#and my new budgie is still so scared of me :(

[greennymphs]

god i love birds so much

the way i cant stop smiling when i see cute little parrots

i love how they close their eyes when theyre comfty cuddling you or getting scritches

their feathers are so soft ugh

[slashingdisneypasta]

Hello. What about a villain SO who adores animals for Captain Hook, Hades, Dr. Facilier, Bill Cipher, Beetlejuice, and Jafar? Thank you hun😊🍯

Hope you like these ^^

~~~

Beetlejuice:

·         I wouldn’t put it past him to make one or two beastiality jokes…

·         But apart from that, he doesn’t half mind animals either! (And he finds it endearing to see you playing with them, not that he cares to identify at all the warm, soothing feeling in his chest when he sees you boop your nose against a tortoise’s.) He’d love a dog, or… a tiger. A dinosaur would be ideal.

·         But actually, its animals that tend to have a problem with him.

·         Cuz of course animals are a lot more sensitive than humans tend to be to ghosts, and demons, and souls. And his soul is pretty damn mucky. BJ has met exactly zero animal’s so far (Since his death) that haven’t taken an immediate dislike of him. They hiss at him, or growl, or try to wriggle away even if they aren’t being held by him; Just nearby to him.

·         He scares them because they can feel his evil and want nothing to do with it.

·         So your dreams of adopting a dog with your new ghostie bf will need to be put on a back burner. Maybe he can lasso a sandworm and y’all can name her Rose and she can be your pet? He absolutely does not want you to be sad because of him!!

Bill Cipher:

·         “ooOOH, what kind? Anglerfish? Clown fish? Sharks? Lobsters? Giant Squid? Wolffish? The Textile Cone Snail’s native to the Red Sea, Indian Ocean and Oceania waters? Octopus? Lock Ness Monster? Mermaids? Shrimp? Koi? M E G A L A D O N S? OH OH- THE KRAKEN?”

·         “Wow, that was a lotta underwater stuff. I mean, yeah, they’re all great but also land animals and birds… And I don’t think all those are actually real?”

·         “Heheh, that’s what you think… “His body loses its colour and becomes like a Bill Shaped screen, like he does sometimes when he’s brainstorming, and you just catch a picture of somewhere under the ocean and a beautiful, purple tale flapping out of the picture and a flash of soft, human skin just above it. Your eyes blow wide open. “Y/N, remember 80 percent of the ocean is unexplored.”

·         SO, yeah. Bill’s really into underwater creatures. It is the most mysterious part of earth and in it lives some of the world’s freakiest creatures.

·         He’ll install a whole aquarium in your house out of excitement, and inside? Nothing but angler fish, giant squids to watch you while you sleep and beautifully coloured sea snails climbing up the glass walls.

·         Land animals though and birds? Very little interest. Birds get points only for being close to dinosaurs (You ask about reptiles in that case and his eye inverts in its colouring. His ‘skin’ goes red. “Those jerks know what they did.”), but still he’d much rather talk about star fish! Get ready to be more educated about the ocean’s weirdest creatures and mysterious happenings then you ever wanted to be.

Captain Hook:

·         He has very confused feelings about this- especially when you act so chummy with Tik Tok who, naturally, loves you and your T-Bone steak snacks.

·         On one hand, if you’re feeding Tik Tok then Tik Tok probably won’t feel the need or be able, to eat him.

·         But on the other- bEtrAyER! How could you feed and love that monster, that has plagued his life for years and made his existence a living hell?

·         But then again, the fact that Tik Tok is now often too full to bother with him rears its head again and he calms down.

·         Because of this, its typical that he says nothing when you have animals around (Any animal. They all remind him of Tik Tok. Scales, fur, or feather). He’ll want to. Gosh, the need to speak will overflow in his throat and he’ll take a deep breath- … but then no words come out. He forces it down. Because he can’t mention his dislike without mentioning his relief also, so speaking at all would really just make you confused and feel bad and leave him frustrated because he doesn’t know how either of you could change to make this better for anyone, so its just not worth it.  

·         So then he just walks away.

·         Its pretty humorous to see, actually. Because he’s just all grumpy and slouching off, maybe shaking his head and muttering, and you’re all wide eyed and confused. Holding, like, a budgie or a snake or something.

·         The other pirates are keeping a tally.

·         Bonus point: He’s not scared (Or allergic) of any other animals apart from Tik Tok, so you don’t have to worry about him being skittish or anything.

Dr Facilier:

·         Frogs are a difficult subject for him so enjoy amphibian cuties somewhere that he is not, please. Also rabbits- there was an incident before you came along that he does not speak of.

·         Other then that, Facilier is basically a normal person about animals. He can appreciate a nice zoo visit every now and then and pet the odd dog or cat but with you in his life he never wants to go to a zoo again. And he’s bored as hell by everyday pets.

·         But he won’t tell you he’s sick of all the animals. Nay, nay. Its one of those things where you love the person, so you put up with the crazy/annoying shit they love. Like ‘Yes, yes. Very interesting, cher… ‘ when you talk about it, while he’s actually reading the newspaper and he hasn’t heard anything you said. After all, you stay quiet when he’s plotting or cackling over something he did to a victim that day. Its only fair.

·         He is fascinated, though, when he’s just watching you (Sometimes he just sits back and observes you doing your thing. Its relaxing for him) and he notices little quirks you’ve picked up from various creatures. Like the way you curl up when you’re lying down on the couch and how you shrink back from things that happened to surprise you, similar to a big cat. Your eyes are focused like a wild animal, too. Very cute.

·         Lots of animal-themed nicknames.

Hades:

·         “You know, some tell me I’m a kinda animal, babe… “He wiggles his eyebrows at you over his mug of whatever-he-drinks (You fear asking, after watching him eat a bowl of worms), offering his best (And funniest) bedroom eyes to you.

·         “Yes, but are you as cute as this snake Hades?? Are you?? Look into these eyes and tell me this snek is not as cute as you are.” You lift the little grass snake gently from the table and onto your arm, letting him wrap its body around you and lift his head to look around; Checking out what’s up. He was getting his scales stroked good; Why has it stopped?  

·         “Pfft,” Hades rolls his eyes, returning to the chess board in front of him (He likes to play both sides and challenge himself).

·         Okay so, Hades can take or leave most animals. But it’s so cute that you love them, so he lets you keep them around. Whatever animals you like (Don’t worry, you also have the proper equipment and enclosures for them, and Hades makes another God, who is an expert on all things animals, come by whenever you have a question), and however many you like. I mean, what’s the good of being a God if you can’t spoil yourself and your preciously excited, human significant other?

·         So you have, like, Reptiles at the west end of his underworld castle, nocturnal animals on the east, more pet-type animals like dogs and cats and rabbits in the living area part of the castle, etc.

·         The animals give Pain and Panic a hugely hard time, which Hades thinks is a great bonus to doing this for you.

·         He really loves it when you call him and yourself the animal’s parents. Yes, call me Daddy, babes. Its fine by me!

Jafar:

·         Oh my god, the disdain in his voice when he looks from you, practically bouncing on the heels of your feet and to the fluffy white kitty you’ve gently shoved in his hands- which he holds at nearly a full arm’s length away from him. “Eugh. Really?”

·         “What’s wrong! ? Isn’t she the cutest?”

·         “She’ll get fur everywhere.”

·         “Oh, that’s rich… “You say, side eye-ing Iago, who’s making a face at the cat from Jafar’s other shoulder. “Iago stress moults- and you stress him out all the time!”

·         A dramatic, offended gasp erupts from one of the two males (Not gonna tell you who). “It is aesthetically pleasing mess!”

·         So basically if the animal doesn’t speak a language he understands, he doesn’t care for it. You’re going to be fighting him on this for the rest of your life, Y/N. (Or his. I mean, I heard evil double crossing sorcerer vizier’s are dying at an accelerated rate these days. Hm, mysterious.).

[ariesluvz]

It's raining and lightning outside and I'm dead scared for my new budgies (birds). Also my balcony is near the rooftop of the building beside us so I don't really keep them there. Cuz I think bad spirits roam in the rooftop at night and my budgies might get scared but I'm not really 100% sure if it's correct. But still I keep them in the other balcony but that is just beside the main road so it's veryyy loud in there so idk what should I do?! Please can anyone tell me what should I do 🥺😭😭

[survivingthejungle]

everybody wants to rule the world (caliban)

When Sabrina was 8 years old, her life got a little more unusual. Being a half witch raised by her two aunts and cousin (all full-blooded witches)  in a mortuary was not a common experience for most children. But things became different when another cousin, from her mother's side of the family, came to live in the Spellman house. Her mother, Diana, had a brother, William; WIlliam married and had a daughter just two years before Sabrina was born. She was named Genevieve Sawyer, and she and her paternal cousin had been very close to one another their entire lives. When it was heard that William had been shot and that Genevieve's mother was not fit to parent, the girl's cousin and family immediately stepped up to take her in and be her legal guardians. 

Despite Genevieve's unfortunate circumstances, she never lost her bright personality or kindness. She seemed to stick out like a sore thumb in the Spellman house from time to time, but it was a welcome change of pace for everyone who lived there. For the next eight years after she had gone to live with her cousins and aunts, she had grown into a compassionate, driven young lady. Growing with her were several pets she had acquired over the years. Genevieve had a special love for animals and so had adopted many. She had a spotted turtle named Tucker, whom she had rescued from getting run over by a truck one morning. She also had an orange tabby cat named Tex, a green budgie named Pico, and a blue pit bull terrier named Bambi. The latest addition to the family was an albino ball python, whom she was currently in the process of naming. 

"Genevieve. I mean it this time," scolded her aunt Zelda. "No more pets. You have barely enough space for them all, and I won't allow any more of this."

"No more, aunt Zelda. I got it. This guy is the last," she affirmed, gesturing with the snake which was slithering over her shoulders and down her left arm. Her aunt shuddered. 

"How you can allow that thing near you is beyond me."

"She's sweet!" she defended. "She's just curious."

"She stays in your room only. If I see a snake slithering about my house I won't hesitate to kill it."

"She won't go anywhere. Promise."

Once her aunt had finished scolding her and left her room, she turned her attention back to her new friend. "What do we call you, huh?" Genevieve said. She set the snake down on her bed and flipped on her record player against the wall to fill the silence, and an old Fleetwood Mac album started spinning. "Well," she said, "I have to take Bambi and Tex on a walk, so I guess we should put you in your tank, huh?" She moved the young albino to the mostly empty tank and placed the lid over it, promising, "I'll get you some decorations while I'm out." Then she put on a pair of socks, laced up her shoes, and grabbed two harnesses and leashes from the footboard of her bed, heading downstairs to find the only two of her pets that were mammals. "Morning, aunt Hilda," she greeted the small blonde woman.

"Oh, g'morning my love! Are you taking Tex and Bambi on a walk?"

"Yeah, once I find 'em." "Well you'll eat first, won't you?" She pointed to the table. "Some toast for you."

"You're the best," Genevieve said, sitting down to take a bite of it. The toast was covered with peanut butter and sliced bananas; simple, but a favorite of the girl's. She finished eating quickly and was off again in search of her cat and dog, finding them in the family room. Tex was lounging on the couch and Bambi had seemingly been banished by him, staring at the tabby from the ground. "You wanna go on a walk?" she said to them both, her voice increasing by about an octave. Bambi's ears perked up and her eyes widened; Tex hopped down from the couch and over to circle Genevieve's legs. "Hey auntie," she called into the kitchen, "Do you know where Beans went?"

"Yes," her aunt called back, "I believe she went to go see Harvey, Roz, and Theo?"

"Okay. Thank you!" She then strapped both of the harnesses onto Tex and Bambi and put them on their leashes, and then made their way outside to their usual walking route. About halfway through their walk she and her two companions made a detour to go to Harvey's garage, where Genevieve had guessed their band would be practicing and where her cousin had gone to find them. Heading around behind his house, she found the garage door unlocked and entered in to find the four of them seemingly discussing something important.

"'Vieve,"  Sabrina greeted as soon as she saw her cousin. "What's up?"

"I was walking Tex and Bambi," she responded, holding up the two leashes attached to both animals. "What's up with you?"

"Sabrina's trying to take us to Hell," Theo told her. 

Genevieve's eyebrows raised and she went to take a seat on the couch closest to her. "Why?" she asked Sabrina.

"Nick." She said his name sadly; she knew her cousin missed him a lot and felt guiltier every day she left him trapped there. "I think I found a way to get him out."

"But, like… He's still…" Genevieve trailed off, not knowing how to formulate her thoughts exactly. 

"Yes," she responded, knowing what the girl was getting at. "A flesh Acheron. But I might have a solution for that too."

—

Sabrina had brought the five of them through Dorian's portal to Hell with an incantation, where they landed on a cold, dark beach, coughing up the salt water that had gotten into their lungs. "Wait, so… Hell is a beach?" Harvey asked.

"The Shores of Sorrow," Sabrina whispered hauntingly. 

Theo stood up and pointed out at the water. "Guys. Look. What are those?" There were tall wooden structures standing above the waves, and from them came pained groans and wails. Hands were reaching out, desperate to grab whatever would come close to them. 

"They're the souls of the damned," called a deep, unfamiliar voice. The group turned their heads to look for the source, and saw a large sandcastle and someone walking out from behind it. He had blond hair and was wearing a flowing white shirt that he had left unbuttoned. "They drown as the tide rolls in. Over, and over," he said, looking out at them, "For all eternity."

"Bummer," Genevieve whispered to Roz.

"Hi," Sabrina greeted him as the group approached him. "We're looking for Lilith." He didn't respond. "Uh, Madame Satan? S-Queen of Hell?" The boy looked pointedly at her, on the verge of a smirk. "She's in Pandemonium, if you happen to know the way." He turned his head and pointed left. Sharp jaw, Genevieve thought. 

"All blood flows to Pandemonium." Sure enough, there was a large rock through which blood was flowing, that seemed to turn into a path further up the beach. "Follow the blood-red road where it flows, and there you'll find the throne of Hell," he instructed, still pointing. 

"Thanks," Sabrina said. He pushed his hair back from the wind blowing on the beach, smirk still present. What does he know that we don't? her cousin wondered.  "And you are?"

He seemed as if he were about to respond, but decided against it. "Never step off the road," he advised. He looked at their feet then. "It's clever you're wearing dead men's shoes. Though… any demon worth his salt can smell mortal flesh a mile away."

Genevieve's brows furrowed. "Ew." The boy glanced at her and then turned back to his project. 

"Come on," Sabrina said, "Let's go." The four trailed behind her, but Genevieve stayed still for a moment. "Hey! I like your sandcastle," she called to the boy. He looked back at her, intrigued. "Bye!" she waved. He lifted a hand in return, and she was on her way. 

— 

The journey through hell had been… adventurous, to say the least. Between the field of crucified people beating eaten by crows, to the forest with a magical flower and a bloodthirsty tin man, to a horrific mock-high school classroom, Genevieve and the others were exhausted, scared, and ready to go back to earth. After being rescued by Lilith's helper, a man dressed in a bellhop's outfit and being seated at some hellish feast, she and Sabrina began a conversation about getting Nick out of Hell and taking care of Theo's uncle's soul as well. The Infernal Kings weren't recognizing Lilith's newfound authority, so she struck a deal with Sabrina- the throne for her boyfriend and her friend's uncle. Sabrina, of course, agreed, and the process had begun.

— 

"Infernal court, I bid you welcome," Lilith greeted from the throne. The three demonic kings stood before her in wait. "The city of Pandemonium has an honored guest. May I present to the hordes, Sabrina Morningstar, daughter of Lucifer Morningstar." Sabrina walked to stand next to the woman and looked around the throne room. "In his absence, she has come to officially declare me Queen of Hell. Isn't that right, Sabrina?"

"Yes, that's right," she told them. 

"This is treason! Heresy!" the Kings protested. "Lilith is a concubine, not a queen. We do not recognize her. She was Lucifer's whore. The realms are in chaos, and the Earth, the Pit, the Heavens, the Cosmos, they all reject Lilith's claim to the throne."

"And who do you propose would rule?" she shot back. 

That was the million dollar question, it seemed, because the Kings got a nefarious look in their eyes. "All hail Caliban, Prince of Hell. Molded from the clay of the Pit itself, native son of the inferno, born to restore and rule our dark domain!"

"Hello again," said the supposed Prince Caliban, in yet another open top. He maintained the smug look on his face that he was wearing at their last encounter. 

"Uh, hi?" Sabrina said, mildly confused. 

"What is this?" Lilith questioned. "This is salvation," he told her. "Since the Dark Lord's desertion, the Nine Circles of Hell have been breaking down. I, Caliban, will restore stability and do what Lucifer failed to do… conquer the earth. Remake it as our Tenth Circle, and enslave the tribes of mortal and witch."

Before anyone else could get a word in edgewise, Genevieve spoke up. "No? You most certainly will not!" she said. He raised his eyebrows at her. "Dude. You're… you're not even a real person." Her brow furrowed. "Someone gets one good blast with a hairdryer and what happens? You dry up and crack?"

"I'm afraid that's not how it works, darling." He stepped closer. "Though you are clever for that." Yet another smirk. Smug bastard. Closer. And closer. 

She glared at him. "Thanks," she deadpanned. 

"You are pretty, for a mortal," he said to her. "Maybe I'll have mercy on you." He lifted a hand to beside her face and toyed with a strand of hair that had fallen out of her braid.

"Don't touch me." She slapped his hand away, and he stepped back. Sabrina and Lilith had been whispering to each other from the moment that Caliban revealed his plan. But now, she was seemingly comatic; her eyes and Nick's were both glazed over in red and they were both catatonic. But when her senses came back and her eyes returned to normal, she had adopted a newfound confidence. "No, we won't," she said to Lilith. "I am Sabrina Morningstar," she announced to the hordes, "And that throne is mine. By blood, and by birth."

"Here we go again," Harvey muttered. Genevieve chuckled. 

"Yours to give me, you mean," Lilith interjected. 

"No. Mine. To claim." She sat on the throne herself, and her cousin had to admit that she looked rather regal. 

"We do not accept this!" the Kings argued. "The witch lives on Earth. She cannot possibly rule Hell."

"You've obviously never been to high school."

"You are a child, not a queen," another King shot. 

"I am a young woman." Right on, her cousin thought. 

"You cannot fulfill your father's duties." "I can," she insisted, looking at Lilith. "With Lilith as my advisor." "What?" "Isn't that what kings and queens do when they're too young to rule?" she argued. "They appoint a…" "Regent," Lilith offered. "Yes. As a matter of fact, yes." "Then you, Lilith, are my regent."

"I dispute this." Caliban, of course. 

"Okay, Dirt-Man," Genevieve said. She had begun to harbor a deeply personal sense of loathing for him, especially because of how he disrespected her cousin's authority and was a raging narcissist. 

After an attempted challenge for the crown, Sabrina dismissed the court and he and his clique left Pandemonium. She and the rest of the group, along with Nick and his tongue, followed Dorian's instructions and used the flower and the incantation to return home. 

— 

Sabrina had royally fucked up— no pun intended. After fumbling her first soul retrieval and getting locked in an industrial freezer by her second, she was beginning to lose hope. And she was running out of time. While Lilith was out searching for the wayward queen, the clay prince decided to go on his own adventure.

— 

Genevieve was occupied in her cozy, bright room when a gust of spiraling flames interrupted her peace. She had been lying in her bed, reading a book and accompanied by all of her pets (which was a rare occurrence). Pico had nestled onto Tuck's shell and they were both napping. Bambi was curled up against her side and Tex at her feet, and the new snake— whose name, she decided, was Rhiannon— was also curled at the end of the bed. "Quite the companions you've got," he spoke deeply, disturbing the silence. "You!" she said, sitting up and starting all but the python. "What are you doing in my room?" she asked, exasperated. 

"Here to see you, of course," he told her, sitting down on the edge of her bed. Genevieve

was still perplexed. 

"...Why?"

"You amuse me, mortal. And you've caught my eye. Your friend may be the Queen of Hell—"

"Cousin," she corrected.

"Your cousin may be Queen, but it's you who's really captured my attention."

"I… Okay," she responded, brows furrowed.

"No one's ever spoken to me as boldly as you have. Especially for a mortal. If I wanted to punish you, in fact, it would be well within my rights. Even your cousin could not do anything about it; laws in Hell differ than on Earth."

"So, what. You're here to kill me? Because I threatened your ego?" Genevieve rolled her eyes and got up, Bambi following after her. She grabbed Rhiannon and carried her over to her tank, flipping the switch for her heater and closing the lid. She then grabbed Tuck, as gently as possible to allow him to keep napping, and put him in his tank as well.

"Of course not," he chuckled. "You're much too interesting. It would be a shame for your potential to go to waste." "Potential," she said, disinterested. Walking to her door, she slipped on a pair of shoes that sat against the wall. "For?"

"For you to align with me. You may not like me much now, but I'm sure you'll grow to."

"For me… I'm sorry, what? You expect me to betray my cousin for someone who wants to literally enslave my people and take over the Earth?" He said nothing. "No!" she waved her hand at him, signaling for him to leave. "Be gone. Or... whatever you say to banish demons." She left her room and headed down the hallway and to the stairs, but Caliban was not far behind. Neither was Bambi.

She made a pit stop in the kitchen to make herself a sandwich before she left the house. "Do you think me unreasonable?" Caliban asked, leaning against the counter while she worked. 

"Well, yeah. Actually I do." 

He grabbed her hand before she could continue. Making sure to never break eye contact, he pleaded, "Please. Let me prove you wrong." She pulled her hand away.

"Why are you so dead set on this?" she groaned. "I said no!" A frustrated laugh left her lips.

"I'll make you a deal," he pressed. She returned her attention to her sandwich and refused to look at him. "Submit to me, and I will abandon my plan to enslave the tribes of Earth." Still, silence. Genevieve pretended that he wasn't even there anymore, slipping Bambi a piece of turkey in between the two of them. Once again, Caliban brought his hand up and grabbed her chin; she couldn't turn away. 

"You won't get the chance," she spat. "My cousin is the Queen. Your plan will never happen." He opened his mouth to argue, but in a split second, decided against it. 

"If that's truly how you feel, then I concede. But know my offer still stands." Genevieve shrugged, straight-faced, unsure how to respond. 

"Will you leave now? I have somewhere to be," she told him, putting her sandwich in a baggie and walking to the kitchen table where a backpack was hanging off the back of a chair. 

"Will the lady allow me to escort her?" he countered. She threw her food, a water bottle, and a sports drink into the bag as she considered it. 

"Fine, I guess." She slung the backpack over her shoulder before kneeling down to scratch and kiss Bambi's head. "Bye, Bambi!" she said, her voice having gone up at least an octave. The blue pit thumped her tail and opened her mouth in a typical pit bull smile. Without a word, she stood up and passed Caliban to go retrieve her sneakers which were sitting by the front door. He followed, attentive to her every move. She locked the door behind her on her way out and began walking into town. 

"Where are you headed to?" he asked her.

"The gym. I coach junior high volleyball."

"Is that a mortal sport?"

"Yeah. I played for a long time."

"Why did you stop?" 

Genevieve stayed silent for a beat. "When I was still in high school, a few colleges wanted to recruit me for their teams. I would have gone to any of them, but…"

"But what?" "Well, I don't really know what I want to do with my life. I didn't want to just up and leave my family with no plan. So after I graduated this spring, I decided to take a gap year to figure out what I want to do."

"Have you figured it out yet?" he asked. His tone seemed genuinely interested. 

She stayed quiet for a while longer. "No," Genevieve admitted, dejectedly.

"Maybe you should work with animals," Caliban offered. "Really? Why?"

"You seem to like them enough, you've got several as pets."

"Yeah, that's fair. But I don't think I could ever be a vet," she claimed. 

"Then don't. Try something else."

"Like what?"

"You're the mortal here, not me," he chuckled. "You know more about your options than I do." Genevieve let out a little laugh as well. "Think about it," he advised her. 

"I will. Thank you, Caliban."

— 

Sabrina didn't return home until well past midnight. As she walked through the front door and quietly closed it, her cousin broke her silence from the stairs. "Where you been, Beans?"

Sabrina nearly jumped, startled. "I was— Oh, Aunties," she muttered, finally facing all three of them. 

"Well, do you care to explain yourself?" Zelda questioned. Sabrina glanced at Genevieve, who was leaning over the top of the banister and mouthed I didn't say anything.

"Oh, I'm sorry I missed your first day at the Academy," she apologized. "I had this prob-"

"How many secrets are you keeping from us?" Zelda interrupted.

Hilda piped up in typical good-cop fashion. "You didn't happen to go to Hell, bring back your father, the Dark Lord, and stick him in the bowels of the Academy without telling us, did you?"

"Putting what's left of the coven, not to mention the entire world, in grave peril, just so you can see your boyfriend." 

"That's not why I did it," Sabrina argued. 

"Oh, God. Here we go again," Genevieve muttered as Tex jumped up onto the bannister beside her. She gave his head an absent-minded scratch as she watched the scene unfold. 

"Oh, I know why you did it. Cassius delivered a stack of books with rituals about soul transference… I thought the Dark Lord was bad. I thought he was dangerous, but Lilith preserve up from his demented, lovesick daughter."

"Aunt Zelda!" Genevieve shouted. "That was so uncalled for!"

"I couldn't just leave Nick in Hell!" Sabrina defended herself. "Every second he was down there, he was in torment. Aunties, every second he was in pain."

"We know, darling," Hilda tried to comfort. 

"And it's my fault." Her cousin began to tear up with the thought of Nick's suffering. "He did it for me. I couldn't just… wash my hands of him." Hilda stepped off of the stairs and went to Sabrina to try to comfort her. "I owed it to Nick to at least try and get Lucifer out of his body and into someone else's."

Zelda had begun to abandon her condemnation of Sabrina's actions, instead demanding that she come up with a well thought-out plan. "Whose? Where do you expect to find another vessel strong enough to withstand being turned into a flesh Acheron for the Devil himself?"

In a moment of perfect timing, Ambrose and Prudence appeared in the front hallway with a raggedy, bearded man at their feet. "Aunties," he greeted. "I'm home." It was evident in his tone and lack of breath that he was exhausted. "Any chance of a cuppa?"

Genevieve went downstairs and followed her cousin and Prudence into the kitchen. 'Whatcha want, 'Bose?"

"Something to help me sleep, finally," he rasped. "Thank you, cousin." (They weren't really cousins, but it was how they had referred to each other since Genevieve had come to live with them those 8 years ago.)

"You too?" she asked Prudence. "Yes, please."

— 

  The next night, Sabrina returned home and immediately headed to Genevieve's room to de-stress from her arduous day. "That jerk Caliban challenged me for the throne," she sighed, laying down on Genevieve's bed. "Again. Legally, this time. And I had to accept it."

Her cousin took a deep breath. "Wow. He's really not letting it go, huh?"

"No. I wish he would, though."

"Well, what was the challenge? What do you have to do?"

"We're both supposed to search for the Unholy Regalia. It's a Hell thing," she explained at Genevieve's confusion. "The first item is Herod's Crown."

"H- King Herod? Like 'kill the babies' Herod?"

"That's the one."

"Jesus," Genevieve exhaled. "...No pun intended." She had been sitting on the floor with Rhiannon, watching as she explored the room, but stood up to sit next to her cousin. "Beans, you've got a lot on your plate right now. Are you sure you're gonna be okay?"

Sabrina considered her question for a moment. "No. Actually, I'm not sure. But I have to do this." She shut her eyes tight for a few seconds before opening them again and sitting upright. "And I have so much homework on top of this."

"You know what? I don't have anything to do tonight. You go to bed, I'll do your homework tonight." Sabrina smiled softly at her cousin. 

"Vieve, you don't have to do that—"

"I know. But I want to. You need to rest. Besides," Genevieve said, "I already got through all of those classes once. I can do a few assignments tonight."

— 

It was about eleven o'clock that same night and Genevieve was on a productive streak- in terms of getting her cousin's homework taken care of. She had advised Sabrina to talk to Ambrose the following day about looking for the crown and, subsequently, the rest of the regalia. In the midst of her focus, a gust of heat hit her and she could sense a presence in her room. She didn't even bother to turn around from her desk. "Go away, Caliban."

"I take it you've heard about my challenge, then?"

Genevieve set her pencil down and stared at him. "Do you have any idea the shit Sabrina's been going through, lately? I know you don't care, because all you want is power, but she's an actual person with other responsibilities and an entire life that she's dealing with on a daily basis. You're made of clay and you're from Hell, I get it, you must not have any sense of empathy, but this is taking a toll on everyone. You are such a raging narcissist." Caliban's smirk had dissipated by now. "Get out of my house, Caliban. I'm busy."

"You're wrong," he said. He was uncharacteristically quiet. "I can be empathetic." He sat down on the edge of Genevieve's bed, and Tex had allowed him to pet his head. "I do have emotions."

"Showing them from time to time might do you good." He said nothing, focusing his attention entirely on Tex rather than making eye contact with Genevieve. "Why are you here?" she asked, adopting a gentler tone. She felt as if she had been hard enough on him to get her point across. "Don't you have a crown to find, or something?"

"I've not yet located it. I was wondering if you've considered my offer?"

"Of course not," she scoffed. "I don't think you're gonna win. Beans may be busy, but she's smart. And talented."

"Well, she is the Dark Lord's daughter."

"Regardless. No, I haven't considered it. Is that all?"

"I hear there's a carnival in town."

Her brows furrowed momentarily. "What do you care?"

"Would it please the lady to accompany me? Tomorrow night?"

Genevieve went stiff like a deer in headlights. "Um… sure, okay. I guess?"

"You seem confused," he observed. 

"Yeah, I- I am. A little. Surprised. Why do you wanna go to the carnival?"

"Is this not how mortals court each other?" he asked, standing up to lean against the desk she had been working at. He seemed his usual self again, another smirk crossing his face. "Or would you rather skip the formalities?" He winked, grinning down at her. Though she was still sitting, it was obvious that he was taller than she was. 

She scoffed lightly. "Fine. I will go to the carnival with you tomorrow," Genevieve conceded. "Are you done now?"

"Are you sure you wouldn't have me spend the night?" he teased. 

"Don't push it, Dirt-Man."

"As you wish," he told her, and threw his arms up, creating a vortex of fire and returning to the pits of hell. 

— 

Genevieve finally retired to bed at about quarter till 1 in the morning. Rhiannon was cozy in her tank and Tuck was in his; Pico was sleeping in his cage and Tex was curled up at the foot of her bed. Bambi was laying with her back to Genevieve's, but the blue pit had been awoken by a sudden presence appearing in the room. In the dark, Caliban had returned once more to the girl, this time having astral projected. Bambi's head stuck up, sniffing at him. He put his finger up to his lips and whispered to the dog, "Shh." Bambi was convinced and went back to sleep, leaving the boy to himself. He walked around until he was facing her, and he knelt down at her bedside. He rested his head on one arm while his other hand brushed some stray hairs away from her face. She looked so peaceful he was almost afraid to touch her. "Sleep well, darling girl," he whispered. "And forgive me for what I must do." Without another word, he kissed her forehead and promptly returned to his physical body in Hell. 

[budgiecare]

Female budgie 'enjoys' biting me

I have two new budgies, one male and one female. Neither of them have been hand trained and were scared of me when we first bought them. However, they are now more trusting, and the male will even step up on my finger to eat the millet that I'm holding in my other hand. The female doesn't want to perch on me just yet, but will take millet, and even seeds, from my hand or between my thumb and forefinger. My problem is, is that she seems to 'enjoy' biting me. It doesn't appear that she's biting out of fear. She will be eating something from my hand, or the male will and in this case she's trying to get where he is, and she will just start biting, softly at first and then harder until she decides to just flat out chew on my finger or hand. It hurts to be honest and I'm not sure what to do to break this habit. I've tried ignoring it, but that's just out of the question for me, because it's not just one bite but a series of painful chews that leave red marks and little bruises at times. And I've also tried firmly (not yelling) saying 'no' and gently blowing at her. Nothing so far seems to get through to her. Do you have any suggestions as to what I can do to get her to stop biting me? I only have the one cage and I'm not comfortable taking either bird out of it just yet as they could still hurt themselves. 

ANSWER:

hello,

This is quite common especially with female budgies who tend to be a bit more feisty!

I do find that when budgies are gaining confidence they may be more likely to bite and test boundaries. It’s also common that budgies use their beak kind of like a third hand, you’ll notice they use it to assist them to climb around the cage and even to test perches etc before they decide they’re safe to climb onto.

Personally when my birds used to hop onto my hand and bite me I would move my hand up and down sort of quickly not enough to really startle them but enough to make them lose focus on the biting as they’re trying to regain balance or sometimes they’ll just hop off your hand.

If she’s hitting when just near your hand and not actually on you then I suggest you move your hand out and move the treat away straight away. Wait a minute then bring the treat back- each time she tries to bite you move away. Eventually she’s going to catch on that when she bites you the treat disappears.

The blowing on her face gently is also a good option and something I used to do with my birds who were very tame and would get too playful and begin chewing on my hands/rings and start biting my skin. Again it’s just a tactic to distract them from what they’re doing as usually this kind of biting is more from exploring and not actually being aggressive.

When it does come to birds biting out of aggression you may notice they do it more because they’re protecting a mate, they’re being cage aggressive and defending their environment or another very common reason is to protect a favourite toy especially mirrors which budgies will become obsessive over!

[tams-writeblr]

Once I'm gone

Rating: M(ature) Warnings: major character death Category: F/M (main couple), Multi (side characters) Fandom: Attack on Titan / Shingeki no Kyojin Relationship: Mikasa Ackermann / Eren Jaeger | various side couples Characters: Eren Jaeger, Mikasa Ackermann, Armin  Arlelt, Zeke Jaeger, Hange Zoe, Floch Forster, Ymir, Reiner Braun, Pieck  Finger, Historia Reiss, several others will make a cameo Additional Tags: Modern AU | established relationship | toxic  behaviour | Eren suffers from Huntington’s disease and tries to settle  his matters before he dies | suicial blockhead Eren | aged up characters  (by ten years) | suicide tw | depression tw | mental diseases tw | deathly diseases tw | this is clearly not write what you know, but I’m giving my very best to  representate the topics as good as I can | this all basically came to me as a fever dream | you remember Thirteen from House, M.D.? I still   have a huge crush on her so this version of Eren is greatly inspired by her <3 Language: English (not native, I’m trying my best you guys) Stats: ongoing - Chapter 2/15 - Part 3/3 - 1094 of 2811 words Summary: Eren Jaeger knew for years that he inherited  Huntington’s disease from his late mother. When he first notices  symptoms on him, his long protected plan, to end his life before  reaching the critical state of his illness,  awakes. But there is still  Mikasa, his girlfriend and the only person in the world he cares about  more than about himself, and he can’t leave her alone and grieving. It’s  time to find a substitute for when Eren is gone. With the help of a new  friend Eren tries to scare away Mikasa while driving her into the arms  of someone new.

__________________________________________________

His brother, the psychologist - Part 3/3

<<previous

Eren’s mouth flipped open during Armins story. What a chatterbox. “I still don’t get why”, the threw in when Armin had ended. “You are perfectly healthy. Everyone here has got something, that’s really fucked up but someone just thought you were a girl. That’s nothing to commit suicide for.”

Eren heard his brother clucking in protest. “We are not in the position to judge someone! Armin is fighting for every day, just like the others in this room. If you want to be part of this group, you’ll have to learn to open up and accept the stories of everyone neutrally!”

Eren quickly blinked over to his brother then he looked at Armin who finally had his face turned away from the wall and returned his glance. His big blue eyes were watery but other than Reiner he was able to hold back the tears.

“Then let's hear your problem”, Armin muttered between clenched teeth.

Eren sighed. Technically he really wasn’t in the mood for this. It had got nothing to do with anyone what was happening in his head. But the stubborn look on that sissy's guy next to him didn’t let go of him and he knew he wouldn’t shut up until he knew what he wanted to.

“I told my doctor that I’ll kill myself before the illness I’ve got get’s so worse I can’t do it on my own anymore. I can be a chatterbox at times, i should probably have shut my mouth once in my life. Now they’ve sent me here, hoping my great big brother will bring some sense back into me. I don’t think it’s gonna work but who knows?” With a smug grin he crossed his arms in front of his chest and gave Armin’s staunch glance right back to him.

Finally it was the blond that ended the staring and looked back between his feet.

“What you’ve got?”, Pieck asked when Eren looked around the circle with no less smug look on his face.

“Huntington”, he said toneless.

Most of them didn’t give him a reaction. He knew what their first query on their smartphones upon leaving this room would be. But Pieck smiled at him pityingly - disgusting.

For a Moment complete silence fell over the room, only the scratching of Zeke's pen on paper was to be heard.

“Good”, he finally said. “Armin was talking to us about his new habit of taking an one hour long walk every day, when we were interrupted. Please, continue telling us. Got some recommendations for nice routes?” Armin didn’t look up. His voice cracked as he started to speak. “I’m always going after university. Usually the same way every time. It totally doesn’t matter where to go, the main point is to move. Listening to music is immensely helpful. I’ve got a playlist for every mood.”

“Oh, your back to university!”, Pieck noted with a huge smile. Eren already had a pretty good image of the person she was, she probably acted as the mom-friend in the group.

Armin nodded and finally looked at her. “Yeah, the summer term started last week.”

Pieck smiled warmly and even Zeke looked pleased. “What Armin said, moving really is the Alpha and Omega. Being active definitely helps pushing away somber thoughts and fresh air helps getting the head empty. Follow Armin’s example, everyone.”

The circle applauded, what Eren thought was absolutely ridiculous and boycotted.

Finally Zeke took a look at his watch and did some other notes on his pad. “Well, time sure flew by today. We weren’t even able to talk about everything I wanted to. But we’ve got a new member around us, what I’m really glad about. I’ll see you all next week, same time, same place.” He placed the clipboard on his thighs and while the other four took their stuff he looked firmly and with contracted eyebrows at Eren. “And please be punctual next time.”

Eren rolled his eyes then he stood up. His glance met Armin who was the first one to leave the room, one hand placed over the lover half of his face. Eren grinned wonky. What a wimp. He still found himself hurrying up, to keep up with him. On the second floor he finally caught up with him. “Hey Armin! Wait a sec’!”

But Armin didn’t slow down and didn’t even look at him. “I have to catch my bus.”

Eren ran after him. “You said it was your third attempt at suicide. Explain it to me, I still don’t get it, you're not lacking anything.”

Armin finally looked at him. His watery eyes were pulled together. “Maybe not physically. But it’s called depression, you insensitive ass.”

Eren was surprised by his fighting back. He continued following Armin as he left the building. “My neurologist always tells me, I also got some. But I don’t believe that. I just wanna kill me before I lose control of my body. Is that so unusual?”

Armin looked at his bottomless. “Pieck could say the same, but she wants to make the best out of her life. Ymir is only still alive because of her girlfriend. Everyone’s dealing differently with a deadly disease.”

“Why did you try it in the first place?”, Eren asked when Armin sat down at the bus stop.

“You’re pretty cligly, aren’t ya?” He laughed with a huff. “When I was eight, I thought about what being dead must be like. My budgie had just died and my mom told me that he had gone to heaven. When I was twelve, the thought about dying still hadn’t left me alone. I took my mom’s lady’s shaver at the tub and cut my wrists. Way not deep enough and the wrong way round, like you can sometimes see it in the movies. When I realized I wouldn’t die from it, I just was full of panic how to explain all the blood to my parents. They sent me to a child psychologist. Since then I didn’t spend a full year without therapy.”

Eren whistled through his teeth. “You’re really quite the gloomy brat, aren’t ya?”

Armin looked at him through narrowed eyes and the tip of his nose had turned red. “You’re feeling really cool, aren’t you?”

Eren grinned back and shrugged.

“There’s my bus. See you next week, Eren Jäger.” Armin stood up and got onto the bus. While walking past the windows, he gave Eren a last bottomless glance, his face in deep reds under his eyes.

Eren scoffed. What a whiny brat. But he liked him.

>>next

__________________________________________________ Author’s Note: Yeah, Eren is very much a dork. I hope I got Pieck's character alright, I know she's got some fierce fans but I really struggled getting behind who she really was though out the series. I love some at the brink of tears - Armin. The next chapters will be more EreMika, I promise xD

[goth-girlfriend]

Hitoshi~

💜 Hitoshi is a Slytherin, not because he’s evil, because he has determination, drive ambition. Even if he looks so tired and uncaring, he’s is giving 100% to become the best he can. Now, we all know, no Slytherin is complete without their emotional support Hufflepuff. 💜The first time you met him, you weren’t sure, kinda scared, he gave off a slightly intimidating vibe, and well, you had just been assigned a project together. He was staring at you not saying anything, it became a stand off. You swallowed and (great words of all might~) clenched your butt cheeks and kinda loudly blurted out your name. “I’m (L/n) (Y/n)! It’s a strange name for Japan so just call me y/n!” You were smiling with your eyes closed but you felt your heart in your throat and kinda sick. He didn’t care still, “Hitoshi Shinso, let’s just get this over with. If you don’t want to do the work I’ll do it, just tell me.” Well you blurted out again but not as loud, “No! I’ll do my part! What are we partners for if your going to take the work and stress! It’s only fair!” The look he gave you was slightly bewildered before he went back to his normal expression. “If you want.” 💜 After getting your grade you two had made just one point away from a perfect score, definitely the highest in class, so when it came to group projects you had become a lot more attractive to those who wanted an easy grade, but what shook them to THE CORE, was the fact you’d ignore them and plop down right next to SHINSO. “So, another project.” You held out the paper to him with a closed eye smile. You could feel his stare and almost felt like an idiot until you felt the paper leave your hand, you relaxed both internally and externally with a sigh. He looked at you again and then back at the paper reading what you’d given him. Sadly for him, he didn’t know this was your ticket to jump on the friendship Express. Que the montage of different projects and study times in the library to find information. 💜 “Hitoshi! Look! A week of work done with another perfect score!” You ran up to Shinso holding the paper that held your grade, he looked at it and was about to talk until you cut him off, “So! To celebrate! I’m going to treat you to a relaxing weekend!” You linked your arm with his and pulled him with you, he wanted to resist but he’d learned early in the friend ship that it is very much in fact ✨impossible✨ 💜 For the first time, you’d have Shinso come over to your dorm, without class work to back it up. It was completely new to him, a new sight, not he didn’t direct his stare solely to work, but now he walked in head level and looked around noticing small things he’d never noticed before. The wooden book case that had school books messily stacked, while the other shelves were neatly filled with old movies, manga, and little figures, the fairy lights around the doors to the balcony and the curtain of lights that had stars placed behind an ombré blue sheer curtain. The light blue thick duvet that had the pattern of metallic stars and moons, the mountain of pillows, but the one thing he noticed over all, were the plants he could see sitting outside on your balcony. Black prince succulents, a white rose bush in bloom, stems of lavender and lilac, star lilies and regular green plants just hanging from the balcony above you, he notice a stool that had three small cacti. He realized then, there is a lot more to you then what he sees in class.

“Good morning Hitoshi!” You greeted him as you took your regular seat behind his. “Hm?” He barely looked over his shoulder to side he you, “oh, good morning.” You gave him a smile and he didn’t really smile but every now and then you’d see a small quirk in his lip and assumed it meant a smile. So you’d take what you could get from the bed head boy.

“Are you excited?” You asked in a low voice leaning forward on your desk.

“For what?” He leaning back into his seat no longer wanting to strain his neck to look over his shoulder.

“This weekend! I said we’re going to celebrate! It Friday! So tomorrow is the day! You better be ready! Because it’s going to be the works!” You started to cheer yourself on for the celebration you’d planned.

“It sounds tiresome.” He tried to play it off.

“It will be if you resist, so just go with it Toshi.” Your lips pulled into a small smile, eyes filling with a slight glow.

“Alright, tell me when we have time.” He propped he left hand on the back of his neck, he stopped when the teacher walked in announcing class to start.

Incoming Message: Sender:🏵Nerd🏵 ‘Saturday morning, meet me at the door to the dorms! I’ll take care of everything else! Don’t worry about money, or anything at all! I’d say around 8:30? I’ll be there a bit early probably but that me! So I’ll see you at 8:30! Everything is a surprise so just stick with me!’

Outgoing Message: Receiver:🏵Nerd🏵 ‘Alright, but I’d your not there I’m going back to my room.’

Incoming Message: Sender: 🏵Nerd🏵. ‘Don’t worry Toshi! Don’t you have some faith in me? Have I ever let you down?’

Incoming Message: Sender: 🏵Nerd🏵 ‘Exactly! You can’t think of a time! I’m such a good friend! ^-^ 🤍’

✨💜💜💜✨💜💜💜✨💜💜💜✨

“Over here!” I shouted trying to get Shinso’s attention before he could leave.

He turned to look at me, I smiled, his lips turned into a scowl but his eyes held a different feeling, it wasn’t noticeable, but I managed to catch it, I’m definitely the main character of my life.

“Alright, where are we going?” He asked before I even opened the door.

“I told you it’s a surprise! Sooo,” I opened the door, “Just walk with me for now.”

He stepped out and I started to lead the way, we walked in comfortable silence to town making it in a ten minute walk.

“So! I don’t know if you really care for them, but there’s this inside garden cafe place, and I heard it’s really cool, and it’s five star rating, and I know you like coffee so I wanted to bring you here!” I pulled him by his sleeve to a stop so we could face a large white building.

The front sign read “ボタニカルカフェ” Botanical Cafe. He looked at it, the front windows had displays of colorful flowers and types of coffee pre bagged, behind them large hedges to block out the rest.

“Alright I’m interested.” He said and I smiled, “Great!”

I opened the door and let him enter first, he gave me a weird look but walked in. We stood at the door until a lady came and told us, “You can sit in front behind these hedges or go through the back where the patio is.” She had a kind smile and motioned towards the room, it was beautiful, the inside was white brick, and vines were climbing up the walls, wild flowers hanging from the ceiling and rails, a small waterfall that fed into a koi pond, stand and book shelves with flowers and other things, but the best part, were the blue green and yellow budgies flying around and chirping when they would land on a swing or onto an unsuspecting person. They were precious, but I wanted to see the outside, “Where do you want to sit?” I turned to ask Shinso, he looked around and then towards the back, “How about outside?” He asked and I nodded, “Sounds good!”

We walked through the room and I stopped to pet a budgie sitting on a low book shelf it fluffed you and started chirping. I couldn’t stop, it was so cute. But eventually we made it out, and the place was beautiful! It had a mesh roof, but the space was huge! Thick green hedges with different wild flowers, in the center a three tier fountain with two budgies bathing, around it a circle of rose bushes, the floor was made of different bricks, the tables were simple thin cement type benches and tables. So many flower pots and the most beautiful flowers were everywhere! Along the mesh were Edison bulb light, the formed a circle skeins the fountain and then headed out to every corner. But what took it next level were the monarch,Blue morpho, Luna moths and Dragon tail butterfly! They fluttered around and I could help but think how beautiful they really were up close.

“Do you see this?!” I was asking to loudly luckily no one else was there.

I turned to look at Hitoshi, his jaw propped on his hand that leaned on the table, his eyes were lidded and now I could tell he had a faint smile. The corners of his lips were turned up, even if it wasn’t bit, it was nice. I smiled at him closing my eyes for a brief second before opening them to the sight of Hitoshi still smiling but this time he had a Morpho buttery on his hair just sitting there enjoying the rest.

I smiled faintly at the sight, “don’t move.” I pulled out my phone and took his picture sending it to him. He pulled out his phone to look at it, and the smile never left his lips. For that, I’m great full.

“So, what can I get for you two?” The voice broke me out of my staring trance, “Oh! We’ve never been here actually! It’s our first time.”

“Oh! Let me give you two these menus, I’ll be back in a few minutes to get your order, if you have or need change we have these small coin machines that sell butterfly food.” She pointed to a black box by the door and I nodded, “Thank you.”

We looked at the menus and I watched Shinso, he still had the same smile and I couldn’t help but stare, I’d never seen him smile genuinely, but this, this is nice. I feel like I’m over staring, but, you don’t just watch your favorite movie one time right?

“What are you getting?” I nodded at the question before looking at my menu, “No ide- Boba!” I pointed my menu, “Ah, milk tea, the best of both drinks, milk, and tea.” I looked though the flavors and after figuring out what I wanted I asked Hitoshi, “What are you going to get?”

“A coffee.” Simple answer. “Food?” I asked, he only shrugged.

“Alright then.” I mumbled and shrugged, “I’ll order!”

Just as I declared it that waiter asked, “What will you be ordering?” I jumped a bit and smiled sheepishly, “Honey Dew Avon’s milk tea with Mango bubble, he wants a coffee, also two milk bread curry buns and two orders of Takoyaki please.”

We ate and left, after I smothered a few budgies, and kissed a few budgie heads and made Hitoshi take a few pictures.

“Sooo, Hitoshi, tell me something about yourself? You don’t talk much.” I shrugged and stuffed one of my hands into my jackets pocket mimicking him the other hosing my left over boba.

“What is there to know?” He asked looking down at the sidewalk ahead of us.

“I don’t know? Your favorite flower? Color? What you do for fun? Biggest fear? Interests? Dreams? Hogwarts house? Idols? Movies? Anything really, we can both talk, you tell me something and I’ll tell you something.” He side eyed me, a crack of a smile before he started.

During the time I managed to steer us into my favorite shop to buy snacks and drink, followed by an anime shop, and few other places. I ended up buying Shinso a Purple Pearl Echeveria and a small pot of lilac flowers. We carried them back, I held the flowers while he held the Echeveria, I watch him touch the thick leaves? He seemed so amazed by it. But what I liked more than the flower was his smile, it was goofy, his eyes were still lidded but crinkled when he smiled. This is probably the biggest I’ve been seen him smile and will probably ever see him smile. I smiled down at the flowers in my hands, I’m glad, I didn’t know this would make him happy, I just wanted to treat him for working so hard and being a fair partner. But, it definitely makes me feel better knowing he enjoyed it and it wasn’t as forced as he made it seem.

“Well, the suns setting so what’s next before we head back?” His deepish voice pulled me out of my thoughts and I smiled, “Well, I was actually going to end it with a movie, I prepped my dorm because the movie theaters get way to stuffy for my liking, so! Let drop off your new plants before we watch a movie! I have a few good ones picked out!”

***Continued I Ran out of Space***

@milkteeboba I hope you enjoyed this! I’ll tag the second part as soon as it’s up! I got carried away!

[danbensen]

Trigger Warnings: Cancer, Coronavirus

So there I was, feeling good.

I was in the grocery store for maybe the third time since February, buying ice, salt, frozen strawberries, and the other ingredients of home-made ice cream. My headphones were in my ears, playing Terry Pratchett’s Maskerade, and my own mask was fogging up my glasses.

I carried my bags out, nodded to the hand-sanitizer lady, and emerged into the green, breezy warmth of May in Sofia. Big, white clouds piled themselves above the hilly crowns of the chestnut trees. Swallows dove and starlings chimed. People walked between the apartment buildings and neighborhood stores, but the playground was still roped off. I removed my mask, attempting to neither rip my glasses nor my earphones off my face, and made for home.

The whole scene should have scared the hell out me.

Warm breezes? Fluffy white clouds? Last spring, buying ice cream would grip my guts with dread. I remember stopping by the frozen food section and feeling the depression settle over my shoulders like a wet woolen sweater. I remember an earlier May, another playground where I ate ice cream with Pavlina and the girls, when I was dying of cancer. That was four years ago, almost to the day.

Don’t worry, I won’t go into any more details of how I got sick. If you want to know more, I wrote about it here. Suffice to say that spring is a hard time for me. For the past three years, the period between March to June reminded me of this very painful and frightening time, and that made happiness hard to keep hold of.

Except that this year, we’ve been in quarantine the whole season! I haven’t been teaching classes in the same office, or eating at the same restaurants, or doing any of the same stuff I was doing four years ago. This time, when I went shopping for ice cream, I was wearing a face mask. The playgrounds are closed. We had been rushing forward, and disease knocked us back hard. That does feel familiar.

The good news is that the recovery also feels familiar. In Europe, the first wave of the coronavirus is receding. Bulgaria’s kindergartens and restaurants have reopened after nearly three months of complete lock-down. There have been two deaths in the past 24 hours and seventeen new cases. We’re planning to reopen hotels. It’s still too early to drop all caution and go back to normal, of course…

But I find I don’t want to. I don’t like a lot about the old normal. I don’t want to return to the Cult of Busy and the Fear of Missing Out. I don’t want to spend half the day in transit and half the weekend worrying about whether I’m being social enough. I made ice cream with my kids during the lock-down*! I wrote poems about budgies and helped them with their homework. I had more snowball fights this spring than ever in my adult life.

Of course the coronavirus is a disaster. It has killed hundreds of thousands of people. It’s knocked global society back hard. But if that feeling of being knocked back is very familiar to me, so is the knowledge that I’m lucky to be alive to think about what comes next. Four years ago, I went in for surgery and came back to consciousness with new priorities. I promised myself I would do more good with the time I had been given.

Then I began the great, good work of recovery.

What does your recovery look like? What will you do differently now? Let’s make a list.

Ahem.

Apparently, my recovery looks like focusing even harder on writing books. My webpage and twitter stream look pretty barren this month, but I finished the beta version of Wealthgiver. I also spent more time on personal emails than I have for a while, and I’ve had some really deep and interesting discussions there and on Zoom. I’ve talked with experts on biology, physics, and Thracology, as well as colleagues and mentors in the sphere of writing. I feel as if I’m growing. My Thracian wordlist is undergoing some major metamorphosis, let me tell you.

Here’s a fun example:

Zi-issa ax issti zălmossa.

“The truest face is the mask.”

Doesn’t that look nice? All sinister and hissy? And here’s the “classical Thracian” for the same sentence.

Ax sa źi ísas ḗsti źälmós sa.

Now that’s sinister, hissy, and needlessly complicated! Just the aethetic I’m going for! Umlauts, baby!

I want to play with my Thracian some more, so without further ado, here’s what I liked this month:

Ronja the Robber’s Daughter: Astrid Lingrin + Studio Ghibli + Birmingham accents = good wholesome fun. As a father, I wish Ronja spent less time leaping back and forth over deadly crevasses. And those harpies are top notch.

Octonaut: Underwater adventures where the biology isn’t bad and everything has bunny-noses and beady little black eyes, including the carrots. Why are there spaient submarine carrots? It’s just one of the many mysteries of the deep.

Feierabend by Grossstadtgeflüster: I don’t know what she’s singing about, but she’s super into it.

Yggdrasill by SKÁLD: These guys are are into it too! Urðar brunni!

85 by Andy Grammer: Damn that backbeat! Mm’mm whappa mm!

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner: It has a good twist ending and a claustrophobic tomb-robbing scene that just about makes up for the characters’ sarcastic sniping.

Maskerade by Terry Pratchett: This is one of the first Diskworld books I read back in high school. I didn’t realize it until now, but it set a lot of my expectations about helping other people and writing. Those expectations weren’t entirely borne out, but maybe that’s just a sign I should become an erotic witch-chef instead.

Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold: Holy Russian Space-Gods this book is a work of art! It is a pleasure and an education to see Bujold take her character through a high, a low, and lower low, then back up for a quick trip to the store to buy eggs, and then its back down we go! Forget that nonsense about the three act structure and the hero’s journey, Miles has an ego-shattering revalatory insight like every third chapter! God damn but I want to write like this! Just read it.

Rising Strong by Brené Brown: I always enjoy Brown’s books because she’s approaching being a good person from the opposite direction as me. She talks about her childhood and her basic fears and desires and none of it rings a bell for me, but then she’ll come out with “judgementalness is caused by resentment, and the antidote for resentment is boundaries.” I don’t agree with her about everything, but she really seems to have a-

The Judging Eye by R. Scott Bakker: (Aspect-Emperor #1): It wasn’t as good as the books of Bakker’s previous series in this world, but it’s still pretty damn good. The tangly depths of scene description and character emotion don’t go quite as deep. The author’s thoughts on judgement are interesting, but they don’t quite ever get where they’re going. And I didn’t care much about the teenage prince of Rohan. But all that crawling through the black catacombs of an ancient and corrupted civilization? Mmwah!

Next month I’m working on the sequel to Protector. So anybody got some recommendations for spy thrillers, the Italian Renaissance, nano-manufacturing, and meditations on trust?

[belsbabies]

tovie’s first date conversation sort of

What are you the most proud of?

The animal sanctuary is the first thing that comes to mind. It was just... such a dream I had. The most unattainable dream. I wanted to live in New York City and start my own life on my own terms, and I did that. It’s not... I don’t have a huge glamorous life, you know, but... it’s mine. 

What are you the most ashamed of?

I’m not ashamed, per se, but I’m not exactly proud of how long I stayed in... what turned out to be a pretty toxic relationship. I knew I was being cheated on, but I didn’t know that I deserved better than that. I guess I am a bit ashamed of that.

If you could go back and change one decision in your life, what would it be?

I had a baby brother when I was about ten. Our parents didn’t take the best care of us, so I raised him as best I could on my own. When I was thirteen and he was about three, we found out he was deaf, so I made the decision that he needed parents who could take care of him. I got the government involved and we both became foster children, and I know it was the best thing to do, but I never saw him again. If I could do it over again, I’d make sure they kept us together.

What is your biggest dream in life?

I’ve achieved so many of my dreams, sometimes it’s hard to imagine anything else. But I... not to scare you off - promise not to run away, okay? - but I had my dream wedding, but not my dream marriage. Not even close. For a while I thought I didn’t want to be married again, but now I think it might be nice. If it were... the right person. You know?

What difference would it make in your life if you felt completely safe, accepted, and loved?

I don’t know if I would know... if someone loved me. I’ve thought before that someone did, but I’ve been wrong. People always say when you know you know, right? I guess that’s true, and I’ll know when I know. I suppose it would change... everything.

Do you think your parents did a good job raising you while you were growing up? Why or why not?

No, God, no. I don’t think they ever wanted to be parents. Elliot and I - that’s my brother’s name, Elliot - were not planned. They did love us, I think, but it was the same way they loved each other, and the world, just... fleeting. They were always running from something, and sometimes they took me with them when they shouldn’t have, and sometimes they left me behind when they shouldn’t have. I was raised by books and my blind grandmother, but mostly by myself. I think I did a good job. I had a good model of how not to be, anyway.

What's one thing that you wish people understood about you?

Sometimes people see that I’m kind and they’ll try to take advantage of that. It used to work. Because putting out the image that I’m a kind, sweet, understanding person took precedence over my own self-worth? I wouldn’t stand up for myself for fear of being seen as a bitch. But I work really hard at being kind. I’m naturally a really angry person, and it’s taken a lot of therapy and meditation for me to push that aside and empathize. Does that make me sound crazy? I don’t know, I just... the answer to the question I guess is that I wish people understood that I am not a doormat, I’m just choosing to be kind because that’s who I want to be.

What is your biggest flaw?

I think I might be too guarded. Since my divorce I’ve been very... distrustful. I’m trying to stop doing that. I want to be more trusting, and let someone in. Like... now, kind of.

What event in your life has shaped you most as a person, and how did it do so?

When they took Elliot away. That changed everything. I probably would have given up on school to raise him, and we both would have struggled enormously, so I know it was for the best. But losing him entirely gave me such a... passion and drive. I wanted to be the best person I could be for him. So that he might be proud of me if he ever found me again. I changed my name for him. Did I ever tell you that’s why I’ve got ‘Elliot’ tattooed? I changed my name again when I got married and it just felt like such a betrayal to him to give it up.

Have you ever treated a person in a way that you regret?

And related to that: What would you do differently if given a chance?

Oh, yeah. I think everyone has. I had a boyfriend in high school who I didn’t love at all. He was a distraction from my pain. He didn’t love me either, but he didn’t deserve a lot of the anger I took out on him.

Do you think it's possible for men and women to be "just friends?"

Of course. Not everyone wants to sleep together, sometimes a friendship is even better than a love story anyway. 

Would you rather be rich and lonely or financially destitute with lots of great family and friends? Why?

Well, I can’t say I’ve been in either situation. I’ve been destitute and lonely, that was a completely terrible time. And now I’m doing well financially, and I have lovely friends, and I’ve got my brother back, and I’m on a date with the most beautiful man in the world. But if I had to choose, I would choose to have all the people in my life and I’d give up the money. In a heartbeat.

Tell me about something you did when you were drunk that you've never confessed to anyone.

I convinced an entire group of strangers in a pub that I was Russian. I did a terrible accent the whole night, so apparently they were very drunk too, to believe it. One of them still texts me sometimes and I feel the need to keep up the charade for some reason. I live in fear that one of them will come into the clinic or the shelter.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be and why?

 I’d be taller. Don’t laugh, I’m serious. I’m extremely small.

If you knew you would die tomorrow, how would you spend today?

Like this... with you... here. Maybe my dogs would be here, can we bring my dogs along next time?

Are you truly happy?

And why or why not?

I am. I love my job, even when it’s heartbreaking. I love my little house, I love this city. I love my friends. I love my dogs. I’m not happy all the time, every day, I do have moments of anxiety and sadness and regret, but... overall, yeah. I would say life is good.

Have you ever been in love?

And how do you know? What was it like for you?

Yes. Even after everything, I still maintain that I was in love. I just wasn’t loved back. I know I loved him because I would have done anything for him. I thought maybe he just needed some space and he’d come back to me. My idea of love was wrong, but it was still love, I think.

When you're home alone, and nobody else is around, how do you like to spend your time?

I dance in my underwear and I talk to my dogs. I also like to watch ridiculous reality shows like The Bachelor and Big Brother. It’s a problem. Is that a deal breaker?

What do you want people to say at your funeral?

That I was kind. That I made people feel important and loved, and that I made them smile. 

If you could have a conversation with anyone living or dead, who would it be and why?

It would be with this cute guy I’ve been fancying for a little while. His name’s Tony and he’s a tattoo artist and he barely talks at all, so I’d like to loosen him up with a bit of wine and a cityscape and get to know him.

Do you think you're a genuinely good person?

And why or why not?

Oh, I don’t know about that. I don’t think anyone is either good or bad. I think we are what we repeatedly do. Intentions also matter. It’s complicated. I try to put good out into the world, that’s all I’ll say.

How did you choose your current profession?

Are you happy with your job? Would you rather be doing something different?

My grandmother had a little greenhouse where she would take injured animals from the woods by her house. She taught me how to treat them kindly and make sure they weren’t afraid. I’ve applied what I learned in that little greenhouse to my entire life. 

If money were not an issue, how would you spend your time each day?

I would still have the shelter. I might still work at the clinic too, actually, maybe just fewer hours. I would spend more time with the people I care about. I would read every book I could get my hands on. I’d travel all over. I’d pick apples and make pies from them and just walk barefoot in the grass and feel the wind in my hair. The little things, you know?

Tell me about your political leanings.

Have they changed? How were they developed or influenced?

Oh, here’s something you might not know about me, I am technically not a US citizen. So I can’t vote. I do have opinions, though, mostly left-leaning, equality-centred opinions. I didn’t know anything about politics at all growing up, except for whatever war my parents were protesting at any given time, so I kind of had to teach myself that. That, and everything else I know.

What's one thing that you do on a regular basis that you hate doing, but nobody knows that you despise doing it?

Well, I think it’s probably the same as anyone who works with clients or customers or patients or humans in general. Sometimes people are ridiculous or mean or something, and you can’t tell them so. It’s very difficult sometimes not to say “Your budgie does not need to be on a gluten free diet, Brenda, you’re just an idiot!”

[lucimorningstar812]

Review of the Decade

From the beginning of 2010 to the very end of 2019, this decade had certainly been a journey that has defined me, for better and for worse. So here’s a list of things I can recall that happened and have brought me to where I am now

Trigger warnings of self harm, suicide and manipulative relationships Also this is VERY long

2010

I went to Thailand for the 2nd time, with my grandparents and mum

I used to use my mum’s Facebook to play games and keep up with friends. She eventually gave me her account and made a new one for herself

I had my Year 6 prom, which I remember being a relationship counsellor for my best friend and her boyfriend while my own boyfriend didn’t even go. There was also an end of year residential trip for year 6 that was one of these adventure centres with abseiling and stuff

I left primary school with pretty decent SATs grades and got into the high school I wanted. Not many people I knew were going, and it was tough at first, but once I started making friends, it became a lot easier

I had my longest relationship (6 months) with said boyfriend I mentioned earlier I’d know for a few years now, and would continue to be friends with throughout high school and into college

I got some stick insects! It was fun to have them for the short time we did. I also kept snails and a caterpillar for a short period of time

2011

My mum had to go into hospital for back surgery

I went to France with school. Discovered I am AWFUL with boats and part of that trip was to Disney, but not even the main park and even then, I barely saw anything because my friends abandoned me

I joined the school netball team. Well, I think it was 2011 when I joined

I sprained my ankle. This damn injury still bothers me to this day if I walk too much, and it’s only just gotten better after recently aggravating it again

2012

I was part of a group at school that we called PAD (people are different) and it was essentially an anti-bullying group

I went on a coach trip to Newquay with my grandparents and mum, and part of the trip was going to the Eden Centre. I loved that trip so much

I got a pair of budgies. Lilith and Jasper were my little sweethearts that I trained to even sit on my finger

2013

I can’t remember if it was this year or late 2012, but I started learning to play violin, and then when I started my GCSEs, that became my focus instrument for the practical exam

The last time I went abroad. We (my grandparents and I) went to Bulgaria for the 2nd time. We stayed at the same resort so we had a decent idea of where everything was now, and it was lovely, but the weeks leading up to going troubled me a lot as all I could imagine was the plane crashing. The anxiety from that and being in the airport is why I’m not too nervous to go abroad

Honestly can’t remember what else happened

2014

I was part of an orchestra. It was part of my GCSE because my music teacher said it would help my friend and I improve, and she also convinced us to go by saying she would take us the first night and buy us KFC

Went to York for the first time with my parents, and then London with my mum, where we stayed with a family friend and did lots of touristy stuff

My Uncle’s dog Ki died. I loved him to bits and I still get upset sometimes thinking about him. He was the first of the 3 to die. I can’t remember when Nikita died, but Shamara was only a few weeks back

2015

I can’t remember if it was this year or 2014, but I did a keeper academy at my zoo and had some amazing experiences, like stroking a sea lion

Had my high school prom. Got to wear my dream dress and it was actually a lo of fun, just hanging out with friends and enjoying the night

Left high school with pretty good GCSEs and got into sixth form, but starting college was my downfall

Got into a relationship for the first time in 4 years with a manipulative asshole who tried to accuse me of manipulating him and forced me to do sexual things I didn’t want to because apparently if we didn’t, he couldn’t be sure the relationship would last. Also felt suicidal for the first time, and when I told my boyfriend, he broke up with me because I wasn’t the girl he fell in love with and it scared him

Had him and my two other friends fuck me over multiple times

2016

Had lost all my friends, so I had to cling to my best friend and hang around with his friends in order to not be alone. Ended up falling for one of his friends and getting into another relationship. Still a shitty one, but better and it hurt way more when that ended

My best friend got into a relationship with one of he friends who fucked me over the previous year. I made friends with her again for his sake, but then she fucked up his life and dragged me down too because I trusted him more than her

Went to Cardiff and the Doctor Who Experience for my 18th. An experience I will forever be grateful for because the place isn’t there anymore

2017

The worst year of my life by a long shot

My dog, my beautiful baby girl Sandy, was put to sleep at age 11. Losing her broke me, and I’ve never recovered, because she was around for over half my life and I never fully grieved, which caused me to unintentionally shut off some emotional reactions that I’ve never gotten back

I had my first proper emotional breakdown at a student day at the college I was looking to go to. I realised all these years I’d been following a dream I didn’t want anymore and was doing it to please everyone else as well as not panic about not having a plan b. I gave up the goal of being a vet, something I had worked towards since I was old enough to know what a vet was

Not part of the bad, but I went to a supernatural convention and got to meet a bunch of the stars which was pretty cool since it’s the first time I’d ever done something like that

Got the closest I ever have to actually considering suicide and throughout that day, spent so much time thinking of how I could do it. Couldn’t go through with anything obviously but it didn’t stop me using a tie to choke myself multiple times trying to make myself pass out, which left a bruise on my neck

I self harmed a lot more back then, from 2015 onward really, and I have all the scars to show

2018

Saw Mark and the guys on tour, and Mark blew a kiss at me. First time I’d ever seen any of the YouTubers I watch in person

Was supposed to get a rescue puppy, but she and her whole litter bar one died. I’d already been feeling iffy about getting a dog again, and this was the last straw that sent me into my worst depressive episode of feeling nothing for 2 straight weeks

Met Dan and Phil at their show during said numbness period. Meant I couldn’t feel anxiety which I guess was good

Ended up getting a puppy and the depression kicked in on day 2 that I waned nothing to do with this dog after saying for months I didn’t even want a dog

Nan got diagnosed with leukaemia and was in and out of hospital for the next few months, first with chemo and then for her bone marrow transplant. I saw her at her lowest, where she was just about ready to give up

Met so many amazing people at the HDWGH show, and got to ask Sean a question in the Q&A. The best day of my life, well until VidCon 2020

Had a massive fallout with my sister, essentially making it so I didn’t speak to her at all throughout 2019 unless I had to

2019

I outlined everything in this post, but there’s a couple of things I didn’t include

Me and my sister made up. Might not be a permanent thing, but at least at Christmas everything felt ok again

I embraced my sexuality this year. I had been questioning it since 2013/2014, and realised I wasn’t straight before June 2018, but 2019 was really the year I thought ‘yes, I’m panroace and proud’

I’ve missed a shit ton of stuff because things blur together and I don’t remember when anything happened, but this decade started with someone excited and determined. It’s ending with some who has that same passion but for a different path, after fighting through the darkest times I’ve had to face. I am who I am, and I am ready both for 2020 and for the next decade

[kokoandalfi]

Update

So first of all a lot has happened over the holidays. And due to a lot going on my hiatus was longer than anticipated.

An old friend of ours has left us. Korki the Korkenzieher Chicken (engl: corkscrew) with the fitting name inspired by her crooked neck. She was the one who has been around for the longest time. My girlfriend got her 4 years ago. At that point she had been selected out of the put battery, ready to be thrown away because of her disability. Franzi got her for free because she was basically worthless to the breeder. 

At Franzis place she was able to do all chicken things she wanted even though she had a rough first year. Ludwig used to bully her a lot so they had to be separated. But outside in the yard she had a great time together with Hanni, Nanni and Hertha (I will make another post about Hertha because her story just has to be told). Her disability was never much of a problem to her. In fact she was a little troublemaker. Always laying her eggs somewhere in the bushes rather than the nest.

Her last year had big changes in her life. Getting her very own coop and hens-only flock until the chicks hatched. Then the tables had turned. It was her turn to be on top of the pecking order. Even Bruno and Shay were being nice to her so no more trouble was in sight for her retirement. Until one day a week before Christmas she wouldn’t come inside at night. She was tired and cold so we put her inside the house. But she didn’t make it through the night. She has been and will be missed not only by her flock but also by her humans.

The same day Ludwig disappeared. We still don’t know what happened to him. We didn’t even find any feathers. But he has never returned. For now his flock just has Cookie as rooster. It was a hard adjustment for all of us. 

And to top it all off Hanni got really sick over the holidays. She had a really bad molt. She lost almost all the feathers on her belly and on her neck and this in December cold none the less. Because of this she caught a really bad cold. We took her inside the house and for a few days she was doing better with comfort food and medication. Her feathers even started to grow back in. But on the night of the 28th she we found her laying lifeless on the ground. Her heart must have given in. She‘s leaving a huge hole in the flock now that the leading hen is gone. At least now she‘s back together with her sister and her best friend Korki. 

We agreed to stop breeding the heavy laying chicken breeds and swap them out for more healthy, less intensive breeds. Almost none of our chickens have had the chance to grow very old. That is partly our fault because we chose these breeds in the first place and because we are still rather beginners in the whole chicken keeping and breeding department. But we’re trying to learn more everyday and try to make our pets lives as rich and healthy as possible.

All the other birds are doing fine. The budgies had a minor freak out when I was deep cleaning their room. So nothing new with them. All in all they are really cheerful lately. The parrots are doing alright. Alfi started singing one day while we were sitting with Koko in their room. That’s something we haven’t heard from inside their room since he hit puberty. It’s nice that he’s becoming more comfortable around us again.

Another piece of (somewhat) good news is that we have a new bantam rooster! Franzi’s dad got him from a friend. He’s really scared and we were afraid that he wouldn’t fit in with the flock but he’s adjusted just fine. Only thing is that the bantam girls kinda hate him. But this will hopefully (for him) change in the future. Btw his name is Octavius Rex, also known as Long, Tan and Handsome. You’ll soon see why this name was chosen.

Uff, this took me way to long to put into words so thank you a lot for reading if you‘ve come this far.

Also thanks for 123 followers! Get ready for more birdy-filled content coming soon!

[thelimeonade]

Writeblr (or in this case a Lime-blr) intro!

am Hey everybody! I am a brand-new writeblr (Although I have been on tumblr for quite a while stalking you all *suspicious*) So I guess it’s about time I introduce myself!!!

My name is Lime, I am a 16 year old and I live in LITERAL SCORCHING HELL-ON-EARTH– *clears throat* I meant Egypt!!!

And my reply to every single stereotype I have heard.... I do not own a camel nor have I ever seen one waltzing by my balcony!!!! And I do not live near the pyramid.

Who the hell wants to live next to a tomb!!!!???? (unless you work there then no judging)

I have been reading books for as long as I can remember and I have started actually writing at the age of eleven! Fun fact about me is my very first work is kept in a glass box underneath my bed and was written on cheap A5 paper... like it’s falling apart at this point.

I started this tumblr so I can help people with my knowledge and share my books with the world (Mainly fantasy)

My WIP is still... undecided. I have quite a lot.

Here are some fun facts about me:

I have twenty-two Australian Budgies

I have finished my GCSEs and will finish my A-Levels soon

I am high-key a nerd and my favorite subjects are Biology and Astronomy 

I used to work part-time as a tour guide... and I used to scare many tourists with the ‘ancient curse’.... good times... good times.... until you witness it yourself!!!!

I love questions so drop me any question and I’ll answer!!!

Writeblr please reblog so I can follow you and check out all your works (I know they are going to be epiicccc) and if you are feeling extra kind today I definitely wouldn’t mind a follow back and you won’t regret it!!!

[horatioandalice]

okay so my budgie likes to perch on my finger every now and again and he lets me take him out of his cage sometimes. he wont let me pet him and he seems really scared of me most of the time. he seem genuinely scared of me. idk what to do at this point, he’ll eat from my hand and he’ll go on my shoulder every once in a while but he just doesn’t seem to like me. he wont eat anything but seed, wont take a bath and im pretty sure he doesn’t drink his water. idk what to do at this point :/ ...

Sorry for the delayed reply!  If he’s letting you take him out of his cage and he’s perching on your finger, he trusts you at least a little bit.  Budgies can just be really flighty, especially if they weren’t handled by humans much when they were little.  None of my budgies will let me pet them, either (although Phin did when he was little)--it doesn’t mean they don’t like me, it just means that they’re aware that I’m WAY bigger than they are and could accidentally hurt them without even trying.  With budgies I’ve found you really need to let them come to you--it took literally years for mine to warm up to me, and I still don’t have the relationship with them that I do with Beatrix and Spencer.  The budgies are happy to come steal my food and sit on me, but any interactions between us are really up to them to initiate, because if I try to give them attention when they don’t want it, they’ll just fly away.  Things will probably be a bit easier for you if you only have the one budgie, but it still takes time.As far as water, budgies don’t tend to drink a lot unless it’s hot out.  Remember that their species typically lives in a dry climate, so they’ve evolved not to need a lot of water.  Just make sure your budgie has water available and that he knows where it is, and he’ll drink when he’s thirsty.  As far as food goes, budgies can be REALLY stubborn about switching from seeds.  The best advice I’ve ever gotten is, when you’re introducing a new food, mix it with seeds, and then over time gradually decrease the amount of seeds in the mix.  Here are some posts I’ve made in the past about how to introduce a stubborn bird to new food!  Again, patience is really the key here--for birds in the wild, switching a food source could mean death by starvation, so they’re not often motivated to try new things.

As for baths, just keep offering them and he’ll take one when he’s ready.  Birds don’t actually NEED baths (unless they’ve gotten into something or are extra dirty), and they do a pretty good job of taking them when they want.  It can also be tricky to try to figure out what kind of bath your bird might prefer, so try different kinds (spray bath, bath with running water, bath in a dish of still water, etc.) and see if he reacts positively.

Budgies can be tricky because they really do have their own ideas about how things should be, but this doesn’t mean yours doesn’t like you!  If he didn’t like you or was really afraid of you, he would avoid you altogether, scream at you, or bite you, and it doesn’t sound like he’s doing any of those things.  He likely just needs some more time to come around--it took literally about three years before Horatio trusted me enough to land on me, so I’d say you’re doing pretty well!  I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any other questions!  Again, sorry it took so long to get back to you!

[mysdrymmumbles]

Rambling below the cut, nothing important

I think I’m coming out of a depressive episode rn because for like a month or so I wasn’t doing anything. No writing, no talking to the budgies, hated having to water my plants. 

I was just getting dragged to the gym, playing wow (which felt like a chore), or sleeping. Part of the reason I would still play wow was because I knew I had to do something other than sleep.

Gross, but I wasn’t even showering but like every 4 days. 

I’ve started talking to the budgies again, for like the last two weeks. I was feeding them and cleaning their cages, but like beyond that, I just shut down. There were days where I didn’t even pet my dog once.

Part of me wants to get rid of my budgies because it’s a form of neglect to not interact with them and all, and even though I do when I’m on an up swing, I still know there will be more downswings and stretches where I lose track of the days and stuff. 

And that’s not really fair to the animals.

But also, I feel like having them kept me getting up in the morning. One of the only reasons I’d get out of bed is because I knew they needed food and fresh water.

but I’m doing a bit better. 

And I love them. I like to talk to them and sing to them and watch horror movies with them. They’ll tilt their heads as they listen to me and sometimes I can tell their chirping is directed at me. They’re still a bit wary of me, but that’s because I don’t interact with them enough.

Then there’s the fact that I don’t have any friends I can visit with really. Everyone I’m friends with lives out of city or state or country and I’m not good at initiating conversations, so I don’t talk to people a lot. I don’t know how to talk to people in general.

I dunno what happened. When I was five, I’d jump up on a stage and sing for strangers and get the other little kids to play with me.

Now it’s an achievement to say hi to someone. 

And I’m having trouble sleeping at night.

And ants are eating my sweet peppers, my cucumbers got a blight, my first watermelon died horribly, and it felt like everything was going wrong with that front.

Things are doing a bit better now. I’m testing picking the sweet peppers a bit earlier to see if they ripen indoors, and I have two other watermelon that might make it. And I got like 5 cucumbers before the blight took the plants.

And I learned that jalapenos turn red and so do banana peppers. Which is neat.

And I’ve gotten like over a hundred cherry tomatoes and dozens of regular tomatoes.

And the broccoli is broccling so I might get some of that. I dunno what’s going on with the brussel sprouts.

And then there’s the bathroom. The walls are crooked and one is literally angled wrong. We can tell because the tiled floor. The tile pieces along the wall get bigger as they go toward the tub because the wall was put in at an angle. 

They put the cabinet across from the toilet and it’s got me feeling claustrophobic. If I was an inch taller, I would hit my head every time I get up from the toilet. Probably less than that.

My parents have decided to give up on my bathroom for the most part and hope the second crew does a better job on theirs, so I’m stuck with crooked and angled walls and a badly placed cabinet.

And I’m coming down with a cold.

And every time I see the news something terrible is happening and I feel helpless and trapped. I’m genuinely terrified of the future if I think about it for more than a minute.

I’m scared of global warming. I’m scared because Trump pulled out of the nuclear arms agreement with Russia. I’m scared my country is going to become the next nazi germany. I’m scared that, considering how much bigger we are than Germany and how much more we spend on our military that if we go that way, no one will be able to stop us. I’m scared because they’re trying to make antifa a terrorist organization and because it’s not an organization there will be no way to prove you’re not a part of it. Dissenters will be labeled as terrorists and because of our post 9/11 laws people who are ‘terrorists’ can be detained without a trial and held indefinitely and tortured.

It’s like this massive trainwreck is happening in slow motion and I can see what’s coming but nothing I do stops it. And as much as people are trying to mitigate the damage and save the parts of the train that haven’t crashed yet, nothing is working.

And then I look at things like learning to drive or getting a better job and it feels so pointless because we’re all gonna be dead in like 5 years or whatever.

so yeah. 

still pretty bummed out but I’m doing better. And at least there’s stuff like pokemon go and budgies and Halloween and the gym to temporarily distract me from the looming destruction of my country and all that.

[lilcutieana]

Wings (Halloween Jikook drabble)

pairing: Jeon Jungkook| Park Jimin words: 2.1K warnings: none 

"Stop looking at the clock, Jimin. He ain't coming anytime soon." Aleisha sighed, her jaw ticking at the way he was procrastinating his work.

She and Jimin had been best friends for as long as she could remember. And yet, despite her hopes on her tiny little crush on the black haired, almond-eyed, sweet little Jimin to be returned; he had his eyes on a certain red-haired customer.

Even though he fervently claimed to only just enjoyed the company of a certain bunny teethed boy who never failed to visit the bistro they co-owned.

"I did no such thing. I'm only waiting for my shift to be over." Jimin grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck and immediately averted his eyes as soon as he made eye contact with her. His ears turned pink, a tell-tale sign of him being uncomfortable and outright lying which didn't go unnoticed by her.

"As long as you wipe down the counters instead of daydreaming."

The tingling of the little bell overhead their quaint little bistro instantly turned Jimin's frown upside down as he turned around and eyed the door.

It was a little girl, wearing a white tutu dress, ivory wings on her back and a sparkling tiara atop her mop of golden curls accompanied by an older girl, probably a sister or a friend in a black dress with black wings and red horns peeking from her black silky hair.

It was Halloween. Every wall, every decor was pumpkin and bat-themed. Little stars, fake cobwebs, and red fairy lights hung all around. It was nearing evening, and it made sense for the girl to already be so dressed up.

His smile, though just as endearing and bright, turned stiff and his dark eyes once again flickered to the antique clock hanging on the wall to the right.

He really wasn't coming, was he?

Sighing, he went about taking orders and supplying them, with a personality much brighter than his fake smile. He never quite liked the holiday. The littlest of things spooking him, and the fact that everything that did spook him was fake, made him angrier.

He still remembers the first time Jungkook stumbled into his quaint little bistro, all wide-eyed and clumsy. He'd stumbled on his way in, and all his books went flying, sparking an interesting conversation on both their shared interests over the paranormal.

Though Jimin often got spooked, he loved reading about all things that weren't quite as natural. From mermaids, Dracula, werewolf, faeries to the driads, kelpie, aliens and even ghouls. Sometimes Aleisha tried joining in on their conversations, but her lack of knowledge made her frustrated and she soon quieted down. Her enthusiasm died over the span of a year that they've known each other, making Jimin feel guiltier over the passing time.

He tried his best not to show his enthusiasm over Jungkook to her. He knew she had feelings for him, but he just couldn't bring himself to acknowledge them. He never felt the same way for her, neither did he want to lose her. He knew he was being a coward. And selfish, but he just couldn't help it. He needed her in his life, just as much as he enjoyed Jungkook's presence.

Over the years, Jungkook's presence had been constant. Jimin’s heart beat twice as fast every time he managed to make Jungkook smile. A smile that lit up his face, made the crinkles along his eyes prominent and put literal stars in his eyes. They shone so brightly, Jimin felt like he wasn't looking into eyes anymore. He felt like he was stargazing.

Last week, Jungkook had promised to come to visit on Halloween. He was so excited about 'wearing the best costume, which looks and feels real', Jimin didn't have the heart to tell him how much he detested the American holiday.

Which lead to him waiting for the enthusiastic boy coming in the bistro as if he owned the place, showing off his hyper-realistic costume. Jimin, contrary to what he claimed, was more excited than nervous. He wanted to see Jungkook happy. He wanted to see him smile at him, look at him, and share this little happiness with him.

It was almost closing time when Jungkook finally had the courage to face his year-long crush. He never meant to hide his true identity, it just happened that way. He knew Jimin loved all things paranormal, and he was anything but ‘normal’; at least, in Jimin’s world, he wasn’t. He knew deep down Jimin would accept him in a moment, if he were to tell him what he truly was, but he didn’t want to take chances.

Until now.

As the feeling grew, so did his guilty conscious. He felt like he was committing a crime. And, he deemed Halloween to be the best day to come out of his figurative closet.

Being scared out of his wits, Jungkook paced right around on the street right across Jimin’s Bistro. The aroma of pumpkin spice and cinnamon making his mouth salivate. But what made him stop and stare was when the shop was completely empty and Jimin hugged Aleisha, a warm and fond look on his tired face as he patted her head.

Fisting his hands by his side, Jungkook averted his eyes and looked into the reflective surface of the window in the car parked beside him—a scrunched up, teary ruby red eyed pale face staring back at him. Gulping aloud, he wiped his clammy hands on his black formal slacks and lifted them to his face. Cursing internally at the way his hands vibrated in nervousness, he bit his lips peering back inside the Bistro once again.

Aleisha came out of the shop right at that moment, failing to persuade Jimin to close the shop and head back home with her. As their eyes met across the road, she rolled her eyes. She used to be like that too… pining for the black-haired man who was oblivious to the feelings of others around him.

Gathering whatever courage Jungkook had left in him, he marched across the street to the Bistro and entered through the door like a storm, startling Jimin out of his wits. The tasting spoon Jimin was holding, clattered to the ground smearing a good amount of chocolate ganache on his lips.

Smirking, Jungkook waited for Jimin to acknowledge his presence and Jimin still looking down at his poor spoon, starting grumbling to the new intruder who had clearly dismissed the closed sign he had so eloquently hung up on the door.

“If it isn’t the apocalypse, pray to tell why you’d have to rush through the fragile door at this hour when the shop is closed for the day? I was preparing the chocolate and it was—“ Jimin’s voice died in his throat, his complaints all but forgotten as he stared at Jungkook with his jaw unhinged, and eyes widened comically.

“Hello to you too.” Jungkook started, moving a few steps closer, his gait confident and proud, unlike his nervous fidgeting a few minutes prior. “I was just playing the part of the costume to win treats from my favorite cook.”

Jimin tried his best to look annoyed, he even furrowed his brows and glared at the taller male who was closer than he’d like. Jimin could even smell his cologne, the same one Jimin bought him on his birthday a month prior. He could feel his cheeks get warmer and his heart beat a mile minute. He was sure he couldn’t quite keep in character for much longer. He wasn’t, after all, the best actor there was.

“I didn’t save any treats… I’m—I, uhm... Baking a cake, if you’d like?” Jimin stuttered out, and promptly cleared his throat, now surprisingly dry while his skin felt too hot.

Smiling wide, Jungkook took another step forward and threw all caution to the wind. He lifted a finger making Jimin flinch and slowly swiped it across his lips, collecting the chocolate sauce. While, in Jungkook’s head it all looked so suave, in reality—Jimin was a blushing mess and so was Jungkook. They couldn’t even look into each other's eyes.

Even though it became awkward, Jungkook was having a mini party inside his head. He got to touch Jimin’s lips. Those very lips that haunted him in his dreams for so long and licked his finger—the chocolate bitter on his tongue, yet so very fragrant.

Jungkook blinked, the aftertaste of coffee throwing him off for a bit and he looked at Jimin with furrowed brows as he smiled proudly. His eyes shimmering under the pumpkin shaped fairy lights.

“Taste good, right?”

“It’s bitter, but I like it.” Jungkook nodded, looking to the side at the bowl full of chocolate ganache, his wings unfurling from behind him in excitement. The wide expanse of them hitting a chair nearby and topping it.

It was only when the chair crashed, that Jungkook noticed his wings were out in the open, and so were Jimin’s eyes—that seemed to almost bulge out of its sockets.

“Wh-when you said, you’d have the most realistic costume, I didn’t think… you’d dress up as an angel with mechanical wings.” Jimin whispered in awe, the bright pearly white wings looked something straight out of his fantasies. “I thought your costume was just the silk and lace shirt and pants, with that fancy belt and earrings. Whoa…”

Lifting his hands, Jimin touched one of the wings, making Jungkook shudder in pleasure. Jimin’s touch warm and inviting to him.

Jimin felt it odd. The wings felt too real. He had touched his fair share of pigeons and budgies. Their wings warm to the touch, light and soft… But Jungkook’s wings were warmer, courser and stronger.

“They’re real, Jimin.” Jungkook whispered back, Curling his wings and enveloping Jimin within its folds. “As real as you and me. It’s no costume. It’s me. An angel.”

Jimin blinked, his jaw unhinged. Surely, Jungkook was just pulling on his leg. How could it be?

“Why’re you telling me this now?” Jimin finally asked he didn’t want to offend Jungkook by asking the wrong questions, but his mind was numb, he felt numb.

All this time, he had been sharing his curiosity with him. He felt like Jungkook understood him. But, now, he didn’t know anymore. Was Jungkook having fun at Jimin’s expense? Was that what it was?

But his actions were different. He always hung onto Jimin’s every word, he brought him gifts, he loved his food. Jungkook ….stayed with him all through the year. Then why?

Did he not trust Jimin enough with his secret?

Jungkook shrugged, a soft smile on his face and then he bent down and pecked Jimin’s cheek, starling the older boy to the point, he stumbled on his own two feet and almost fell backwards—but Jungkook caught him, his wings wrapping around the two of them tightly.

“Careful…” He murmured, and kissed his nose this time.

“Stop evading the question,” Jimin grumbled, averting his eyes. Yet, he didn’t pull away from Jungkook. He quite liked being in his arms. So strong, and steady around his frame. Despite Jungkook not being completely human, he had every trait and personality of one.

Jimin sighed.

He figured there was no way he could stay mad at him for long. Strangely, he felt happy and safe, right where he was.

“I like you, Jimin. And I didn’t want any secrets between us any longer.” Jungkook confessed, his eyes somber and wide.

“Well, you chose quite the ironic day for revealing yourself.” Jimin smiled back, his doubts stowed in the back of his mind for now. He’d take the risk if it meant getting to spend more time with Jungkook. He didn’t want to lose him. Not yet. Not so soon.

“Would you have preferred me to be a demon instead?” Jungkook chuckled, his eyes darkening.

Jimin stared back at him impassively, until Jungkook cracked and his eyes looked panicked. “I—I didn’t mean it. I swear. I was just teasing.”

“So was I.” Jimin nodded, pinching Jungkook’s cheeks. “Do you plan on letting me go anytime soon?”

“Not tonight.” Jungkook shook his head, a pout on his lips. “I wanna soar in the night sky with you.”

Jimin blanched. Jungkook might have wings, he might be strong and well trained. But...Jimin wasn’t. His body was made to stay grounded, not up among the clouds. Though, as a kid—Jimin wanted to have wings, he was envious of the birds.

But now that opportunity presented itself, he wasn’t so sure.

“Maybe…another day, yeah? I’ve got to finish this cake.” Jimin tried pushing him away and getting out of Jungkook’s wings, but he wouldn’t budge.

“Fine. Let’s fly.” Jimin winced as he agreed while Jungkook squealed, hopping on his two feet. 

[kraais]

🌻

my cousins have three birds total. they’re sisters. they’ve got a cockatiel and two budgies. my family visited theirs a few days ago- maybe last saturday night- and, as i am wont to do, i went to visit the birds. the cockatiel has been with them for a while now, so he knows me pretty well; the budgies on the other hand are still relatively new and shiny. they’ve only had them for …. maybe a month? i digress.

i went up to visit the birds, and took the cockatiel out of his cage. he was wildly excited to see me at first, but then eventually got broody and mad within a few minutes of being around the other birds. however, when i got up to close the door because one of the budgies was getting a bit too close to escaping the room, he FLIPPED his shit and flew onto my head. presumably because he loved me.

at one point, both he and the more adventurous budgie, who was ignoring her more timid cagemate, were on my head. she seems to like the cockatiel more than her cagemate; she was following him around and getting really close to him (even when it meant getting really close to me). i dream of one day earning budgie #2′s trust. he’s a little unloved and scared, i think.

anyways, this is a long-winded way of saying i’m a bird whisperer. clearly.