#red fronted macaw

[southernsnowdogs]

They would be so cute up here if they weren’t also trying to destroy my windows.

#birds #macaw #parrot #red fronted macaw #cherry headed conure

[sketchbook-rose]

#red fronted macaw #ara rubrogenys #sketchbook rose #my art #colored pencil #image desc in alt text

[rowanthestrange]

The Master And Margarita Jacket

(Matthew Sweet’s Doctor Who version…but with a frisson of Bulgakov’s)

It’s done! With every bit of unphotographical glittery metallic paint that I can’t capture on camera even if my iphone skills weren’t rubbish.

@spoonietimelordy, @rearranging-deck-chairs, @bearinabandana and everyone else who Did The Reading of that one ‘I Am The Master’ novel but I’ve forgotten to tag because i’m so sleep deprived i can’t think any more but hopefully other people will, assemble!

Detailed closeups and explanations (with some spoilers) below:

Starting front top right side (face on). -Margarita herself, biting a mushroom. A more Cockatoo beak than Macaw, with red face instead of white, to make what exactly she is more mysterious. -The Master Who logo here is just gold, any shading didn’t look right when it was so thin.

Front top right pocket. Purple, of course.

-Next section down are these three. The ‘Never Stop Growing’ patch is my second favourite patch of the bunch. So many Master Themes, and plot relevant. -Then the little ‘Best Buds’ with the heart in the middle. I was inordinately proud of that idea. (Buds, budding, bigenerated vibe). -And then ‘Obscene Lotus’. That’s mentioned early in the book, and while it’s just described as a big purplish lotus, there’s so much sexual charging in that scene that, well, you gotta.

Me, reusing the ‘budding’ pun in a different capacity? It’s more likely than you think.

-The cover of the Penguin Clothbound Classic version of the original The Master And Margarita, that took multiple days to complete and so much agony. -The patch is a blank one that I bought, then painted the design to look like one of those stamps people sometimes put in books. Painted the border the same colour, then tea-stained it to look like old paper. Certainly in real life the colour comes out nicely. I couldn’t find his autograph (and sadly there’s an unrelated artist with the same name lol) but he got his doctorate in Wilkie Collins so I just looked up examples of that guy’s writing and tried to give it a bit of that vibe. Hopefully it’s the thought that counts. But hey, if anyone ever meets him and gets me a signature sample I can just redo it.

General mushroom patch - I like the fire kind of vibe and the looming.

To the other side!

So. You’re asking what’s with the daisy theme. Fair. So Margarita is also another name for a daisy in some languages. I choose to lean into that because it’s also the widely known symbol of Three - with that scene where he talks to Jo and recounts how a hermit living on a mountain helped dispel his depression by getting him to focus on the beauty of the flower (“and it was the most daisiest daisy”). Given that Three is essentially a character in the book, this felt like the vibe we’re going for. It’s perennial. It also is a healer of bruises and wounds, how can that not be relevant meta wise too to the Master’s new companion, hm? And okay yes, Mikhail does say he’s not a botanist, but if you can think of another way to get that message across other than botanical illustration page…

I like the patch because lightbulb, idea, full of mushrooms etc.

-‘I Am The Master’ being the name of the book the story is contained in, plus Fun With Identity. -Next the one bit of Real Art that I attempted to copy in glittery acrylics - Magritte’s ‘The Treachery Of Images’ or more commonly known ‘Ceci n’est pas une pipe’. The story not only of the Master’s experiences recently, but the story’s themes of hallucinations and deceptions; as well as being the symbol of Russian!Brigadier. -This patch is great isn’t it? A play on the Master’s apparent alcoholism or Russian blending in as you prefer, and of course, The Lighthouse of Martin!Doctor fame.

-Mikhail’s guitar for playing Brown Sugar and other ominous inference songs. -The formula triangle of Love, Food, and Music (I couldn’t think of a self-evident way to show his approach to food - Russian dumplings are, well, not exactly distinct). On its side so the glittery pink triangle points in a certain direction because he’s escaped places and I can do ominous inferences too Sweet. -Maybe controversial? There is a failed love story component in here though, that I just couldn’t leave unmarked. The Doctor, K’vo, and Jo all have their parts to play in that.

Now for the arms:

Here’s the right-side looking-on arm. -I repainted this mushroom patch to be the orange and green of K’vo’s. -You’ve already seen the long image of it above, so here’s just a snippet closeup of the motif that goes along both arms. Daisies linked in a chain with the words ‘daisiest daisy’ (if you wonder why everything’s outlined by the way, a) i like the style, and b) it makes glitter infinitely more legible and clearer to see if there’s a dark matt border around it breaking it up, especially with something as variable coloured as denim). There’s the sunflower in the middle because Margarita loves her sunflower seeds.

This is the other arm. Margarita holding a margarita in a margarita. What’s more to add? I used my shittest white (mixed with my fabric medium as everything else has been at every step) rather than @yesokayiknow’s excellent suggestion of Liquitex, which has saved me everywhere else, including those light patches. But here shitty kids basics acrylic is translucent enough to do some excellent work pretending to be glass and ice. The parrot patch has been altered to make the beak entirely black and her face red instead of macaw white, to keep her species ambiguous as literary theme demands.

To the back!

This Master Who logo is bigger, so it has the Master’s purple highlights like bruising.

Here is a small UNIT patch I modified to be a Russian one, globe focused on their continent (roughly). Sweet just translated the word ‘unit’ for Russian!Brigadier’s group, and the text is the re-cyrilliced version of that.

Skipping to the bottom…

Here referencing O’s collection of Doctor Information, Sweet adding to that with having distinct scrapbooks. ‘Manuscripts Don’t Burn’ is a line from Bulgakov’s The Master And Margarita (spoken by Satan in fact, mhmm) and became something of a rallying cry for oppressed Russian artists. I have ‘Author Unknown’ for the obvious meta with his and the Doctor’s memories, and likewise, the fact that flames are clearly present and burning lets the viewer come to whatever conclusion they like. #133 was chosen for the simple fact that in my copy of Bulgakov’s novel, and the one depicted on the front of the jacket, it is page 133 which starts the chapter The Hero Enters, where we meet The Master who has renounced all other names (who is very much, as Interference notes, the Doctor). They are glitter paint titles done on Hemline repair patches, black, brown, white, and navy blue. I know anything too painty on that area of the back will risk a lot of wear, and these are easily replaced when necessary (if still hours of lettering).

To the left most side…

This was the most expensive patch I bought, £12. But worth it. The mushroom stalk is silk.

Here I depicted in silhouette the scene of the Master climbing up to the Doctor on the giant mushroom. I chose silhouette so as not to draw the eye too much. I also added some 2ply black-black glitter cotton as part of his climbing equipment, attached on by some silver stitches for the…things I can’t remember the name of. It gives it a bit more 3D effect, but also keeps the thread close enough it shouldn’t pull on anything.

And at its base we have a reference to Mikhail’s chosen middle name. I chose to believe it’s relevant, Sweet’s too deep into this for it not to be. This is a cover I edited to highlight the namesake who actually travelled Russia and collected the tales of this book, and indeed, it does include the story of Koschei The Deathless. I edited the robe to be red instead of its original yellow, and added the quintessential Time Lord collar. But I think it’s perfectly passable. This is iron on transfer paper (dark) onto a very light grey polycotton to turn it into a patch. It…*cough* hasn’t had its edges finished or strictly been attached yet, but that’s a bit of handwork I can do as and when.

So finally back up to the middle

I’ve expanded out @spoonlesss-artbook fantastic angel-winged Margarita’s Master art. The Redbubble bag was only that big as it was (hemmed with bostik fabric glue like a true pro and attached as a panel) so it cut off a little, and it didn’t go the whole way anyway, so now we get some endings of the feathers, some all the way up to the arm of the jacket. I tried to blend it into the fire, one creature of both. And trying to get a multidimensional feel, boundary breaking. And again, very glittery irl so plays very well with the fire theme. It was fun when it came to colour-matching particularly the blue wing at the top, because the glitter gives it a bit of a sheen. I blunted it with a few careful washes of black so it still sparkles but is the right colour in most angles.

The Redbubble edit cuts @spoonietimelordy’s signature, so I copied it from the original and moved it over to the left side in some sparkly silver. Also internet doxxing my real life self on the bottom of the back as my own signature.

Doesn’t look like the sort of thing that would take weeks when you see it all together, but I’m really happy with it. I’m so grateful for everyone who’s shown their brilliant art to me and shared posts about painting all these years, cus it allowed me to absorb stuff and let me come out of the gate swinging! It feels thoroughly addictive. Even if I only know ‘use tiny brush’ for almost everything and glitter metallic is great for hiding sins. (And a ‘Ha!’ in the face of my mother keeping me away from it my whole life because of mess - I never got even a single speck on any clothes that wasn’t this jacket. I could’ve been doing this for years rather than just picking up a brush at the age of thirty-damn-one. But at least I’ve got it now).

And thanks to Matthew Sweet for feeding the worms in my brain too.

#the master and margarita #i am the master #matthew sweet #doctor who #dw fanart #the master #dhawan!master #jacket painting #mine #:) #(and you never ask a gentleman how much his patches cost)

[moonlit-dreamers]

*sighs loudly* so i Was going to draw them but turns out my own design is too difficult for me to draw. but i'll be making this post anyway bc this au has been cooking for so long i might as well!

Featherless Flight AU

aka dca avian au where these fucks r BIRDS

(disclaimer this is a sun x moon au. it also deals with heavy themes such as child abuse, death, violence, and. ya know. wutever tws come with the apocalypse (also these will not be talked about in detail in this post))

nothing robotic in them. just feathers, blood, and bones. a lot of that stuff may be lost or break throughout their story! but lemme at least tell u wut they look like (without having my own drawings OTL (i only have a ref for their faces (which im not confident of)))

a quick note for both of their designs, they r both Fully Covered in feathers, including their arms and faces (yes they have arms And wings). the only places that dont have feathers is their lower legs and hands. they have anthropomorphic legs. and their face shape is also similar to a barn owl, as shown here (ignore the lack of mouths, idk wut to give them)

suns design! he has the coloring and general design of a sun conure. hes full of bright reds and yellows, tho the green is replaced with a bit of blue. he has multiple crests around his head that fluff up similar to a cockatiel but theyre in a way that make it look like rays. in the drawing above is wut they look like without their crests raised; that is their default. suns feet r grasping feet which r 2 toes in the front and 2 in the back. sun has high speed wings so aes a lot faster. (if u dont know wut any of this means i recommend u look it up, im a bird nerd) sun is also specifically an omnivore (them having different diets is actually plot relevant)

moons design next. moon is the color of a hyacinth macaw tho his anatomy is closer to an owl. he has one large crest on his head like a cockatoo. its also colorblind! since its anatomy is based mainly off of owls, for moons ability to see at night means he can see less colors. and bc hes more sensitive at night his eyes r always half closed in light, making it look sleepy despite being fully awake. moon has raptor feet with 3 toes in the front and 1 in the back. xis claws r also much larger than suns. moon has passive soaring wings which is better for longer flights. and moon is a carnivore :)

theres also an eclipse but their design is an enigma to me even in my own mind

but back to sun and moon! if anyone is curious moon uses he/it/xe pronouns while sun uses he/it/ae pronouns. they r both aroace and love each other deeply (qpr babyyyyy). sun is genderfluid while moon doesnt give a shit (agender).

sun is more bubbly and energetic. very much high energy bouncing off the walls. hes the kind of optimist where u cant tell if their "bright side"s r trying to help or be condescending. its a master at back handed compliments. heavily a perfectionist and will reach the point of screaming fits if wut he doesnt isnt perfect. ae has a lot of self image issues. ae hides a lot of aers lack of self confidence and doubt behind a wall of "im the best", tho that wall can crash very easily. a bit of a flirt, but mainly bc he just enjoys seeing how ppl react. he takes compliments from everyone but moons compliments r always the best

moon is lower energy and calmer. at least, he acts like it. hes more reserved and if it wasnt for sun he wouldnt have any friends or talk to ppl at all. he fears abandonment and sun is the only person who has stayed with him this whole time and is the only person he truly trusts. is very aggressive towards anyone it doesnt know. despite being shorter than sun (hes 6ft while sun is 7ft) it definitely does a good job at intimidating ppl. over time when xe becomes comfortable with someone xe will eventually calm down and show a bit of a softer side to them. when xes actually calm and likes someone xe can be a bit... chaotic :)

im honestly not sure where ill start their story since ive already thought about their childhood but i also wanna write about their adulthood as well. the story of their childhood mainly deals with the abuse they went through, then with adulthood theyre shoved into an apocalypse bc... y not :) (btw the apocalypse is mainly just bc ive been enjoying apocalypse aus a Lot lately and wanna write one. the child abuse is for their development and to show y they act the way they do. while it will be fun to write their development, i am by no means saying abuse is okay and this topic will be treated carefully and seriously.)

oh theyre also nd as Fuck

but yeah. these r my babies! i hope to at some point start writing the fic so i can show it to u all, but im already in the process of writing another fic, which will be coming out soon!

#birdcage rambles #birdcage scribbles #sundrop #moondrop #sun fnaf #moon fnaf #fnaf sun #fnaf moon #dca au #avian au #featherless flight au #btw the name 'featherless flight' actually has a deeper meaning :) #sundrop fnaf #moondrop fnaf #sun x moon #guys pls ur gays r here/j #also idk if theres gonna be a yn... #im very conflicted if im gonna throw one in there or not #bc i already have another au with a yn thats fully fleshed out and im like 'mm yes i like this one' #but any yn added here could be a bit... sloppy? #idk i need to plan this au more thoroughly #SPECIFICALLY their adulthood #but anyway #enjoy the gays

[ant1quarian]

Can we have a little list of all the boys like all the avian boys you made and what species each of them are please?

'Course :]

I'll add in what they work as in their flock, btw

Classic - Carrion Crow - Works as an Assassin

Red - Golden Eagle - Front-line Fighter, works under Milord

Axe - Harpy Eagle - Executioner, former Front-line Fighter

Milord - Black Swan - Captain of the Stealth Team

Nightmare - Black Spotted Owl - Flock Leader (Pastor)

Fresh - Rainbow Macaw - Entertainer

Killer - Australian Magpie - Fighter, often put on territory patrols

Dust - Peregrine Falcon - Front-line Fighter, also often put on territory patrols

Cross - Snowy Owl - Strategist

Error - Hybrid between a Barn Owl and a Black Falcon - Front-line Fighter

Ink - Cockatiel - Artist, also fights

Blue - Blue Jay - Front-line fighter (Dream's Flock)

Dream - Dove - Leader of an opposing Flock (Pastor)

( I may have forgotten some, but those are all who I could think of)

#avians #undertale fandom #arian's asks #arian's avians #aviantale #Nightmare sans #fresh sans #dream sans #killer sans #dust sans #error sans #cross sans #ink sans #classic sans #swapfell sans #horrortale sans #underfell sans

[goldenamaranthe-blog]

After seeing the Big Cat babies interacting with the Bumblebabies, I am now wondering whether or not pregnant P!Blake had any weird cravings.

T!Yang would be looking quite lost in trying to fulfill the request/demand until she overhears Blake, also pregnant, tells tells Yang what she wants.

I have absolutely no idea if animals get pregnancy cravings, but that is definitely a thought. This one might be tricky, but let's see what I can do.

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

Panther!Blake: (laying in the pool and trying to rest. A fish swims right in front of her face and she ignores it)

Tiger!Yang: (shocked)

Yang: Yeah, I feel you, girl. Both of our ladies have been having weird diet issues since they got pregnant.

Blake: (waddling down the grade with a swollen baby belly) Um... Yang?

Tiger!Yang & Yang: (turn heads)

Blake: (scratches T!Y behind the ears) Sorry, baby. Not you.

Tiger!Yang: (turns back to P!B grumbling in content in the water)

Yang: What's up, babe? How's the baby?

Blake: Baby's fine... um... baby wants red meat for dinner tonight...

Yang: And how do you know that?

Blake: I've been chewing ice all day and when I passed by the Macaw exhibit I wanted to lick the clay on the cliff wall.

Yang: You know spinach is a better source of iron, right?

Blake: (wrinkles her nose and places her hand on her belly where a little twitch pushed against the skin) Baby didn't like that.

Yang: Okay, okay, chicken? Eggs? Steak? Hamburgers?

Blake: .....Baby likes steak.

Yang: (laughing) Okay, steak it is. We can stop by the store on the way home tonight.

Tiger!Yang: (watching P!B licking the soil on the edge of the pool) Hmmm....

-Later That Night-

Yang: Baby happy?

Blake: (cuddling up to Yang) Baby happy.

TV: BREAKING NEWS!!!

Lisa Lavender: Good Evening, I'm Lisa Lavender. Our top story for the evening: A tiger has broken out of the Beacon Zoo and stolen a whole side of beef off the rail at Old Man Butchers. Civilians are advised to please remain indoors until the tiger is subdued.

Yang & Blake: (blink) God dammit, Yang.

-At the Zoo-

Panther!Blake: (going to town on the side of beef)

Tiger!Yang: (puffs up proudly) I did good.

#bumbleby #yang xiao long #blake belladonna #panther blake #tiger yang #pregnancy cravings #iron deficiency #iron deficient anemia #thanks drenosa!

[thegurlwhoisntthere]

Because I’m feeling passive aggressive today, here’s a list of birds by colors they showed up for by google search for the batfam fandom when they try to come up with alternate names for Gotham’s Vigilantes:

Green:

HoneyCreeper

Macaw

Sparrow

Tanager

Vireo

Kingfisher

Kinglet

Greenfinch

Warbler

Siskin

Turaco

Eurylaimidae

Hummingbird

Yellow:

Goldfinch

Meadowlark

Warbler

Tanager

Verdin

Sicalis

Oriole

Cape Weaver

Icterid

Red:

Cardinal

Tanager

Finch

Flycatcher

Redpoll

Chaffinch

Rosefinch

Trogon

Ibis

Firefinch

Sunbird

Woodpecker

HoneyCreeper

‘Apapane

Blue:

Bluebird

Songbird

Thrush

Cyanocitta

Parula

Gnatcatcher

HoneyCreeper

Mockingbird

Warbler

Niltava

Tanager

Flycatcher

Dacnis

Magpie

Purple:

Starling

HoneyCreeper

Hummingbird

Gallinule

Sabrewing

Cotinga

Woodnymph

Swamphen

Thornbill

Sunbird

Finch

Flycatcher

Fairywren

Scimitarbill

Turaco

Dove

Woodstar

Tanager

Sheartail

Mountaingem

Carib

Violetear

Plovercrest

Cochoa

Grackle

Kingfisher

Black:

Blackbird

Raven

Icterid

Grackle

Songbird

Crow

Starling

Cowbird

Magpie

Phoebe

Phainopepla

Ani

Passerine

Oystercatcher

Vulture

Cormorant

Rook

Warbler

Turnstone

Jackdaw

I’m sure there’s more, but I’ve seen too many fics where they try to rename them and it’s all the same 4 birds with different colors slapped in front! There are so many birds and a lot of them have color overlap for costume accents!!!

#this is also towards DC writers #literally one google search and there are so many names #red robin #black canary #white canary #Robin #JUST USE DIFFERENT NAMES #there are not enough bird themed heroes to justify this much overlap #batfam #batman #dc #dc comic #dc characters #dc batman #dc robin #redbird #to be clear I am aware that some of these are already in use but I added them anyway because I can

[redgyl]

Hi. I was struck with Boatem Knights AU brainrot when I saw fanart for it on youtube when someone retroactively made music to go with it (Thriplerex's "Builders Of All That Extraordinary Municipality (B.O.A.T.E.M.) - V.S. Hermitcraft's Boatem Crew". I like it.), which lead me to Tumblr. Then I sawn what was on here already, saw the writing prompt "Scar injures Grian in Vex form," and a story started forming in my mind. So, I had to actually make an account just so I can share my ideas.

What Applestruda and other creators on here have made is wonderful! I don't want to step on any toes, and I do not wish to be the newbie who knows not the meaning of etiquette. I hope that some of my ideas can be canon, but if not, I hope they're still good as alternative, harmless fan-stuff while still respecting the original creators.

Anyway, here is the first chapter of my story inspired by what everyone else has already made. Enjoy!

Chaper 1

The poor ogres were dead.  They just didn’t know it yet.

Hunched over to ten feet tall, lazily holding tree logs for clubs, the two green-skinned, filthy monsters chuckled over the knight standing alone in front of them.  They laughed even harder to see the other four knights retreat back up the trail.

“Heh heh, your friends are smart,” one said.

“Heh heh, they left you to die,” said the other.

“You look delicious.”

“We’ll eat you raw.”

The knight, who wore relatively little armor, kept smiling up at them, his dark hair turning a glowing white and his tanned skin turning blue.  A cat-shaped, glowing ghost purred on his shoulder.  It mewed and rubbed on his cheek.

The knight, whose name was Sir Scar, laughed back at the ogres, putting down his crossbow and ignoring his sword.  “You know what they say,” he said, his dark eyes turning white.  The cat jumped down from his shoulder and disappeared into the brush.  The knight switched his stance into a low crouch, fingers hooked like claws and held back, ready to swing forward.

“They didn’t leave me,” he said. ”They got out of my way!”

~~~~~~~~

“And then I beat it over the head with its own arm!” Scar finished as he and his four companions rode their steeds along the road through the woods, shifting his crossbow back to its spot over his shoulder.  He was back to normal: dark hair, dark eyes, easy-going smile, scarred face.  “I always wanted to do that.”

Sir Grian giggled. “That’s so cliche’,” he teased.  “Of course you’d want to do it.”

“You really should have stuck around to see it,” Scar teased back, knowing full well that they couldn’t.

“Sure, Scar, sure,” Grian played along.  “The only time you’re not dramatically tripping over your own feet because you’re feral?  Love to see it sometime, so long as I’m out of reach.”

“You could with those wings, you know,” Scar replied.  “Why don’t you fly more?”

Grian made a face.  “You fly in Vex form, too.  Besides, armor’s heavy,” he explained, tapping his chest plate.  He was an odd-looking person, with a plain, round face and plain, brown hair and an ordinary, sensible taste of fashion, but also with bright red macaw wings sprouting from his back and another matching, silly set from the sides of his head.

The ghostly cat on Scar’s shoulder mewed with jealousy.  “Oh, sorry, Jellie,” Scar said, scratching the pretty little thing behind the head.  It went back to purring.  It was always reassuring to see the blue cat there.  The little familiar helped Scar control the Vex enchantment, keeping the monster inside soothed until it either overflows with bloodlust or is intentionally called on.  Only then does she leave, making space for the beast.  

Scar’s next words were toward Grian, even as he kept cuddling his cat.  “Maybe you should have a boob window, like me.”

Grian laughed.  “I’d sooner die.”

“You know, Grian,” Scar said in his smoothest voice, the tone he uses whenever he's trying to swindle a customer. "You're a reasonable man-bird. Do you know just how light and easy to handle a boob window is? It is like having wings, wings for your chest."

As the two of them continued their friendly banter, the pair of traveling companions behind them eavesdropped.  One was a slight man with a handsome mustache and meticulous hair, his dashing appearance comically ruined by a single clover sprouting from his head.  He carried a rocket launcher — a weapon unheard of in this age of magic.  His eyes danced with amusement at Grian and Scar’s conversation.  Beside him rode Lady Pearl, large scythe casually held in her hand, her eyes rolling at Scar’s current attempt to sell the “boob window.”  She was a beautiful woman with a couple of feather-like antenna coming from her head, her armor white and bright.  

“I’d recommend calling it something else,” Pearl said in a low tone to the man riding beside her, “because ‘boob window’ sounds so stupid, but I don’t want to help him be more convincing.”

“Me, neither,” chuckled the man, Sir Mumbo.  “But I can appreciate his persistence.”

Way up in the front, Sir Impulse smiled.  He was a big, solid man with a friendly face and yellow on his armor, a large sword bound to his back. He had found himself a bunch of good friends, he thought.  They each had a great sense of humor, and each was a good-hearted knight, which made for good company.  That was a blessing, since they would be stuck together for the next few days.

In the back of his mind, Impulse worried about the wisdom of intentionally using Scar’s Vex form.  Yes, they all knew what Scar was when they accepted him as a knight.  Sure, Scar said that the bloodlust would grow and he had to just let it out so he could stay in control, and, sure, it was handy against big monsters like ogres or trolls or minotaurs.  But Impulse wondered, were they treating this power too casually?

It would be a few hours yet before they set up camp for the night.  They won’t be out of the woods for a couple of days, at least.  Then, they could be home.

~~~~~~~

Far, far away, a good, kind, beloved king received a gift.  

That gift exploded.  When the smoke cleared, that king had been turned to stone.

#boatem knights au #applestruda #grian hermitcraft #scar hermitcraft #impulse hermittcraft #pearl hermitcraft #mumbo hermitcraft #haven't written fanfic in decades #newbie does newbie things #writing things into the wee hours of the morning isn't exactly the wisest decision of my life #maybe later in the timeline than the first fanfic on here?

[lifesteal-headcanons]

the birder is back at it again, completing the list :

Mid: Lyncornis macrotis (great eared nightjar) / alt: Sagittarius serpentarius (secretary bird) Minute: Penelopides panini (visayan hornbill) Pangi: Lybius bidentatus (double-toothed barbet) / alt: Dinopium benghalense (lesser golden-back woodpecker) Rek: Leptotrygon veraguensis (olive-backed quail-dove) / alt: Gallicolumba keayi (negros bleeding-heart pigeon) Terrain: Nothoprocta cinerascens (brushland tinamou)

plus, some additional alternative birds i skipped originally!

Ash: Centrocercus urophasianus (sagehen / greater sage-grouse) Parrot: Cyclopsitta gulielmitertii (blue-fronted fig parrot) / alt-alt: Orthopsittaca manilatus (red-bellied macaw) Branzy: Epimachus fastosus (black sicklebill) Spep: Piranga rubra (summer tanager) / alt-alt: Cardinalis phoeniceus (vermilion cardinal)

.

#ask #headcanon #lifesteal smp #nix’s faves

[bonny-kookoo]

Hoseok: Lovebirds (1)

In which Hoseok shows you that sometimes, giving up isn't admitting defeat, but about saving yourself and making room for something better.

Tags/Warnings: Scarlet Macaw!Hoseok x Scarlet Macaw!Reader, Solo Artist!AU, personal assistant!reader, burnout syndrome, strangers to lovers, romantic!Hoseok, stress birb!Reader, bad work environment, mental exhaustion

Additional Chapter Warnings: stressed birb reader, poor thing, symptoms of burnout, Hoseok thinks he's seriously sick for a second, mentions of doctors visits (needles, blood drawing etc), birb is just a really poor thing

Chapter Length: mid/long

♥━━━━━━━━━━━♡━━━━━━━━━━━━♥

You're running late.

You know this time you're gonna get fired. He's gonna yell at you again, embarrassing you in front of the Jung Hoseok aka J-Hope, ruining any chances of you ever finding another job in this industry. He'd told you he's gonna ruin your life, and he will, you know it.

It only gets worse when the bus you had taken suddenly seems to choke, and the driver has to stop, telling everyone to leave the vehicle. It all leads to were you are now- sitting on the side of the road, trying hard to justice Han that you'll be even later than you thought, but you can't bring yourself to send the text.

Until someone squats down in front of you, making you jump where you're sitting, terrified.

He's got a bucket hat on his head, hiding most of his face, but you know who it is. He's probably completely confused now, thinks you're an absolute mess, and will go and call Han now to tell him that his personal assistant is yet again fucking things up. You lower your head in shame, preparing yourself for the worst, but Hoseok is only smiling reassuringly, noticing how close you are to crying.

"hey- I'm on my way to the set as well, I'll take you along if you want." he offers. "I mean- unless Han already sent someone to get you." he chuckles, and you're trying hard not to scoff.

Han wouldn't even sneeze into your direction, let alone helo you in a situation like this.

You nod, standing up with him, before swaying, balance list for a second as your vision goes blank. Hoseok is quick to steady you with a hand on your shoulder, waiting worriedly until you gain back your senses. "ugh, sorry- happens all the time." you laugh to yourself, before dusting off your skirt, walking to his car.

It's then that he notices a red feather on the sidewalk, making him grab into his hair to check.

It's been happening a lot lately, feathers falling out it seems, and he's worried that it's something wrong with him. He's already scheduled an appointment, had his blood drawn and vitals checked- but nothing came of it other than the praise that he's very healthy and taking good care of himself. It doesn't make sense.

Back in the car, he feels oddly giddy, buzzing with sime sort of energy he's not sure where it's coming from. Youre not a hybrid, so maybe it's just something going on today, and he doesn't want to put any of his quirks onto you. "you're very quiet." Hoseok chuckles, and you snap your head towards him.

"I'm sorry-" you instantly apologize, making him smile in reassurance.

"no no it wasn't meant like that." he says. "don't worry. Han isn't in yet by the way- why are you on your way so early?" he wonders, and you shrug.

"I.. I always am. I need to prepare everything for him so I come early, and I have to clear up after so I stay longer." you tell him, and the scarlet macaw hybrid furrows his brows.

"but we're on set for the entire day." he worries, and you shrug.

"it's okay." you say, hands in your lap fidgeting around. "I'm okay with it. I like helping." you say, and Hoseok sighs.

"hmhm, I guess so. But please look after yourself." he says, parking the car on set. "Han can do some thinga himself. He's an adult man after all." he chuckles, and you nod, before you notice Han walking towards the car- and Hoseok instantly takes note of how you shrink in on yourself.

"thank you." you simply say quietly, before strong out the car- Han instantly pointing towards his wrist.

Something's not right- and Hoseok knows it. Trying to help you, he walks behind you to take any chance away from the fellow artist to get you alone, his own protectiveness oddly strong at the sight of you so close to the man. "Her bus broke down, I picked her up. Do you want coffee?" Hoseok tries, and Han clearly fakes a smile, before nodding.

"definitely. Hey birdy- go fetch some coffee alright? You can set up everything after." Han says, and you immediately run off, eager to get away it seems.

Hoseok doesn't see you the rest of the day.

What he does notice is just how thoughtful you really are. You always seem to think two steps ahead, you always try and make sure that even he has everything he needs even though you're not even his assistant in the first place. You won't get paid any more than what you already earn, and yet you still leave nice gestures all over the place, pick up on small details like how he likes his water not too cold and on the left side of his chair, hell, you even make sure the makeup staff and crew have snacks and water. And yet, he spits you constantly being watched like a hawk by Han, the man always searching for something to nag about it seems.

You're way too sweet to be pushed around like this.

He hates how that guy is constantly rushing you to get things done that could easily done by himself. Get my jacket, get me water, get me this, get me that. It's infuriating to Hoseok to watch you be worked so hard, way too hard.

"hey, here." he offers some bottled water to you as you sit on the sidelines on a cheap plastic chair at the shooting, the heat clearly getting to you. You're ready to decline, when Hoseok blocks your view completely, making you unable to check up on the collaborating artist you belong to. "I'll take the blame for whatever. Please drink something." he says, and you sigh, taking the bottle from him with a shaky hand and a 'thank you'.

It's only now that he notices something in your hair; distinctively red, brightly so, similar to the feathers in his own hair, just smaller, more delicate, more frail and fragile.

It all makes sense now. The scent, the pull to you, the lack of ears. Only now does he also notice how you always wear long skirts that probably cover your feathers of your tail- all the exact opposite of what he himself does, openly presenting his feathers because that's what you should be doing.

And most importantly, only now does he realize; the feathers he'd been finding aren't his own.

They're yours.

And he actually catches you in the act later that day when you start to help the staff clean up- and it just fuels his anger towards Han even further, because you're not loosing them because you might just be sick or way too tired, no, you're actively picking them out.

The amount of stress you're under must be horrible to force you to do this.

And he can't help but feel pissed to no ends at it. How can someone treat another person, hybrid or not, like they're nothing but a mindless robot without any limits or emotions and boundaries? It's when he watches you trip and fall onto your knees, scraping them open, and Han simply rolling his eyes at you instead of helping, that Hoseok internally snaps.

He's going to get you out of this.

You deserve so much better.

♥━━━━━━━━━━━♡━━━━━━━━━━━━♥

#bts imagine #bts fanfic #bts fic #hoseok fanfic #hoseok imagine #jhope imagines #jhope x reader #Lovebirds AU

[troll-doll]

I love an insane crossover. anyways, quantum leap/apollo justice where poor apollo is stuck time traveling from person to person, hoping each leap is the leap home, with hologram/assistant trucy mostly just making fun of him.

anyways this is 1-4 but that au

“What on earth did that man say your name was?” The stranger in the pink suit gave him a disconcerted expression. “Polly? Were you Polly?” 

He never could shake that ridiculous nickname, but it had never sounded so sweet than in this moment.

Nobody, at least nobody who wasn’t a hologram from the future, had ever called him that. Nobody who wasn’t a hologram from the future could know it. Somehow this man knew who he was. Recognized him.

Mixed disbelief and relief overpowered Apollo, forcing a laugh, then a whoop, then a cheer.

“Yes, yes! I’m Polly!” He yelled, with a fist pump. “Suck it, fate! You don’t get to hold on to me forever! Back in my own body. Justice is back in the courtroom, for good!”

“Oh lor- might you have a care for my ears?” the man groaned, surprisingly unconcerned his attorney was babbling out nonsense about Justice and Fate, and least not beyond the volume it was conducted. 

“Erk-“ Apollo felt his face go warm- no matter the miracle that had just occurred in his own life, this was probably the worst moment of his. It was rather rude to celebrate such in such way in front of him.

Fate must’ve also been offended by his words, because he was barely able to celebrate before his hopes were dashed. The imaging chamber room's door, a sudden blinding box of light, opened. Trucy, the aforementioned hologram, was likely here to explain that, no, he hadn't managed to leap home. He was likely some other attorney named Polly, and he had to save this frilly man from conviction before leaping into the next life to fix.

Any magician would kill to have the tech Trucy did- appearing and disappearing with the click of a button. The rest of her skills were rather useless, at least to Apollo, because she phased through any physical objects. Being a hologram did that to you. He couldn’t even talk to her half the time, because to the rest of the world there was only half a conversation. 

He still had no clue what was going on this very moment, which meant discreetly gathering information without letting slip he knew nothing. If he was about to enter a trial, he’d rather not have to go in completely blind. What maniac tries to act as a defense attorney with amnesia?

Why wouldn’t Trucy just tell him why he was here?

“Erm, Polly,” Truly was looking at him strangely. Pityingly? He had given up trying to understand her a while ago. ”Have you- have you… umm… realized who you are yet?”

It was rather cruel, he’d lept into a Polly. How many other attorneys were named Apollo? Maybe he was a woman this time. The lobby should have a mirror, at least a small one, for lawyers and defendants to check their appearance before walking into court. Without a mirror - Aha! Right here, directly on the wall to the side- there was no way for Apollo to know how he appeared to others. Trucy didn’t appear in the mirror- she wasn’t really there- but the frilly defendant was visible, as well as- as... 

A brilliant red bird resting on the cushions, staring him directly in the eye through the mirror. He was the macaw. He was a 2 pound, foot tall, pet scarlet macaw sitting in the defense lobby of a courtroom. 

“You alright, Polly?” Trucy said, her concern suddenly understandable.

“I’m.. fine.” Polly squawked. 

#ace attorney #quantum leap #wip #snippets #fic #apollo justice #the Venn diagram of people this fic is for is miniscule #but at the very least there's room for one: ME #literal polly apollo

[southernsnowdogs]

You guys are looking at the first (recorded) hybrid between a red fronted macaw and a severe macaw.

I was contacted two weeks ago and given the opportunity to purchase this super sweet baby, and I had to do it.

I’ll be posting pictures as they mature

#bird #macaw #macaw hybrid #parrot #red fronted macaw #severe macaw

[rachaelmayo]

This is Sun Dazzled, a commissioned piece of the dragon Sun, which I made for a Tumblr friend @sundragon.  He is gold and shiny, and has macaw feathers: definitely a winning combination (and fun to color)!

This is the first time I have used my layering and 3D elements techniques on a 5x7 project format.  I think this worked out well, and I plan to start making more pieces of this size.

The dragon was rendered with Prismacolor pencils and metallic gel pens.  There is watercolor, scrapbook paper, glass tiles, assorted shiny bits, and Fuze glass (the pink/red round thing below the dragon).  There is also a blue shattukite stone in front of the dragon's face, and he holds a piece of turquoise/copper composite.  There are also some goldstone cabs along the upper right corner.

#dragon #dragon art #dragonkin #traditional art #Prismacolor #traditional media #mixed media #semiprecious stones #commission art

[101flavoursofweird]

If you're still doing requests, can I request “You know, you can stay if you want to.” for Rook and Bishop? Thank you.

((Sorry for the wait, but thank you for the prompt! It’s always so much fun to write about Rook and Bishop. Your blog is such a great resource for their characters, and I included some headcanons from your Hastings family au It’s canon in my heart. I also included a small OC cameo :D))

-

Set: After Azran Legacy and after Rook and Bishops’ bonus episode.

Spoilers: Vaguely for Miracle Mask and AL, concerning Targent, Rook and Bishop

Warnings: Short discussions about guns I don’t know

Description: Rook and Bishop go to join Scotland Yard, but Bishop isn’t sure he’s cut out for the job. (Rook is Macaw and Bishop is Robin, in the US version of the game.)

-

If you asked Bishop, the stone steps leading up to Scotland Yard seemed to go higher than the Nest. Bishop had never been scared of heights, but something about those steps, the authoritative blue doors, and the venerable red building made his limbs turn to jelly.

He pressed his knees together and straightened his back, standing to attention— just like they had trained him in Targent. 

This was something Bishop had seen police officers do as well, along with a salute. Maybe working at Scotland Yard wouldn’t be too different from Targent…?

Bishop wasn’t sure whether he found that reassuring or not.

It didn’t matter— as long as he had Rook beside him!

Stealing a glance at his partner, Bishop saw that Rook’s face was set with resolve as he stared up at the police headquarters. 

(It was still odd seeing Rook’s dark brown eyes…)

Rook, like Bishop, had removed his black sunglasses.

Rook, unlike Bishop, had adopted a stance of cool determination, like he was meant to be here.

Gritting his teeth, Bishop glanced around. There was a constable posted outside  Scotland Yard’s front door, and a man in a blue hoodie inspecting the bus timetable, but other than that, no one else was near them.

To any observers, Rook and Bishop must have looked like innocent civilians visiting Scotland Yard. (Right?) 

After dumping their… borrowed Zeppelin in a park, the pair had ditched their Targent uniforms in favour of plain outfits from a charity shop. Rook had chosen a green coat and maroon trousers (A colour combination that really suited him!) while Bishop had gone with a sky blue jacket and jeans. (Blue was still his favourite!) 

Using their last dregs of loose change, they had paid for the clothes, fair and square.

Now they were completely broke, but they were going to get new careers at Scotland Yard, so it was fine. Rook had said they would be fine.

…Unless someone in the police force recognised them— or a stray agent from Targent!

‘Detective Inspector’ Bloom had been arrested, along with Tommy’s gang of hitmen, but that didn’t mean Rook and Bishop were safe! Targent still had loads of assassins in their employ… 

“Chill, Bishop,” Rook breathed.

“Don’t call me that,” Bishop gasped, casting his gaze around again. “We should come up with new code names…”

“Normal people don’t have code names,” Rook reminded him.

“Shhh!”

Was Blue Hoodie Man looking their way? How long did it take to check a bus timetable? Bishop observed the man from the corner of his eye. (Something was familiar about him…)

“Your new name could be Sketchy,” Rook said.

Bishop elbowed him in the side. “That’s not funny!”

“Heh…” Rook snickered. When Bishop kept scowling at him, Rook suggested, “Alright— what about Mr. Hastings?”

Bishop hummed. He was always rushing around… and Rook was always rushing after him. 

Smiling, Bishop nodded. “I like it! You should be Hastings too.”

“I…” Rook’s face reddened. He reached for his forehead, only to remember he’d lost his cap. “I guess…”

“Aren’t we going to need some new ID?” Bishop wondered. “They won’t let us work at Scotland Yard without it, will they?”

Rook slapped his head. “You’re right…”

The man in the blue hoodie finally strolled off.

“Ah, well!” Bishop sighed with relief, slouching. “We’ll just have to find a job that gives cash in hand…” He turned away from the steps, but Rook stayed right where he was. “Rook?”

Rook kept gazing up at Scotland Yard. “I really thought… we could make a difference,” Rook mumbled. “That we could be different…”

“We still can be!” Bishop tugged on Rook’s arm. “Just not here…”

The constable guarding the front door glanced down at them. Bishop lowered his voice.

“Even if we did have some ID, I don’t think Scotland Yard would accept us—“

“Why not?” Rook grumbled. “What’s Leonard Bloom got that we haven’t?”

Bishop listed, “A university degree… a fancy suit… endless charisma… and he’s incredibly crafty…” (Second only to Professor Layton!)

“Yeah, like a weasel. We won’t let the police down!” Rook clenched his fists, squared his shoulders and held his head high. He looked ready to march in and sell himself to Scotland Yard. 

Reluctantly, Bishop released Rook’s arm. “You won’t let them down.”

Bishop started to trudge away from the steps— away from Rook— but Rook threw his arm out like a barrier, stopping him.

“Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet now, Bishop!”

“I never was cut out for this,” Bishop quietly admitted.

Back at the Nest, when Rook had suggested they should leave Targent, Bishop had been so excited at the prospect of them starting a new life together that he hadn’t put much consideration into Rook’s plan to join Scotland Yard.

Yes, Bishop still wanted to be a good person, but the thought of chasing after criminals (potentially their former colleagues) and being bossed around by police higher-ups… wasn’t very appealing, honestly.

Life would never be easy, but Bishop had hoped they would find some freedom.

If Rook truly wished to be a part of Scotland Yard, though… Bishop had to let him go.

Bishop smiled weakly at Rook. “You know, you can stay if you want to,” Bishop whispered. “Scotland Yard would be lucky to have you. You’re way smarter than me— smarter than Bloom, even— and you’re a thousand times more loyal—“

“You’re loyal too!” Rook took him by the shoulders. “You’re diligent and positive and— and you’re a good person! The best person I know!” 

Bishop shook his head dejectedly. “Good people don’t threaten animals and— and other people with guns.” 

Rook gaped at him.

The constable on the stairs was scribbling something in his notebook. Maybe he was writing down Bishop’s confession.

“But… but you didn’t,” Rook breathed. His hands were digging into Bishop’s shoulders now. “Did you?”

“The big dog in Torrido?” Bishop recalled.

“He was going to rip our heads off!”

Bishop winced. “In— in Froenborg, I pointed my gun at Professor Layton and his friends—“

“So did I! So every other agent following Bronev’s orders!” Rook growled.

“But you never— shot at anyone,” Bishop argued. He swallowed. “I shot at Jean Descole, back at Akbadain—“

“Jean Descole?” Rook snorted. “Wanted Criminal— Jean Descole?”

Bishop shrugged.

Rook went on, “As far as I’m aware, Descole escaped from Akbadain— almost like you and the rest of the army missed him on purpose.”

“It wasn’t on purpose,” Bishop murmured. “I just… hadn’t fired at anyone before…”

“Or since,” Rook said firmly. 

Bishop nodded. Rook patted him on the cheek.

“You are a good person, Bishop,” Rook repeated. He looked up at Scotland Yard once more. “But maybe you’re right— I don’t think you’d cope with police work. Not sure if I would either, actually…”

Hope stirred within Bishop. “C-Could we think on it?”

Rook nodded. “We’ll leave it for a little while— find a place to lay low and get some new ID—“

“We can stay with my mum,” Bishop said, brightening up even more. “She lives in Surrey— that’s not too far from London!”

He grabbed Rook by the arm again.

“If you say so,” Rook chuckled. He got one last glimpse of Scotland Yard before Bishop dragged him towards the nearest train station. 

-

Dear Sirs,

Please find enclosed two passports, a marriage certificate and other relevant identity documents for Mr. B Hastings and Mr. R Hastings. 

You will find that your minimal criminal records have been wiped clean from all systems. 

Should you wish to apply for a position within the police force, you will not face any opposition…

However, might I suggest a career in the entertainment industry instead? I believe you two have comedic potential. If you are interested, please see below the contact details for a trusted agent…

Rook’s eyes narrowed as he read the letter Bishop had just handed him. As promised, the letter came with all the identification documents Rook and Bishop could ever need to start their new lives.

“So… What do you think?” Bishop asked when Rook was finished.

Rook hummed. The sender hadn’t included their name or a return address, but there was a phone number, apparently belonging to an agent.

Not a Targent agent, but casting agency, for actors.

“If someone is setting a trap for us,” they’re going about it in a very roundabout way,” Rook reasoned.

And if the letter-writer wanted them dead… well, they already knew where Rook, Bishop and Bishop’s mum lived. Why bother going through the trouble of securing Rook and Bishop their new identities, just to kill them off?

Would the letter-writer expect them to return the favour years down the line? Were they hoping Rook and Bishop would make it big as actors one day?

The two of them could take the chance. Acting was a far less dangerous profession than being a police office… and Bishop would probably be happier too. 

“Um, Rook…”

Rook looked at Bishop, who was beaming.

His partner said, “Are we, like, actually married now?”

#professor layton #rook #bishop #rook/bishop #Robin #Macaw #Rook (professor Layton) #Bishop (professor Layton) #Targent #They’re are MARRIED and they adopt a young Ercule Hastings #I don’t care what LMJ canon says #When Bishop mentions Bloom’s ‘charisma’ he may be referring to Bloom’s… methods… of climbing to the top #Where is the comic of Bishop’s mum #Where is it #Answers #Thanks! #requests #My fics #Jun Duan #My boy’s still working for the intelligence agency and helping out good ex-Targent members

[carrion--comfort]

A handful of random shots from NM!

Chaco Culture National Historical Park, which has the ruins of an Ancestral Pueblo population center

Bandelier National Monument in autumn, with more Ancestral Pueblo ruins

Me in front of a cloud bank sitting right on top of the Sandias

600-700 year old petroglyph of a Mexican macaw at Petroglyph National Monument

The red rock at Jemez Pueblo. I wish the camera could capture it better. It was really, truly red.

The 13 mile wide volcanic crater of Valles Caldera National Preserve

Me at Meow Wolf, an excellent interactive art installation in Santa Fe

#gpoy

[starlitangels]

Found

What is this? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Where did this come from? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Enjoy! 1.5k words

—

Eloise jolted as the door burst open.

"We have to go. Now."

"Evan—what—?"

"They found us. Time to run."

"You said they wouldn't."

"I said it would take a while. They found us. They grabbed me." He extended his wings. The red-yellow-and-blue macaw feathers were gone. Replaced by deep violet, glittering with black.

"How did you escape?"

"Our friends. Pulled me out of their grip and bought me time to get to you."

Eloise puffed her own wings. "Where are they?"

"It doesn't matter. We have to find another world."

"I told you if we ran, we'd never stop."

"So, what? We should never have left? Do you want to go back to that existence, El? Do you not remember the burning?"

"I remember. And I don't. But we can't run forever."

"They made us immortal. We can."

"Ev—we can't just leave our friends to fight for us while we abandon them!"

"Matt, Zach, and Steven specifically told me to grab you and run. And that's what I intend to do."

Evan grabbed Eloise's wrist and started to drag her out of the house. The house she and her brother had built with their own hands. And maybe a liiittle bit of their powers.

"Our friends’ strength won't last forever. They're mortal!"

"They don't have to fight to the last. Just long enough for us to make a portal and run for another world." Yanking his sister into the front yard, he pulled the starsteel blade out from where it had been hidden behind a hedge. Kept safe. "Come on. They'll all feel us leave."

One of Steven's black, sinewy monsters screeched in the distance. An explosion from Matt's kinetic energy following.

"But... we just got here."

"It's been two years."

"Can we not fight for our friends? They turned us into their kind—we have the same powers! Maybe we could defeat them! Defend this whole world!"

Evan spun the blade in his free hand. The point of it drew lines of purple light in the air. The colors of his feathers fighting between violet and primary colors.

"Eloise. We were Made. We're not truly like them. That's why we burn in the form they gave us. We'll never be as strong. We can't fight them. All we can do is run."

From the same direction as the shrieking monsters and the explosions, a familiar scream. Zach. No matter how many times he popped back into existence after death, he always screamed in fear right before it happened.

Evan spun the sword again. Runes and sigils appearing in the air. Ice sublimated off the freezing, bluish-silver blade.

A screech ripped at the very fabric of reality.

"Ev, they know what you're doing!" Eloise shrieked.

"Two more sigils!" Evan replied.

Matt screeched through the tall trees. A pinkish explosion lit the undersides of the twilit clouds.

Eloise gasped.

"El, focus! We'll need your Eye when we get through the portal."

Her feathers ruffled. "I can't... I can't leave them, Ev."

"We have to go!" Evan snapped.

Eloise wrenched her wrist out of her brother's grip. "Keep the portal open for me."

"ELOISE!" Evan shouted as her snowy wings beat at the air and she launched into the sky.

Like a shooting star going the wrong way, Eloise streaked upward. A large chunk of the forest was decimated. Hordes of Steven's monsters writhed in shadows.

Steven, barely visible in the distance, suspended in the air above them, holding onto the amulet that let him focus his Gifts with one hand. His black cloak fluttered in the air spell keeping him aloft, its golden underside flashing in the setting sun.

With a green blaze, Zach stepped back into existence.

Matt was prone on the ground, the dirt shimmering pinkish around him, charging with energy from his very touch, even while he was unconscious.

Eloise twisted and shot into a dive toward her friends. The ones she and Evan had run away from two hundred years ago weren't visible from this distance. One had to be close to see the bends in reality belying where their forms lurked.

Eloise and her brother were gifted with the sight of birds of prey even before they were reMade. She could see a mouse on the ground from a thousand feet up.

She could see the distortion in the air in the shape of humanoid hands reaching for Steven. He was focused on getting some of his monsters to Matt to protect him. By the time he'd notice it would be too late—

Eloise slammed into him, sending them both hurtling downward. The hands above them grasped at air. Eloise panted, shocked that it worked.

She braked hard and set Steven down on the ground as gently as she could. His monsters swarmed him, looking to protect. None of them so much as looked at her.

Steven grabbed her shoulders. "What were you thinking? You're supposed to be getting out of here!" Up close, his mortal age showed a lot more. The wrinkles in his forehead and beside either eye. The salt in his hair. Somewhere in his forties. And Eloise was frozen forever at twenty-two. Evan at twenty-five.

Zach vaulted over a fallen trunk and rushed to Matt's side. Matt's pinkish blood was oozing from a cut in his forehead.

"I couldn't leave you!" Eloise retorted, feathers puffing up indignantly.

A monster leapt behind Steven. A distortion of air crushed it back to the earth, where the black sinuous form melded back into it in a shower of reddish dust.

Steven's grip on her shoulders tightened. "I already lost my kids once! Don't make me lose you again!" he snapped. Silvery tears brimmed in his eyes.

"We're not your kids! We've been alive for two hundred years! We're adults!"

"I don't care. I promised I'd keep you safe! Go back to your brother and get off this world! Come back when you can but go! Hide!" He was using his Dad Voice. Eloise's feathers smoothed down, her wings folding close to her body. "Sweet little Eloise. Don't make me lose more kids." Steven cupped the side of her face. "I don't think I could bear it. I—"

El, I'm about to do something really stupid. Get our friends as close to you as you can and make a shield as big as possible but allow me through it. Understood? Evan's voice in her head said.

Understood.

She yanked Steven by the lapels of his long overcoat toward Zach and Matt. Zach was kneeling in the one patch of smoldering dirt that wasn't glowing pinkish-silver from Matt's energy, looking around wildly while trying to revive Matt. Eloise stopped between Matt's legs and Zach's crouch, holding Steven by the lapels.

She screwed up her face.

White lines burned into existence in a criss-crossing dome around the four of them. Distortion hands slammed against its sides. Eloise buried her face in Steven's chest, concentrating, using her wings as a secondary shield around her friends.

She didn't see the shimmer of violet travel along her feathers.

She didn't see the way her skin began to crack, white-and-violet light spilling out from it.

She didn't see her wings begin to glow.

She didn't see a disc of light, high in the air, rise above the trees.

She didn't see it plummet down toward the earth, held before a diving figure holding a bluish-silver blade.

She didn't see realization dawn on Zach's face, or the way Steven's eyes widened when he realized what was happening.

She didn't see Matt stirring.

All Eloise could do was concentrate on keeping the otherworldly beings away from her friends as their fists slammed into her forcefield.

Evan shot past the figures and through the shield.

The portal swallowed Eloise, Steven, Matt, and Zach first. Evan plunged into it through the other side immediately afterward.

—

Like falling off a cliff and into a rushing river, the five of them tumbled through nothingness. Evan and Eloise gathering the other three together with their wings and hands.

"El, now!" Evan ordered.

Eloise nodded and closed her eyes again.

Burning into existence on her palm, a white eye appeared through cracks in her skin. She held it out, swinging her hand in all directions while Steven and Evan clung to her so she didn't drift away.

She was silent and still for several agonizingly long seconds.

Her eyes flashed open, burning the same white as the one on her palm. "Hold on," she said, voice echoing.

Light gathered around them in the darkness.

The five of them shot through nothing.

Steven looked over her head at her brother. "What is she doing?"

"Traveling the fabric between worlds is her real power. Seeing each world is what she does. She's taking us somewhere else. Somewhere... hopefully far away from The Others."

Steven looked down at where Eloise's hair—the same light brown as Evan's—flicked in a nonexistent wind.

"Will we be safe there?" Zach asked. Matt peeled his eyes open.

"We'll make it safe. Because we'll all stick together," Steven said. "We're not losing our family again." He took Evan's arm with his free hand. Evan nodded.

They both held Eloise tighter as she sped them through the Void.

#Star's Original Fiction