#bedeviled-pelican

[eskawrites]

@bedeviled-pelican i am choosing to believe the bird and sword makes this a tenlark prompt ;)

22. "Do you trust me?" "I don't know."

Lark paces outside Tenar's makeshift room. The house around her is chaos, filled to the brim with shouted orders and the clang of hammer on metal. They're not soldiers. This is no armory. And yet they're preparing for war all the same.

We could leave, Arren had said, the night before they'd snuck their way back into the city at Tenar's side. What do we owe Erathia, anyway? We could leave, and Tenar could come with us, and we wouldn't have to die for any of this.

But Tenar wouldn't leave. Never, not for anything. And Lark is realizing more and more lately that she would never leave Tenar.

So here they are, gearing up for battle again. And here she is, standing outside Tenar's door, trying and failing to work up the courage to knock.

It doesn't come. She raises a fist and knocks anyway.

"Enter," Tenar says, regal and commanding even without throne and crown. Lark can do nothing but obey.

"Lark." The greeting is less formal. She even dares to think she hears warmth in Tenar's voice. But it does nothing to calm the turmoil in her gut, the way her instincts scream at her that something is going to go wrong. "I thought you were readying the horses."

"I am. I--I did. I--" Lark stops and forces herself to take a breath. "I wanted to talk to you."

"Then speak." The order is belied by the softness in Tenar's eyes. Lark feels panic claw its way up her throat.

"Don't do this."

Tenar pauses. Lark stares at her, helpless, ashamed. Desperate.

"What do you mean?" Tenar's voice is cooler now.

Lark closes her eyes. "I just...wonder if we've considered all options."

"You're questioning the plan."

"No." Because she's not, really. It's a good plan. Probably the best we have. She just...doesn't like it.

"Then what are you saying, Lark?"

Oh, there's danger in her voice now. Just a hint of the anger she only rarely allows herself to show. Lark's knees shake. She looks up again, ready and willing to drown in the fire she knows will be blazing in Tenar's eyes.

"I am worried."

"About what?"

You.

The word dies in Lark's throat. Too honest, too dangerous, and entirely too much to lose if things go wrong today. So she swallows it back.

"The plan."

She watches frustration boil over in Tenar's gaze, and she braces herself.

"You helped make the plan," Tenar says shortly.

"I know."

"Then what's wrong with it?"

"Do you have to do this?" Lark says, finally letting go of some of her own restraint. "This--it's dangerous, Tenar. You're risking your life just for--"

"Just for my kingdom. My people. All the things I was born to protect."

"You can't protect Erathia if you're dead."

"Do you think me so incapable?" Tenar snaps.

"No," Lark says softly, unwilling and unable to rise to Tenar's anger. "I think the odds are against us."

Tenar takes a breath. "That's going to be true no matter what."

"I know. But that doesn't--you don't--"

"Do you trust me?"

Lark meets her eyes. "I don't know."

It's not true. She trusts Tenar with her life, would gladly give her own for her, would follow her into death and whatever lies beyond happily if Tenar said it was the right move.

She just can't bear the idea of letting her run into this alone, and losing her along the way.

Tenar stares back at her, stunned and blatantly hurt, and Lark wants to take it back. But before she can even open her mouth to speak, Tenar turns her back on her.

"Well, we have no choice," she says, and her voice is clear and commanding again, a princess--a queen, even, if they make it through the day--and nothing more. "This is our best chance. Whether you believe in me or not doesn't matter. I have my part to play, and you have yours."

"Ten--"

"Go, Lark. You have preparations to make."

Lark closes her eyes, but she is helpless, as always, to do anything but obey.

"Yes, Your Highness," she murmurs. And then she's gone, hurrying out of the room before she can make this worse.

[oklahomahistory]

Edwin James - Botanist

“Present-day Oklahoma and the American Southwest were providentially placed to keep the American people from ruinous diffusion… We have little apprehension of giving too unfavorable an account of this portion of the country. Though the soil is in some places fertile, the want of timber, of navigable streams, and of water for the necessities of life, render it an unfit residence for any but a nomad population. The traveler who shall at any time have traversed its desolate sands, will, we think, join us in the wish that this region may forever remain the unmolested haunt of the native hunter, the bison, and the jackall.”  -Edwin James, botanist accompanying American explorer Stephen H. Long  With his own eyes James witnessed scenes ranging from bald eagles to pelicans to wild horses to a square-mile-large prairie dog colony. As recounted in W. David Baird and Danny Goble’s The Story of Oklahoma, he also wrote of the constant bedeviling presence of seed ticks in the lives of Oklahoma explorers: “The bite is not felt until the insect has had time to bury the whole of his beak, and in the case of the minute and most troublesome species, nearly his whole body seems hid under the skin. Where he fastens himself with such tenacity… he will sooner suffer his head and body to be dragged apart than relinquish his hold.” Read the entire Oklahoma story in John J. Dwyer’s The Oklahomans: The Story of Oklahoma and Its People volume 1 of a 2-part series on the 46th state and the people who make this state very special.

[thesleepyskipper]

Hi Valentine!

Just sending a quick little note as I'm writing to you when I'm up way past my bedtime! 😴

I really wish the unknowable entity that is Tumblr would let me post gifs while on anonymous. They're my love language, and it'd be nice to just send a silly gif to brighten your day. So instead I'll send you this 🍑 in honour of the very nice gif worthy content that we got today. 😏

So, my quick Q is, do you have a favourite quote from the show? Also wondering if you have any character specific favourite quotes? Specifically from David, Patrick, Stevie, Ted, and/or Ronnie?

Feel free to include as many as you like! 😉

Have a great day. Don't let the bastards get you down!

scsv ❤️

Good morning Valentine!

Sorry it took me so long to respond, it's been an exhausting couple days.

I am not very good friends with tumblr, so that certainly doesn't surprise me. I'll take that 🍑 any day and I'll also hope for a gif from you after reveals! It would certainly brighten my day (lord knows that 🍑 sure did, and so did the 💪 that came after!)

Here are some of my favourite quotes, and I have them on various objects around my home and at work:

"Stop acting like a disgruntled pelican" - art in front of my office computer that I'm looking at right now, for when I get frustrated with work 🤣

"I'm positively bedeviled with meetings, etcetera" - on a tumbler which was a gift from a friend which I have at work since I normally run a ton of extra-curriculars and ALWAYS have meetings

"Best wishes, warmest regards" - custom art that I have in my SC area

"When one of us shines, all of us shine" - also have a print of this quote in my SC area

There are plenty more that I love but these are special to me.

What is your favourite quote, Valentine? I'd love to know if we have any in common! Happy weekend!!! ♥

[oklahomahistory]

Edwin James - Botanist

“Present-day Oklahoma and the American Southwest were providentially placed to keep the American people from ruinous diffusion… We have little apprehension of giving too unfavorable an account of this portion of the country. Though the soil is in some places fertile, the want of timber, of navigable streams, and of water for the necessities of life, render it an unfit residence for any but a nomad population. The traveler who shall at any time have traversed its desolate sands, will, we think, join us in the wish that this region may forever remain the unmolested haunt of the native hunter, the bison, and the jackall.”  -Edwin James, botanist accompanying American explorer Stephen H. Long  With his own eyes James witnessed scenes ranging from bald eagles to pelicans to wild horses to a square-mile-large prairie dog colony. As recounted in W. David Baird and Danny Goble’s The Story of Oklahoma, he also wrote of the constant bedeviling presence of seed ticks in the lives of Oklahoma explorers: “The bite is not felt until the insect has had time to bury the whole of his beak, and in the case of the minute and most troublesome species, nearly his whole body seems hid under the skin. Where he fastens himself with such tenacity… he will sooner suffer his head and body to be dragged apart than relinquish his hold.” Read the entire Oklahoma story in John J. Dwyer’s The Oklahomans: The Story of Oklahoma and Its People volume 1 of a 2-part series on the 46th state and the people who make this state very special.

[oklahomahistory]

Edwin James - Botanist

“Present-day Oklahoma and the American Southwest were providentially placed to keep the American people from ruinous diffusion… We have little apprehension of giving too unfavorable an account of this portion of the country. Though the soil is in some places fertile, the want of timber, of navigable streams, and of water for the necessities of life, render it an unfit residence for any but a nomad population. The traveler who shall at any time have traversed its desolate sands, will, we think, join us in the wish that this region may forever remain the unmolested haunt of the native hunter, the bison, and the jackall.”  -Edwin James, botanist accompanying American explorer Stephen H. Long  With his own eyes James witnessed scenes ranging from bald eagles to pelicans to wild horses to a square-mile-large prairie dog colony. As recounted in W. David Baird and Danny Goble’s The Story of Oklahoma, he also wrote of the constant bedeviling presence of seed ticks in the lives of Oklahoma explorers: “The bite is not felt until the insect has had time to bury the whole of his beak, and in the case of the minute and most troublesome species, nearly his whole body seems hid under the skin. Where he fastens himself with such tenacity… he will sooner suffer his head and body to be dragged apart than relinquish his hold.” Read the entire Oklahoma story in John J. Dwyer’s The Oklahomans: The Story of Oklahoma and Its People volume 1 of a 2-part series on the 46th state and the people who make this state very special.

[oklahomahistory]

Edwin James - Botanist

“Present-day Oklahoma and the American Southwest were providentially placed to keep the American people from ruinous diffusion… We have little apprehension of giving too unfavorable an account of this portion of the country. Though the soil is in some places fertile, the want of timber, of navigable streams, and of water for the necessities of life, render it an unfit residence for any but a nomad population. The traveler who shall at any time have traversed its desolate sands, will, we think, join us in the wish that this region may forever remain the unmolested haunt of the native hunter, the bison, and the jackall.”  -Edwin James, botanist accompanying American explorer Stephen H. Long  With his own eyes James witnessed scenes ranging from bald eagles to pelicans to wild horses to a square-mile-large prairie dog colony. As recounted in W. David Baird and Danny Goble’s The Story of Oklahoma, he also wrote of the constant bedeviling presence of seed ticks in the lives of Oklahoma explorers: “The bite is not felt until the insect has had time to bury the whole of his beak, and in the case of the minute and most troublesome species, nearly his whole body seems hid under the skin. Where he fastens himself with such tenacity… he will sooner suffer his head and body to be dragged apart than relinquish his hold.” Read the entire Oklahoma story in John J. Dwyer’s The Oklahomans: The Story of Oklahoma and Its People volume 1 of a 2-part series on the 46th state and the people who make this state very special.

[oklahomahistory]

Edwin James - Botanist

“Present-day Oklahoma and the American Southwest were providentially placed to keep the American people from ruinous diffusion… We have little apprehension of giving too unfavorable an account of this portion of the country. Though the soil is in some places fertile, the want of timber, of navigable streams, and of water for the necessities of life, render it an unfit residence for any but a nomad population. The traveler who shall at any time have traversed its desolate sands, will, we think, join us in the wish that this region may forever remain the unmolested haunt of the native hunter, the bison, and the jackall.”

 -Edwin James, botanist accompanying American explorer Stephen H. Long

 With his own eyes James witnessed scenes ranging from bald eagles to pelicans to wild horses to a square-mile-large prairie dog colony. As recounted in W. David Baird and Danny Goble’s The Story of Oklahoma, he also wrote of the constant bedeviling presence of seed ticks in the lives of Oklahoma explorers:

“The bite is not felt until the insect has had time to bury the whole of his beak, and in the case of the minute and most troublesome species, nearly his whole body seems hid under the skin. Where he fastens himself with such tenacity… he will sooner suffer his head and body to be dragged apart than relinquish his hold.”

Read the entire Oklahoma story in John J. Dwyer's The Oklahomans: The Story of Oklahoma and Its People volume 1 of a 2-part series on the 46th state and the people who make this state very special.

[oklahomahistory]

Edwin James - Botanist

“Present-day Oklahoma and the American Southwest were providentially placed to keep the American people from ruinous diffusion... We have little apprehension of giving too unfavorable an account of this portion of the country. Though the soil is in some places fertile, the want of timber, of navigable streams, and of water for the necessities of life, render it an unfit residence for any but a nomad population. The traveler who shall at any time have traversed its desolate sands, will, we think, join us in the wish that this region may forever remain the unmolested haunt of the native hunter, the bison, and the jackall.”

 -Edwin James, botanist accompanying American explorer Stephen H. Long

 With his own eyes James witnessed scenes ranging from bald eagles to pelicans to wild horses to a square-mile-large prairie dog colony. As recounted in W. David Baird and Danny Goble's The Story of Oklahoma, he also wrote of the constant bedeviling presence of seed ticks in the lives of Oklahoma explorers:

“The bite is not felt until the insect has had time to bury the whole of his beak, and in the case of the minute and most troublesome species, nearly his whole body seems hid under the skin. Where he fastens himself with such tenacity... he will sooner suffer his head and body to be dragged apart than relinquish his hold.”