#Sandpiper Air

[retropopcult]

The cast of Wings, 1994

#Thomas Haden Church #Rebecca Schull #Steven Weber #Crystal Bernard #Timothy Daly #David Schramm #Farrah Forke #Tony Shalhoub #Sandpiper Air #sitcom #1990s #Brian Hackett #Helen Chappel #Lowell Mather #Antonio Scarpacci #Fay Cochran #Roy Biggins #Alex Lambert

[celestialvoid-fanfiction]

A comment I see a lot is that Jaskier’s outfits have gotten worse over the seasons, but not when you think about their relation to his character growth. Here’s a look at Jaskier’s outfits across the seasons of The Witcher.

Season one: his outfits change frequently and each is as boldly coloured and extravagant as the next. They’re detailed but also have an air of royalty to their design, with puffed sleeves, high collar, high waistline of the pants, and a slim-fit around the waist.

This is because he’s just starting out as a bard; he is still used to being a viscount, used having money and living in luxury.

Then in season two, we get the Sandpiper outfit, one outfit that is durable and layered so that it can be adjusted to suit different climates. It’s more practical but less detailed which makes it easier for him to blend in with normal people (which benefits his cause). At this point, Jaskier is more established as a bard and now pays for himself or scrounges money and uses it to help people in need, so there’s less fancy clothing or materialistic spending. His vest has a pattern to it that calls back to season one but it’s dull, faded and stained.

But what’s more, his hair is unkempt and his clothes are blood soaked and stained, a visual representation of his mental downfall since the end of season one when he and Geralt had a falling out.

And now, in the previews of season three, his hair is groomed/neat, his clothes are still the Sandpiper outfit but with a floral shirt and a detailed, open-breasted vest that calls back to the patterns and intricacies of his outfits in season one. He’s found a balance between simplicity and the elegance he was used to. He’s more comfortable in himself and has found a balance between who he was (a viscount who knew money and luxury) and who he wanted to be (the Sandpiper; someone who helps others).

Another detail is his collars.

In season one, he wears high collars that cover his chest and neck, suggesting he’s shut off and defensive or uncomfortable in his surroundings.

In season two, his collars stick up but his chest and neck are bare, suggesting he still has his defences up but he’s been laid bare emotionally and psychologically.

Finally, on season three, his collars lay flat, his shirt is unbuttoned and his vest has a wide lapel, suggesting he’s comfortable, open, and isn’t scared of being vulnerable.

That’s just my thoughts on the matter. And while I would love to see Jaskier in outfits like the ones in season one, I also like the other outfits and how they reflect him.

#jaskier #the witcher #the witcher season 1 #the witcher season one #the witcher season 2 #the witcher season two #ther witcher season 3 #the witcher season three #jaskier’s outfits #joey batey #netflix the witcher #dandelion

[wrathful-banette]

sooo.... I've been getting into slay the princess. here are some headcanons for the voices if they were given free reign to exist in the outside world. also they all live in the same house since I'm a sucker for that trope. also the princesses be there

under the cut because it will be very long. endgame spoilers for stp btw.

Voice Of The Hero:

the one that everyone is at least mostly chill with.

all the other voices have a fair amount of experience with him, considering the routes.

overall a pretty kind and considerate guy ←this is literally just canon what am I going on about

Can very easily miss subtext and sarcasm also.

↑the contrarian exploits this for friendly reasons!

↑↑the cold exploits this for evil reasons

I imagine he would look basically like a smaller the long quiet.

him and the contrarian are thick as thieves, as well as him and the long quiet.

struggles with feelings of loneliness and disconnection from the world around him.

semi-frequent nightmares, ranging from mostly being unpleasant dreams to "waking up in the middle of night terrified." thankfully, the latter option is rather rare for him.

very fond of physical affection.

Voice Of The Contrarian:

he's a crow!

very good at using reverse psychology.

However, this comes at the cost of being very susceptible to reverse psychology himself.

forgets to preen with alarming frequency, with surprisingly little consequence.

extremely loyal to those he cares for, just in weird ways.

Shares the hero's trait of being rather susceptible to loneliness.

he really likes giving the other voices nicknames! it's a show of affection for him.

him and hero kind of have what you'd call a bromance going on.

Voice Of The Hunted:

a sandpiper.

He's grown a lot more comfortable with the others, even though he still retains his prey animal mindset in a lot of ways.

very frequently puttering around making sure "the flock" (the other voices) are doing okay.

↑ especially when it comes to food!! his ass WILL make sure you've eaten

one of the main driving forces reminding the broken to eat drink and preen himself.

very meticulous about preening himself, but somehow even more meticulous with the others (headcanon inspired by someone else idr who sadly)

Can go from just standing on the ground normally to flying like 20 feet in the air in just a couple seconds.

he can and has done this on pure instinct when he's been startled outdoors.

desperately wants to carry people around you should totally let him do that pleasepleasepleaseplease

Very nervous around the beast/den, but has been calming down a bit in that respect.

surprisingly protective over the other voices, the broken and paranoid especially.

Voice Of The Smitten:

flamingo <3

struggles with feelings of inadequacy, feeling like he has to give 110% to the acts of service with the damsel at all times, even when that just isn't feasible for him.

He has a... complex relationship with the stubborn.

He struggles to understand how the hell his relationship with the adversary even functions, but is able to respect it for the most part.

↑This respect was only fostered when they almost got into a physical fight because the smitten questioned if he really loved the adversary.

Smitten's really bad at asking for help, sees it as unbecoming for himself.

For this same reason, he's also terrible at expressing his more genuinely bad feelings.

overpreens when stressed, leading to bald spots which he always gets extremely self-conscious and embarrassed about. nobody knows he gets these except himself.

resents the voice of the cold for the burned grey route, but refuses to give him the time of day about it.

Voice of the Broken:

He's been doing better. the others have been helping the best they can.

surprisingly enough however, one of the biggest catalysts for his improving mental health has been... the nightmare/moment of clarity?

it started off as her not having any fun messing with somebody who was already so beaten down, but the paradigm has long sense shifted from that.

Don't get me wrong, he's still a pushover. but less so now.

^these headcanons courtesy of @kalkori btw (hiii kb :3)

His feathers are a mess most of the time. the hunted is his saving grace in this respect.

actually, him and the hunted have grown rather close, in their own weird way.

Voice of The Stubborn:

he's a shoebill stork!

him and the adversary/eye of the needle are in a relationship together.

They've since branched out and gotten other hobbies other than beating the shit out of eachother (though they still do that frequently),

like beating the shit out of invasive plants, and picking fights with the more powerful princesses together

^the tower has not known a moment of peace since this began. she will not know a moment of peace again.

he frequently wrestles with the long quiet for fun!

hotblooded in the most literal way possible. actual walking heater.

likes pestering the skeptic.

Voice of the Paranoid:

most of these headcanons are also going to be courtesy of kb they are the number one voice of the paranoid fan to me

He's a Bittern! longass neck having ass

he is straight up sneef snorfin it

Frequently overpreens, leading to multiple bald spots.

the long quiet has put him into a longass cone over this one at least one occasion.

unlike the smitten, he doesn't really care about the bald spots.

buddies with the hunted!

is not happy about the whole "Moment Of Clarity hanging out with the broken" deal. Is only going along with it because he seems so much happier nowadays. (relative to how he was before, anyway.)

Will instinctively start muttering "heart lungs liver nerves" whenever he senses she's near.

By the way, the mantra still works. and now he can do it on other people, same body or not.

Considering using this ability to become a doctor!

extends his neck out really far on instinct whenever he feels threatened. just bittern things <3

Also, him and the smitten are friends, against all odds. nobody knows how their friendship functions with the way they are

Voice of the Cheated:

dont have a solid bird idea for him but a dodo bird could be really fun

i love him he sucks so much

Somehow keeps getting himself injured in ways that he just straight up could Not feasibly predict or prevent. he is NOT taking it in stride.

absolutely despises the opportunist, considers him a slimy, cheating bastard.

Isn't allowed to participate in board game sessions anymore.

not after the incident.

but he is allowed to observe and call people out if they try and cheat.

He's mellowed out a bit since the construct. just a bit.

he hates preening himself, and tends to get fidgety when other people preen him. but he always relents eventually, if only because he very much dislikes how uncomfortable it is to have unpreened feathers.

Voice of the Cold

also someone who's mellowed out a bit. Still, his walls are up.

But it's a lot harder to keep up a facade of disconnection when you have your own body. when you're more than just an observer. he tries regardless. And mostly succeeds. But the long quiet knows the truth.

The spectre and moment of clarity will sneak up behind him and try to jumpscare him with cold hands on his shoulders. it never works.

always ridiculously cold. counteracts this with the power of always layering.

butts heads with the smitten a lot. and the stubborn, actually.

He considers both of them hopeless romantics with nothing better to do except fawn over their partners.

Voice of the Skeptic

He'd probably be some kind of owl?

i'm gonna be honest i ain't got much for him but he does get along well with the paranoid, being able to reign him in from his more... impulsive worries.

Nobody realises that him and the prisoner are in a relationship. they don't plan on telling anyone until they find out.

he enjoys puzzles of any kind! jigsaw, logic, math, crossword, you name it.

good at white lies, but terrible at telling lies with any sort of substance or ill intent behind them.

tends to pace around a lot when deep in thought.

him and stubborn are shitasses to eachother most of the time.

Voice of the Opportunist

definitely a vulture.

he sucks so goddamn much i love him

he's actually turned the two-faced-ness down a bit since the construct. just a bit.

likes hanging out with the smitten, he thinks he's funny. No, no, he's not getting attached. shut it.

him and the witch hang out a lo too, but in a way that involves, well. a lot of biting.

they basically just playfight, but like. fighting dirty playfighting.

...He tends to avoid the thorn. he feels a bit guilty around her.

quiet ass footsteps. he just... appears in places sometimes. refuses to acknowledge this.

he eats bugs. and a lot of other weird things, actually.

both of these are because he's pretty much always hungry. if you leave food out he will have some.

he is much more impulsive than he would have you believe.

aaand that's all of them for now! if you read all of this we are now married /j

#slay the princess #stp #voice of the hero #voice of the contrarian #voice of the hunted #voice of the smitten #voice of the broken #voice of the stubborn #voice of the paranoid #voice of the cheated #voice of the cold #voice of the skeptic #voice of the opportunist #slay the princess spoilers #op

[tarotwithavi]

Pick a pile : What do they love about you 💞

Hello beautiful people! I hope you all are doing well . This is a new pick a pile reading from me.

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

How to choose a pile?

Close your eyes and take a deep breath and ask the angels to show you the right pile for you and open your eyes. The first pile that catches your attention is the right pile for you.

*＊✿❀　❀✿＊*

Pile 1 Pile 2

Pile 3 Pile 4

If you resonate with this pick a pile don't forget to like and follow hehe

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Pile 1 ✨

Hello pile 1! Your reading is so interesting oml! , so first if all lets talk about your appearance, they love your eyes you might have big round eyes or fox eyes and they love them. You eyes shine like stars. Pile 1 they love your way of taking care of difficult situations. They love that you have a lot of passion within yourself and that you never let anyone bring you down. My pile 1 Do you play hard to get because I get that they love that about you. You have a lot of options and you know it. They love how you're full of joy and light and how you live life to the fullest. They love that your financially abundant ( not in a gold digger way) . How you never relay on anyone financially . They love how you bring a gentle touch to their heart. Pile 1 they love how your way of thinking and how you can see things from different perspective then them. You're also very grounded . You might be an Aquarius or embody this energy. Could be a Taurus too. Idk why I got this put they love to see you in yellow or orange or this could also mean that you're

Some extra messages : "embrace", " Love at first sight " , crescent moon 🌙 , chick 🐤 , upside down, infinity ♾️ , new moon

༶•┈┈⛧┈♛ ❁❀❁ ♛┈⛧┈┈•༶

Pile 2 🌙

Hello pile 2 ! Welcome to your reading! First let's talk about signs Do you have fire, earth and air in your chart? Like fire sun, air moon and earth rising something like that, because I got the vibes . You don't have to be though. Alright pile 2 let's start your reading! They love how you care for others like a mother . You have a very caring energy around you that makes people feel at home. You shine the brightest in a group. You might be the mom of the group and a very famous one. They love how you make them feel safe and secure when everyone around them is just giving them anxiety. They might be possessive over you. They want to provide everything you want. 9 could be an important number to you or them. If you have any moles on your face they absolutely love them. They love how playful you are. They also love how you are strict and soft at the same time. Like a mother scolding their children and after that bringing them something to eat or buying them something to lighten up the mood. They love how you treat everyone equally. And that you're full of love and care. I don't know why but I got that they love your hands. And the things you make with your hands

Some extra messages : sword fighting, fountains, thunderstorm, pine trees, kings and queens, antelope and sandpiper.

༶•┈┈⛧┈♛ ❀❀❀ ♛┈⛧┈┈•༶

Pile 3 ✨

Hello pile 3 ! If you're attracted to pile 1 I would like you to check that too. Let's start your reading . Pile 3 you seem to have a very indifferent face and it's actually difficult to know what you're feeling and thinking. You have fierce eyes and they love that about you. You got a gothic Or edgy look to you and also love that about you. You might have sleepy eyes . Maybe they love it when you're sleepy cuz that's cute? . You're face looks cute and scary at the sometime idk how to explain it, but you're eyes have a fierce look while you're face is cute. The perfect combination of cute and edgy. I also got that you actually have a baby face but you want to look gothic and they find this so cute lol. There is one person in this pile who has a owl pet Or thinking about getting an owl pet. They love how it is impossible to predict what is on your mind . You are mystery that they would love to solve. They love how cheerful your are with your friends . Bruh you might be a heartbreaker in their eyes. And that you're always ready to give advices

Some extra messages : solar eclipse, white flowers, dry Snapdragons, 3 , 1 , Halloween, winters

༶•┈┈⛧┈♛ ❀❁❀❁ ♛┈⛧┈┈•༶

Pile 4 🌙

Hello pile4 ! I mean what should I even say, one word that would describe the whole reading is "EVERYTHING". I mean they are head over hells for you. They are dying to start a family with you. My god they have so much love for you that their love would overflow all the oceans ( I know that's cheezy) . They would follow you happy wherever you go. You are the only one they need in their life. My god your reading is making me feel single as hell ಥ‿ಥ but it's okay I am happy for you guys. They love your eyes, your nose, your ears, your lips, your teeth, your eyebrows, your eyelashes bruh everything! EVERYTHINGGGGG!!! And they might even travel to meet you in some time if you life at a distance. Ahhh so much love this is making me go crazy! They would love to give you everything in this world. They love your elegance. You two might be different from Each other. They love it when you wear red colored clothes. There is so much water energy in this pile. Soulmate/Twinflame bond. They think that you are their destiny. I don't know why but this pile gives me southasian vibes.

Some extra messages : necklace, candlelight dates, drinking together, a new start, singer/singing.

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩˚＊

I hope you like this reading, please ignore typos and mistakes lol

#free readings #free tarot #tarot cards #tarot reading #tarot #oracle reading #ask game #pick a card #pick a photo #pick a picture #pick a pile #pac tarot #tarotblr #tarotscope #tarotoftheday #astro notes #tarot and astrology #astrology

[grey-gazania-fic]

Fouled Water

(Caranthir, rated G)

The moment Caranthir had seen Maedhros’ map of East Beleriand, he had known why his eldest brother was sending him to Thargelion. It was a banishment of sorts; save for Ossiriand to the south, where their youngest brothers would be safer and of better use, Thargelion was the furthest from Dorthonion, and thus the furthest from Angrod and Aegnor.

Caranthir knew it was his own fault for lashing out at Angrod during that ill-fated council meeting, though he was too proud to ever admit it aloud. He’d made a mess of things, and Maedhros’ rebuke, though firm, hadn’t been enough to salvage the situation. But it was just so difficult to stay calm around Finarfin’s children -- all of them, really, but Angrod in particular. Being in a room with him was like being pummeled by something sharp and hard, like the hailstones that sometimes fell in Mithrim’s chill northern winters, and Caranthir could stand it for only so long.

You don’t understand, he wanted to say to Maedhros. I didn’t ask to be this way. I didn’t ask to feel what everyone around me feels. If I could change it, don’t you think I would? But he held his tongue. His brother had enough things to worry about, and Caranthir couldn’t help feeling guilty that he had added yet more weight to Maedhros’ burdens. So he accepted Thargelion without complaint. At least the place had a lake, which was more than could be said for any of his brothers’ lands.

Though Caranthir loved to swim, he’d never cared for the ocean. It was too salty, too gritty, too abrasive, and the violence of the sea during their voyage in the stolen swanships still haunted him. He’d been certain that he would be shipwrecked and drowned in the briny depths, as had happened to so many of his father’s followers. Even now, he half wondered if Uinen might rise against Fëanor’s sons in wrath once more if they ventured to the coast.

But Helevorn was utterly unlike the ocean. Though strong winds could raise swells on its surface, when the air was calm, the lake was as smooth and still as the glass for which it was named. And though it was dark and deep -- so deep that he’d run out of rope on his first attempt to measure it -- the water was pleasingly cool and clear. Floating on his back, hearing nothing but the peeping of the sandpipers and the plaintive call of the nearby loons, he finally felt at peace.

Now his lake is dead. Some foul concoction of Morgoth’s has turned the water murky and acidic. The weeds have withered, and putrid fish and the feathered carcasses of birds bob on the surface, floating between patches of burning oil. His fortress on Mount Rerir, too, is in flames, but his eyes sting more for the loss of Helevorn.

It’s the smoke, he tells himself, though he knows it’s a lie. It’s just the smoke irritating your eyes.

Blinking away the tears, he turns his horse to the south. There is no one left to wait for. Everyone who could escape Morgoth’s deadly host has already fled, making their way to Ossiriand with all haste. Only Caranthir and his rear guard remain.

“Move out,” he orders, his voice rough from the smoke. “There’s nothing more we can do here.”

He leads his soldiers in their retreat, and he doesn’t look back.

#caranthir #dagor bragollach #the silmarillion #silmarillion fanfiction #silmarillion writers' guild #silm fic #silmfic #tolkien fanfic #tolkien #silmarillion

[claypigeonpottery]

Top 5 Birds?

I’m going with favourite birds that I have seen or interacted with because otherwise this would be so much harder to answer

1. pigeons, surprise surprise

(and here’s my favourite pigeon, Albertha)

as a kid I knew all the pigeons who lived on my neighbour’s roof. I gave them names and watched them frequently

2. magpies. they’re playful and silly and smart and I’ve loved them since I was a kid (aaaalmost as long as pigeons)

3. chickens. I saw a lot of chickens growing up, despite not having any of my own. one of my favourite chicken memories is my spouse holding a chicken to catch bugs out of the air lol

4. zebra finches. I’ve had a few over the years. their little beeping sounds delight me

5. ohhh this one was hard, but I’m gonna go with sandpipers. I got to watch them on the beach a few times. so cute, so tiny

really close to coming in at #5: ring neck pheasants, quail, sparrows, grey herons, red winged blackbirds, merlins, flickers and loons.

my grandpa is a huge bird fan, he’d always send me bird identification books and cassette tapes of birdsongs, and whenever we spent time together, we’d go birdwatching

#ask #asks #birds

[captainkirkk]

✩ WEEKLY FIC ROUND-UP ✩

All the fics I’ve read and really enjoyed in the past week-ish. Reminder: This list features any and all ratings and themes. Please look at tags and warnings on ao3 before reading.

Stranger Things

Where the 20 Chain Links Lead by fandsart

Steve has always known he’s stupid. While it wasn’t exactly something he took pride in, it hadn’t really ever bothered him until he started socializing with what could probably be described as some of the smartest people in Hawkins. It doesn’t help that most of those people were so much younger than him.

A character study of one Steve Harrington, and a glacial slowburn Steddie fix-it fic

chat with you, baby (flirt a little, maybe) by desiccatedwithering (acornsofthemind) (+ podfic)

"Hey, shitheads!” Steve “the hair” Harrington barks, looming in the doorway like a monster from the Abyss. “What the fuck are you doing in here? Get your asses down to the gym right fucking now.”

Eddie gapes. First of all, the audacity— Second, he’s never been much for physical fights, but if this douchebag thinks he can bully any of Eddie’s kids, he’ll have to go through Eddie first.

“Let’s go! Move it!” Harrington snaps, making an impatient gesture down the hall.

SVSSS

Achievement Unlocked by The Feels Whale (miscellea)

One day, after five years of reasonably peaceful marriage with only a few kidnappings and sex pollen incidents, Shen Yuan is sent back to his old body without warning. Luo Binghe makes a deal with an alien entity calling itself the System to perform a mission in exchange for the ability to bring his husband home.

The mission is simple; [Uncover secret transmigrator plotline and flesh out the character wiki!]

At least it will be once he figures out what the words ‘transmigrator’ and ‘wiki’ mean.

Or: That one where Shen Yuan and Luo Binghe don’t realize they’re in a domestic fluff bonus chapter.

Written for the 2021 MXTX Big Bang with art created by Ataratah

The Witcher

The Footsteps We Follow by thiswildheart

Look, Jaskier's got a lot going on. He's painfully aware that there are cataclysmic events happening and that the troubled teenager he knows might save the world or speed along the end of days. He's also in love with a man who's never even admitted that they're friends, which is almost as bad.

Oh, and he's still working as the Sandpiper, only now a terrifying eldritch creature has entrusted him with the Song of the Seven to give hope to the elves and help them fight back against their oppression. It's probably the bravest thing he's ever done, but not everyone sees it that way.

Luckily he knows some people who excel at last minute rescues.

... then he just has to figure out how to tell Geralt why so many people are trying to kill him. This is going to go great.

Clone Wars

Every Shadow by Kenobster (kenobster)

The days on Kadavo were long, but the nights moved quickly. Hundreds of pairs of wide, sleepless eyes haunted the space of the holding cells. Droves of terror clogged the heavy, sweaty air, and every sound, however faint, was like a physical ripple across the crowd. Every sound. The jingling of keys, the clicking of locks, the thudding of boots, and that’s how the nights on Kadavo started—with a gradual increase in the degree of quiet.

OR—during the mass casualty event following Kadavo and Zygerria, Obi-Wan and Anakin seek ways to cope with trauma.

Shadowhunters

We All Want (to Change the World) by opalish

It starts with Simon, which explains why the entire process is such an unrelenting headache.

or, Alec's startlingly quick journey from Head of the New York Institute to Inquisitor.

#happy weekend! #once again i need to change this series to fornightly or monthly fic round up because i am Not uploading weekly #but i'm too far into this series at this point #i've got to stick to the tag #my posts #fic recs #stranger things recs #witcher recs #sw recs #shadowhunters recs #svsss recs #weekly fic round up

[flygefisk]

faulkner, once feared across sornieth's seas as captain goldfang, now living out his retirement in relative peace.

faulkner landed in clan flygefisk's port after a vicious battle with a rival- he'd been badly wounded, and took it as a sign to hang up his hat and retire. his crew gave him a tearful goodbye, and he went to knock on the door of an old friend.

he'd mentored bluebird, the clan's merchant captain, once when she was young, and they'd met up again just a year or two ago. faulkner and his crew were fencing off some loot, and she took some off his hands (for a significant discount) with the promise he stay in touch.

faulkner is grizzled and scarred, his once golden mane now silver, but he still commands an air of authority and terror. truly frightening to behold. but under his battle scars and stolen jewels, he's got a good heart. he's really taken bluebird's own daughter, sandpiper, under his wing- he's always had a soft spot for kids.

even without bluebird's trust, he's a useful addition to the docks- troublemakers are much less inclined to make trouble under his glaring eye. the regulars know they can come to him if they need help with anything, and he's always got good advice.

#flight rising #&faulkner

[sixminutestoriesblog]

witch balls

When I was a child visiting little tiny New England towns was different than it is today. These days when I walk down a carefully curated Main Street in some wind swept, coastal town you can barely smell the salt in the air anymore and every shop you step into is pristine air-conditioned and smells like a department store used to, all faint traces of new plastic and underlying pungent scent of whatever it is they paint large shipments of clothes with to keep them during shipping. Most of them are still set up to look old, in fact many of them are in old buildings, but the weight of all those years isn't really allowed to show through. It's all ocean cottage core now, neat and white painted and artistic sea glass and sandpipers in simplified wooden statues, wire legs frozen instead of blurring with motion. Don't get me wrong. I love ocean cottagecore. I would decorate my whole house in it if I had the money. And the little shops, pristine and pretty, absolutely have a sweet appeal to them, not willing to give up their personality for the sterilization of 'Big City' box stores. I do miss however, what tourist shops in those same little towns used to be. Less plastic magnets for the refrigerator shaped like whales and sweatshirts of labrador retrievers declaring them a specific colored Dog and more -

half forgotten not-quite-antique shop, hidden down some narrow salt smelling alley where the stones that make up the road are uneven and there's a dusty smell to the cracks of the wood floors that never goes away. As a child going to a 'tourist shop' in one of these towns was like walking into a magic shop, a true magic shop, with books of breathtakingly beautiful paper dolls as detailed as any old fairy book illustration, imitation scrimshawed whale teeth, old time candy, books about lady pirates and clever glass marbles full of painted fish. The things those old shops offered felt local, magical, impossible to find in any other town in the entire world. Childhood colors everything more vivid than it probably was but I still think of longing and a child's minor spending money in a world of treasures when I remember those shops.

In one of those shops, as a child, I saw my first glass fishing float.

At the time it was being sold as a Portuguese fishing ball, a better buoyant for nets and lines than cork or wood. I remember, distinctly, the surprising weight of it when I picked it up. I was used to glass being fragile, light, airy. The fishing ball was none of those. It had a weight to it and a solid feel to it that said it was fit to ride the choppy waters of the icy Atlantic and do its duty, tide in and tide out. Storms weren't going to break and drown this glass. It would ride the waves forever and when it finally broke free of its net, it would find the shore, in itself or in pieces as polished sea glass. These balls were sturdy and I fell in love with them. The first time I could finally afford one was a triumph and the rare times I managed to find them in shops, as the years and the advance of more proper 'souvenirs' advances, I snatched them up even if it meant my spending money for the rest of the trip would be lean. Finally, eventually, the balls disappeared from the last shop and I thought my meager hoard was all I'd ever see of them again, an old relic that was already being phased out before I'd even discovered them as a child.

Imagine my surprise when, years and years later, a friend, helping me fix my bathroom from some water damage, saw one of them where I had it hanging in the window and seemed surprised to recognize it. He called it a 'witch ball'. I corrected him but he was adamant. And so, thanks to the internet, I rediscovered my glass fishing floats - with a new name and a new story to go with it.

Witch balls are hollow glass balls. They can range in size, I've seen some as small as rounded shot glasses and the older ones seem to be about as large as my fishing balls, which is about the size of a cantaloupe. Like fishing balls, they're not made for perfection, in fact, the bubbles and imperfections in the glass blowing process are considered part of their selling points. They tend to range in colors, with modern day witch balls being an absolute riot of colors or a beautiful gradual shift from one color to the next. They've been around for quite a long time as well. There are accounts of witch balls hanging in English houses, especially sea-faring ones, as far back as the 17th and 18th century, though they were often known as 'watch balls' back then and not quite as riotously colorful as modern ones, tending to be more often made of green or blue glass. Sometimes they would have salt or herbs put in them before they were sealed but the main thing witch balls needed were stands. In fact, something I just learned, the way to tell a kugel (friendship) ball and a witch ball apart is to look for the glass strands inside the ball. Witch balls need those strands to be effect. Witch balls are, after all, created to be traps.

The idea was that you hung your ball inside your house, often in an eastern window but sometimes from the rafters or set on top of a stand. Than, when evil things tried to enter the house in the night, they would be distracted and then captivated by the way the light of the moon played against the glass of the ball. Sometimes, the evil had to touch the glass, sometimes being ensnared simply happened automatically once their gaze was fixed on it. Either way, the evil would find itself pulled into the glass, trapped in the maze of the strands inside and unable to escape. There it would remain either until the morning sunrise burned it away or until the glass ball was broken, freeing it to continue its harm. Not all witch balls worked that way. In some cases, the glass was made to be more reflective with the idea that evil things, as we've already read, didn't have reflections and couldn't bear the reminder or that the glass would turn aside the evil gaze and reflect it back on its creator.

There is some speculation that glass Christmas ornaments may be tied into something similar as well, although, humans also simply like hanging sparking objects up for no reason but 'pretty' as well.

Bottle Trees serve the same general purpose and can still be found in parts of the Southern US, a tradition brought over from the Congo during slavery times. The belief is that blue bottles hung on tree branches will entrance and capture evil spirits inside their depths and hold them there where they can't cause any harm until the morning sun burns them away with its rising.

As a last note, I should point out that calling my collection 'fishing balls' wasn't necessarily wrong. While some of my later purchases did have strands in them, my early ones from childhood didn't. Apparently there's a very invested set of people who collect Japanese fishing floats on the West Coast of the US and Canada as well.

#folklore #superstition #cottagecore #witch ball #witch balls #watch ball #bottle tree #fishing floats #glass fishing float #ukidama #bindama #sea #ocean #ocean folklore #sea superstition #sea folklore

[kindheart525]

It was a beautiful morning to feed the animals, but instead of the early-morning serenity that usually opened up each day, tension weighed heavily in the air. Fluttershy and Marble Pie, who usually used this time to bond, were starkly at odds with each other.

At this point, they couldn’t talk about anything without it leading back to the baby dragon in their home.

“Piper could have been seriously hurt! You don’t know what could happen when that dragon—“

“That dragon is named Rosemary!”

Fluttershy snipped back before Marble could fret any further.

“I can’t believe you! She’s our daughter and you’re treating her like she doesn’t belong!”

“She doesn’t!”

Marble quickly felt a pang of guilt at what came out of her mouth. She was terrified after the “incident” with Sandpiper but she didn’t mean to come across so heartless. She knew her wife worked hard to take care of Rosemary just like she did any young and helpless creature.

“I mean…”

“Shhh.”

Fluttershy shushed her softly. She was absolutely peeved and ready to argue further, but she had a job to do first. So she poured some birdseed on the ground and waited patiently for the songbirds to come for their breakfast.

This moment of silence gave Marble some time to think about her feelings and how she wanted to express them, how she could get Fluttershy to see her side. As she pondered, a pair of birds landed by her hooves and she got an idea.

“These little ones have a family, right?”

“Mmhm.”

Fluttershy mumbled out what would usually be Marble’s typical response, her teeth still gripped tensely around the bag of seed.

“Imagine if another bird took one of their eggs while they were away. Maybe…a toucan. Those birds live in the rainforest, which is no place for a little songbird. And they’re omnivores, I think. A songbird wouldn’t be able to handle eating lizards and rodents and who knows what!”

“Where are you going with this?”

Her wife asked, though she was pretty sure she already knew.

“The toucan who took the egg would have no idea how to raise a songbird, because their home and lifestyle aren’t fit for it. And Equestria is no fit for a growing dragon. We don’t know the first thing about raising one! If you hadn’t taken her from that nest, she would be raised by her kind and they would know how to take care of her.”

“So you think we should send her back?”

Marble nodded, so sure of herself that it made Fluttershy want to scream.

“Do you know what would have happened if I hadn’t taken her egg home? I don’t even want to think about it…because she wasn’t even in a nest. She was all alone, abandoned in a bush. We’re the ones giving her any chance of a life at all.”

The earth pony mare was about to object to this, but Fluttershy stopped her.

“But you do have a point.”

Fluttershy almost didn’t want to admit this, but she was always wiling to put her pride aside when it concerned someone else’s well being. This wasn’t about who was winning the argument.

“I was just as scared as you were when Rosie started breathing fire. I guess I realized…we’re really not prepared at all. We have no clue how to keep her AND Piper safe, I really should have thought this through.”

“Hmm?”

Marble almost couldn’t believe it, for once Fluttershy was starting to admit she was wrong in all this. That she’d gone behind her back, forced a baby on her that she didn’t sign up for. That she shouldn’t have brought the dragon home at all…well, not that far yet. But maybe she’d soon realize that.

“But I know plenty of dragons and ponies who could help us. Spike was a dragon raised in Equestria and it worked out really well for him. If Twilight could do it, so can we.”

Or not.

Fluttershy grew less peeved and more confident, once again assuring herself that she could solve anything as long as she was kind enough, as long as she cared enough.

“Don’t worry, we’ll figure this out.”

But when Marble would usually have been comforted by her wife’s ability to take charge and problem-solve, she wasn’t convinced at all. Fluttershy had been too confident before and this is where it got them, putting their child at risk. 

She was starting to lose trust in her judgment.

~~~~~~~~~~

Previous: Going Sour Next: Babyproof

Background by Snuggle-Pounce

#KindsArt #auraverse #lump of coal #marbleshy #marble pie #fluttershy #tuca and bertie #roberta songthrush #speckle robin #birds #story piece #next generation #my little pony #mlp fim #mlp g4

[dansnaturepictures]

19/03/2024-Radipole Lake and Portland

Photos taken in this set are of; views at both on a blustery day, beautiful Purple Sandpipers at Portland it was a pleasure to see this stunning group of birds my first of the year a precious species, Great Black-backed Gull at Portland, bluebells at Radipole perhaps my first of the year and perhaps the earliest I've ever seen this iconic flower in a year, Alexanders and Mute Swan at Radipole, the gorgeous and rustic sight of the Little Owl in the quarry at Portland my first of the year and what an honour to see one here again I love watching this bird, some of my first scurvygrass of the year one of the few flowers braving the headland at Portland Bill and my first cow parsley of the year at Radipole.

I also enjoyed seeing my first Sand Martins - bat like birds flitting through the air it's such a key moment of spring when the hirundines return - and possibly cukooflower of the year at Radipole and my first Razorbills, Shag and Gannet of the year and my first ever yellow field cap mushrooms at Portland as my bird year list soared to 149 the second highest one of my year lists has been at on this date in a year behind last year. Reed Bunting, Mediterranean Gull and Marsh Harrier at Radipole, Rock Pipit and Oystercatcher at Portland and Skylark seen from the car travelling between the two and primroses, bee and turkey tail fungi at Radipole were other highlights on an unforgettable day to bring to end my patch of leave around the weekend. A brilliant and packed few wild days.

#photography #gannet #razorbill #purple sandpiper #little owl #radipole lake #rspb radipole lake #portland #portland bill #birdwatching #rock pipit #great black-backed gull #bluebells #alexanders #mute swan #oystercatcher #wildlife #home #outdoors #mediterranean gull #marsh harrier #weymouth #dorset #england #europe #uk #2024 #march

[knipiko]

"Like I love you"

listen to this while reading

warnings: fluff, smut, mentions of eating food, soft dom jimmy, sub reader, fingering, cutie patootie jimmy flirting with reader, afab reader Proofread?; No Words?: 2k (i spent 4-5ish hours on this sobbing atm) Requested?; Yes, by @goobbloob

Based on Season 2 of Better Call Saul

“Are you sure setting that commercial on air is a great idea Jimmy?” I put my folder on the desk and use my hand to lean on the fine wood as he moves side to side at a slow pace in his chair,” It’s only going to be aired for a little while, plus this will help us win that Sandpiper Crossing case.” I sigh and hold the bridge of my nose,” You know; if you get fired for doing something behind their backs I will not be surprised to any degree.” Jimmy simply rolls his eyes and pushes his hair to the side,” You know you care about me.” He says slyly as I just scoff,” Sure, sure.” I bite my lip to try and hide my smile.

Jimmy points at me and grins,” You're a horrible liar, I can see you trying not to smile.” I lightly tap his shoulder,” You're such a dick.” I mumble,” You love me.” He hits my shoulder back,” Oh shut up and stop trying to flirt with me.” I smirk,” Besides its work hours.” Jimmy turns his head to the side,” Yeah in two hours the ‘work time’ you're whining about will be over, so in two hours can I take you out to eat and flirt then?” I huff and try not to let out a chuckle,” Jimmy you act like we're together.” He simply smiles,” You never answered my question.” I gave him a face of defeat and put my hand on his head,” Sure, you can take me out to eat after work.” I pause,” But you're paying.” I give him the finger gun before straightening my back and picking up my folder.

He lays back in his chair,” Deal.” He adjusts his hips while putting his hands on top of his head, his fingers interlocking making it the only bond keeping his hands together,” See you in two hours jimmy.” I wave with one hand before I shut the door, smiling as I head back to my desk office. Those 2 hours went by flying, I was on autopilot the entire time. I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn around, Jimmy. He smiles,” I’m paying, right?” I grin and turn back to my computer, shutting it off,” Yep, hope you don’t mind but I have to do a few things first.” I grab my thermos water bottle and stuff it in my bag,” I can wait for royalty.” I let out a huff as I stand up,” Royalty.” I pause and look him in the eyes, turning my head slightly,” That's a new one.” He chuckles and holds a fake door for me to walk through as I pass by him. 

He walks with me at the same pace,” I came up with it from The Tudors.” I sigh,” That show? Are you serious?” I look at him as he opens the push door for me, soon back where he was before as we exit the building,” What that show is good!” He gets his car keys out,” My car?” I smile,” Sure.” I hop into the passenger seat and set my bag on my lap. He starts the car and pulls out of the parking lot,” Where are we going to eat?” I ask as he bites his lip,” Where do you want to eat?” he asks a similar question back and glances at me, then back at the road. I look up at the roof and then roll my head to look at him, I hum in confusion as I think of the options,” God, I can't decide.” I warm up inside as he looks at me,” I'll pick.” He turns his head back at the road before taking a right turn.

“I swear if you pick some-” I pause the joke I was about to make as we pull into a cafe. Beautiful bold letters of the name of the cafe are covered with leaves on the edges of the sign, hanging above the establishment,” Un lugar para los amantes” The outside was covered with lively plants and bushes as a worker with a white apron swept the dead leaves from the tree in front of the cafe from the concrete and onto the paved road,” Wow, when did this open?” I shut my door as I walked out of the car,” A few weeks ago, I went here once, and I thought you might like it.” As he opens the door for me,” I do, thank you.” I say as I walk in, mesmerized by the cafe. Jimmy grabs my hand as he leads me to the front,” Hello, welcome to Un lugar para los amantes, how may I serve you this afternoon?” I look at Jimmy, forgetting he's holding my hand and then look at the menu written on a chalkboard above the cashier,” I'll have the sweet tea with a powdered chocolate croissant and churros.” Jimmy holds up his free hand, points at the cashier, and smiles,” Make that two.” I nudge him slightly as he looks at me and smiles,” Alright, that will be $15.65.” Jimmy pulls out his debit card and the woman swipes it before handing it back. Jimmy leads me to the waiting line as we sit and wait for our order.

“What was with you pushing me? Can’t eat a meal anymore around you?” I roll my eyes,” No, you just stole my order!” Jimmy raised his hand up in defense,” Well, I’m sorry but your order sounded good!” I scoff and kick his dress shoes,” Hey, watch it princess peach.” I raise an eyebrow,” Princess Peach?” He grins,” What? Never heard of Mario before?” I shake my head and look down, grabbing the bridge of my nose,” I have, but why her?” I look back up at him,”I mean you’re pretty right?” I scoff and roll my eyes,” Yeah, sure.” Jimmy raises his hand out slightly,” It's true!” I smirk,” I don’t believe you.” I say, he squeezes my hand and it reminds me, ‘oh my god. We are holding hands.’ A man with the apron with the wording,’ Kiss the Chef’ takes a bag and sets it down on the empty counter,” Churros, tea, and croissant!” He says as he waits for the person who ordered it to pick it up.

“How do you not believe me? You look at yourself every day!” I shake my head and grab the bag,” You guys are a cute couple.” He says before waving goodbye and walking into the kitchen,” Couple?” Jimmy says while looking at you,” I guess we're a couple now.” I shrug my shoulders and laugh before we find a spot outside, in front of the cafe, now our hands are no longer intertwined as I sit down in the metal floral-designed seat. Jimmy sits down in front of me as I set the bag down and take the food out. I take a sip from my tea as I open the churros and the small container of ice cream inside,” Couple?” Jimmy asks again as I take a bite from my churro. I nod as he grabs a chocolate croissant, biting into it. With his mouth full he says,” Do we look like a couple?” he says as I start to finish my churros,” Maybe?” I finish and close the lid, putting it and my chocolate croissant in the bag.

Jimmy grabs his drink and takes the last bite of the croissant before putting the uneaten churros in the bag as well, grabbing it and then his car keys. We walk to his car as he unlocks it and I get in, him getting in aswell. He turns the car on and looks at me while putting on his seat belt,” You want to get your car or go to my house?” I look at him and smirk,” You're not so slick, Jimmy.” He puts his hands up in defense and laughs,” You got me!” I chuckle along before saying,” To your house Jim.” He smiles and presses on the gas and starts turning around to the apartments. Once he makes a turn and parks into the parking lot, he holds up his pointer finger, symbolling to stay put. I do and watch as he opens my car door and bows,” M’lady.” He says as I unbuckle and smirk, looking him up and down,” Seriously?” I ask,” Seriously.” He chuckles as we walk to his apartment.

I walk in and look around,” Looks the same as mine.” I say as I set the bag on the kitchen counter and sit down on the couch, taking off my coat and shoes and setting them down. Jimmy takes the top half of the suit off and loosens his tie,” Was that fun or what?” He asks as I stretch,” It was fun, thank you.” Jimmy sits down beside me and places his arm over my shoulder, I look at him,” Did you mean it when you said I was pretty?” I ask,” Of course you are.” He smiles, looking at my lips and back at my eyes. I notice it and lick my lips. Doing the same to him as I lean in. Kissing him, he tastes like tea and chocolate. He deepens the kiss as he pushes me, my back to the couch. He caresses my cheek as he pulls away,”Can I?” He asks. I nod before verbally agreeing,”Yes.” He caresses my cheek one last time before putting his hands up my shirt.

The cool feeling of his skin against mine makes me shiver, he notices and smirks,” You're so beautiful.” I turn my head, so I don't face him, embarrassed and red from how well he's already treating me, "Awe, baby.” He says in a babying tone, pulling my head back to face him as he smiles, "It’s ok.” I close my eyes as I feel him take off my shirt and bra and start to feel my body before pinching a nipple. I moan softly and my back slightly arches, he must have approved of the way my body reacted to his touch by the way he softly chuckled. Grabbing my pants and underwear before slowly peeling them off of me, teasing me with his two fingers and agonizingly slowly rubbing my entrance with them. I thrust to get more friction and he takes the message, putting them in and slowly pushing them in and out. I moan as he feels me from the inside.

I try to get more friction as he touches the spongy part inside of me, my bones turn into jelly as my eyes start to roll back,” Jimmy-” I get cut off by my moan as he speeds up,” What do you need princess?” He asks, I can’t think. My mind is fogged up as I try to form a response that was anything but moans and whimpers, he slows down and I start to panic, thrusting my hips to get more attention in my G-spot, but it is ignored as he slowly pulls his fingers out and I whine,” Don’t worry princess, you’ll be filled up again soon.” I open my eyes as I try to focus on the ceiling, my mind blanks out as I feel something bigger enter me slowly. I moan in such a way that could make porn stars blush,” It's okay baby.” He pushes his cock all the way into me and it's like I can feel him in my stomach,” Please.” I beg,” What is it, baby?” He asks.

I try to re-adjust to the sheer size and girth of him, but I’m too horny to care,” Move, please.” Jimmy lowers himself onto my neck and bites, slowly thrusting into me before picking up the pace. I arch my back as the sensation of him, it fumes my neediness and I start to let go, moaning as he holds my hips so hard it's bound to leave bruises. The thrusts are hard and fast, desperate even. I grab his back for some kind of structure to hold, accidentally scratching him with my nails. I can tell he's close by the way his hips shutter and his voice starts to crack as he grunts and moans. I feel the knot in my stomach start to twist tighter as he thrusts one more time before pulling out and cumming on my stomach. My high starts to run away from my grasp until he starts to rub my clit and I feel my high come up again, I arch my back one last time before I cum. Jimmy takes a breath, "Does that mean we're together now?” He asks. I simply nod my head.

#saul goodman x reader #better call saul #saul goodman #better call saul x reader #jimmy mcgill x reader #bcs posting #x reader #Spotify

[odekirk]

I’ve only seen the show once (although I wanna rewatch it again) But my question is, if you don’t mind, could you explain why Kim and Jimmy don’t like Howard? I personally love Howard, and I never understood the hate. Maybe I missed something or simply don’t remember.

No pressure to answer though! Just curious if you’re willing to explain a little. <3

(btw if you [or any of the people reading this] are interested in rewatching with pals you can join this discord where we’re gonna be watching an episode every week, starting this coming monday! open to all 💙)

i’ve gotten this question before and it always kinda warms my heart a little to know that there are people out there who love howarb so much that they don’t even know why jimmy and kim don’t like him. so true.

howard’s sins against the mcwexlers are as follows:

willingly took the fall for chuck and rejected jimmy from HHM after he first became a lawyer

willingly took the fall for chuck and rejected jimmy from HHM after he brought the sandpiper case

as kim’s boss, put her in doc review after the kettlemans walked away from HHM because of her pushing a guilty plea

as kim’s boss, put her in doc review after she admitted she had seen jimmy’s sandpiper commercial and didn’t tell anyone about it (refusing to mention that jimmy implied he’d gotten it approved)

as kim’s boss, initially did not take her out of doc review after she brought in mesa verde as a client for the firm

after kim quit, tried to retain mesa verde as HHM’s client and prevent her from taking them with her

was on chuck’s side during his effort to get jimmy disbarred

told them he suspected suicide immediately after chuck’s funeral

general air of (perceived) condescension over the years

now, i could argue in howard’s favor on each and every one of those—doc review isn’t the cruel and unusual punishment people make it out to be, jimmy deserved to get disbarred, etc—and i have, many many times. 

but that would kind of be missing the point, because to get down to brass tacks: they hated him because they allowed him to represent a bunch of other people in their minds, instead of just viewing him as one guy. he’s not a lawyer, he’s the legal system. he’s not a rich white man, he’s every rich white man. he’s chuck, he’s cliff main, he’s kevin wachtell, he’s a mirror, he’s every person they ever had a reason to dislike in one convenient package.

he fulfills this role best for them during seasons 5 and 6a when he’s kept at a distance—neither of them any longer employed at HHM, neither of them tied to him through chuck, both of them free to make their mental image of howard out to be both as big/oppressive and as small/pathetic as they need him to be in any particular moment. jimmy throws bowling balls at howard’s car from the other side of his gate. he sends sex workers to howard’s lunch and then watches the scene from across the street. his and kim’s entire scheme plays out without direct contact, and then they listen to its conclusion and snicker over the phone.

he does not fulfill this role as well when he walks into their home and looks them both in the eye and reads them for filth—laying bare the casual cruelty at the heart of their actions and reminding them that he is in fact just some guy. then he gets shot in the head, which you can’t do to a concept. you can’t shoot the unjust legal system in the head. you can only shoot a living, breathing human being in the head. that is the moment that a couple of things become Suddenly Real to kim and jimmy, howard hamlin being one of them. and that’s why, despite their longstanding hatred of him, his death is what unravels their lives.

#inbox #better call saul #thank u for the question! sorry i am answering a lil late

[nuagederose]

Dark Roots of Earth | Chapter Two: Wild Horses

ao3 link

The sand was warm underneath Eric and Christine’s feet as the two of them walked together along the water's edge. The winds fluttered their hair behind their heads like the manes nad tails of two horses walking side by side towards the pier closest to the main artery of the highway behind them. A slight chill hung in the air around them despite it being the beginning of June: the feeling of a cold winter's rain still lingered over the crescent of Monterey Bay. She moved in closer to him to better feel the side of his body.

“Are you cold?” he asked her as his long black hair streamed behind him against the wind.

“A little bit, yeah.”

“I am, too—”

They walked along the warm, pearly white sands towards a small ring of sandpipers on the sand arranged about as if they were creating a ritual. A few pelicans took to the oceanic winds over their heads. The sun was shining and the haze of the marine layer remained way out over the ocean.

“So, where do we wanna sit?” she asked him.

“Here's good by me,” he replied with a gesture to the posts that separated the trail from the beach.

“You brought the blanket with you, didn't you?” she asked him.

“Of course! Yeah, because I see sitting on these things hurting the rear end, too.” Nevertheless, they both took their spots atop the posts like a couple of seabirds; Eric was quick to hand her a black and white cookie, to which they both gave a cheers to one another with them before they took their first bites.

“Oh, man, these are delicious,” Christine remarked as she took a bite of both the chocolate and the white frosting. “Although nothing beats the bakery back in New York. But I wouldn't trade this for the world, though.”

“Me, neither,” he assured her with a shake of his head.

She glanced up the beach to see if anyone was there, and all she could see were the marbled sand dunes plus more pelicans and sandpipers. The waves rose and fell in choppy fashion, and she imagined hearing the eerie songs of the whales underneath the water's surface.

It was a brief thought but she imagined herself in the waves, her body merely afloat upon the dark cold waters just to drift out to sea. Though brief, it was followed by her remembering the wedding. The mere suggestion sent a shiver up her spine, even though there was no denying as to how she felt about it. To go out to the waters on the third of July, just so she wouldn't have to see Alex holding hands with Captain Howdy at the altar.

“I don't want him to get married,” she confessed to him, and it sounded as though her voice drifted in on the back of the wind.

“I don't, either,” Eric assured her once he took another bite of cookie. “I don't want him to go through that whole entire process.”

“That whole entire process just to be with someone who doesn't love him,” she added. “Just to be with someone who very obviously hurts him and makes him feel vulnerable. And not the good kind of vulnerable.”

“As in... he's alone in his apartment with three feet of snow on the ground and his boots are beat to hell,” he followed along.

“And the power's out and he's got no food in the kitchen, either. And the only other flesh and blood in there with him is down the hell, waiting to possess him and take him down to hell with her.”

They fell into silence as they indulged in another couple of those cookies.

“I should probably tell you the truth about something,” she started as he closed the box.

“Go ahead,” he coaxed her over the white noise from the ocean waves.

“Well... I don't really know as to how to put it,” she confessed, to which Eric inched closer to her.

“You know how things go between us,” he assured her as he ran his fingers through his hair. “Start from the top.”

She sighed through her nose and gazed back out to the vast stretch of waves. The marine layer, a thin veil of dark gray off the distance, stayed way out over the ocean, but a part of her wished that it would make its way over to the beach just so they could further be alone there.

“There was... this girl when I was in elementary school. It was when Chris was still alive. I thought for sure that it was the best time of my life because I had lots of friends and I had my crush on Chris. In fact, she encouraged me to tell him that I liked him if and when the time came. We were friends for a long time, actually, all the way into middle school. We did each other's hair. We had sleepovers. We played table tennis in her garage, and I remember Chris joining us a bunch of times, too. We also liked to hanging out in the park and going down to Coney Island with her parents, especially. And then, when I was about twelve, she just... stopped. She stopped talking to me, stopped calling me—she even stopped sitting next to me on the bus.”

“Just totally ended it without warning?” he asked her.

“Without warning. It was just one day she decided she wasn't going to talk to me anymore.” Christine gazed out to the ocean again, that time to a catamaran out on the waters. Despite the choppy waves and the rush of the winds all around them, the boat skirted along the horizon as if nothing fazed it. The sail fluttered in the winds and the boat remained steady all the way. It passed a couple of buoys as well as a pelican that swooped low to the waters before it, but it never lifted off the water's surface.

“She was my best friend,” Christine added. “At least I thought she was.” She turned her attention over to him. “I'm not going to be one of those people who's desparate to hang out with people, but when I was hanging out with Valentina that one time, it reminded me of the times I did just that with Ann and I thought for sure that was the case with us. I knew that it could all be an illusion once again.”

“And it sounds like—I'm guessing, anyway—you feel the same way about me,” he followed along, and she sighed through her nose as she picked up a handful of sand next to her right foot and she let the grains filter through her fingers. A few shells and smoothed out black rocks peeked through the sand, and she thought of picking out a few down by the water's edge.

“As a matter of fact, I do,” she confessed. “I feel the same with Alex, too. And Nelly, and Greg and Lou, and the Sundaes, and really, anyone who comes my way. I know for a fact that I can lose all of you without warning and without rhyme or reason, and I'll die left wondering.”

Even with the fact they sat on separate posts, Eric put his arm around her right then, and Christine sighed through her nose yet again. There was a break in the winds, and the ring of sandpipers lifted from the earth and fluttered off towards the left side of the crescent, towards the wharf and land's end.

“So she quit talking to you and then some time after that, you lost Chris,” he followed along, and his voice was low despite the steady, plucky waves before them. He then shook his head. “Damn. How'd you survive your teen years, that period of life?”

“I have no clue, to be honest,” she confessed. “But somehow I did. Somehow I managed and I pulled through all the way until my last day as a nineteen-year-old. Somehow I survived without tightening the noose around my neck or letting more blood out to the bathtub. Something kept me going, and I don't know if it was Chris or something else.”

Another bout of silence, and that time, Eric let go of her so he could reach into the grocery bag again for something.

“Sometimes I feel like I'm not worth Alex's love,” she confessed again. “And I feel like I can't ask him for anything.”

“Why is that?” he asked her with a quick glimpse over his shoulder.

“Because he's a teacher and he's about a thousand feet high in comparison to everyone else. People are always wanting something from someone like him. Look no further to the times I would try to get alone with him after class and I couldn't because someone asked him a question. Or we were being interrupted by something there at school...” Her voice trailed off for a moment. “I will say this, if Ann and I were still friends, I would tell her everything about Alex. In fact, she'd probably have a better idea on how to get him away from Captain Howdy.”

Eric took out a water bottle and handed it to her. He took one for himself and they both screwed off the lids in unison.

“Just out of curiosity, am I the first person to have learned about this with you?” he asked her.

“You want the truth?” she asked him back once she took a sip from her water.

“Of course,” he replied. “Nothing but the truth.”

Christine nudged her hair back from the side of her face and licked her lips.

“Yes, you are,” she replied, and her voice once again seemed to drift in on the back of the wind. “You are the very first person, Eric. I never told my mom this, or my dad for that matter. In fact, I don't know if I could ever tell my parents about it. I remember they asked me about Ann, why she and I stopped visiting each other, and I just told them that she was busy all the time thereafter. They know about Chris, but Ann is like a shadow in the back of my mind, though.”

She returned the lid to the water bottle, and she tucked the water bottle in between her legs.

“Ann, you said her name was?” he asked her.

“Yeah. 'Ann-tastic', as my dad used to call her. Her last name escapes me now, which is weird because I actually remember her full first name being Annalyn. She was another Queens girl and... I think—I think, if I recall correctly—she was half Czech, like her dad and his parents hailed from the former Czechoslovakia.”

He raised his eyebrows at that. “Wow! How often do you hear about that now?”

“Not often,” she replied with a shake of her head. She took another sip of water and gazed down to the white wet sands down below.

“Wanna walk down by the water?” she offered him.

“Barring we don't get splashed by the waves?”

“It's only windy,” she pointed out. “I don't know when the tide's supposed to come in but I reckon it's not any time soon, though.”

They climbed down from the posts and walked on down the trail towards the softer sands down below. They were greeted by the smell of the salt as well as the quickness of the sand underneath them. Christine kicked off her shoes first, and she handed them over to Eric; he took his off as well and he tucked them into the grocery bag.

“With our food, Eric?” she demanded.

“It's okay, I put the soles towards the side of the bag,” he assured her.

“But now our cookies and things are going to smell like our feet!”

“Hey, at least it's our feet, Chris!” he insisted, and she chuckled at that.

They walked together towards where the sandpipers were congregated, and then they doubled back towards the middle of the beach, and right within view of the street to the beach itself. The wind seemed to pick up as they walked further along, and Christine lingered closer to him as a result.

At one point, she bent over and picked up a bright pink seashell the size of a peach pit.

“There's a beach down the coastline called Glass Beach,” he told her over the noise of the winds. “It's covered in nothing but sea glass, or pieces of glass that have washed ashore and they've been tumbled by the ocean. That's a beautiful seashell.”

“Yeah, it is! It's like a classic seashell, what you think of when you hear the word 'seashell.'” She turned it over and brushed off the extraneous sand tucked inside. “I think I'll give this to Alex, unless I can find another one.”

He then stopped and crouched down for the white sliver in the sand.

“It's a sand dollar!” he declared, and he handed it to her.

“Wow. And I'll give this to Valentina when we get back home.”

They both shivered against the wind as they kept walking: a wave washed ashore and pulled right back out in a thick layer of foam. The break in the waves, the gap between the breakers, told her that the rip currents had come out to play, and thus, she only returned to that thought from before, to lay down on the water and be alone for a time. Through the distant marine layer, she spotted thin but dark wisps of clouds up above, and she knew that the layer was going to come back at some point, even as the catamaran finally disappeared behind the jetty on the other side of the beach before them. It was really just watching nature from thence forth, nature unfold right before their eyes.

“You want to go back to the room?” he offered her.

“Yeah, I'm getting cold,” she replied with a shiver.

#as the seasons grey #as the seasons grey fanfic #dark roots of earth #dark roots of earth fanfic #fanfic #fanfiction #drawings #testament #testament band #eric peterson #oc art #traditional art #fanfic art #ao3 fanfic #artists on tumblr #badgalnirvhannahart #Spotify

[na-bird-of-the-day]

BOTD: Pectoral Sandpiper

Photo: Aaron Maizlish

"This is one of the 'grasspipers,' more likely to be seen in grassy marshes or wet fields than on wide-open mudflats. Its spring migration is mostly through the Great Plains, with smaller numbers east to the Atlantic; the species is found coast to coast in fall, but is still scarcer in the west. The name 'Pectoral' refers to the inflatable air sac on the male's chest, puffed out during his bizarre hooting flight display over the Arctic tundra."

- Audubon Field Guide

#birds #pectoral sandpiper #sandpiper #birds of north america #north american birds #sandpipers #shorebirds #wading birds #waders #birds of the us #birds of canada #birds of mexico #birds of central america #birds of the caribbean #birding #bird watching #birdblr #birblr #Calidris melanotos

[chiropteracupola]

Questions 21, A, and B for the Moth and Compass crowd? 💚

this got a little out of hand, so I shall do one of the trio for each of the three questions!

21. Why do they get up in the morning? 

there’s things that need to get done!! Luna prizes routine and practicality, and even though her lighthouse is no longer operational by mundane means, it still needs to be maintained and to be lit, and it’s got to be her that does it. and in between there are books to read, and corkboards to wind around with red string, and new recipes to try, and down on the shore there are plovers and sandpipers skittering around in between the rocks and the foam. there’s a lot in her life to be excited about!

a. Why are you excited about this character?

Goodfellow is. oh my tragic idiot. he’s out of time in every possible way, and he’s odd to talk to and unsuited to every way of life he’s encountered, but he’s doing almost fine despite it! he’s walking the line between ‘too unobservative to notice that something is terribly wrong’ and ‘still hung up on a guy and a life that he left behind more than two hundred years ago’ and it mesmerizes me! he talks about men in the way that a dad who has never quite figured out that the word ‘bisexuality’ might apply to him would. despite this he did in fact have gay sex on multiple occasions whilst alive. he loves the rules because following them means he doesn’t have to think and he fell in love with a man who threw himself up against the figurative electric fence of the articles of war until it nearly killed them both multiple times. he has an imaginary collection of tank tops from beachfront crab shacks. if you ask him too many personal questions he’ll wail mournfully and vanish into thin air. he has still never quite realized that he was bad at his job. he was so bad at his job to the point where he got many people killed. and his sideburns — well, his sideburns are beautiful!

b. What inspired you to create them?

Moth, well - Moth started out as me. but along the transition from that to where we are now, once again, it was the Vincent Price audiobooks — I was the kind of kid who liked potions and rituals and looking for ghosts, but didn’t do any of those things as much as I would have liked, so when it came to Moth, I imagined the me that would have listened to Vincent Price reading ‘How To See Ghosts Or Surely Bring Them To You’ and ‘Don’t’ and taken that advice! here’s that kid with Carly Rae Jepsen on a borrowed pink ipod, weird hair and weird cat and jeans that don’t fit, and here’s the adventure they’ll have!

#answers from the cupola #oc time again hehe #moth and compass #the light keeper: luna maitland #the lieutenant: chadwick goodfellow #the fool: moth worley #for reference those vincent price audios are on 'a hornbook for witches' #print copies of which unfortunately run to SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS (they only printed 553) or else I'd own one :( #anywayyyyyy.