#herring fishing in Norway was also a big deal - I know at least after the 2. world war - and Norwegians are always fishers so not

[ifindus]

More ScotNor AU please 😍

Love your art style very much!

Thank you! 😍✨

I have another ScotNor AU from when I spent a month in Orkney researching herring fishing in Scotland during the 1800s 🙈

Scotland is a fisherman and one day Norway shows up, sailing across the sea with this old boat and starts selling his herring at the docks - always catching more than the other boats. Scotland does not like this new guy who is not even local, and they strike up this sort of rivalry (because Norway can be snarky when he wants to), sending a few remarks each other's way when they cross paths at the docks or on the sea. Norway has good knowledge of the ocean and knows good herring spots, and Scotland ends up following him there some days. Then, one day, there is a sudden storm and they are too far from land. They get tossed around by the waves, and Norway's boat ends up shattering, flinging him into the dark water. Scotland manages to save him, and together they get his boat under control.

and that's all I have so far 😅

[lowkeyassgard]

Can you imagine Loki doing chores and like miserably failing? Like white clothes turn pink and he breaks like 500 dishes 😂😂😂

DAY 5 OF LOKI VS. EARTH: CHORES

Day 5 of the quarantine series and today I did something a little different. Inspired by the ask above I decided to not write Loki as pissed off but as smug.

One shot summary: Loki is asked to clean up after himself for the first time and he thinks he is doing a great job! Valkyrie does not agree.

Author’s note: I started something called the quarantine series as a way to help others get through this tough time. To join in just write a one shot and tag it with #quarantine series. Also if you do join in please message me so I can see it :)

Since the destruction of Asgard, Loki and the remaining Asgardians lived on Earth. They lived in Norway where it was rainy and cold. Loki loved it.

Loki would walk up and down the pier greeting all those he saw. Everything about New Asgard was perfect for him. The weather was cold. The people were nice. The new food was delicious. The only thing that Loki didn’t like is all the responsibilities Valkyrie had placed upon him when she became the new king.

It’s not like it was hard or burdensome. He just didn’t want to do it. Valkyrie gave him the duty of watching over the people and keeping them out of trouble. That was the exact opposite of Loki. Well the old Loki. Loki was tryna to be a better person who actually was respected by his community. So with plenty of whining he spent all day every day watching and protecting the people.

There wasn’t much to watch since most of them spent their day fishing, weaving, or conversing with others. On days like this Loki (making sure no one was watching him) would take off his shoes, and dangle his feet into the icy water.

Today just so happened to be one of those days; so Loki was on the pier with a book and his bare pasty feet just kicking the water. He would be embarrassed if someone was to find him like this but at this time of day everyone was busy in their homes. So he allowed himself a little bit of relaxation and would occasionally scoop down to splash the water. Loki loved the way it chilled his skin and relaxed his blood.

Before leaving his room Loki hadn’t listen to Thor’s advice to not stay out long cause there was a big storm coming. He had just ran out like his Asgardian ass was on fire. So when the first raindrop touched his skin Loki was pissed. He gathered up his shoes and ran home to avoid the down pour that was sure to come. His feet sliding in mud puddles as he went. By the time he reached the home he shared with Thor and Valkyrie he had mud clear up to his knees. He was like a wet dog.

He walked in and his feet left little black imprints across the linoleum flooring. He sat his shoes down by the door and immediately went to the sink to wash his hands that were now also covered in mud. The brown water splashing over the dishes that were in the sink. After he was done he stripped his wet muddy clothes off and threw them into the laundry room. Someone would clean up after him. They always did. Not caring that he left a huge mess in his arrival Loki retired to his bed to take a much needed nap. It was tiring to be a good person.

“LOKI ODINSON. GET YOUR JOTUN ASS IN HERE.”

Loki immediately woke up from his nap. Damn it Valkyrie. She knew that he didn’t sleep well at night and always came home for a afternoon siesta. How dare she disrupt it. This better me good Loki thought to himself.

Loki quickly slid on a pair of pants and a black shirt and made his way into the kitchen. There waiting for him was a very pissed off Valkyrie.

“So I am not sure if you think there’s a maid coming in, but there’s not. There is mud on the floor, the dishes, and the laundry. And you just left it there.” Valkyrie stood there with her arms crossed. He would never admit it but Valkyrie mad was a little intimidating.

“Val.”

“Don’t Val me. Thor and I have been cleaning up after you since we moved here. It’s one thing to wash your three pairs of black clothes but it’s another when you act like a pig.”

“I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.” Loki said. He didn’t get what the big deal was but knew it was best to just try to make her less angry.

“You’re right you won’t because today you will be not the god of mischief but the god of cleaning. So get a pair of gloves cause it’s about to get dirty.”

Val left after briefly describing how she normally cleaned everything. She of course left him with a list of things to clean. She said she would return in awhile to check in on him and he had better be finished. Never in his life had he had to perform such belittling tasks. He was a god. He should not have to tidy up anything. Valkyrie was his king and he would respect her orders. So he slid on the pink rubber gloves she had left him and stared at the mess before him.

Loki thought these tasks would be easy but they were far from it.

First up was laundry and he couldn’t tell the difference between the soap and the softener. They looked the same to him. He had no clue how much to put in or how much clothes went in one load. Loki assumed it was as easy as just add soap, add water, add clothes, and then bam clean. With that mindset he stuck in 2 cups of each liquid and toss all the clothes in the hamper in the water. He closed the lid and mentally checked it off his list.

Next, he was to mop the entrance and the kitchen of the brown mud foot prints he had left. The mop was soaking wet and he had no clue how splashing water all over the floor, circling it with a cloth was going to make anything clean. He tried to ring out the mop but is uncoordinated spoiled ass kept hitting himself in the face with the end each time. He grew so tired that he dumped the whole mop bucket across the floor and said fuck it. It would dry and when it did it better be rid of mud or he would set the mop and bucket on fire.

To the dishes which he assumed would be the easiest. He filled the sink with water and began to scrub at the plates and cups. The whole issue was that they had been sitting in the sink for hours so the mud was dry and hard. So he struggled to return the dishes back to their white state. He was a god and surely he could buy new dishes so if he couldn’t get it off he just threw them in the trash. It made his job extremely easy because when he was done they were left with one plate, one bowl, one cup, and a handful of spoons. Everything else was broken in the trash.

He assume he was done and believed he did a good job. As he was drying the remaining dishes Valkyrie arrived back home. She walked in and was immediately disappointed. She saw the dishes that laid shattered in the trash and the puddle of water that formed around the sink.

She reached in to the trash to pick up the remains of her favorite coffee cup.

“Loki, you can’t just break everything when you can’t figure it out.”

“What do you mean? Of course I can. See?” Loki slammed the one remaining plate to the ground. The shards now floating in the water.

“Problem? No more!”

“LOKI.”

“I don’t know why you’re so mad. You’ll never have to do dishes again. We will just eat out.”

“No. Loki. What about the floor? It’s soaked and ruined.”

“Okay well let’s throw down some sea salt and act like it’s the beach. I do love me some fun.”

“Loki you are so..” Valkyrie never finished her sentence because at once there was a loud commotion coming from the laundry room.

“LOKI WHAT DID YOU DO?”

“The laundry. Like you asked.”

Soapy water came pouring underneath the door. The water now mixing with the muddy water.

“Hey! At least the floor will be clean.” Loki said. It was true. The soap would rid the mud from the floor. The way he winged everything and yet it was going so smoothly for him. No dishes, a clean floor, and laundry was done. Good job Loki.

Valkyrie slowly opened the door and screamed. The washer was overflowing with water and soap. She quickly ran to turn the water off. Loki stepped through the water to see if the clothes were at least clean. Much to his surprise they were clean and now pink! Wow the magic of this machine!

Valkyrie came up behind him to discover the state of the clothes. She sighed.

“Loki did you not sort the clothes? Like I said specifically said to.”

“I did. I sorted the clothes from the hamper.”

“You turned them pink. You broke the washer. You broke all our dishes. You ruined the floor. Loki, you are to never do chores again.”

“I would rather burn this whole house down than touch another plate.”

“Well because of you that won’t be a problem. “ Valkyrie walked off. She would spend the rest of the day calling maintenance and repair shops to come fix the mess Loki had made.

“You’re welcome.” Loki smirked. He was proud of himself. He didn’t want to clean and yet he did such a great job. Such a great job she never wanted him to do it again. He considered that a win. He would be more considerate in the future but damn no one can solve the dishes like he can. Valkyrie is probably just mad that she didn’t think of the idea of breaking all the dishes.

[lonelypond]

Moonlight Becomes You: Apocalypse Midnight Dance Party, Ch. 2

NozoEli, NicoMaki, Love Live, Love Live Sunshine, 3K, 2/?

Summary: Maki considers the dangers of dating, Eli has another Tarot reading and a date with dance, and You meets a friend.

Chapter 2: All Wet

 “Why is it so difficult for them to date? They’ve known each other forever.” Maki heard herself ask as she replayed the end of the Rice and Ramen podcast she was scoring. Rin and Hanayo had made her sit down for a Kim Possible movie double feature when they’d found out she’d never seen any episodes. There was enough food talk that it qualified as a foodie movie -- somehow Rin had managed a five minute rant about lamb and cabbage stew which Ron Stoppable would have approved of. There had been Nacos served and time travel and evil toy cybernetic robots. And Kim Possible had been pretty cool. More people should have grappling guns. But for some reason, Maki had found herself fixating on the relationship between the two main characters.

Hanayo’s voice squeaked a little. Maki remembered her friend sitting forward, putting down her plate of mochi so she could fidget with her hands, “It’s not just a matter of how long you know each other, Maki. There has to be a moment. Kim never let herself see Ron as a potential date. She took him for granted.”

Rin snorted with laughter, “It took Kayo-chin like forever to realize I was hugging her because I wanted her to hug me back and it was different from how I was hugging my other friends. Even after I told her.”

“So you had as much trouble as Kim and Ron?”

Maki could hear the nerves in her voice as she spoke. Maybe she could make them edit this part out; it just sounded like she’d never dated anyone. And she had. No one that mattered, no one that took that step and made her...what would they have made her? Was she just not into romance...or sex?

“Nah. Kayo-chin never had anyone evil trying to smooch her.”

“But if Rin had moved away, my life would have been just as radically changed as Kim’s was.”

“I’m never ever going to Norway.” Rin had hugged Hanayo so hard her glasses flew off. “They can’t make me. Even if somebody hires my mom.”

“Mystical monkey time travel isn’t a thing, Rin.” Maki had a specific eye rolling tone of voice for when her friend was being silly.

“Is Norway?” Even with just recorded audio, anyone could tell Rin was just bouncing off the walls of the room.

“Yes.” Maki also had an exasperated tone.

“Don’t worry, you’ll find your Kim Possible.” Hanayo sounded so certain.

“Wouldn’t I be the Kim?” Maki winced at the whine in her question.

And then Rin laughed so hard she rolled off the couch, under the coffee table, and in trying to get back up before Maki could kick her again, knocked everything over, including their recording equipment.

Maki slid off her headphones. Mystical monkey time travel was almost as unbelievable as romance in her world. Here she was in a luxurious hotel suite, ALONE, in another country, between unexciting gigs, working on music for her childhood friends happy and friendly podcast. And it would be another week before she could attempt to ask Nico out for a meal and a chance to talk, to find out about what Nico cared about besides Eli...Maki’s lip curled up in a snarl, Nico was looking more and more frazzled every time she sent a selfie or posted a TWIG. And what was with that zombie makeup? Too many questions. Maki sighed and rewound to the discussion of cheese and pizza. Maybe they could go out for pizza? Nico could surely step away from roommate sitting for a pizza. Maki knew a place in Nico’s neighborhood. She typed a quick note in her phone. Could she text ask Nico to meet her there? Would Eli come along, like Monique...oh god, Maki was the Ron in this situation. Maybe she should get a pet. Would Eli eat it?

###

E: Hi Nozomi! How are you?

Nz: Eli? Hi.

E: Hi!

Nz: Sorry I haven’t been around much. Busy.

E: Me too.

E: But Nico said I should stop by and get a reading.

Nz: Do you do everything Nico tells you?

E: She haunts me otherwise.

Nz: ʱªʱªʱª (ᕑᗢूᓫ∗)

E: ha!

Nz: I could give you a reading over the phone.

(pause)

E: Really?

Nz: Sure. I can tap into our existing connection. Send me a selfie.

Eli wondered if this were some kind of a trick. She could almost see the laugh lines crinkling around Nozomi’s sea crystal eyes.

Nz: Are you naked (๑ゝڡ◕๑)

E: No!

Nz: *shrugs* then selfie please.

E: Shouldn’t we be talking? Like with voices and things…

Nz: Nah. Just think really hard,

E: You’re making fun of me, Nozomi.

A pic of Nozomi, her face contorted with concentration, popped up on Eli’s screen.

Nz: Serious face.

Eli giggled.

E: All right, I’m convinced. You’re very persuasive.

Nz: *tips hat*

E: You weren’t wearing a hat.

A pause and then another picture popped up, Nozomi in some kind of leather biker cap, winking, hand on brim.

Nz: Howdy, ma’am.

E: Mademoiselle.

Nz: Ooohh, French for flirty.

E: Actually, I learned it for ballet.

Nz: (⊙_◎)

E: All right, I’m concentrating.

E: What am I concentrating on?

Nz: Your question.

E: What’s my question?

Nz: I don’t know, It’s YOURS.

E: Is this like a birthday cake candle wish? That I shouldn’t tell anybody?

Nz: No, you should tell me. Or at least give me a hint.

E; Okay.

Nz: Now....

E: Oh right…

E; (・_・ヾ

E: Okay, I’ve had a big change recently...any advice about it?

Nz: I’m going to shuffle and deal out three cards now. So be patient. And CONCENTRATE.

E: *serious face*

Nz: Exactly.

E: Nozomi?

Nz: Sorry, just dealing out the cards. Now flipping them.

E: This is weird.

Nz: Hang on….

Eli’s phone pinged and a short video of Nozomi’s hand flipping three cards played, as she turned over the last card, two figures struggling in the snow in front a stained glass window, a fourth card blew across.

E: What was that?

Nz: The wind had something else to say.

E: What?

A pic of a person in a cloak staring moodily at three spilled cups and ignoring the two upright ones behind them showed on Eli’s screen.

E: I’m a vampire?

Nz: (*>艸<) interesting place to go...but no. You will not develop a craving for blood.

Eli wondered if a monthly craving for raw chuck roast counted. But that was existing, not something she was going to develop. She ran the video again. King on a throne, dude with a fish in a cup, then the couple struggling.

E: I’m in trouble. It looks like things are getting worse.

Nz: No no, it’s not that simple or harsh…

E: Reads harsh. I get buried in the snow outside a church I can’t enter because I’m a thirsty vampire.

Nz: (｡￫ˇ艸￩)

E: ╥﹏╥

Nz: Yes, things are difficult and nothing is as easy as it was but there are people who will help you if you let them. And positive things to look forward to if you don’t just stare at the past.

E: But I look so good in a cloak ◥(ฅº￦ºฅ)◤ And I love the snow.

Nozomi had started and stopped typing several times, until finally a reply popped on Eli’s screen.

Nz: It takes courage to look up and reach out.

Eli put the phone down. Nozomi had no idea what was going on but that seemed like such a callout. But Eli could also imagine the sad concern in Nozomi’s eyes as they looked up from the cards, encouraging Eli to talk, to share, to...reach?

E: I have to go. Nico’s got an emergency. Thanks Nozomi. I’ll think about what you wrote.

Nz: Eli?

E: See you soon (｀∇´ゞ

Eli shut off her phone. When was Nico due home? Eli was too restless to be alone. She turned her phone back on.

E: Hey, Nico, pick up a pizza. And hurry home. I’m...nervous.

N: Put on some music and dance. Nico will come to the rescue faster than Dominos.

Eli grinned.

E: Thanks, Nico.

N: Just remember, tip Nico $

E: Like a cow (((╹д╹;)))

N: Farmer Boi ; )

E: Got the horses in the back ; )

N: Nico is driving now. Hush.

Eli put down her phone. Somehow, Nico always managed to ease her tension. How Nico didn’t get overwhelmed, Eli had no idea. But she was grateful to have someone so fiercely on her team.

###

Kanan was staring out of the open window of the room Mari had given her the use of for her studio. Waves were cresting, low and gentle against the shore, sky a darkening blue. Dreamer, fluffy and gray and tiny and cute and determined, stomped over to rub against her leg. She bent down, scooped him up, holding him against her chest.

“Nice and cool, isn’t it, buddy.”

A meow.

“Mari will probably feed you sushi later. And maybe you could help me with a problem.”

Another meow. Kanan thought about Eli moving through the music, beautiful, but her grace somehow brutal as the sharpness of her fiercely locked control cut through the music instead of flowing with it, “Just stretch a few times in front of Eli, and then roll yourself up into the little snugly cuteness that you are.” Kanan raised him up for a kiss, then bopped him down and watched as his fluffy tail sashayed over to his favorite napping spot. Eli executed the choreography perfectly, Kanan had no quarrels with her work ethic, she couldn’t have asked for a more dedicated dancer, but Eli wasn’t opening herself up. Maybe this weekend, two solid days of dancing, would exhaust Eli enough that she might not be so guarded. Kanan wondered what Eli was so fiercely protecting herself from.

###

Eli was excited. Nothing but dance for most of the weekend. This was an amazing opportunity. Kanan was a hard taskmaster, but Eli hadn’t felt this challenged as a dancer since her first classes in Russia. Dance hadn’t felt this good, this hard in years. She could tell Kanan was frustrated, but being able to lock in the moves solidly with a focused weekend would give her the chance to prove to Kanan that she could interpret this...Eli stared at her bedroom ceiling. The piece felt personal, like Kanan should be dancing it herself, but Eli could also feel parts of her own experience in it, as the music pulled at her, muscles sliding back and….Eli shivered, sitting up in bed. Now why had she thought of that?

###

You had enjoyed the short, difficult hike to Sacred Grove. As a teen, she’d always enjoyed sleeping in, but after the Coast Guard got her used to early mornings, she come to treasure the quiet before the bustle of everybody en route to something scheduled. And her current situation meant many of her scheduled meetings took place in places like this, a closed off trail leading to a rocky beach in the picturesque Abalone Cove Ecological Reserve. The tide was rising, which meant she either had to rely on her contact to get her out of there safely or the meeting would have to to be short. Pressed against the base of the promontory, in shadow, checking quickly to make sure there was no immediate danger of a rockfall, You watched the waves until she saw the flick of huge snake tail parallel to the beach, the air suddenly full of a low cackling call. Then You stepped out, and a woman, with long tawny hair plastered across her torso to her waist, rose out of the water, her skin golden, paler stripes alternating with darker on her face, amber eyes cold and fierce over her lengthy nose.

You waved and hopped out until she was knee deep in the water, spray melding her Dream Big Fight Hard Live Proud Pride tank top to her skin. “Thanks for coming, Bo. You’re skipping the meeting tonight? Not ‘Crazy for CRAAVI?'”

There was a low rumble of what You had learned was amusement, then the Jiaolong spoke as she wrung out her hair, You glancing away from the breasts exposed, “Yohane tries very hard.”

“She does.” You chuckled, thinking of Yoshiko at the start of every Cryptid Research and Anti Violence Initiative meeting, frantically switching among pushing donuts on creatures from Man-Bats to Fresno Night Crawlers, trying to get attendees to join her in a chant, or at least form an orderly line for the coffee urn.

The Jiao sighed, “We of the sea have been avoiding the shore, but I received your message.”

“What’s up?”

“Humans are being more tiresome than usual…” You heard anger, “so limited in their imaginations again. Dragging them into the depths becomes too tempting.” A flash of double rows of sharp, jagged teeth, a flex of muscles used to whipping through riptides.

You shoved her hands in the pockets of her board shorts, keeping her posture easy, her aura amused. Encouraging mer rage was exactly the opposite of her plan. “Not joining me at the movies anytime soon then.”

“No.”

They let the waves hit them, soon the tide would be up to You’s waist but she wasn’t going to hurry this conversation, “Fair.”

Bo listened for a few minutes, You staring at the sky over Portuguese Point.

“Why did you call?”

“It’s getting dangerous.”

Bo shook her head, hair over one shoulder in a quickly twisted plait, “It’s always dangerous, more dangerous for others. We are heading south soon to help the gray whales navigate…”

“No, I mean…” You scratched her head, “there are rumors, ship passengers may be looking for mermaids and causing trouble. There are people stirring up fears. I am going to stop them.”

Another silence. Golden eyes that refused to release You’s. “I wish you luck. We will stay away from the shore for a season.”

You nodded, “Be careful.”

“You as well.” A quick hand brushed You’s, “Come swim with us in the summer.”

“I will.”

You turned away, as Bo fell back into the water. Just enough time to beat the tide.

###

“You have to be released from the susohiki and the fan, let them drop…” Kanan demonstrated as best she could with the arm not in a cast, the fan whipping through the air, the sleeve of the susohiki graceful it followed the movement and then, Eli swore she didn’t blink, Kanan shuddered and instantly the modified garment slid to the floor, a silken puddle evoking the muddled colors and waves Eli had seen on the dawn run that had kicked off the weekend intensive. It had dropped straight from the choreographer’s shoulders somehow, but even if Eli had blinked there was still the sense of a magician’s trick having happened at impossible speeds. Eli couldn’t learn the gesture because she hadn’t seen it.

“Try it again. It’s like shedding a skin.” Kanan explained patiently, crouching to sweep up the fabric and fan, then hand them to Eli. “Getting down to your” Kanan snorted a laugh, “Soul.” Her purple eyes softened, “Don’t you dare tell Mari I said that. She kept trying to get me to leave off anything but the robe…” Kanan raised her shoulders, tilting her nose in the air, and raising the pitch of her voice, “Accuracy in the arts is so important, Amore mio.”

“Accuracy?” Eli wondered.

Kanan looked caught, “Never mind. Just don’t tell Mari…”

“Dancers before…”

“Dangerous wives.” Kanan finished as Eli hesitated.

Eli slid her arms into the silk of the susohiki, taking a couple quick glissades en evant to feel how it flowed behind. Purists would be upset that the costume was just a simple robe, lacking the belt and the formal air a geisha would wear it with, but with the mix of Eastern and Western tonalities and instruments in the music, and a one piece, glittering midnight blue bodysuit underneath, it was easy to feel a part of two worlds. And when the outer robe dropped, Kanan’s choreography dove into one world, the music simplifying, rolling as the dancer….

“Eli?”

Eli quickly went through the middle section, fan whipping the air, cutting a path for Eli, fabric weighting her, pulling her back, a drag as she….Eli leapt, fan out, body curled and then opening, like a dragon swooping as the koto player plucked stars, letting them fall into the sea. And Eli landed, knees absorbing the force, fan out, leading a spin, eyes focused on her target, and then the...she dropped her arms, shrugged, surely the move was seamless but the fabric refused to release.

Kanan’s hand was there, at her shoulder, making sure it hadn’t snagged. Eli knew there was frustration, although Kanan’s voice just sounded weary, “It’s like you don’t want to be free…”

“That’s not true.” Eli’s reply was sharp and the she brushed Kanan’s hand off with the fan, “You’re just too fast, I can’t see the gesture…” Eli shrugged her shoulders, shifted them, tilted her torso forward, and eventually, the fabric slid to the floor. Eli kicked it. Kanan had gone back to the open window and was watching Eli, her arms crossed.

“It’s not a gesture. It’s a transformation.” Kanan closed her eyes, “It’s something inside, you just let go, let the unconscious happen. You were one thing, now you’re another, and free to...swim. You stiffen when you should be…” Kanan glanced at the sea, “surging.”

Surging was dangerous. Surging without any...Eli shuddered, a sudden vision of the tsunami that twisted through her at the will of the moon. “Can we take a break?”

Kanan shrugged, “Sure. If you need anything, just call the desk. I’ll be back in thirty minutes.”

“Thanks, Kanan.”

A quick nod and Kanan had stepped out onto the beach. Eli hit the light, glad the hotel wasn’t bustling this evening. The music clicked off and the shushhh of the water and drifting conversations nudged the edge of Eli’s hearing. The distraction was welcome, no one focused on her, no pressure to perform on command. She took a deep breath. She could do this. Nico would be lecturing her on how silly it was to fail for lack of confidence. This was a huge opportunity, a chance for Eli to finally debut in LA as a soloist. She couldn’t let anything stop her.

A/N: A Midsummer Night's Dream is approaching Tech Weekend, I can't believe it's July, and I don't know what Nico wants for her birthday.Thanks for reading; hope your summer's going well.

[lindoig4]

The Last Post for this time.

I have just posted lots of photos and a few videos through to the end of our adventure so this will probably be my last post to this blog.

On Friday the 13th (Black Friday), we took a streetcar to the ferry terminal and a ferry to Larkspur, a town across the Bay in Marin County.  I love larkspurs (but we didn’t see any there) and I am not sure what other attractions are around the town of Larkspur, but that is where San Quentin prison is - a big forbidding fortress of a place.  Pretty horrible really, not at all larkspur-ish, but so was Alcatraz in its day.  A good place to avoid, I think!!

It was not much more than filling in a day, but we had a slow lunch in a pub out there and returned to San Fran 2 or 3 ferries later.  When we got back to SF, we decided to take the Castro streetcar to the end of the line just for a look and then stay on it until it brought us back to our hotel.  We had (good) vague memories of Castro in 1995 and thought a visit might be nice.  Alas, our streetcar driver had completed her shift and was returning streetcar vehicle to the depot, so tipped everyone off a few stops early.  We decided to just catch the next streetcar back to downtown which she assures us would be along shortly. ‘Shortly’ turned out to be just over 55 minutes with us and a few others standing around the bus-stop in the blazing sun - not at all the sort of thing we expected.

Saturday, we had booked to go on a 9am whale-watching tour and we were up early and out at the Pier 39 meeting place almost an hour early.  We wandered around the precinct and watched the sea-lions and birds for a while until it was time for the tour. We saw a few harbour seals and glimpsed some small porpoises, but the anticipated dolphins eluded us.  And as soon as we reached the Golden Gate Bridge, the fog rolled in and we were enveloped in it for the rest of the tour. Visibility ranged from about 50 to 150 metres and although those on the bridge reckoned they sighted one (or maybe 3) whales, they quickly got lost in the fog so none of the tourists saw anything.  Having said that, I enjoyed it greatly, not for the whale-watching, but as a pelagic birding excursion and added nine more birds to our trip list.  I suspect I was the happiest person on board by a mile!

Back at Pier 39, we had fish and chips and a cold drink for lunch, then sat and watched the world go by for an hour or so before catching the trolley back.  We broke the journey halfway to visit the Friday market that sets up not far from the ferry terminal but it was generally disappointing - a lot of junk jewellery, some artwork and not a lot else.  There was some sort of parade or military drive-through that delayed traffic and the streetcars for quite a while.  Not quite sure what it was, but there were lots of military vehicles, historical and more modern, with lots of personnel waving to the crowd and a dozen police bikes having a great time hooning up and back in some sort of escort but whatever the occasion, it remained a mystery to us.

Needless to say, the parade delayed the streetcars so we had another wait of well over half an hour, thankfully in the shade, until we got our ride the rest of the way home.

We went out a bit later to get some food to-go and ate in the room again with a bottle of local fermented grape juice of the cab sav variety.

Then Sunday was our last day in San Francisco!   We fly out tonight and it will be a long uncomfortable trip so we decided to go easy on ourselves.

We caught a trolley bus (by far the best form of urban mass transport) out to the beach, just for the ride.  It took us out along McAllister, a long road with all those wonderfully quaint colourful Haight-Ashbury houses - just love them - and along the full length of the Golden Gate Park (North America’s largest urban park) to Ocean Beach.

We watched the crows and gulls for a while, then decided to walk up to Cliff House, a bit over a kilometre along the beach.  We visited it back in 1995 and didn’t remember a lot about it other than that they had a big Camera Obscura set up just below Cliff House itself - and I do have vague memories of doing that tour then.

Cliff House has featured in a number of movies, usually as a desolate hideaway miles from anywhere, usually with a gale blowing, thunder and lightning, a storm raging and the baddies on the brink of some dastardly deed that will pour treasure at their feet - until the hero turns up, rescues the maiden and captures the evildoers just before their wicked plan succeeds.  The truth is somewhat different with at least two upmarket bars and three restaurants.  We had a wonderful lunch in the bistro.  They even had a version of a Caesar so we both had one of them - each a meal in themselves and pretty healthy at that.  We shared half a dozen deep-fried dumplings (gyozas by another name) and the most delicious baked meatballs I have ever enjoyed.  The gyozas were also tastier and more substantial than those we have had before.  We sat over the meal for an hour or so then strolled back to the trolley bus and thence back to our hotel.  It was a really delightful day, warm and sunny, great for a visit to the beach, to enjoy a superb lunch and we loved every minute of it.  As they say, somebody has to do it.......

We sat in the foyer of the hotel for an hour, writing and identifying a couple more birds and suddenly, the shuttle was there and we were on our way to the airport.  We got through reasonably easily, although Heather lost a few utensils out of our picnic bag because we forgot to move it into our checked baggage before sending it on its way along the great conveyor belt that will hopefully deliver it to Melbourne tomorrow - whatever day that is (Monday here, Tuesday in Melbourne).

We stocked up on the makings for quite a number of homemade Caesars as we went through the Duty Free clip joint and sat in the lounge for an hour and a half until they called our flight. I intended doing a lot of stuff on my PC - but once again, the beast wouldn’t boot when I turned it on. Fortunately, I backed up most stuff a couple of days ago, but it would still be nice to wake it up and strip the hard drive before tying a brick to it and throwing it into the ocean.

One cute thing that happened as we sat there waiting for the very last episode of our Arctic Odyssey to conclude was that we both got emails starting the formal part of our next adventure to the Antarctic in February - what could be more appropriate?

The long flight home was predictably as dreadful as we imagined.  I just don’t know how people endure such flights on a regular basis – I am in awe of them!  But obviously, we made it through the very long night – we left SF (30 minutes late) in darkness and we arrived in Melbourne (an hour early) shortly before dawn. Our wonderful driver (Nick) who our more wonderful travel agent (Bev) provided as a freebie for us gathered up our bags and delivered us home in style, quick and comfortable after our overnight ordeal.  The rest of the day was a bit of a blur, starting the elongated unpacking process, wading through the mountain of mail Nath had collected for us, making a few urgent appointments and planning the schedule for attending to the 30-odd tasks that had accumulated on our to-do list while we were away.  After no sleep the night before, we were in bed before 10pm and asleep about 15 seconds later.

Some statistics…… Our trip took us to 6 countries (depending on how we count them) with 9 border crossings, including 13 US States (a quarter of all of them) and all Canadian Provinces except Prince Edward Island. In total, I calculate we travelled close about 80000km.

And perhaps more important (for me) was our bird count.  I identified 148 discrete species, but some were seen in more than one country – so my country stats were as follows:

     USA                     55      Canada                64      Norway                30      Iceland                30      Greenland           20      Denmark             10       (Total 209)

We had previously seen some of these before, either in Australia or our other trips, but of the 148 species we saw this trip, were 78 species we had never seen anywhere before.

So what were the highlights of the trip?  Very hard to say, but perhaps some narrative would help me to get a clearer picture in my own head.

It is hard to rank my experiences on this trip, but some of the highlights so far are as follows:

*     In the US, the Zephyr train, specifically the romance of the buttes, mesas and arroyos of the Cowboy Country, mainly in Colorado, took me right back into so many hundred Westerns and cowboy books I read when I was just a young buck trying to emulate John Wayne. Then it was the Canyons - truly majestic scenery in the Cascades and particularly the Rockies.

*     In Svalbard, the close wildlife encounters with Arctic Foxes, Reindeer and Walruses - and to a lesser extent, the Polar Bears.  My favourite birds have been the beautiful white Ivory Gulls and dainty Arctic Terns. I was also delighted with the miniature flora in the tundra.

*     Being in the Arctic Circle, right up to 83 degrees, only about 1000-odd clicks from the North Pole, was an experience I only ever dreamed about.  Seeing so many dozen glaciers, watching them calve icebergs, and navigating through the resultant ice fields was wonderful. Even more so, being in the pack ice, leaning over the bow and watching our mini-icebreaker crunching through a metre of ice was mind-boggling.  But actually standing on and walking on a glacier topped even that - simply thrilling!  (Not sure why that was such a big deal, but it was unforgettable for both of us!)

*     The Polar Plunge – insane but absolutely an experience of a lifetime.

*     Then the extreme challenge of climbing the moraine and finding a fossil for myself was an achievement of which I am quite proud.  The fossil is less than spectacular but getting there and back alive was no mean feat.

*     In magical Greenland, the splendour of the mountains, cruising up close and personal with the magnificence of the mighty icebergs, the dramatic scenery in stark contrast with Svalbard, the dearth of birds that barely outnumbered the musk ox, were all issues that made us think about so many things in a new way.

*     Iceland was simply gorgeous with the waterfall, the geyser and spectacular coastline.  I want to go back and explore a lot more widely.  Standing with one foot on each of two of the world’s great techtonic plates was another ex\perience of a lifetime.

*     Newfoundland was beautiful and Cape Spear a tick to mark the start of our cross-Canada journey.

*     Niagara – not something I would do again, but like Uluru, the Pyramids, the Eiffel Tower or the Grand Canyon, an iconic tourist destination that one has to endure if one is passing.

*     The birds and other uncommon (for us) wildlife and flora – especially the tiny Arctic trees and other plants.

I could probably replace several of these with other wonderful sights and experiences, but that is at least a sample of the things that will stay in my mind for the rest of my life.

I think that is it for this time but we are already well into the planning for our next trip – already booked and paid – so roll on February and the Antarctic!!!

[hellomissmabel]

Bye Bye Brooklyn Boys (6)

MASTERLIST

Pairing: Bucky x reader, Steve x reader

Warnings: This is just so sad. Language.

Word count: 1.926

Summary: You find out Tony has made some arrangements behind your back and you decide to confront him about it.

A/N: I had a clear image of this scene in my head but it feels like I lot track of it once I started writing it down. What I was trying to convey here is her desperation, she’s looking for love and the only person that has ever given her love, is Tony, who is like a second father to her. The reader is caught up in her search for love and it feels like the only person that’ll ever love her, although platonic, is Tony. This is why she feels so betrayed, why it looks like she’s being a drama queen. Nonetheless, this is just a mask. She feels empty and has no idea how to deal with it.

September, October, November , December, January

February

One week before my grand escape, my leap of faith into the great big unknown (just kidding, it’s only Norway), I received a letter from the faculty explaining that professor A. Stark had signed over my research to a certain professor B. Banner. My transfer was effective immediately.

I was pissed, so pissed. Pissed at Tony, at whoever this professor Banner might be. Pissed at those fuckers in Norway who dare lay a finger on my precious work and at the world for treating me like a piece of shit. Because that’s exactly what I felt like.

I felt like shit.

So now I’m drunk as fuck and sitting at the desk of my ex-mentor, professor Stark. I don’t know when I got this bold or where I got the fucking nerve from to barge in like this, but I did know where he kept his fancy bourbon. I pulled out the bottle stashed away at the back of his bottom drawer and poured myself a glass or two. Or maybe it was three or four, I don’t really remember. The point is that the bottle had been almost empty and I wasn’t thinking clearly by the time he found me, legs up on his mahogany desk and singing nineties pop songs like a cat being dragged into the water. And cats absolutely loathe water.

He gently lifted me out of his chair and carried me towards his couch, my arms lazily wrapped around his neck. I’m just a bunch of dead weight in his arms but he doesn’t seem to mind. After he lies me down, the black leather welcoming me in its indulgent embrace, he tucks back a couple swirls of hair behind my ear before crouching on his knees before me. He looks me straight in the eye while he tries to talk some sense into me.

“Y/N, what’s wrong? Darling, please, tell me what brought you here and I will do everything in my power to make it better. Y/N, my dear, what has gotten into you? This isn’t like you.”

You slowly open your eyes and when you do, you are met with an abundance of warmth. You had never really taken a moment to appreciate the colour of his eyes, the shade of copper coins you keep in your back pocket and the aged whiskey you treated yourself with upon arrival. His eyes are boring into you as he measures up how far gone you are but the only thing you can think about is how gorgeous, so very gorgeous his eyes are, harbouring a mischievous sparkle and crinkling at the corners when he smiles that devious smirk you’ve grown so used to. An old fox with new tricks or at least that’s what Nat thinks of him.

But those are not the eyes you long to see right now.

“Everything is so fucked up. I rejected Bucky, broke up with Steve and this morning, I found out you robbed me of my research, shipped me off like cargo to a guy named Banner without even consulting with me first! You stabbed me in the back, you kept me in the dark. I put all my hope in you, professor, and you let me down.”

“Y/N, at least let me explain.” You could hear the hurt in his voice shining through and you instantly felt like such a bitch for putting him on the spot like that. He didn’t deserve your insults, he was just doing his job.

But your mouth is quicker than your conscience.

“No! I don’t need any more lousy excuses, God knows I’ve heard enough of those already. And you know what, I don’t need those two Brooklyn boys! What I need is a real man, a Manhattan man. Mum was right after all,” you groan loudly.

“Y/N, if you would just let me finish.” You snapped out of your thoughts at the authoritative nature his voice had taken, a tone he rarely used with you. But his eyes soon softened as he took in your astounded expression, he understood where you anger was coming from.

“Y/N, I am not the right person to assist you. I barely have time to be your mentor now, how on earth are we going to be able to work together when we’re miles apart? My good friend over in Norway, Bruce, he offered to step in for me while you’re abroad. So when you return we’ll pick up right where we left off. I’m sorry I didn’t run this through you first, but time was of the essence here. We needed the board and the ethical committee to approve on this as soon as possible and we both know how long it can take for them to review a decision like this.”

You sighed, hiding your face in the pillows to avoid eye contact. “I feel like such a fool.”

“You’re wasted, love,” Tony chuckles. “And you’re very feisty when you are, I like a girl that can bite back,” he jokes quietly, the palm of his hand resting on your cheek tinted pink with mortification. You slowly look up to meet his gaze. Tony cards his fingers through your hair, his smile telling you to not worry too much about it.

“That’s not very professional of you to say, professor Stark,” you retort, laughing lightly.

“I know, but I don’t give a shit. Feeling better already, dear?”

You nod and he helps you back up, head spinning wildly from the sudden switch in position. He sits down next to you and you lay your head to rest on his shoulder. “And please, Y/N, call me Tony,” he says as he drapes his arm over your shoulder and takes your hand in his, interlacing your fingers and giving your hand a gentle squeeze.

“Thank you, Tony. I know you only did it to help me and I’m sorry I’ve been such an ass about it.”

“No need for apologies, Y/N. You’re my favourite assistant, you know that. You don’t work for me, you work with me. My team is basically your team as well, they even call you the ‘Lady Boss’.”

You scoff, turning your head to face him. “What kind of title is that? I prefer Mother of Dragons.”

He shakes his head at your folly. “I swear I’m going to miss you, kiddo.”

Tony has dark circles hugging his eyes and a light scruff decorating his cheeks, his usually immaculate haircut unkempt.  “You look tired, have you gotten any sleep lately?”

He just shrugs nonchalantly but he holds on to your hand a little tighter. “I can’t.”

“Don’t, Tony. You know how important it is that you get some rest. Please let me help you.”

“You should help yourself first by telling me what’s been going on in that pretty little head of yours, Y/N. Tell me about those Brooklyn boys you mentioned earlier.”

You cringe visibly, reluctant to stir up that particular hornet’s nest again. “Tony, are you sure? It ain’t got a happy ending.”

“I don’t mind, I’m here for you. Now, talk, get it off your chest.”

You blink away the tears threatening to spill from your tear ducts, the memory still too fresh as you reveal everything to Tony, from the very beginning till the very end. About how you and James dated on and off for a couple months before he broke things off, how you cried yourself to sleep every night, how you think that at some point Nat lost count as well which is why she dragged you out to party for an entire week straight, trying her best to cheer you up.

But you also told him the real change happened when you met Steve. “Now, I know you can’t stand the guy but please, Tony, hear me out first.”

He huffs but says nothing although his brown eyes give away more than he’d like.

“Steve,” you sigh languidly, “Steve’s a dream. He’s thoughtful and has such a kind heart, there’s a softness in his smile at all times and he loves the forties just as much as I do, even went to one of those period dances with me. Steve’s creativity knows no end and he is such an amazing artist. We even made a deal, I would model for his sketches and he would model for my photographs.”

“If everything was so perfect, where did it go sideways?”

You decide to give him a shorter version of all your past mistakes right up until what happened yesterday afternoon, the epitome of all your misery, the final drop that flooded your proverbial bucket. Class had been dismissed an hour earlier than expected and as you reached your apartment, you saw Clint’s car parked outside. Deciding you didn’t want to interrupt the two love birds, you texted Wanda and asked if you could join her at the library where she usually resides at this hour. Whilst waiting for a reply, you already made your way towards the library and just as you were about to reach out for the door handle, you felt something buzzing in your jacket pocket. Quickly fishing out your phone, you stared at the screen in confusion, one simple word lightening up on the display.

No.

Wanda didn’t want you at the library, surely you hadn’t done anything to upset her? You figured that the best approach was to ask her straightaway and as you pushed through the double doors and inside the library, your eyes immediately fell upon a familiar presence and you promptly realised why Wanda had reacted the way she did. Sitting only two seats away from Wanda, hunched over a couple textbooks with his headphones on, was James. And all of a sudden, as if God himself is mocking you, his head shot up and your eyes locked, his grey gaze falling over your body like a bucket of ice cold water. His eyes were void of any emotion and you felt yourself slowly slipping away in the bottomless pit you created for yourself.

There was no need for words anymore, because you just knew, you knew you had royally screwed up. “I am dead to him now.”

You look so tiny compared to the strong character you usually exhibited, void of your talent for light-hearted chatter making everyone feel at ease almost instantly. A loud sob escapes your lips and Tony gives you a sympathetic half-smile, shushing and comforting you until you have calmed down a bit.

“It’s a disaster,” you reply with a wry smile, the alcohol wearing off and the urge to cry again sinking in. “Tony, I lied to both of them! I didn’t want to be tied to a sallow heart like James’, so I told him no when I wanted to say yes. But I also couldn’t stay with Steve after kissing James and all those old emotions came flooding back to me. How can I be in love with both of them if it’s killing me inside? It’s killing me to love them, which I why I have to go. I have to go.”

Another heartbeat passes and Tony is clearly rendered speechless by your words. He feels bad for you, torn up by love and now clutching onto him as if he’s the only rock-solid thing that’s left in her world. Perhaps he is. “That’s a lot of weight to carry around all by yourself, kiddo.” Tony spoke softly to you, gently brushing the tears away with his thumb.

Perhaps he is.

Part 7: March

Tagging: the ever-wonderful @beccaanne814-blog along with a couple of my all-time favourites (hope you guys don’t mind me tagging you!) @hymnofthevalkyries @thedragonblood @capsbuchanan @caplanbuckybarnes @buchananbarnestrash @buckyywiththegoodhair @a-little-hell-to-raise @unpredictable-firecracker @marvelingatthewonder @emilyinwonderland3 @mrshopkirk @oopsmybagofplums @hardcorehippos @iiharu-kunii@knittingknerdy @kiwi71281 @winterwolf57 @dontbeamenacetotheforce @winterboobaer