#national bird day in india

[mediaheights]

Nature lovers, bird lovers, and bird watchers across the country annually recognize National Bird Day on January 5th. It's also one of several designated holidays celebrating birds.

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[1stpoliticalcartoons]

“South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s bid for Donald Trump’s VP slot on the Republican ticket blew up in recent days, unless the Trump team grossly underestimates how much Americans love their dogs and other animals.

Ahead of upcoming release of Noem’s new book, “No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward,” The Guardian news outlet obtained a copy, and the biggest revelation appears not to be what’s wrong with politics, but what’s wrong with Noem.

Noem, who served in the South Dakota House of Representatives and the U.S. House of Representatives prior to becoming governor, is also a hunter. Guardian writer Martin Pengelly reports that Noem writes in the book about her 14-month-old (still a puppy) wirehair pointer named Cricket.

These dogs require vigorous exercise and can be rowdy and highly exuberant when not exercised sufficiently, particularly when young. They need a confident owner.

Cricket was a female with an “aggressive personality” who needed training to hunt pheasant, wrote Noem. So Noem took Cricket out on pheasant run with other older dogs for training. But, young girls just want to have fun. Cricket was “out of her mind with excitement, chasing all those birds and having the time of her life.”

After the outing, which Noem considered ruined by Cricket, she stopped to talk with a local family, and Cricket, apparently not secured in Noem’s truck, escaped and headed for the family’s chickens. Chaos and chicken death ensued. Cricket was just having fun, with no idea of what was about to befall her.

“I hated that dog,” Noem recounts in the book, finding young Cricket “untrainable,” “dangerous to anyone she came in contact with” and “less than worthless … as a hunting dog.” Noem appears to place the blame for that on the dog, not herself.

Summary execution from Noem was near.

After her day of frolicking and joy, Cricket was then led by Noem to a gravel pit where she was executed.

By then, perhaps all fired up to dispatch any creature that didn’t fit Noem’s view of acceptable behavior, Noem shot a male goat she viewed as “nasty and mean,” because it wasn’t castrated (again, whose fault was that?), and who chased the kids and smelled “disgusting, musky, rancid.”

The goat also met his unnecessary fate in the gravel pit, in a story that sounds like the South Dakota version of Tony Soprano.

Since the Guardian story and wide pick-up of the animal executions, Noem has not backed down on her position that the story was an illustration of making “tough, challenging decisions.” Defining the dog as a “working dog,” seems to justify for her the act of putting it down. But the more Noem responds to what the majority of people see as indefensible, the bigger the hole she digs for herself in her own gravel pit.

Death for these animals was the only option in her mind? What about rehoming, sending the dog to training with someone else? How about letting the goat have its own enclosed space and keeping the kids away? Could the goat still be neutered? Would a hose down have helped with its smell?

As a potential VP pick, the concern is that her judgment is this poor. We’ve already endured nearly four years of a president and VP with poor judgment – this country can’t endure more.

Noem’s story reminded me of a friend who said when he was an older teen, he took Halloween candy from the younger children. Even as a grown man, he didn’t seem to recognize that what he had done as a teenager was wrong. He still thought taking candy from kids was funny. And like Noem, he didn’t have any awareness that it was a story you don’t tell other people because it reflects very poorly on him.

Mahatma Gandhi, who used nonviolent resistance in the campaign he led to obtain independence for India from British rule, said, “The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” Noem doesn’t pass the sniff test.”

[scotianostra]

James Allan Mollison was born on April 19th 1905 in Glasgow.

Graeme Obree, Chris Hoy and a certain steam train have all bee called The Flying Scotsman in their time, but the original title goes to a man who actually did fly, Jim Mollison.

Jim would go on to become a pioneering aviator, breaking records for long distance flights. His marriage to fellow aviator Amy Johnson also saw them lauded as the golden couple during their time together.

Born the only child of Hector Alexander Mollison, a consultant engineer, and Thomasina Macnee Addie. He was educated at The Glasgow Academy and Edinburgh Academy and took an early interest in flying and obtaining his Royal Air Force (RAF) Short Service Commission at 18, he was the youngest officer in the service, and upon completion of training was posted to India, flying on active service in Waziristan.

At the age of 22, Mollison became a flying instructor at Central Flying School (CFS), again setting the record for being the youngest in this role. Shortly after, he transferred to the RAF Reserve and devoted his time to civil aviation. In 1928-29, he served as an instructor with the South Australian Aero Club in Adelaide, leaving that position to become a pilot with Eyre Peninsular Airways and Australian National Airways.

In July-August 1931, Mollison set a record time of eight days, 19 hours for a flight from Australia to England, and in March 1932, a record for flying from England to South Africa in 4 days, 17 hours flying a de Havilland Puss Moth.

Mollison eventually served in the ATA Air Transport Auxiliary in the Second World War. In June 1941 Mollison and an ATA crew delivered Cunliffe-Owen OA-1 G-AFMB to Fort Lamy, Chad. The aircraft was fitted out as a personal transport for General De Gaulle.

Mollison was feted in London and New York, and could lead the life he had always wanted. “I am a night bird,” he once said. “Life and enjoyment begin when daylight fades. Cocktail bars and clubs, music, beautiful women— that’s living. Daylight comes to me as an interval for sleeping until an afternoon drink helps to bring on another evening.” His autobiography was called “Playboy of the Air”.

When Mollison and Amy Jonson married in 1932 the press were delighted, they were dubbed The Flying Sweethearts by the press and public. . The match was was perfect for the publicity machine, and the two of them set about devising new aviation records: in 1933 they flew together from Wales to New York and had a ticker-tape reception in Wall Street. But marriage did not last long or end well. It has sometimes been assumed that the match was a simple career move on Mollison's part: certainly he did not halt his relationships with other women. Nor did it limit his drinking. As I said earlier, he got the tag “ the Flying Scotsman” but those close to him called him “Brandy Jim”.

As well as his Playboy lifestyle and heavy drinking Jim Mollison was also quick with his fists, and a manager from the Grosvenor House Hotel was reported as saying ” We've had the most awful night here. Jim Mollison and Amy Johnson had a fearful row and he's beaten her up. The bathroom looks like a slaughterhouse.” The marriage officially ended in 1938.

Mollison kept flying, and – like Johnson – flew in a non-combat role in WWII. Both of them flew in the Air Transport Auxiliary. Johnson died in 1941 after baling out of aircraft. Mollison had at least one close escape, when his plane was shot up, but survived the war.

Mollison later settled in London and ran a public house. He married Maria Clasina E. Kamphuis in 1949 at the Maidenhead Register Office. Mollison continued to abused alcohol and in 1953, the Civil Aviation Authority Medical Board revoked his pilot's licence. The couple separated but Maria bought the Carisbrooke Hotel in Surbiton for him – a temperance hotel.

Suffering from acute alcoholism, he was admitted to The Priory, Roehampton, southwest London, where he died on 30 October 1959, the official cause of death was pneumonia, but unofficially it was thought to be alcoholic epilepsy.

[moriartyluver]

FALSE LOVERS CHAPTER XIII

“EVERYONE..” William spoke as he stood at the front of the basement room

The entire Lord of Crime groups was currently in the London Moriarty Estate, gathered in the basement full of a plan for a recent operation that both William and (name) had been working on recently. As promised, william allowed his wife to work a lot more by his side, and as a result they had been working together at any opportunity possible: The office (which had become a lot more of a shared space nowadays), the basement, the lounge, either of their bedrooms.

Although (name) had a lot to work on already, she enjoyed working with William a lot more than running the Marquis' business for him because he was too incompetent to do it himself, or helping her parents with (home country)'s affairs. She and William had similar minds. Yes, they were still different but if they swapped brains for a day, most would not be able to tell anything had changed.

(Name) was, physically, a little more powerful than William and in a better state for fighting considering her parents had been training her from a young age,and her intuition was certainly alot stronger, causing her problem solving skills to be faster, but when she would have to retrace her steps in her thought process, it wasn't as easy as coming to the conclusion. Both of them had equally strong memory, but when it came to remembering certain events from when she was nine years of age, it became difficult for (name) and all she would see was a blur whereas William didn't speak of his childhood because he chose not to.

Still, they're thinking was still identical, and that's what made it enjoyable, although (name) wouldn't admit it, to work with William. It was the main reason why she had chosen him out of all her fellow students in university to compete with on the regular. That sense of competition was still there, although it had slowly faded as (name) had also started to give up on becoming a professor. She wanted to do so, but it was as if the ladder she had been climbing had been pulled out from under her and now she was falling. That was the worst part about being successful. When you go so high, the fall becomes worse.

"We've been thinking long and hard about the deep-seated corruption of this nation.." (name) continued on as she stood beside William.

William nodded "On that fateful day, Albert granted Louis and I a new life.." he said with a determined glint in his eye "Now it is time we repay him for that. I need not repeat, but I shall...There is a tumour in this nation known as the aristocracy, which seeks to infest its corruption into the rest of the world. They exist because of peerages in the empire..." William said as he turned around, facing a large map drawn on India paper (a type of paper which from 1875 has been based on bleached hemp and rag fibres, that produced a very thin, tough opaque white paper). On the map we're the blueprints for the Noahtic ship, which (name) had recently been heavily researching. She had received the plans using her uncle as if he were a puppet and managed to take them to William for the next act.

"There's that, but what're we meant to do 'bout it?" Moran interrupted "who do we fight?"

(Name) sat in her chair and crossed her legs "The peerages cannot disappear overnight, but there are a few things we can do as a start, isn't that right, William?"

"A start..to turn the city of London into the lowest pit of hell itself," He spread his arms out as if he were a now free bird about to take flight. "A city of crime"

Everyone else, apart from Albert and (name), had seemed surprised by this statement. Surely they wanted to improve the world, not worsen it? What was William thinking?

"Woah now..do you even know what you're sayin' ,will?" Moran questioned as he leaned back in his chair "What's the bloody point of that? I thought you wanted to fix England, not destroy it."

William turned to face his subordinate "Crime is just the means, Mr Moran."

"A necessary evil, if you will," (name) added with a tilt of her head

The blond smiled "Precisely. The end justifies the means. Like (name) said earlier, changes cannot simply happen over night. What we can do now is change people's minds."

"Their minds..?" Fred repeated in a whisper

(Name) nodded, expanding on her husband's point. "We humans act and think according to our emotions. You must have witnessed this in Durham with both the death of Miss Frida and the Baron's control over the townsfolk." She clasped her hands together "So the best way to strike these emotions.."

The atmosphere had changed instantly along with William's tone. He finished her sentence with a devilish glint in his eyes "-Is through 'Murders' "

The room went silent once more until Albert spoke up with a smirk. "I approve, will...murder has its usefulness..its very useful indeed."

'It's odd hearing that from someone who murdered his entire family..' (name) thought as she raised a brow

"In this city of London we will find countless of crimes and murder tailored to our purpose." William continued as he explained his plan. He wasn't above murdering people or using them as puppets for his ultimate goal and nobody could question it. "This city is our stage, and it's people are our audience."

Albert hummed in amusement, resting his face against his fist "All of London a theater.."

"through the theme of murder..we shall reveal to our audience the corruption which has infested this society.." William put his hand to his chest and spoke as though he were a determined leader, guiding his soldiers into battle "As the directors and producers of this play, we shall create murders full of meaning, in order to open our audiences eyes to the truth of this nation!!"

"So we get to pull the trigger?" Moran grinned "sounds fun."

"I understand your plan, Lady (name), Lord William," Fred stood up from the little stool he was seated at "But this sounds like a bigger job than any we've undertook before..I don't think we can.."

William gave an understanding smile "don't worry Fred, we've made all the necessary preparations. Not only do we have access to the noahatic via the Marquis (last name), but the secret intelligence service which Albert is in charge of will lend us their aid, so have faith that no matter what mission we shall undertake, we shall have MI6 under our control."

"Indeed. The section 6 under my control will operate from the shadows," Albert said "To them, a mission from William is no different than a mission from William. Their loyalty is guaranteed"

"Sounds like those blokes don't consider themselves apart of the army..." Moran scowled as Josephine retorted

"If being apart of the army is getting drunk and doing nothing all day apart from visiting brothels then I'm sure you fit right in." She smiled.

Moran turned to the girl and glared at her "Why you-!"

"—As I have said, the time has come, Colonel Moran." William said before moran could start cursing at the 18 year old. "It is time for us to raise the curtains. This stage is bigger than any we have ever performed on so failure is not an option."

Moran's expression of annoyance melted into a smirk "You're finally in your element!"

(Name) stood up and held up a photograph, turned away from the others. "We'd like you all to meet someone. It's time to introduce our first puppet," she tossed the photograph towards the others. In the little monochrome photo was a young man with light hair and a rather attractive smile.

"Our main character, Earl Blitz Enders."

The noahatic was to be boarded in Southampton, a 2 hour trip from London by carriage. From the line where both William and (name) were stood, they could see from the corner of their eyes Earl Enders speaking to a disguised Fred.

"Is that Lord Blitz?" (Name) heard a couple of women say. She had recognised one of them as Lady Isabella Montgomery, someone she was acquainted with. This would be easier than expected. She took this as a cue to use her socialite charm and left william to board, signalling her continuation with her role

She approached the man with a smile to hold up her facade "Lord Blitz!"

"Such an honour to meet you my lord! We didn't think we'd see you here." Lady Isabella said before turning to (name) "Isn't it, (name)?"

(Name) flashed Enders an innocent smile. Her job now was to ensure he boarded the ship properly and perhaps got irritated by a commoner on his way there. "Indeed!"

Lord Enders tipped his little bowler hat towards the three "Ladies, you must have had a rough time amongst all these peasants!"

(Name) nodded, maintaining her facade "You can't imagine, my lord!"

She turned to see William watching them and smiled as if to say 'I have this all under control'

His red eyes narrowed into a glare at the Earl but smiled back at his wife.

'The target, Earl Blitz Enders, a young lord amongst the nobles of London who has recently inherited his family's wealth and estate. Arrogant and showy, yet with a good looking face to have a good reputation among the high born ladies as well as a voice in upper class society.' He thought 'His hobby is deer hunting, a typical thing among the aristocracy, however...it is said that his hunting ground has a 'werwolf' so he warns people to not approach it if they value their life. Yet, that very story caught the attention of vagrants and children from the city. Some say that whenever someone wanders into his hunting ground, he would hunt them like animals and blame it on the werewolf.'

"Right, time to go ladies!" Enders grinned as he wrapped his arms around the shoulders of the women "let's board our ark!"

(Name) felt disgusted for a moment, but for the sake of William and his plan, she endured. It wouldn't last much longer anyways.

The rest of the afternoon, William and (name) had spent time together, promenading through the ship whilst keeping an eye on Enders to ensure everything was going to plan. They had remained, practically glued to one another until they had arrived near the entrance of the dining hall where they had heard the Earl complaining aloud.

"I don't have a reservation for the dining hall?! What is the meaning of this?! I have proof of the reservation right here!! Blitz Enders!!" He yelled with an entitles tone, expecting others to unquestionably be at his beck and call

The waiter stuttered nervously "P-Please forgive our carelessness my lord! The system is still new so there are some who may be unfamiliar with it-"

Enders leaned towards the man, a vein ready to pop out of his forehead "I see, so in other words, you're telling me, an Earl...to dine whilst sitting amongst cattle, are you?!"

(Name) felt disgusted even hearing his voice. He may have been attractive but that didn't seem to make up for his awful personality.

"N-No such thing, my lord!" Exclaimed the terrified waiter

"I do not want anyone other than the distinguished to interrupt my meal, is that understood?" Enders said as he stood up

"Y-Yes my lord, I understand! I shall get you a table right away-!"

From her peripheral vision, (name) could see a little girl running towards a working class woman near the 'gentleman'

"Mother!" The little girl called out as she held her icecream in the air, which had ended up on the back of Ender's tuxedo. He looked over his shoulder and gave the girl a deadly glare "Ah-"

"I'm so sorry, my lord!" Her mother apologised.

The nobleman laughed it off "H-Haha..do not mind it ,Madam.." He kneeled down to whisper in the girls ear "If you run into me again, I'll throw your mummy off the ship~"

The girl instantly ran away, clearly afraid as she clinged onto her her mother, sobbing into her dress "Uwahhhh, mummy!!"

Instead of helping Enders clean the stain off while the girl's mother repeatedly apologised, (name) went over to the pair and offered to treat the girl to another ice cream in an attempt to calm her down. Although she had no younger siblings, nor any younger cousins, she somehow managed to work well with children. There had been the occasional visit to an orphanage or aiding a lost child but that couldn't explain her natural talent to instantly calm a child. She had brought the mother along to the top deck, buying her a meal along with the ice cream.

She hadn't felt like having dinner that night and instead remained up at the top deck, seating herself at a small round table with a pad of paper and pencil, gazing at the masts and enjoying the sound of the waves crashing against the sides of the ship. It was a fine distraction from her thoughts, which were now consumed by various equations and theories, instead of worries of motherhood and lack of an heir.

(Name) had been doing various calculations for a while, enjoying the tranquil atmosphere until she saw a group of people making their way up to the top deck. A man surrounded by multiple women.

Narrowing her eyes at them in curiosity, she eavesdropped on their conversation while they walked about.

"..that gentleman was just as skilled as you were, Mr Holmes!" One woman spoke in awe

"We still haven't finished our bet though, you need to guess a few more professions before we can end it." Another woman reminded.

The ravenette surmounted by the ladies looked around for a muse for his deductions, not finding anyone particularly interesting. The noblewoman heard him say something about not finding anyone nearly as intriguing compared to the man form earlier.

'What man from earlier..?'

(Name) turned back around, focussing her eyes on the calculations. Unknown to her, the detective was watching her closely whilst his acquaintances tried to suggest different men to guess the professions off.

"That one" he said, pointing to (name) who had the bottom of a pencil held to her chin, tapping it thoughtfully, then scrunching up the paper after tearing it from the notepad and begun drawing.

"Lady (last name)?" One woman questioned "But she doesn't have a profession, she's a woman, of course.."

"I'm not one for gossip but I heard she may be infertile," Another chimed in "Poor soul.."

Sherlock Holmes was not listening though. Instead, he was approaching (name) who was so deep in though she hadn't heard his footsteps getting louder. He sat down on the chair opposite her.

"Mind if I sit here?" A voice with a cockney accent spoke to her. (Name) raised her head in surprise as she continued twisting her wedding ring around her finger. There were other seats throughout the top deck. Was she the one he wanted to make deductions about?

"Not at all," she smiled 

"Cheers mate," he sighed and pointed his finger at (name) who looked at him in surprise of his casual nature. She noticed a little skull ring, which seemed to have been hand crafted "You're a mathematician, aren't you?"

"That's quite the assumption, sir." (Name) smiled before smirking at the man before her "Pray tell, how did you come to such a conclusion?"

The women she had seen earlier had followed Sherlock, standing behind him as he made observations. "Another mathematician..?" One whispered curiously

"That was a deduction, not assumption. There's a difference between the two, although I'm assuming you know that," He said "I've been down there, watching you for a few minutes before I came over 'ere..An upper class woman, clearly of well birth and upbringing considering not only your attire, but also your mannerisms."

(Name) raised an eyebrow, listening as the detective spoke of his observations, still fidgeting with her ring. “So how did you deduce I had an interest in mathematics?”

“I noticed you were looking up at the mast..a well crafted piece, ain’t she? Perhaps you were just watching it while thinking about your husband—“

“—And you realised that based on my wedding ring.” (Name) interjected. “Not the most advanced observation, I must admit.”

“But you were also fiddling with your ring, meaning you were worried about your marriage, not exactly your husband.” Sherlock smirked as he lifted his left arm and rested it on the back of the chair “You came up to the top deck and watched the mast flowing in the wind to distract yourself from this problem in your marriage, possibly an issue of offspring, you did briefly look over to a child earlier with a seemingly sad expression..I digress. If you were simply admiring it, you wouldn’t have stationary with you…Could this woman have an interest in art? No, you could’ve been painting the sunset instead, not to mention, your sketch isn’t very artistic..” he continued as he watched (name) expression shift momentarily into one of anxiety yet frustration then back to a smile.

“Architecture, perhaps? But if you were, there were multiple other parts of the ship to view better architecture. An engineer? Again, there are better opportunities for musing over such things around the ship.” The detective stated “Looking closer at your sketch, the masts you were drawing were quite different from the ones on the ship and look like they’ve been drawn from memory.” He took the scrunched up paper beside (name)’s elbow and uncrumpled it “There are equations on this, which points to only one possibility..”

(Name) interrupted “That’s not exactly fair to use as proof though, is it? You hadn’t seen that paper before now.”

“Is Euler familiar to you?” Sherlock asked

“..Euler..?” One of the women beside him repeated in a mumble

“The drawings and the indents on the sketch from the first piece of paper both align with each other.” The ravenette smiled “Euler participated in a challenges from the Paris Academy of Science back in 1730 ish-“

“1727.” (Name) corrected as Sherlocks smirk widened.

“Yeah whatever,” he sighed as he leaned back in his chair as he shut his eyes “The challenge was asking what the best way to arrange masts on a ship was. He answered it using maths instead of practical engineering. Most mathematicians nowadays wouldn’t care too much for it, but you seem to have an obsessive passion for the subject. And yet, as a woman, you are unable to peruse your passion properly..”

“I’m impressed.” (Name) smiled once he completed. “How about, in exchange for you humouring me, I make a few deductions about you, Mr..?”

Sherlock opened an eye. Another challenger, today was his lucky day “Sherlock Holmes, Mrs..?”

“Lady (name) Moriarty.” (Name) leaned forwards, engaging in the conversation a lot more than earlier. This was possibly the first time she had found another like minded person since William, and yet he seemed completely different. “ Mr Holmes, do you have a brother by any chance?”

Sherlocks expression soured. “Unfortunately I do, you know ‘im? Don’t tell me you’re friends with mycroft..”

“Friends would be a lot more..affectionate than our actual relationship. We’re merely…acquainted. Not exactly for positive reasons.” (Name) trailed off. Mycroft Holmes was certainly not her friend. More like a man who had to suffer from all of (name)’s schemes, the moment she entered the country. “Allow me to make a few observations?”

“Please do,” The man said. He seemed bored after his last encounter and now his interest has been piqued yet again. Not to mention, this woman seemed to know Mycroft yet not be affiliated with him. That made her all the more intriguing.

“You have a rather frequent drug usage habit, you were born and raised in Yorkshire but were likely moved to London in your childhood.”

“You were raised in a foreign country, but moved to England in your adolescent years for education purposes, your accent is still there slightly but not that strong.”

“You have oxbridge level education, and work as a freelance detective. You speak with a working class, cockney accent despite this, and I must apologise for bringing up your brother, but with him in mind, you choose to speak like this, showing you have little care for the social hierarchy or basic etiquette.”

“You were one of the top in your class during university and likely received a degree despite being a woman. You adhere to etiquette because you come from a prestigious family, and not just any noble family but you are likely the only daughter of a duke or even royalty”

The two geniuses began firing various observations and deductions at one another, letting their competitive spirits shine through.

“You’re hobbies consist of violin and martial arts, aswell as engaging in chemistry experiments, all observed through your hands, your build and flexibility and that stain on the hem of your jacket.”

“You’re trained in sword fighting as well as hand to hand combat. You have a passion for reading, Shakespeare specifically but also gothic literature. You write frequently, and likely study to the point of overexertion as you have a callus on your finger. Your hands frequently are stained with ink but are currently clean despite the greyness on your palm”

“You aren’t married or engaged nor are you in a serious courtship, which I observed based on your casual interactions with the opposite sex.”

“Your current relationship with your husband is complicated despite having feelings for him. You worry about infertility and your capability as a mother.”

(Name) glowered at Sherlock, and uttered one final observation.

“Finally, you relied heavily on your mother as a child land your father was likely absent or deceased for a part of your life. You have no female siblings either. Because you relied on your mothers so much, and dare I say, you had a mother complex, you find it difficult to take basic care of yourself, whether it be in your attire or unruly hair.” She said as Sherlock looked defeated. “Perhaps ‘Mummy’s boy’ would be a perfect term to describe you.”

“Mummy’s boy..?!” The detective seemed taken aback. (Name) stood up from her seat and bowed her head.

“Farewell, Mr Holmes. I hope to see you in the future, and perhaps become your friend too, considering you likely have none yourself.” (Name) gave an innocent smile “Now, I am off to the lounge.”

Sherlock looked surprised but laughed “Haha! You’re a funny one, ain’t ya? Well, bye then, friend!” He waved as (name) walked away.

One of the ladies sighed.“I suppose he won the bet then..”

A/N: someone please praise me for my dedication. the amount of research I had to for this chapter omg. Also eulers identity was mentioned in the kidnapping chapter from the manga so I thought it’d be funny to add his mast theory too. There was a parallel between Sherlock and William’s first meeting with (name) btw. I like how this chapter turned out although it was dialogue heavy but whatever. I’m sorry for not adding the fl getting drunk but this chapter. I couldn’t really fit it in and I’ve been working on this all day. It’ll be good tho I promise

[francology]

Coastal Guardians

Hello lovely reader! Before we get into this week's topic, I have something exciting to share HEHE .

I've had the opportunity to see some mangroves myself at Kuching Wetlands National Park last month! Also got to see dolphins but wasn't quick enough to whip out my camera to record. Overall, it was a nice break from staring at texts and numbers all day :]

If you're interested you might want to consider Borneo as your next holiday destination (specifically Sarawak).

ALRIGHT let's dive right in!

Mangrove is well-known as a salt-tolerant wetland species of tree that is easily identified with its aerial roots (Bahmanabadi 2022). It is a forest that is typically at the coast line beside land and sea. The weaken the force of waves and serve as a shielding medium, hence the nickname - Coastal Guardians. These unique ecosystems are primarily found in tropical and sub-tropical coastal regions (Bandh et al. 2023) and are considered the sole "blue carbon" forests, believed to have evolved approximately 114 million years ago (Bandh et al. 2023).

Protecting coastlines

In addition, they act as nature’s own sponges, retaining extra water to stop inland floods, releasing small droplets into the atmosphere to cool the temperature down (Expert Insights 2023). 

The mangrove ecosystem offers many essential environmental services, which include shielding coastline against wind, waves, and water currents; mitigation of damages done by hurricanes and tsunamis as well as soil erosion prevention and sediment accumulation (Expert Insights 2023).

In addition, mangrove forests reduce wave height by about 31% (Ahmad Mustafa Hashim, Catherine and Husna Takaijudin 2013), thus helping to prevent devastating floods that could otherwise damage homes, assets and infrastructure. In fact, several studies have shown that nearly 66% of the energy from waves is absorbed by the first one hundred meters of mangroves in a coastline (Mclvor et al. 2012; Menendez et al. 2020).

Supporting bio-diversity

Mangrove trees have unique aerial rooting systems that acts as nutrient cyclers and a breeding ground for fish and other marine life. The mangrove ecosystem has a huge biodiversity with many birds and other animal species. It also supports a unique community of fungi, microorganisms, plant species, with higher animals such as migratory birds (Kandasamy and Bingham 2001). 

Moreover, mangroves are essential nurseries to many marine animals such as shrimps, crabs, and different varieties of fishes. They serve as a vital interface between coastal and terrestrial ecosystems, providing support for a diverse range of species, including those from terrestrial, estuarine, and marine environments (Kandasamy and Bingham 2001). 

Mitigating climate change

Another remarkable feature of mangroves lies in their capacity to sequester carbon at a rate four times higher than that of rainforests. They draw in carbon dioxide from the air for photosynthesis which is stored within their biomass and sediment. In waterlogged mangrove habitats, decomposition is slowed down which allows it keep the carbon for longer periods of time (Chatting et al. 2022).

Even though we understand how important mangroves are for a healthy environment, they are facing a serious threat globally.

"My only wish now is that the government takes efforts to preserve the dwindling mangrove forests. They wrongly think developing forests is dead investment, that it fetches no returns. After decades of effort, people now realize the blessings these trees can bring. The mangrove trees in private lands also should be preserved.” - Kallen Pokkudan (Mangrove Man)

He was an environmental activist who was prominent in India’s mangrove conservation and was committed to conserving mangrove vegetation in Kerala region of the Indian coastline. His specialisation was to educate people about mangrove conservation and their significance in shielding coast regions from catastrophes including tsunamis and landfall hurricanes. These moves won Kallen Pokkudan recognition and respect as a defender of Indian mangroves. 

The latest findings from the Global Mangrove Alliance present a troubling scenario: 67% of mangroves have already suffered damage or vanished, and an additional 1% is disappearing annually. This ongoing pattern places mangroves in significant jeopardy of total eradication. An initiative taken by the Global Mangrove Alliance seeks to mobilise $10 billion in investments to reach their goal of increasing the mangrove habitat by 20% by 2030. These investments are intended to enhance the resilience of coastal communities and enhance the quality of life for an additional 10 million individuals through various restoration and conservation initiatives.

References:

Ahmad Mustafa Hashim, Catherine, SMP and Husna Takaijudin 2013, 'Effectiveness of mangrove forests in surface wave attenuation: a review', Research Journal of Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology, vol. 5, no. 18, pp. 4483 - 4488.

Bahmanabadi, Y 2022, Mangroves are powerful coastal guardians, Saratosa, viewed 14 October 2023, <https://www.sarasotamagazine.com/travel-and-outdoors/2022/11/mangroves>.

Bandh, SA, Malla, FA, Qayoom, I, Mohi-Ud-Din, H, Butt, AK, Altaf, A, Wani, SA, Betts, R, Truong, TH, Pham, NDK, Cao, DN & Ahmed, SF 2023, 'Importance of blue carbon in mitigating climate change and plastic/microplastic pollution and promoting circular economy', Sustainability, vol. 15, no. 3, p 2682.

Chatting, M, Al-Maslamani, I, Walton, M, Skov, MW, Kennedy, H, Husrevoglu, YS and Vay, LL 2022, 'Future mangrove carbon storage under climate change and deforestation', Frontiers in Marine Science, vol. 9, no. 781876, pp. 1 - 14.

Expert Insights 2023, The vital role of mangroves in mitigating disasters, Tidal Basin, viewed 14 October 2023, <https://www.tidalbasingroup.com/the-vital-role-of-mangroves-in-mitigating-disasters/>.

Kandasamy, K and Bingham BL 2001, 'Biology of mangroves and mangrove ecosystems', Advances in Marine Biology, vol. 40, pp. 81 - 193.

Mclvor, AL, Möller, I, Spencer, T and Spalding, M 2012, 'Reduction of wind and well waves by mangroves', Natural Coastal Protection Series: Report 1, Cambridge Coastal Research Unit Working Paper 40, pp. 1-27.

Menendez, P, Losada, IJ, Torres-Ortega, S, Siddharth, N and Beck, MW 2020. 'The global flood protection benefits of mangroves', Scientific Reports, vol. 10, no. 4404, pp. 1 - 11.

WWF n.d., The global mangrove alliance: uniting to conserve and restore valuable coastal forests, WWF, viewed 14 October 2023, <https://www.worldwildlife.org/projects/the-global-mangrove-alliance-uniting-to-conserve-and-restore-valuable-coastal-forests>.

[ranveer--singh]

The nights are tasteless without you: part 9 ~ Ari Levinson Fic

A/N - This is my first proper multiple chapter story which came to me while watching a Bollywood movie. It is set in Mumbai India where Ari is a professor at a university meets a person of colour - Marathi girl at the train station. There will be other Chris Evans characters as professors and Henry Cavill   characters as professors  

Warning: Please read this before reading the story. 18+, smut, sex… etc

*3rd date*

For the 3rd date, they took a stroll through Juhu Beach with Ari holding a picnic basket. They found the perfect spot, opened up the blanket and sat down to enjoy the view and each other's company.

*5th date*

With both of their schedules being tight, they both ended up having late-night coffee on Marine Drive. They sit down and over the sea, with the Moon's reflection. Soft music played in the background as they both played cards, Maddy beating him. 

*8th date*

Ari planned a date at Sanjay Gandhi National Park, and they both spent the day together looking at the birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and butterflies. Both of them loved nature, and Maddy took loads of pictures. 

*12th date* 

It was the weekend; after a long week they decided to stay at Maddy's and order in. Ari was excited to see the inside of her house, and see what she likes. 

He arrived at 7pm with kingfisher beer and hugged Maddy. Ari sat on the sofa with her, deciding on what to order, both agreeing on some pizza and vada pav. While waiting for the food to arrive, they talked, Maddy, moving closer to Ari. He started to move closer to her, making Maddy blushed, leaning in to kiss his soft pink lips. 

Ari moaned; her perfume made his body tingle while he wrapped his arms around her. They were kissing like crazy, like their life depended on it. His tongue slips inside her mouth, softly but passionately, and it was nothing Maddy had experienced. Her fingers went to grip his hair, pulling him closer to her.

His musky scent made her stomach churn, and her heart beat fast. Ari smirked and pushed her backwards, lying on the sofa, making out. All he wanted was Maddy; the weight of his body on top of hers made her go crazy. She could feel everything press against her; Maddy inhaled his shaving cream, his shampoo and his different scent. 

It was the most delicious smell she could ever imagine. Maddy wanted to breathe him in, lick him, eat him and, of course, drink him. Ari's lips tasted like honey; his face had a beard rubbed against her skin. Maddy loved that feeling, making her pussy wet just thinking about it. Ari's hands were everywhere, exploring her body when their heated make-out session got interrupted by the doorbell. 

They laughed, Ari, getting up from the sofa to get the food. His stomach started to rumble, smelling the food in his hands. Ari placed the food on the table, leaning down to kiss Maddy again before grabbing a pizza slice.

After the food was finished and the boxes were cleared away, Ari looked at Maddy before asking her a question. 

"So we've been hanging out for a little while, and I'm starting to have feelings for you. Would you like to be my girlfriend?"

"Yes, I would love to," Maddy says, jumping on him and giving Ari the most passionate kiss. The kiss got heated, and Ari started to move his lips up to her neck, he kissed her sweet spot making her moan as her fingers gripped onto his hair. Their make out session made them both hungry for one another. But Ari didn't want to rush anything so stepped away and looked at the time, it was 12am and he kissed her once again before heading home. 

It's been a month since they became girlfriend and boyfriend, and they both couldn't be happier. Ari couldn't stop talking to her, reading to her and, of course, making out with her. 

Ari had invited Andy and his wife over for dinner to meet Maddy, his Maddy, and his girlfriend. They both decided to cook for them, making naan, bhindi and dal. Maddy cleaned his front room setting everything up, biting her lip at domestic Ari. 

She liked that he kept his house in tip top shape, it had character and felt homely. Ari had bought some fancy wine as well as some sweets they could share together. 

It was 7.30pm when the doorbell rang, Ari was wearing dark jeans and a denim shirt. Maddy wore a simple berry red pair of jeans and a white and gold detailed blouse. Ari went to open it, greeting Andy with a hug while he gave Y/N a kiss on the cheek.

"This is for you," Andy said, handing over the gift to Ari which was a bottle of wine and some homemade biscuits Y/N had made. 

"Thanks buddy, let me introduce you to my girlfriend Maddy," Ari said, his hand on her back, smiling at her. Andy and Y/N said hi, both hugging her. Ari poured some glasses of wine, handing it around with some nibbles.

He could see Maddy was nervous, bouncing her leg sitting next to him. Ari while talking to Andy put his hand on her knee to calm her down, squeezing it from time to time. Maddy and Y/N started to chat, talking about India and then Ari got up,

"Let's go eat," he said, rubbing his hands together. Everyone got up and headed to the dining table, sitting down as Maddy brought the hot daal. She served everyone some food, sitting down to eat, watching Ari chew was turning her on.

Dinner was a success, Andy and Y/N loved spending time with Ari and Maddy. Andy enjoyed speaking to Maddy, learning about her interests. He could tell she was right for Ari and hoped they enjoyed one another. Andy and Y/N left, leaving Maddy and Ari to clear up.

[khwabb]

Shining a Light on Togetherness: Designing Your Perfect Republic Day Invitation

The dawn of Republic Day offers us a moment of resounding unity amidst our valuable diversity. It's a time to come together, to celebrate not just our freedom, but the all-encompassing togetherness that our Republic stands for. As we gear up for celebrations come January 26, many of us will be revealing our creative flair by designing our Republic Day invitations.

The keyword here is 'togetherness' because Republic Day is not just about individual pride but a collective celebration of our democratic journey. This article aims to shine a light on how to create the perfect Republic Day invitation that speaks to every Indian heart, reflecting our shared identity.

1. Embrace National Symbols: Our national symbols - the tricolour, Ashoka Chakra, national bird, or flower - embody our identity. Incorporating these elements into your invitation can add a sparkle of patriotism. Whether it's a subtle tricolour theme or graphics inspired by national symbols, ensure it's done respectfully, keeping in mind their reverence.

2. Powerful Wordings: The words you choose have the power to evoke emotions in the reader's mind. Phrases like 'celebrate our democracy', 'honoring the spirit of unity', or 'tribute to our constitution' can imbibe a sense of national pride. Personalize the wording to suit the tone of your celebration, be it formal or relaxed.

3. Inclusivity is Key: Remember, Republic Day is a celebration for all. Your invitation should maintain an inclusive tone, accessible to everyone. Try to avoid slang, overly complicated language, or specific cultural references that might not cater to everyone's understanding.

4. Digital vs Physical Invitations: While traditional printed invites have their charm, considering the digital route could add a fun twist. It's environmentally friendly and offers more scope for creativity with interactive elements. However, if you opt for a physical invitation, consider environmentally friendly materials, promoting conscious celebration.

5. Highlight the Celebrations: If you're planning specific activities like flag hoisting, cultural performances, or a speech by a guest speaker, be sure to highlight these on the invite. This gives the attendees a glimpse of what to expect at the event.

6. Keep it Simple and Elegant: Sometimes, less is more. A simple, elegant design often speaks volumes about the solemnity of the occasion. Opt for a clean layout with one or two key design elements, and ensure the text is legible.

7. Lighting the Flame of Unity: A creative idea could be to incorporate a stylized 'Flame of Unity' into your invitation design. This could symbolize unity in diversity, the central theme of our Republic.

Designing an invitation gives you an exciting opportunity to express your creativity while setting the mood for your Republic Day celebration. Regardless of design choices, it should resonate the essence of Republic Day - celebrating our shared togetherness, our diverse symphony that contributed to shaping our democratic nation.

This Republic Day, let's unite in our patriotism, inviting friends and family to commemorate our democratic journey. As you design your Republic Day invitation, remember that you're not merely inviting someone to an event; you're sharing a piece of our national pride, the triumphant journey that India has embarked on since its inception as a Republic. Let this guide shine a light on creating the perfect invitation, spreading the warmth of togetherness on this remarkable day. Happy Celebration!

[absolutedigitalbranding]

National Birds Day is celebrated annually on January 5. The day recognizes the crucial roles birds play in our ecosystem. They’re pollination powerhouses, seed dispersers extraordinaire, and insect-munching maestros, keeping our environment balanced. Birds fill our world with breathtaking beauty and delightful melodies, enriching our lives with their vibrant presence. #naitonalbirdday #birdday Build your brand with digital media & take benefit of social media branding contact with Absolute Digital Branding. By Absolutedigitalbranding.com #Marktingstrategy #SEObrandingagency #SEO #PPC #SMO #SMM #SeoCompany #digitalmarketingcompany #socialmediamarketingcompany #absolutedigitalbranding #searchengineoptimization #advertisingagencyinmohali #facebook #twitter #marketingonline #internetmarketing #follow #digitalagency #marketingagency #motivation #digitalmarketingtips #onlinebusiness #websitedesign #marketingonline #brand #ABSOLUTEDIGITALBRANDING #BEST #PUBLIC #RELATION #AGENCY #IN #CHANDIGARH #MOHALI #PUNJAB #NORTH #INDIA #onlinebranding #branding360degree #SEObrandingagency #websiteranking #websitetrafic #Digitalmarketing #OnlineAdvertising #instagrammarketing #web #technology #marketingonline #content #instagrammarketing #advertisingagency #web #buildingrelationships #globally #customer #internetbranding-at Absolute digital Branding & Public relations.

[vainimaginations]

The Benefits of Opening a Gold IRA Account

Why Open a Gold IRA Account

There are four different precious metals which are typically bought as an investment: silver palladium, gold and platinum. Silver is another sound investment however with a spot price of about $20 an ounce, a well off investor would need to purchase a few hundred pounds to accomplish an objective of 20% in their portfolio. The price of putting away that a lot silver would take a lot of the investor's retirement fund so while silver is very steady, it isn't extremely useful. Palladium is worth substantially more than silver yet its spot price vacillates fiercely and it routinely decreases by up to $25 an ounce in a solitary day. Platinum is more intriguing than gold yet it's less steady that palladium and in some learn more cases it's spot price can really dip under the spot price of gold. Subsequently, gold is the most pragmatic of the multitude of precious metals to turn over into a gold IRA account. There are a few benefits to opening a gold IRA and knowing them is fundamental for any savvy investor.

Safe and Easy Tax Relief

Congress passed the taxpayer relief act in 1997, allowing the consideration of the four precious metals into an IRA. A precious metals IRA is something like a self-direct IRA with the exception of the investment can comprise of gold, silver platinum and palladium. Not all gold is allowed as a precious metals IRA investment so knowing what gold is allowed is indispensable. Gold bullion and 24 Karat bars can be included into a precious metals IRA. In any case, these bars must have a validation trademark from one of two different specialists: the New York Commercial Exchange (NYMEX) or the Product Exchange Consolidation (COMEX).

A Variety of Options

The IRS likewise allows specific 24 and 22 Karat gold coins to be included into an IRA. The American Bird, Canadian Maple Leaf and the Australian Philharmonic are the gold coins generally ordinarily included into a precious metals IRA. The gold must likewise be put away at an IRS endorsed safe and a stockpiling expense will be charged. Likewise the gold IRA account, similar to all self-direct IRAs, should have an overseer, for example, a bank or business firm. The overseer will likewise charge an expense so it's ideal to look around and think about prices and administrations.

Assurance against Inflation

In the year 2008, thousands of individuals lost as long as they can remember's saving basically for the time being on the grounds that they had all or a large portion of their cash invested in paper. That implies they had no actual resources and their value was all invested in stocks and bonds. These resources are generally not upheld by gold and they are subject with the impacts of inflation. In any event, when the other precious metals declined somewhat in esteem after the 2008 monetary breakdown, gold really increased in esteem. Gold in a real sense is the gold norm and previously devastated nations, for example, China and India are purchasing each ounce of gold that they can get.

[brandonwayneb]

ss RoseMary

ss Elvis

ss Wendy's

ss Russia

ss Soviet Union

ss Valor

ss Vladimir

ss Shiva

ss Hindu

ss Levitate

ss Birds

ss Bats

ss Cats

ss Snakes

ss Kylé

ss Stylé

ss Kim

ss Kay

ss Cvs

ss Rite Aid

ss Adam

ss Amish

ss Lizard Tail

ss Eye of Newt

ss Cameron

ss Karma

ss Caméléon

ss Camel

ss Raspberry

ss Ketchup

ss Amy Wine House

ss Velveeta

ss Chubby Chasers

ss BBW

ss LGBTQ

ss Alaska Husky

ss Ali Ali Ali

ss Allah Allah Allah

ss Always Always Always

ss Aladdin

ss Hercules

ss Pegasus

ss Lord Ganesh

ss Lord Vishnu

ss Tom

ss Jerry

ss Onyx

ss Mew

ss MewTwo

ss I dream of Jeanie

ss Bewitched

ss Daren

ss Samantha

ss Switzerland

ss Arabia

ss Adam’s Family

ss Tim Burden

ss Nightmare Before Christmas

ss Fay

ss May

ss Oxford

ss Corpse Bride

ss Jack Skellington

ss Sally

ss Xfiles

ss Dana Scully

ss Fox Mulder

ss RugRats

ss Dexter Laboratory

ss Dexter

ss DeeDee

ss Chris Angel

ss MeerKat Manner

ss Power Puff Girls

ss Teen Titans

ss Batman Robin

ss Cat Woman

ss Ivy

ss Drew Barrymore

ss Twilight Zone

ss E.T.

ss Barbie

ss Ken

ss Seer

ss Rainbow

ss Arron

ss Gary

ss Garret

ss Valentines

ss Romeo

ss Juliet

ss Selina

ss Gomez

ss 101 dalmatians

ss Roger Rabbit

ss Bugs Bunny

ss Loony Tunes

ss Hermaphroditus

ss Hermaphrodite

ss Ritual

ss Spiritual

ss Twister

ss Scrabble

ss Hey Arnold…!

ss Clueless

ss Reese Witherspoon

ss Legally Blonde

ss Coffee

ss Java

ss Joe Joe

ss Jehovah

ss Judah

ss Buddha

ss Japan

ss Jasper

ss Jason

ss Poltergeists

ss Wrath

ss Ghost

ss Hub

ss Alaska Husky

ss Nazi Swat Team

ss Russian Swat Team

ss North Storm Swat Team

ss Rainbow Scissors

ss War Elephants

Not Deli

Not delMA

Not belMA

Not velMA

“toe shoulders”

“chest thighs”

War Sights

“tacoma wa” taco cat

“lakewood wa” blaire witch “claire donut”

“seattle wa” “caddie saddle” “sad duel”

“space needle” “ironic man”

“dallas tx” “shower dial ass” “day licenses”

“mckinney tx” “Macdonald kidney stones”

“princeton tx” “depraved dolls” “cell pre”

“Gideon” “Neo” “Geo” “Galaxy” “Guy Op”

“Soul Matron” “Arron”

100% Brandon

100% Bradley

99% Rainbow

1% Anti illuminati

Anti indoctrination

Anti inflammatory

Anti castrations

Anti assassinations

Anti Youth Thin Eye Z Nations

Anti Lab Bot Tony

Brandon Wayne

Bradley nickname

Sarah Johnny Kaye Burdett Leeper Rivera

Brandon Wayne Burdett

Bird’s Moon’s Bee’s

bwb bbw wb Warner Brothers

Jessica Ray Rivera

Jacob Gabriel Rivera

Justin Rivera

Kevin Rivera

Cara Autumn Burns

Cody Burns

Chad Burns

Clete Burns

Martha Burns

Morgan Burns

Pamela Burns

“4415 Daisy Meadow Dr”

“Katy Texas”

“77449”

Rainbow Peace and Power Taco Cat

Rainbow Peace and Power Ali Ali

Rainbow Peace and Power Allah Allah

Rainbow Peace and Power Always Always

Rainbow Peace and Power RoseMary

Rainbow Peace and Power Valor

Rainbow Peace and Power Vladimir

Brandon Wayne Burdett

BrandonwayNEB

Saint Binard

Catholic Vatican

Hindu India

San Francisco

Frankincense oil

Salam Islam

Barbie and Ken go to Jerusalem

Barbie and Ken go to San Francisco

Barbie and Ken go to Kentucky

Barbie and Ken go to Jupiter

Barbie and Ken go to Venus

Barbie and Ken go to King Author

Barbie and Ken go to Barnes & Noble

Barbie and Ken go to Ben & Jerry’s

Barbie and Ken go to Bed Bath and Beyond

Barbie and Ken go to Tel Aviv

Barbie and Ken go to El Salvador

Barbie and Ken go to Quebec

Joke: What Happens if Flamingos get Flees

Joke: Pinky and The Brain

“Lizzy Hebrew”

“Young Guys Satan Submissive”

“Old Guys Devil Dominance”

Varsity Volleyball

Valor RoseMary Vladimir

[brookston]

Holidays 9.30

Holidays

Agricultural Reform Day (Sao Tome and Principe)

Arizona Monsoon Season ends

Army Incompetence Day

Birth of Morelos (Mexico)

Botswana Day (Botswana)

Boy’s Day (Poland)

Chewing Gum Day

Day of Hungarian Folktales (Hungary)

Do Something Wacky With A Grandparent Day

E-mail Debt Forgiveness Day

Frisbee Day

International Blasphemy Rights Day (a.k.a. Blasphemy Day)

International Podcast Day

International Recovery Day

International Thunderbirds Day

International Translation Day (UN)

Jananeta Irawat Birth Day (Manipur, India)

Kokkeisetsu (Japan)

Liberation Day (Abkhazia)

Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Day

Monkey Bars Day

National Black Funding Day

National Chewing Gum Day

National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools

National Kratom Day

National Love People Day

National Microcephaly Awareness Day

National Mud Pack Day

National Nonspeaking / Nonverbal Awareness Day (UK)

National Pet Tricks Day (UK)

National PrepareAthon! Day [also 4.30]

National Puppy Mill Survivor Day

National Sporting Heritage Day (UK)

National Teach Spanish Day

Neonatal Intensive Care Awareness Day

Orange Shirt Day (Canada)

Parsnip Day (French Republic Day)

Peon Day (Warcraft)

Pink Out Day

Rabbit Rabbit Day [Last Day of Every Month]

Recovery Day (Canada)

Rumi Day

Secretary Day (Venezuela)

Thunderbirds Day

Time For Yoga Day

Truth and Reconciliation Day (Canada)

World Pole Dance Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Austrian Beer Day (Austria)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Day

Hot Mulled Cider Day

National Hot Mulled Cider Day

National Soufflé Potato Day

World Stroopwafel Day (Netherlands)

5th & Last Saturday in September

Centzon-Totochtin Drunken Rabbit Day [Last Saturday]

Everybody's Day Festival [Last Saturday]

Family Health and Fitness Day USA (Last Saturday]

International Lace Day [Last Saturday]

National Alpaca Farm Days begin [Last Saturday]

National Ghost Hunting Day [Last Saturday]

Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play [Last Saturday]

Save Your Photos Day [Last Saturday]

World Cyanotype Day [Last Saturday]

World Day of Leukodystrophies [Last Saturday]

Independence Days

Botswana (from UK, 1966)

Republic of Abkhazia (from Georgia, 1983) [unrecognized]

Tinakula (Declared; 2020) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Aequinoctium Autumnale II (Pagan)

Anthony Green (Artology)

Blue-Feathered Swallowing Swallow (Muppetism)

Feast of Soma (God of Ambrosia & Immortality; India)

Festival of Drunkenness (Ancient Egypt)

Festival of Tereteth (Goddess of the Coconut Toddy; Yap Island, Micronesia)

Gregory the Illuminator (Christian; Saint)

Honorius of Canterbury (Christian; Saint)

Jerome (Christian; Saint)

John Waters Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Medetrinalia (Fruits Offered to Goddess of Medicine; Ancient Rome)

Molière (Positivist; Saint)

Plan for the 31st if September Day (Pastafarian)

Ridiculous Excuses Day (Pastafarian)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]

Uncyclopedia Bad to Be Born Today (because Green Day fans will never leave you alone.)

Premieres

Adjustment Team, by Philip K. Dick (Short Story; 1954)

Alias (TV Series; 2001)

The Ascent Of Rum Doodle, by W.E. Bowman (Novel; 1956)

The Big Chill (Film; 1983)

Bird (Film; 1988)

Blueberries for Sal, by Robert McCloskey (Children’s Book; 1948)

The Boy Friend (Broadway Musical; 1954)

Car Talk (Radio Series; 1977)

Cheers (TV Series; 1982)

The Clock Store (Disney Cartoon; 1931)

Con Man (Web Series; 2015)

Dad, Can I Borrow the Car? (Disney Short Film; 1970)

Death Valley Days (Radio Series; 1930)

Entergalactic (Animated Film; 2022)

The Family of Pascual Duarte, by Camilo José Cela (Novel; 1942)

Fantasy, by Mariah Carey (Song; 1995)

50/50 (Film; 2011)

The Flintstones (Animated TV Series; 1960)

Go Away Stowaway (WB MM Cartoon; 1967)

Grand Ole Opry (TV Series; 1950)

The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman (Novel; 2008)

The Greatest Game Ever Played (Film; 2005)

Into the Blue (Film; 2005)

Little Women (Novel; 1868)

Louis Armstrong Plays King Oliver, recorded by Louis Armstrong (Album; 1957) [1st stereo album]

Love for Sale, by Tony Bennett (Album; 2021)

Luke Cage (TV Series; 2016)

The Magic Flute, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Opera; 1791)

Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors (Animated Film; 2018)

Methuselah's Children, by Robert A. Heinlein (Novel; 1958)

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (Film; 2016)

Murder, She Wrote (TV Series; 1984)

Nebraska, by Bruce Springsteen (Album; 1982)

Porgy and Bess, by George Gershwin (Opera; 1935)

The Queen (Film; 2006)

The Rifleman (TV Series; 1958)

The Robe, by Lloyd C. Douglas (Novel; 1942)

The Saint in Europe, by Leslie Charteris (Short Stories 1953) [Saint #30]

Scooby-Doo! And the Monster of Mexico (WB Animated Film; 2003)

A Separate Peace, by John Knowles (Novel; 1959)

Serenity (Film; 2005)

Shine On, by Jet (Album; 2006)

The Steeple-Chase (Disney Cartoon; 1933)

Theme From Shaft, by Isaac Hayes (Song; 1971)

To the Manor Born (UK TV Series; 1979)

You, Me and the Apocalypse (UK TV Series; 2015)

Today’s Name Days

Hieronymus, Urs, Victor (Austria)

Felicija, Grgur, Jerko, Jeronim (Croatia)

Jeroným (Czech Republic)

Hieronymus (Denmark)

Kaur, Kauri, Tauri (Estonia)

Sirja, Siru, Sorja (Finland)

Jérôme (France)

Hieronymus , Urs, Viktor (Germany)

Stratonikos (Greece)

Jeromos (Hungary)

Gerolamo (Italy)

Abgara, Elma, Lamekins (Latvia)

Bytautė, Jeronimas, Sofija, Žymantas (Lithuania)

Hege, Helga, Helge (Norway)

Grzegorz, Hieronim, Honoriusz, Imisław, Leopard, Sofia, Wera, Wiera, Wiktor, Wiktoriusz, Zofia (Poland)

Grigorie (Romania)

Lubov, Nadezhda, Vera (Russia)

Jarolím (Slovakia)

Jerónimo, Sofía, Sonia (Spain)

Helge (Sweden)

Jerome, Jeronima, Gerome, Geromino (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 273 of 2024; 92 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of week 39 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Muin (Vine) [Day 26 of 28]

Chinese: Month 8 (Xin-You), Day 16 (Xin-Mao)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 15 Tishri 5784

Islamic: 15 Rabi I 1445

J Cal: 3 Shù; Threesday [3 of 30]

Julian: 17 September 2023

Moon: 98%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 21 Shakespeare (10th Month) [Molière]

Runic Half Month: Gyfu (Gift) [Day 4 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 7 of 89)

Zodiac: Libra (Day 7 of 30)

[lesmislettersdaily]

Tholomyès Is So Merry That He Sings A Spanish Ditty

Volume 1: Fantine; Book 3: In The Year 1817; Chapter 4: Tholomyès Is So Merry That He Sings A Spanish Ditty

That day was composed of dawn, from one end to the other. All nature seemed to be having a holiday, and to be laughing. The flower-beds of Saint-Cloud perfumed the air; the breath of the Seine rustled the leaves vaguely; the branches gesticulated in the wind, bees pillaged the jasmines; a whole bohemia of butterflies swooped down upon the yarrow, the clover, and the sterile oats; in the august park of the King of France there was a pack of vagabonds, the birds.

The four merry couples, mingled with the sun, the fields, the flowers, the trees, were resplendent.

And in this community of Paradise, talking, singing, running, dancing, chasing butterflies, plucking convolvulus, wetting their pink, open-work stockings in the tall grass, fresh, wild, without malice, all received, to some extent, the kisses of all, with the exception of Fantine, who was hedged about with that vague resistance of hers composed of dreaminess and wildness, and who was in love. “You always have a queer look about you,” said Favourite to her.

Such things are joys. These passages of happy couples are a profound appeal to life and nature, and make a caress and light spring forth from everything. There was once a fairy who created the fields and forests expressly for those in love,—in that eternal hedge-school of lovers, which is forever beginning anew, and which will last as long as there are hedges and scholars. Hence the popularity of spring among thinkers. The patrician and the knife-grinder, the duke and the peer, the limb of the law, the courtiers and townspeople, as they used to say in olden times, all are subjects of this fairy. They laugh and hunt, and there is in the air the brilliance of an apotheosis—what a transfiguration effected by love! Notaries’ clerks are gods. And the little cries, the pursuits through the grass, the waists embraced on the fly, those jargons which are melodies, those adorations which burst forth in the manner of pronouncing a syllable, those cherries torn from one mouth by another,—all this blazes forth and takes its place among the celestial glories. Beautiful women waste themselves sweetly. They think that this will never come to an end. Philosophers, poets, painters, observe these ecstasies and know not what to make of it, so greatly are they dazzled by it. The departure for Cythera! exclaims Watteau; Lancret, the painter of plebeians, contemplates his bourgeois, who have flitted away into the azure sky; Diderot stretches out his arms to all these love idyls, and d’Urfé mingles druids with them.

After breakfast the four couples went to what was then called the King’s Square to see a newly arrived plant from India, whose name escapes our memory at this moment, and which, at that epoch, was attracting all Paris to Saint-Cloud. It was an odd and charming shrub with a long stem, whose numerous branches, bristling and leafless and as fine as threads, were covered with a million tiny white rosettes; this gave the shrub the air of a head of hair studded with flowers. There was always an admiring crowd about it.

After viewing the shrub, Tholomyès exclaimed, “I offer you asses!” and having agreed upon a price with the owner of the asses, they returned by way of Vanvres and Issy. At Issy an incident occurred. The truly national park, at that time owned by Bourguin the contractor, happened to be wide open. They passed the gates, visited the manikin anchorite in his grotto, tried the mysterious little effects of the famous cabinet of mirrors, the wanton trap worthy of a satyr become a millionaire or of Turcaret metamorphosed into a Priapus. They had stoutly shaken the swing attached to the two chestnut-trees celebrated by the Abbé de Bernis. As he swung these beauties, one after the other, producing folds in the fluttering skirts which Greuze would have found to his taste, amid peals of laughter, the Toulousan Tholomyès, who was somewhat of a Spaniard, Toulouse being the cousin of Tolosa, sang, to a melancholy chant, the old ballad gallega, probably inspired by some lovely maid dashing in full flight upon a rope between two trees:—

“Soy de Badajoz,

Amor me llama,

Toda mi alma,

Es en mi ojos,

Porque enseñas,

A tuas piernas.

“Badajoz is my home,

And Love is my name;

To my eyes in flame,

All my soul doth come;

For instruction meet

I receive at thy feet”

Fantine alone refused to swing.

“I don’t like to have people put on airs like that,” muttered Favourite, with a good deal of acrimony.

After leaving the asses there was a fresh delight; they crossed the Seine in a boat, and proceeding from Passy on foot they reached the barrier of l’Étoile. They had been up since five o’clock that morning, as the reader will remember; but bah! there is no such thing as fatigue on Sunday, said Favourite; on Sunday fatigue does not work.

About three o’clock the four couples, frightened at their happiness, were sliding down the Russian mountains, a singular edifice which then occupied the heights of Beaujon, and whose undulating line was visible above the trees of the Champs-Élysées.

From time to time Favourite exclaimed:—

“And the surprise? I claim the surprise.”

“Patience,” replied Tholomyès.

[na-smithees-nothinginparticular]

The Mystery Dagger of the Arizona Historical Society

Hi tumblr. Maybe you can help me out with something.

I first saw the dagger while shadowing the curators of the Arizona History Museum. It’s located in the vault of the museum– once the vault of a bank on whose foundations the museum now stands– alongside a cabinet of antique guns, a large quantity of worked silver, and various other objects. The dagger had been sitting atop a filing cabinet, inconspicuous yet conspicuously out of place. Throughout the day, the curators had shown me a number of objects in the museum’s possession that had “Nothing to do with Arizona”, and this dagger, alongside the Hapsburg silver on the museum floor and native-made fishing spears from the Pacific Northwest, numbered among them.

“What’s up with that dagger?” I asked, pointing it out. One of the curators took it down from the cabinet and unsheathed it. The blade made a hellish screech as it rasped free. 

“Huh. I don’t actually know,” said the other curator. And so the mystery began. 

The dagger, as it turned out, had no provenance. That is to say, there’s no record of where it came from. It lacked an item tag, so there was no way tell who had donated it, where it had come from, or when it had entered the museum’s collection. (I later searched the museum’s artifact catalog, and the artifact doesn’t appear to come up in searches for “dagger” or “knife”. Many of the artifacts have no publicly available images, but the curators tell me that the artifact is not in the catalog.) I joked with several friends that the dagger must be cursed, and that I’m probably about to become an H. P. Lovecraft protagonist if I keep doing what I’m doing. But as we left that vault, all I could think was:

“This needs to go on the blog.”

I really wish I could tell you more about this thing. I’ve cross-referenced similar artifacts in the catalogs of the British Museum, the Met, and the Digital Repository of the Museums of India. The most similar artifacts have been 19th century Turkish, Indian, and Arabian blades. In particular, the flared, hammer-shaped pommel seems to be more common in Persian and Ottoman daggers. (Mughal daggers seem to more often have knob- or horse head-shaped pommels.)  It may be a khanjar or a jambiya, or it may be some kind of forgery. The Middle East and North Africa isn’t my area of expertise, but I’m hoping that by putting this out there, I may be able to get some new leads if people recognize this thing. I’ve put all my notes on the dagger below. 

What do you all think?

Notes:

-Object measures about 44 cm from pommel to tip of the bird’s neck. 

- Sheath has split where it would come in contact with the blade of the dagger. There is some slight staining on the fabric.

- Blade itself is about 24 cm long with a recurve shape. A ridge runs down both sides of the blade’s flat.

- Blade appears to be sharpened on both edges.

- Blade displays slight nicks and corrosion

- elaborate floral motif on hilt and scabbard

-Scabbard cloth may have originally been red but has faded to a dirty orange over time

- scabbard features small loop, possibly to secure dagger onto a belt

-long-billed bird’s head ornament on the tip of the scabbard. This design appears to be unique and has not appeared in any of the museum daggers I’ve seen. Species of bird is unknown.

-Parts of the crossguard are decorated with some kind of yellow metal. Gold? Brass? I didn’t have a way to check at the time.

Similar objects:

Jade-handled dagger and cover with silver ornament, origin unknown. Dated c. 19th century. Located at Indian Museum, Kolkata. https://museumsofindia.gov.in/repository/record/im_kol-R-14700-16720

Iron dagger with bone and mother-of-pearl hilt from Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Date unknown. Located at Indian Museum, Kolkata.

Dagger and sheath set made of steel, copper, gold, bloodstone and ruby. Culture of origin listed as “Persian or Turkish, Ottoman”. Dated 18th-19th century. Located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Dagger (Jambiya) with sheath and belt. Materials: steel, silver, wood, leather, iron. Culture of origin listed as “Arabian”. Dated 19th century. Located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Dagger (Jambiya) with sheath. Materials: steel, wood, silver, brass, gold, niello (a black compound of sulfur and copper, lead, or silver used to infill engraved metal). Culture of origin listed as “Moroccan”. Dated 19th century. Located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Steel, rock crystal, and gold ceremonial dagger. Catalog description reads as follows: “Although intended for ceremonial use, this dagger features discretely carved talismanic inscriptions of the kind found on arms and armor that were designed for battle. The hilt includes gold inscriptions that call upon ‘Ali and Allah.”. Culture of origin listed as “Indian”. Dated 19th century. Located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Note: All four Met daggers originate in are credited to the “Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935”. Might be worth following up on?

[basil-from-omori]

do you have anything cool about water lotuses? 🪷

SURE DO!!!!

water lotuses are surprisingly easy to care for afaik. water lotuses LOVE full sun, srsly need like ~6+ hrs of full sun a day. they love the warmth too— iirc 75-87 degrees on average (F).

For starting one? they like soil rich in clay and also w/ sand.

they do not like flowing water/fountains— keep in mind their natural habitats. don’t submerge their leaves that are growing. fertilize them in the summer time. protect baby lotuses from birds and crustaceans. never let the water they’re in freeze.

ok now for more misc stuff

they’re perennial (w/ the exception of euryale) plants that shoot in the spring, flower in the summer & fall, but go dormant during the winter. dont fertilize them in the winter time

if you repot your water lotus, NEVER submerge leaves, and NEVER disturb the lotus’ roots.

to flower they need >4 hrs of sunshine a day, but tropical lillies need all day in the sun.

you may know this, but water lotus are often important in spiritual stuff and often represent enlightenment.

sometimes, water lotuses and lilies can even cause drainage issues because of how rapid their growth is.

Water lotuses are actually very important in their ecosystems (unsurprisingly), they provide food & shelter for many creatures.

sometimes they can live for 20+ years

water lilies are July’s birth flower

they are indias national flower

they’re native to asia

btw today I found out water lilies and water lotuses are different, they have some subtle differences sigh

for symbolism: they symbolize strength, resilience, rebirth, but in hinduism it symbolizes enlightenment, beauty, fertility, etc.

OK LASTLY HERES SOME PICTURES OF THEM

smth I thought was weird is their seeds, take a look:

they come in weird things but I don’t wanna put them here bcuz I’m worried abt potential trypophobia triggers

[booksteaandtoomuchtv]

A Year Without (6/?)

Summary: After the curse returns Killian to the Enchanted Forest, he struggles to acclimate to his old life and his old ways. When a bird with a letter and memory potion arrives on his ship, he accepts the challenge to find Emma and help her save her family. Getting to Emma won't be easy and will cost him dearly, but what choice does he have when he cannot go a day without memories of her haunting him?

A03 | CH  1  |   2  |   3  |  4  |  5  |  6  |  7  |  8  |  9  |  10  | CUTS

A/N: The "Singapore" in this chapter is an entirely fictionalise pirate port created for plot reasons and because we know Jack Sparrow has a history with this island. I recognise the lasting damage and horrific practices of the historical and very real British East India Trading Company and the British Empire which impacted the real island nation, as well as many, many other countries and peoples. It is not my intent to romanticise or make light of these atrocities. Day 189

“Land, to the starboard,” Mullroy called down from the barrel. 

Hook peered through his spyglass to confirm the sighting, sweeping the horizon until his eyes caught on a green mass, wrapped in a thick grey haze. He lifted the handle resting in his hook enough to direct the ship to the familiar docks. 

The dense jungle of the island and early morning fog hanging heavy over the island were eerily similar to Neverland. However, the sun would soon rise and part the fog, the bright rays reflecting off the thick foliage. The island would appear like an emerald shining against the deep blue sea in the afternoons.

During his stays in that cursed realm, the sun in Neverland would never have been so bold. Hook suspected Pan’s hold over the island kept the realm in a permanent state of grey. Perhaps with the death of Pan, the island would more closely resemble the beauty of the island before him. He hoped he never had reason to be certain of his suspicion. 

------

Once they had reached the docks and moored the ship, the sun had already cleared the morning fog and the town was bustling with trade. The docks smelled of fish being prepared for the market stalls of the nearest street, crews shouted as they tie down their ships, and a few thieves lurked in the shadows looking for opportunity in the chaos. 

Hook had already caught the clumsy fingers of a pickpocket attempting to find something of value in his long coat. He wrapped his hand around the thin arm of the boy, he scowled at the lad until their eyes met. The wild eyes that found his own were hurt and scared, the boy defiant even knowing he'd been caught. They were the eyes of the lost boys, the children abandoned, the woman on the beanstalk. 

He released his grip on the lad, eyes narrowed, "you'd do well to distract your mark before reaching in so brazenly." 

The lad's eyes widened with surprise. He spoke cautiously, eyes darting as if unsure of Hook's intentions, "yes, sir." 

"See that man?" Hook nodded toward a figure across the alley, "the one in the red cap?"

"Aye," the boy replied, still unsure of the change in direction this had taken.

"He has the finest sweets stashed in that heavy coat of his. I'll distract him, you get us both a treat?" Hook winked at the boy as if they were co-conspirators in this heist.

This time, the boy nodded eagerly, likely excited about the prospect of scoring food. Rather than having to trade his stolen wares for too little money and the possibility of getting food in his future. If he were lucky, he'd lift coins from tourists but they often knew better than to carry coins in the port towns like this. 

Hook whistled to Smee, they'd established many forms of communication that did not require speaking during their time in Neverland - even the blades of grass had ears on that bloody island - and ducked into his coat. His first mate twisted around, searching for him in the crowd, the heavy coat at his shoulders flaring wildly around with his movements. 

Hook saw the young boy strike without any indication passing over Smee's features that he noticed.

As the boy ran off, Hook disappeared further into the crowd. The boy deserved everything he was able to retrieve and Hook needed to find a candy shop in addition to the lands that belonged to Sparrow over a century and a half ago.

Day 191

Asking about Sparrow throughout the realms was often followed by an exchange of more and more ridiculous tales and legends that were almost certainly wildly inaccurate. Asking about Sparrow in Singapore was met with either a delighted smile or a creative, but unpleasant, curse. 

After two days of asking around, the crew had combined enough stories to narrow the location of Sparrow's lands to "the spot where the jungle meets the water". They would know the spot was the correct one if they could locate a blackened tree trunk either ten or twenty paces inland from the spot where the two forces touched.

They'd spent the day rowing around the coastline of the island and stopping at every area it appeared the jungle touched the water. When you were navigating around an island that was an emerald in the sea, the jungle and the water touched often. Very often. 

"Capt'n, we really should head back," Smee suggested. 

The sun was setting and soon the water and coastline would appear the same, indistinguishable black. The lantern hanging from their dinghy would not be sufficient to continue the search until morning. But, if they could get one more location searched before they returned, they'd be that much closer to the treasure, to Swan. 

"After we've confirmed this is not the correct joining of jungle and sea."

"You okay, sir?" Smee hurried to continue when Hook frowned at his sudden concern, "only, I've not seen you so set on a path since Milah was lost to us."

"Murdered." Hook corrected, automatically, the sight of her heart turning to dust clear in his mind. 

Swan was lost, but he'd find her. 

"Aye," Smee said softly. His eyes clouded as if he'd been taken back to that moment as well. He cleared his throat, eyes clearing, before he continued, "so, what's gotten into you this time, sir?”

“My motivations are not the purview of my first mate,” Hook responded low, threat heavy in his voice. 

“Sorry, capt’n,” Smee responded quietly.

They rowed on in silence, reaching the coast and pulling the dinghy ashore as the sun finally dipped under the horizon. 

“We will stay tonight and return to the Jolly in the morning,” Hook clipped out, slicing into the thick air that had settled between them. Exhausted, he wrapped his coat around him and settled in for a long night.

Day 192

Hook awoke swaddled in his coat, in a dense jungle, heavy with fog; his body tense and mind alert, scanning for threats. His racing thoughts slowed and breathing became less ragged as he slowly started to remember that he was not back trapped in the service of Pan, but seeking a treasure of legend.

Smee, by all appearances, had been awake for hours. He had a small fire started and the smell of fish filled the air. When he noticed Hook stirring, Smee smiled brightly and waved Hook over, “Come eat! Today is gonna be a good one!” 

Where Hook woke up with the sun as an old habit from lifetimes ago, Smee always awoke first and seemed to relish in the delight of having woken up. Hook sat near the fire, accepting the offered fish, “You say that every morning, Smee.”

“Aye, but this time I mean it.”

“You always mean it,” Hook said between bites.

Smee grunted in agreement, tucking into his own breakfast. 

The foliage in this part of the island was the thickest they’d marched through in their exploration, so they were unable to scan for the blackened tree from where they’d shored the small vessel and made their makeshift camp. Pulling a dagger from a sheath in his boot, Hook started walking and chopping a path into the overgrowth. Smee chopped away to Hook’s left side, their progress slow. 

After they fought their way twelve paces in, Smee stopped suddenly. He pointed toward their right, “Sir, is that..?”

Hook followed his gesture, eyes catching on an unnaturally black branch. “Aye! Smee!”

He pulled out his flask and took a long celebratory drink before handing it over to Smee. Tucking the flask back into his coat, they returned to hacking away at the jungle, much quicker, their actions fuelled by the excitement of their discovery. As they approached, the branch became a tree stump, in that same sick black. Their steps were lighter and hearts racing as they approached the stump. 

Hook peered into the remains of the trees, feeling called to the strangeness of the tree. The trunk has been hollowed but was filled with empty rum bottles, all the same spiced rum that Hook favoured. But, one bottle caught his eye. Rather than rum, this was a wine bottle. 

The bottle shone pearlescent with several colours; pink, purple and green, in the hollowed tree, but when Hook’s hand touched the bottle to lift it from the tree, it changed to the deep blue of his brother’s eyes, a blue that he could never forget. 

“Fae wine,” Hook’s jaw muscle twitched, as he considered the meaning of this. Sparrow was a well-known rum connoisseur, but this was dark Fae wine. Had this even been left by Jack centuries ago or was this a pile of bottles discarded by other visitors to this secluded area of the island? 

“Nasty stuff,” Smee answered, eyeing the bottle distrustfully. “I had a sip once. In Agrabah. Woke up a month later, naked as a babe, inna forest in DunBroch. I nev'r got that month back.”

“Aye, I didn’t partake in the wine. But, the food has made for some memorable evenings,” Hook smirked suggestively. 

“Are we headed to the Fae Lands, Cap?” Smee asked with something between excitement and fear crossing his features.

“Keep looking - We know this is the right piece of land. Get the crew and scour Sparrow’s jungle for anything of note to take back with us to the Jolly. Once we’ve done that, we can determine the importance of an empty bottle found in a hollow, black tree trunk.” Hook handed the bottle over to Smee to return to the Jolly Roger when he retrieved the crew and relayed their orders.

He continued deeper into the jungle, slashing aggressive thorns and humming a shanty to himself to keep his pace.

Day 193

A thorough search of the land revealed few additional treasures, but none so seemingly misplaced as the wine bottle. The consensus amongst the crew was that they should meet with the Fae and determine what they knew about the treasure.

Hook suspected many of the crew wished only to see the Seelie Court with their own eyes and experience the food and wines for themselves, but he could not ignore that the Seelie Court held the most power in all the realms. 

Part of that power was a cruelty which lurked in every piece and every heart of the court as if the magic flowing in their veins was corrupted much like the magic that had created the Crocodile. Part of that power was a wealth of knowledge, especially on topics that were often mere whispers or shadows in each realm. 

Hook needed information and even the thinnest morsel of the Fae knowledge would come at a steep cost. Yet, he knew he'd pay their ransom a million times over if there was the slightest chance that it would reunite him with Swan.

Tag list: @kmomof4 @cosette141 @kazoosandfannypacks