#mockingbirds copy the calls of other birds

[hyperiionvii]

junior illustration final: the seven deadly sins

#please please please click for better quality and look at the halftone texture it adds so much #the birds i picked for each sin all have a reason behind it and im so proud of that #i love talking about birds i explain my decision making to everyone possible #magpies steal #shrikes are carnivourous and kill their food on thorns #blue jays are extremely arrogant and pick fights with much larger birds #crows eat anything available #mockingbirds copy the calls of other birds #bowerbirds are known for their mating rituals #and cuckoos leave their eggs in other birds nests to avoid raising their young #illustration #digital illustration #original art #clip studio paint #seven deadly sins #black billed magpie #loggerhead shrike #blue jay #carrion crow #mockingbird #flame bowerbird #common cuckoo

[thecameronchronicles]

Scavengers Part Two: The Chase

Part 1!

TW: Language. Perilous situations. Threats. 

SUMMARY: The continuation to search for the truth pulls you into a dangerous situation…

WORD COUNT: 1300

Scavengers Part 2: The Chase

A Fizgerald tycoon, A King of a diet, place my pieces together, go ahead and just try it. 

There is more to be seen in the Andrews' attic, secrets bound being proud and lost in Austen and Harper looking at birds, but do not just trust in our words. 

For clue number three is for those who look closest, but not close enough to lose the main focus... 

You read the riddle aloud three times over as you sat on the bench outside of the dean's office. As the sight of Ward exiting the lot was enough to send you both still with temporary uncertainty, Pope redirected his focus to that of the cobalt paper only visible with that of the light from his phone coming from beneath due to a hidden message technique. 

"Lost in Austen...Jane Austen!" You were quick to your feet, racing to the library as he called behind you in confusion, your name uttered with annoyance to your quick step before he saw you tear past the librarian and into the section of the building designated for the literary work you were in search of. 

"Jane Austen. Proud to be lost in Austen..." Removing Pride and Prejudice from the shelf, you began to scan the book for anything of note. But when all you found were the same expected pages you'd recalled on a syllabus from high school, it would be him that caught the clue itself. 

"Hey..." Removing the library card from the back, he saw how it was unique. A color aside from the usual yellow or white that held a Dewey decimal code unfinished. But upon doing so, your fingers would brush in such a way that shouldn’t have affected you as it had. But with the adrenaline behind each second together, accentuated by the race against time facing you, it was enough to still you both before his voice would break the moment that held the potential to be the start of something new or even something sweet.

"What were the other clues?" 

"A Fitzgerald tycoon?" 

"Great Gatsby!" You spoke in unison, sprinting to the other side of the library before taking the book from the shelf, finding the library card and another piece to the puzzle. 

A King on a diet would bring Stephen King's ‘Thinner’ as another number, followed by V.C. Andrews's ‘Flowers in the Attic’, and yet the final book would be missing from its shelf. 

"How can I help you?" The librarian asked as she smiled from behind the desk. 

"To kill a mockingbird? Do you only have one copy?" 

"Yes...that was checked out..." 

"Can you tell me when it's expected back?" But as she looked at the details she suddenly grew anxious. 

"Actually, it was sent to another library, excuse me..." 

As she moved to a back office, Pope slipped his way behind the counter. 

"What are you-" 

"Clearly this book means something." His eyes widened. 

"What?!" 

"Kiara Carrera…was expected to return…a year ago today..." 

"Then we have to get that book-" 

"How?" 

"I happen to know her roommate..." You let out a breath before making your way to the designated room belonging to her roommate. 

"Wow...thought the next time I'd see you would be at graduation...Was hoping I wouldn't have to until then." 

"I'm here for the scavenger hunt-" 

"Really? Well I'm not telling you shit, not like you'd figure it out anyway. Although maybe with his help-" 

"I just need to know if Kiara left anything over from-" 

"Are you seriously having a macabre moment right now? Making an excuse to go through her stuff?" But as you explained the details, it would be Ppe that would convince her as he showed the library cards and she forfeited the need to fight. While returning to her nails, she would keep half focused on you as you rummaged through a box of Kiara's things that she kept in the back of her closet ‘just in case’. But this was reason enough for you to bring your focus to the missing book. 

Upon opening it, that final clue card offering the decimal identification for another classic book, another piece of paper fell to the floor. It went by unnoticed as you and Pope were too distracted by the decimal number to make note, locking gazes a bit too long for either of your liking, before noticing what Sarah held. 

"What the hell?" She asked with a glare. 

"What is my dad's bank routing number doing in that book?" 

"You know his routing number?" 

"Yeah, he needed mine and Rafe's help with all the online stuff before we went off to college so we memorized it...Why did Kiara have it?" 

You and Pope looked to each other with confusion before you agreed to remain and clue Sarah into what had transpired as he moved to the library to get the book that the cards had led to. 

But as you had spoken to Sarah, who was understandably defensive, you managed to convince her enough to gain some form of her trust as she explained details with her father that fit into the details of Kiara's disappearance. But as the time had surpassed what was expected for Pope’s return, you set out in search of him, agreeing to meet back in an hour. 

But once you moved to the library, you would find a sudden grip taking you to the pillars leading from romance to algebra textbooks, keeping you concealed with desperation. 

"Don't move." As you were able to observe him, you saw a busted lip and line of blood from his temple. 

"Pope..." The momentary care you had surprised you both as he had become lost in your eyes just had you had been in his. Soft fingers pressed to his skin would bring him to drop a gaze to your lips before he pushed himself against you. 

"You kids shouldn't be on here-" A security guard spoke as he popped a button of your sweater before pulling back in a way that made it appear as if you had been stealing a moment for passionate purposes. A moment you wish and and true as you missed his presence the minute he had pulled away from you. Also a moment you were annoyed couldn’t be explored as you were discovered just before you were certain he’d kiss you…

"Sorry, sir.." 

"Are you okay?" The guard asked Pope upon noting the blood. 

"She just likes to get a little rough-" You hit Pope on the chest before following him from the library, as you caught his arm. 

"What the hell happened?!" 

"We can't talk about it here-" 

"What? Why-" He brought you closer to him, a hand to your waist surprising you. 

"Because I saw where they were taking her. On the way to the library. I saw her." 

"What?!" 

"Seriously?" He glared, leading you further out of sight before taking you against the wall in such a way that was amorous. One hand set beside your head and the other beside your waist, neither touching you, but both making you wish he had. 

"It was Rafe's truck. I'd know it anywhere...tormented me enough in school...anyway...It was him and someone else who were taking her to the back of the truck." 

"So she's...alive?" He bowed his head. 

"She was wrapped...like in a blanket...it looked like she was sleeping...I’m telling myself she was...but I'm just...I'm hoping she was. But I saw her hair, her clothes…I just know it was her…" 

"And where did they take her?" 

"I don't know. Before I could find out, I got jumped. It was Rafe, he just was told to focus on the hunt before I was left bleeding...when I got back to the library, I saw someone stalking and realized it was Rafe and I didn't know if she saw me or what...it was risky." 

Your eyes fell to the side. 

"What?" 

"Looks like I have to pay a visit to ANOTHER Cameron...at least this one likes me..." 

Pope caught your arm. 

"He was just moving Kie! Are you crazy?" 

"You focus on the next clue and I'll try to figure out where they took her-" 

"How?" 

"Feminine wiles, Pope…" 

Taglist: @hopebaker @iovdrew @penny4yourthoughts @magnificantmermaid @pickingviolets @lovedetlost @trikigirl271 @maybankslover @slut4starkey @slvtherinseeker @obxiskewl @obxxrxfes @bluesongbird @slut-era @ailee-celeste @rafesbae @camilynn @sweetestdesire

#pope x reader #popeheyward #pope heyward #pope heyward fanfiction #outerbanks #obx #obxsmut

[itsmonika]

mockingbird spiritual meaning

A mockingbird is a strong soul creature that can assist you with getting comfortable with yourself. You might feel lost, however mockingbird will show you what moves and propels your spirit to associate with it. Investigate the significance of this soul creature's imagery and its associations with different creatures for additional ways of directing this power!

Mockingbird imagery and its understandings The northern mockingbird is the virtuoso of verbal impersonation in the realm of spirits creatures. Not exclusively are they extremely innovative and capable, yet their Latin name additionally areas of strength for has to mockingbird imagery and importance. The term interprets as "many-tongued mirror," which shows us that these animals can emulate different sounds with incredible exactness, whether it be a sound from another creature or even individuals!

One of the interesting parts of mockingbirds is their capacity to mirror different sounds with an incredible level of precision. They can gain melodies from birds that they live close, similar to robins and cardinals, and those living in various areas, like crows or gulls. As well as copying bird calls, these smart animals are likewise fit for mirroring human-made commotions, including vehicle alerts and fire engine alarms!

One thing many individuals may not understand about mockingbirds is the way capable at impersonating music they truly are. While it's normal for them to duplicate the tunes made by neighboring warbler species - prickly plant wrens and Northern Cardinals have been noticed doing this frequently - they will at times repeat more.

Mockingbirds are the main birds that can imitate in excess of 100 sounds, including vehicle alerts, hooting owls, and, surprisingly, human discourse. They additionally have long legs to rapidly glance through the foliage to stow away from hunters like different birds however not too when contrasted and a robin. At the point when in the wild, mockingbirds are savagely defensive of their family and won't hold back to be basically as horrendous as a blue jay. This is on the grounds that these animals address security, solidarity inside families, and defining limits for other people.

The demise of a mockingbird in Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird is depicted as the deficiency of honesty that comes from interacting with evil. The story infers killing a mockingbird in light of the fact that the main thing they really do is sing and make lovely music.

The mockingbird soul creature is quite possibly of the most benevolent and informative animal. They are additionally fun loving and blissful the entire day! Their key attributes incorporate imaginativeness, defense, appreciation for their background and everything in it (even through difficulties), joy from just being alive to partake in every second admirably well.

[aneighborhoodnaturalist]

Mockingbirds don’t limit their copying abilities to other birds and human derived sounds. Studies have confirmed they also copy the calls of North American frogs and toads.

(Northern mockingbird)

#photography #outdoors #animals #art #digital art #nature #wildlife #adventure #birds #outdoor #birdwatching #bird #massachusetts #mockingbird mondays #monday

[joy1579]

a toast to family

a Jumin x MC ficlet (about 800 words)

MC goes into labor unexpectedly during a business party and is rushed to the hospital to deliver the newest member of the Han family.

again its fluff. all I write is fluff guys. the world is a sad place so I just wanna write happy, comforting things. let me know what you think also like feel free to send me your ideas and I’ll try to write them but again, I like fluff and happy endings.

It was a business party celebrating C&R’s expansion overseas. Jumin had assured you, you didn’t have to attend but you told him you were fine. you weren’t due for 3 more weeks you could attend a simple party. After nearly 9 months of your stubbornness and your mood swings he knew better than to argue with you.

So here you were sitting to the side as Mr.Han toasted to his son standing next to you. That was when the first contraction hit. You winced but kept your cool. You had read about false labor and so you dismissed the pains as nothing more than a false alarm. You distractedly clapped along with the crowd only half following the toast, so of course you were surprised when your husband stood up to toast to you and the growth of the Han family.

You stood at jaehees prompting but another contraction wracked your form and suddenly you were standing in a puddle. Something in your head rang an alarm bell.

False labor did not include your water breaking

Jumin was frozen glass in the air eye’s locked on your form as your used the table to help support yourself. Jaehee was at your side in an instant guiding you back into your chair as she called for driver kim to take you to the hospital

“Jumin” you called “Jumin honey I need you to come back to me” you said trying to break through your husband’s stupor.

“Mr. Han MC it in labor she needs you!” Jaehee shouted and suddenly Jumin was carrying you to the door. He had you in the car and on the way to the hospital faster than you could keep up. The whole time he clutched your hand and looked resolutely ahead trying to will away his concern. You cupped his cheek and turned his face to you.

“Jumin I need your help” you reminded him soothingly. You knew he needed something to do, it’s who he was, he hated sitting still. “I need you to time the” the sentence cut off as you hissed through your teeth at the next contraction but he knew what you meant.

“yes of course, can you squeeze my hand with they come?” you nodded and felt him shift to better see his watch “breathe my love,” he coaxed gently.

“we will be at the hospital in 10 minutes, Mr. Han.” Driver kim supplied and Jumin simply gave a sharp nod as you squeezed his hand to signal another contraction. Jumin was rubbing circles into your hand wait his thumb as he continued to try to sooth you.

“did you finish the baby blanket?” he asked stiffly and you could recognize his attempt to distract you like the birth classes had suggested. you appreciated his effort you really did but right now you couldn’t really focus on responding to his question. You waved a free hand to show him you couldn’t answer and he nodded again. “3 minutes apart” he announced as you felt the car speed up. “should I read to you darling? I have “the orphan’s tales” here.”

“I love you” you breathed. In that moment you remembered why you loved this man. It wasn’t his money or his fame. You couldn’t care less about any of that, because at the end of the day this was him. He was ever prepared, ever diligent, gentle and passionate. you loved him because he knew your favorite book, because he kept a copy in the car of all places. You loved him because he remembered every suggestion the birth classes had mentioned, including reading to you. You loved him so much and then another contraction hit you and you grit your teeth swearing that somehow someway HE would birth the next child you two had.

The baby was born and you were exhausted when you heard your husbands deep voice singing gently to the small bundle in his arms. A lullaby he had learned for the express purpose of soothing the baby you had just welcomed into the world. You chuckled softly at the words of the familiar song. Words that to any other parent, might have been fantasy, but with Jumin they were probably true.

“Hush, little baby, don't say a word, daddy's gonna buy you a mockingbird.” You chuckled at the silly smile on your husbands face and couldn’t help the way your weary hand found his cheek.

“and if that mocking bird don’t sing?” you asked teasing him gently he turned his head to kiss your palm before finishing the lyric you had started.

“daddy’s gonna buy you a diamond ring”

#mysme #mystic messenger #mm #jumin #jumin han #mm jumin #mysme jumin #jumin x mc #mysme mc #fluff

[writing-yj]

Robin x Reader: The Bird Tattoo~Part Three (Soulmate AU)

A/n: Sorry, my writing is horrible. OOC. I know next to nothing about police radios, so bear with me. Please. 

Wally and Dick found themselves sitting in the living room with a police radio sitting beside them. It played quietly in the background, and they listened for any key words. Specifically the words speeding, motorcycle, failure to comply, high speed chase, etc.

     “I can’t believe they’ve been chased by the cops,” Wally tugged at his hair in disbelief. “Like, what?!” He shoved another handful of popcorn in his mouth. The bowl was big and filled enough to feed at least three people, but it’s Wally. 

     “I’m not surprised.” Robin supported his chin with his hand as he rested on the arm of the couch. “Definitely something Mockingbird would get herself into. Reckless must be her middle name...” He trailed off; the odd feeling he was getting in his stomach was distracting.

    Wally shifted in his seat and put down the bowl of popcorn with a serious look on his face. “You do realize that Artemis is involved, too, right? It’s not just M.” He was best friends with Robin, and almost always took his side in things, but he was on the fence at the moment. Wally strongly disagreed with Robin’s decision to clear your tablet- a very idiotic decision -and he had yet to find out why.

     “Well, yeah, but,” Robin had difficulty finding an excuse. “Mockingbird’s the one driving! Artemis has no control over her!” It was very poor excuse with many holes.

     “I’m pretty sure Artemis could get her to slow down if she genuinely wanted to. And she’s M’s best friend; plenty of control there, if that makes sense.” Wally reached over for his cup and took a long sip of pop through the straw. “Why did you wipe her tablet, anyway? You never said why.” finally, the question on everyone’s mind was out in the open.

     This time, Robin was at a loss for words. If there was a reason, it was a stupid, childish one. So he went with honesty. “I...don’t know. I was just so annoyed with her, I needed some sort of payback. She’s annoyed me since the very start of this team.” His voice was a mix of defensive and irritated. 

     “And what did she do to earn your very obvious hatred?” 

     That sent him into a rant. “She broke into the Batcave to use the computer when ours was down without setting off any of the alarms I set up! Her powers are so aggravating and barely useful when we’re on missions!” Robin started motion with his hands. “And she knows my identity! She knows Batman’s identity! Almost everyone’s identity. But I’m not allowed to know her identity! I tried getting into her files to find out, but it takes me forever to get pass even one section of security.”

     Wally was speechless, for once. He could easily poke holes in everything he just heard. He could turn Robin’s explanation into a slice of Swiss cheese. “Dude, her powers are insanely useful. When she said she can make any sound, she wasn’t exaggerating. Any sound at any volume. Cut her some slack.” He still didn’t know who’s side he was on. “But I can definitely see where you’re coming from on the whole identity thing. Really unfair to you, dude.”

     Suddenly, the police radio emitted the words they were looking for.

“This is unit 227. I’ve got a speeding motorcycle in my sights; I am in pursuit. Going at 90 miles per hour and slowly accelerating. No license plate, and their helmets prevent me from identifying them.”

“Do you need back up, Officer Bronson?”

“Nope, I’ve got this one. Just looks like some teenagers going for a joy ride.”

“10-4,we’ll be on stand-by.”

     Silence briefly entailed before the radio blared to life again.

“These speedsters are aren’t slowing down! At all! I need back-up!”

“10-4, what’s you’re 20?”

“I’m on route-”

     Officer Bronson, the cop in question, stopped speaking.

“Bronson? Do you copy?”

“They disappeared.”

“What do you mean, ‘disappeared’!?”

“The motorcycle is gone! I went around the corner and poof, no more motorcycle! Not a single vehicle as far as I can see!”

“Again!?”

     Wally started snickering, and then started full-on laughing. But he stopped when his drink came out of his nose. Then it was Robin’s turn to laugh. He didn’t want to admit it, but disappearing like that while on a motorcycle was kind of impressive.

     Suddenly, the hangar doors opened and a black motorcycle zoomed inside almost immediately after, the engine roaring and the headlight(s?) lighting up the base. The tires screeched obnoxiously as you drifted into a parking position. Ironically, next to Robin’s. But your heart was pounding too hard and your adrenaline levels were too high to give a damn.

     You and Artemis ripped off the helmets and basically sunk to the floor to sit for a moment. Artemis was shaking from the adrenaline rush while you were grinning like a fool. Wally and Robin jumped up to see what was going on, and they were surprised to see you two panting on the floor.

     “I told you to slow down!” Artemis exclaimed with a weak glare. She had fun and she knew it.

     You scoffed. “Bull! You said speed up!” It’s not like you were going to get caught. 

     “That was before I saw the cop car behind that rickety barn!”

     “You never said slow down, I’d bet my life on it.”

     Wally decided to chime in. “I could have gone faster, just to make it clear.” The situation was hilarious to him. Artemis and Mockingbird getting tailed by a cop? Funny. Arguing about who’s fault it was? Even better.

     You and Artemis said in unison, “We aren’t talking about you!” No one said anything the following moment, but then you two burst into giggles. That was the fastest your motorcycle had ever gone, and you two were the lucky ones to be on it. The jokes you cracked, the girl-talk, and venting about Robin again made it one hell of a night.

     Robin saw the scene unfold and it made him feel... weird. Like his stomach was going to burst, or he ate something bad. Nonetheless, he still glared at you and opted to scold you. “Sure, you had fun and all, good for you. But what if you got caught, huh? What would you do then?”

     That definitely ruined the mood. All the smiles were gone, turned into frowns. “I would have called you, my knight in a black and yellow cape, to rescue us from a jail cell.” Sarcasm dripped from your words and you stood up. “We weren’t going to get caught. Who do you think we are?” Your footsteps echoed as you walked away, an angry aura replacing your exhilarated one.

     “And if you crashed?” Robin asked, his voice quieter. The lack of bite to his words startled you. It was calmer, and... caring? He almost sounded sad. Maybe he was. You didn’t want to look into it.

     It made you freeze in your tracks. Not only how he sounded, but what he asked. If you crashed, both you and Artemis would’ve died. Undoubtedly. For two human girls, there would be no chance at surviving a crash at such speed. You thought about being responsible for Artemis’ injuries or death from any sort of motorcycle crash, and that thought made your heart clench. Leaving the team, practically your family now, behind because of a stupid decision hurt you even worse.

     You turned your head a little to look at Robin out of the corner of your eye. He was right. You were wrong. And if someone asked, you would be willing and mature enough to confirm it. You maintained eye contact with the Boy Wonder for a few more seconds, but then you turned and walked back to your room without giving an answer. They saw you take off your sunglasses and fold them back up, but not your face. Not a surprise.

     Artemis and Wally stared at Robin in bewilderment. 

     “Oh my goodness,” Wally dramatically put a hand over his heart. “I guess you’re not as cold-hearted towards her as I thought!” 

     “Am not allowed to talk to her without being a jerk? It was just one time anyway, it doesn’t mean I like her.” Robin grunted and went back to the living room. “We’re staying here tonight, right?”

     “That is the plan!” Wally called out to him before looking down at Artemis with a smirk. He held a hand out to her. “Need help getting up, babe?” His wink would have made the average teenage girl swoon, but Artemis was no average teenage girl. They were also the ones who used to hate each other, but they eventually started getting along. Wally was a flirt at heart, so she got plenty of that.

     Artemis stared up at him for what seemed like hours before taking his hand, rolling her eyes. She almost yelped when he yanked her up and brought her close to his chest. Wally’s green eyes met hers, but she firmly pushed him away before anything else could happen.

     Robin was positive that they were going to be soulmates, but what about his? Wanting to meet his soulmate was a natural thing, so of course he was excited, but he was absolutely clueless on who it could be, or where he would meet them. People usually are, but it bothered him to no end.

You were in the library of the cave, a quiet place that wasn’t used too often. But you had one of your laptops out and several notepads surrounded you. On the screen were The Doctor’s files, as well as your own. You were deep in your research, ignoring all of the painful memories that you desperately wanted to rebury. You placed your mask on the desk and reached up to rub your tired eyes. It wouldn’t be the first time you stayed up all night, and certainly not the last.

     Wally was zonked out on one of the couches, the credits of a movie rolling through on the TV, while Robin shuffled around the halls. He couldn’t sleep, so a walk around the cave wouldn’t hurt. But he got curious when he saw light coming from the doorway to the library. Who would be up at this hour? Aside from him.

     He poked his head in to see who was there, but he only heard the clacking of a keyboard and occasionally the scratching of a pencil on paper. Robin slowly stalked through the shelves and made his way to the back of the library.

     You were sitting with your back facing him, deeply invested on the screen in front of you. Robin was amazed that you didn’t hear him and leaned closer to see what you were looking at, but to no avail. So he settled on trying to get a look at your face.

     He saw the tip of your nose before he gave away his cover. The floorboard beneath him creaked and it got an insane reaction from you. Your hand thumped against the desk and some papers drifted to the floor as you tried to snatch up your domino mask. 

     The moment it was on, you whipped around, ready to attack any hostile being in the room. But it was just Robin. Although, to you, it might as well be a hostile. You visibly relaxed before getting back in your chair and grabbing a blank sheet of paper to write something else down.

     “You’re up late.” Robin looked at his watch; it read 12:23 AM. Not late at all for the life of a hero, but you were all still exhausted teenagers. Wally was dead asleep on a couch, Artemis was at home getting some shut-eye, you weren’t sure if Conner slept often since Superman technically doesn’t need to, Megan was certainly getting her rest, and Kaldur was comfortably regaining energy from a hard-day’s work. It was only you and Robin, now.

     “Same to you.” You mumbled. You weren’t keen on talking to him, so you didn’t plan on talking unless spoken to.

     Robin really did feel horrible for deleting all your hard work, and your reaction to his question earlier that evening darkened his mood. And he didn’t know how to make it up to you, so he started with picking up your fallen papers.

     The rustling of papers didn’t phase you, nor did him holding them out to you. You snatched them out of his hand and firmly put them back in their original place. You were still angry at him, but you aimed to keep your words civil. Your actions? Not so much.

     Robin crossed his arms as he stared at the back of your head. “I could have gotten a paper cut, you know.” At this point, he was just trying to make small talk out of pure boredom. 

     “I’m sure you’d live...” You muttered again and hit the ‘enter’ button a little harder than necessary.

     The next twenty minutes were spent on several attempts to get you to say more than one sentence at a time, but trying to get you in a conversation was more advanced, and Robin had yet to level up. If anything, he’s still at level zero. 

     Robin sighed, starting to get irritated. “Well, what are you doing?” His question was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

     The loud slam of your fist hitting the desk made him jump. Just a little. “You want to know what I’m doing!?” You growled, quietly. It was still a library, in your eyes. “Since you deleted every single thing I had on my tablet, I have to start from square one! I have to go through stacks of police reports and investigations and closed cases!”

     “Look, I’m sorry, alright? I didn’t know what you had on your tablet; I thought it was a just bunch of games you could easily re-download. I was annoyed, and I didn’t think any harm would be done. If I knew that this is what was on there,” Robin gestured to the desk you were working at. “I wouldn’t have even tried messing with your tablet.”

     You trained your eyes on the screen, then at your notes, but the anger you held started losing it’s intensity. All you needed to hear was a sincere apology, and it sounded sincere enough to you. But the feeling didn’t entirely disappear.

     The sigh Robin heard made him hopeful. Did you still feel like choking him? Most likely. But it’s better than you wanting to snap him like a toothpick. He then heard you mumble something, but it was too quiet to understand. “What?”

     “Do you know how close I was to tracking down and stopping the man who took everything from me?” You said quietly with gritted teeth. “I know he’s not dead. Everyone else says he is. And I could have proven it,” the pencil in your hand was suffering from your deadly grip. “If it weren’t for your petty dislike for me.” 

     Robin was aware of how childish and immature about why he acted so cold towards you. For a while, he thought you were just as mean. But it was just you retaliating and mirroring his behavior.

     “So if you don’t mind,” you pointed in the direction of the exit. “I’d appreciate it if you got out of here. Immediately.”

     “Let me ask one more question,” Robin jumped up and looked at where your eyes would be. “Why don’t you take off your mask? I can’t because Batman said I can’t give it away to anyone... but why can’t you?”

     The tension in the room was suffocating, and the silence was deafening. You didn’t want to answer the question; something else inside you did. “After I got my powers, I was trained to never reveal my face. I was punished if I didn’t listen.” Your voice was almost inaudible. Barely a whisper.

     “Oh,” Now Robin understood. It wasn’t a ‘haha, I’m keeping this secret from you to make you mad’ type of thing, it was something entirely different.

     “Now get out.”

#dick grayson x reader #dick grayson #dick grayson imagine #robin #robin x reader #robin imagine #young justice #young justice imagine #young justice season 1 #young justice x reader #kid flash #artemis #miss martian #soulmate AU #the bird tattoo

[entoman-created-by-the-tallgreys]

#Bird

[justbeingnamaste]

Mockingbird Power Animal Symbol Of Overcoming Fear !

By Ina Woolcott

Mockingbird’s gifts include finding your sacred song, recognizing your innate abilities, using knowledge gained on the outside to heal the inside, learning through experience, curiosity, attitude, territoriality, overcoming fear, intelligence, power of song, confidence, master imitator.

The Northern mockingbird is around 10 inches long with a long tail that twitches vigorously when excited. Their long legs are perfect for looking through dead leaves and undergrowth for insects. Their dull grey colour certainly doesn’t grab ones attention, however, their various calls definitely do! The mockingbird is well known for its ability to copy the calls of other birds – and even cats and dogs – they are master imitators. The mockingbirds song is a combination of the calls of many other birds. Usually they repeat an imitation a few times before going onto other songs in quick succession. They have up to 30 songs in their repertory. Mockingbird is Latin for ‘many tongued mimic’. This is one of the few birds who sing whilst flying.

Mockingbird teaches many things – the power of song and voice is one. It can assist in learning new languages easily and to speak them fluently. People with this power animal often make excellent spokespersons and interpreters. They also help you find your ’sacred song’, your life’s purpose and inner talents. You will be given the strength to act on these fearlessly. Never forget that your inner song is always there, it cant be lost. If you miss one opportunity, another will always appear and that is just how it is meant to be or it wouldn’t have happened! You should ask for assistance in connecting with your personal sound frequency, for then healing will take place on all levels.

Mockingbird people are more known for their talents than how they look. Appearances are not important to people with this power animal. They are heard before they are seen – if they are seen at all. The mockingbird helps you to leave people and events that hurt you behind by seeing who and what they REALLY are. Everything in life is a lesson to help you grow, and even if you were hurt, this is but another lesson to learn and grow. Everything that happened to us in the past builds our character and who we are today. You will hear the true song of others and will follow your own path. Take what you can from a situation but always in a respectful and un-spiteful way. What goes around comes around. We are all here to learn form each other. Apply your creative imagination and intuition to all you do and you will live a life of harmony. On a subtle level, mockingbird shows us how to imitate ourselves, what we imitate reflects back to us and helps us see who we truly are. This can be a powerful transformational experience.

The fearless mockingbird defend their nests and territory, diving at and attacking predators and those who come too close. They teach us to develop self-confidence, to speak our truth and stand up for what is ours by right.

#By Ina Woolcott #Spirituality #Heart #Body #Soul #I´m within♥ #Strong #Life Lessons #Wisdom #Balance #Transformation #Just Being 🙏❤️🙏 #🙏 Namaste Al 🙏

[sportacusfinch]

tag game thingy

tagged by @yikesdepartment thanks!! <3

Rules: answer the 30 questions and tag 20 people you’d like to get to know better

Nicknames: i LOVE when people call me any sort of nickname because i’ve never really had one (can’t get much from naomi) and if someone does give me one it doesn’t stick for long i just really love nicknames ok

2. Gender: god i hate this question 

3. Star sign: virgo

4. Height: 5′ 4″

5. Time right now? 5:26 pm

6. Birthday: September 5th

7. Favorite bands: Owl City

8. Favorite solo artists: i would sell my soul for dan avidan, i also like sabrina carpenter

10. Last movie I watched: jurassic park 2 (i think)

11. Last show I watched: star trek tos

12. When did I create my blog: this one was January 2017 main blog was January 2013

13. What do I post: LazyTown

14. Last thing I googled:  zootopia abortion comic (im so sorry)

15. Other blogs: @gemshortiesquad @byebyelittlebutterfly 

16. Do you get asks: i think i’ve gotten more asks in the past 3 days than i’ve gotten in 10 months

17. Why did you choose your url: when i was reading to kill a mockingbird i legit misread Atticus as sportacus and immediately i was like “that is a perfect name for a blog” and voila, a week later this blog was made

18. Last thing I ate: spaghetti

19. How many pillows: one real one and like 8 other smaller ones

20. Favorite colors: blue and purple

21. Favorite tag to use: #thanks! i hate it!

22. Lucky number: 5 and 27

23. Instruments: i played the xylophone in 4th grade for like a year haha

24. What am I wearing: skinny jeans, fuzzy socks, t-shirt and a sweater

25. Last thing I wrote: i had to copy down instructions for my mom from someone on the phone

26. Dream job: hEck, i’d love to study animals, not sure what kind yet, or maybe a paleontologist

27. Dream trip: lazytown japan is definitely first on the list, but iceland would be super cool too

28. Favorite food: ravioli (raviloi give me the formuoli)

29. Nationality: American

30. Favorite song right now: literally anything sung by dan avidan, different frequencies (sky hill) plus his cover of take on me + pour some sugar on me tho  👌 👌 👌

no obligations to answer these!! (im not tagging 20 people lol)

@sportasneeze @sportagoose @sportaflopper (i’m so mad apparently tumblr unfollowed you?? like uhhh no i was definitely following you sportaflopper) @sports-elf-in-training @lizzirotten @simplyrotten @theprogeek @irvinehiker @ihavesomehowendeduphere @breakfastandfurious @trixtrash @a-hero-must-have-a-villain @ bird anon whoever you are

#im sorry i can never give short answers lol #just a day in naomi's life #im serious about the nicknames #i straight up die when people cal me any sort of name (that isn't mean) i just ove it #love*

[thejakeformerlyknownasprince]

Why were we allowed to read Animorphs as kids, anyway?

It’s a question I see come up in this fandom again and again: How the heck did Animorphs books make it into school libraries and book fairs across the country to be marketed to eight-year-olds when they feature drug addiction, body dysmorphia, suicide, imperialism, PTSD, racism, sexism, body horror, grey-and-black morality, slavery, torture, major character death, forced cannibalism, and genocide?  

To be clear, I don’t actually know the answer to that question.  It is, admittedly, a little odd to consider, especially in light of the fact that Bridge to Terabithia gets banned for killing one character (much less several dozen), The Witches gets banned for having a character trapped in the body of an animal (without even going into issues of predation or body horror), The Chocolate War gets banned for having moderately disturbing descriptions of violence between teenagers, Bird gets banned for dealing with the realities of drug addiction, Winnie the Pooh gets banned for having talking animals, Harriet the Spy gets banned because the main character lies to her parents, and The Secret Annex gets banned because Anne Frank describes normal teenage puberty experiences throughout her diary.  And yet Animorphs was marketed to children as young as six nationwide, and (despite selling better than even some classics like The Chocolate War at its peak) no one ever bothered to burn those books or cry that they would rot children’s minds.  

If I had to take a wildly inexpert guess, knowing as little as I do about the publishing industry and the standards parent groups use to determine whether books are “moral,” I would venture to speculate that there were several different factors at work.

Grown-ups judge books by their covers just as much as children do.  For proof of that phenomenon, just scroll through the Animorphs tag on tumblr, any relevant forum on Reddit, or any old post that uses that stupid meme.  The book covers suggest that the stories inside will be silly, campy adventures about the escapist fantasy of turning into a dolphin or a lizard.  People don’t look too closely at the books with the neon candy-colored backgrounds and the ridiculous photoshop foregrounds, especially not when they imply a promise that the novels themselves will be the most inane form of sci fi.  

There’s no sex.  To quote the show K.A. Applegate most loves to reference: "I guess parents don't give a crap about violence if there's sex things to worry about."  The large majority of books that get banned from schools are thrown out for having sexual content: the freaking dictionary was banned from California schools for explaining what “oral sex” is, And Tango Makes Three was removed from shelves because apparently married couples are inherently shocking if they happen to be gay, and the list of most-banned books in the U.S. is full of books which explain in perfectly child-appropriate terms what puberty is and where babies come from.  Animorphs, by contrast, never gets more explicit than Marco calling Taylor a “skank” or Jake and Cassie’s few stolen kisses.  The only mentions of nudity are implied (and even then only when the kids are first coming out of morph), and the most explicit thing we ever hear about Rachel and Tobias doing is staying up late in her room to do her homework together.  It becomes unbelievably obvious in retrospect that there’s a decent level of queer representation in the books (Marco repeatedly describing both Jake and Ax as “beautiful” or “handsome,” Mertil and Gafinilan, multiple characters casually morphing cross-gender), but it’s also possible to overlook the queerness if you don’t know it’s there.  There might be explicit autocannibalism in this series, but at least it never uses the word “nipple.”  

There’s no profanity.  Again, there’s a strong implication of profanity—Rachel and Jake especially often “use certain words to describe things” in a way that makes it incredibly obvious what they’re saying, and context clues tell us Ax says “fuck” at least once—but given that the strongest expletive that comes up with any regularity is “good grief,” this can act as an obvious (if dumb) heuristic for parents that a book is appropriate for children.  People love to count the swear words in Catcher in the Rye when describing why it should be banned (generally without, heaven forbid, reading the goddamn book).  Other works such as To Kill a Mockingbird have been banned for using a single word, regardless of context.  If a parent is looking to object to a single word or set of words as grounds that a book is inappropriate, the worst they’re going to find is half a dozen instances of “heck” and maybe a dozen of “crap.”

Some of the worst content is context-dependent.  As I pointed out above, at least five or six different characters (Tobias, Arbron, Alloran, Tom, Allison Kim) attempt suicide over the course of the series.  At least three or four species that we know about (Hork-Bajir, Howlers, Nartec) get largely or entirely annihilated.  However, in order to understand that any of that occurs, you actually have to read the books.  Not only that, but you have to read them closely.  Cates pointed out that some of the most disturbing passages from #33 are, in a vacuum, just descriptions of blinking diodes and weird hallucinations.  The description of Tobias attempting suicide is just a long list of mall venues that flash by as he zooms full-speed toward a glass wall.  Even the passages with Rachel threatening David (or carrying out those threats) don’t make much sense unless you know how a two-hour limit on morphing works.  For the parent skimming these books looking for objectionable content, nothing jumps out.

The books are, in fact, appropriate for children.  This quality is what (I believe) prevented parents like mine from taking the books away from us kids even after reading several entire novels out loud to us before bed.  The books contain violence, but they sure as hell don’t condone it.  They touch on subjects such as drug addiction and parental abuse, but they do so from the point of view of realistic-feeling kids and don’t fetishize that kind of content.  Most of the lessons contained within are tough—that there’s no such thing as a simple moral code, that people with the power to prevent atrocity also have the obligation to do so, that members of the hegemony aren’t actually all that special, that the world is a scary and violent place for most people who have to live in it—but they’re also important lessons, and good ones to teach to children.  I would be comfortable with my own children (assuming I had any) reading these books at the same age I started reading them, in first and second grade.

You have to understand the fictional science to understand (most of) the horror.  Trying to describe some of the most horrifying passages in Animorphs is like “and then they flushed the pool for cleaning, but the pool was full of slugs!” or “but she explained to her son that she had to have a parasite in her brain so the parasite’s friends wouldn’t be suspicious!” or “and then the hawk ate a rabbit, as hawks are wont to do!” while one’s non-fandalite friends stand there and go “... so what?”  The laws of Applied Phlebotinum in the series turn those earlier moments into a war crime, an assisted quasi-suicide, and a loss of identity, respectively; however, you have to understand the laws of applied phlebotinum in order to know that.  For anyone not reading closely, the horror can be overlooked.  For those of us who are reading closely, phrases such as “host breeding program,” “fugue state,” “eight minutes too late,” and “the howlers are all children” (or any mention at all of people being injured while taxxons are in the vicinity, for that matter) are enough to chill your blood.  But again, for that to happen, you actually have to read the books.  Which we can assume most of the people skimming for curse words do not.

Some of those exact same premises wouldn’t be horror at all if handled by a different author.  K.A. Applegate subverts the “wake up, go to school, save the world” trope; normally premises that feature teen superheroes fighting aliens are considered appropriate for all ages (e.g. Avengers Assemble, Kim Possible, Teen Titans) because they feature bloodless violence and gloss over the question of whether aliens are people too.  The utterly arbitrary standard that kids should be allowed to see violence but not blood allows for justification of movies like Prince Caspian, Night at the Museum, and Ghostbusters to feature characters getting murdered in all kinds of ways in PG-rated movies.  “Violence” and “sci-fi violence” are two different categories according to the MPAA rating system; guess which one gets a lower rating.  Of course, there’s a crapton of science showing it doesn’t make the tiniest bit of difference to kids whether or not they see blood, they’re still gonna learn violent behaviors and potentially be traumatized, but again where the arbitrary standard persists.  Therefore, if most of the premises of Animorphs books don’t sound horrifying, they must not actually be horrifying.  Right?

The books are almost as light as they are heavy.  Part of the reason I have comfortably loaned my copies of the early books to friends with ten-year-old kids is that it’s not primarily a downer series.  Animorphs aren’t R.L. Stein books, which always end on (the implication of) the protagonist’s death.  They’re not uniform horrorfests like Dolls in the Attic or Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.  Applegate doesn’t fetishize violence the way that Cassandra Clare and Ransom Riggs do.  The most-quoted passages from these books are the ones that are funny, not horrifying.  These are stories about the joy of aliens discovering Volkswagen Beetles, about the wonder of being able to fly away from one’s life, about friendship and the power of love being enough to make the gods themselves sit up and pay attention.  The whole saga tells the story of six kids sacrificing more than their lives to save their families, and of how that sacrifice brings down an empire.  I suspect that many parents were either paying so little attention they didn’t realize these stories could be classified as battle epics or as kiddie horror, or else were paying so much attention that they concluded that this series is a battle epic worth reading.  

Then again, maybe there was a whole other set of market pressures which accounted for the lack of censorship which I don’t know about.  If so, the economics side of tumblr is encouraged to enlighten me.

#animorphs #marketing #body horror #kiddie horror #censorship #seriously tho WHY WERE THE SIX-YEAR-OLDS READING ABOUT AUTOCANNIBALISM IN THE 90S #what even was that

[xtruss]

10 Fast Facts About Northern Mockingbirds!

There's more to this flying copycat than meets the eye . . . or ear.

The Northern Mockingbird is one of North America’s most beloved mimics. The skilled singer has also become inextricable from American popular culture, providing inspiration for the fictional "Mockingjay" of the Hunger Games franchise to being a central theme in the iconic novel To Kill a Mockingbird. John James Audubon was a fan of the mocker as well. Here are some facts you might not have known about this American classic.

There are a total of 16 avian species in the world with the name “mockingbird,” but the Northern Mockingbird is the only one native to the United States. Other nearby species include the elusive Blue Mockingbird of Mexico and the island-dwelling Bahama Mockingbird, both of which can occasionally appear in the U.S.

The Northern Mockingbird is a year-round resident across much of the U.S., but an expansion into the northeast has been successful due in part to the multiflora rose, or rambler rose. Native to Asia, this invasive rosebush was introduced to the United States in the late 1700s as a root stock for ornamental roses. It makes an ideal nest site for mockingbirds because of its tasty berries and thick tangle of branches. (Editor's note: If you want to provide food and shelter for the Northern Mockingbird and other backyard favorites with native plants, try our handy native plants database.)

The mockingbird's latin name is Mimus polyglottos, which literally translates to “many-tongued mimic.” A polyglot is a person who speaks many languages, referencing the bird’s ability to imitate sounds from its environment. While mockingbirds are known to sing several hundred different songs, some research suggests that they might not learn to copy new sounds in adulthood, as previously thought.

A study released in October 2019 found that, in addition to mimicking the calls of other birds and manmade noises like music and machinery, Northern Mockingbirds have been known to imitate at least 12 different species of North American frogs and toads. In fact, John James Audubon was so in awe of this bird's singing ability, he wrote of the Northern Mockingbird in Birds of America, “There is probably no bird in the world that possesses all the musical qualifications of this king of song, who has derived all from Nature's self."

Because of the Northern Mockingbird’s impressive vocal talents, the illegal pet trade depleted their populations by poaching wild birds across the east coast in the 19th century. The best singers were worth up to $50 in 1828—that’s more than $1,300 in today’s dollars.

Northern Mockingbirds have easily adapted to human development, taking up residence across suburban towns and cities. Wide-open lawns and parks are perfect for hunting their insect prey, and males often sing from perches like the tops of houses and telephone poles, where their performance can involve leaping into the air and fluttering back down.

Mockers are prolific breeders. They have been known to make as many as seven nesting attempts during a breeding season, and one female even set an astonishing record of laying 27 eggs in a single season.

The white patches on a Northern Mockingbird’s wings and outer tail feathers serve dual purposes: The birds often show off these plumes during mating rituals, and they also flash them when defending their territory from potential predators like hawks and snakes.

Mockingbirds can be extraordinarily territorial. They've been known to swoop and dive at pretty much anything, including people, that gets close to theirs nests, which are usually placed between 3 and 10 feet off the ground. They will also regularly chase other birds away from their preferred food sources, like fruit-bearing trees, in the winter.

The Northern Mockingbird is the state bird of Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas. In true Texas fashion, the 1927 legislation declaring the Northern Mockingbird the state’s official bird reasoned that the species is “a fighter for the protection of his home, falling, if need be, in its defense, like any true Texan."

[danyllura]

Tagged by my fave @buttercup--bee thanks!

1) Which current fic(s) are you excited about at the moment?

I’m currently reading A Caged Songbird by bikadoo_2 and HOLY. It has currently consumed the entirety of my soul. I caught up in a night and I’m dying for a new chapter. It’s honestly everything I love in a good canon divergence Jonsa fanfiction. (I know this Jonsa answers but I need to mention this) I’m also currently loving Suriving Peace by @die-forellex, her Rivamika is SO in character it’s beautiful. Theres like a million others but these two are my current favourites. 

2) Which older/finished fic(s) would you recommend and why?

A City of Fortune and Failure by @justadram comes to mind but really any of her works are a good solid read you will desperately try to finish in one night because you’re hooked. Learn To Love What Burns by jynscassian was probably the fic that got me hooked on jonsa.

3) Can you remember the first Jonsa fic you read?

Honestly don’t know who it was by or what it was called. But I remember that Jon and Sansa are both living in Winterfell when Sansa is called down to Kingslanding by Aegon Targaryen. There she’s raped by Aegon and I specifically remember she wargs into a bird during the rape. She’s then forced to wed Aegon after falling pregnant. If anyone knows what I’m talking about because I’d love to find this fic.

4) Are there any writers that you think deserve more kudos/comments/general acknowledgement of awesomeness?

All of them honestly. If you are willing to spend your time to give us smut lovers some thing to read no matter how unedited or trashy it is, I honestly think you’re an amazing person who deserves all the kudos.

5) What about your writing are you particularly proud of? (A certain fic? Your style? A specific paragraph or prose?) - Come on - don’t be humble! Shout about your talents!

I hate my writing and honestly think it’s horrid. But I love doing it. I think the favourite thing I’ve written was Summertime Sadness because I felt like I successfully portrayed everything exactly how I imagined it. UNFORTUNATELY my computer ate the second chapter and I’ve rewritten it a thousand times but I haven’t gotten the correct emotions again. One day I’ll add the chapter but I want it to be perfect. But not gonna lie, I can write a mean essay (I’m about to pat myself on the back because I’m really proud of myself) I just got a 97% on a essay on To Kill A Mockingbird, it was worth the stress of only having three hours to writing a rough and good copy and the end product being a total of 10 pages!

6) What do you admire about other writers?

Actually finishing works. like boi. Mad respect to anyone that can write a ongoing multi chapter fic. Being able to commit to something for that long and with the usual “when are you going to update” comments, you have something special in you my man.

7) Do you listen to music whilst you write?

Normally no. I can’t help it, I sing when I play music and I don’t have the attention span to sing lyrics while writing something differently. I have a playlist of subliminals that are meant to soothe and refresh you, and while I think it’s bs I do feel calmed when I listen to it. But when I’m writing essays for school I listen to Hamilton. 

I’d like to tag @myrish-lace-love @sunbeamsandmoonrays @priestess-of-artemis @housewildfire and anyone else!

#I struggled to limit the number of fic i wanted to reccomend #about me

[markwatkinsconsumerguide]

Consumer Guide / No.85 / singer-songwriter Natasha England with Mark Watkins. 

MW : What were you like at school sports and things of that nature?

NE : I was the captain of netball and captain of the swimming team. I was in the “Speed Club” for swimming & diving - winning many gold medals for my school. I swam competitively for my region in South Lanarkshire. 

I was captain of the relay team - winning sports prizes several times in primary and grammar school incorporating sprints of 100 metres, 300 metres, High Jump, Long Jump and Hurdles. 

At one time, I thought I might be a gym instructor. I was a member of a gymnast team called The Flying Angels. I was a member of an athletics club and played a lot of badminton. I’ve roller-skated, ice-skated, canoed, played some tennis and rode bicycles.

From an early age, I’ve “worked my passage” and ridden horses competitively at Show jumping and Cross-country events - winning many rosettes.

At one stage, I had thought of being a riding instructor. I could have done this had I not got even more involved in music. 

I was lucky enough to spend much quality time with my father walking and fly-fishing on the River Spey and other salmon and trout rivers, and lochs, and estuaries. My father was a very good Fly-Fisherman so I was brought up on a diet of wild salmon and trout. 

As you can see I excelled at sports, and have a great love of nature and the outdoors.

MW : Do you enjoy football?

NE : Yes, I love football! I played a lot of football in my youth. However, I was not allowed in the school teams as I was a girl (boys only then!) so I played football with the boys outside school.

MW : You were born in Glasgow, Scotland. Celtic or Rangers?!

NE : I have been to both Rangers and Celtic matches, mainly over my time growing up in Scotland and to a few over the years since. I don't buy into the catholic/protestant divide. I have friends who support both teams, and fans who support Arsenal, Chelsea - and Spurs!

MW : Tell me how you won your “Spurs”...and how football lead to music...

NE : When I came to London the guy (Bob England) whom I went on to marry was a Tottenham Hotspur fan.

I was a season ticket holder at Tottenham for many years and throughout the FA Cup campaign that led to an eventual win in a replay over Manchester City at Wembley in 1981 (1-1 draw, then 3-2 win).

I’ve worn a Spurs strip to help promote Tottenham Hotspur’s official records, 'Ossie's Dream' (1981) and 'Tottenham Tottenham' (1982) - both produced by Chas and Dave (who I managed) and released on Towerbell Records (our record label).

I joined players Glenn Hoddle and Garth Crooks on Top Of The Pops with the football squad performing 'Tottenham Tottenham' just a few weeks prior to the release of 'Iko Iko' (1982) and my own appearance on the show.

If you have an original, vinyl copy of 'Ossie's Dream' look closely, and you should see written on the inside ring of the record 'The year of the Cockerel 1981’. I scratched this message on the original acetate which was the template for all the records pressed.

In the 1980's, I had a music biz five-a-side called “Leggy Five” and we played in many music biz charity games.

MW : What would improve the UK's chances of winning Eurovision (again) after so many years in the wilderness?

NE : I’m not sure that the UK will ever have the chance to win this competition again as the judging over these last years has proved beyond any doubt to be politically driven and this will get no better when we leave Europe.

This is now an extravagant spectacle of bad taste, pantomime dames and dodgy outfits and songs - nevertheless compulsive viewing! 

Sir Terry Wogan (RIP) - as the UK's commentator made the show, and now Graham Norton does an equally fabulous job of taking the mickey out its whacky songs and artists. 

In the present political environment there is no point in the UK competing. Very few of the winners go on to have any longevity in the music business with obvious exceptions, Abba - being the most successful since ‘Waterloo’ in 1974, Sandie Shaw (1967 winner), Lulu (1969 winner), Brotherhood of Man (1976 winner), Johnny Logan (1980 & 1987 winner), Bucks Fizz (1981 winner) and Katrina and The Waves in 1997. 

So, I think it would be best for the UK not to put another artist through this humiliation. We would have to have 'The Song' and 'The Artist' that would blow everyone away and leave no doubt in people's minds that it was the deserving winner. Even then, you would have to deal with the politics, so I don't think it is worth it, I’m afraid.

MW : Which newspapers do you read?

NE : I don't buy newspapers anymore. I get most of my news online.

I try and stay as informed as I can on all topics including politics. It’s a minefield out there, but you have to know what your up against. 

If only news agencies and politicians would tell the truth instead of pushing their own agendas to twist and distort the truth to deceive, influence or sensationalize.

MW : What was the first record you bought?

NE : My older sister, Evelyne, started her record collection before me, so I continued the record-buying trend, but instead of being into just pop, I loved folk, blues, rock, jazz, soul, Tamla Motown and Stax.

I purchased the 'Gutbucket’ blues album - which remains a favourite of mine. It has a selection of songs from all the best folk & blues players of the time - all household names now.

I bought a lot of Motown and Sam & Dave, Aretha Franklin, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, along with Pink Floyd, Free, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac (original) and many others. 

Everything that I enjoyed back then are now in The Hall Of Fame.

https://www.rockhall.com

Free were my favourite rock band and Peter Green was my favourite blues guitarist/singer of the time.

MW : Which books do you enjoy?

NE : Any Buddha-based book. I love everything about Buddhists and their ideology. 

Every book about animals, horses, marine life, insects, birds, fish and nature that I can get my hands on. 

‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell. Life imitating art of art imitating life? Power and order.‘1984’, again by Orwell - we’re living it.

‘Brave New World’ by Aldous Huxley - what foresight.

‘The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe’ by C.S Lewis. I loved this book so much that I called my first band in London, 'Aslan'.

‘To Kill A Mockingbird’, ‘The Tale Of Two Cities’, ’The Hobbit’, ‘Lord Of The Rings’, ‘The Canterbury Tales’....and so many more books. 

MW : Share your thoughts on keeping animals in zoos...

NE : Some smaller animals, insects, reptiles, birds etc can live quite happily in a well maintained enhancing environment but larger animals need space to roam. If we have to contain animals for education and breeding programmes we need to give these larger animals more space and a suitable enhancing environment. 

I’m more in favour of Wildlife Parks, where the animals have much more land to roam. Zoos are important for breeding programmes to help keep our endangered species alive but we should be building all zoos along the lines of Safari Parks.

MW : Why are animal rights close to your heart?

NE : I adore all animals and I’ve a very strong affiliation with them. I’ve lived and worked around various animals all my life. I assisted a vet when I was younger. I’ve rescued and mended many animals, birds and wildlife throughout from  childhood to adulthood, so another profession I may have taken up had I not chosen music as a career. 

I have kept all sorts of animals and I train dogs and horses. Animals have served us all well throughout history, in wars, in agriculture, down mines, for transport and in life. We owe so much to animals, so anyone who is cruel to a defenseless animal is sick and will go on to be cruel to humans.

I would dearly love to have an animal sanctuary to help and rescue animals and to rehome them and to educate children on animal welfare and training and most importantly the love, companionship and loyalty that these animals can give to their human friends and the great benefits that humans get from being around animals and nature.

I’ve done much charity and therapy work with horses, dogs and other animals to help enhance children’s lives and mindset and to help them overcome illness and disabilities and contributing to their wellbeing.

So, I would love to be in a position to continue this valuable work i.e combining animal and music therapy.

MW : Money or health?

NE : Health every time - in the world we live in money can be the difference between life and death for so many of us.

You may not be able to buy health, but if you are unfortunate enough to need help with your health, whether medically or mentally, having money will get a quicker service (which could save your life). 

It should not be this way, but it is, and it’s so unfair and unjust.

MW : Tell me about setting up Towerbell Records...

NE : Towerbell Records was set up after I left Good Earth Promotions. Prior to leaving Good Earth I had spotted Darts at the Rock Garden in Covent Garden, London. I went there with Jon Moss of Culture Club. Jon was working for me as a booker at Good Earth. After seeing Darts perform I signed them to (our)   management. Darts were signed to Magnet Records (record label). 

Darts were extremely successful and made Magnet Records money and I believe kept the label afloat at a time when Magnet really did not have much talent on the label. Bob (England) and I found ourselves doing a lot of the work for this record company, so it was always going to be the obvious move to create our own label i.e Towebell Records.  

We then signed Chas & Dave to management and we wanted to have our own label and have both Darts and Chas & Dave on this label. We were unhappy with Michael Levy (now Lord Levy) and Magnet Records. We felt he was penny pinching with regards to Darts’ campaigns, videos and promotion. Given that Darts had made so much money for Magnet the band were very unhappy with the label too, as they felt as I did that Michael was holding them back. I did not like Michael and his practices and both Bob and I wanted the band released from Magnet.

Bob and I discussed this and the terms of this release from Magnet that we wanted for the band. As I say, I did not like Michael, and I would not pander to him so I after discussing what we wanted for Darts, Bob and I decided that Bob did the negotiation with Michael. Everything would have be fine if Bob had stuck to the plan. Unfortunately, the release deal was very much in Michael's favour and the release clauses made it extremely difficult for Darts to function with all the restrictions that Michael Levy had put upon them. It was a very restrictive release contract with Michael continuing to benefit. Michael eventually sold the label and all of Darts’ catalogue to Warner Bros.

Michael made this process very difficult with his demands and delays. The outcome was disastrous for Darts - because of the time taken on the release contract and unreasonable release clauses. Michael effectively ended Darts’ career.

We did go on to set up two labels, Rockney Records for Chas & Dave releases and Towerbell Records for other artists including myself, Snowy White, Amazulu and others.

We were very successful as an independent record label, but I was unhappy in my marriage and I left Bob and the label in 1984.

Bob was not so successful without me. He made some bad decisions. He ended up leaving the UK a year or so later caught up in a blaze of publicity at Miami Airport (on route to Antigua) owing millions to various artists.

I had nothing to do with his downfall. A large part of his debt was still owed to me for PRS and other fees that were generated when I had Top Ten success and other chart album and singles. I had trusted him but he effectively punished me for leaving him. I was by then financially and contractually screwed. He promised he would pay me what I was owed but he never did.

MW : Share some experiences of managing Darts...

NE : Darts were a breath of fresh air amidst an uprising Punk scene. Don't get me wrong there were a couple of bands, The Sex Pistols, 999 and a few others that made an impact but Darts were different.

They had an element of punk but they could all play their instruments and all four singers could sing. They were performing doo-wop and they were their own best promotion. Den Hegarty could be a bit of a handful but otherwise a great bunch of people. I just knew that this band would be successful and they were.

I’ve many great memories of touring with Darts in the UK and abroad and being in the studio with them They were all very down to earth people and consummate musicians. Darts had major success back then and should have continued in this trend but there were problems with Magnet Records, as I’ve said earlier.

Fortunately, Darts still do several choice gigs a year and they are still one of the most entertaining bands around. 

MW : How did you react to the passing of Chas Hodges?

NE : I had been diagnosed with cancer a few months before Chas was diagnosed. I was so sad when I heard the news of his death, for him, his beautiful wife, Joan and for his loving family, his children and his grandchildren, it was a shock. 

Apparently Chas had gone fishing with Dave (Peacock) the day before he died and he seemed fine and in good spirits but he was dead by the next morning.

He is so loved and is missed by all. I was sad for a long while. Although we’d spoken on the phone and made plans to meet, unfortunately this was never to be as Chas died the week before we were due to meet up.

I have many great memories of Chas and I’m so pleased that I played a part in his story. He was an amazing man and a consummate musician who could play many instruments.

MW : How did you know / judge which records to release?

NE : I have always been quite good at spotting a hit and had this talent from when I was very young. I would hear a song once on the radio and would immediately know it would be a big hit. More often than not - I was right! 

It’s a sound, a voice, a hook, an instrument, a band with originality, or the combination of all of theses factors that makes you want to dance, sing, laugh, think, reflect or be quiet. 

It’s when something in the mix reaches in and touches you and inspires you. It’s the overall sound of what is being conveyed and how this sound makes you feel. 

Originality is always a star quality in the mix.

MW : Your solo career. Tell me about your big hit ‘Iko Iko’ and the chart battle with The Belle Stars...

NE : I’d been in the process of recording an album with Tom Newman when I decided to do a version of ‘Iko Iko’ using Richard Branson's 'Barge Studio'. Rita Ray from Darts suggested the song and she sang backing vocals on the track.

I was familiar with the song and would sing this song and 'The Clapping Song' as a little girl. I also loved loved Dr. Johns' version. When we recorded this, it just felt right and it had such a good vibe that Tom and I just knew it was a hit. We recorded it in February 1982 but as it was a summer record we sat on this until the June release. My then record plugger, Alan James, had secured some BBC Radio 1 airplay as a white label a week prior to the release date and there was a real buzz on the record.  

I was in the studio recording a session for the BBC when my then husband, Bob England, called me from Towerbell Records saying that Paul Conroy (who I knew well and was general manager of Stiff Records) had heard ‘Iko Iko’ being played on BBC Radio 1 on the week prior to its official release date. Paul said that he loved it and asked for a copy.

Bob went on to say that he told Paul that he would put a copy in the post when Paul said that he happened to have a scooter-messenger in the area of our office and this messenger could pick this up, which he did pretty sharpish. When Bob told me this I knew immediately that Paul was up to something, as Paul had The Belle Stars signed to Stiff, and they and other artists had previously released ‘Iko Iko’. So, I checked out every artist/band that had ever released ‘Iko Iko’ as a single. The Bodysnatchers were one band who did - they later became The Belle Stars!

I suspected that The Belle Stars had plans to release another version of ‘Iko Iko’ and they wanted my white label version to compare to theirs. As it turned out, The Belle Stars and their then producer Martin Tench sat in the music room at Stiff Records playing my version of ‘Iko Iko’ over and over again against several different mixes they had of their ‘Iko Iko's’ - they were obviously trying to decide which of their versions to release. Co-incidentally when Bow Wow Wow released 'Go Wild In The country' produced by Tench soon after you will notice the distinct similarity with the drums to the drums on my 'Iko Iko'.. 

After speaking with me, Bob immediately called Paul and confronted him. Paul admitted that The Belle Stars had indeed recorded a version of ‘Iko Iko’ and intended to release this in a few weeks. Paul went on to say that Stiff would not now be releasing their version as my version was out the following week. I did not believe them, and I was right not to believe Paul, as Stiff went on to rush release The Belle Stars version to come out on the very same day as my version.

Fortunately, my version of ‘Iko Iko’ was the favoured version being played on BBC Radio 1, and all the other main and regional radio stations up and down the country and abroad. The press had a field day - playing both myself and The Belle Stars off against each other, intimating that their was bad blood between us. This was not true at all. I did a TV show where both myself and The Belle Stars performed our own versions of ‘Iko Iko’. There was seven of them and me and my Great Dane called Fury on the same show.

I had nothing against the girls, I knew it was Stiff Records stage managing all of this. I wished the girls well with their version but my version was out selling theirs from the off.

My version went on to be the highest New Entry in the charts and the Highest Climber in the charts along with Video Of The Month.

The Belle Stars got to No.37 and then dropped out of the chart whilst I went on to have a Top Ten hit. In fact, I had several really good singles out before I released ‘Iko Iko’ in 1982 : - ‘I Can't Hold On’, ‘Strangest Feeling’, ‘Breakin' Down The Walls Of Heartache’ - all good songs which all got great reviews and responses when played at clubs but I did not get the airplay that I needed.

MW : Tell me about your new music...

NE : I have recently brought out a new album 'Somehow' and I released a single of the same name at the same time.

Music videos for 'Somehow' and 'Hook Line & Sinker, the two tracks off the album so far are on You Tube. The website has all the information on all my music, past and present, that I have released and details on how to get physical, as well as digital copies, of this music. Photos, discography etc...

www.natashaengland.co.uk

The album and single received extremely great reviews, but the problem has been getting significant airplay for this music. I feel, it’s deserving of airplay - but the powers that be - who control playlists - seem to have their own agenda. New music on independent record labels has a hard time getting airplay, plus there is ageism to overcome.

You can have the best voice, band, song in the world - but if you are trying to establish yourself, or re-establish yourself, in the music industry and you are not on a major label, it is more or less impossible, and (youthful) looks do count.

Until you get airplay you don't get heard and you don't seem to exist. That said, I will continue to write record and perform.

Keep the passion and let the love and the music play on...

© Mark Watkins / April 2019

[piracytheorist]

Some time ago, I started writing a Corpse Bride AU for Captain Swan - more specifically, in Lieutenant Duckling style. I wrote one half of a draft for the first chapter, then skipped along and wrote a full second chapter. I had a fully formed idea in my mind of where I wanted it to go, but no matter how much I tried, I couldn’t make the story much more different from the film and that discouraged me, to the point where I decided to officially give up on it. 

Before you ask, no, I’m not going to get back on it unless I manage to make a story inspired by but generally independent from the original film, which I believe has a unique and beautiful story that doesn’t deserve being copied as audaciously as this. However, I am pretty proud of the part I wrote for the second chapter, that I will share it with you for fun. It’s unbetaed, and I’m pretty sure a little bit anachronistic with its vocabulary, since it’s set in a Victorian English village and I have no idea what words they used back then, nor the want to actually research that. So here you go :)

I had named the chapter “In Sickness and in Death”.

The world was eerily quiet. Not a person seemed to notice or be bothered by the young man in a suit running like a maniac towards the forest just outside the outskirts of the village. His head was cast down and he accidentally bumped on a few pedestrians, but they really didn't seem to notice him. He kept running until he reached the beginning of the forest, where he finally slowed down and slumped his shoulders, putting his hand on his chest and breathing heavily. From shame or from exertion, he really didn't know.

He had failed. A few bloody vows and he couldn't even memorize them. He tried to take a deep breath, but found it hard with how he was still panting. He tried again and finally sighed. He rested his forehead on his palm, a creepy feeling clawing up his spine up to his neck, as if it was trying to claw in his brain as well. He knew that feeling very well. Every time he felt like he was failing something his brother once seemed such a natural at, this same feeling was creeping up on him, but he always had had his brother to steady him before. Now he was all alone, his only company being the mockingbirds, or nightingales or however those were called. He never managed to distinguish which bird was which, no matter how much time he spent in the small forest by their village.

Neither did Liam, Killian thought and a tiny smile tugged on his lips. He sighed again and looked up. The forest was one of their favourite places to spend time at, second only to the beach and open sea. He had heard of the rumours that wanted him afraid of the water after his brother's passing, and he didn't care, but he had to admit that to some extent, he actually was afraid of getting their small boat out in the open water and let the rocking of the waves soothe him, but the rumours couldn’t be farther off from the truth.

He knew that Liam wouldn't want him to stop doing this little ritual of theirs, but now it only made him feel even more lonely. Liam's absence on the boat tugged at Killian's heart both times he'd tried going out in the open, so he didn't attempt it a third time. He kept his feet on dry land and as a result, the rumours spread.

Killian sat down on a fallen log and watched as the sun slowly descended on the yet again cloudy horizon. It was rare that the weather allowed for those famous richly-coloured sunsets in their little village. He looked back to the village and thought how the colourless sunsets reflected on the general lack of colour on the house's walls, exterior or interior, before self-loathing crept up in him again.

The hard expression on Lord and Lady Swan's faces, that he'd expected. But looking back at his parents and seeing nothing but disappointment and anger drove him crazy with guilt. He never really felt his parents ever supported him in anything he did, but he'd hoped that they would at least understand. Then that lord - what was his name again? - who'd seemed to be satisfied with Killian's failure, the pastor lecturing him, and then Emma...

He sighed, remembering her face.

She'd seemed genuinely worried, as if she'd been ready to pat his arm and propose they try again. But she'd been too far away, and with four sets of eyes shooting daggers of anger and disappointment between him and her, he'd found his only sanctuary was out, out and far away from there.

He pulled on his jacket slightly and looked at the inside pocket, the stem of forget-me-nots untouched since his dress jacket was too big on him anyway. He took the stem out and looked at it as if it was his lifeline. He sighed again at how it had started to wither and lose its colour and put it back in his inside pocket.

"Hear ye, hear ye!" the bellman's voice cried from the edge of the village. Killian looked up to see him looking around.

"Rehearsal in ruins as Jones boy causes chaos!"

"Oh, for the love of God," Killian muttered. The bellman finally focused his gaze on him and stayed silent for a moment before going on with his announcement.

"Swans all fired up as Jones disaster ruins rehearsal!"

All the rumours aside, Killian had never been publicly humiliated like this before. He turned around and walked deep into the forest, so focused on his own thoughts that he didn't hear the footsteps coming closer behind him. Remembering Emma's face again, he took a deep breath.

"Oh, Emma," he sighed.

"Yes?" a voice answered a few feet behind him and he flinched, losing his balance and tripping on a root, falling down.

"Oh, dear", he heard Emma's voice as she walked to him and offered him her hand. She was wearing a simple white shirt and black riding tights and boots, her golden hair cast down. He froze, not knowing how to respond and immediately noticed that she was alone.

"Uh... lady Emma, are you-"

"Oh, Killian," she interrupted as she took his hand, helped him stand up and added, "I thought we made it clear about how we're going to address each other".

If we do get married at all, he thought and dropped his gaze. "Then, E-Emma," he said in a low voice, "how come you're a-alone outside at- at such an hour?"

"How come you are alone outside at such an hour?" she retorted back. That drew his attention and he looked back up at her, her one brow raised, her arms crossed.

"Uh..." he muttered.

She sighed and relaxed her stance. "There hasn't been a crime in this village in fourteen years. No excuse to push my luck, you could say, but I think that the chances of someone attacking you are the same as someone attacking me," she said and shrugged.

All she cared for was attackers, not gossip. He felt himself enjoying her attitude and relaxed himself, nodding and smiling slightly. "So what are you doing here?"

"Hey, you can talk without stuttering. Who would know?" Emma replied and smiled, promptly dropping her gaze and shaking her head at herself after seeing him flinch slightly at her retort. "My apologies," she added, "I guess sometimes awkwardness takes over."

"You guess?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. He was certainly feeling more relaxed now with her talking so open to him.

"Well, growing up in an aristocratic household, you learn how to handle small talk," she replied, tilting her head to the side and smiling at him. "Rarely have I been in casual conversation with anyone beyond our usual company."

The rich company, he thought and nodded. "I can imagine," he replied and smiled back. Emma took a step toward him and, seeing that he didn't pull away from her, placed her hand on his elbow. Killian looked at her hand, then up at her, smile fading.

She huffed. "We're as good as engaged right now. And I doubt we'll have any watchers other than the sparrows anyway," she said and tugged slightly at his arm, encouraging him to place it in front of him so they could walk arm-in-arm. Sparrows, he thought and smiled.

They walked silently along the forest, listening to the birds chirping and the twigs and leaves rustling in the wind. Killian noticed how Emma walked comfortably on the uneven forest floor in her riding boots, as comfortably as in the strict rules befitting her aristocratic environment.

He also noticed that under her shirt, she wasn't wearing a corset. He went immediately red upon this and cast his gaze down, something that didn't go unnoticed by Emma. He heard her chuckle slightly as she tapped his elbow with her free hand.

"You do sing beautifully," she said finally.

"Thank you. I do feel slightly guilty for singing like this, out in the open like-"

"No-one ever sings in my house," she interrupted him. "My grandmother used to, the piano in the main hall belonged to her and she would play sometimes, but since she passed, there's been an eerie silence around the house. My mother says that music is not appropriate for a young woman of my class," she added, looking nowhere.

"I'm sorry," Killian replied.

"So, I would like to thank you for doing this. Besides the few times in our theater, the only times I've been able to listen to music is in the church, and I sometimes I don't even understand what the hymns talk about."

Killian chuckled. He remembered how insistent his director was when it came to enunciation, and how easily the chorists forgot his instructions. "I used to sing in the church, you know," he said.

"Why did you stop?"

"Eh, well... many reasons," he said simply and smiled nervously. Emma turned to him and nudged him slightly with her arm.

"First, my voice started breaking. My brother kept telling me it was normal and that he had the same problem when he was my age, but I didn't feel confident singing anymore. And listening to him singing," he sighed before adding, "didn't really help. I was jealous with how... vibrant and secure his voice always sounded," he said, looking up. Emma was listening to him carefully.

"Funny. I could say the same with your voice now," she said.

Killian looked back at her. "To be honest, I didn't expect it to come out so secure. I haven't actually sang in months, and that aria wasn't an easy piece."

"But you did it."

Killian blushed and dropped his gaze. "There's no need for compliments, Emma. They won't help me not ruin the ceremony."

"No, because your insecurities got the best of you at the rehearsal," she said and stopped on her tracks, softly removing her arm from around his. Killian turned to face her and looked at her. He opened his mouth to speak but his mind didn't seem eager to form any sentence.

"I don't think you're incapable of memorizing a few simple vows, Killian," she added. "But I do think whatever image you have about yourself hinders this simple procedure."

"How would you know about what image I have for myself?" he asked, failing to hide how upset her words made him. Not because he felt she was insulting him, but because he felt like she saw right through him.

"I told you, the meaning of marriage is of little importance to me. And yet you shiver like a leaf simply by standing next to me, as if you feel threatened by me."

Killian swallowed hard and looked the other way.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. That didn't sound the way I wanted it to sound. What I meant is," she said, raising her hands towards him, "is that if we're to be married, I don't want you to feel like you don't belong with me."

"Why would you care about that?" he said, feeling his shoulders tense.

"Because that's how everyone has been acting around me my whole life!" she replied exasperatedly. "I'm tired of people making assumptions of me because I was born in the family I was born in, I'm tired of people spreading gossip around as if their lives depend on it." She took a breath and rubbed her forehead before adding, "Look, I was as nervous as you were this evening. I was afraid we wouldn't like each other. I've heard rumours about you and your family and even though I didn't want to believe any of them, I can't say that they had absolutely no effect on me."

Killian felt his shoulders relax a little at her honesty. He felt bad for upsetting her but she wasn't exactly gentle with him either. "What rumours?" he asked.

"About your parents, how they... how they reacted to your brother's fate," she said, lowering her eyes.

Killian raised his eyebrows. "If you heard that they reacted cold as death to it, you heard right," he spat and his eyes went immediately wide as he realized what he'd just said. He looked up at her and promptly turned his gaze away, nervously rubbing his hands together.

"I'm sorry, Killian. That must have been hard for you."

"No, that... that was inappropriate of me. I'm sure they just didn't want to-"

"My father was happy when my grandmother, his own mother, passed away," she interrupted him. "Not to mention my mother's reaction," she added, shaking her head. "They never approved of her taking me out with her, of her teaching me music, of her doing 'inappropriate' things for a lady of my age," she sighed. "So if you're angry with your parents, you won’t need to hide it from me," she finished, looking back at him.

He was surprised by her honesty. Usually the women he met were silent and only spoke to compliment his looks. He felt a knot in his stomach seeing Emma talk to him so easily and so open, and he was surprised to feel glad she did. He smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry about your grandmother. She sounds like she was a great person," he offered.

"Well, I've accepted she's gone. I miss her sometimes but she did have a good, long life."

Killian nodded and kept his distance from her. He was now sure he enjoyed her company but he didn't know if she felt the same for him. Finally, she raised her gaze towards him and gave him a shy smile.

"Can I ask for one more rumour?" she asked.

He shrugged.

"Are you afraid of the water?" she asked, noticing that they've walked too far away from the waterside.

He huffed. "Oh, no, not at all. I've no reason to," he answered.

"Pardon me if that's inappropriate, but I was just wondering about how you... see the world after your brother-"

"I loved my brother. After a certain point in my life I believed he was the only one who truly cared for me, and I for him," he shared. "He always said I'd be a great sailor in the Navy. My family could only afford his enlistment at that time so he left to see the world. The few times he came back from his travels, he was always full of new stories and experiences he wanted to share. Before he left for his final journey, he told me that he wanted me to experience all that with him. He would come back with enough money for our parents so that I could enlist in the Navy with him. But he never came back." Killian looked toward the exit of the forest.

Emma didn't say anything. She was simply listening to him.

"I'm not afraid of the water. I'm not reluctant to travel and see new places. I simply feel that it won't be the same without my brother. We used to take our wee boat and row out in the open and wish we'd had the strength to row all south to France and explore the world on our own. We were mere lads then, but our dreams didn't falter as we aged. Liam would talk to people and find us places to sleep and eat, and I would plan the journeys using maps and the stars. We had everything planned out..." his voice faltered and took a deep breath. Emma placed her hand on his arm and nodded at him, and he appreciated her silence. He'd grown tired of people giving him swallow words and condolences, promises that his brother was in a better place, that this was God's will...

He shook his head. "I was partly intoxicated when my father so proudly announced that I was to wed a 'beautiful young woman, a wife many wish they had'," he added, mocking his father's voice. "Nobody in my family had ever had an arranged marriage. They saw it as a feast to behold."

Emma chuckled slightly, wrapped her arm around his again and prompted him to walk back towards the village. "I don't think there's been one person in my family's history who hasn't had an arranged marriage."

"You have a big family?"

"No. Not even aunts and uncles. But I had to learn all about my lineage when I was little. Every marriage, every child, for generations before me. It's all about class, my mother kept telling me."

"They must have been disappointed they resorted to joining our families."

Emma looked up at him and blushed. She was holding something back.

"You can tell me," he offered. "It won't be as harsh coming from you,” he said.

"Coming from me?" she asked and looked back at him, eyebrows raised and a soft smile tugging at her lips.

Killian huffed nervously and raised his free hand to scratch behind his ear. He smiled at her, his eyes dancing nervously.

She chuckled lightly and looked ahead. "They were. They never insulted you directly, but they certainly weren't happy we were 'resorting' to this," she said mockingly.

"I think I met all their expectations at the rehearsal," he said, his voice low.

"Who cares?" she said and he felt her shrug. "You're not marrying them."

"Emma, are we... are we still to be married?" he asked and stopped on his track, causing her to turn and face him.

"You don't want to?"

Killian opened his mouth to answer, but his voice failed him.

"No, no, I'm sorry, wrong question," she added. Killian pulled his arm free and rubbed behind his neck. Great. The nervousness was back. She sighed.

"Look, I was just... hopeful, is that wrong? When you sang so freely and passionately, you reminded me of my grandmother, and when you were so nervous around me you reminded me of how I've been acting towards my parents for a long time. I came here because I wanted to give you a second chance, to give us the opportunity we weren't given when our parents decided to marry us. I wasn't disappointed that you forgot your vows, but I am disappointed that you keep punishing yourself for this."

Killian lowered his gaze and turned it away from her.

"Really, you don't have to," she added in a soft voice. That got his attention and he looked back at her. She was looking at him but was nervously rubbing her hands together.

"After my grandmother passed, I was trying to appease my parents, no matter their expectations. I wore my corsets and did my French lessons, I knitted and learned how to walk with books on my head. And I cried in my bed because I never wanted to do any of those," she sighed heavily and kept looking at him. "That was when I thought that I couldn't meet my own parents' expectations, and me being married wouldn't release me from those. So I did my French lessons and I chose to learn about that country's history. Did you know they had a king who abdicated a few minutes after receiving his title? I did what I had to do and seized the opportunity to do even more with what I had." She paused for a few seconds, looking at him as he kept paying close attention to her words.

"I was trying to pull away from my parents' strict rules of... living, by God. They never found out. They don't even know I'm here."

"I guessed so," he said softly, smiling at her rebellious spirit. If she got caught sneaking out like this, all alone, she would be severely punished. And she was trusting him with that. "I really appreciate you coming, Emma. I didn't think I deserved-"

"Oh, shut up," she cut him off, and he widened his eyes at her language, more in pleasant surprise than disgust. "If you use the word 'deserve' one more time in front of me, I swear to God I'll call off the wedding. And trust me, Killian, I've spent all my days since our parents decided wishing I could actually just call of the wedding, but right before I left I told them we should wait for you," she went on confidently, without pausing for a second.

Killian felt his chest swell with her words. She wanted to give him a chance, and he was just running off, sulking in his self-disgust. His lips formed a smile almost without him noticing, and he needed to take a deep breath in order to form the words he wanted to say.

“Thank you,” he finally said, but it only came out as a whisper.

"Don't thank me, Killian. I was just taking a walk outside."

"Without your parents' permission," he retorted, raising an eyebrow and surprising himself with how easily he could talk to her like this.

She smiled. "You can thank yourself later, when you've finally worked up the courage to do whatever your heart tells you to do."

Again, he felt his chest tighten. She didn't say what he should do.

"Until then, I think I'll need to get back soon, before my parents actually notice my absence. We couldn't afford any trouble now."

"Any more trouble," he added.

She nodded lightly. "You're not obliged to do anything. And if you wish to step back, well, I don't think my parents will have any trouble finding me another groom," she said, looking straight at him, as she fiddled with her hands.

He wanted to reply to that immediately, say how much he doesn't want to step back, especially not after this conversation they've just had, but for some reason these honest words got stuck in his throat, and he momentarily found himself unable to speak, so he simply stayed silent.

"In any case, I'm pretty sure I'll see you around. It's a small village after all and, I may come by your market and buy some good fish. Your parents' reputation seems to have been fairly won."

He found himself shivering at the thought, as he considered her words a near threat. He already felt his heart beat faster the more he stayed with her, and he still had the chance to marry her now. If he dropped that chance and she kept coming by the shop, he knew he wouldn't help hating himself even more for rejecting her.

"I'll- I'll see you around then, Emma," he said finally, his throat suddenly dry. He cleared it and she nodded, turning around and starting to pace behind towards the village, fast but gracefully.

When she was out of earsight, he let go of a deep breath and the "Oh, God" he was keeping in for so long now. She'd sought him out, consciously chose to do so when everyone else, even his own parents, had practically written him off. And with her words, the tiny feeling of pride slowly towered over his fear that she'd sought him out of pity. He was already taken by her beauty, her grace, her mind, the way she spoke to him, all in the first minutes of their meeting before her mother interrupted them.

And now he felt all nervous, his stomach in knots, his hands itching, the impulse to run after her and hold her in his arms fought only by his lingering shame. He had to do this right. He would - could - memorize his vows, come back before night fell completely, and marry her lawfully and respectfully. He thought that she wanted it, and his lips formed a smile he didn't think he'd smiled for a very long time. He took a deep breath and faced away from the village.

"With this hand," he said loudly and raised his right one, "I will lift your wine." He groaned. "No, no, that's not it," he muttered to himself and brushed his fingers through his now slightly disheveled hair. He breathed deep again and straightened his pose.

"With this candle, I will be your..." he sighed again. "Focus, Killian," he breathed. He looked straight ahead, expression set, and imagined Liam sitting on the tree stump in front of him and teasing him. What would he say now?

Killian pouted mockingly and repeated to himself, "Hand - sorrows, cup - wine, candle - fire - no! Oh, Lord..." he rubbed his forehead with his palm. He imagined Liam shaking his head at him. Right now he would stand up, put his arm around his shoulders, and whisper with him, "Hand - sorrows, cup - wine, candle - light, ring - mine." Killian said the words effortlessly and allowed himself to smile. He pulled the ring from his inside pocket, taking a glimpse of the flowers in the same pocket and lifted his head up.

"With this hand, I will lift your sorrows!" he said triumphantly, raising his right hand.

"Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine," he went on, taking a slight bow.

He turned to a tree and snapped off a small dry twig. Acting as if it was an actual candle, he moved it around, continuing in the same rhythm and passion, "With this candle, I will light your way in darkness."

Finally, he knelt by a twig protruding almost vertically from the earth that was breaking in a few smaller twigs at the end. "With this ring," he said, lifting up the ring he held between his fingers, "I ask you to be mine," he finished, putting the ring on a small twig that looked eerily similar to a finger.

He breathed out happily. He was ready. He lowered his gaze, thinking about how he actually managed to fight off his fears, but snapped his head back when he heard the sudden caw of a crow behind him. He turned to the direction of the sound and was surprised to see a full herd of crows resting on the nearby trees all around him. Those were crows, he was certain of it, and more and more of them were starting to caw.

Suddenly, he registered how dark it had gotten and how deep in the forest he'd gone, and decided it was time to go back, trying to ignore the shudder running up his spine. He turned back to retrieve the ring from the twig, but froze in place as he saw that in the twig's place was now a fully formed arm and hand, unmoving, the ring still on its now ring finger.

He tried to breathe. In and out. He was clearly tired and stressed out. The occasional scary stories he’d heard might have affected him, so he rubbed his eyes and looked again, certain he would see the twig again. To his horror, the hand was still there, looking frozen and a bright blue in colour. He looked around. Was he dreaming? He shook his head and simply moved his hand towards the... whatever that was, about to pull the ring off and run off back to the village.

But the very moment he touched it, the hand came to life and grabbed his arm in a strong grip. Killian shrieked and pulled back, but the hold was too steady and too rigid, almost hurting him. He screamed again, trying to pull the hand away with his free hand, and he noticed that the more he pulled, the ground where the arm was disappearing into was starting to crack. He whimpered softly and started plucking at the fingers around his arm, one, two, three, and it finally slid off his arm as he fell backwards. He stared in horror as another arm appeared from the ground right next to the first one - a right hand, this time.

Slowly, a woman's figure buried itself out of the ground, its long arms a vivid blue colour, its body covered in a white dress, a white... veil covering her face. A veil. As he finally managed to move his hands to support more of his weight, he took a better look at the figure's attire. It was a wedding dress. Smeared with mud and a few pieces missing from the fabric, but it was clearly a wedding dress. The figure stayed unmoving for a few seconds as he collected his bearings and sat up, until she raised her right hand to lift the veil from her face. It was indeed, an almost normal-looking woman.

Almost, because her face shone blue in the moonlight, and two silver spots flashed in her eyes as she opened them. She took a breath and looked at his frozen again at the sight self.

"I do," she whispered, smiling.

That seemed to help him come to. He clumsily stood on his feet and started running towards the village. The crows, which hadn't yet stopped cawing, started flying around, some of them bumping into him or blocking his view. He screamed as he ran and ran in the forest, hoping his sense was right and he'd taken the right direction. He dared a look back, and saw the figure almost float to him, her left hand raised towards him. He cried out again and kept running, almost looking down in fear of what else may appear in front of him.

Finally, finally, he reached the end of the woods. He stopped long before the entrance of the village, and turned towards the forest, panting. It had gone dark, an almost full moon shining over him as the silence informed him that the hunt was over. Slightly shaking, he looked from one edge of the forest to the other, waiting for any alarming sound. The crows had stopped, the only sound left the crickets and the waves nearby beyond the rocks. He took a few more steady breaths and allowed himself to relax a little, but not to sigh yet. He took a deeper breath and turned around.

His breath was cut as he found himself face to face with the bride-figure. She was expressionless, her silver eyes wide and bright red lips closed. He only registered the sound of the crows flying closer and closer around them and managed to take a half step behind, his gaze still frozen on her, as she put her hands on his shoulders. She leaned in towards him.

"You may kiss the bride," she whispered and he watched helpless as she closed her eyes and leaned even closer to his face.

He passed out as the crows completely surrounded them, blocking all light away.

#Captain Swan #cs ff #piracytheorist writes

[dragonydreams]

Waverider Book Club - Team!Legends, Captain Canary

Title: Waverider Book Club Fandom: DC's Legends of Tomorrow Rating: G Pairings/Characters: Sara Lance/Leonard Snart, Team Legends Summary: Between missions, the team of the Waverider has a book club. Timeline: Early season two, after Amaya officially joins the team. Word Count: 1,256 Disclaimer: I claim no ownership over these characters. I am merely borrowing them from Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg and Phil Klemmer. Betas: Thank you to angelskuuipo and shanachie_quill for looking this over for me. Author's Note 1: This came about because I randomly said to the Legends Crew, "Book club on the Waverider. Has this been done?" This is what came out of that discussion and is dedicated to all of you. Author's Note 2: Leonard didn't die at the Oculus.

After it was agreed that Amaya and Nate would stay on the Waverider for the foreseeable future, Sara gathered the team together in Rip's study.

Once everyone was settled, Sara turned to the new team members. "Okay, now that you're going to be staying for a while, there's something very important we need to discuss."

"Is this where we get the rules of the ship?" Nate asked, a joking tone to his voice.

"Not exactly," Sara said. "We need to know what books you want to recommend for the book club."

"Excuse me?" Amaya exclaimed. "Did you say 'book club'?"

"A book club is a group of people who get together once a month after having all read the same book to discuss it," Ray helpfully supplied.

"I know what a book club is," Amaya said. "I was surprised that you all participated in one. Together."

"Why's that?" Jax asked. "You think we're too dumb to read?"

Nate and Amaya couldn't help glancing at Mick.

"What? I read," he said, offended. Quieter, he added, "Not much else to do in prison."

"It's thoughts like that that actually started the club," Leonard said.

"Now this is a story I've gotta hear," Nate said, making himself comfortable.

"I guess it's kinda my fault," Ray admitted with a blush. "One day, in between missions, I happened upon Leonard reading a collection of Sherlock Holmes novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I'd commented that it seemed out of character for a thief to be reading about the world's smartest detective."

"I asked if he'd ever actually read the stories, and of course he hadn't," Leonard added. "So I challenged him to do so."

"Jax heard us discussing the stories after I finished them," Ray said, picking up the story again.

"I was curious about a book that those two could agree on, so I read it too, and it kinda spread from there," Jax concluded. "Everyone else read it and then we decided to see what other books we all thought we should read."

"We read The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger as Rip's suggestion," Sara said.

"I have not heard of that one, but from what you've told me of him the title sounds fitting," Amaya commented.

"I'm afraid most of the books were probably published after your time," Martin said.

"I'd suggested To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee for Sara--" Jax said, grinning, but was interrupted by Leonard. "To which I asked if he even knew what that book was about."

"No, but it has the words 'kill' and 'bird' in the title," Jax admitted.

"So which book did you pick?" Amaya asked Sara.

Sara smirked. "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith."

"Senseless ruin of a classic," Martin grumbled with a shudder, not for the first time.

"Oh, so it's based on the Jane Austen book?" Amaya asked. "I have read that one."

"So did we," Ray said. "Some members of the team have a thing about zom--"

"Don't say it," Martin cut in.

"My original choice was going to be The Princess Bride by William Goldman, but Leonard beat me to it," Sara said.

"You chose a book with princess in the title?" Amaya asked curiously. "That's not a bit...girly?"

"First of all, it has poison and sword fights and battles of wit. Not. Girly," Leonard defended. "Secondly, it was written after your time, so don't go judging a book by its title. It was a favorite of my sister's and something everyone should read, even if they've already seen the movie." Secretly, Leonard had been happy that he and Sara had chosen the same book, as he enjoyed sharing something with both Sara and his sister; the two most important women in his life.

"I'm curious about what Mick picked," Nate said.

"Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, of course," Mick said, taking a swig from his beer.

"I suppose that shouldn't surprise me, and yet it does," Nate commented.

"Why? It's about fire and not conforming to laws meant to keep you in check," Mick said. "What's not to like?"

"Kendra made us read a love story about a couple that reincarnates called My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares," Sara said, wrinkling her nose. "It was like reading about her life, minus Vandal Savage trying to get in her pants."

"We followed that up with a piece of professional fan fiction," Leonard drawled.

"It wasn't fan fiction," Ray objected, in what sounded like a familiar argument.

"It was a story written about a television show by someone who didn't write for the show," Leonard said. "Sounds like fan fiction to me."

"What was this fan fiction?" Amaya asked.

"The book was The Resurrection Casket by Justin Richards," Ray answered. "It's a novel based on the show Doctor Who, which is about a Time Lord who travels through time in his T.A.R.D.I.S., that is, his spaceship, with his companions, having adventures and stopping alien threats."

"Didn't you destroy the Time Lords?" Nate asked.

"Those were Time Masters," Mick said. "Totally different."

Not wanting to start the familiar fan fiction debate again, Martin offered, "After having met young Bertie, I selected The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells. That was always a favorite of mine."

"I guess that just leaves Jax," Nate said.

"Harry Potter, of course," Jax said, beaming.

"Why of course?" Amaya asked.

"It's the most popular series of my generation," Jax told her.

"About wizards," Stein added.

"Trust me, it's about so much more than wizards," Jax said. "I mean, yeah, they're wizards, but it's about good versus evil, too."

"I admit that I nearly skipped reading it, but Jefferson insisted upon calling me Dumbledore until I gave in. I'm rather glad that I did," he admitted, smiling fondly at Jax, now knowing how much respect and affection his counterpart was conveying by calling him that.

"We were about to start picking a new set of books to read based on our favorite time periods we visited, but now that you're here, we can read your favorites first," Sara said.

"I wanted to read Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton," Mick grumbled.

"No way!" Ray loudly objected. "How can you even suggest that after what that tyrannosaurus rex nearly did to me?"

"Why do you think I want to read it?" Mick responded, smirking. "That or The Crucible by Arthur Miller." He winked at Sara.

Sara smirked. "Been there, done that. My way was much more fun."

"Until you were almost hanged," Nate pointed out.

"Worth it," Sara replied with a shrug. "So what books are you bringing to the group?"

Lightly touching her totem, Amaya said, "I will recommend The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling."

"Les Misérables by Victor Hugo," Nate suggested.

"Like the musical?" Mick asked, frowning.

"It's the novel the musical was based on," Nate confirmed.

"Dude, isn't that like two thousand pages?" Jax spluttered.

Nate nodded. "And worth every single word."

"We'll start with the animal book," Sara decided, "and work our way up to the really long one." Tipping her head towards the ceiling, she said, "Gideon, please print up eight copies of The Jungle Book and Les Misérables."

"They will be waiting in the fabrication room," Gideon answered.

"Woah, your ship can print any book?" Nate asked.

Sara grinned and nodded. "Yup."

"I think I'm in love," Nate mused.

The rest of the team laughed and trudged towards the fabrication room to pick up their new books.

The End

#legends of tomorrow #legends of tomorrow fic #captain canary #legends crew

[michaelssw0rd]

HAHA YES WILL DO: Rinch, (1) most creative with gifts and (2) earliest riser. :)

Rinch + Most creative with gifts(I regretably spent far far too long imagining way too many gift giving scenarios though. here are a few. Spoiler alert: they are both a tiny bit of a disaster at it)

“Happy Birthday Mr. Reese,” Harold smiles, as he rummagesinto his pocket and takes out a small black box.

John doesn’t need to open it to know it contains a key.After four years, this is getting pretty predictable.

“You bought me a house? Again?” He sighs in fakedisapproval.

“A villa this time. In Positano, Italy.”

“I still haven’t even visited the one you bought me lasttime. In Paris.”

“Well it’s hardly my fault that you don’t take anyvacations,” Harold huffs.

“I think it’s definitely your fault; Harold,” he sayspointedly. Harold ponders over it for a moment than shrugs admitting defeat.

“It’s beautiful though. It’s spacious and overlooks the seafrom the balcony. You will love it,” Harold justifies, in a small hopefulvoice.

John’s heart melts and he gets up, kisses Finch on hisforehead and then wraps his hands around him, speaking into his hair, “Thankyou.”

Harold sighs a happy sigh, murmuring, “you are very welcome,my Dear John,” into his chest.

“Seriously though, what am I going to do with all thesehouses?”

“I don’t know,” Harold hedges, “I was hoping someday, we canretire, and then take a long trip around the world. They will come handy then.”

John closes his eyes, overcome with emotion, and tightenshis arms around the man. He swallows around the immense weight of the words.Harold wasn’t just buying him property across the world. He was buying him retirement plans.

“Thank you,” he murmurs again,and Harold just nods, understanding what he wasn’t saying.

John looks at the Number from the sidewalk, who is sittingin the café enjoying his cup of coffee and shifts from one foot to another,contemplating.

He is sure that nothing bad would happen if he just duckedinto the store in front of him for two minutes. He hasn’t been in this part ofthe city before and this is basically tradition. Making a decision he entersthe shop, and locates the classics section he is now expert a t finding.

John’s smile brightens when he spots what he is looking for,“To kill a mockingbird” by Harper Lee. Even better: this one has a differentcover too. As he pays for it at the counter he grins at what always happens,and would probably happen this time too.

Harold would be havinga remarkably snarky day, and John would just be like “oh wait, I got somethingfor you,” and go get the book from wherever he would’ve stored it this time.Harold is going to try very hard to suppress the smile, and roll his eyessaying, “you know the book isn’t about killing a bird right?” John is going topretend to be shocked all over again, and then just being like, “Oh well, sinceI have bought it already.” Harold would let out an exasperated sigh and would pickup the book and put it on a shelf at the back.

They have two whole rows ofdifferent copies of ‘To kill a mockingbird’ by now.

“Harold, did you…” he is speechless as he looks at theopened gift box in front of him, “you bought me a gun?” He closes his eyes andshakes his head, but the gun is still there, real.

“Well, it’s our anniversary. I wanted to get you somethingyou would like.”

“You bought me a gun,” He repeats, stunned.

“It’s not strictly legal. In fact, people aren’t evenallowed to know it exists, but I pulled some strings…” Harold starts rambling,anxious.

“Finch,” John looks up, wonder and love in his eyes, “youbought me a gun!”

Harold looks at him for asecond, and then shakes his head saying, “oh do stop being ridiculous,” beforekissing John soundly and making him forget about the gun for a while.

“Happy Birthday Finch,” John calls out when he enters thelibrary, carrying a gift bag.

“It’s not my birthday today Mr. Reese,” Finch grouses.

“One of these days, I will guess it right,” he promises, andthen bends down to kiss his partner on his cheek, “but today, let’s pretend itis.”

Finch sighs and turns away from the table, facing him. “Let’shave it then, which one is it this time.”

John grins, “A cuckoo.”

“I don’t have an alias by that bird name.”

“Well, don’t you think it’s time you do?” John is enjoyinghimself far too much.

“Is it a shirt? Socks? Please tell me you didn’t bring mebird undergarments,” Finch pinches the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

“What if I did?”

“You do realize I have an entire drawer in my closet withbird related clothing, don’t you?”

“I like to think they help youget into character,” John laughs at the appalled look on Harold’s face. Rilingup the man never got old.

Bonus:

“Joss,” John calls her in the middle of lunch break, anurgent tone in his voice. “Are you busy?”

Carter looks a little morosely at her half eaten food andgets up from the table to go to a side answering, “No. I have time. What’s theproblem?”

John sighs on the other end of the call, breathing a “ThankGod,” and she is suddenly concerned.

“Is something wrong, John?”

“Um, so it’s Christmas next week,” he starts, and thenstops.

“Yeah. And?”

“And I haven’t bought Harold a gift yet,” he complains inthe most miserable of voices. Carter glances back at her lunch and clenches herteeth.

“And what exactly did you want me to do with thatinformation?”

“Help,” John begs, “Please help. Girls are supposed to be goodat this sort of thing.”

Fusco motions her from the corner of her eye, telling herthey gotta go. She says in the phone irritably, “I don’t know. Just wrapyourself up as a gift and he will completely approve. I have to go now. Somepeople are actually dealing with emergencies.”

“Wrap myself… are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Yeah, I am sure,” she answers, distractedly, as she nods ather partner and makes her way towards him, “call me when you have some actual work for me.”

“Thanks Joss. I owe you,” she hears John says happily fromthe other side, before breaking the connection.

It was on the Christmas Eve, that she remembers her conversationwith the John. Laughing helplessly, she hopes they are having fun.

#rinch fanfic #idinink #rinch #person of interest #i am going to do earliest riser too #but like in a while #as a seperate post #because this felt pretty complete to me #also wow i do write LONG AND WINDING SCENARIOS #look at this fluff #my fics