out, causing Nami to burst into laughter again.

"Oh, Daddy, huh?" Nami teased, raising an eyebrow mischievously.

"I never took you for the paternal type, Y/N. Are you sure there's nothing you want to tell me?" she added, laughing uncontrollably as your face turned beet red.

"It's not what you think," you muttered shyly, your cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"Of course not," Nami teased, "Don't worry, I'll keep this a secret between the both of us," she added, still giggling at your embarrassment.

Suddenly, you two heard a thud behind the door, causing both Nami's laughter and your embarrassment to fade instantly. They exchanged worried glances before cautiously approaching the door to investigate the source of the noise.

As blood started to leak into the room, they exchanged a horrified look before cautiously opening the door to find someone lying unconscious on the floor.

As they got a closer look, they realized it was Sanji lying unconscious on the floor. Panic washed over them as they quickly checked for any signs of injury, hoping he was alright.

Instead, they found that all of the bleeding came from his nose, and there were no other visible signs of injury.

"Sanji?" you whispered, shaking his shoulder gently. As he stirred awake, you asked, your voice filled with concern, "What happened? Are you okay?"

"Y/N?" Sanji muttered, his eyes still closed, "She thinks of me as a daddy?"

Nami sighed behind you, "he's such a pervert," before walking back into the room. . . .

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶ ༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶ ༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

Sanji had passed out again after waking up the first time. Worried, you quickly called Chopper, knowing that Sanji needed medical attention and that he would be the best person to help get him back to his bed.

Chopper decided it was best to supervise Sanji in his doctor's office and turned into Heavy Point form to carry Sanji away, saying goodbye to you.

Feeling bad since you kind of caused Sanji to collapse, you decided to clean the dirty dishes he was supposed to do.

It's been five months since you joined the straw hat crew. Even though those months went by quickly, one particular blonde kept capturing your attention. Sanji's charm and chivalry had a way of drawing you in, and you found yourself growing more and more fond of him with each passing day.

You felt your face heat up as you remembered that Sanji had heard your conversation with Nami. The thought of him knowing your true feelings for him made your heart race and your cheeks flush even more.

"Why did I say that?" you muttered to yourself, regretting the slip of your true feelings. The embarrassment overwhelmed you, but deep down, a small part of you hoped that Sanji's passing out was due to something else entirely, and not your confession.

As you scrubbed the dirty dishes, you couldn't help but wish that Sanji would sleep until tomorrow, sparing you from the awkwardness and embarrassment.

However, with your captain's insatiable hunger and the pile of 50 plates waiting to be washed, it seemed like you would have to face Sanji sooner than you had hoped.

Lost in your thoughts, you didn't realize that someone had quietly entered the kitchen until you felt a warm breath on your neck.

Startled, you turned around to find Sanji standing behind you, a concerned expression on his face. His arms were placed on top of yours, taking the plate that was about to fall out of your hands.

"Let me help you," he said softly, his voice filled with warmth and reassurance.

"Sanji! Aren't you supposed to be with Chopper?" you asked, turning around to face him, surprised by his presence in the kitchen.

Sanji smiled gently, his concerned expression turning into a playful one. "And leave you to do my duties? There is no way I would let you do it alone."

"But I caused this," you muttered, your hand gesturing to the bandage wrapped around Sanji's head. "I'm sorry for making you collapse earlier." Sanji's playful expression softened, and he gently grabbed your hand with his.

"Don't blame yourself," he reassured you. "It wasn't your fault. I should have taken better care of myself."

"Really?" you asked, your voice filled with disbelief. Sanji chuckled softly, his eyes sparkling with warmth. "Really," he replied, giving your hand a reassuring squeeze.

As he spoke, he placed your hand on his cheek, his face turning slightly towards it. "In fact," he said, his voice filled with sincerity, "hearing your confession made me realize how much I care about you too."

Your heart skipped a beat as you processed Sanji's words, and a smile slowly spread across your face. "I'm glad," you whispered, your voice filled with genuine happiness.

"I care about you too, Sanji."

Slowly, your other hand rose up to link around Sanji's neck, pulling him closer to you.

"Can I kiss you?" Sanji muttered, his voice barely audible. You felt your cheeks flush as his words hung in the air, and without hesitation, you leaned in, closing the gap between you and sealing the moment with a gentle kiss.

Sanji moved back first, letting you catch your breath and giving you a moment to process the intensity of the kiss. As you both pulled away, a soft smile lingered on your lips, and you could see the same happiness reflected in Sanji's eyes.

"So you think of me as a daddy, huh?" he teased, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Blushing, you took your hands away from his shoulder and used them to cover your face, feeling a mix of embarrassment and delight. "N-no! I mean, it's not like that!" you stammered, trying to hide your flushed cheeks.

Sanji chuckled, his playful teasing evident in his voice. "Relax, I was just kidding," he said, his eyes filled with affection as he gently pulled your hands away from your face.

"I mean the other kind of 'daddy'," you muttered, unable to look into his eyes.

"Are you sure you want that with me?" he questioned, raising your chin up to have eye contact with him.

You nodded, feeling a rush of courage and vulnerability intertwine. Wrapping your hands around his neck again, you gazed into his eyes and whispered, "Yes, Sanji. I want that with you."

Sanji quickly sneaked his hands low enough to lift you onto the kitchen counter, his touch sending shivers down your spine.

His lips found yours again, this time with a hunger that matched your own, as you both surrendered to the passion that had been building between you.

You felt your hands slide around his neck as you pulled him closer, the two of you lost in a heated embrace. His lips trailed down your neck, sending waves of pleasure through your body as your heart raced. You both pulled away, both breathing heavily as you looked into each other's eyes.

"I love you, daddy," you muttered, your voice filled with genuine affection and admiration.

"I love you too, my darling." Sanji said, capturing your lips one more time, sealing your declaration of love with a passionate kiss that left you breathless and craving for more. . . .

[herpsandbirds]

Hideo is in Ecuador Now.

I took my pretty bf, Hideo, one of the great loves of my life off to the airport this morning, and sent him off to the Amazon. Oh well... he's living his dream.

I'm Paxon, and I'll be running the blog now.

I've been helping out since the beginning, so nothing will change really. Nice to meet you.

I'm a wildlife biologist (for 27 years).

I have experience working with:

Amphibian call counts

Deer and small mammal surveys

Reptile surveys

Insect surveys

Bayou fish surveys

Shark surveys in Florida Bay

Bird surveys

Bird nestbox surveys (Eastern Bluebird, Prothonotary Warbler, and Goldeneye)

Piping Plover, Roseate Tern, and Osprey monitoring

Loggerhead Sea Turtle Monitoring

King Eider surveys and monitoring on the North Slope of Alaska

Nature and science education and guiding

Rainforest guiding in Ecuador

Controlled prairie burns

Wetland plant restoration

If you have any questions, as always, feel free to ask.

cis-male, he/him, gay/queer, 47 yo, Houston, TX, USA. Latinx.

on Tumblr since 2009.

[lady-harrowhark]

I promise I’m going somewhere with this but I am currently fixating on how seeing Naberius’s trident knife in the beginning of HtN gives Harrow the Gideon Memory Migraine™, despite no clear connection to Gideon:

Ianthe considered this. She nudged the confection basket hilt of the rapier at her hip aside, and took out a long knife that, again, ran a hot rill of pain down your temporal bone. It was—though you had never bothered to learn—Tern’s main-gauche, his trident knife, a long blade from which two other blades would spring at the press of some hidden mechanism; she flicked that mechanism now, and with a snickt they burst out like a firework, two hard points of gleaming steel. She flicked it again, and the blades went snickt back into their housing.

Is it simply that it’s something from the Canaan House era in general? Or is there more going on? Stick with me here.

One of my pet theories I’ve been harboring since Kiriona’s wounds were revealed is that Harrow herself wounded Gideon after she threw herself on the fence, paralleling Jesus’s side wound from being speared after his crucifixion. They needed to ensure Jesus was truly dead, and presumably Harrow also needed to be well and truly sure that Gideon was dead before proceeding. Ianthe says she put a sword through Naberius’s heart to pin his soul in place for her ascension, and we see his body run through with the sword. Harrow needing to do the same to Gideon would certainly be some very juicy angst fuel.

The other crucial component here is one of my other favorite pet theories: that Harrow knew Gideon’s sword was haunted, likely before even coming to Canaan House. I’ve seen a few people do some more detailed explanations about that, but I’ll do a brief rundown here. 

Harrow says as far back as GtN about the sword “I never liked that cursed thing anyway; I always felt like it was judging me.” After the events of HtN with the River and Canaan House 2.0, we know she has an innate and potentially subconscious talent with spirit magic; it seems likely she was able to sense what was in the sword whether she knew exactly what was going on or not.

In HtN, Guideline #3 in her her pre-lobotomy letters to her post-lobotomy self has several stipulations (wipe it down with arterial blood nightly, coat it in regenerating ash, don’t cut flesh or bone with it) that sound a lot like precautions one would take to keep a soul from hopping out of it.

When discussing the sword with Abigail in Canaan House 2.0, we get some very specific qualifiers around how much information Harrow is able to provide about the sword. Directly before remembering that the sword was Gideon’s we have: “Harrow’s brain, though still a jumble, was no longer a mess in a darkened room. Memory had gifted her a small torch she could light the disarray with.”

After that, she struggles to recall further details, her own brain providing obstacles: “The light was not proving helpful enough: she was, in desperation, kicking over piles of the rubble in her own brain.” In the end, she’s able to tell Abigail: “I hated that damned sword for years. I don’t know why; it just felt strange - rancorous. I cannot deny that I often assumed its edge would be the last thing I saw. I don’t know.”

Circling back to the final battle of GtN, we get my favorite little nugget of support for this: Harrow is described as looking “affrighted” when Gideon tells her to go get her two-hander. I’d initially taken that to mean she was startled (and maybe a bit annoyed) to find out that Gideon had brought it at all, or freaked out at the situation in general. But I’ve begun to wonder if she specifically didn’t want Gideon to bring that sword with her to Canaan House because she knew, or at least suspected, what it contained.

Which brings us to the trident knife. If Harrow needed to fix Gideon’s soul in place by impaling her herself, and she knew there was a malevolent soul in the two-hander that could conceivably hitch a ride in another body that it came into contact with, she would have needed a different tool for the job… Which may very well have been the trident knife. Seeing the weapon she used to mutilate her cavalier’s body with seems like exactly the sort of thing that would bring on one of Harrow’s Gideon-induced headaches, no? It’s also notable that when Harrow sees this knife, it’s directly before Ianthe stabs her through the hand, again analogous to crucifixion wounds. I gotta say, if this holds water, there’s a certain poetry to both Harrow and Gideon receiving versions of the Holy Wounds on the blade of the same knife.

(Edit to add: further theorizing prompted by @camilla-rekt‘s fab addition can be found on this reblog)

[dirtyzucchini]

Let me tell you something about Constable Benton Fraser, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who came to Chicago on the trail of the killers of his father and, for reasons that don't need exploring at this juncture, remained, attached as liaison with the Canadian consulate.

There was never much of a chance that Benton Fraser would grow up to be what most people would casually call "a regular guy". From what little insight we get, no part of his childhood would have been standard. Looking at the anecdote Bob Fraser tells in Burning Down The House, we can assume that Benton grew up in a cabin his father built by hand, in a location remote enough and far enough North that living in an igloo during the construction of said cabin was a sensible thing for his parents to do. We see one picture of the family in Good For The Soul, and it is a puzzler:

Now, I wasn't around in the mid to late 1960's when that photo would have been taken, and I've never been to Canada's far North, but everything I could find anywhere tells me that that is not how (white!) people dressed then even up there, and no, I am not talking about trendy fashion. Everyday clothing looked pretty much like what we still wear today, but the people in that picture don't. They look like this guy - a European "explorer" whose picture was taken in 1889:

Side note: I am purposely only talking about white/western/mainstream society in this post because the Frasers are white.

I wonder what drove them to live like this, and so far away from other people? It can't have been money, Bob would have made enough to support them. I guess Fraser's parents weren't regular guys, either.

Anyway, we know that Bob wasn't around much while Fraser's mother was alive, and even less so after her death. He handed the boy off to his own parents instead, and Benton was raised by literal, real life Edwardians, people who were born before the invention of band-aids and bubblegum. Public radio broadcasts were cutting-edge technology when they were young. I'm glad they stepped up, and I'm sure they did their best, but they weren't exactly well-equipped to prepare a child for life in modern society. They were librarians who for some reason moved around a lot. When he was eight, they took Benton to a place called Alert - the northernmost continously inhabited place in the world. Unfortunately it's inhabited by soldiers and researchers who go there on six-months-tours, but it counts because the tours overlap. Fraser would have been the only child there, and, the times being what they were, his grandmother the only woman. What librarians would have done in Alert we can only speculate about, but between this and the fact that they helped build an English-speaking library in China before the revolution, we can safely assume that we are dealing with another generation of non-regular Frasers here. This idea is supported by the fact that they fed Fraser arctic tern for Christmas. Each bird weighs under 130 grams, and they would be hard to come by in northern Canada in December because they migrate to literally the other end of the world after breeding in the Arctic in the summer. I'm not entirely certain what this says about Fraser's grandparents, but it sure says something, doesn't it?

This bird may scream, but it does not scream Christmas to me.

Listen, I LOVE that Fraser's grandmother taught him how to box from a book.

Perhaps this one from 1922? In this book, the writer "not only describes the various moves of the game and traces the history of their development but deals comprehensively with all the factors of body and mind that make for success in the ring." Sounds like a good choice!

I do NOT love that she taught him that being in the hospital for three weeks after being shot in the back is "babying yourself". She also raised Bob Fraser to be the kind of man who tells his journal "The last time I saw Ben, he was barely tall enough to reach my belt. When I said good-bye he shook my hand. Never a tear or a complaint. Seven years old and he's already a stronger man than I'll ever be. Someday I'll tell him.", and friends, I DO NOT love that at all. That is NOT a healthy way to deal with emotions, and I think we can agree that growing up guided by these mindsets did Fraser no favors at all. Look at how he lives! His apartment is absolutely bare-bones, no personality, and after that he literally lives in his office - this is a man who gets REALLY uncomfortable when he's comfortable, is what I'm saying. Everything he does is quick and efficient to make sure he can devote a maximum amount of time to his work. I'd bet "Idle hands are the devil's workshop" was a very common saying in the Fraser household.

Look, our upbringing informs who we become, how we approach life, how we connect to those around us. Fraser's view of the world is completely different from how other people see it. Long before he's displaced geographically, he's displaced in time.

He grew up without TV, and while living with librarians gave him access to a large number of books, the libraries they worked at served remote communities and would not have been all too well funded. It stands to reason they would have had to make their books last as long as possible, and that new purchases would have been, shall we say, conservative? Copies of beloved classics, books with general appeal, books with educational/instructional value would have made up the bulk of purchases. Even if the librarians wanted to, there would have been little money to buy more controversial books - and it doesn't seem likely that Fraser's grandparents would have wanted to. Fraser probably grew up on adventure tales, detective stories and, as a teen and young adult, the classics from Austen to Shakespeare.

When he gets to Depot in Regina to become a Mountie he has nothing in common with the other recruits, and that continues throughout all his career. There's a reason he's still a Constable after all his years of service: he's severely lacking in social skills, and his upbringing is a big part of that problem*. He was raised by Edwardians on Victorian (and Romantic) mores and values, and bridging that gap to make connections with people from what's essentially a different world is very, very hard.

TL,DR: Fraser is both an alien and a time traveler, and we should remember that when we talk about him.

*Other parts of the problem are his queerness and neurodiversity, but those are topics for another essay. Please know that by problem I do NOT mean there's something wrong with him, I mean that there's something wrong with how society treats people like him.

Big thank you to @sammaggs and @sammeltassensammelsurium for excellent feedback!

[eightyonekilograms]

Can someone knowledgable about photography (and specifically white balance and color adjusting) help me out here? I'm going a bit crazy.

@etirabys posts pictures of her completed paintings (which you should go check out if you don't already) that she takes with her 3-year-old iPhone, and I figured it would help them sell if the images on her website were taken with my Fuji XT-5 instead. But I've fiddled with a bunch of settings, and the iPhone image is better in every way. The Fuji flattens all the colors, even when shooting in HDR mode. I'm convinced it's sharper as well.

Attached are a bunch of shots I took of this painting, in various lighting conditions, HDR settings, and Fuji color modes. They all suck.

cc @drethelin and @curse-that-wren-tern-skyline as the main photographers I know here. I know Apple's computational post-processing is really good, but surely I do can do at least as good and with four times the megapixels.

[lemon-natalia]

Nona the Ninth Reaction - Chapter 24

ok so i’ve not been paying too much attention to the specific skulls appearing in each chapter header BUT i recently rearranged my bookshelf and so noticed that this chapter skull is the same one on the GtN book spine 👀👀

ok i don’t think bandages alone are gonna do much good for being shish kebabed with a rapier

i can’t blame Camilla here, your closest loved one being in the body of Naberius Tern is a nightmare scenario quite frankly

i feel like Nona comparing Corona to Noodle is the highest compliment Nona could have bestowed upon her

Ianthe clearly took ‘Necromantic Interior Decorating 101’ from Harrow sometime last book, covering the hallway with an inventive ‘blood filigree’. how charming 

hah I would kill for Ianthe to be around to hear Pyrrha say that her work was a shit version of Mercymorn’s

i'm Very intrigued by Pyrrha’s comment that she apparently tried to trick Wake into loving her somehow, i do wonder if we’ll ever get a more in-depth look at how exactly their whole fling started

oh poor Nona, she’s really beating herself up just for wanting the only body that she has to actually belong to her

GIDEON NAV THE LOVE OF MY LIFE IS BACK! or at least her corpse is but i’m taking what i can get here okay

Nona’s mild disgust for redheads and being so critical of Gideon’s appearance is so very funny, it reminds me of how Gid described Harrow for a good chunk of GtN

'her face had that half-past-a-dream expression’ i’m probably reading wayy too into this, but amajor theme throughout this book has been dreams - the John chapters being dreams, Nona’s dreams of Gideon, so i’m curious if there’s anything significant about this description in regards to where Gid’s soul is

this has become very Sleeping Beauty suddenly with the unconscious kiss. or more accurately given Gid’s actually dead, Snow White. with the glass coffin containing the Sleeper in Harrow’s mindscape, that’s an interesting parallel between Gideon and Wake

umm i’m sorry what the fuck do you mean her eyes opened. and now she’s totally dead again?? is Nona’s hallucinating or what?? these books solidly going into mindfuck territory once again

an awful chunk of this book is made up of characters with very strange feelings about the corpse of Gideon Nav huh

MILITARY WING OF DISCO 🕺🪩🕺🪩

'imagine the hopes and fears of the whole universe contained in one dead little red star’ close enough, welcome back Ortus Ninegad’s unfairly hated poetry

oh jeez Gideon’s wounds are intense. i thought she just got impaled once right down the middle but nope she also has a neck wound as well. Nasty

christ please leave Bab’s and Gideon’s dead bodies alone. they keep getting possessed and tossed in rivers left and right

GIDEON NAV THE LOVE OF MY LIFE IS BACK!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ somehow idk what’s going on i’m not questioning it at all, i’m just happy about it

evil cougar is a very apt description of Cytherea. also from what i recall this the first time Pal and Gideon have actually interacted since he literally blew himself up over a year ago, which is wild

[specialagentlokitty]

Chim x daughter!reader - really my child

Can you do one for 911 for tern Reader who's Chim's biological daughter and comes in when he gets hurt on a rescue mission and everyone finds out about Chim having a child? - Anon💜

You didn’t know your dad was injured, not until it came up on the news, and panicked you quickly called him.

He answered immediately and you looked at the live broadcast on the TV.

“I’m fine, okay? Don’t worry.”

“Are you going to the hospital?”

“No I’m going to the station after it’s not bad.”

“I’m coming there.”

Hanging up you pulled your shoes on, grabbed your jacket and your bag you ran to your dads room.

Going through his wardrobe you pulled out a clean shirt and stuffed in in there, and you grabbed one of his hoodies and stuffed it in there as well.

Then you ran out of the apartment and down the streets.

You didn’t care how long it would take to get there, you didn’t have time to wait for the bus or call a cab, you just wanted to get there.

So you ran, you walked, you stopped to buy a drink, you checked the news when you took a break and finally you arrived at the 118.

Walking in, you looked around at the fire trucks, the ambulance, and you slowly started to wonder around.

“Can we help you?”

You jumped a little bit, and you looked at the man, and you looked next to him at the man staring at you in utter shock.

“Tell me you didn’t run all the way here.”

Chim walked over to you and pulled you in for a hug, resting his chin on your head.

“I had to make sure you were okay…”

You pulled away and looked at him, and you handed him your hand and you rose a brow and looked inside of it.

“Thank you.” He smiled.

Chim kissed your head and took your hand, leading you upstairs he sat you down at a table and he gestured for you to stay there.

“Wait here, alright? I’ll be back in a second.”

“Okay dad.”

“Dad?!”

You looked at another firefighter and your dad did the same thing with a heavy thing.

“Leave it Buck.” He warned.

With that, he walked away and Buck waited before walking over to you, sitting in front of you.

“Is he really your dad?”

“Well I mean I hope so since he raised me.” You said.

He grinned a little bit and leant back in his chair.

“Who’s your friend Buck?”

“This isn’t my friend cap, it’s Chim daughter.”

More people came around and they all looked at you, tilting their heads a little bit and stared at you, so you stared back.

Chim came back up and he set your bag next to you and rested his hands on your shoulders and you looked up at him.

“See, just a few minor scratches, that’s all.” He said.

“I don’t care I had to come see you and make sure you were okay.”

“I can’t believe you ran all the way here.”

He smiled at you and he looked at his friends and you did the exact same thing.

“Oh my god it’s like a mini Chim…”

“I can’t handle one let alone two.”

“Seriously guys seriously?” Your dad asked.

He sighed and introduced you to everyone and you waved a little at them all.

“So is he really your dad?” Eddie asked.

“Yes.” Chim huffed.

You laughed a little and looked at him.

“Yeah he’s my dad, at least as far as I know he is.”

That began the endless evening of questions for you both, and you knew there was no escaping it no matter how hard you tried too

[thecosmicmap]

Now these are what Simon Otto took inspiration from to make the Light Fury.

But the Light Fury doesn’t share any of these traits other than being white. With a blue belly. To me, it’d make more sense for her to grey with a lighter underbelly with rosettes. She should also have feet that aren’t smaller than her eyes.

If she was truly made with axolotls in mind, her ear and side nubs should be bigger and she should have more than one (especially since the nubs kinda act as whiskers. She needs help with sensory).

If she was made with terns in mind, her wings would surely be shaped like them and not this.

Those wings aren’t made for flight, they’re more suited for a water dweller. Especially the tailfin.

We aren’t even going to talk about how small her mouth and claws are. Or how round her teeth look (granted, Toothless also has round teeth) or how she has no actual scales (and yet has two glitter hearts on her head). And we know it’s not because of the invisible thing, because Toothless can also go invisible, despite having actual scales.

BUT ANYWAY!

The Light Fury is supposed to be a Night Fury subspecies, right? Well subspecies aren’t that different from each other. Think of Darwin’s Finches. The only differences they have is their beaks. But compare these two.

They don’t really look that similar.

[lastflowerofyourhouse]

my thoughts on what it would be like if harrow took aiglamene to caanan house:

she would never for a moment trust "dulcinea", because she would be incapable of respecting her. aiglamene would take one look at the drooping baby bird routine and immediately go "ohh you're full of shit, aren't you."

jeannemary reminds her of gideon and we all cry

she would like the fifth a lot. after weeks of dealing with whiny teenagers and young adults, the quiet, well-mannered grown ass adults from the fifth would be one hell of a breath of fresh air.

the first time silas octikiseron said something snotty about the ninth in her range of hearing, she would just straight up smack him in the mouth. just immediately. she wouldn't even think about it.

and oh my GOD would she hate naberius tern. i don't know what exactly would happen during their first interaction but i do know that he would never dare to look her in the eye again.

[myriadeyed]

I would like to offer this resource for therians, an extensive list of all of Sir David Attenborough’s nature documentaries that are available on soap2day, and a full list of what species* they each (notably, prominently) feature the natural behaviors of, separated by episode, and omitting species that were only shown dead, juvenile or being predated on. This took me a while (I have been working on it since Prehistoric Planet’s release) because I did in fact have to watch every single series in full in order to list all the species and the episodes are around 50 minutes long, but enjoy.

Long post ahead:

Most of these shows have closed captioning, which is why I’ve picked soap2day. Planet Earth is the only one that doesn’t. I did not include Dynasties and Dynasties II because each episode only features one species.

Thank you to Birch (@ambiguousmutt​) for his help (he watched about half of the episodes) so I didn’t have to do it individually. Credit goes to him as well.

*Sometimes Attenborough doesn’t say the specific species and I was too busy trying to get through the episodes to identify it. In those cases I just put the most specific name I could.

Planet Earth

Episode one (From Pole to Pole): emperor penguin, polar bear, caribou, arctic grey wolf, Amur leopard, six-plumed bird-of-paradise, superb bird-of-paradise, great white shark, African elephant, African buffalo, lechwe, baboon, African wild dog

Episode two (Mountains): gelada, walia ibex, Ethiopian wolf, guanaco, cougar, grizzly bear, markhor, snow leopard, golden eagle, grey wolf, panda, golden snub-nosed monkey, red panda, demoiselle crane

Episode three (Fresh Water): giant salamander, grizzly bear, smooth-coated otter, Nile crocodile, dolphin fish, midge, Amazon river dolphin, dorado, piranha, spectacled caiman, crab-eating macaque, snow goose

Episode four (Caves): wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bat, cockroach, bat hawk, cave swiftlet, yellow-red rat snake, Texas blind salamander

Episode five (Deserts): Bactrian camel, dromedary camel, red kangaroo, fennec fox, guanaco, long-nosed bat, Nubian ibex, flat lizard, lion, African elephant, locust

Episode six (Ice Worlds): snow petrel, Antarctic petrel, south polar skua, humpback whale, emperor penguin, eider, muskox, arctic grey wolf, polar bear, little auk, arctic fox

Episode seven (Great Plains): Mongolian gazelle, red-billed quelea, wildebeest, snow goose, arctic fox, arctic grey wolf, bison, wild ass, Tibetan fox, pygmy hog, African elephant, lion, baboon

Episode eight (Jungles): magnificent bird-of-paradise, spider monkey, howler monkey, siamang gibbon, gliding tree frog, colugo, red crab spider, African elephant, chimpanzee

Episode nine (The Shallow Seas): humpback whale, multiple corals, banded sea krait, trevally, dugong, bottlenose dolphin, Socotra cormorant, salp, comb jelly, sea lion, dusky dolphin, sea urchin, sunflower starfish, short-tailed stingray, great white shark, king penguin, fur seal

Episode ten (Seasonal Forests): Eurasian lynx, moose, crossbill, wolverine, western capercaillie, pine marten, great grey owl, pudu, kodkod, mandarin duck, cicada, red deer, Amur leopard, tiger, mouse lemur

Episode eleven (Ocean Deep): whale shark, oceanic whitetip shark, common dolphin, Cory's shearwater, manta ray, sea spider, vampire squid, spider crab, unnamed deep sea eel, giant isopod, chambered nautilus, Pacific spotted dolphin, mola mola, frigatebird, sailfish, blue whale

Planet Earth II

Episode one (Islands): pygmy three-toed sloth, Komodo dragon, sifaka, marine iguana, Galapagos racer, Buller's albatross, fairy tern, Christmas Island red crab, yellow crazy ant, chinstrap penguin

Episode two (Mountains): Nubian ibex, red fox, golden eagle, grizzly bear, bobcat, flamingo, mountain viscacha rat, snow leopard

Episode three (Jungles): spider monkey, flying lizard, sword-billed hummingbird, river dolphin, jaguar, glass frog, paper wasp, click beetle, red bird of paradise, Wilson's bird of paradise, indri

Episode four (Deserts): lion, Harris's hawk, shrike, locust, sand grouse, pale chanting goshawk, feral mustang, golden mole, desert long-eared bat, darkling beetle, Namaqua chameleon

Episode five (Grasslands): saiga antelope, lion, harvest mouse, carmine bee-eater, Kori bustard, African elephant, serval, Jackson's widowbird, grasscutter ant, compass termite, giant anteater, bison, red fox, arctic grey wolf

Episode six (Cities): langur, peregrine falcon, leopard, European starling, great bowerbird, raccoon, rhesus macaque, spotted hyena, wels catfish

Our Planet

Episode one (One Planet): lesser flamingo, orchid bee, golden-collared manakin, red-capped manakin, blue manakin, cormorant, booby, common dolphin, shearwater, African wild dog, timber wolf

Episode two (Frozen Worlds): gentoo penguin, wandering albatross, narwhal, Pacific walrus, humpback whale, orca, leopard seal, polar bear

Episode three (Jungles): lowland gorilla, forest elephant, black sicklebill, twelve-wired bird-of-paradise, western parotia, mountain treeshrew, Philippine eagle, black spider monkey, leafcutter ant, Sumatra orangutan, velvet worm

Episode four (Coastal Seas): northern fur seal, compass jellyfish, giant trevally, mobula ray, Atlantic stingray, bottlenose dolphin, grey reef shark, whitetip reef shark, sea otter, California sheephead wrasse, Steller's sea lion, bald eagle, humpback whale, Guanay cormorant, Inca tern, Peruvian booby, South American sea lion

Episode five (From Deserts to Grasslands): Socotran cormorant, Arabian leopard, Arabian oryx, African elephant, cheetah, bison, Alcon blue butterfly, saiga, Przewalski's wild horse, tiger

Episode six (The High Seas): blue whale, spinner dolphin, mobula ray, oarfish, anglerfish, bristle worm, giant petrel, black-browed albatross, wandering albatross, bluefin tuna, sea lion, humpback whale

Episode seven (Fresh Water): Australian pelican, torrent duck, grizzly bear, manatee, giant mayfly, common kingfisher, osprey, jaguar, callipterus cichlid, Siamese fighting fish, hippopotamus, lion, African elephant, sandhill crane

Episode eight (Forests): Siberian tiger, bald eagle, rough-skinned newt, great hornbill, African elephant, African wild dog, fossa, gray mouse lemur

A Perfect Planet

Episode one (Volcano): lesser flamingo, marabou stork, Galápagos land iguana, vampire ground finch, Aldabra giant tortoise, North American river otter, coyote, Kamchatka brown bear, wildebeest

Episode two (The Sun): yellow-cheeked gibbon, fig wasp, arctic grey wolf, wood frog, garter snake, arctic fox, Saharan silver ant, golden snub-nosed monkey, sooty shearwater, humpback whales

Episode three (Weather): straw-colored fruit bat, fire ant, Amazonian giant river turtle, desert rain frog, Bactrian camel, Christmas Island red crab, carmine bee-eater, Nile crocodile, African fish eagle, hippopotamus

Episode four (Oceans): common dolphin, marine iguana, flightless cormorant, flamboyant cuttlefish, eider, bottlenose dolphin, lemon shark, manta ray, blacktip reef shark, trevally, rockhopper pengin, Eden's whale

Episode five (Humans): none

Life

Episode one (Challenges of Life): bottlenose dolphins, cheetah, panther chameleon, orca, brown-tufted capuchin, stalk-eyed fly, hippopotamus, Clark's grebe, giant Pacific octopus, strawberry poison-dart frog, leopard seal, orangutan

Episode two (Reptiles and Amphibians): pebble toad, caiman, basilisk, Brazilian pygmy gecko, panther chameleon, Namaqua chameleon, red-sided garter snake, collared iguana, hog-nosed snake, horned lizard, sea krait, African bullfrog, Komodo dragon

Episode three (Mammals): Weddell seal, elephant shrew, aye-aye, caribou, straw-colored fruit bat, lion, spotted hyena, polar bear, brown-nosed coati, meerkat, African elephant, humpback whale

Episode four (Fish): sailfish, flying fish, weedy sea dragon, convict fish, sarcastic fringehead, mudskipper, Hawaiian freshwater goby, hippopotamus, barbel, silvertip shark, clownfish, sea lion, ragged tooth shark, multiple snapper, whale shark

Episode five (Birds): spatuletail hummingbird, lammergeier, red-billed tropicbird, magnificent frigatebird, red knot, horseshoe crab, lesser flamingo, chinstrap penguin, great white pelican, Clark’s grebe, sage grouse, Vogelkop bowerbird

Episode six (Insects): Darwin’s beetle, unnamed damselfly, monarch butterfly, alkali fly, Wilson’s phalarope, oogpister beetle, mongoose, bombardier beetle, honey bee, black bear, Japanese red bug, Dawson’s bee, grass cutter ant

Episode seven (Hunters and Hunted): ibex, short-tailed stoat, brown bear, Ethiopian wolf, California ground squirrel, star-nosed mole, cheetah, red fox, greater bulldog bat, bottlenose dolphin, Bengal tiger, rattlesnake, orca

Episode eight (Creatures of the Deep): Pompeii worm, Humboldt squid, nemertean worm, moon jelly, fried egg jellyfish, spider crab, stingray, cuttlefish, giant Pacific octopus, sunflower sea star, king crab, cleaner shrimp

Episode nine (Plants): monarch butterfly, purple-throated carib hummingbird

Episode ten (Primates): Hamadryas baboon, Japanese macaque, lowland gorilla, spectral tarsier, phayre's leaf monkey, ring-tailed lemur, Sumatra orangutan, chacma baboon, white-faced capuchin, brown-tufted capuchin, western chimpanzee

Blue Planet II

Episode one (One Ocean): bottlenose dolphin, tuskfish, tern, giant trevally, mobula ray, false killer whale, Asian sheepshead wrasse, orca, humpback whale, walrus

Episode two (The Deep): sea toad, Venus’ flower basket, unnamed shrimp, ethereal snailfish, cock-eyed squid, pyrosome, barrel-eyed fish, unnamed siphonophore, yeti crab, Humboldt squid, fangtooth fish, sixgill shark, scabbardfish, zombie worm

Episode three (Coral Reefs): broadclub cuttlefish, coral grouper, day octopus, multiple corals, green turtle, bottlenose dolphin, manta ray, bobbit worm, saddleback clownfish, marbled grouper, grey reef shark

Episode four (Big Blue): spinner dolphin, yellowfin tuna, mobula ray, sailfish, sperm whale, sea turtle, blue shark, great white shark, multiple jellyfish, Portuguese man o' war, whale shark, wandering albatross, shortfin pilot whale

Episode five (Green Seas): Garibaldi, Australian giant cuttlefish, weedy seadragon, common octopus, pyjama shark, sea otter, tiger shark, smooth stingray, zebra mantis shrimp, common dolphin, humpback whale

Episode six (Coasts): Pacific leaping blenny, king penguin, southern elephant seal, Sally Lightfoot crab, Galápagos sea lion, ochre starfish, clingfish, chain moray eel, Atlantic puffin, arctic skua

Episode seven (Our Blue Planet): none

Prehistoric Planet

Episode one (Coasts): Tyrannosaurus rex, Tethydraco, Phosphatodraco,  Tuarangisaurus, Mosasaurus hoffmannii, pycnodont fish, ammonites,  Kaikaifilu

Episode two (Deserts):  Dreadnoughtus, Tarbosaurus, Velociraptor,  Mononykus, Barbaridactylus, Secernosaurus

Episode three (Freshwater): Velociraptor, Tyrannosaurus rex, Deinocheirus, Quetzalcoatlus, Masiakasaurus, Beelzebufo, elasmosaur

Episode four (Ice Worlds): dromaeosaur, hadrosaur, Ornithomimus, Olorotitan, troodontid, Antarctopelta, Pachyrhinosaurus, Nanuqsaurus

Episode five (Forests): Austroposeidon, Triceratops, Carnotaurus, Qianzhousaurus,  Edmontosaurus, Atrociraptor, Anodontosaurus, Therizinosaurus, Telmatosaurus, Hatzegopteryx

The Hunt

Episode one (The Hardest Challenge): African leopard, African wild dog, Parson’s chameleon, nose-horned chameleon, African mantis, Darwin’s bark spider, Nile crocodile, Amur falcon, orca, cheetah

Episode two (Arctic): polar bear, arctic grey wolf, arctic fox, glaucous gull

Episode three (Forests): tiger, American marten, sparrow hawk, Portia spider, tarsier, harpy eagle, chimpanzee, army ant

Episode four (Oceans): blue whale, frigatebird, dorado, sargassum fish, spinner dolphin, Beroe ovata, Chiroteuthis, lionfish, black-browed albatross, sea lion, tuna, copper shark, common dolphin, Bryde's whale

Episode five (Plains): cheetah, caracal, honey badger, termite, bald eagle, lion, Ethiopian wolf, hotrod ant, spoor spider

Episode six (Coasts): bottlenose dolphin, algae octopus, sand bubbler crab, long-tailed macaque, marine otter, grizzly bear, grey wolf, peregrine falcon, orca, humpback whale

Episode seven (Conservation): none

Life In Colour

Episode one (Seeing In Color): Indian peafowl, mandrill, Costa’s hummingbird, magnificent bird-of-paradise, blue moon butterfly, fiddler crab, mantis shrimp, flamingo, poison dart frog

Episode two (Hiding In Color): Bengal tiger, langur, ptarmigan, crab spider, zebra, Cuban painted snail, blue-striped fangblenny, common waxbill, pin-tailed wydah, Augrabies flat lizard

Frozen Planet II

Episode one (Frozen Worlds): emperor penguin, orca, Pallas’s cat, Siberian tiger, grizzly bear, hooded seal, polar bear

Episode two (Frozen Ocean): polar bear, beluga, harp seal, skeleton shrimp, crested auklet, orca

Episode three (Frozen Peaks): high-casqued chameleon, japanese macaque, kea, andean flamingo, giant panda, golden eagle, andean mountain lion

Episode four (Frozen South): king penguin, Antipodean wandering albatross, blue whale, Weddell seal, chinstrap penguin, snow petrel, leopard seal, orca

Episode five (Frozen Lands): grey wolf, arctic fox, Amur leopard, Siberian tiger, painted turtl, Lapland bumblebee, snowy owl, caribou, grizzly bear

Episode six (Our Frozen Planet): none

Africa

Episode one (Kalahari): fork-tailed drongo, ostrich, black rhinoceros, Angolan giraffe, African leopard, armored ground cricket, spider wasp

Episode two (Savannah): Agama lizard, shoebill, bee-eaters and rollers, lesser flamingo, African elephant, crowned eagle, African fish eagle, martial eagle

Episode three (Congo): chimpanzee, central African rock python, Angola banana frog, African skimmer, rockfowl, African elephant

Episode four (Cape): emperor swallowtail, giant kingfish, African penguin, monkey beetle, springbok, yellow-billed kite, pied crow, ghost crab, vundu catfish, Nile crocodile, Bryde’s whale, great white shark, common dolphin

Episode five (Sahara): Grevy’s zebra, naked mole rat, barn swallow, Dromedary camel, dung beetle, crocodile, western yellow wagtail, Saharan silver ant

Episode six (The Future): none

[notsunnyowo]

Your Name

Katsuki Bakugou x Female Reader (part 5)

(Part 4)

"Keep quiet." Bakugou spoke in a hushed tone. The boy's body was pressed against (Y/n)'s own. He used one hand to prop himself against the wall and the other was pressed against the girl's lips.

"Can't let those bastards hear us."

Alright, I know what you're probably thinking..

(Y/n)!

What the hell happened! Why the heck is Bakugou freakin' Katsuki - your potential mortal enemy - keeping you caged in like that?!

Listen, I know this looks bad but I promise, it's not what it looks like!

I swear-

If you just hear me out I'll explain everything!

.

.

.

Gonna listen?

Awesome!

It all started right after the fight with Kaminari and Kirishima. . .

***

After the hiccup with their first opponents, (L/n) decided not to allow such a slip up happen again. She was going to give it her all and win this thing! Nothing else would do!

Looking at her irritated teammate, she let out an inaudible sigh. If Bakugou was actually her mortal enemy than he sure as hell seemed like a tough one. 

He had easily been able to stand his ground and avoid the incoming attacks of not one, but two students!

Whereas she couldn't even manage to block one simple attack..

How was she even supposed to go against someone like him? He seemed like an unstoppable force not to be reckoned with!

"For all we know there's a good chance that boy's your soulmate?"

The words of her mother echoed in the back of her head.

Her eyes scanned the walking boy, lingering a little longer on his toned figure while the girl assessed his chiseled features. I mean sure he's attractive and all but..

"The fuck you staring at Yowamushi."

He's got the personality of a toad. 

With a frown on her face, (Y/n) closed her eyes before giving a vexed response. "First of all. You can't tell me what I can and can't look at. ~ And secondly. Will you quit calling me that?"

She asked, before quickly continuing. Not allowing the young man to respond. Not that he was going to. "I don't know about you, but I for one don't thinks of myself as a coward. ~ I mean- What even made you come to that conclusion in the first place!"

Katsuki's eyes narrowed, twisting his flawless features into an irritated scowl. The boy was glaring daggers at his teammate who was still talking about how she 'Doesn't like that nickname'. God, this girl was annoying!

And who did she even think she was? Talking to him like that! Didn't that idiot know any better than to mess with someone like him? He's going to be the greatest hero once he graduates! She should at least show some respect! Not just anyone gets to meet the future number one, let alone be their mortal enemy!

Speaking of which..

She sure didn't seem like a worthy opponent right about now. The blonde's eyes lazily scanned the girl's features. Doesn't look weak, but it only took one attack to bring her down.

"I don't go around giving out random-ass names to everyone I meet." He began, quickly managing to capture (Y/n)'s attention. "S'a much easier way to remember someone by their qualities." He stopped in his tracks, causing the girl to come to a halt as well. "And as for your question- I'll quit callin' you that when I feel like it."

(Y/n)'s face-palmed at his blunt statement. She opened her mouth to speak back to him, but decided against it. This would only leave her more annoyed with him than she already was. "Whatever.." The girl sighed before resuming her pace.

"Let's just get this over with.."

***

"Team Hagakure and Ashido, eliminated!" Present Mic's loud voice sounded trough the speakers.

"You two okay?" (Y/n) asked as she looked at the two captured girls and searched for their rope.

"My ears are still ringing from the explosion." Toru whined, the two girls had tried to do a sneak attack on Bakugou and (L/n) but it ended up backfiring horribly when Toru stepped on something sharp on the ground and her squeal alerted the raging blonde who in tern shot an explosion straight at her.

With her teammate immobilized, Mina stood no chance against the duo and the two girls were quickly captured and eliminated. 

(Y/n) gave her invisible classmate an apologetic smile as she took the handcuffs in her hand. "Sorry about that.."

"Don't sweat it girl! It's all good!" Mina chimed in, despite her bruised up state she still maintained a cheerful smile which made (Y/n) sigh in relief.

Standing up, the (h/c) haired girl bid her goodbye's to her classmates and walked over to her teammate.

"I got their handcuffs. We can go no-" (Y/n)'s eyes widened as her sentence was cut short by Bakugou's hand pressing against her lips.

What the hell's going on?!

"Keep quiet." Katsuki's low tone filled her ears, the boy had one hand pinning her against the wall while he used the other to cover her mouth shut.

The poor girl could feel her heart going a hundred miles per hour. It almost felt like it was going to jump out of her chest at any given moment.

"Can't let those bastards hear us."

What? Who? Was someone there? (Y/n) opened her eyes in hopes of clearing the situation up, however as she did, she came face to face with the blonde's sharp jawline. Sweet mother of cheese- A rosy blush slowly crept up her neck and slowly tinted her face with its pastel color.

Her eyes locked onto the boy's figure as she assessed his features. Now that she took a closer look at him, she could see that Katsuki wasn't even looking in her direction. His eyes were locked onto something behind the wall. 

"Deku.." She heard him utter under his breath with a villainous tone in his voice. His eyes turned back to the girl he held captive in his grip. "Follow my lead extra."

Without saying another word, nor giving the girl any more explanation as to what he was planning on doing the ashen blonde boy rushed to attack his opponents.

"Hey, wait up!-" (Y/n) called out but to no avail as she watched the boy take charge and attack the two students. Not wasting any more time than she already might have done (L/n) rushed in to help her teammate in taking down their opponents.

"DIE YOU EXTRAS!!!"

"K-Kacchan!?" Izuku yelped at the sight of his raging classmate coming at him at full speed. Thankfully though the, boy managed to barely avoid the oncoming attack by jumping out of the way.

"Dark Shadow!" The voice of Midorya's teammate, Tokoyami echoed trough the air as the boy activated his quirk, releasing the large shadow-like creature from his body. In a split second the dark entity, named Dark Shadow quickly went in for a counterattack on the raging boy, giving Deku enough time get to a safer distance and begin hatching a plan.

Just as young Midorya was about to beginning planning he suddenly remembered a crucial detail. "Where's (L/n)?-" The boy's sentence was cut short by the air getting knocked out of his lungs by a strong force.

"Right here." (Y/n) spoke as she approached the boy. Loud explosions and crashing noises could be heard coming from around them. From the sound of it, it appeared that Fumikage and Katsuki were going all out, leaving the two of them to fight one another.

The greenette seemed to have a slightly uneasy look on on his face, matched by the one on (L/n)'s own. 

This was the first time the two had been put up one against the other. However neither knew what to expect from the other.

Well.. Not exactly..

During the precious training session, young (L/n) watched her classmate defeat his opponents without much use of his quirk. 

Her eyes narrowed at him as she used her quirk to attack, forcing the young man to move.

Can't let him get any time to think of a plan. I've gotta attack and take him down before he has any time to hatch another one of his plans! I can't let him beat me!

I won't!

From what she had seen him do, (Y/n) had concluded that Midorya was proficient at planning ahead. After all the boy was always writing in those journals of his.. Wonder what they were all about.. Perhaps they helped him keep all of his potential plans in check. So that if the need arises he'd know where to turn to.

However thought, while his planning skills might be the boy's strong suit, it appeared that he had little control of his quirk. Or so it seemed. She found it rather strange honestly. The way his body reacted to the usage of his quirk. It was almost as if his body wasn't meant to handle it..

And that was exactly what she was hoping to use to her advantage right now. If she got him to use his quirk, then that would deal significant damage to his body. And once he was all bruised up she could simply tie him up and get to helping her angry teammate.

There was just one problem though.. His quirk was stupidly powerful, which in turn made young Midorya a formidable opponent. Meaning if she wasn't carefully she could risk loosing to him and getting herself captured instead.

It's risky but I don't really have another option do I? I've just gotta be as quick and proficient as possible. I'll show that stupid hothead who's a coward!

Izuku did his best to avoid the oncoming attacks of his opponent. The boy locked her eyes onto the girl for a moment as he finally took in her features. This was his first time having to go up against her, however that didn't mean that the emerald eyed boy didn't know what to expect from his opponent. Just like (L/n), he had observed her during the previous training exercise and taken a few notes on the girl's quirk.

I've gotta be smart about this.. The boy thought as he began ran around the corner of a nearby building in a desperate attempt to shake his opponent off his tail. Breathing heavily, the boy propped himself against the wall trying his best to catch his breath for the time being. 

"Smash!"

His attempts unfortunately proved to be futile as he almost got stabbed by a (Y/n)'s water spear. To avoid the collision the boy had activated his quirk and deflected the attack at the cost of his middle finger.

Not giving him any time to dodge (L/n) began attacking relentlessly, slowly but surely backing her opponent to a corner. "Give up Midorya!" She called out as she continued attacking while dodging his counterattacks to the best of her abilities.

Looking from left to right the boy then glanced back at the his opponent. She didn't seem to be bruised much, apart from the dust and dirt on her face she was mostly unscaved from this fight. If you could even call it that. C'mon Izuku..! You can't surrender! That's not what a hero would do! 

But if I keep this up I'll risk using up all my fingers and then what?

Come on Deku.. Think!-

BOOM!

"Bakugou?!" (Y/n)'s voice came out in a confused yelp. Where did he come from? Wasn't he busy fighting Tokoyami? Had he beat him already?

"Tch. You still, haven't captured that useless nerd.." The boy said in a menacing tone as he glared at his target. "You really can't do anything on your own, can you?" A frightening smirk tugged his lips, curling them into a nasty grin. Explosions ignited in his palms as his crimson eyes were focused on his target. 

"You might've won last time.. But don't think I'll let it happen ever again, gout it?!" He yelled out as his palm began glowing with immense brightness. "Now die!!" With that Katsuki charged full speed at his opponent, Midorya, too didn't stand still either as he powered up his quirk and gave it all he had.

I have to make sure they're knocked out otherwise I'm screwed!

A large pile of smoke and debris shot up into the air, making it virtually impossible to see.

As the smoke slowly cleared down and a clear view of the aftermath was available. One could see what had happened. Both Midorya and Bakugou were knocked out from their collision. The two boys had a large tentacle made out of water wrapped around their limb bodies as (L/n) carried them outside.

The girl had caught the two and pulled them to safety right as the building they were in was beginning to collapse from the shock wave of their attacks.

Once outside the girl was met with the sight of a handcuffed Fumikage. Her eyes widened as she realised what her teammate had done all on his own. Laying both boys on the ground, she handcuffed the unconscious Izuku to his teammate and asked. "Did Bakugou really capture you that fast?" Her eyes met with the boy's own.

He let out a defeated sigh before shamefully nodding, thereby confirming the girl's suspicions. "I'm affraid so." He began. "I don't know how but he was able to figure out my weakness in a matter of minutes." He spoke, his eyes trailing off to the one who'd beaten him so effortlessly. "He really is something else."

"Team Midorya and Tokoyami - ELIMINATED!" Mic's voice sounded trough the speakers. "Team (L/n) and Bakugou are the last team standing! The training exercise is officially over!"  

[kining-the-evil]

Hi

I was wondering if you could write a Random Drysdale x daughter reader??

Like Ransom took his toddler to a family dinner and while he was there she got really tired, so he picked her up and she fell asleep in his arms. The entire family is shocked that the spoiled playboy has a soft spot for his little girl because never in a million years did they think Ransom would be the one comforting a sleepy toddler.

Thank you

An: i have not written something for this blog in so fucking long. I hope you like this though!

Warnings: other then swearing there are none.

Ransom fucking hated family dinners. His family was full of pricks, and there were a million things he would rather do then spend his evening with them. But his grandfather wanted him there- or more that he wanted to see his daughter.

“Come on y/n! We���ve got to go!” Ransom called walking towards the little girls room. He found her sitting on the floor playing with a tea set. “Y/n, we need to leave or we will be late,” he sighed. She glanced up at him, a smile on her face.

“Ok daddy!” She jumped up, but instead of the door she ran to her bed and grabbed the small purple blanket she always wanted to take with her. He really did try to break the habit with you, but he didn’t ever fight it at family dinners. No point in making you more miserable.

“Come on,” he once again told her. She ran past him and towards the door, and once he opened the door she were quick to the car. He simply opens the back door and watched her climb into her car seat.

The drive was quick, and soon enough the pulled in front of the large house. His mom was standing out on the porch, a cigarette in her mouth. He pulled you out of the car before setting her down and letting her run towards the house.

“Hi Linda!” Y/n called out cheerful, and Random had to hold back his laughter.

“You need to teacher not to call me that,” his mother snapped at him, but he just pushed past her. “And you’re late!”

Ransom pushed the door open, and y/n quickly ran past him.

“Grandpa!” She squealed while running towards Harlan.

“Well hello there!” He didn’t lean down to her, but he did rub her back as she hugged his leg. “Nice to see you Ransom.” All Harlan received was a small grunt as Ransom pushed past him.

—————

“What are you laughing at asshole?” Walt snapped when he caught sight of Ransom’s smirk.

“Oh, nothing Walt. Just listening to your son get yelled at.” Ransom couldn’t help the smile as he watched the man’s face tern completely red.

“That’s unnecessary.” Joni cut in, glaring at Ransom.

“Your daughter is the one yelling at him!” Richard snapped at his daughter in law, which just launched everyone into another fight.

Ransom glanced beside him when he heard soft footsteps coming towards him. Y/n was next to him, her blanket pulled tightly to her face.

“I thought you were playing with Marta?” He asked, watching as she rubbed her face. She simply shook her head, and he could tell she was getting tired. “Come here,” he sighed as he picked her up. She quickly made herself comfortable on his lap, digging her face into his neck. He rubbed her back lightly, making sure she had He blanket.

He glanced up, noticing the quiet that had come over his family. All of them were staring at him. “What?” He grunted, staring right back.

“What the fuck was that?” Walt asked.

“What was What?”

“That,” Linda pointed to where y/n was sat.

“I picked my daughter up.” Ransom felt like he was missing something that everyone else was getting.

“I didn’t think you had it in you.” Ransom glared up at his mother before standing up while keeping y/n in his arms.

“That’s fair. You didn’t give me the best model,” he snapped before walking to leave. They all let him go, and the only person he stoped for was Harlan.

“Say bye to your grandfather,” he mumbled as he bumped y/n with his shoulder a bit. She turned her head, waving at him while mumbling a goodbye.

“Have a good night darling,” Harlan ruffled her hair a bit before letting the two leave.

“Assholes,” Ransom mumbled, causing y/n to look up.

“Assholes?”

“Don’t say that,” he sighed while putting her into her car seat. “Unless your talking about them. Then it’s ok.” He winked, causing her to giggle at him.

[tomwambsgans]

so i've assumed for the longest time that 2x7 must take place in march of 2020 because in 2x9 DC, gil refers to march 12th as the night that tom sent greg the "can't make a tomlette" emails, and of course a deleted scene from that episode is the only time we would have ever seen that phrase mentioned otherwise. it also makes complete sense, narratively, to essentially do a little fakeout: "tom, is [the date that you burned the documents] significant to you?" "nope! (feeling confident bc there's no proof of him having done that on that day)" "well that's the day you sent all these batshit emails, and how i know for certain you are well acquainted with greg hirsch." "uh oh"

ntm the fact that it makes a lot of sense as a character choice for tom to specifically send greg that email over and over again on the night that he's kinda trying to punish greg, and where he's probably totally unable to sleep.

anyway, there's a But incoming... i fucking wish there wasn't, but. somehow i've only just now realized that in DC, gil refers to the thanksgiving of 1x5 as "last year." which would indicate that it's still 2019, and therefore the march 12th he's referring to should be a day very close to tom's wedding. and, admittedly... it's not totally out there that tom's initial reason for coining the phrase was because he learned about the Greg The Egg nickname, from shiv having told him after hearing it from caroline. hell, maybe it was when they first started at ATN and it was tom's anxiety spilling out to match greg's Principles.

obviously it's a lot of personal bias that mainly makes me not want this to be the case, like... the sheer amount of fic i've written just confidently using the timeline where a year has passed in the first 7 episodes of season 2, which would be fucked to hell if i accept that DC is in 2019 lol

however..... it IS pretty undeniable that at least a year passes in season 2. do the math: exactly 2 years between the pilot and 4x1. ~5 months pass in s1. 2 and a half weeks pass between 2x9 and 3x5 (according to frank). the rest of s3 takes place - MOST LIKELY - over the course of no more than 4 months. about 3 months pass between s3 and 4, based on knowledge of shiv's pregnancy. and no gaps between seasons otherwise... that's a year left. there HAS to be at least one months-long timeskip somewhere in there. and it's always seemed very plausibly to be between tern haven and argestes, given the notion of pierce "fucking them about." for the longest time i've even specifically imagined argestes as being after the holidays and in january of 2020, partially bc that's convenient for why any notion of logan's 81st bday, the recny ball of 2019, and the holidays are all completely missing. the holidays would also be a good excuse on pierce's end not to rush a deal, and finally, i took into account the weather in that episode.

frankly, i consider the climate heavily when i'm working out the timeline of a show. especially this one. if they wanted to make it plausibly deniable what time of year it was, they'd set the episode indoors. or they'd pick a different part of the world for the roys to visit. and in the season 2 finale, they're on a yacht and explicitly swimming in the mediterranean. it's VERY unlikely that they'd be comfortable hanging around in swim trunks and swimming in those waters if it was any time between october and march. going off of that... if s3 begins in late 2019 as opposed to april/may of 2020, then caroline sent out her wedding invitations no less than 6 months early.

basically it's split between this:

what gil said has more weight. we can assume that the seemingly conflicting weather is a metatextual flub to be ignored. DC is in 2019, the emails were around the time of the wedding, and the huge timeskip containing the holidays is in s3 which also means that caroline sent out her invitations very early

settings and characterizations have more weight. we can assume either that gil misspoke or that it's a metatextual flub to be ignored. DC is in april of 2020, the emails were sent during The Return, and the huge timeskip was in s2 and took the holidays of 2019 with them

[maple-seed]

Thrown - Chapter 21: Moving Forward

Summary: The community helps an Æsir family move to their new home.

Word Count: 1,606

Author's Note: I hope everyone has a great week. :)

Masterlist

Today was a moving day. These were becoming more frequent as refurbishments and construction were completed in New Asgard and the citizens were gradually moved into their permanent residences. Moving days always brought Loki a small sense of pride. He had worked closely on the problem of housing the Æsir, determining where to put everyone and how to shift them from one place to another as New Asgard grew. Finding the most efficient use of space, both temporarily and in the long term. Things were working out quite well so far and when a move was made everyone was always grateful for a little more room to breathe.

Today they were moving Sven Leifson and his family out of a space that had originally been used as a shop and into a refurbished house down the street. In addition to the family moving into a proper living space, Elof, the tailor living upstairs with his wife, was gaining access to the shop floor downstairs. There were high spirits all around.

Elof had come by the market this weekend where he struck up a conversation with you. He mentioned the move so naturally you had arrived and insisted on helping. "Frail mortal, come to assist gods?" Loki ribbed with a smirk. "I'm worried about you doing all this manual labor. What if you chip a royal nail?" You quipped back. That earned a hearty laugh from the Valkyrie.

Despite Loki's mockery, you weren't the only human here today. It seems a few others had become acquainted with either Sven or the tailor and had come to lend a hand. He took a moment to admire the mix of Asgardians and humans in the crowd today. If for only this instant it felt like the communities were truly melded, bent to one purpose. You pushed past him, making a comment about his work ethic, and he had no choice but to follow you inside with his own biting remark about how your strength was sure to fail. Ash remained outside, entertaining the human and Æsir children alike. Or perhaps they were entertaining him.

Loki was packing a box in the kitchen when he came across a ceramic mixing bowl in a familiar style. He turned it over and unsurprisingly found the bottom was stamped with the silhouette of a tern. On more than one occasion during these moving days he had encountered dishes or vases marked with your stamp. He wondered how many Æsir you had endeared yourself to. He wondered if you told them all the same story.

"You're trying too hard." You said to him as you carried a box outside. Loki was following behind. He had made a point of carrying twice as many boxes as you at any given time. "On the contrary, I'm hardly trying at all." You laughed and shook your head at him as you stowed the box in the truck.

He found space for his boxes then turned to you as you leaned against the truck to take a break. Loki noticed that despite the temperature your sleeves were pushed up to your elbows, likely from the exertion. "You look a bit flushed. Perhaps you shouldn't try to keep up with gods." You rolled your eyes. "Or is it that my feats of strength are flustering you?" You shot him a warning look. "Loki...." He smirked. "I only ask because I've been known to have that effect on you." "Hey! We had a deal!" He tilted his head. "Did we have a deal? You and I?" Your brows furrowed as you tried to decipher what he meant. "We traded dinner for never bringing it up again." "That doesn't sound like a deal I would make." He looked at you sidelong. "My brother, on the other hand, regularly makes poor trades such as that." You stared at him a moment in thought, then your eyes widened as it dawned on you. "You swindler." He feigned innocence. "Me? Swindle? I'm wounded. All I did was stand by while you bargained with Thor." You simply crossed your arms and scowled. He chuckled and leaned against the truck. "I found some of your handiwork in the kitchen." "Yeah, Sven needed a mixing bowl." "So he purchased one from you?" You smiled a wry smile. "Wouldn't you know it, I had accidentally overproduced bowls that week." He tutted. "You're such a deceitful creature." "That's rich coming from you." "Are you still on that? You deceived yourself, darling, I was merely present." You scoffed and pushed off the truck, returning to work.

**

With the number of people present, the work was completed fairly quickly. Most of the group was continuing on to assist with the unpacking at the new house, but you and the brothers and a few others were hanging back to help Elof move some items into the shop.

Valkyrie left to fetch something for dinner. You and the brothers were milling around outside when a car parked on the street. Loki immediately recognized the occupants. Khadija stepped out and began gathering parcels of fabrics from the trunk. Hani also emerged, and when she saw you and the gods she immediately sprinted over, grinning.

"Miss Terna! Mr. Loki! We're making a delivery!" She seemed very proud of this accomplishment. "Oh, that's great! Well done." You responded. "Hani, this is Thor, Loki's brother." "Ah, so this is Hani." Thor shook the girls hand. "I've heard much about you." The girl set her big brown eyes on the god. "Can you do magic too?" "No, not quite like Loki. But I am the God of Thunder." She frowned. "I'm afraid of thunder." "Oh, well, you have nothing to fear of me, I assure you." He faltered, grasping for something else. "I also have an axe, which I can summon to my hand." She didn't look terribly impressed. "Mr. Loki can do fireworks. And he made me a flower." Loki's expression was insufferably smug. Thor sighed, looking put-out. "Yes, my brother's magics are very impressive." One of the other children pulled Hani away into their game. You had a hand pressed to your mouth, stifling your laughter. Loki gave Thor an arrogant smile. "How does it feel? Being second-favorite?" "You had a head-start." Thor said dejectedly. He suddenly looked up and snapped his fingers. "I can fly! I should have told her I can fly." He looked toward Hani but she was already fully immersed in play. Loki patted his shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll make an impression on the child next time."

Khadija was making her way with her cart, loaded with bolts of her dyed fabric. You smiled and walked forward to greet your friend. Elof stepped outside with his arms spread wide. "Lady Khadija! You are just in time." He shook her hand and turned to Thor. "Thor, have you met Khadija? She makes such wonderful patterns. I knew immediately we must have a partnership!" Khadija smiled as she shook Thor's hand. "Likewise, I have seen Mr. Elof's craft. I know that he will honor my fabrics with his fine work."

The group at hand helped to unload Khadija's wares into the shop. Elof gave an enthusiastic tour of the storefront and workspace, espousing his vision for the future. Here would be a fitting room, here the window display, this space for cutting new designs. This was a man who could not wait to get back to his craft. It was heartening to see an Æsir so optimistic about what was to come.

All the work that could be done today had now been done. Elof thanked everyone graciously and his wife came downstairs to see everyone off. She shook each person's hand in turn. "Thank you, thank you. I am so grateful I can now send him downstairs to busy himself. He has been driving me mad, cooped up!" Elof laughed good-naturedly with the rest of you.

Thor invited Khadija to dinner, but her husband already had something waiting for them at home. She and Hani left, and you walked with the brothers to their humble abode, with Ash trailing behind. Valkyrie was already in the kitchen with pizza.

Everyone ate their fill. Thor brought out Stormbreaker and was inspecting it, hefting it experimentally. He mentioned he was considering bringing it to the market to show Hani. You shared a quiet chuckle with Loki.

Valkyrie was leaning forward in her seat, a hand on either side of Ash's salt-and-pepper face. She looked to you. "How old is Ash?" "Almost eleven. He's an old man." You smiled at the dog. "I'm surprised he's not asleep, he spent so much energy with those kids today." "Aww. Am I keeping you awake?" Valkyrie spoke in lilted tones to the dog as she scratched his neck. He did not answer.

Conversation shifted to how well the day had gone, and how well the development of New Asgard was progressing. Thor grabbed Loki by the shoulder. "You should be proud, brother. Much of this is your doing." Loki waved him off. "Hardly. I merely made a few arrangements. The people are doing all the work." "Hey, a good plan goes a long way." You interjected. "Well said." Thor nodded. "Things likely wouldn't be moving so smoothly if not for your strategy." He grinned. "Finally we found a useful purpose for that scheming mind of yours." Loki rolled his eyes. "We are turning a corner, I can feel it." Thor looked content as he sat back in his chair. "The future before us is bright."

For the first time in quite some time, Loki felt the same.

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[bellatrixobsessed1]

Mother's Scrapbook

Summary: The Fire Family takes a vacation to Seychelles. Azula is trying to start a summer romance with the tour guide and Ursa just wants to take one photograph with her daughter.

She meets the girl by chance on the shores of La Digue when the sun is high and the heat is rolling. She has a pretty smile that competes with the sunlight. Azula supposes that it isn’t pure happenstance, she had booked the tour afterall. An all day excursion of the island and the next one over. 

Where happenstance comes into play is that her initial tour guide has fallen ill—parasites of some sort in his fish dinner. So she has met the man’s daughter. 

It is just she and mother for this particular adventure. Zuzu had wanted to go snorkeling, a means of making good on his promise to Katara that he would bring back neat pictures of the ocean. Of course, uncle wanted to tag along. Truth be told, she wouldn’t have been able to guess that father was fond of snorkeling. Apparently he is interested in the stingrays. 

Mother on the other hand has a particularly adventurous spirit. It is one thing that they share. 

She just hopes that the woman won’t be overly gushing about this. 

The girl, who introduces herself as Seicho has a deeper complexion and pretty, soft brown eyes. She wears a wooden turtle necklace, likely hand-carved. “So you guys are staying in one of those spa resorts?” 

Azula nods. She has been enjoying the Rock Spa and its jacuzzi and manicure services. “We have a garden villa.” 

“That sounds lovely.” 

Ursa nods. “The facials and massages are amazing. My husband claims that he didn’t enjoy it but I haven’t seen him this relaxed in decades.” She ends with a chuckle. 

Seicho returns it. “Well first things first. I’ll show you around Anse Source D’argent.”

.oOo.

Most of the photos she snaps have been candid and stealthy. Azula doesn’t care for taking pictures.  It has been so long since the two of them have bonded and there is so much that she doesn’t know about her own daughter. She only has this sneaking suspicion that the girl doesn’t like to be photographed because she has a habit of finding flaws where there are none.

Mostly Ursa has been capturing nature shots, picturesque panoramas of the palm trees and the hiking trail before them. She has managed capture a few images of slumbering flying foxes and white fairy terns just before they took flight. 

Somehow it had been much harder to take a picture of Azula. But finally she has one. The image shows up on her camera screen; Azula is squatting in front of one of several tortoises attempting to feed it a handful of leaves while Seicho stands to her left, stroking the tortoise’s shell. 

Ursa smiles at the photograph. Decidedly, her next mission will be to convince Azula take at least one photo together. She can’t remember the last time that the two of them have been in a picture together, let alone one that features just the two of them. It would be a lovely addition to her scrapbook. 

“Do you want to try to feed them, mother?” Azula asks. 

“Of course I would.” 

Azula takes the camera from her and Ursa allows herself to be on the other side of the lens for a change. 

“We should take a picture together.” She suggests a little ways down the hiking trail.

“Here?” Azula furrows her brows. “Shouldn’t we find a more scenic spot?”

It isn’t a yes, but it certainly implies that she might just get that photo of the two of them, if she chooses just the right setting. It is only night one of their vacation. Ursa smiles to herself, she has a feeling that she will get that photo eventually.

.oOo.

From atop her granite perch, Azula kicks her feet at water that reflects a mango-pink lemonade sunset. The rocks look pink in this light and Seicho’s face is painted a soft gold. The girl’s hand falls atop hers. 

“It’s pretty isn’t it?”

It would be much easier to make the most of the moment if mother wasn’t there observing and giving her what is supposed to be an encouraging thumbs up. It only brings color to her cheeks and she hopes that Seicho hasn’t spotted the woman. 

Azula nods. “I’ve seen sunsets in Hawaii, The Maldives, and Tahiti. I like this one the most.” Although, nothing truly compares to the volcanoes in Hawaii. “It’s a good way to end the first evening.” She wonders how Zuzu, father, and uncle are doing. She speculates that they are probably making their way to one of the resort’s restaurants, likely picking out a seat that overlooks the water. Zuzu is quite fond of ladob and she and father have taken a shine to the kari bonit. 

“Roasted breadfruit?” Seicho offers. 

Azula scrunches her brows at the fruit.

“I guess that it doesn’t look particularly appetizing, but it is tasty.” Seicho promises. 

Reluctantly, Azula picks up a slice. Even more hesitantly Azula pops it into her mouth. 

“Well?”

Azula hums. “It’s alright, I suppose.” 

“It tastes better with coconut oil and other fruits.” 

With nowhere left to take the conversation, Azula resumes looking out at the winking waves as a balmy breeze tosses her locks about. The world around smells fresh and salty. She finds herself slipping into a daydream of sorts; one wherein she and Seicho are walking across the sand while their families enjoy a beach picnic. 

They are supposed to have a family picnic on day three of their vacation.

“Where did you get that necklace?” Azula tries to resume the conversation. 

“It was my great, great, great, great, grandmother’s. It has been passed down for generations. My mom lets me wear it sometimes.” She pauses. “So what brings you to Seychelles?”

“Family vacation.” Azula finds herself staring off again. “It’s the first one that we’ve taken since my cousin Lu-Ten died.” 

“What happened to him?” 

“He and my grandfather were part of a search and rescue team. No one was there to rescue them.” She will leave it to Seicho to piece the details together. The wound is still rather raw in spite of the years gone by. 

“I’m sorry to hear it.” Seicho frowns. 

Azula shrugs. “I’m glad to be going on vacations again.” It is a simple, lighter way of saying that she is glad that her family is finally on the mend after tragedy and tension had put such a rift in the unity of it. 

As embarrassing as it is to have mother lurking about, she is quite relived that the woman cares enough to hover and supervise. To have the woman’s encouragement. “The hike was nice, mother rather enjoyed it.” And they had rather enjoyed each other’s company for a change.”

Seicho grins. “Thanks! It was my first time giving a tour! I’ll let my dad know that you think I did a good job.” 

Azula nods. She casts a glance at the hand that is still resting atop her own.

“Oh! I’m sorry, I can move it if you’d like.”

Azula shakes her head. “You can leave it there.” She doesn’t think anyone, family aside, has ever held her hand before. She has never had someone hold her hand the way that Mai holds Zuko’s. This isn’t exactly hand holding but it is close enough to make her stomach fluttery.

She catches Seicho’s eyes. They reflect the sun perfectly. So much so that Azula is inclined to say that they were made to do just that. 

She doesn’t kiss Seicho that day, but she has all week to try. 

Perhaps it will be a short thing. 

A tiny little blip of a summer romance. 

But it will be a memory to cherish and look back on when she sees the pictures in mother’s scrapbook.

[andrew-ars281-fall-2024]

I chose Rachel Bigsby since I love the idea of wildlife photography, especially of birds. Her work stands out to me, highlighting the beauty of wildlife. The first image I linked shows two loons which I took as looking at each other in a loving exchange. I think the photo was well done, especially editing the fade of the image from the head of the loons.

The second image depicts a tern, which I think are really cool birds. I like the contrast between the colors and the symmetry of the photograph. I could only imagine how difficult it must have been to obtain these shots when photographing birds constantly moving around.