#Bee Binoculars

[liubovpohorelova]

Day 5

Looking for new adventures!

[asjjohnson]

The ability to fly would open up a new dimension to explore (in the mathematical-physical sense—we already know Danny had opened one up in the other sense). Think of how much Danny would notice that no one else would?

Think of bees. (Not so much birds, because we see birds all the time, and also because they don't seem quite as graceful and maneuverable as bees.) When I did a search for how high bees can fly, I found something that said bees could fly higher than Mount Everest (little edit: may've misunderstood what it meant. They might not've been found flying that high after all, just that 'they could'). Bees can go anywhere they want, just for fun.

We as humans tend to (for the most part) view the world as six feet high. Anything six feet or under, we know about (or possibly up to eight feet. But it's not much higher than our height). And we don't really realize we're thinking this way.

Sure, we can look upward, we can see treetops from a distance, we can see what the sky looks like. But it's from the perspective of looking up from a distance. Our worldview is colored by looking up from six feet or less.

It's a flat surface. Despite us knowing it's not flat, we don't really internalize it as being 3D and navigable. And we also don't realize what's up there. Who would ever imagine there were bees buzzing around the top of a 200 foot tree? To get to flowers we didn't even notice were up there?

And, yeah, we have planes, but they fly in a set path and you can only look down at the very distant ground. Helicopters are probably more similar, but not many people fly or ride those.

But Danny... after the accident, he would've started out sticking close to the ground a lot, but as he started getting more comfortable with the ability to fly, his worldview probably would've changed gradually. From his preconceived idea of 'the world is six feet or less' to 'the world is spacious and easily explored and so very 3D'.

There's an episode where he's vacuuming the living room ceiling—as though he thinks his parents will notice that it's cleaner than before. And though I understand the 'I have to clean everything so I don't get in trouble' impulse better than I should, there's a chance it's partly from Danny seeing the house differently than before. The ceiling becomes just another wall for him. ...One that he might clean often when he has cleaning chores, because he's going to notice all those spiderwebs and cobwebs, and the little bugs gathering in the light fixtures.

(...He probably would realize the ground is also navigable at some point, too. Think of all the tunnels and moles and snakes and other creatures he'll see, and all the plant roots and such.)

[laracryptid]

Inktober Day 5 - binoculars 

[beeingapis]

"Every Flap You Take, Every Swarm You Make"

[gloomwitchwrites]

Bar Crawl

Kyle "Gaz" Garrick x Female Reader

Content & Warnings (per the warnings MDNI): swearing, suggestive themes, dirty thoughts, flirting, alcohol, kissing

Word Count: 1.5k

On a night out, Kyle takes a chance and makes a move.

ao3 // taglist // main masterlist // summer 2024 masterlist

It’s late, and the alcohol is buzzing beneath your skin like a drone of angry bees.

You rarely go out with the rest of the SAS crowd. It’s not like you’re actually part of the organization. This is a simple transfer. A few months at the most before you head back home. And you’re not in the field anyway. You’re behind the desk, drowning in paperwork.

There is no bloodshed. No metallic tang with a burst of lead.

You only know ink, computer screens, and editing software.

This entire outing is a treat. A way to let loose. Something you haven’t really done since you set foot in England.

And it isn’t only a night out. Someone has their eye on you.

It’s subtle, and you don’t think anyone else notices. But you do. How could you not? Kyle Garrick—also known as Gaz—is incredibly handsome, and entirely sweet on you.

Right now, he’s across the pub with his team, a beer in hand. Captain Price and Sergeant MacTavish are talking while Kyle and Lieutenant Riley listen. While Kyle’s body is turned in their direction, his gaze keeps drifting. It floats away, landing on you every time.

At each meeting of your gazes, Kyle smiles. It’s not sweet exactly. It’s knowing. Nearly seductive. A teasing look from across the room. Perhaps Kyle is feeling the alcohol as you are. Feeling the heat and buzz beneath the skin. The growing sense of need that won’t seem to abate.

The pub is dark, and the lighting only comes from candles and small lamps on the walls. This place was once an old house, but the interior as been converted, and the rooms gutted. Most of the space is just a series of rooms packed with tables. The walls are covered in paintings and all sorts of oddities. It’s eclectic. Fun. But no one is really paying attention to the pub around them.

You really aren’t either. But you’re also not including yourself in the conversation around you. All you can think about is Kyle. He is absorbing into your blood just like the alcohol. Every time you glance away, you find him, no matter where he is in the room.

It is electric. Magnetic.

Building like a brewing storm.

Your heart is hammering. It’s so loud the rest of the pub seems distant. And Kyle is right there, as if you’re looking at him through binoculars. Everything is out of focus. Except him. Only him.

“Are you listening to me?”

You turn abruptly, and give your best smile to Jane, one of the secretaries. “Sorry,” you sigh. “A bit tired.”

Jane and the rest of the women are you nod in agreement. She brings her glass to her lips. “I hear that,” she mutters, taking a long drink, grimacing slightly as the glass returns to the table.

Work has been hell the last couple weeks. It’s a slew of never-ending paperwork. You’ve been stuck at a desk, pouring over reports, consuming more coffee than you probably should be.

A reply begins to form your lips, but then you hear your name being called in a voice you recognize. Everyone at the table startles, turning in the direction of the voice. For a second, you do not follow their movements, only staring down at the table.

But you hear your name again, and this time the urge to glance in Kyle’s direction is instant.

“Sergeant,” you say in greeting.

He grins at you, and then flashes that stunning smile at the women sitting around the table. “Don’t mind if I borrow her for a bit?”

“Not at all,” says Jane quickly.

The other women shake their heads, gazes astonished as you abandon your drink and take Kyle’s offered hand. While his hold is strong, there is gentleness there. You like it. You want to sink down into that feeling forever.

Kyle leads you out into a little hallway, and the clamor of the pub disappears slightly.

“Heard you’re leaving soon,” says Kyle, stepping to the side to allow an employee to pass.

It’s true. You likely only have a couple weeks left before you head home.

“Did you?” you ask. “Who from?”

You haven’t told anyone. Not really. But it’s not a big secret.

Kyle shrugs. “Does it matter?”

You mimic is shrug, and Kyle laughs softly. “Not really. This post was supposed to be temporary anyway. But you know that.”

Kyle shifts a bit closer. His heat is everywhere, warming your limbs. Kyle’s fingers playfully pull at the hem of your shirt. “Planning to leave without saying goodbye to your favorite sergeant?”

You lightly tug on his jacket in response. “Bold of you to think you’re my favorite.”

Kyle barks a laugh, and you smile demurely at your boldness.

This is nice. This is fun.

The two of you have always been a bit sweet on each other. Kyle is always making a point to come see you when he can. He knows your coffee order, and occasionally brought you snacks and lunch. The two of you would hang out and talk. He checks on you, and it softened you to him.

Eventually, you offered up a few kisses, and Kyle greedily seized them.

“Been kissing MacTavish?” asks Kyle.

“Maybe,” you tease.

Kyle tugs on your shirt, and the momentum brings you closer to him. “Maybe?” he replies, tone dropping to something dark and heated. His brow creases in the middle, and you suddenly sense a change in him. “You like his kisses better than mine?”

No.

But you haven’t actually kissed Sergeant MacTavish. He’s cute, but not your type. Kyle is. Kyle is who you want.

You shrug. “It’s been a while. Might need a reminder,” you say softly, leaning in.

The corner of Kyle’s mouth quirks with amusement. “You want to kiss me where everyone can see?”

“Nervous, Garrick?” you counter.

“Never,” smirks Kyle.

Then his hand is on the back of your neck. Kyle’s lips meet yours, and then you’re drowning in him, remembering all the ways you want to be with him.

Kissing isn’t enough. It’s not nearly enough.

You want this man between your legs, to know what he’ll feel like inside you, to have him own you body and soul. Kyle is who you’ve wanted these last few months, and all this flirting and tension has come to this.

The pub seems so distant. A far speck on the horizon. Just an annoying buzz in the background. Right now, all there is for you is Kyle. It’s delicious. Sweet, but with honey on the tongue. All those previous kisses were rather chaste and soft. This is nothing like those. It’s passion laced with salt.

These kisses drip with need, and you breathe it in, wanting more. The warm buzzing beneath your skin is transforming into an inferno.

Kyle pulls away, and you nearly stumble forward when he draws back. The loss of his lips is starling.

“I’ve been wanting to kiss you all evening,” he says, voice husky.

You feel your cheeks heat. You’re suddenly hot everywhere. Burning internally. Ready to explode.

Glancing around, you find the hallway empty. But there are people nearby. Anyone could walk into this hallway and find the two of you wrapped in each other’s arms. While you want to take this further, you don’t want to do it here in the open where people can see.

Wanting Kyle is a deep desire that sits in your ribcage, but you do not want others to be part of this. This connection is only for the two of you.

Kyle’s hand brushes against your cheek, and he guides your gaze back to him.

“Want to get out of here?” he asks, as if reading your mind.

“And go where?” you laugh.

People expect the two of you to be present. But then again, the two of you have been at this function for over an hour. You’ve made a proper appearance. Do you really have to stay for the whole thing? Will anyone actually miss either of you?

“Wherever you want.”

“Wherever I want?” you ask, slightly confused. “You don’t want to stay here?”

Kyle shakes his head. “Fuck everyone else,” he says sharply. “This might be my last night with you. Want to make the most of it.”

It’s true. With everything going on at work, this might be the only time the two of you can properly have together before you’re sent home. You can get his number, but finding time seems daunting.

Kyle is giving you the rope, and all you need to do is take. To take the leap and trust him.

He draws you in for another kiss, and this one is slow and sweet.

“Let’s go,” you murmur against his lips.

He smiles, and you melt.

“Where to?”

taglist:

@km-ffluv @glitterypirateduck @tiredmetalenthusiast @miaraei @cherryofdeath

@enarien @saoirse06 @ferns-fics @unhinged-reader-36 @miss-mistinguett

@ravenpoe67 @tulipsun-flower @sageyxbabey @mudisgranapat @ninman82

@lulurubberduckie @leed-bbg @yawning-grave81 @azkza @nishim

@haven-1307 @voids-universe @itsberrydreemurstuff @spicyspicyliving @keiva1000

@littlemisscriesherselftosleep @statixx-x @umno-yeah @blackhawkfanatic @talooolaaloolla

@sadlonelybagel @kadeeesworld @iloveslasher @sammysinger04 @dakotakazansky

@suhmie @jaggersinclair @jackrabbitem @lxblm @beebeechaos

@no-oneelsebutnsu @kidd3ath @certainlygay @thewulf @lovely-ateez

@arrozyfrijoles23 @gingergirl06 @eternallyvenus @smileykiddie08 @vrb8im

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Binoculars

Debut: Super Mario 3D Land

Wow! What a large and crisp render of Binoculars. This is more than a lot of enemies get. And it's all for Binoculars!

It is nice to see binoculars as an installed apparatus for public use. It reminds me of those binoculars that are sometimes at parks or zoos where you can put in a quarter and get a limited amount of time to look at ducks more closely. Let's look!

Wow! There's a North American Ruddy Duck! in this pond! That's my favorite duck! The blue of the male's bill is probably my favorite color, and they are so cute, especially with their funny proportions. Their head looks too small for their body, but their feet look too BIG for the rest of them! Their feet are large and further back on their body because they are divers who swim down to find food, unlike the dabbling ducks, which keep their butts above the water while foraging. Oops! I forgot that this is a Mario Post and that we aren't actually watching ducks at a pond!

Anyway I just found out those kinds of binoculars are called Tower Viewers. More like Quacker Viewers. Ok on to Mario for real now! Mario, sadly, does not view ducks with these binoculars. They are free, however, which is nice! I'm glad there are ways for everyone to enjoy the Mushroom Kingdom's landscapes at a distance and at no costs. In fact, Mario is sometimes rewarded for using them, as a Toad will throw him a Star Medal upon being seen! A Toad who really wants to bee looked at and goes HAH BAH.

Mario can also see a UFO through the binoculars sometimes! This is often brought up as a Creepy Easter Egg despite the fact that aliens have been present in this franchise since 1989!

With all that about the 3D Land binoculars out of the way, I am really here to say that the binoculars in Odyssey are BETTER. They look like ROB, and overall are a Funny Robot, so they are obviously better by default! They even move around on their own as if they are looking around, and they are really so good at looking, since they are binoculars. I think the binoculars themselves are bird enthusiasts and watch them in delight constantly!

These binoculars even have LORE as seen in the art book, and shared by Suppermariobroth! They are made by the same company as the 3D Land binoculars, and are an older model not capable of stereoscopic 3D! They were installed by the sightseeing company for onsite investigation, and someone has to come and collect the logs from the devices every so often. I seriously love this all sooo much! It is so cute and wonderful that they put this much thought into humble little Binoculars! BinocuLORE!

I would now like to talk about just how these binoculars work! Upon being Captured, they shoot up using spray propulsion (not jet propulsion!!!) and let Mario scope out the area from the sky! Mario got extremely lucky that he happened across these specific binoculars when he happened to have the ability to Capture them, because anyone else using this would be in extreme danger. Please hang on tight!

Binoculars most recently appear in Super Nintendo World, where they are now real! They use the 3D Land design, which makes sense knowing it is canonically the modern design. You can even look at certain things to get little rewards just like in the game! Super Mario in real life! Wa Who!

[loulovingho]

tommy going over to buck’s place after work and instead of the usual kisses buck just pushes him out to the balcony and starts taking off tommy’s clothes. tommy’s a little bit like 😏 mmm okay, but buck just shakes his head, says no, he wouldn’t believe how many bees came home with buck. like so many out of crevices he didn’t know existed, in his jacket, his pockets, his shoes. tommy thinks he’s being dramatic until buck pulls off tommy’s pants and one just starts buzzing around them.

tommy takes undressing into his own hands at that discovery, kicking everything off while buck swats the bees away, meanwhile the people in the building across the street make really good use out of their binoculars (while also “a bit confused at whatever foreplay the boys seem to be doing over there”)

[spoopydeboop]

Made a sheet for my Palia OC!

Based loosely off of my Palia character — this is the OC I’ve developed lore for and am writing a fic for in the universe as well. :]

More info below the cut!

Meet Nico! (He/Him)

Nico is one of the humans that ended up in Palia when everything went down. He is a water type personality and his Starstone is onyx. He’s quiet and lost in thought often. He tries to keep himself busy and often goes on gathering excursions for whatever the townsfolk may need. Ashura sees that the guy is struggling and takes him under his wing, leading to Nico eventually choosing Ashura to be his Shepp.

Nico is fast friends with Tish and also the Pavels. Najuma and takes to him quickly and he does his best to be there for her like a big brother. Something about their bond is strangely… familiar.

Nico struggles to find where he fits in this strange new world, but he focuses maily on foraging and gathering. He loves collecting stones and cool rocks. He feels that the more busy he stays, the less time he has to think about everything.

He wears loose-fitting and comfy clothes for hiking and climbing!

Nico is always seen with his tattered backpack on. It was a gift from Tish and Jel when he moved in. Tish embroidered the tiny bee and Nico’s name at the top.

The goggles are something he commissions from Zeki after he’s been in Killima for a couple months. They’re flow-powered and allow him to see in the dark and zoom in like binoculars!

Nico is oddly apprehensive about flow at first, and his lore reveals it’s for good reason! Eventually be begins wearing a wooden ring necklace made with flow-infused wood.

And, well, he always has cool rocks. Who doesn’t?

Before you ask him, no — he doesn’t remember how he got his scar from before. None of the humans he knows of have clear memory from before Kilima. Maybe, by some divine intervention, Nico’s will begin to return?

I’m having SO much fun with this fic and OC! I’ll link chapters as I go if anyone’s interested. :)

[little-silly-bear]

Hi kiddos! I wanted to make something different because lately I'm really into minecraft and exploring different biomes so I thought "what kiddo would choose a specific biome?" And so I made this post! I hope you'll like it! Which kiddo are you? Let me know!

Jungle kiddo

- collects vines

-loves to climb

- tropical fruits

-bugs lover

Cherry blossom kiddo

-loves pink and flowers

-embodiment of spring

-bubbly and soft

-helps bees with pollination

Forest kiddo

-dirt and moss lover

-knows all the trees

-boots full of muds

-wakes up to watch sunrises

Meadow kiddo

-loves the smell of grass

-cottagecore is their life

-friends with fairies and gnomes

- wild animals love them

Sea kiddo

-collects shells and glass

-loves to swim and the sound of the waves

-quiet and introvert

-try their best to clean beaches

Cave kiddo

-wild and adventurous

-loves the dark and the unknown

-scratches and bandages

-torches and binoculars are their best friends

Mountain kiddo

-loves snow and wearing sweaters

-hiking boots and sticks

-has a book for wild berries and plants

-they just can't sit still, they have to move!

City kiddo

-loves to watch the lights turning on at night all over the city

-favorite hobby is to explore shops and cafe

-bags full of stuff for the unexpected

-comfy shoes and clothes to stay out late

Remember you CAN reblog and like but you CAN'T repost even with credits or use the tag mine!

[lilolakes]

Ekvillan - 'The oak villa'

Ekvillan is a spacious family villa inspired by swedish architecture from the turn of the last century.

I chose to call it 'Ekvillan' - 'The oak villa' in swedish, since there is a big oak tree in the garden. It has a vegetable garden, bees, a chicken coop, and a treehouse. There's plenty of cozy little spots to hang out and eat 'fika'.

Please note that this was built using cc. The lot is partially playtested. DOWNLOAD (SFS)

Some of the cc is included, the rest is linked below. The lot can also be fould on the gallery (ID: Lilolakes)

My lovely friend @zebrasimmer_ on Instagram had her one year instaversary recently, and to celebrate she hosted a little collab were we created different builds inspired by her (and also my-) home country - Sweden. This was my contribution.

Check out the other builds in the collab, by @zebrasimmer_ , @simsaga_ and @sims.erezkigal on Instagram.

Packs used

Ep:s All of the ones released before 2023 Game packs: Werevolwes, My Wedding Stories, Dream Home Decorator, Journey to Batuu, Realm of Magic, StrangerVille, Jungle Adventure, Parenthood, Vampires, Dine Out, Spa Day, Outdoor Retreat Stuff packs: Paranormal, Nifty Knitting, Tiny Living, Laundry Day, Vintage Glamour, Kids Room, Romantic garden, Spooky Stuff Kits: Country Kitchen, Courtyard Oasis, Decor to the Max, Everyday clutter

Required CC

Here are the links for all the cc required for the lot to look as intended.

This is my first time sharing a build using cc. I might have gone a biiit overboard with it, so it's pretty cc heavy. Sorry 'bout that! ;)

All credit goes out to the amazing creators! I have done my best not to miss anyone, and to respect all of the creators TOU. Please tell me if you notice something that I've missed!

Anniee sims -Area rug

ATS4 (Around the sims 4) -IKEA-like stepstool -Cereal box -Crate seat -Toy train set -Candle and old book -Grocery paper bag (the first one) -Harvestable aromatic plants, Basil, Rosemary and Thyme -Rocking toy alligator, Farm puzzle and blackboard -Preschool blocks and House

Charly Pancakes -The candle, moodbooster

conceptdesign97 -Pumpkin vine

Cowbuild -Pleated curved floor lamp and lazy loveseat throw pillow

Dew of the sea -Accordion wall rack, S4, unmerged

Fadedsprings -William Morris-ish wallpaper set

Felixandre -Grove part 1 -Grove part 2: bowls, cups and salad bowl -Grove part 3 -Grove part 4 -Kyoto part 2 -Berlin part 1 -Shop the look Season 1 -London set exterior

Harlix -Tiny Twavellers Binoculars, crocodile, hot air balloon lamp (short), swing (medium), hanging wall world map -Baysic (different items)

Harrie -Shop the look 2

Icemunmun at ModTheSims -Harvestable corn stalks

Leaf Motif at Curseforge -Wall lamp and vintage tiles

Leniad at ModTheSims -Pumpkin plant

Leosims -Carton of eggs

Lilis-Palace -Jugendstil tiles set -Folklore set

LittleDica -Deligracy Delicato Stuff Pack

MadameRia -Back to Basics Pot Holder (Wall version) and Wire Basket Dish Rack

Maman-Gateau at Sims Artists -Whicker basket with lid from this set

Mutske at TSR -Alda arch with private doors 2x1 -Alda arch 2x1 -Alda privatdoor 1x1

MXIMS -Ikea ypperlig table and mirror -Stokke high-chair -Aesop Bathroom Tray -Plants 1,2,6,7 -String Shelf System (Shelf B):

My cup of CC -Tiny dreamers set (merged)

Novvas -Pumpkins in a basket -Random Runners -Elo bathroom IKEA rug -Kids drawings from this set -Painting collection

Nutter-Butter-1 at ModTheSims -Old Floor Tile Set

Picture Amoebae -Allisas Fall '18 Panels

Pierisim -Oak house part 3 -Oak house part 2 -Rold Skov kitchen mini kit -Domaine Du Clos part 1 -Domaine Du Clos part 3 -Domaine Du Clos part 4 -The COLDBREW coffee shop pt 1 - 1/2 -The COLDBREW coffee shop pt 1 - 2/2 -The COLDBREW coffee shop pt. 2

Plumbob Tea Society -Deco Botanical Scroll, woodpile and raised garden beds

Raindrops on cowplants -Gothic revival build set

Severinka at TSR -big pumpkin 02 -small pumpkins 07

SimC (Simcredible designs) at TSR -Coastal Extras - daisy in tall vase

Simspell -Autumn & Spooky-ish Paintings (Part 1)

SixamCC -Birker Line ceiling light (different versions) -Small Spaces deco pantry items -Small Spaces Pantry CC Pack - Mixer (Standalone version) -Dreamy Outdoors floor light

Soloriya at TSR -Two candles -Collection of candles -Pencil sharpener and erasers

TaTschu -Lighted fence (Leosims recolor)

Tech Hippie -Plants from these two sets

Vintage Simmer -Patchwork set -Noah plush rabbit -SBP Octopus -L&C Plush lemon

Wondymoon TSR -Lybica Kitchen Hanger -Protactinium Rug

Wondymoon.com -Ceratonia kitchen counters 1 and 2, island counter, cabinets, corner cabinet and stove hood.

Credit for the cc included in the download: 13pumpkin, Aggressive Kitty, Aira-cc, Awingedllama, Baufive, DK Sims, Honeycuts , IllogicalSims, KKB, Linacherie, Meinkatz, Mio-Sims, Myshunosun, NynaeveDesign, Peacemaker IC, Pocci, Sanoysims, Sforzinda, Slox, Spirashun, Syboulette

Reshade used for screenshots: Dove 2.0 by Kindlespice

T.O.O.L-mod by Twisted Mexi was used to create this build. You don't need it to place the lot, but I recommend that you go check it out. It can be found here: https://twistedmexi.com

I hope you enjoy my build. Please tag me if you share any gameplay pictures from the lot, I'd love to see it!

♡ Lilolakes

[ourfag]

okay im gonna ask for three: not the bees

oh this one is SO MUCH more lighthearted lmao this is a oneshot where stede takes ed on a romantic date to a botanical garden during the height of spring when the flowers are in full bloom and it’s beautiful and fragrant and vibrant and there are bees everywhere and ed is so scared of bees.

its ok though bc there’s binoculars in the car and ed goes and gets those. and then grabs a table overlooking the area where they were before and puts his feet up and gets his phone out:

Heart plummeting—Ed was calling off the date—fuck, fuck fuck fuck—Stede answered with a noise that he’d hoped would pass as inquisitive hum but came out closer to plaintive whimper.

From the other end, Ed spoke. “Tell me about those purple ones I keep seeing everywhere. The little guys. There’s a couple you’re standing right in front of.”

Stede looked down at the cluster of grape hyacinth by his feet.

“Yeah, those,” said Ed. “They’re all over the place. Is that on purpose? Or are they just a nice-looking weed, or what?”

“Where are you?” Stede asked, now less upset but considerably more confused.

“I’m over here.”

“That’s very helpful. Thank you.”

“Look, just rotate yourself. I’ll tell you when.”

Stede raised his head and rotated.

“Other way.”

Stede rotated the other way. “Oh, I think I see you. Is that you? Hi!”

and they have a sort-of-long-distance date where stede infodumps about flowers and ed follows along from behind his binoculars and No Bees Get Near Him

[ackb]

And now for something incredibly cool!

Mokey noticed a lot of bee activity in the backyard and when we broke out the binoculars, we discovered it was a real live swarm!

(It’s not actually very far away, I just didn’t want to get too close)

Because we had a Whole Thing (tm) last year with bees in the house, we knew a local bee keeper who we could call to come collect the swarm. She was super excited—apparently it’s the first swarm in our neighborhood this year!

They brought a swarm box and snipped off the low branch and shook the whole thing right in. All the bees dropped into the box like cornflakes. It was amazing!

They are going to go live at the hives in our neighborhood arboretum, where Mokey has been making daily treks lately.

It was a very exciting day!

[sterlingarcher23]

The white horse... Silver (Cat)

Blue and Yellow is a love color combination not a specific couple, mostly romantic love (Max, Lucas, Joyce when she's with Hopper etc wear it) Throughout the show the only consistent wardrobe choices are the blue hair tie (El) and yellow watch. The latter belongs to Max which connects the horse, reins and saddle and the shield via Lucas to Max and therefore El.

The reins in the painting are yellow pointing to the driver, the saddle which means co-driver is blue l.

Max drives - Yellow , El co-drives - Blue. Savvy?

Here are Blue and Yellow even in Yellow/Mustard and Red/Ketchup (indicating that they are dating).

The horse appears in El's bedroom (there's a lot going on in this image, the post I wanted to make however contains some findings of others that I looked at and noticed the important elements - it's still a draft) too right between Blue and Yellow and Max making the hand chop movement like she's splitting something.

The horse is even at closer inspection a Unicorn - as in One. Already made a post about it but I left out an important detail in the English language regarding pronouns:

I'll talk about the use of pronouns, Elfen Lied etc later and sorry if I am repetitive but if I would have to put everything into a single post I'd need more options to use images etc.

A few months ago the writers tweeted a picture of A wrinkle in time and hinting at Mrs Whatsit (a star that sacrificed itself to fight evil) in the tweet conversation - that's the flying centaur being on the cover. A horse yet again. And everything points to ElMax that is/are the horse and the shield.

The horse is a nod to the Lone Ranger and his horse: Silver. Why? Because Lucas is a Ranger in D&D not a knight.

Get it Ke-mo sah-bee? Which by the way means "he who looks out in secret/peeks". Binoculars!

And Max then takes over, zooming (one of two meanings of "Zoomer").

Silver as in "Silver cat"

Did I mention that Max fed dog while Blue and Yellow met in California?

FYI "In the west" means all the United States not just California especially for Russians.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this essay from David Sassoon, founder, editor and publisher of Inside Climate News:

Two visits to this wildlife sanctuary.  One week apart. I came to report the arrival of spring, an under-covered story. In the hope, too, that the new season might extinguish the fire in my brain, ablaze in the Anthropocene: The accelerating heat with its cascading catastrophes; the barbaric wars with their crimes against humanity; scorching hatreds shared instantly everywhere. Our raging modern inferno. 

And yet, we are in the midpoint of a great annual renewal, marked by the seasonal migration of creatures beyond number flying their way north. Might the incessant flapping of billions of pairs of wings cool down the hemisphere? Surely birdsong is balm for our blisters and burns? I went looking for remedy with little idea of what I was soon to witness.

It turned out not to be the birds. You can hear them, but they’re hard to see. Sure, I had an adequate pair of binoculars with me, and a bird ID app on my phone. Hopeless tools for an earthbound biped like me. My naked ears were far more useful. They could hear a woodpecker knocking into a distant tree. Mourning doves cooing in a branch above. An unseen swallow buzzing past my scalp. Blackbirds shrieking among the tall phragmites. Though it was daytime, an owl hooted, and a bullfrog seemed to answer. A paddling mallard provoked the obnoxious honking of a pair of rowdy geese. Only two of them, so damn loud. My notes also say: Fiddleheads. Bees. Chipmunks. Flash of orange. (In retrospect, likely an oriole.) 

I was grasping one thing at a time, cataloging the natural order—an outsider to it. What if I tried to listen to everything at once? It took repeated effort to gain fleeting entry into a parallel  world that wasn’t mine. A fluid orchestra of countless musicians perfectly riffing. The forest multi-tonal. Deciduous jazz. Not a single bad seat in the house. The debut of an up-tempo composition I’ll call How many dialects of warbler can the robin understand? Never to be played again.

What became apparent is that I don’t speak nature. The other sapiens I encountered didn’t seem to, either. A wholesome church group of well-dressed young adults. A guy in a baseball cap effusive about sighting a beaver. A teenager in pants striped red and white sporting a nose ring. All of us of such varied plumage yet belonging to a single species. 

To us it was Saturday morning. How laughable. I had arrived at nine—much too late to get the worm—and now, after a few hours as I began walking out, I turned my gaze upwards. I saw the architecture of tree branches; bud break of leaves; the sky. Oh! The bird realm! The aerial kingdom! I would need to return to see it in a new light.

My neighbor remembers when she was a young girl, the birds were so loud in the early morning that to sleep she’d have to plug her ears. We didn’t realize how much things were changing around us over the last half century. The human population was doubling from four to eight billion. On the other hand, the population of breeding birds was declining by three billion, a 30 percent drop—in North America alone. 

The last time birds had it so bad might have been when an asteroid six or nine miles wide slammed into the Earth, eons before hominids first walked upright. With two hundred million years of evolutionary history in their bones, birds are confronting a relatively instantaneous collective demise at our hands. 

We’ve been hearing these dire warnings for many years, yet the environmental carnage continues unabated. It’s part of what science calls biodiversity loss, the path we’ve trod in the Anthropocene, with its thousandfold increase in extinctions. We have no shame. 

[1nn32dem0n5]

dance puppets

i’ve taken up voyeurism lately my roomate has an old pair of binoculars. plastic strap goes on my neck. it’s bovinely simple. edge the knob till you can see. a girl with curly hair runs from a fat, relentles bee. i must not know what love is.

[loudlooks]

Valentine’s Nap

Wrote this about a week ago after @hopeless-nostalgiac tagged me in this post. Didn’t like how it turned out, and figured I’d write and post one of the other two ideas I had, flare up got worse, forgot all about this until I saw a Valentine’s day ad this morning and figured I might as well post this with a Valentine angle now that my brain is operating at 30%.

Word count: 1076

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A faint tap against her foot, and her hand flew to the gun on her right hip before her eyes had fully opened. The slight amusement in her boss’s blue eyes, combined with the soft smile on his lips, instantly relaxed her mind and body. The soft breathing and warm body leaning heavily into her left side made her want to doze off again.

“Shift change,” Gibbs said, resisting a chuckle when Tony replied with incomprehensible mumbling.

“Tony,” Ziva said softly, stifling a yawn.

More mumbling.

She repeated his name more loudly, gently elbowing him, feeling Gibbs’s stare heavy on both of them.

Tony smacked his lips and opened his eyes slowly. A smile lit up his whole face as soon as his gaze met hers, and she couldn’t help but smile back brightly, warmth spreading through her body.

“Hi,” Tony said in a husky voice she would never grow tired of.

“Hi,” Gibbs replied with mock pleasantry.

Ziva’s sleep-deprived brain flashed back to Eli walking in on her making out with an IDF soldier he had explicitly forbidden her to see. She sat up straight as a board on the old worn-out couch, jostling Tony—who was mid-yawn—wide awake. The amusement in her boss’s eyes had been replaced with suspicion, and she wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about that.

Nervous energy made her bolt off the couch, and walk out of the room while giving Gibbs a tight smile.

McGee looked over his shoulder as she approached him at the window. “Did you get some sleep?”

Avoiding eye contact by looking through the binoculars, she curtly said, “yes.”

“So, not a lot?”

Ziva lowered the binoculars an inch. She had slept quite well, actually, but did have a reputation, not to mention a ruse, to uphold. “Tony was snoring in my ear.” She blinked slowly, remembering his warm breath on her face and how the soft sound of his breathing had lulled her to sleep.

At the sound of Tony’s footsteps she dropped the binoculars, and looked for his reflection in the window. There was a mischievous twinkle in his eyes as he stepped in between them, and glimpsed over his shoulder.

“What’s up with the boss?” He asked McGee with a nod at the other room.

“Nothing,” McGee said, and fleetingly looked at Ziva. “Maybe your snoring annoyed him?”

Tony stopped trying to flatten his hair with his hands, and glared at McGee. “I do not snore.”

Ziva made a bee-line to the other side of the small room, and sat down in front of the surveillance monitors, unable to focus on any of them.

“Ziva said-“

“Ziva said what?” Tony interrupted.

She glanced at him, unable to read his expression, then actually focused on the monitors showing nothing out of the ordinary.

He approached her from behind, and casually flicked her pony tail. “Do you have a problem with my breathing, agent David?”

Ziva bit her bottom lip and evaded his gaze. She knew exactly what she would find there and didn’t need that kind of distraction while working.

For once, Gibbs’s impeccable timing worked in her favor, as he entered the room and declared he was going to get take-out. “What do y’all want?”

“I want a Valentine’s date,” Tony said, disappointment lacing his words.

“You’re not my type,” Gibbs replied, then handed a take-out menu to Ziva.

She accepted the slightly crumpled piece of paper, but refused to look at either of them, knowing full-well the look on Tony’s face would crack her up.

“Will you stop complaining,” McGee said testily, “you’re not the only who had to cancel a date.”

Tony walked over to McGee and placed a hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “I know this may come as a shock to you, probie, but playing video games with your girlfriend is not the same as a date.”

Ziva swiveled her chair around to face both of them. “Oh, I don’t know about that.”

Tony raised an eyebrow at the challenging look she gave him. “I went all out for this date, made reservations months ago, fancy dinner at a French restaurant, a little dancing afterwards, the perfect gift she’s been eyeing for a month.”

Ziva frowned at the mention of the gift. While she was half expecting him to buy her some flimsy negligée or something, she had never actually brought that up.

Grinning widely at her confusion, Tony added, “Something subtle, not meant to be seen, that fits perfectly around her very elegant ankle.”

Her lips parted and heart swelled as she realized he was talking about the ankle holster she had mentioned thumbing through last month’s Guns magazine. She knew he paid close attention to her likes and dislikes, but somehow small things like this still caught her off-guard.

The warmth in his eyes sent a tingle down her spine as he walked up to her.

“Are you implying that all the thought and effort I put into –“ he caught himself just in time, “my Valentine’s date, is the same as gaming?”

Her desire to close the distance between them was kept in check by the presence of Gibbs and McGee. She licked her lips and inhaled deeply, never breaking eye contact. Fancy dates were fun, but she appreciated the quiet evenings they spent at home just as much. “Perhaps not quite gaming, but something more…relaxing and intimate.”

“Like napping,” Gibbs interjected.

Ziva smiled widely, holding up the paper menu and pointing it at Gibbs. “Yes! Oh…” Her demeanor deflated somewhat at the knowing look in her boss’s eyes.

Gibbs took the menu from her, a conflicted look on his face. He stared at Tony, whose only reply was jutting his chin. When he met Ziva’s eyes once more, a slow smile had spread on his lips. Without bothering to take anyone’s order, he headed for the front door. “I’ll bring you two back some candles.”

Relieved their boss wasn’t going to make things difficult for them, she smiled widely at Tony, who let out a heavy sigh.

“Why is he bringing candles?” McGee said while looking through the binoculars.

Ziva chuckled, focusing her attention on the monitors, as Tony shook his head and placed his hands on McGee’s shoulders, forcing him to face him.

“Timmy, remember when you wrote that book about us?”

McGee’s brows furrowed. “I told you, that wasn’t about you…” He glanced at Ziva, then back at Tony. “Oh!”