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bumblinv · 1 year

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--- omaticayan (house) cats ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

feauturing neteyam, kiri, lo’ak, tuk

headcanons of them as literal house cats bc the entire omaticaya clan are just 3-meters-tall, walking, blue forests cats with bows. change. my. mind.

: ̗̀➛ tuk ; tabby kitten

“what breed is she?”

“just a little girl”

you don’t know her exact breed

no one can blame you tho, she was jus a baby left by her mother in your backyard, that you took in

could be a mix of all sort of breeds, but to you, tuk was your little girl

the moment you took her in, she was severely malnourished. so you feed her with your own hands, bathe her, sleep with her each night

she was like your own child

and you’re ready to fight every single person in this planet if someone dare to lift a finger againts her

the bravest little kitten you’ve ever know

but the silliest too,

her entire body went wet as she got in, headfirst, into her bowl when she first learned to eat wet food

and one time she jumped into your aquarium to ‘catch’ the fishes

she would snatch pieces of wings from your plate and holds on it for her dear life when you tried to take it away from her </3

you would crochet matching hats for you and her

overall, the best lil girl ever

: ̗̀➛ lo’ak ; bengal cat

do i need to say more

he’d run all over the house, pouncing at every moving thing in sight, playing with his toys for hours, and getting to high places you never knew he could reach

one time he somehow got to the house’s roof. it freaked you out

you were convinced that this little bundle of energy is literally a cheerful puppy in cat’s clothing

with his adorable little coat, that took some time to put on, you take him to the park each morning. this is mandatory, or else he’s too energize to sleep at night and would start knocking things over at 3am (wich you learned the hard way)

at the park, his curious self would sniff everything and anything. a tree, a man’s leg, until he got too curious to a little winged fella, that a pigeon once pecked him on the head

he befriended every single dog and cat around the park, but would get a little salty if new people tried to touch him

at night, when finally, his energy went to 0%, he got cuddly. really cuddly, he sticks to you like glue

and i know he would sleep on your chest and suffocates you in your sleep

: ̗̀➛ kiri ; persian cat

she so bougie ngl

and a little moody too

you wont need an alaram clock, cause every morning, at the exact same time, she would sit on your face and starts screaming for food

i hope your wallet thick as hell cause i know she would only eat whole foods, like those healthy (and super fucking pricy) food rich cat persons feed their cats

kiri right there eating salmon and chicken breasts, and you’re left slurping your sad instant ramen

things we do for our cats ammirite

half of your life savings went to her

from grooming money, for buying her expensive foods and vitamins, to all her essentials like her high tech self cleaning litter box(?)

she spoiled as hell

but i know she still has the audacity to scratch your hand and legs

don’t get me wrong, she loves you. the two things she dislikes the least was you and the big blue fish living in your pond (it was rotxo)

: ̗̀➛ neteyam ; golden retriever

I KNOW I SAID CATS

but none of yall could deny

even as a person, he got that golden retriever personality

always have a smile on his face, tail wagging every time

calm and loving,

would befriend every other animal you foster, you sometimes find them all cuddled up together

have i mention that he loves cuddling?

but remember he’s huge

would crush you every time he cuddles into your lap

but you never minded, cause he’s the sweetest, most gentle giant

#avatar #avatar x reader #avatar headcanons #avatar cats #avatar as cats #neteyam #neteyam x reader #neteyam x you #lo'ak #lo'ak x reader #lo'ak imagine #kiri #kiri x reader #atwow tuk #tuk #tuktirey

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triptych-of-voids · 5 months

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Do you have any HS about Medics birds?

of course i do :]€

i just have to get this out of the way first. unfortunately some people see pigeons and doves as completely seperate birds, but this isnt true. pigeons are doves. anyway. headcanons now

we all know medic got his doves from stealing a van at a wedding. commonly the type of bird used for release at weddings, funurals, whatever, are rock doves or homing pigeons that are bred to be a smaller size and all white, meaning medics birds are all most likely pigeons of this kind :]

i think that a good handful of his doves would be bonded pairs, but not all of them! since he sort of lets them have free roam some of them turn up randomly with some other pigeon they found in the area and then sometimes he gets some new little birds that are not all white so i headcanon that even though his original flock is all white, hed get some more interesting color and pattern variations from time to time.

speaking of bonded pairs, archimedes is bonded to medic. thats HIS person. of course all the doves consider him to be part of the flock and they all like him and vice versa but archimedes specifically is HIS bird. archimedes will get jealous and throw a little bird tantrum if hes giving the others too much attention. if you ever need to figure out which one of the many birds is archimedes then its a pretty safe bet to assume that whichever bird is currently perched on him or always seems to be hovering around somewhere following him is archimedes. oh and he loves to get into trouble and dive headfirst into anything gorey so you could probably tell that way too ^^;

medic does have names for all the birds. he can always identify archimedes of course and then theres a handful of others he can pick out pretty easily, especially if theyre in a pair or have unique colors or some other defining feature about them, but even though he does name all of them and recignize most of them, he would be lying to you if he said he always knows which is which out of every single one of them at all times.

i mentioned in a previous post that engie would make an industrial grade air purifier for the lab and the workshop and the operating room in order to stay on top of all the dust. pigeons are very dusty.

with a couple of exceptions, a lot of the birds would stay outside most of the time, and theyve got nests all over base. maybe thered also be an aviary or something on the roof for them to stay in if they want, thats where medic would probably put most of their food anyway. archimedes would get his own personal cage in medics room even though hes got free roam as well. and much to the annoyance of some of the other mercs, medic insists on letting the whole flock inside during cold winter months or during the heat of summer.

he really does his best to take care of them all if he can. like i said, they would all have free roam, and a vast majority of them would just live outside around base, but he feeds all of them, he names all of them, he keeps track of where each and every nest around base is. theres not much he can do if some of them get swiped up by wild animals or whatever else but if theyre injured he'll patch them up. the only one he rarely ever has to worry about is archimedes, because that little guy is basically glued to him 90% of the time anyway

#ill be honest i wasnt expecting to have this much to say about his birds but..#i love them so <3333 #tf2 #tf2 medic #tf2 archimedes #doves #pigeons

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wouldnt-give-a-fig · 29 days

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A consoling message from Lemony Snicket (an original poem)

Dear Reader,

If this letter finds itself in your hands I am immensely hopeful that you are the Intended recipient. Correspondence has Been known to be inaccurate before, A word which here means “there are better ways to deliver sensitive information than by carrier pigeon” (No matter who you are, however, Please make sure to feed Wilbur some Sorghum, millet, or even sunflower seeds Upon receipt of this letter. Those are his favorite.)

As you know (at least if you are who I Think you are), it is not easy to complete Baticeer training with a full course load, Ask the right questions in the wrong environment, Earn a living while you are spending it, And write essays on an empty stomach.

You might find yourself thinking That you ought to have known better, That of course ill-fitting glasses come from ill-meaning optometrists, That leaking roofs require attention before monsoon season, That you can only order so many root beers before The waiter tells you to leave the restaurant, Even if the person you have scheduled to meet three hours ago Has not yet arrived.

But in a world that is wretched And makes a wretch out of you, There is no greater defiance than to Speak to it kindly. Collect your fearful doubts and doubtful fears Nothing is nobler in a face of tears Than to keep going.

In all this noise May you find the corner of the library Where it is quiet.

— L.S.

#original poem #lemony snicket is one of my favourite writers and his books were a huge comfort for me growing #wrote this for a poetry assignment and the prompt was to write in another person's voice #twas at a time where i really needed someone to tell me to keep going and so i wrote this letter to myself in his voice as an encouragement #and it kind of helped a lot #so even though it's kind of dumb i wanted to share it here in case it could help someone else too :)#lemony snicket #asoue #atwq #a series of unfortunate events #all the wrong questions #poems #poetry #daniel handler

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galionne-speeding · 2 months

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What're the eight gods like in your Sonic Pantheon AU?

Aah thank you so much for asking! I wasn't sure how/when to drop all the character info ; but now I've got the perfect excuse! To make it more digestible to read (and easier on myself) I'll copy/paste my character doc! (with some slight adjustments)

- - -

Name: Boreas (Also known as "The Cursed Winter", "Lord of Ice") Age: 25 Gender: Male (He/They) Species: Megaloceros Emerald: White

Several millennia ago, the last known megaloceros tribe was wiped out by its neighbors who greatly feared its people's ability to control ice and the cold. The sole survivor of the massacre, Boreas, was able to flee and it is believed he found a Chaos Emerald during his escape. Imbued with new power, he would soon return to avenge his people and slaughter those who had taken their lives ; until a small group of warriors was able to seal him deep inside an underground ice lake.

Name: Piia (Also known as "The Trickster", "Devil's Child", "The Moon-Kissed Spirit") Age: 8 Gender: Non-Binary (They/Them) Species: Pygmy Rabbit (Albino) Emerald: Light Blue

Piia was only a child when their village was hit by a disastrous harvest ; and they were offered as a sacrifice to the mountain their people worshiped. They were thrown into a deep crevasse and were killed on impact. However, their body had landed next to a Chaos Emerald which seemingly fed so much energy into it, Piia was brought back to life and granted an array of supernatural abilities. The young rabbit would go on to terrorize their old village, until they were tricked by another child into sealing themselves into a small mirror.

Name: Zeutaros (Also known as "The Storm", "The Great Dragon", "The Beast") Age: 201 (Early 40s by Zeti standards) Gender: Male (He/Him) Species: Ancient Zeti Emerald: Red

A Zeti Warlord of terrifying renown, it is believed Zeutaros fell to Mobius from the Lost Hex in ancient times. He seemingly found a Chaos Emerald near his landing site which charged him with immeasurable power and soon began ravaging the land in an enraged frenzy. The carnage would only end when Zeutaros accidentally broke the roof of a large underground cave system, where he fell and was buried by the rubble.

Name: Mother Agnes (Also known as "The Sunset Witch") Age: 62 Gender: Female (She/Her) Species: Luna Moth Emerald: Yellow

Little is known about Mother Agnes’ past ; only that she suffered greatly in her youth. In her early 60s she opened a boarding school for lost and troubled children which saw great success ; until all of the children put under her care began to vanish. It was soon discovered that she was in possession of a Chaos Emerald, which she was using to put the children into a comatose sleep in order to feed on their dreams. Her school was promptly swarmed by villagers and Agnes was captured and burned at the stake, at which point all of the children woke up. Her medallion is currently displayed in Sunset City’s history museum.

Name: Désiré (Also known as "Prince Raj", "The Adored One") Age: 17 Gender: Agender (They/Them) Species: Jacobin Pigeon Emerald: Purple

Born into wealth and nobility, Prince Raj was raised from the youngest age to be the next ruler of the kingdom and believed to have everything one could ever wish for. Yet many ; servants and nobles alike ; had noted how disheartend and dejected the prince always appeared both in public and in private. When the future sovereign turned 17 they were gifted a large purple gem which they took a particular interest in. Not long after this, communication from the kingdom to its neighbors slowly dwindled until it fell completely silent. It was soon discovered that the large purple gem gifted to Prince Raj was in fact a Chaos Emerald ; which they were using to warp the minds of the entire kingdom, so that all alike would see their lives now revolving around their new ruler as they worshipped and adored Raj day in and day out. The spell was only broken when an assassin was sent to enter the palace and successfully killed the prince.

Name: Malda (Also known as "The Hermit", "The Pestilence Witch") Age: 51 Gender: Female (She/Her) Species: African Common Toad Emerald: Green

Malda used to be a peaceful and solitary hermit living deep in the forest, making herbal remedies for those daring enough to visit her hut. When a villager went missing after visiting her however, she was quickly accused of causing his disappearance- as well as all others in the area. While historians now believe she was innocent, villagers at the time condemned her to death by drowning in the nearby lake. Not long following her death, the region was hit with several devastating epidemics ; which were only quelled once the lake was drained and The Pestilence Witch’s skeleton placed in an airtight coffin. A Chaos Emerald was found near her remains during the draining process.

Name: Manas (Also know as "Royal Seer Manas", "The Devil's Tongue") Age: 57 Gender: Male (He/Him) Species: Manul Emerald: Dark Blue

From a young age, Manas had always displayed the uncanny ability to learn everything from an individual, just by shaking their hand or touching their clothes. As this ability was sharpened over the following years, Manas began to slowly amass followers who were bewildered by his visions and predictions of the future. Little did they know, Manas was granted these abilities by a Chaos Emerald he was keeping safely hidden. As more and more people joined the ranks of his followers, the manul declared himself emperor and set his people on a path to conquer new land ; aided by his visions and knowledge. It is believed this conquest lasted for several decades and saw hundreds of war victories for the manul- until it all fell apart. One of Manas' visions turned out to be inaccurate, leading to a crushing defeat and the loss of nearly three quarters of his army. Disillusioned and under the assumption their ruler had knowingly sent them to their deaths, it is believed the survivors tracked down Manas and brutally murdered him for his failures.

Name: ∅ / Null Gender: ▇▇▇▇ (It/Its) Species: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Emerald: ▇▇▇▇

▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇

#ask #welcome-to-hotel-california #sonic pantheon au #sonic au #sonic the hedgehog au #sth au #sonic oc #sth oc #sonic the hedgehog oc

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spell-fox · 5 months

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Kickstart my Heart Session 6 summary (with sketches!)

Brighton 1986, 7th March

In which Dr P learns Crime, Linden is exhausted operating at 50% capacity and makes a dear sacrifice for the coterie, Monroe tackles a cop and Abaddon has a deep dark secret of betrayal

I tried to keep this as conscise as possible but it still ran up to 1.5k words eep

Resident Gangrel Dr P is awakened by his ghoul with a letter from the next member of the band the coterie will do tasks for, and some students asking for extensions on their paper deadlines, which he graciously grants.

Our Malkavian Monroe awakens to his sire Hollie looming over him, a perfectly clean flat, her shows are going well thanks to him. She's just like his mom right? Right??? He packs his guitar and wanders down to James Street.

Tzimisce Linden woke up in Abaddon's college room, absolutely destroyed. Baby dayslept without their ancestral soil for the first time. They look and feel terrible. First court of order was to phone their sire to inform him they were still unalive.

The group convened at the Black Dove to wrangle the demon they accidentally released last session. Dr P was joined by his barn owl famulus Little Oak. There's a police cordon and LOTS of people, shops damaged, blood, lots of police and people in plain black suits. They discuss various crimes one can do

Next was getting ready to meet the coterie, but first Abaddon gifted them a stolen blood pack and decided to show off some thaumaturgy rituals just because? Turning incorporeal and summoning flame, which he put out in an ashtray and managed to trigger redfear in Linden. We learn he is a fair bit older than Linden, he's interested in demons and potentially... Changing families....

Monroe: money laundering

Abaddon: arson

Linden: theft of a corpse

Dr P: ....lying...?

Monroe calls a friend to help, Aloysius will graciously come help with their "Jack Russel" problem and pull them out of the shit again.

Dr P surveys the street in the meantime, sweet talking past the police, one of whom offers to escort him to his apartment that he totally lives in. He's able to scope the situation out. Trying to get a better view, he does break into an apartment overlooking the street, sees kids shoes, hears noise, panics, runs.

He reports a break-in to the police at the cordon and one goes to check out the door he just smashed in. One down, another to go.

Aloysius arrives to save the day! The better, more American, Tremere is here, and he's not taking shit from the less-good Tremere Abaddon. Linden instantly hates him for disrespecting their nerd. Aloy goes to dominate and the gang sneak in.

Then it's following the trail of the demon. They are able to find a way up to the roof of a nearby building, Dr P making enough noise to alert a resident, they all vault onto the roof which is covered in dead birds, except Monroe who fails the roll. A man in a bathrobe confronts him, Linden decides to help ?? By throwing a dead pigeon down to terrify the man's daughter.

Linden also finds an excellent specimen of a dead pigeon and bags it up for taxidermy purposes. The coterie see the path of the demon, follow it along, Linden talks to a woman who swears she saw a demon, the end up paying her money to steal a leather jacket from the shop.

The people in sunglasses are watching but not doing anything. Aloy alters one of the demon's victims to look like they died a more natural death.

On following the trail, Dr P and Monroe play rock paper scissors to see who gets to eat the police officer blocking the way. Dr P wins the game, but fails at grappling the cop, Linden fails to help, getting punched and knocked down, it's only Monroe able to tackle him and Abaddon dominating silence from the man before Dr P feeds from the guy's.... Leg ? Well, it soes the trick even if it's not graceful. Monroe hides the unconscious man, steals the badge and handcuffs.

Following the route of the demon, they go into a block of flats and ascend. Scrabbling noises are coming from one of the flats. Remembering it's interest in pigeons, Linden offers the beautiful dead pigeon to the coterie to use as bait. They're not happy about it. Confronting the lesser demon, everyone is able to keep it calm, Dr P offers the pigeon which it plays with, so Linden chucks it into the attic space.

This begins a game a fetch with a lesser demon (a "jack russell not a mastiff"), where Dr P summons a flock of pigeons to lure it across the roofs, with Linden in the middle to compel the birds on back towards the demon's home. All while Aloy is being incredibly distracting, presumably with some discipline use.

Demon returned to the Baali church, they have the wonderful gift of the Baali leader using Daimonion on Abaddon, commenting simply about a betrayal and telling the coterie to be careful about him. They also the gift of.... A tooth necklace. Great. I'm sure this isn't a reliquary or something horrible. Great. Everyone is invited to a ritual in a few weeks time. Bring your friends.

Monroe goes back to meet Aloysius who drives to his hideously decorated fancy house in a classic car. Aloysius laments the loss of the old days, Monroe doesn't neeeed to stay in contact with his sire, why not just leave? She'll just follow. Weeeell they could just stick her in torpor.

They go down to the sea front to discuss. Monroe takes the necklace but putting it in his bag it feels... Uncomfortable. Abaddon takes it. I'm sure that's fine. Everyone discusses clan weaknesses. Linden explains why they are operating at roughly 50% capacity.

Monroe wants to learn thaumaturgy like Aloysius. That's easy, it's just about....consuming the right person :)

In order to pay the debt for covering the masquerade breach, he wants info on other coterie member Agatha's sire. Monroe can't do it anymore. It changed after the embrace. Well, perhaps Hollie could teach something useful, they'll just have to have her teach Monroe dementation *then* they can stick her in torpor. Aloy has lots of uses for dementation. "-_- You want me to use my mental illness to win the lottery?"

Monroe sleeps at Aloysius' place that night.

Linden walks home with Abaddon. They chat about the soil situation, he tells them about the Tzimisce in London who is rumoured to store his soil inside him. Huh. That's a good idea, wonder why Damyan hasn't told them that. They aren't sure whether to attend the Baali ritual, especially since he used a power on Abaddon who knows what they're capable of. They say it's fine to have betrayed someone, he doesn't have to tell them and he doesn't need to keep denying it. But they had fun. Returning home, the lights are on so Linden keeps the goodbye friendly but neutral, a quick hand touch and that's it.

Before seeing Damyan they need to assess the damage to his artwork on their chest. It's... A bit damaged but not much so uuuhh they try to fix it. They manage a little, but then keep going. The fix is crude. It's obvious. Too obvious. After having been instructed *not* to vissisitude their chest piece, they can't go up like this. So they... Tear their new stitches out. It's horrible. Much blood and pain later they still have damage.

Damyan is angery >( Linden didn't come home last night, he was so worried. He's annoyed about the tasks they're being sent on (to cover his debt...), he wonders about their newfound colleagues. Linden says they are very capable and valuable allies. Ah. In that case why not invite everyone over? Damyan would like to meet them. Excellent.

They mention the damage and he sits down to fix it, adding a few new decorative elements. Should he reinforce it to prevent damage in future? Hmmm, no, that would mess with the aesthetics.

Vissituded twice over, exhausted, they stumble down and crawl into bed, grasping around for their dirt and hugging it close. Let's not do this halved dice pool thing again.

Dr P is summoned to meet the dean of the university. At 3am. Interesting. Yep, he's a kindred. Either that or Dr Sam Fletcher just likes keeping specific flavours of vitae in a secret painting compartment for funsies.

He's aware Dr P is In The Know now, shame that he's a gangrel. He also wants info on Agatha's sire. She's building quite the little coven here on campus. He insists he is in charge here, and he'd be in charge of the city if not for the anarch problem. Too many "low clans", the city is overrun with them. Should Dr P get intel for him, Fletcher can offer him alternate employment.

After a stressful meeting, Dr P's ghoul Graeme has made the cupboard he daysleeps in a little more comfortable. There are blankets and pillows. What a bro.

#vtm #vtm: kickstart my heart #oc: linden #oc: dr p #oc: monroe #oc: abaddon #oc: aloysius

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ameliapodcast · 7 months

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Intern your hc are so lovely that if you can, I say that you must share more of them!!

We can share ours with you or that's a nono?

Anyway, I would like to know your opinions/hc on the gender identity/sexual orientation of our crew!! And how they interact as a family.

(and ofc, they are all autistic but no one has a diagnosis and I think that's beautiful)

I'm not going to make any headcanons about their orientations because I have honestly no idea.

Family interactions however? Kozlowski made them watch all the Kingsman Movies. Joey and Salvatore were the biggest fans, Amelia was reluctantly happy and the Interviewer spent big parts of both hiding his face in a pillow. ALSO the Bealtes-movies of Yellow Submarine and Help!.

There are no pigeons on the roof anymore for obvious reasons (don't know the reason? May I humbly share our patreon here for more information?) but there are some on the windows and nobody knows who is actually feeding the birds (spoiler alert: it's all of them)

I am now officially out of headcanons, thank you for coming to Headcanons with Maty.

#the amelia project #ask #thank you!#This was fun xD #to be fair I do have more but those are more related to #hivemind #headcanons #none of this is canon

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skylineheights-if · 10 months

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Care to tell some facts about the ROs? (just to get to know the ROs)

Absolutely!

Harlowe

His cousin, Storm, is the only person in his adoptive family that he gets along with. Harlowe views her as a younger sister, and would do anything to keep her safe. That being said, he is not a fan of Storm's boyfriend, Dakota.

He lives in an old factory that is owned by his adoptive family. He fixed it up, and has converted the lower levels into training areas/hangout spots for him and the rest of the nephilim.

He loves winter. Like, almost too much. Gets super excited when the first snowfall of the year comes.

Unusually good night vision. Like, even for a nephilim he's really good at seeing in the dark.

Florence

She loves the beach. To the extent that if she could live on the beach for the rest of her life, she absolutely would. It's her comfort place.

She was supposed to be with her mom when the accident that killed her happened. They were supposed to go Christmas shopping together, but Florence had stayed up late studying for a test and slept past her alarm. Her mom didn't want to wake her because she knew she'd be tired. Florence beats herself up over this a lot, to this dad wondering if she could have somehow prevented her mom's death.

There is no solid reason as to why she dislikes Harlowe. If you ask her about it, she'll say that he just has one of "those faces."

Aena and Eden are two of her favorite people prior to meeting MC. She likes to hang out in the coffee shop while Eden is working, and goes out clubbing with Aena every Friday night.

Eden

Eden grew up in a little apartment above the library that his dad owns/runs. So he was always surrounded by books and began reading at an early age.

Eden's dad also has a few library cats that run loose around the library. Eden was the one who named all of them. His favorite is a black cat named Jinx that he found as a kitten on the side of the highway!

He's terrified of turtles because he got bit by one when he was younger.

Storm's boyfriend, Dakota, works at the cafe with him! Eden had a small crush on him for a while before he found out that he was already in a relationship.

Aena

She has two dogs! They're sisters that she rescued and named Flora and Fauna. They both look like some sort of hound/lab/golden retriever mix. They're practically twins, except Flora has a white marking on her chest.

She LOVES sour patch kids. When she was younger, her grandmother used to buy her a bag of sour patch kids whenever she went to visit.

Loves music festivals. She's attended multiple, but her favorite was Coachella in 2016. Really wants to attend Burning Man.

She's really bad about setting a healthy sleep schedule. Often is up until 4am and then has to stay up all day until it's a "normal" time to go to bed.

Alistaire

HATES having to learn new slang. He thinks it's important to keep up with lingo and slang, but hates having to learn it every few years. Hates it even more when a word switches meanings without him knowing. This has caused him issues in the past.

Fresh fruit is one of his favorite snacks. Cherries, strawberries, and grapes specifically. He likes being able to just pop the whole fruit in his mouth while he's working.

Tried growing a garden on the roof of his apartment building once. Spoiler: it did not work. He's a great teacher but horrible at keeping stuff alive.

Goes to the park a lot to feed the birds. Particularly loves the ravens and the pigeons.

#interactive fiction #if game #skyline heights #skyline heights if #shif ask

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samkat10423 · 1 year

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Spillway area

Rflong added a port lot down by the bay. And while I was over on TSR looking around, as one does, I came across a marina someone built.

The original only had that tiny building, the boat trailer, moving van and the docks with the berthed boats. But since I like for my sims to have something to do when they visit lots, I added stuff. First off, I changed out the dock planking and the fencing for the one that came with Barnacle Bay. The originals were just too pristine. And if you’ve ever gone boating - which I have - docks are not all squeaky-clean. Then I added more lights and all the food-service items. I used Arsil’s ice-cream thingie, Sandy’s barbeque-season’s food table, and the stuff from that Carnival lot EA did. I also gave my sims some tables-and-chairs and a lemonade stand. Then I added a small stone fence behind my trailer, so my idiot sims don’t back it into the bay and added more chain-link fencing on the other end, so they don’t fall off the cliff there. Plus, a small generator and some Sims 1 items that @grandelama created. (Thank you!)

Then I hopped over to that Spillway area under the bridge. Since it’s supposed to be a swamp - as most spillways are - I decided to place a few more industrial builds there. The original lots were all zoned as residential, but who in their right mind wants to live in mosquito-land? Again, the one I used were both cyclonesue builds that were on smaller lots originally. The dark brick one was created fairly early on and consisted of just the building.

This was her glue factory lot. (She built it to showcase her storage tanks). It is now a glasswork’s lot, since I used it to place that glass-blowing machine EA sold. It was on a 20x25 lot and this one is 30x20, so I had space to add stuff. I changed all the windows and doors, added those 3 drainpipe things on the side, plus all the viny stuff. I also changed the roof pattern to a rusty one I got from over on MTS. And I used stuff from Sandy’s “trash” set to grunge the place up a tad more. Inside I got rid of all her residential house crap and made it into a factory. (Note to self: I need to add some fog emitters to add some pigeons to that parking area. Maybe some rats inside).

That other lot in the 1st picture was cyclonesue’s abandoned Split Pea factory, and like I said, it was just the basic building itself on a much smaller lot. I went with her lot description and made it into my town junkyard. (It’s “for-sale” if anyone’s interested! So, I do need to add my “for-sale” sign) First thing I did, was grunge up that building on the roof and change the caps on the four corners, then added some fog emitters so that they “smoke.” I added the fencing, all the outside decor - including that nifty smokestack created by Sandy. And of course, junkyard spawners - and a few others. (There were none). Inside, I left her tiny kitchen area - just grunged it up a tad, then got rid of everything else. (It was originally zoned as a house). I did place 2 of those inventor’s benches and 1 of those gem-cutting machines, because I have that mod that allows you to make trash into sellable stuff. Oh! one of those garbage cans is a “fireplace” so it catches on fire - as does a set of discarded tires she created. And I used a garbage can created by Zedrael for his Hobo set, that sims can root around in and get food to eat. Because everyone eats out of a garbage can, doncha know!

Then I took my Devil Dog outside to help me feed the chickens. Right now, I only have 3 left, since chicken hawks and our resident fox ate the other 3. I plan on getting some Silkie ones to replace the deceased ones. But in the Spring since the ones I have now are on-strike and not laying eggs. Told them there are a gazillion ways to cook chickens, but they aren’t impressed. Stupid chickens!

#sims 3 My Bridgeport more industrial builds

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bippot · 2 years

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Summary: Kevin's niece shakes up Jake's little peanut head, in the best way possible. For the first time in his life, he's nervous to even flirt with a girl cause, like, what if he fucks up? That would suck.

Despite how hard he tries, it takes Jake a while to get out of the dreaded friendzone because of overbearing Uncles, pigeons, drunken nights out and the famous Jake Martin reputation.

Tags: Idiots in Love, Eventual Smut, Eventual Romance, Fluff, Himbo, Slow Burn, Co-workers, Friends to Lovers

The Crew, Jake Martin Masterlist - here

Chapter 13 - For Her

A real, live pack of doves had been let loose in the van the crew had to use to get from track to track. They flew everywhere, from the ceiling vents in the front seat, right under the seats, into all kinds of nooks, crannies, holes and corners of the van that could possibly have held them. Some even ventured out onto the roof, where they hovered for a while before flying back down again as quickly as possible.

Do doves eat chips? That's the first idea that popped into Y/N's head. Well, not the first. The first actually was 'Why the fuck is there a bunch of birds in a place where I'm going to have to sleep at somepoint.' and just 'Why?' in general kept floating around her brain. Because why? Why were there doves everywhere? No one really knew, least of all Y/N who had literally just gotten back.

Actually, Jake knew. Jake knew because he bought the birds. Because he thought it would be cool if the first thing Y/N saw was a beautiful flock of pale white stunning doves holding a banner that said 'Welcome Back, Y/N!" Yet, it didn't go to plan. Obviously.

Most of the doves were actually painted pigeons since the 'totally reputable' guy that Jake had been conversing with over the Internet, well, he wasn't as truthful as he seemed. Or maybe it was a complete coincidence that there were so many pigeons in the lot. Maybe they joined in for the fun of it. Secondly, the banner was misspelt. 'Welcum Bac," and then what people assumed was Y/N's name. Sure, he wasn't good with spelling and words, but this fuck up was mostly due to the fact that, not only was he tired from racing, but he was buzzing to see Y/N again.

Yeah, the grand gesture that he'd intended to do wasn't planned very well. He'd only thought about doing it the day before. But when he woke up the next morning with his heart beating wildly in anticipation and a big grin plastered across his face, he couldn't stop thinking about it anymore. To be honest, after the past week, he just wanted to cheer her up. To get her mind off things. And the most logical course of action was to surprise her. And nobody can deny that an overpriced flock of pigeons is a surprise.

And now they were loose. Hell, he saw Chuck fully grab one, just using his hand, and threw it out of the bus like it wasn't the coolest and weirdest thing Jake had ever seen. Amir was having a meltdown. Beth and Catherine were hiding under a table. Jessie was just sitting there with her headphones on, laughing at everyone's panicked expressions. And Kevin had locked himself in the bathroom.

Jake stood there, watching it all unfold with a guilty look on his face. It soon turned into one of despair as a hefty looking pigeon thought his head was a perch and dug its claws into his hair. Jake groaned and rubbed his scalp gently, trying to calm the animal down as best he could, which wasn't easy considering how loud it was making all those annoying noises.

All of a sudden, a crinkle was heard from outside and all of the birds flew towards the sound, allowing the members of the crew to rush into the great outdoors and catch their breath. They came across what Jessie ended up calling 'Badass Bird Bitch', which was Y/N completely unfazed as a bunch of weird flying rats swarmed her because she'd opened a bag of doritos and was feeding the birds like the homeless woman from Home Alone 2.

"Hey everyone! What the fuck is going on?" Y/N's exuberant voice cut through everything and everyone's thoughts at once. They looked at each other, speechless. They had no idea either, and that was clear as all of them - but one - shrugged. "Where's Uncle Kevin?"

From deep within the bus, everyone heard a shrill, "Can I come out now? Are they gone?" followed by a muffled thud followed by another muffled thud. A bird had flown in through the roof window and Kevin was thoroughly freaking out.

Everyone started talking at the same time and rushed to try to snap a picture of his misfortune. Everyone but Jake and Y/N. "Hey princess," she cooed, reaching out her arms and hugging him tightly. When her lips were by his ear, she whispered, "I'm guessing the doves were your doing? It's okay I won't tattle."

"How'd you figure it out, you weird bird girl?" Jake asked, still clinging to her like a koala. She laughed and released him so they both could look at each other properly.

With a sly smile, she explained, "Cause I know you, sweetheart," and, honestly, that was all she needed to say. There was a moment of silence, as they just stared into each other's eyes. Then Y/N cleared her throat and leaned forward, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "So, I can't figure out why the hell you released a bunch of birds into the bus you have to sleep in."

Pigeon releasing wasn't on his agenda. Never had been. It was an accident. He'd met with the bird dealer- which should've twigged something in his brain that this transaction may not be as professional as he first thought as the way it went down was more like a drug deal - and placed the bird box (yes, a big cardboard box filled with pigeons and not that awful Sandra Bullock movie) down for a minute or two to use the bathroom. He couldn't use the one on the bus because Kevin was hogging it at that moment.

Chaos erupted as multiple birds pecked their way through their prison and burst out into the open. Jake returned to the sound of screaming (Amir) and noticed that a couple of birds had pecked through the bouquet of roses he'd bought for Y/N. And well, now his plan was fucked.

Still, he had the banner. With a disappointed huff, he stomped back into the van to retrieve the banner and the single rose that was still intact, grumpily holding them out for Y/N to take. He watched as she examined the rose and the paper, her lips curling into a smile. "I know it sucks and I fucked up, but I wanted to get you something," he mumbled, not able to make eye contact again. "If you don't -"

His words were cut off as she went back in for a hug, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him close. His own arms went around her waist immediately and he buried his face in her hair, taking a few deep breaths. Her warmth surrounded him, bringing him back to the present. He felt the heat spreading throughout his entire body, causing goosebumps to break out across his skin. She broke the embrace a little later, looking up at him with a huge grin on her face, claiming that "Hearing my uncle shriek that loud was one of the best gifts ever. Thank you."

He nodded shyly. He hadn't expected to hear her thank him for fucking up his plan, but hearing her give a sincere thank you made him feel incredibly happy, and embarrassed, but also relieved. She pulled away and placed the flower behind her ear. Playfully, she asked, "Is this a good look?"

The flower made her look beautiful, but of course, she already always looked pretty to him. "Very good, birdy," he replied with a small blush spreading over his cheeks.

Birdy. She liked that.

"Y/N, I've been meaning -"

Kevin bolted out of the bathroom. It was the fastest he'd ever run, they were sure of it. As soon as he'd bus out of the restroom with a red face, exclaiming, "Which one of you did it?!" which caused Jake to lower his head to the crook of Y/N's neck so Kev wouldn't be able to see the truth on his face. She let out a silent chuckle and placed her hand on the back of his head, ruffling his hair gently.

While this was common sight - Jake and Y/N embracing and not Kevin with a face full of claw marks - Kev knew who the culprit was immediately and he shouted, "Jacob! Who else is stupid enough to pull a stint like that," pointing finger at Jake.

Good point. Jessie would do it as a prank and would've made sure she had a camera set up. Chuck would've done it a shooting practice. Amir would've accidentally attracted a flock and hid out in the bus, causing all of the birds to swarm the van. No, it was definitely Jake.

Before this moment, Kevin had refrained from telling his niece about the 'moment' because Jake acted so pitiful that night, so unlike himself that it wasn't really representative of what he's like. But, at this moment, Kevin wanted revenge. "Hey Y/N," he called, walking up to his niece and patting her on the shoulder. Jake removed himself from her touch and had to watch - he knew what was about to happen, knew what Kevin was going to say.

Teasingly, she greeted, "Oh, boy. Do you look stressed, Uncle Kev."

Kev ignored that and continued with a smirk, "You missed a good night out after Daytona. Wild. Totally wild, wasn't it Jakey?" Jake's eyes were pleading with Kevin to shut up. It was moments like this he wished he could project his thoughts and mentally tell Kev, 'I'll do anything. Please, but he couldn't.

Y/N glanced between them, not quite sure where all of this was headed, while keeping an amused expression on her face, not saying anything. She watched as a flicker of something passed over Jake's features. Was it surprise? Regret? Whatever it was, it was gone before she got a chance to properly study it

"Do you remember that girl's name? You know, the one that you kissed? Or was it just another fling like usual?" Kevin teased, raising a brow in Jake's direction. Y/N could feel the tension coming from the pair.

Frankly, it was fine that Jake had smooched someone. Completely fine. Absolutely, absolutely fine. One hundred percent. They weren't together.

Yet, she couldn't help it if her eyes got a little dimmer. She tried her hardest to shake it off and replied, "Ooh, was she a good kisser?"

What? Both Kevin and Jake were surprised by her reaction. Y/N seemed so calm that they thought she was joking, but apparently it wasn't the case.

"I don't remember. I was very drunk," Jake mumbled, fiddling with his fingers in an effort to avoid Kevin's gaze. His ears burned red and he hoped the blood rushing through his veins would keep him warm. At this rate, he might start spontaneously combusting. "I should, uh, get...get ready for the race." He gave a last longing glance towards Y/N and awkwardly waved at them as he left.

Once he was alone, Kevin turned to his niece. "You should've seen it. It was really tongue down -"

"I know what you're trying to do." She shot him an unamused glare and rolled her eyes, following after Jake as she finished her sentence to check if he was okay. The look on his face as he hurried away said differently.

It took no time for Y/N to catch up with Jake, who kept walking further away from her as fast as possible. She grabbed him by the wrist to prevent him from leaving and he instantly spun around to face her. He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out, only a slight pout. She smiled at him sympathetically and said, "Jakey, come here," pulling him against her in a tight hug, resting her chin on top of his head while her free hand wrapped tightly around his bicep, caressing it lightly. She felt his grip tighten slightly around hers but didn't move away.

Instead, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, calming herself. He was just about to go out on the track; he didn't need any worries. Not today.

Clearing his throat, he declared, "Hey, I uh, here's your ring back," as he took his chain off and pressed it into her hand. Her heart leapt into her throat and her eyes widened. Her gaze travelled from the necklace back to Jake's flushed face and she gave him a soft smile.

She placed a hand on his shoulder and softly inquired, "Are you okay, Jake?"

"I'm fine," he grumbled, it wasn't convincing in the slightest. He tried to shrug her hand off and continue walking, but she held him back a bit. "I'm fine. Seriously."

"Say it again and I might believe you." She moved his chin so that he'd face her and ordered, "Look at me."

With a huff, he reluctantly lifted his eyes to hers to find her face filled with concern. She gave him a slow nod, trying to discern what was going on in his head and softly reassured him, "It's okay. How can I help?"

His entire face immediately collapsed in on itself. He could cry, but he didn't. Instead, he glared. "I'm just nervous, okay?" He lied.

Not believing him, she raised her eyebrow but didn't call him on it. "Okay. Hey, you've got no need to be nervous," she soothed, reaching out and placing the necklace back around his neck. "You've got everything you need."

Looking down at her hand as she fiddled with the clasp, he asked, "What are you doing?"

"Just making you feel better, that's all. It's my job."

"Yeah, but--"

"No buts. I don't want buts." Y/N interrupted, putting on her most sincere voice. He could barely make out what she was saying through the tightening of his chest. "Now stop worrying. Don't let anyone ruin it for you." And she squeezed his arm firmly and added, "How long till you have to go on?"

"A while."

Reaching into her bag, she retrieved a book and waved it, offering to "Why don't we find somewhere quiet and I can read you the next chapter of the Prisoner of Azkaban? To calm you down a bit more?"

Why did she know just what he needed? She knew him better than he did.

Taking his hand, they found a quiet patch of grass in front of a tree - Y/N sitting cross legged while Jake placed his head in her lap and looked up at her. She began to softly read aloud to him while running her fingers through his soft curls. She could almost hear his breathing becoming steady as the sound of the pages flipping echoed through the air between them.

After she was sure that he was completely relaxed, she stopped reading, closing the book and gently placing it onto the ground. She then proceeded to comb her fingers through the locks of hair once more, massaging his scalp. He sighed contentedly and closed his eyes. With a sad smile plastered to her lips, she whispered, "I'm sorry I missed your last race."

Opening his eyes, Jake gazed straight into hers. His gaze was gentle and affectionate as he responded, "It wasn't your fault. I get it." He paused. "You know, I don't know if your ring is lucky."

True. It wasn't. It was just a regular ring. No monks or monkeys. No spells. Just plain silver. Still, she tilted her head in confusion and replied, "What makes you think that? You came third!"

With a casual shrug, he said, "Well, O'Reilly sucked for me and I made sure I was wearing it."

"25th doesn't suck," she comforted. Sure, it wasn't a great placement but it wasn't the worst either.

When he finished telling her what he thought went wrong, she rubbed her hand up and down his bicep and asked, "Okay, Princess. What was it that you did differently? Daytona wasn't a fluke so there must've been something that changed."

That was easy. "I had you with me in Daytona." His eyes lit up as he said that and she smiled brightly. That was right. She was with him and he was winning the race. He won because she believed in him and was there for him. All she did was support him the whole way, and he was happy. He really was.

As their gazes continued to linger on each other, Y/N couldn't help but think how beautiful and perfect he looked. There was a certain innocence about him that only appeared when they were alone. He never wanted to hurt her. He never intended to hurt anyone, yet somehow, he managed to do so without even meaning to. He'd always had an amazing heart, but she was determined not to let herself be swayed by his charms.

Because he was so effortlessly charming. So, she shook those thoughts out of her mind and decided to focus back on the matter at hand. "I wasn't there physically for O'Reilly but you bet your ass I was sneaking a look at the results every five minutes as my aunt was reading the eulogy," she explained. Jokingly, she added, "Seriously, it was really long."

He couldn't resist the playful teasing tone as he commented, "I bet your mom loved that."

"She kept telling me 'you're just like that uncle of yours. Kevin is always checking the god damned racing results'," she replied, doing an exaggerated impression of her mother, which made both of them chuckle.

For a moment, they just sat there together, enjoying each other's company and letting themselves relax. They talked about everything and anything and nothing at the same time as they usually did. Their laughter rang throughout the park and the birds chirped happily as they flew above them. "Hey! Is that one of the doves."

"Jake, that is a pigeon that's been dipped in white paint."

Time was ticking and eventually a very stressed out Amir plodded up to them. "Hey, Amir" she greeted, leaning back against the tree. Amir seemed to be on edge about something. But, then again, that was Amir's natural state. "What's up?"

Pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, and, as usual, he didn't respond for a moment like he was trying to pick his words carefully. Eventually, he decided on "Time to suit up, Jake."

"Oh. Right," Jake said with a nervous laugh and got up hurriedly, giving her one last look as he left to get prepped. "See you before I go on?"

"Of course."

Chapter 15: Bottle of White

#jake martin x reader #jake martin #the crew

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sangennaro · 2 years

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INDOOR-OUTDOOR CATS

Outdoor cats might get food from sympathetic humans occasionally but cannot allow their ability to feed themselves to atrophy without risking their lives. On the other hand, true indoor cats (cats not allowed outside by their owners) get few opportunities to practice these skills. When they do get a chance to hunt, there's nothing really at stake, and it's constrained in an arena that they are comfortable and familiar with-- and which their prey is likely not. A completely different set of skills related to communicating with humans can help the indoor cat get more food, or influence when/how often food is available, but for the most part indoor cats can expect food to show up at least once or twice every day even if they do nothing at all proactive about it.

My little man Melvyn lived in eight houses over the course of his seventeen years. He used to love to go inside of bags that were left on the floor, and one time my ex-wife dropped an extension cord somewhat close to a bag he was in. It was a plastic bag and he panicked, running with it still stuck on his head. It took us a minute to figure it out, but we lived on the second floor, above a dry cleaners, and it turned out he had gone straight through the screen in the front bay window overlooking Roland Avenue. We went out looking for him. A little kid at the bus stop on that corner described seeing a little cat fall out of the sky, run in circles for a bit, and then take off up the block. We called his name and looked in the yards up to and just past the old water tower, but we couldn't find him. I couldn't sleep that night: trying to imagine life without him was horrifying. It was summer, so the windows were open, and at 2 or 3 in the morning I heard his tiny voice echoing down the street. I ran outside and he turned out to be hiding under the first porch next door to the Dry Cleaners. We brought him in and his sister Goblynne growled at him, which was not something we'd ever seen her do before. After a day and half of being stand-offish, she finally chilled out.

A little while later, when he was 5 or 6 my ex-wife moved away and took his sister/mentor/til-then-permanent companions Goblynne and Cyrus to Rhode Island. My friend Nick/Rick moved in to the apartment, and his gf kinda unofficially moved in, too, so our house went from one with a 3:2 animals:humans ratio to 1:3. Melvyn started clawing his way through the screen in the kitchen to go out and explore the roofs of the houses on our block. It was a busy intersection and he'd only ever been outside that one time, so I was worried and started keeping the kitchen window shut. There was also a door to the roof with a small screened window in it a few feet off the ground. He started jumping up, ripping the screen down, and going out that way. One time he put a dead pigeon to Nick/Rick's bed. I decided I should stop trying to prevent him from going out unless I was leaving the house.

Outdoor cats, of course, must navigate a much wider and more serious panoply of threats than indoor cats. The average indoor cat has prolonged periods of time with the same people + animals in which to learn their behaviors and inclinations, while the cast of characters an outdoor cat encounters is much more ephemeral and unpredictable.

The next place we moved was the second floor of an old, disused church, and I had some new roommates who were really bad at closing the door that led from their bedroom to an iron staircase that led down to the yard outside. It was also a kind of busy corner, plus an alley with a lot of traffic, and a methodone clinic on the same block brought crowds by a few days a week, so I was worried about him getting out, but nothing I said or did had any effect on my roommates' inability to properly shut that door all the way. Whenever I would notice he was not inside and go out looking for him, he would be grumpy as hell but would eventually acquiesce to my pleas that he come inside. One time he got out just before a sudden rainstorm and I found him bunned up next to the building, soaking wet, and he looked happier to see me than he had since Roby and his two friends moved away.

The next house we moved to was on a big street but was set back from the road a ways, and had a beautiful backyard with a fig tree. My gf at the time was doing internet at the coffeeshop down the road once (for a few years I was insistent on not having internet in the house, which was something gfs could actually be persuaded to go along with before Netflix, as long as you regularly torrented shows/movies for them at the coffeeshop down the road) when some guy came in and handed her a kitten, saying he found a whole litter by the side of the road and didn't know what to do with them. We had been talking about getting a friend for Melvyn, but the apartment was small and didn't have any interior doors besides the one to the bathroom, so I was nervous about all that shit you're supposed to do where you separate the old cat and the new cat for some time before they're allowed to see each other, and had been kinda hemming and hawing about going to find an adoptable kitten, so it was kinda perfect that lil Pierre was thrust upon us like that. Melvyn was standoffish to him for about 2 days before it became clear they were going to be tight. We didn't let Melvyn go out on his own, but we would chaperone them out into the backyard. Whenever it was time to go in, I would have a funny conversation where I'd ask Melvyn nicely to go in, and he'd make a long grumpy noise, back and forth until he finally relented. I almost never had to actually pick him up--- which was good because he was a tiny guy and quick, so it was not easy to grab him unless you cornered him in a room with nothing he could get under/behind. He knew when I wanted to go back in and he knew how long he could put it off with his bratty noises before I would turn around and pretend to go in without him. By the time I was opening the door, he'd rush in under my feet and to the kitchen, where he'd get a treat for not making me chase him around.

That house was still in the city, but in a kind of remote northeastern neighborhood that you really can't get out of without a car or 2+ bus transfers. My gf wanted to be closer to the bars and clubs and shit so after 1 year we said goodbye to the fig tree and to a rowhouse near the train station that had a nasty alley out back, a busy road way too close to the front door, and no grass or trees out front either. But there was a little fenced-in concrete patch where we'd let the two guys have chaperoned outside time. A few other roommates came and went at that house, but there was one monstrous lady who would throw the back door open with little regard, so Melvyn started soloing the neighborhood. I wasn't sure where exactly he went, but one time when Pierre got out and I went looking for him, I found an abandoned rowhouse full of strays about 3 blocks away, and I started to get the impression that Melvyn might have been going there. He started jumping the fence whenever we did chaperoned outside time and walking down the block on the fences and disappearing around the corner. I'd give him 15-20 minutes then clink a fork on an opened can of food and do this little "Tdututu" noise when I needed him to come back and somehow he'd always show up like 3-4 minutes after.

Melvyn loved hunting and whenever he caught a mouse he'd prance around with it in front of everyone who was at home. He let it go and catch it again for as long as possible, in every room if he could, but once it was obviously finally dead and I stepped in to take and dispose of it, he'd scarf it all down quickly as possible, crunching the bones, before I could take it. Whenever he caught a mouse, he'd spend the next few nights staking out the oven or door or wherever he'd caught it. Melvyn was definitely a diva, stubborn, kind of a jerk, even-- but sharp as hell, great at communicating, and virtually never outright unreasonable. He had one real funny pet peeve, which was when somebody started petting him, then turned to talk to another person while still touching him. He wasn't scared of strangers and would let you pet him, but if you turned your face toward me to say, "How old is he? He's so small" or "Wow what a friendly guy" he'd immediately cut your hand with his claws and walk off. You could touch him as long as you were paying attention to him, but he was clearly insulted when anybody thought he'd let them keep scratching him while talking about him to somebody else.

We got him when I was 22 and he was my first ever cat-- my dad is allergic so we had a dog in the house growing up. I only ever did DMT once, a long ass time ago in NYC. It's a super short trip, like 10 minutes; I had two visions during that time: the first was realizing I could pick any two objects in the room, regardless of how distant, unrelated, or insignificant, and a net of glowing red thread connecting them would slowly come into focus. I could sense that holding my focus on whichever two objects was somehow like when a clown pulls on a handkerchief and it keeps coming and coming in different colors with no apparent end. Then a golden dragon approached and I was surprised to recognize it as Melvyn once it got close and smiled at me with its eyes.

He wasn't all that interested in going outside during the last year of his life, but he would sit in a sunbeam every chance he could. My current apartment has big front windows, the biggest, brightest ones we've had in a house since the bay window he busted through above the dry cleaners. He didn't do any of the hiding stuff cats I've heard cats commonly do when they're about to go. He was extra sweet and weirdly accommodating and didn't act distressed or scared at all in the lead-up or during. It wasn't even clear at all that he was on his way out until he suddenly stopped eating. I laid with him in sunbeams as much as I could the last few days, and it really felt like he was the one comforting me. He went out quick, timed it perfectly so that neither I nor my gf was at work, it really seemed like he chose when and how to go, no interest in dragging it out. I don't want to go into any more details but I talked to my mom that day and it turned out there were similarities to how Melvyn and her mother (also a stubborn, kind of jerky, but not outright unreasonable person) comported themselves in their final hours.

Pierre, the little dude who had spent a week or two on Harford Rd before some random thrust him on my ex, had a funny thing with chicken bones for the whole rest of the time he lived with me-- if he could get his hand on a wing, he'd drag it to a corner of the room and chomp it hurriedly while doing a long, low, constant growl. No other snack provoked this in him-- we never heard that growl or saw him be territorial about any other food. You have to assume he'd been competing with his littermates for food while he was still unhoused, and a wing must have been one of the choicest possible prizes for a little feral boy. And it's not like Melvyn was ever trying to take his wing-- when he still lived with Cyrus and Goblynne, Melvyn always ate first, then sat at the bowls for a bit, then allowed the other two to eat, which was hilarious because he was a lot smaller than his sister or mentor. Cyrus, in fact, was a serious badass, who had lived on a farm and fought some animal that left him with a scratched retina, and once drowned a trespassing snake in his water bowl when Roby was living in a basement in North Carolina. But after they left, Melvyn was the opposite of territorial with his food. Once I got Josy, and Melvyn would frequently get in my face and insist on a snack, only to step back and watch Josy eat both portions after I'd put something in their bowls. Then he'd clean her face.

I think the indoor cat-vs-outdoor cat dynamic happens in people, too-- "indoors" being inside of institutions. You can really see it with people who went to college, grad school, and then right to work in universities/academia, especially if they never had to do serious time in the service industry along the way. Institutions feed their pets, keep a lot of threats completely off the table, and provide a consistency/stability that leads one to develop skills and conclusions and an outlook on How Everything Works vastly different than those found in people who have to be able to find, catch and kill their own meals in order to survive. It's easy to imagine parallels between indoor people who get lost outside, outdoor strays who get brought in by a family, and their feline equivalents. Indoor cats can get their way by being annoying; outdoor cats can't afford not to be suspicious. There's divergent diets; diseases and injuries and disorders unique to each lifestyle; nearly inverted paradigms of Freedom.

Not to be "There are two types of people in the world," though, because there's also surely many different flavors of Melvyns and Pierres and Cyruses who have been shaped by having many experiences on both sides. Surely these are the people we should seek out if we want to understand How Everything Works, no? Even if your house never burns down, or your owner never loses their job or gets in an accident, even if no rando ever plucks you out of an alley and thrusts you onto somebody's ex-gf, what can housepets and strays do to predict or prevent such events? Everybody's chance of survival increases with some explanation of what the other side is like, and it's hard to imagine an explanation making much sense if it comes from someone with no direct experience of your side of the door.

It can't be controversial to say that the internet is overwhelmingly indoors, right? And getting moreso all the time... post-BBS/pre-911 online seems like a fairy tale land now. If I hadn't have been there I doubt I would believe that you once could record a song in your bedroom in Baltimore, have it played by John Peel on British radio, play a sold-out show in NYC, get interviewed by Pitchfork, sell 1000 cds, without a publicist or manager or relative in the industry. Who are our Melvyns? Where do you go to find people with a paw on each side? Do we have any chance of surviving without their help?

#indoor cats #outdoor cats

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bruggle · 2 months

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Birb

Holding her hand out to the bird, she let the pigeon eat some of the crumbs. Not too many, of course. Bread wasn't very good for them. But she wasn't going to eat the stale pieces, so it may as well go to something that would. Closing her hand once the small bird had eaten enough, she used her index finger to gently scratch at its head. Brook was suprised it allowed her to, but she figured feeding it was enough for it to decide she wasn't a threat.

"So this is where you've been disappearing off to," came a disapproving voice behind her. Brook's shoulders drooped as she sighed. Of course he'd find her here. Turning around, she faced X and his reproachful expression. "Yep," she deadpanned. "How did you even get up here?" he asked. Brook shrugged, looking down at the ground where another pigeon was pecking at her shoes; throwing some more bread crumbs down for it to eat. "Fire escape," she muttered. X let out a groan. "Brook, that is for emergencies," he chastised. "Not for you to climb on whenever you want." Brook rolled her eyes. "I'm aware of that, thanks," she said. "Besides, what is it hurting?"

"It's dangerous," X argued. "What would happen if something broke or you fell off?"

"Then I guess it wasn't up to code," Brook snarked, tossing more crumbs onto the ground as more pigeons showed up. "If an eighty-five pound girl can't go up or down it, better to find out now than during an actual emergency." X fixed her with a look. She knew that look. It was the one her foster parents used to give her whenever she made an... unsavory joke. Oh well. Better he figure it out now. Sighing, he looked at the crowd of birds flocking at her feet. "Is this what you do up here?" he asked. Shrugging again, she knelt down and let the pigeon that had been resting on her hand onto the ground. "Sometimes," she answered quietly. "Other times I just people watch." X nodded. "Then you can do that in the park," he said. "You're not allowed to come up here again." Brook gave him an incredulous look. "What?! Why the f- hell not?!" She exclaimed. "What am I hurting up here?"

"It's not a matter of what you're doing," he told her. "Roof access is restricted from tenants. Nobody is allowed up here except maintenance workers." Brook glared at him. "You're not in the country anymore," X continued, fixing her with yet another hard look. "There are rules, and you are expected to follow them. And there are consequences for breaking them."

#be quiet bruggle #in which x adopts a feral child

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hi2loexteriorcleaning · 4 months

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Bird Proofing Solar Panels Near Me

Bird droppings and nesting under solar panels can reduce the efficiency of a solar energy system, lowering its output. In addition, the birds may cause structural damage and block the sunlight that would otherwise be absorbed by the solar panels. The accumulated droppings can also harbor pests, deteriorate roof surfaces and create fire hazards, especially when the droppings come in contact with the wiring.

Installing bird proofing solar panels near me measures can prevent these problems, protecting the solar panels and ensuring they are able to collect as much energy as possible throughout the day. There are a variety of DIY solutions that can be applied to the area around solar panels, including mesh and wire netting, sound-emitting devices, and visual deterrents such as predator decoys and reflective surfaces. These techniques are effective in mitigating the risks associated with bird interference and can be customised to suit the size, layout and design of a solar panel installation.

Solar panels are being installed on residential rooftops at an increasingly fast pace, making them attractive harborage for small birds. Because of the shade provided by solar panels, these birds frequently seek shelter and nest under the arrays to protect their young from wind, rain and sun. This activity can lead to the build-up of droppings, broken eggs and dead chicks under solar panels. When left unchecked, the accumulation of these materials can obstruct the flow of water, decrease the ability of solar panels to absorb sunlight and create an unpleasant sight and smell.

One of the most popular and cost-effective bird control methods for solar panels involves installing mesh or wire netting beneath the panels. This physical barrier can be easily clipped to the edges of the panels, preventing access while still allowing air to circulate freely and minimizing the appearance of the system. This DIY solution is also affordable and flexible enough to be adapted to the dimensions of each solar panel installation.

Another popular method is to use bird spikes, which can be placed in the vicinity of the panels to discourage pigeons and other pest birds from landing on or hanging near them. The spikes are blunt and slightly flexible, so they prevent the birds from gaining a foothold without causing them any physical harm. Combined with solar mesh, these spikes can provide comprehensive protection for your solar panels.

Finally, keeping the surrounding area of your solar panels clean is another effective proactive pigeon control method. This can be done by regularly removing debris and trash from the immediate area, making sure bins are tightly closed and securing any food waste that could attract unwanted birds. This simple measure can help discourage pigeons from congregating in the area and prevent them from seeking shelter and feeding under your solar panels. In addition, periodic inspections can help identify any damage that is caused by pigeons or other birds attempting to access your solar panels, allowing you to take immediate action to correct the issue and mitigate any potential damages.

Hi 2 Lo Exterior Cleaning is a company that specialises in Gutter Cleaning & Exterior Cleaning services for both residential & commercial customers. We use professional & industrial equipment to make sure the job is done efficiently, to a high standard & above all else, safely. Our company specialises in Gutter Cleaning, Installation of Gutter Guard & Gutter Brush, Roof & Solar Panel Cleaning, House Washing, High Pressure Cleaning, External Window Washing.

#solar bird proofing #bird proofing solar panels near me #solar panel bird proofing mesh #solar panel cleaning and bird proofing

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kittyneedsbetterhobbies · 5 months

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So I have a lot of birds that live in my (tiny) backyard. I have a bird feeder on the patio and I guess not a lot of people in the neighborhood do this so I have about 20 pigeons and a dozen doves who hang out. I love pigeons, so this isn't an annoyance (I would just not feed them if it was).

Anyway, when they're not on the ground, they're on the patio roof. I can look out my bedroom window and usually see a few birds. This makes me happy.

But this morning, some asshole playing disc golf behind my house decided to throw his disc into my yard and all thirty birds just freaked out and flew off. I heard him laughing afterwards.

Guess which asshole isn't getting his disc back. I hope it was expensive.

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bellybellsblog · 5 months

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7/12/23

It’s a Thursday morning, 10:30, a bit late, but I’m basically unemployed, so who’s counting? I roll around in bed and vape for a bit. I stop when my cat jumps up, a needy little kitty who always demands his morning stroke. I finally get up and go pee. I feel the muscles in my thighs as I sit down.

Finishing, I move to feel my back. It’s tense and tight, regular. I touch the mole on my back. It’s a little bumpy, but I like the detail it adds to my skin. My spot patches have come off in the night (usual). I have two spots with a white head, but I resist the urge to pick them. Moving my eyes to my entire face, I see the straw that is my hair, tried into two plaits, and my bangs hang oddly.

Returning to bed again, I hear the birds scattered about on the flat part of the roof, probably from the obscene amount of bird food I put there (oops). I’m not allowed to do that. Mum says it will cause an infestation. It hasn’t so far.

I briefly think of the history of pigeons when I see a partially large one fly down to nibble at the feed. I shake the thought. I’ll go down a rabbit hole filled with tears. I don’t want to drown so early in the morning.

I move to put on some clothes; my current naked body isn’t appropriate to go downstairs into my large, windowed, scattered house. I was wearing the white long-sleeved shirt yesterday and the same joggers. I’m not wearing any undergarments. My nipples are an eyesore for some. They are my main accessory.

My vision zones in on my mother’s office door. Hugging my chest, I knock. She lets out an exhausted yes. I say good morning and tell her that the cat got out the window, a lie (I just wanted something to say to her). She doesn’t respond. A thought that she doesn’t respond because she knows I’m lying crosses my mind, but I shake it off. She’s working hard to provide for me; I can’t take offence to that. I pause a moment, still hiding my nipples beneath my crossed arms. She still hasn’t turned around yet.

I picked up the cat that managed to get in during our minute-long, one-sided conversation and close the door gently.

I head downstairs, plopping the cat down on the last steps.

Seeing the litter tray, I think I’ll do it after a drink. My throat is sore. I fill a clear mug-like glass with six ice cubes, frozen blueberries and strawberries. I add the filtered water and stick my decade-old straw into it. I make my way to the sofa in the kitchen, drap my pink blanket over my legs, sip on my drink and start writing.

#blogging #digital journal #digital diary #dear diary #diary entry #girlblogging #girl diary #pinkcore #kitty cat #bellybellblogging

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andrewkhurst · 1 year

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SPA DAY II: A SPA TOO FAR & TICKLED BY A STREET FEATHER.

I never thought that a shortage of cucumbers would ever have an effect on me, but since Martha asked for giant African land snails named Fred and Martha for her fifth birthday, a cucumber a week has been added to the shopping list. Fred and Martha munch a slice each every night. The cold spell has led to our heroes in a hard shell forming a crusty doorway over their shells and going in to hibernation, despite me spending approximately £256.70 per night in electricity usage on a heating mat in an attempt to replicate the African climate in midwinter Doncaster. The big news of the moment is a shortage of salad items in all supermarkets, a tomato travesty, a a veritable cucumber catastrophe. We had managed to snag a cucumber on our last trip to the shop, but I was keeping a close eye on it, as I was sure that neither Fred nor Martha had a tiny ration book.

After picking Martha up from school, I was ordered to lie on the sofa. Martha swiftly told Alexa to play a soundtrack of horrific new age hippie dippy spa music, and removed all cushions so that it wouldn’t be a pleasant experience. “You’re going to come to my spa”. I broke out in a cold sweat, having flashbacks to Guantanamo Bath and the Martha state sanctioned waterboarding incident. She trotted off to the kitchen.

“Dad, where’s the cucumber?” I heard the sound of some very sleepy snails panicking. It was a very quiet sound.

“It’s in the fridge, but please don’t waste it, it is all Fred and Martha eat”.

“I’m not going to waste it, silly dad. It’s for your eyes. To RELAX YOU”.

A minute later, the spa owner appeared with two slices of cucumber, and told me to remove my glasses and close my eyes. I was filled with dread. Martha gently placed the freezing cold slices of cucumber over my eyes, and then pressed down on them just to make sure they were set to maximum relax mode. I felt like a spangle leotard clad pro wrestler in the USA mid title match, getting his eyes gouged by the ‘bad guy’. Except this shit was REAL.

“Ummm, Martha, that’s enough now, it’s hurting my eyes”.

“No it isn’t dad. It is RELAXING you”.

I submitted to the latest torture session and lay still, hoping that feigning death would lead to a cessation of the brutality. Thankfully, the cucumbers rested.

I then felt something on my nose. Then IN my nose. Then in my mouth. It tickled. It was a street feather. You’ve never heard of a street feather? Let me enlighten you. Whenever we go anywhere, we do not return empty handed. At some point, Martha will spy a pigeon feather laid on the street. Martha fucking LOVES pigeons, going as far as becoming best friends with one called Pin. Pin was a pure white bird, who sat on our neighbours roof and looked in at Martha’s window every morning, then flew into our garden top eat seed at Martha’s feet. At some point, Pin the pigeon had been mauled by a cat (probably ours). She had lost an eye, and we feared for her demise. Somehow, she made it through, and lived a happy, half zombie faced life with an open eye socket. This led to a literal blind spot on her right side, and one day, our cat took full advantage and pounced. I screamed at him and chased him away, but pin was in a bad way. She managed to fly off, and came back into our garden the following day to see Martha, then vanished. Every white pigeon we see now is confirmed as an offspring of poor Pin.

Once Martha had accepted that Pin was not going to come back to the garden, she adopted another one. This poor bugger made made Pin look like Doncaster’s Next Top Avian Model. This one had been more likely mauled in the jaws of a dog, and had a gaping hole where its throat would have been. Martha took pity on this one, and kept feeding it. It kept coming over, and eating loads of seed, which instantly fell out of it’s throat hole onto the floor again. This went on for a few days. Martha even hatched a plan to cover the poor bird’s throat hole with either a bandage or some sellotape. I had thought of feeding it a spinach leaf, which would hopefully sit in front of the hole and allow seeds to pass to the belly. Neither happened.

Anyway, Martha fucking LOVED pigeons. If she saw a pigeon feather on the street, she grabbed it and wanted to take it home. I don’t know whether she was accruing spare parts for her own future robopigeon, or getting replacements for a pigeon hospital but, after initial parental protestations, I gave up and let her pick those germ riddled street feathers up and bring them home. That particular decision had well and truly come home to roost as I found a fucking street feather forced up my nostrils then tickling my tonsils, like some kind of eco Covid swab kit, all in the name of relaxing at Martha’s spa: where the torture never stops. As Martha got up to enhance the feather factor, the bloody cat came along and jumped on my chest. I felt many things, but none of those things were maximum relaxage. I was looking forward to being on a late shift at work for spa day part trois.

#marthajunehurst #marthadiaries #andrewkhurst #girldad #itshandyurst

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