Loony

We Are the Crystal Gems

@21308 Terribly far? Try literally three provinces in between the one you currently live in. I'm in Ontario and I'm trying to get to BC.

I doubt I'll be able to visit my family other than maybe during the holidays, and even then, I'm not sure if I want to.

But yeah, anyways...Well, it helps to have grown alongside them since you were two years old, and have family (There's some unwritten rule that 80% of all Kurds who have pets have pet birds for some reason) and friends who had them as well. I honestly pick up parrot (and sub parrot since Tiels and Toos technically aren't true parrots) body language better than humans. And some other birds, though to a lesser extent. ^ ^"

We Are the Crystal Gems

@Raijinslayer Badass bird is beyond badass. If any of my birds deserve the title of badass, it is 100%, without a doubt, Emi.

We Are the Crystal Gems

@Akayaofthemoon

Actually, come to think of it, Peridot going up to Yellow Diamond is probably the crowning moment of the series for me. There's just something...I don't know, I love it, and I felt so proud.

We Are the Crystal Gems

@Pathfinder You mean the prehistoric fellows? Like Phorusrhacos? They're pretty cool but admittedly aren't a prehistoric animal I know much of.

We Are the Crystal Gems

@21308 I've been alongside birds my whole life and the short period I had without them just didn't feel right. One of the things I'm looking least towards in Uni is actually just being away from Jade, since I couldn't keep him in an appartment or campus because he's oddly noisy for a Green Cheek and I probably wouldn't have the time to commit to him since I'll be juggling jobs and studies. Granted unlike most people I'm not going to spend my money and spare time going to parties or drinking (no offense to those who do, it's just not my thing) and I'm not too big on socializing, but I just don't think it's a good idea and he'll be better off at home I bet. He really loves my aunt so hopefully they can take him in.

Aracaris are really quiet little guys and if I could find the money for them I'd love to have one, but being that their diet is nearly entirely fruit and they're pricey overall and need quite a bit of attention, I'm not sure I could handle it. Maybe when I'm retired or when I'm not a student anymore.

Might have a parrotlet or a linnie keep me company since they're was less expensive and I could properly care for them without doubt. Maybe even a Tiel if I get a female since they're less chatty. They're more hardy, less needy, more quiet. Might not go for a parrotlet though since they tend to be a little too energetic for someone who'll be juggling school and work with to keep up to.

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@Raijinslayer She definitely wasn't. No one wanted to mess with Emi.

And the funny thing is, most birds aren't very good at picking up the tones of people's voices. But Emi? Oooooooh boy. I remember once my aunt on speaker said that she hated Emi when I told her I had the bird out, and you know what she did?

She began attacking the phone. Just continuously jabbed at it and tried to push it off the table.

We tried moving her away from the phone but she was just so pissed. She's never had any beef with the phone before, and it was right as soon as she said that. I couldn't stop laughing and I think that only encouraged her, but eventually we got her away from the phone.

She was something else, Emi. I miss her loads. She left me on New Years two years ago and it was honestly devastating. Even Jade, who was downright terrified of Emi, wouldn't make a sound for days. We all miss her.

We Are the Crystal Gems

@Raijinslayer I honestly feel like I could take up a lot of options, as long as they were centered around social studies. Maybe the arts. I always wanted to teach and but didn't want to do it on the elementary or high school level, wanted to be able to do my own research but never focus completely on that, and wanted a job where my setting was with a large group of people or no people, because I'm far more comfortable working in front of a crowd or alone than one to one or in a group, and just looking through a lot of different job opportunities I've been recommended, this takes the cake. And if it doesn't work out, I'll probably have lots of other options open to me anyways, since I'm pretty much focused solely on social sciences, perhaps arts. But I would love to be a professor, and I want to be one of those professors who's not only great at teaching, but that most of the students can love and look up to and feel safe around and maybe get a few laughs out of.

Other than writing, of course. That's my dream job and always will be, but I can't make a living off it, so it'll be something part time.

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@Raijinslayer

My mom is pretty much terrified of everything that isn't a horse, fish, dolphin, or bird. And even then? She's still scared of some fish and birds. She's even scared of Jade. And she hates cats and dogs in houses and particularly doesn't like cats.

I still love them all, but I've been so used to just handling birds and reptiles most of my life I can't imagine having a cat or dog.

I used to own quite a few budgies. Some were certainly brighter than others. Emi was the smartest by far. Not just among the budgies, but all the birds I've had. Thinking back about her, she was astoundingly smart, unbelievably smart, and she had the biggest spirit I've ever had among my birds. And she really really loved us. She'd follow us around the house and try to get into mischief, and though she wasn't very big on being pet or cuddles (most my budgies didn't), but she'd still snuggle up beside me sometime when I'd fall asleep, and would get angry and attack anyone who tried to take her away. And when I was upset she'd begin preening my hair. And she completely took care of my parrotlet when he was recovering from nearly dying when before they got along really badly, would help him eat and show him around the house when his eyes wouldn't open for a few weeks and where to sneak food and how to suck up to my parents, and just, wow, she just hated him before but the moment she saw he wasn't feeling well she came to help him just as much as us. To date that is the only bird she's ever gotten along with. Most over birds were TERRIFIED of Emi. She was fearless and didn't know her size -and apparently none of the other birds did either, since she's made an African grey, cat, and lizard run away from her in fear. Not that I let her out around them, no. She (and Jade) were just sneaky little fellows and knew how to escape their cages whenever they wanted, and she just messed with visitors with pets. She was such a smart little bundle of feathers and I miss her so much sometimes.

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@Pathfinder In Alaska, right? I don't know the situation there, but if it's anything like that in the territories (especially Nunavut, god I might end up teaching there if I do become a professor, that place needs help and Canada isn't giving it), I don't blame you in the least for not getting a job. Congratz on the girlfriend though. Can't really relate to it but if it makes you happy then I'm happy.

We Are the Crystal Gems

@Raijinslayer I'm going to be looking into university stuff in a year, assuming I make it past a year.

I'm looking into the University of British Columbia (UBC) since it's pretty much the second best school in Canada [first being the University of Toronto but a) I am not fond of Toronto and it's really expensive and b) It specializes more in medical and science stuff while I'm trying to get into social sciences (probably anthropology; I actually plan on teaching at Uni as a doctor of philosophy in cultural anthropology, but that might change), which UBC is far more catered towards (along with geography). There's also four other universities in BC that I'm looking forward too for social studies, because my only other top options are to stay here in Ontario -which I really don't want to and they're not as ideal as the ones I'm looking into in BC)- or go to Quebec. Which I WOULD love because I don't want my French to die (I was thinking about moving to Grenoble in France and going to uni there but decided against it for multiple reasons), but at the same time Quebec is not exactly the most progressive place in Canada, and as Muslim and a genderqueer kid, I'm not really looking forward to it. I wouldn't mind visiting at all but probably not to live there. Plus both those places are more expensive than BC. Especially since the economy there is much better.

So, there's that.