Brother King

The Emperor rose as the barbarian straightened from the mocking bow–slowly, with evident pain in his twisted limbs–ignoring the angry hisses of his advisors, the rising murmur from below.
Boy and man, they stood gazing upon each other across the dais.
“Yes–and to you also I extend my greeting, brother king. But it is the salutation of an elder brother to a younger. I am the elder, and you the younger,” he continued, something both wry and bitter in his tone, “–for I am king of an elder nation and you of a younger; and my people are wise in the things that your people know not: cunning, and seduction; counsel, and alliance. It is you who will follow, and I lead; it is I who will teach, and you learn. And it is age that will govern strength. Welcome–brother.”

(Reposted from: Brother King)

Aquatic Kitty

Farah liked playing with water. Including, usually, the hose trying to fill up her bucket.

If you’re also thinking she’s a bit skinny: she is. At the time of this picture, Farah was a 16-year-old tigress (for a species that lives 8-10 years in the wild and 15-20 in captivity), estimated to weigh about three hundred pounds, and was eating the same 12 pounds of raw meat we fed her 5 year old (so the prime of their tiger lives), 450-lb psychopath sons. Because, and I quote, “she a skinny bitch.” She was also on daily medication to protect her kidneys, glucosamine (also daily) and a tri-weekly multivitamin/probiotic combo that apparently tasted really nasty.

Do you know it’s kind of to hold a tiger’s nose and force pills down their throats?