#patricia parakeet
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OUR HOUSE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET
I’m a good neighbour, most of the time. I give a hoot, rarely a boot, as such, some respond in kind, and gradually we swap larger words, larger sentences, and the next thing you know, we call each other by name! With the fences down, soon, you become privy to people’s highs and lows, stories that too easily die in silence.
Our home/family includes a dog we named Bowie. We live at a spitting distance from a bustling park, the reason we bought the Victorian, terraced home a year and a half ago. The park is Bowie’s second home. I know most local dog walkers, certainly I know all the people from our street who enjoy the park with their furry companions, but to my surprise, few know each other.
Bella, on the last corner before the park’s gates, knows no one below her number. After a long illness, her paraplegic husband passed away from sepsis recently. She knows Barda who lives on the other side of the street. Barda’s husband is deteriorating slowly with alzheimer. I see him most days sitting on the wall like Humpty Dumpty, smoking a fag, looking vacant. He’s stopped washing. He's stopped talking. Until he crashed the car, he wouldn’t stop driving. The cracks are showing. He’s one fumble away from a bad fall.
Neither Bella or Barda knows that the man who lives two doors down above Mr Cyclop, looks out for me when I walk Bowie at 2am. Noah will sometimes catch up with us and talk about his sexual fantasies. Of course he knows I’m gay — I wear Apple’s hi-vis 2020 pride watch band around my wrist every day. He’s into the golden shower stuff, but unfortunately, our house is carpeted wall to wall, and unless we turn the bathroom into a wet room, I wouldn’t even entertain the idea. Noah is bipolar and only comes out on a high, so he doesn’t bother me too often.
Mr Cyclops lives on the ground floor with his wife, and Boss, the terrier / shih tzu cross. It’s hard not to stare at the left socket of his eye. Some days, it looks like chilli udon noodles. The air is thick with pollen these days, fluffy dandelion seeds get all jammed up in there. I’d certainly wear a patch, pretend I'm DC’s Cyborg – LED light and all – would be useful for when I pick up Bowie’s poo in the high grass at night.
On the next block, at the house with the psychedelic sixties wallpaper, the mother of an eight-year-old boy died of a broken heart after her husband passed away a few months ago. At least that’s what we gathered. The child was seen running in the street crying, “She’s dead!” It was the first time either Bella or Barda had seen the boy let alone heard his voice. He was homeschooled like I was at his age. They kept to themselves, and for a recluse family, they were never shy exposing the nightmare-inducing wallpaper to all who walked past their window. That’s all we’ll remember of them: death, the orphan, and the geometric, rainbow-coloured wallpaper. I almost miss seeing the atrocity now that the blinds are permanently shut.
Nearer to us, there’s Tony’s portfolio of properties which will be divided between his two daughters and two nieces. Tony died last week, he would have been 99 had he lived two more days. The rent is cheap but the tradeoff isn’t worth the economy as the properties are in a devolving state of disrepair. A couple of junkies live under a dealer at the corner house. At the end of our block, Tony’s house has been emptied, so the large family next door are taking more liberties with noise pollution. They keep mallards in their kids’ paddling pool. They must have captured the wild birds at the park. I suppose mallards are easier to capture than the more colourful parakeets who keep to the high branches, and more entertaining than a terrapin. The jail-birds are let out in the courtyard for a quack more often since Tony died.
Next to ours, top floor, there’s Patricia, an alcoholic who loves playing Patsy Cline loud and throwing empty Frosty Jack's bottles at the ducks, cursing. The ground floor has been vacant since Guillaume disappeared after never paying the rent once since moving-in a year ago. He was also a dealer and went by different names depending on who called upon him. His alias had bills in arrears and apparently lived at our address. The debt collectors should finally stop knocking at our door soon.
On the other side of the street, Gertrude’s son has returned from prison and is begging to be let in. It seems it was only last week the cops raided her house and left with the lad in handcuffs. Can’t have been too serious. She swore she wouldn’t let him in again, but there he goes through the door. She’s a mother. That’s all she's ever done. “Soon I’ll run out of things for him to steal, and then he' won’t have a reason to come back,” she'll tell me again tomorrow.
Oh, I skipped Mario, a seventy-something lonely man who once sent me a link to his Chaturbate account so we could chat in private. He's been giving me the cold shoulder for not having taken the offer. Too bad. His dog Lobo and Bowie loved frolicking in the park together.
I can see Mick at work, cleaning the neighbours' windows. He's the first to have welcomed us on the street. Could be that he's a good businessman, or perhaps that it is compulsory, being a proud and jolly JW. He broke his back falling off a ladder and since has been using long hoses instead. That he got away with three fused vertebrae certainly proves that a life praying wasn't for naught.
I'm getting to what prompted me to share my street with you, therefore I stop at the halfway point where Lee used to live with his partner of twenty years. I hadn't realised that he had been kicked out of his house last month until I ran into him this morning. His partner's daughters had wired the house with hidden cameras and are accusing him of assault against their mother who suffers from dementia. The daughters kicked Lee out, placed their mother in a care home and re-homed all four dogs. He's naturally broken. That's also how Mario the lonely septuagenarian said hello for the first time in months. They are good friends and were setting out in Lee's van when I dared ask the poor man how he was doing. Other than Mario and I, no one knew Mike, no one else knows what befallen him.
That's but half of my street, one street amongst thousands in my town which is smaller than the average town in this country, yet the street is the quietest street I've ever lived on. How's your street doing these days?
All names have been changed to preserve anonymity, otherwise all stories are real, I kid you not.
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Necrokitty Tales: Trouble in Inkwell Isle (Chapter 27)
Authors’ note: Necrida’s writing will be in italics and SPKC’s writing with be regular font. If you have no idea what this roleplaying thing is, you can start from the beginning here.
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The sun was starting to set when the kids sold their last cookie. They celebrated their sales with a cheer and counted their winnings: you could buy two days worth of groceries! That was very good indeed. Pleased with their earnings, they ran to Hilda’s to give her the money.
Once at the observatory, they knocked at the door and Hilda opened seconds later.
“Oh! Hey kids! How did the baking go?” She smiled, leaning on the frame of the door, making sure not to be loud enough to attract the clown’s attention upstairs. She was surprised to see Spike and she frowned a little. She knew the kid and not for a good reason. Every time the school came to visit the observatory, the pup always tried to break something and get into trouble.
Harvey beamed proudly. “We did really well! Everyone really liked our cookies! Mina and I were able to sell them all with Spike’s help!”
Spike grunted. “I made sure nobody tried to nab a free cookie,” he grinned with his crooked smile.
Mina shook the metallic lock box holding their coins, making a clinking sound. “Look how much we made!” She gave the box to Hilda, who took it with a raised eyebrow.
Hilda opened the box and whistled. “Wow! You guys! This is a great help! Thank you so much!” She gave a hug to all of them, including Spike. Well, she had to force him a little, the pup did not take to physical attention as easily other the other two children. “I’m glad to see you’re putting your destructive energy to good use,” she whispered to the pup.
“All this work deserves to be rewarded!” She picked a few coins from the box and split it amongst the kids. “Thanks a lot…seriously.” She didn’t wanted to show it, but she was really touched by the gesture. She had a knot in her throat and she could feel her eyes getting glassy.
“Woah! Thank you! But we didn’t do this for the reward! We did this for the good of humanity…. and, you know… to help you,” little Mina said, referring to the possible arrival of violent extraterrestrials. “Right, guys?”
Harvey nodded. “I really like the observatory and I would be sad if we can’t get it rebuilt!”
Spike sighed. “Plus, where will the teacher take us on field trips? No field trips means more school and that sucks!” He whined.
Hilda smiled sincerely at them. “Aww, thank you! I didn’t realise you liked this place so much.”
‘One more reason to stay,’ Sagittarius pointed out in the woman’s head, making her smile even more.
“I’ll try to hurry up and fix this as soon as possible. And you’re welcome here anytime! You’re now my tiny VIPs.”
“Thank you, Miss Berg,” Harvey thanked, making sure he got the correct title this time. He tapped Mina. “Hey are you coming to sleep over tonight?”
Spike butted his head in. “What? You guys are having a sleepover?”
“Oh! Yeah! That would be so much fun! I just have to ask my mum real quick, but I’m sure she’ll say yes.” The kids said goodbye to the sky witch and headed to Mina’s. “You should come too, Spike. His dad makes fruit come out of ears!” The little bat explained mimicking the gesture of the magician.
“Your dad sounds like a quack!”
Harvey just silently prayed his sister wouldn’t make Spike a quilt.
____
Beppi shooed Hilda away. “I got this, I got this! Just go organize your stars!”
Beppi had not awaken when the children had come to visit earlier that evening, much to Hilda’s relief. Unfortunately, he was still here even after she snuck in to check on him in the hopes that he would have taken off. So she was stuck with him until his obnoxious alarm went off, sending the clown tumbling over himself in a perfect pratfall.
Hilda rolled her eyes but finally obliged, casting her cloud and soaring into the night sky to enjoy the moonlight and the quiet away from the clown. He was pleased with this and set up his equipment. It was his first shift and he was a little groggy after a nap, but otherwise happy to start his shift of being a lookout.
If he had to be completely honest, however, he didn’t expect the dragon to REALLY come back to Hilda’s tower. That was like a criminal coming back to the scene of the crime. And he didn’t know any nostalgic criminals. Still, it was something to do and bugging Hilda had been an absolute delight! Not as good as the Baroness, but she was a close second for sure.
He really hoped Djimmi wasn’t too mad at him. The genie had been under a lot of stress as of late but he didn’t really share unless the clown managed to get him to smoke some of his special pipe. He should do that when he got home. Provided Hilda and he weren’t married by that point and running a bumper car business. These thoughts soon filled his dreams as he promptly fell back asleep.
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The skies were fully covered in dark clouds, hiding the moonlight, as night finally set upon the Isles.
Grim was not bothered by the darkness. Instead, he was trying to make himself less nervous, but he was not having much luck. He had spent hours thinking of the horrible, embarrassing thing he did earlier that day in Bon Bon’s castle, and tried to gather the courage to go out again. He wanted to recover his letter to Bon Bon that was sent to Hilda by 'fortunate’ mistake.
He kept playing in his head the awkward conversation Hilda and he would inevitably have, over and over again, until finally one of his heads got sick of it and forced him to get out and start flying towards the observatory, ignoring the rumbling of an approaching storm.
As he drew closer to Hilda’s home on top of the hill, he could feel his heart beat even faster. He so hoped the meteorologist hadn’t opened the letter yet. The storm that had been slow to approach was much closer now. A crash of thunder nearby, startled the dragon into a surprised roar, destabilizing his flight somewhat before he realized it was just thunder. He was really just too tense! He needed to hurry and get to her home so he could put this whole mess behind him.
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Beppi was startled awake by the thunder. He looked at the tea next to him suspiciously. “Hmmmm, I wondered if Hilda drugged me…wouldn’t be the first.” The sound of a loud roar perked him up immensely and he stuck himself out of the window.
Coming toward the tower all shadowy and spooky like was a large dragon. Beppi gaped. “Wow, this IS really lucky!” He gleefully giggled and started to load his glitter cannon.
Grim was flew around the observatory, feeling sorry to see it in such a state. He looked for some lights or indication that the woman was home.
Beppi finished loading his sparkle cannon and took aim. He was still a bit too low so he reinflated his legs and he gave a happy grunt as he was able to aim more effectively. He spotted the dragon and paused.
“Huh, that kinda looks like Grim,” he mused. Then again, the dragon was supposed to look like him a bit. He shrugged and fired.
Grim heard what he thought was a very small thunder, before something painful struck his thigh. He released another, and more terrifying, growl, thankfully managing to keep himself stable in the air as a soft rain started to fall around him.
____
The time away from the observatory was a pleasant change for Hilda. It allowed her to calm down, diminishing, although not destroying, the urge to strangle Beppi. She spread the stars out across the night sky, unfortunately missing a few constellations she had forgotten in her hurry to escape the clown.
When she was done, she took the chance to fully clear her head. Taking a deep breath, she settled comfortably on her cloud and admired her work. The view of the stars on the blackness of the infinite universe helped her put thing in perspective. It wasn’t too bad that her observatory was partially destroyed, she realized. It could have been much worse. Like what had destroyed her house when she was on the bed with-.
'Oh! We should definitely do that again!’ Gemini interrupted all too cheerfully in their recognisable unison. Hilda rolled her eyes. She did agree with them that as much fun as she had with Cagney, it was most certainly a one time thing.
'What are you afraid of?’ Sagittarius tried to figure out.
“I’m not afraid of nothing!” The stubborn woman yelled, “I just…don’t feel the same way.”
'Again, you DO realize we are inside your head right?’ Tauros pointed out, rolling his eyes. 'Of course you have feelings for him. We want to kill him, remember?’ Now it was Hilda’s turn to roll her eyes as the rain started to pitter patter around her.
“Leave me alone for a moment, please! I just want to enjoy-!” She heard some kind of growl in the distance. For a second, the sound confused until her thoughts jumped on the possibility that it could be Cagney, who might have turned into his monstrous form for some reason. Though for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why at this point.
'Well, seeing the clown in your place in the evening might be a good reason. IF he’s the jealous type,” Tauros suggested with an invisible smile, delighting himself with the idea of a possible scuffle with the carnation.
'Don’t be silly!’ Sagittarius said, “It’s probably the mirror dragon! We better head home fast! Beppi might be in danger! He is still injured, right?!’ Hilda opened her eyes widely at the thought before turning into a blimp and rocketing through the clouds towards her home.
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Beppi reloaded another canister of glitter, noting that the first case he shot did a really good job of making the dragon really shimmer.
He was a bit surprised the mirror dragon wasn’t already glittery like it was in the circus. He started to chuckle. "Knowing how things go, it’s probably Grim!” He fired again, now smiling even wider at the thought of dousing Grim in glitter and sequins
Grim roared again at the second impact. He spiraled slightly out of control but this time he was able to see where the projectile came from. “Miss B-b-berg! Why are you shooting me!?” He managed to shout, flying closer to the window, not knowing Beppi was the shooter. “It’s m-me! Grim!”
There was a heavy rain now. Lighting and thunder filed the skies, illuminating the shadowy silhouette of the dragon.
____
Beppi scratched his head. He has about 75% sure this was not the dragon they were looking for. Then again, it WAS glittery now - granted it was probably due to him shooting it with glitter but that was beside the point.
He loaded up on canisters and shot it just above the dragon so it would explode, completely drenching it with the glitter. It was even brighter than a disco ball!
Grim growled angrily as the explosion of the glitter and sequins got into his eyes, blinding him. As he struggled to paw the material away from his eyes, Hilda advanced upon him from the skies. She spotted the flailing, shiny dragon near her home and saw red.
“The crystal dragon!” She furiously hollered. The dragon seemed like it was going to crash into her house, so she immediately gathered a small tornado and threw the spiraling wind towards it. “GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY HOUSE, YOU BASTARD!”
The tornado reached its target, tossing him away from the house. Grim had to do a great effort to stay in the air, and growled again, confused.
Beppi stopped firing at this point as Hilda swooped in from the sky. He cracked his knuckles. “Whelp! I’ve done my part! Time to grab a snack!”
Grim stabilized his flight, managing to clean his eyes. He looked around, trying to find where the voice came from and what it actually said, for the thunder and heavy rain prevented him from hearing and seeing clearly. He was starting to get really scared. Another thunder boomed near him, making him think it was another of the glitter bombs. He quickly spat a huge flame and turned around frantically, giving him the appearance of whirling fireball in the night sky.
Hilda was too close and didn’t have enough time to doge the attack, forcing her to quickly transform into Gemini. The twin constellation split just in time for the fire to pass between them.
“You’re gonna get it now!” Gemini yelled, creating their golden sphere and shooting projectiles towards the dragon.
Grim felt the hits and growled in pain. He decided it was probably best to flee than to confront whatever was attacking him.
Gemini saw him trying to escape and grinned. “Oh, no you don’t!” Clouds covered their bodies and Tauros thrusted with a snarl towards the scared creature and crashed him against the wall of the cliff, where Hilda’s house stood. Grim released a painful roar and sunk his claws into the rocky surface to prevent him from falling down.
Taurus took the opportunity to strike the dragon a few more times before the dragon could finish scrambling up the wall back up to the house. Grim retaliated with whip-like attacks of his tail and a few fireballs. The heavy water of the rain started to wash the dragon’s scales making him less shiny, but Tauros was too focused in his anger to realize it.
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Another thundering shake of the observatory finally cajoled Beppi to look outside as he ate his snack. “Looks like Hilda’s taking on the dragon. Neato!” He searched through his bags until he found the long, blonde wig and fluffy pom poms he had packed in anticipation of something like this.
He climbed through the hole, put the wig on and started cheering enthusiastically. “Go, Hilda, go! Go, Hilda, go!”
Tauros was about to thrust again when he heard Beppi’s cheers. He looked up and his eyes shined with anger. “You can walk!?”
Grim saw his chance and hit the bull with his tail, giving him the opportunity to get a better look at what he was dealing with. The hit made Taurus lose his focus and transform back into Hilda, who had to immediately summon her cloud to avoid falling.
“Ok! That’s it! NOW I’M PISSED!” She yelled as the clouds started to cover her body to turn into her final form.
Grim finally recognized the woman. “No! No! Wait! It’s me, Grim!” He shouted to the sky witch. At the sound of his voice, she halted mid transformation.
“Grim!?” She exclaimed, emerging from the clouds, still in her human form. “What the fuck!? You scared the shit out of me!”
“I scared y-you!?” The dragon replied with teary eyes. It was obvious he was terrified.
“Well, yeah! I thought you were that shiny dragon who destroyed my observatory!” The woman flew closer to the dragon and pet him gently. “I’m sorry.” She looked back, frowning at the clown, her eyes still shining with anger. “Come, Grim, let’s get dry before we catch a cold.”
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Grim and Hilda stared angrily at the clown as all three sat at the kitchen table, a tea set spread out for them. Well as best as Grim could sit considering he didn’t quite fit into the home. Hilda had to rig up a series of tents and sheets to provide a makeshift protection for the rest of Grim’s body that could not fit within the confines of the home. Grim had the suspicion Beppi knew all along it was him. And Hilda was angry to see him walking and cheering like he never got hurt, which meant all the hugging and caring he had asked from her was absolutely unnecessary.
Beppi continued to smile at both of them. “Sooooo…..how are things going?”
The two bosses were still glaring at him and he couldn’t figure out why. “I feel like you’re both upset with me somehow.” He snapped his fingers. “Oh right! One second!” He reached up and pulled off the wig. “There, you know my secret. I’m not a natural blonde,” he sighed, pouting
“You made me hug you….” Hilda said softly but in a very angry tone. “And you were just FAKING IT?!” Grim rolled his eyes and drank a bit of his tea, his body still sore from the glitter cannons and the fight with Hilda.
Beppi’s smile got a bit smaller. "Would you rather I had been seriously injured?”
Hilda felt a bit guilty, maybe she was overreacting. Again. But she didn’t like being played for a fool neither. “No! Of course not! But, c'mon! You emotionally manipulated me. That’s not cool.” She sipped her tea, trying to gulp the guilt building up in her throat.
Grim had no idea what they were talking about, and he thought it would be wise to stay out of it and wait the proper moment to state his business here. He took the chance to discreetly look around for the letter.
“Am I?”
Beppi pulled up one of his legs up to show a hastily patched long hole. It was already starting to open up again. “Comedic timing makes things hurt less,” he explained with a grimace.
The woman swallowed loudly. “I-I-I’ll help you patch that properly. L-later,” she said, lowering her voice until it was almost a whisper. She avoided the clown’s eyes and tried to hide behind her mug.
“Wow! What happened?” Grim asked, worried. “You need to go to the hospital?”
Beppi stretched and slowly got up with a limp. “No, just back to the circus is all! Give me a day or so and I’ll be right as rain. Just like this rain!” He opened the door and gestured to the rain.
They both looked looked at each other, worriedly.
“If you’re leaving, let me at least give you a lift!” she offered, standing up.
“Oh, or, I can take you. It’s on my way, anyhow. I just need to recover something first.” Grim said shyly.
Beppi shook his head. “Oh no thanks! I’ll just float home! I’m sure I’ll see you both later!” The clown inflated his head and slowly floated back toward the second isle.
Hilda couldn’t help but feel a bit relieved. Having the clown around was really starting to get to her nerves, not to mention the guilt! She truly hoped he would recover soon. After watching Beppi float away, the meteorologist turned to the dragon. “So what’s that something you want to recover? I don’t remember you lending me anything lately.”
“Oh… yeah.. uh… it’s… it’s about…a m-misdirected letter….” The dragon blushed.
“A let~oh! Right!” She smirked. “You mean….” She walked to the counter near the door and opened a drawer, pulling out the letter. .“..this very honest letter you wrote to Bon Bon?”
Grim turned a more intense shade of red. “Y-yeah…that one…I see you have read it…d-did you showed it to Bon Bon?” He asked, afraid of the answer.
“Not yet.” She sat back at the table. “Where did you get the courage to write and send this letter? I mean, no offense, but you don’t really strike me as the 'direct approach’ type.” She let the letter settle on the table between them.
“Uh, yeah. I had a little encouragement from a friend…and Cagney.” Grim replied, embarrassed.
“I knew I recognized this handwriting.” She pointed to the envelope. “But I don’t understand the mix up. This was obviously for Bon Bon, so how come Cagney wrote my address?”
“Well… uh… we were v-very drunk, I guess he must have wrote it b-by reflex.” The dragon decided to keep the existence of Cagney’s letter a secret until Bon Bon decided to give the letter to her. “I should g-go now. It’s getting late and I’m still sore from the f-fight.”
“Oh, yeah, I’m really sorry about that,” Hilda apologized nervously.
“It’s alright… uh.. just… one last t-thing.”
“Yeah?”
“P-p-please don’t tell Bon Bon! I d-don’t want her t-to know that I… I….”
“That you want to see how she looks without her dress?” She giggled, making the dragon very uncomfortable and red with embarrassment. “Don’t worry! I won’t say anything. But you should tell her how you feel before it’s too late.”
Grim nodded shyly and thanked the woman for the tea before taking the letter and flying back to his tower. Hilda found herself alone once more. She took a deep breath, trying to take in the peace.
'How come you never take your own advice?’. Sagittarius asked, making the woman cringe.
____
Finally, Grim got back home with the cursed letter and opened it to read its content one last time before turning it into ashes. His eyes opened wide and his jaw fell, his two other heads popped out to the surprise of the content of this envelope.
“Oh… that fucking clown….” They all said in unison.
____
Isabella agreed to let Mina go have a sleepover at Harvey’s. After helping her gather her things together, she kissed her goodnight and sent her off before finally turning on herself. She started to get ready herself, for tonight might be the night King Dice would show up.
It didn’t take long for Isabella to reach the Night Owl Club. She walked in, filled with a confidence that cleverly disguised the fact that was indeed blind. “Good evening, Isabella.” The bartender and the rest of the staff greeted the woman as she walked by.
“There has been some changes for tonight.” Oliver, the rooster who worked as a host, said, a bit worried to the bat. “Our lead singer Patricia Parakeet is back, so you will be her back-up singer for tonight.”
Isabella felt awful about this new information. She didn’t mind being a back-up singer but she was expecting King Dice to show up and get a chance to impress him with her musical talents. She would a harder time doing this if she was in the back.
“Oh! Well, that is great! I’m glad she recovered so quickly,” she lied. “Are you going to introduce us?”
“Of course, of course! She’s in her changing room now. We’ll have to wait 'till she comes out. She, ah, doesn’t like to be disturbed.”
Isabella greeted the band and sat at the bar to wait for the lead singer, drinking water with lemon.
____
Patricia sat in her dressing room, fuming. She had to share the stage. She NEVER had to share the stage before. But all of her squawking and shrieking did nothing to change Marvin’s mind. Apparently the other girl had signed a contract. Which was a bunch of bird seed in her opinion. Who just signed some girl from nowhere up for a gig? Marvin was as dense as he was short sighted.
She applied the blush heavily to her puffed up yellow feathery cheeks. "I’m should be the one who travels the world, recording records and singing for royalty!” She scowled, adjusting the boa around her neck. She practiced a few bars, applied some throat spray before smirking. “We’ll see what Daddy has to say after he gets back from his business trip!”
She finished up dressing and stepped out, her beady eyes immediately scanning the bar for any new faces. Particularly any dumb floozies that were stupid enough to try to steal her gig. There was a peahen that tried one time and, well, one of her feathers made for a wonderful decoration for Patricia’s hat. And let’s just say the beautiful feathery boar around her neck had been a delightful gift from her father after she had him remove that trio of flamingos that tried to force her to be a back-up singer.
Her eyes fell on a mature bat and she paused. This wasn’t the competition she was expecting. But bats weren’t know to be powerful singers so she confidently swayed toward the woman. “Are you the back up singer?” She asked when she got close enough, ruffling her feathers.
Isabella’s ears wiggled at the sound of approaching steps and her nose twitched at the smell of strong perfume. “Hi! Yes I am. And you are Miss Parakeet?” She guessed, judging for the expensive scent she was wearing.
Patricia smiled at the introduction. “Yes, I’m Patricia Parakeet. But you will continue to refer to me as Miss Parakeet. Not Patricia and NEVER Patty. Do you understand?”
“Of course, Miss Parakeet.” Isabella smiled. She wasn’t the first star wannabe she encountered. And she was sure it wouldn’t be the last. It was best to let her think she was in charge. “Your voice is very familiar! Where have you performed before here?” Better gather some intel, she thought.
Patricia smirked. “Ha! I truly doubt you have heard me before. I only sing at places where the patrons are real class acts. Cream of the crop, the like you wish you had a chance to even glimpse at. But you will have the opportunity to hear me tonight.” She leaned in a bit closer. “There’s a chance of a promoter coming tonight and if you screw this up for me or try to upstage me in some way, I will make life in the isles very, VERY uncomfortable for you. Do we understand each other?”
“Oh my! Coming on a bit strong, are we? You feel threatened by my voice, dear?” Isabella used her enticing tone to show how charming she could get.
Patricia snorted at the bat’s attempt. She recognized the change in tone. She couldn’t copy it, but she could recognize it well enough. “Hardly! I can’t have an amateur mucking things up for me! And if you hadn’t signed on with Marvin, you would already be gone.”
The bird started to walk away only to pause. “Don’t think you’re the only one who can win a crowd, sister. I’m not just a pretty parrot.”
“Well, I wouldn’t know about your looks, but you certainly are a smelly one if you need that amount of perfume.” She finished her drink. “Should we practice, Miss Parakeet?” she asked innocently.
Patricia had picked up a very thin champagne flute but at Isabella’s words, she snapped the stem in half. “Smelly? Figures you bats only have a refined sense of hearing, not smell!” She hissed. She patted her feathers down at the sight of patrons starting to walk in.
“I’ve already practiced, but I’m sure you could use a warm up. Perhaps in the alley attached to the kitchen? Where they throw out the dish water.”
The bat stood up and walked towards the band. "You know what? I’ll wing it,” she said, waving her delicate wings, “That way you’ll have a better chance to get noticed by the promoter.” She smirked, but got distracted and stumbled into a table with a thud. “La naiba!” the woman cursed, embarrassed, and walked slowly towards the stage.
The Lounge Lizards had just finished tuning their instrument when Patricia stepped on stage. She started to croon, not putting too much effort in as the night had barely got started. Still it earned a whistle or two from the small amount of patrons and she couldn’t help but shoot the blind bat a dirty look.
Isabella started the evening as a pretty good back singer, adapting her tone to the bird’s voice as the song required it. She didn’t overstep into Patricia’s spotlight and let her continue on, letting her become overconfident. The night just started, and the bat knew she would get her chance to wipe her shoes with Patricia’s feathers.
During the short intermissions between songs, Oliver would stop by to critique them, to say how good they looked out there and how well they complimented each other. And more importantly, if any promoters had arrived. Isabella acted humble in front of the rooster, but whenever the singers were alone, they would get right back to the fighting.
It was during one of those spat breaks where Patricia really found herself getting riled up by the nonchalance of the bat. “What do you hope to get out of this? A free ride to some of the most elite clubs? Money? You wouldn’t know what to do with class if it came and bit you in the ass.”
Marvin tried his best to ignore the women’s squabbling. At least the two could sing well even if they were at each other’s throats. He started to walk toward the bar to reorganize the stash only to freeze as the atmosphere changed.
There was no mistaking the new visitor and he turned quickly toward him, rubbing his hands together. “Aw, King Dice! What an absolute pleasure for you to visit my little club!”
The large casino house boss stepped toward the mole. “Little might be stretching it, Marvin.”
Marvin nodded, glad no debt collection was happening. “Can I get you a whiskey neat, or sour patch on the rocks?”
King Dice shook his head. “Perhaps later, I’m here for business reasons.”
“Business?” He gulped hesitantly. The last time someone from the Casino was here for “business”, a couple of arms were broken and the wall paper had to be replaced. However, none of those things had happened yet so Marvin was cautiously optimistic. King Dice chuckled.
“Well I hear you’ve got two singers that are a choice bit of calico.”
The mole brightened up. “Oh! You mean Isabella and Patricia! Yes, yes. Had you wanted to meet them?”
“I would be most obliged.” The mole lead King Dice to the stage at the sign of a break and winced as he overheard the two women bickering. “Ladies,” he interrupted, “I would like you to meet a friend of the club, King Dice.”
Isabella’s ears perked up, but she kept her cool. Finally, there was his opportunity to meet King Dice. “Pleasure to meet you, Mr Dice,” she said, charmly, taking a lovely pose, with one hand on her hips, that innocently showed her soft curves.
King Dice very subtly took in her figure. “Well hi de ho, ma'am. You must be Isabella?”
“And I’m Patricia!” Patricia interrupted, pushing her way in front of Isabella and batting her eyelashes.
King Dice smirked. “You certainly are. How long have you both been singing?”
The bat smiled at Patricia’s childish way to interrupt, for that proved she was nervous and more prompt to make a mistake.
“Well…”. She played shyly. “My origins are humble, but my hardwork has taken me far. Started singing in the lower districts in Paris when I was eight, and somehow I made my way to Germany, England, Italy…and now here.” She added a subtle sensual inflection into that last sentence, hoping that King Dice would pick up on that, and hopefully, fall for his charms.
King Dice smiled appreciatively at Isabella’s summary. “I like a woman who’s traveled. A gal who knows her onions.” He turned to Patricia. “And how about you?”
Patricia fluffed up her feathers. “Well, I’m a born natural! But daddy made sure I had the best lessons anyway even though he says that you can’t improve perfection,” She tweeted happily.
The casino employee raised an eyebrow and grinned. “Well, you ain’t certainly no canceled stamp, that’s for sure. Do you have family around here?”
Isabella shrugged. She didn’t like to talk about her Mina in the club. You never knew who could be listening, and years of hiding had made the bat paranoid. Still, she was planning on staying here for while, so he would eventually find out regardless.
She cleared her throat and recovered her confidence. “I like to travel light”. She kept smiling. “ I only bring my daughter with me.”
King Dice grinned even wider at that. “Well, that’s just sweet. So you and Miss Parakeet here? How long have you worked together?”
Patricia waved a feather, flopping Isabella in the face. “Oh she hasn’t been here very long at all! She’s a temp is all. Just one of my background singers until my career really takes flight if ya know what I mean,” she winked at the older dice.
Isabella’s nose got tickled by the feather, and the woman decided to not hold it back and sneezed on Patricia. “Oh! Dear! I’m SO sorry!” She fakely apologized. “My nose is very sensitive, you know?” She had to make an effort not to laugh.
“Well hopefully your nose isn’t too sensitive for all the cigar smoke around here. I’m from a place that caters to a certain type of clientele that values their vices, including have a drag or two.”
Patricia shrieked and made a motion to strike the bat with her wing.
King Dice took Ms. Parakeet’s wing. “I’m sure you could find it possible in your incredible large heart to allow Isabella here a chance to sing as well. I’d hate to have to leave if I didn’t think things were…fair.”
Patricia was irritated but didn’t want to wreck her chances. “I suppose she could have a turn. But only ONE song. She IS back up, afterall.”
He grinned. “I’m sure that will be enough for me to determine who has the greater stage presence.” The King waved them both off as he turned around. “I look forward to hearing what you girls sing.”
“I will not disappoint you,” Isabella said sweetly as King Dice walked away. Once she was certain he was out of hearing range, she turned to Patricia. "Well, I’ll let you go first dear. I wouldn’t want to put you in the position of following my act.” she said, full of confidence.
Patricia smiled. “Yes, I can only see how appropriate that is. After all, it’s beauty before age.”
“Isn’t the saying 'age before beauty’?” Marvin asked as he walked by the two women.
“Nobody asked you, Marvin!” Patricia tweeted angrily. She strutted back up to the stage and quickly chatted with the band before approaching the microphone with a sensual smile to her lips.
“How many of you boys here want to feel special tonight?” She asked before she started to croon.
____
'She has a strong stage presence, I’ll give her that…’ Isabella thought to herself hearing how the audience cheered and whistled to the bird. 'If she wasn’t such a diva wannabe, I could learn a thing or two from her…’
The sing ended and everybody broke in a applause, including herself.
Patricia blew a couple of sweet birdie kisses to the crowd, already spotting a pile of telephone numbers waiting for her on one of the watier’s trays. She flipped her tail feathers at Isabella. “Hope you fly well because there’s no way you’re reaching the bar that I just set with that”
The bat smiled at the bird, trying to show confidence. Truth was, she was starting to doubt herself.
She talked to the band and Oliver accompanied her to the microphone.
“Evening, ladies and gentlemen. Let’s hear it again for Miss Parakeet!” Isabella spoke into the microphone. Everybody started cheering again. “She’s a wonderful inspiration to us singers all around the world,” she continued talking as the applause started to fade. “And I have to thank her for giving me the chance to prove my worth here tonight. Thank you, Miss Parakeet, for trusting in me”. She sounded sincere and elicited some admiration applause from the crowd.
The music started and Isabella waited for her cue. “Trussst in meeee…” The song began and she accompanied every phrase with subtle sensual movements of her body.
The audience grew mesmerized by her enticing tone and the snake like movements she did with her body.
It was as if a spell has been placed over the crowd - a fact that did not go unnoticed by King Dice. Even he found the bat very mesmerizing indeed. It appeared Chips and Mangosteen had been on to something after all. It would almost make up for the fact that he was going to be assigning them extra shifts for having dragged him out of an important meeting for this.
Yes, a singer like this could do very well at the Casino and he started drafting up the contract in his head already
The song ended and the public broke into an applause and cheered at the new talent. Isabella thanked them and Oliver helped her back down the stage. She hoped King Dice was as pleased as the audience.
Patricia shook her head as if she was waking up from a dream and confusedly looked around. Everyone was cheering enthusiastically and she furrowed her feathered brow in confusion. How did this happen? Was she a witch?! Not a missed note nor an accidental warble. There was no way this could have been happened.
The evening continued as normal, with both singers on stage this time. The public was very pleased and the evening got very animated.
It was time for the singers to take a break and Isabella headed to the bar and ordered a glass of water with lemon. She was starting to get worried. Patricia had a talent to change tones very quickly and it was a bit hard for her to follow sometimes. She wondered if that would hurt her chances to get picked by the casino owner.
She took a sip of her drink and tried to relax. Her thoughts shifted to her deceased lover and sadness rushed in her heart like a wave. If she played her cards right, she might get him back again.
“Tonic water and lemon?” King Dice observed as he took a seat next to her, “I respect that. It’s not professional to get zozzled on the clock.”
They could hear Patricia guffaw as she sat on a table surrounded by some of the males. “Oh you’re so funny, Charlie!” She laughed, gently hitting a bloke and taking another dip of her martini.
Her ears perked at the voice of the man and she quickly recover her charming facade, showing a sweet smile. “Some people need a bit of liquid confidence.” She chuckled. “Enjoying the show so far?”
King Dice motioned for the bartender to bring him a drink. “Quite. Any chance I could borrow some of your time for a private conversation?”
She hid her enthusiasm. “Of course. If you like, we can go to the changing room backstage. To talk. In private”. She felt like she needed to clarify. Although, he did sound like a gentleman, and it had been a while since she was handle by a gentleman. Her cheeks blushed slightly, and her heat rate started to become dormant, as it has been for years.
King Dice smiled. “You sweet bunny, I ain’t no skirt chaser.” He followed her into the dressing room and took a seat. “Miss Isabella, I am the house manager for a little place at the edge of the isles called the Devil’s Casino. I’m responsible for a lot day to day tasks, special events and tournaments, as well as the entertainment. And from what I’ve seen tonight, I think you would make a good addition to our staff. Is something that would tickle your interests?”
The bat widened her smile. “Indeed it does, Mr Dice! When can I start?” She said sweetly, feeling closer to her goals.
The dice smiled and retrieved a piece of paper. “You could start this week if it so pleases you.”
He laid the paper flat on the table in front of the bat, the raised dots on the parchment indicating the braille text. “The casino doesn’t just employ anyone off the street, mind you. That Patricia bird is a very lovely doll, but she doesn’t have the right lifestyle for a position like this. We like to employ those that have more experience, maturity,” King Dice started to explain.
He pulled out a pen and held it out to the eager woman. “An employee who knows to follow the rules because they have something…or someone to lose if they don’t,” he added, still keeping a smile on his face.
Isabella heard the warnings of the casino owner, and she didn’t like what he was implying. Still, she caressed the paper sheet with the tip of her fingers and started reading the dots on it. It seemed like a standard contract.
She held the pen nervously. She was so close to get what she wanted. Not only would she work at the Devil’s Casino, but she would have easier access to the Big Boss himself. It was just a matter of time.
She signed the contract with a lovely, well calligraphed signature, and extended her arm to shake his. “Thank you very much for giving me the chance, Mr Dice. I won’t disappoint” She said sweetly.
King Dice plucked the paper away and stuck it into his breast pocket. “We look forward to having you on board. Swing by this week when you’re ready to start.”
He excused himself and left the room, leaving Isabella alone. He made eye contact with Patricia as he walked through the bar and smiled and nodded at her.
Patricia froze, not needing words to understand what had happened. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to use some of her own words to express HER displeasure what happened.
“Are you freakin serious?!” She shrieked, nearly making KD laugh.
Marvin went to assuage her. “Patricia, calm down.”
“She wasn’t even here for a week!”
“Trust me, I’m just as disappointed as you are. I would have loved nothing more than for you to leave as well,” Marvin admitted.
Patricia really fluffed up her feathers and pushed away some of the guys she had attracted. She went to the bar and ordered something heavy. She would make that bat if it was the last thing she did.
———————————————————————————
CHAPTER 01, CHAPTER 02, CHAPTER 03, CHAPTER 04, CHAPTER 05, CHAPTER 06, CHAPTER 07, CHAPTER 08, CHAPTER 09, CHAPTER 10; CHAPTER 11; CHAPTER 12 ; CHAPTER 13 ; CHAPTER 14 ; CHAPTER 15; CHAPTER 16 ; (nsfw) CHAPTER 17 ; CHAPTER 18 ; CHAPTER 19 (nsfw) ; CHAPTER 20 ; CHAPTER 21 ; CHAPTER 22 ; CHAPTER 23 ; CHAPTER 24 ; CHAPTER 25 (nsfw) ; CHAPTER 26 (nsfw) ; CHAPTER 27 (you’re here now!)
#necrokitty tales#necrida#smallpersiankitten#smallpersiankittencuphead#Beppi the clown#grim matchstick#hilda berg#mina betchstein#harvey hare#spike#isabella betchstein#patricia parakeet#king dice#submission
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Why each HOA character gets kicked out of the mall....
This is a fun goofy one I did. It’s not a ranking as much as “Assigning” them things which i wanna do too. Hope you enjoy? Idk! I think it was fun to make and hopefully it’s accurate to you too.
Nina - An evil Egyptain spirit shows up and Nina yells at her. No one else see’s the spirit and the old lady in the electric scooter thinks she’s yelling at her. Security promptly asks her to leave.
Fabian - Alfie decides he’s gonna mess around and put some mentos into the soda’s at the drug store. Fabian scolds him and takes the bottle from him. When a worker turns up, they see Fabian with it and blame him. When Fabian asks Alfie to tell them who really did it, he promptly throws Fabian under the bus. He’s told to clean it up and leave. Alfie abandons him.
Amber - Amber takes too much clothing into the dressing room. It’s against policy and they’ve told her a thousand times. Gives them some choice words about their policy and asserts that she indeed has a platinum card and should be treated differently cuz she’s not a theft risk. When they call security she decides to quote Pretty Woman and exclaims “Big mistake! Huge!”
Alfie - Alfie starts a food fight in the food court. Jerome was bothering him and he threw some stuff. He yells food fight but nobody else joins in because it’s the mall and like- why would they? He’s def put into mall jail.
Jerome - Jerome tries to scam someone. Once a scammer always a scammer. Probably tries to sell an empty video game case at the game store but gets caught. He technically runs for it but security is called and he would have been thrown out had he not gotten away.
Patricia - Some worker at one of the stores is 100% flirting with Eddie and Patricia is not having any of it! She wastes no time throwing her iced coffee all over the worker. Also probably goes to mall jail. Def has Eddie tease her about it.
Eddie - Eddie is 10000% the type to not back down from a dare. Jerome and Alfie dare him to use one of the toy stores skate boards and ride it around but Eddie is more talk then skill with skateboard and ends up knocking over that huge ball cage every store has.
Mara - Mara goes into the book store and hates the way they have their books organized. Tries to reorganize them all but gets told off. She tries to defend herself and insults their system. Gets told to leave. For principle Mara decides she’s never shopping there again.
Joy - Joy gets into a fight over the last pair of boots in her size. She wins the fight but doesn’t even get to buy them before she’s kicked out. Amber gives her mad props for kicking the girl into the sales bin for the half price boots. Joy’s salty for the next week. “It’s not like I punched her!”
Mick - Mick brings his football (soccer) into the mall and kicks it around. He’s told to stop but he doesn’t. Breaks the window on one of those display cars. He’s kicked out and has to pay to have it replaced.
Willow - Willow decides to release all the animals at the pet store. They end up all over the mall. There literally parakeets in the high ceiling rafters for weeks. She gets in the most trouble out of everyone. She’s literally banned from the mall forever.
KT - KT gets kicked out for defending her friends. She was 100% here for one of the things listed above and gave the security her two cents. She’s very passionate about her friends. “This your friend?” “Yeah!” “Then you leave too!”
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The parakeets we have in the class are Patricia and Melvin and I love them already
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My September & October Reads
Getting a Life, Helen Simpson - This collection, which is about motherhood, did NOT make me want to have kids. It DID make me want to read more short stories, however, so I'll consider it a win. The writing is sharp and funny, incredibly smart, ohmygod just really, really good. Every story left an impression and I need to read Helen Simpson's other books asap.
Pumpkinheads, Rainbow Rowell & Faith Erin Hicks - A super cute graphic novel, perfect for middle schoolers (I think). Funny jokes, cozy illustrations, lots of autumnal splendor.
Sourdough, Robin Sloan - I loved it, but it’s an extremely weird book. If you were into Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore and if you enjoy magical realism or sci-fi, then I think you’ll like this one too.
Meg and Jo, Virginia Kantra - Thank you to Kerry for hooking me up with this, the ultimate galley brag! Meg and Jo is the first in a two-book, modern retelling of Little Women, and I’m so excited for other Alcott fans to get into it. Virginia Kantra does an amazing job balancing nostalgic nods to the classic novel with interesting, fresh twists. Kantra is an award-winning romance writer, and the romantic relationships in this book are *wonderful*. Her versions of Bhaer and Laurie......oh my gosh. If you’re a fan of the original, please pre-order this book right now and thank me later. ;)
Anastasia Krupnik, Lois Lowry - Hilarious and delightful. My husband had to take a stressful exam last month and I was stressed too, so I turned to middle grade fiction. I’m a genius!
Baby, Patricia MacLachlan - When I was little, I borrowed Baby from the library so often that my parents bought me a copy. Picking it up for the first time in probably 20 years (oh god, I'm old) was wild; I was in tears from the spice cake batter and tap dancing on blue/green tiles all the way to rock, paper, scissors -- if you've read the book, you know what I mean. And can we talk about the names? Larkin, Lalo, Byrd, Eunice, Rebel, Marvella. ALSO, I had a parakeet in junior high, and I completely forgot that I named her after a character in this book (RIP Sophie the bird). In conclusion, I highly, highly encourage everyone to re-read their childhood favorites.
French Exit, Patrick deWitt - I went in with the lowest expectations (written by a man, etc.) annnnd I must admit that I loved it so much. This is an absurd novel about the dynamics of an uber wealthy mother and son, and I can only compare it to TV shows: Succession, Schitt’s Creek, Arrested Development. The dialogue! The cat! Read it.
#books#monthly reads#september#october#booklr#book review#patrick dewitt#french exit#patricia maclachlan#baby#lois lowry#anastasia krupnik#virginia kantra#meg and jo#robin sloan#sourdough#rainbow rowell#faith erin hicks#pumpkinheads#graphic novel#helen simpson#getting a life#short stories#little women#louisa may alcott
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P
The P Survey by joybucket
What is your passion?
TV haha.
How often do you pray?
Never.
What’s your favorite flavor of Pringles?
Cheddar.
When was the last time you wrote a poem?
In high school I’m sure.
Do you like the color pink?
Yes.
Do you like to wear pink?
I don’t own much of it.
What was the name of the first pet that you loved?
Featherbrain and Lucky. Two parakeets.
What’s your favorite pizza topping?
Pepperoni and black olives.
Have you ever had a parking ticket?
Yes, a couple.
Do you own a plaid flannel shirt?
Yes, a couple.
What’s something you have pondered recently?
Life?
Have you ever taken Physics?
Yes.
Do you own a Polaroid camera?
No.
Who’s your favorite Disney princess?
Moana.
Do you enjoy looking through old photo albums?
Yes.
Do you like…
pickles?
peas?
Pepsi?
Pringles?
pie?
potatoes?
porridge/oatmeal?
The Princess Diaries series?
ponds?
pants that have pockets?
poetry?
prancing?
puppets?
the music group Play?
piano music?
playing piano?
Polaroid photos?
parties?
paper?
using a planner?
parkas?
city parks?
theme parks?
parallel parking?
posters?
Have you ever…
had your palm read?
taken piano lessons?
been to Panama?
been to Palm Springs?
been to Pennsylvania?
listened to Prince?
owned Polly Pocket toys?
been a puppeteer?
owned a puppet?
burnt popcorn?
called the police?
had the police called on you?
been to a wild party?
been to prom?
proposed to someone?
been proposed to?
had a paper cut?
made a paper airplane?
True or False
The big parachute was your favorite gym class activity as a kid.
You’ve been given a promise ring.
You don’t believe in palm reading.
You’ve taken a Poetry class.
You grew up in a house with a swimming pool.
You grew up poor.
You are currently poor.
You want to help the poor.
You are petite.
You are a pastor’s kid.
You know what show Plankton is from.
You know what show Penelope Tait is from.
You were taught in school that Pluto was a planet.
You like Pixie Sticks.
You think pickles are disgusting.
You’ve taken a pole dancing class.
You’ve had a pen pal before.
You love to praise Jesus. :)
You haven’t parallel parked in years.
You’ve been in a parade.
You had a stuffed Pooh Bear when you were younger.
You’ve watched Puff the Magic Dragon.
You like palm trees.
You live in an area in which there are palm trees.
You like to paint.
You are a very patient person.
You’ve had a pregnancy scare.
You’ve been pregnant.
You’ve competed in a beauty pageant.
Would you say you are…
patient?
poor?
petite?
pretty?
perky?
popular?
passionate?
poetic?
prickly?
prissy?
easy to please?
a perfectionist?
pale?
persistent?
pleasurable?
a promise keeper?
a poet?
a pumpkin spice lover?
a pet lover?
a people person?
prayerful?
proud of yourself for how far you’ve come?
petty?
able to resist peer pressure?
poisonous?
a pizza lover?
poised?
worried about the pandemic?
playful?
Do you know anyone named…
Polly?
Patrick?
Patricia?
Portia?
Priya?
Promise?
Primrose?
Pat?
Palace?
Passion?
Parody?
Peri?
Paige?
Phantom?
Preston?
Prescott?
Parker?
Palmer?
Posie?
Pilgrim?
Patience?
Final Q’s!
Did you read the Harry Potter series?
No.
Do you like the color periwinkle?
I do.
Do you know what color periwinkle is?
Uh, yea.
How many of these words do you know the meaning to: phantom, potion, potter, parsley, platypus?
All of them.
Do you like the word “pandemonium”?
Sure.
What is your favorite theme park that you’ve been to?
The Wilderness, an indoor waterpark in The Dells.
Do you drink pop?
Yes.
Do you call it pop, soda, cola, or something else?
I switch between pop and soda, only because we call my dad Pops and it feels weird to call it pop now for some reason.
Have you ever played with Pop Rocks?
I didn’t play with them, I ate them.
Have you ever painted pottery?
Yes.
What are three of your favorite pastimes?
Watching TV, hanging around a bonfire, this.
Have you ever owned a parrot?
Nope.
Have you seen The Passion of the Christ?
I have, a long time ago.
What is something you keep in your pocket?
My phone.
Which print do you prefer: plaid or polka dots?
Plaid.
Have you ever been to Portland, Oregon?
No, but that is somewhere I’d like to visit.
Do you prefer pencils or pens?
Pens.
Do you have any paper plates in your cupboard right now?
Yes.
Do you use a planner?
I use the notes and reminder app on my phone.
Did you say the Pledge of Allegiance in school?
Yes.
Do you own anything with paisleys on it?
Yes.
That’s all for now- have a pleasurable, pleasant day! :)
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From American Bird Conservancy Bird of the Week; December 29, 2017:
Golden-headed Quetzal
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Pharomachrus auriceps
POPULATION: Unknown, but considered fairly common
TREND: Stable
HABITAT: Humid mountain and cloud forests of South America
A handful of spectacular species, found only in the Americas, are known as “quetzals.” All are part of the trogon family — colorful, fruit-eating tropical birds that include the better-known Resplendent Quetzal and Haiti's national bird, Hispaniolan Trogon.
The name "quetzal" is from the Nahuatl (Aztec) quetzalli, meaning "large brilliant tail feather," and Golden-headed Quetzal fits the bill perfectly. This beautifully plumed species has a distinctive golden-bronze head, iridescent green body and wings, and long wing and tail coverts.
Beyond beauty, the Golden-headed Quetzal's shimmering green and gold plumage provides effective camouflage in its arboreal habitat. Combined with its habit of perching quietly, usually on a horizontal branch in the forest canopy, this big, flashy bird remains surprisingly inconspicuous.
Forest Gardener
Throughout much of its range from the northern Andes south to Bolivia, the distribution of Golden-headed Quetzal overlaps with that of the Crested Quetzal. It's possible to see or hear both species at the same site (including at the ABC-supported Buenaventura Reserve in Ecuador).
Like other fruit-eating birds, such as Bearded Bellbird, Banded Cotinga, and Hooded Berryeater, the Golden-headed Quetzal helps maintain the forests where it lives by spreading seeds through its droppings. It will also swallow larger fruits whole, then regurgitate the pits.
Female Golden-headed Quetzal by Ondrej Prosicky, Shutterstock
Creating the Perfect Cavity
Golden-headed Quetzals are usually solitary, but remain with one mate during the nesting season. The male attracts a female by establishing a territory and advertising it with a series of melancholy-sounding, hawk-like whistles; another call is a horse-like whinny.
Like Blue-throated Macaw, Thick-billed Parrot, and Golden-plumed Parakeet, the Golden-headed Quetzal nests in tree cavities, digging out decaying tree trunks or modifying existing hollow spots in old trees with their short, sturdy beaks. Because they require dead trees soft enough to excavate but still sturdy enough to support a nest, these quetzals may investigate multiple trees before finding the ideal nest site.
Although Golden-headed Quetzal is considered fairly common throughout its range, the species still faces threats from habitat loss, as do so many other birds. Several ABC-supported reserves provide habitat for the species, including Peru's Abra Patricia — also home to the rare Long-whiskered Owlet and Ochre-fronted Antpitta — and Ecuador's Tapichalaca, which shelters Jocotoco Antpitta.
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Facts You (Probably) Didn't Know About Freddy Krueger/A Nightmare on Elm Street
Freddy Krueger
Freddy Only Had 7 Minutes of Screen Time in the Original Nightmare
That Time Freddy Rapped with Will Smith (Kind of)
Tobe Hooper’s Nightmare Prequel
Freddy RM: Krueger Radio
Freddy’s Oedipus Complex
Freddy’s Baby Mama
The Technicality that Got Freddy Off
Freddy was Stood-Up on Prom Night
The Real Reason Freddy’s So Pissed Off
Freddy’s Cartoon Cameo
“Fred Heads”: The Cult of Freddy
Springwood Slasher vs. Springwood Chopper: Freddy’s Competition
Freddy Krueger the Ice Cream Man
Freddy’s Origins - The Beginning
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Freddy Didn’t Die Instantly
Freddy was Named After a Childhood Bully
The Boiler Room
The Scene of Tina’s Death
The Blood Geyser
The Movie was Supposed to End Happily
The Convertible Top
The Scene of Freddy on Fire Won Best Stunt of the Year
Heather Langenkamp Cut Her Foot
The Melting Staircase
Freddy was Originally a Child Molester
The Red and Green Sweater
The Famous Scraping Noise
The Scene Where Freddy Presses Through the Wall
The Nursery Rhyme
Freddy was Supposed to be Silent
The Phone Scene
Freddy was Supposed to Look More Gruesome
Why Johnny Depp was Chosen
The Bathtub Scene
What Inspired the Story
The House that Freddy Built
Freddy’s Makeup
Glenn’s Role
No One Wanted the Script
It Made it’s Figure Back the Opening Weekend
Robert Englund’s Take on Freddy
Hypnocil
Nancy’s Role
“Elm Street” Was Never Said
A Stunt Man Was Supposed to Play Freddy
Heather Lagenkamp Really Got Slapped
The Glove
Freddy’s Makeup Took 3 Hours
Johnny Depp’s First Film
Robert Englund Cut Himself with the Glove
Extended Scenes
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge
The Demonic Parakeet
Jesse’s Car
The Wicked Witch of the West
The Eye
The Dance Scene
Kim Myers
“You’ve got the body…I’ve got the brains.”
Makeup Effects Artist Kevin Yagher
The Pool Party
The Gayest Horror Movie Ever Made
Homoerotic Subtext
Robert Englund the Bus Driver
Wes Craven Refused to Work on the Film
Freddy Kills Outside Their Dreams
Freddy is on Screen for 13 Minutes
Robert Englund is Irreplaceable
Jesse’s Role
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
Welcome to Prime Time, Bitch!
Taryn’s Death
The Boiler Room
The Roast Pig
The Original Script
The Freddy Snake
Sexy Nurse Scene
How Ken Sagoes Got the Role
Robert Englund Fell Asleep in Makeup
Wes Craven Came Back
Film Debut of Patricia Arquette
Taryn’s Role Inspired Fans
The Original Idea
Robert Englund Worked 24 Hours a Day
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master
Why Patricia Arquette Didn’t Return
Highest-Grossing Entry in the Series
Crave Inn
Robert Shaye Cameo
Time Travel
How Freddy Came Back to Life
The Reunion
The Beach Scene
Freddy’s Nightmares
Robert Englund as the Nurse
Freddy’s Death
Rick’s Death
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child
School’s Out, Krueger!
There’s No Such Thing as Safe Sex
Graduation Scene
Tarantulas
Lowest-Grossing Film in the Series
Mark’s Death
Origin of the Baby Idea
Amanda Krueger
Why They Went With the Baby Idea
Death Scenes
Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare
Highest Opening Weekend
Lezlie Deane Realized She Was
Molested
Robert Englund Actually Punched Lezlie
NES Video Game
Johnny Depp Cameo
Alice Cooper Cameo
Robert Shaye Cameo
Carlos’ Death
John Doe isn’t Freddy’s Son
Precedes Freddy vs. Jason
Freddy vs. Jason
Ken Kirzinger is the Tallest Jason
Ken Kirzinger Went to the Dentist Dressed as Jason
Betsy Palmer was Asked to Return
Several Endings were Considered
Robert Englund’s Makeup was too Thick
Kane Hodder was Denied the Roll
The Homophobic Slur
The Chorological Order
Several People were Offered to Direct
References to Previous Films
The Fight Didn’t Start Until the Last 20 Minutes
Different Speeds Were Used for the Fight
Freddy Only Killed 1 Person
Ronny Yu
Monica Kenna was Terrified of Freddy Krueger as a Child
It was Originally Michael Myers vs. Jason
Ian Somerhalder was Considered
No One Could Decide Who Should Win
The Boiler Room Wasn’t Built
The Ending
Why Kane Hodder was Denied
Cut Scenes
Pinhead was Supposed to Appear
Unused Scripts
Only Freddy Film not to be Filmed in the US
300 Gallons of Fake Blood was Used
Katharine Isabelle Refused to Get Naked
Unused Plot Twists
Robert Englund Retired as Freddy
Why Ken Kirzinger was Chosen
The Lake Scene was the Hardest for Ken
Ken Kirzinger Caught on Fire
A Sequel was Planned
Wes Craven’s New Nightmare
Heather Lagenkamp had a Stalker
Freddy Was Much Closer to Craven’s Original Vision
Craven Was Too Scared to Ask Johnny Depp to Return
Same Clothes
Craven Couldn’t Follow the Storyline
Jessica Craven
TV Show Appearance
The Hand Glove
The Tongue Scene
Actor Cameos
Vomit
Tractor Trailer Scene
Chase’s Death
Chase’s Body
Tracy’s Death
Freddy’s Death
TV Movie
A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
Judy Graham Knitted the Sweater
Rooney Mara Hated the Movie
Wes Craven Hated the Movie
Jackie Earle Haley’s Mindset
Jackie Earle Haley Improvised His Lines
The Glove Was Well Protected
Robert Englund Gave a General Approval
Scenes Were Copied
The High Schools
Highest Earning Horror Remake
Freddy’s Makeup
Jackie Earle Haley Wore Contacts
Freddy’s Voice Was Altered
Blu-Ray Deleted Scenes
Plans for a Sequel was Abandoned
Kyle Gallner Actually Got Cut
Filmed on Elm Street
The Polaroids
#freddy krueger#nightmare on elm street#nightmare on elm street movie facts#horror#masterpost#my posts#mine
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Every colour ending in 'e' - for the colour question thingy
Turquoise: What’s your full name?Not gonna say my full name but I'll say my first and middle name, Patricia MaeWhite: What’s your age?16Blue: What’s your eye colour? Greenish, blueish, greyish, kinda thingMauve: How tall are you?5'4, I'm quite shortOrange: Any pets? And if you have, what is their name(s)?German Shepherd named Callies and a parakeet named BellaPurple: What’s your sexuality?Straight Beige: Favourite sound? Dirt bikes on the line ready to raceLime: Favourite weather?Idk really I like warm weather but I also like fall so. Cerice: Do you believe in aliens? Yes I do:) Thanks for the ask🤗💙💙💙
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Erasing Family and the Ethics of Blockchain for Humanity – Irish Tech News
New Post has been published on https://cryptnus.com/2018/06/erasing-family-and-the-ethics-of-blockchain-for-humanity-irish-tech-news/
Erasing Family and the Ethics of Blockchain for Humanity – Irish Tech News
Written by Jamil Hasan
In December 2017, I embarked upon writing my book: Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance. I didn’t have the title in mind when writing my book; I just felt writing a book was a must for me. I had spent twenty years in corporate America building databases and data-driven organizations but over the last few years witnessed several unfortunate negative transformations in America’s business and political capitalistic system. I wanted to change the game and help recreate American businesses based on best ethical practices while helping to redefine capitalism gone astray. So I spent two months interviewing people and writing my book to help alter the course of business in my country.
One of the first people I chose to interview was Krissy Smith. Despite both of us being former AIG employees, I had never met her before. She reached out to me on LinkedIn, as over 40,000 people have globally this past year, and we met in New York City for lunch. I learned about her Coatesville, Pennsylvania community of women whose recent divorces led to separation from their children. While not a divorced mother, I felt empathy toward her and questioned why I did.
I recalled my youth. My maternal grandmother Betty passed away when my mother Patricia was a young child. My grandfather Arthur remarried into a large family, but my mother and her stepmother Ginny’s relationship was not a nurturing one, to put it mildly. For the first six years of my life I was part of a large extended family with many cousins, aunts and uncles. I remember life being fun and full of activity and laughter. And lots of puppies!
Arthur passed away from a heart attack when I was seven years old. He tried to quit drinking alcohol cold turkey and his body couldn’t adapt to the sudden change. Because of the state of my mother’s relationship with Ginny, my mother chose to not see or speak to her again. I went from having a large extended family to having just my immediate one – my parents, my younger brother, and a parakeet. I recall feeling all alone for a long time. I remember playing baseball in the backyard by myself for many years. Isolating became my strongest survival suit.
Looking at it now in the context of Ginger Gentile’s documentary movie Erasing Family, I too experienced having an erased family. I never saw my cousins, aunts and uncles again. And I see deep down that my experience is the leading reason I chose to focus on Krissy Smith and Erasing Family in my book. They are the key components of my chapter on Cracking the Glass Ceiling.
Ginger, Krissy and I all share the common experience of living an erased family. So it makes perfect sense for us to collaborate on sharing the message, educating people on the impact, and helping to make the difference we can. Ginger’s documentary and my book make an excellent pairing and as such, for the next six months, I will donate half of all net proceeds from the sale of my book to her documentary. My goal is to sell 1 million books, at least. People tell me that’s a lofty goal, but I subscribe to Hollywood actor Denzel Washington’s message to recent college graduates: “If you are going to fail, then Fail Big.”
I understand that this book sale campaign is timely. There have been recent newsworthy events surrounding immigration and separation of immigrants and their children in the US. My book was published over three months ago. Ginger has worked on this film for well over a year. I’m not claiming to all of a sudden be an activist, but our collective voices can make a difference now.
I am a data person, not a rebel rouser. I’m probably one of the most talented data artists in the world. A black swan. Being erased as a youth allowed me the opportunity to spend tons of time memorizing all the statistics on baseball cards as part of my isolating childhood. I created optimal lineups in my mind and on my IBM PC Junior – I was analyzing data 20 years before most of my peers owned a computer. I have always been able to just play with statistics ever since.
I do, however, believe the proper use of data as a commodity and as a utility can change the way we interact with each other altogether. The inclusive promises made by the Ethereum open sourced Blockchain technology are game changers for humanity, if we allow them to be.
I see my role as an artist and now as an author as preparing other people to love their lives, never settle, and go for their dreams, including being reunited with lost loved ones.
My book is Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance. The key question I ask is “What is it to be American?” Contrary to industry opinion, the book has nothing to do with the ethics or lack thereof within the Cryptocurrency industry. The book has everything to do with how we treat one another ethically as people on the planet. And how the Blockchain can help.
Half of my book proceeds will go to Erasing Family for the next six months. One can buy my book on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. One can also contact me directly at [email protected] for bulk sales of 50 books or more at a reduced rate.
I’d like to thank Simon Cocking for allowing me to be a guest writer in the Irish Tech News.
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