#Canopy Trend

[jungwnies]

TIKTOK TREND WITH YOUR F1 BOYFRIEND | "suspect...."

୨ৎ : featuring : max verstappen, lewis hamilton, george russell, carlos sainz, charles leclerc, lando norris, oscar piastri ୨ৎ : synopsis : "suspect..." trend

୨ৎ : genre : humor ୨ৎ : tws : teasing ୨ৎ : word count : 2344

୨ masterlist ৎ

ᡣ𐭩 a/n : race weekend !!

ʚ・max verstappen

you and max had just finished dinner, comfortably tangled up on the couch, your legs draped over his lap. you were scrolling through tiktok, barely paying attention, until a trend made you grin. a couple was chasing each other, shouting their most embarrassing secrets. you nudged max, holding up your phone.

"this feels very us," you teased.

he glanced at the screen, smirking. "you just wanna air my dirty laundry, huh?"

"and yours is so juicy," you shot back. "come on, let's do it."

outside under the porch light, you hit record. the night air was crisp, but max was already loosening up, stretching like he was about to hit the track. "i'll go first," you announced, and before you could blink, max bolted.

"suspect has lucky race underwear and acts like it's the end of the world if they're missing!" you yelled, chasing after him.

he whipped around, laughing so hard he nearly tripped. "okay, rude! that's classified intel."

you handed him the phone as you jogged ahead. "your turn."

max didn't hesitate. "suspect raids the pantry at 3 a.m. like a gremlin and blames it on 'sleepwalking.'"

"i do sleepwalk!" you gasped, laughing as he sprinted closer.

you grabbed the phone back, turning the camera on him. "suspect sings way too passionately to abba in the shower and denies it when I catch him."

max froze mid-step, glaring playfully. "low blow." then, with a grin, he snatched the phone and chased you down the driveway.

"suspect still sleeps with a stuffed panda named mr. wuffles—and argues with him like he's real."

you shrieked, lunging for the camera, tackling max to the ground. the two of you collapsed in a heap of laughter, the phone still recording as you tried to catch your breath.

"mr. wuffles doesn't deserve this slander," you mumbled into his shoulder.

max grinned, brushing hair out of your face. "neither do my lucky boxers."

ʚ・lewis hamilton

you and lewis were lounging by the pool under a canopy of string lights, the cool night breeze carrying the soft ripple of water. roscoe was stretched out on a lounge chair, his head resting on a cushion like he owned the place. lewis was reclined next to you, scrolling through his phone, his fingers absently drumming to the beat of the music playing from a nearby speaker.

you were curled up with your phone, scrolling through tiktok when a trend made you snort—a couple chasing each other, shouting out each other’s most embarrassing quirks. you nudged lewis, holding the screen up for him to see.

“this feels like something you’d absolutely crush me at,” you said, laughing.

he glanced over, his lips curving into that playful smile that made your stomach flip. “oh, no doubt. but do you really wanna go there?”

you grinned, hopping off the lounge chair. “game on.”

lewis chuckled, setting his phone down and standing up, stretching like he was warming up for a race. roscoe gave a sleepy glance but didn’t move.

“ladies first,” lewis said, gesturing dramatically.

you hit record, backing away as he smirked. “suspect can’t go two days without FaceTiming roscoe when he’s away, and yes, he gives him motivational speeches.”

lewis burst into laughter, jogging after you. “don’t call me out like that—roscoe’s a star athlete in his own right!” he grabbed the camera and started walking backward. “alright, my turn.”

you crossed your arms, pretending to look unfazed as he started recording. “suspect spends more time perfecting their smoothie recipes than I spend in the gym. and they still taste like fruit soup.”

you gasped, laughing as you chased him across the patio. “they’re healthy! and delicious!”

“sure, chef,” he teased, holding the camera high above your head.

you managed to snatch it back, breathless. “suspect has an alarm on his phone labeled ‘manifest greatness,’ and I caught him chanting along to it last week.”

lewis stopped, doubling over in laughter. “okay, first of all, it works!” he protested, grabbing the camera back. ��but suspect won’t admit they cried during a kids movie last weekend.”

“it was Marley & Me! what do you want from me?!” you shrieked, laughing so hard you stumbled.

roscoe finally lifted his head, giving you both a look of mild disapproval before going back to sleep. the two of you collapsed on the pool deck, gasping for air as the camera captured your laughter under the lights.

ʚ・george russell

you and george were out in the garden under the string lights, leaning against the picnic table as the evening settled in. you were scrolling through tiktok when a video of a couple exposing each other’s quirks made you laugh.

“think you could handle this?” you asked, showing george.

he smirked. “you’re playing a dangerous game.”

you hit record and stepped back. “suspect triple-checks his hair in every mirror before leaving the house, even for groceries.”

george laughed, jogging after you. “it’s called standards,” he countered, grabbing the phone. “suspect once demanded a rematch at mini golf because the wind was ‘unfair.’”

“it was!” you protested, chasing him.

snatching the phone back, you grinned. “suspect listens to dramatic orchestra scores like they’re in a movie montage.”

he groaned, laughing. “oh hush! suspect talks in their sleep about ordering pizza and existential philosophy.”

you gasped, collapsing onto the bench in laughter as george sat beside you, flipping the camera toward you both.

“lesson learned?” he teased.

“you’re obsessive,” you said.

“and you’re chaos,” he shot back with a grin.

“and yet, it works,” you replied, leaning into him as he ended the video.

ʚ・carlos sainz

you and carlos had just finished a game of tennis in the backyard, both of you sweating and laughing as you collapsed onto the grass. the sky was fading into a deep blue, the evening still warm. carlos tossed his racket aside, stretching with a satisfied groan, while you grabbed your water bottle.

“you know, i think i’ve got you beat this time,” you said, grinning between sips.

“you wish, mi amor,” carlos laughed, shaking his head. “i let you win on purpose. i’m a gentleman.”

“uh-huh, sure, whatever helps you sleep at night,” you teased.

you pulled out your phone, noticing a trend on tiktok—a couple running around, calling out each other’s quirks. you nudged him, showing him the video.

“come on, let’s do it. i bet you’ve got some embarrassing stuff to share,” you said.

“oh, i’m sure you’ve got more embarrassing things than me,” he grinned. “alright, let’s do it. i’m ready.”

you hit record, stepping back with a playful smirk. “suspect uses way too many spices when cooking and ends up burning half the meal every time.”

carlos laughed, raising his hands in defense. “hey, a little smoky flavor never hurt anyone!” he grabbed the phone and pointed it at you. “suspect always loses their keys and blames it on me, even when i’m nowhere near them.”

“because you always steal them!” you shot back, chasing him around the yard.

he stopped, turning to face you. “suspect watches motivational videos, then complains about doing chores two minutes later,” he teased, laughing.

you gasped, nearly dropping the phone. “i’m just… i’m saving my energy for the important stuff!”

carlos smirked, taking the phone back. “suspect can’t make it through a single movie without falling asleep halfway through. i’ve seen it!”

“i’m relaxing, okay?” you said, laughing as you tried to catch up with him.

carlos finally collapsed next to you on the grass, both of you laughing, as he turned the camera toward you both.

“well, that was fun, amor,” he said, grinning.

“you’re a menace,” you teased.

“and you love me for it,” he replied with a wink, before ending the video.

ʚ・charles leclerc

you and charles were in the kitchen, the scent of fresh-baked cookies filling the air as you waited for them to finish baking. with the oven timer ticking down, you two decided to kill time. charles was leaning against the doorframe of the hallway, his dog leo sprawled out on the floor at his feet, looking up at you both with a relaxed expression.

“okay, so what should we do while we wait, mon chéri?” charles asked, his gaze playful. “i’m not just gonna stand here, you know.”

you grinned, glancing around the hallway. “well, we could always play that tiktok game i showed you last week. i bet you’ve got some embarrassing habits i can call out.”

charles raised an eyebrow, glancing at leo, who was lazily licking his paws. “you think i’m embarrassed by anything?”

“oh, definitely,” you teased, pulling out your phone. “you’ve got some quirks.”

“alright, fine,” he grinned, crossing his arms. “let’s do it, but no making fun of me too much, mon amour.” he tells you kissing the top of your head before you both make your way to the hallway. 

you hit record, stepping back with a smirk. “suspect has a very specific routine for his coffee, and gets very upset if it’s made wrong.”

charles laughed, shaking his head. “that’s not a secret, amour. i like my coffee just right, nothing wrong with that.” he grabbed the phone and pointed it at you. “suspect spends way too much time scrolling through food videos but never actually cooks anything.”

“hey!” you protested, laughing. “i get inspiration!”

“ah, i know you too well,” he teased. “suspect also insists on getting up in the middle of the night for snacks, but never remembers what they actually wanted.”

“i don’t even want to hear it,” you shot back. “suspect can’t even make it through a day without getting at least five different snacks. i’ve seen it with my own eyes!”

“hey, i’m a growing boy,” charles grinned. “i need my fuel. you, on the other hand�� suspect has to try to make food, but ends up burning everything and then calling me to save you.”

“sure, sure,” you teased. “suspect also has to ask for everyones opinion before making a decision about anything.”

“it’s called being thorough,” he grinned.

“right, thorough,” you laughed. “suspect spends way too long staring at himself in the mirror after a race, making sure everything’s perfect for the cameras.”

charles laughed, shaking his head. “okay, that’s fair. but you talk to leo like he’s a person, and i swear, he knows all your secrets.”

“leo’s my best friend!” you protested, laughing.

“and he knows you better than you know yourself,” charles teased.

“oh, don’t even!” you laughed. you lunged for the phone, laughing, but charles held it just out of reach.

“oh no, i’m not done with you yet,” you teased, but charles just grinned, lowering the camera as leo wagged his tail.

“well, that was fun,” charles said, still grinning as he scratched leo behind the ears.

“you’re impossible,” you teased, nudging him.

“and you love me for it, mon chéri,” he replied with a wink, turning off the camera.

ʚ・lando norris

you and lando had just finished messing around on his sim, and now you were sitting on the floor of the hallway, sharing a bowl of popcorn. the soft glow of the hallway light made the moment feel cozy, but lando, being lando, was already up to something.

“have you seen this?” he asked, holding up his phone to show you a tiktok of people calling out their partners' embarrassing habits. his grin was wide, already plotting.

“don’t even think about it,” you warned, narrowing your eyes.

“too late,” he said, opening the app and hitting record. “alright, suspect loves to smack talk during karting, but can’t stop spinning out when things get competitive.”

“you’re so full of it!” you laughed, grabbing the phone. “suspect sets five alarms every morning and still manages to be late.”

lando gasped, clutching his chest dramatically. “i’m just not a morning person, alright?”

“and yet, you have no problem staying up all night playing video games,” you shot back, aiming the phone at him again.

“because i’m a gamer,” he grinned, grabbing the phone back. “suspect refuses to admit they’re bad at fifa, even though i’ve beaten you like, ten times in a row.”

“that’s because you cheat! i swear your controller’s rigged!”

“sure, blame the controller,” he teased, flipping the camera to you. “suspect also eats all the snacks during a movie and then pretends they don’t know where they went.”

you gasped. “i get hungry! and you don’t even share your chips properly.”

“because you take the big ones,” lando said, shaking his head. “suspect also hides my hoodies and claims they don’t know where they are.”

you smirked. “they just mysteriously end up in my closet. weird, huh?”

“you’re unbelievable,” he laughed, setting the phone down as you both leaned back against the wall.

“you love it,” you teased, nudging his shoulder.

“yeah,” he said, grinning at you. “i do.”

ʚ・oscar piastri

you and oscar were out on the back deck, the sun dipping below the horizon as the brownies you’d baked earlier cooled inside. the soft hum of cicadas filled the air, and oscar was stretched out on a lounge chair, tossing a tennis ball up and catching it lazily.

“so, how long until we can eat them?” he asked, tilting his head toward the kitchen window.

“not long,” you replied, scrolling through your phone. then, a tiktok caught your attention—a couple roasting each other’s quirks. you grinned, holding it up to oscar. “wanna try this?”

he sat up, catching the ball one last time. “you’re really inviting chaos, huh? alright, let’s go.”

you hit record and pointed the phone at him. “suspect leaves half-finished cups of tea everywhere and then wonders why we have no clean mugs.”

“because tea gets cold too quick!” oscar said, snatching the phone. “suspect insists they’re an expert at driving but screams every time i take a corner a bit fast.”

“because you drive like it’s the grand prix!” you laughed, taking the phone back. “suspect uses ‘just one more episode’ as an excuse to stay up until 3 a.m.”

“it’s called commitment,” oscar said, smirking as he grabbed the phone again. “suspect pretends to like my playlist but skips my songs when they think i’m not looking.”

“they’re all acoustic covers of 2000s pop songs, oscar!” you protested.

“and they’re brilliant,” he said, aiming the phone at you. “suspect also googles the plot of movies halfway through because they’re too impatient to wait and see what happens.”

“okay, but at least i don’t fake losing at card games to make you feel better,” you shot back, smirking.

oscar gasped dramatically. “i would never!”

you both burst into laughter, leaning against the counter as the timer beeped in the background.

“guess i win,” oscar said smugly, reaching for the phone.

“in your dreams,” you teased, bumping his shoulder.

© 2024 jungwnies | All rights reserved. Do not repost, plagiarize, or translate

[dandelionsresilience]

Good News - May 15-21

Like these weekly compilations? Support me on Ko-fi! Also, if you tip me on Ko-fi, at the end of the month I'll send you a link to all of the articles I found but didn't use each week - almost double the content!

1. Translocation of 2,000 rhinos in Africa gets underway in “one of the most audacious conservation efforts of modern times”

“The 2,000 rhinos - more than are currently found in any single wild location in Africa - represent around 12-15% of the continent’s remaining white rhino population. […] “Rhinos perform an important ecological function in the environment as a large grazing herbivore,” says Dale Wepener[….] “The protection of rhino is far more than just looking after rhino; other species that occur in the protected areas will benefit from the protection,” explains Jooste. “This will lead to an increase in diversity and result in much healthier ecosystems.”

2. Florida Corridor Buffers Effects of Climate Change on Wildlife — And People

“A massive multi-partner effort that has conserved 10 million acres for wildlife in Florida over past decades will help buffer wildlife—and people—from the effects of climate change, a new report says. […] Protecting these corridors is important for wildlife genetics, demography and connectivity […], conducting prescribed fires in the corridor can reduce the risk of more intense wildfires [… and] they can provide buffers against hurricanes and seasonal thunderstorms.”

3. Global life expectancy to increase by nearly 5 years by 2050 despite geopolitical, metabolic, and environmental threats

“Increases are expected to be largest in countries where life expectancy is lower, contributing to a convergence of increased life expectancy across geographies. The trend is largely driven by public health measures that have prevented and improved survival rates from cardiovascular diseases, COVID-19, and a range of communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases (CMNNs).”

4. Valencia has Spain’s longest urban park

“Jardin del Turia (Turia Garden) is the green spine of the City of Valencia and Spain’s (and possibly Europe’s) longest urban park stretching for a length of 8.5 kilometres [… and] the current administration plans to make Jardin del Turia Europe’s largest city green space by extending it to the sea[….] Almost all Valencia residents (97 per cent) live within 300 metres of an urban green space. […] Jardin del Turia is a true urban oasis that provides exceptional thermal comfort, with a temperature difference of up to three degrees compared to other areas of the city.”

5. This Paint Could Clean Both Itself and the Air

“When an artificial ultraviolet light source shines on [photocatalytic] paint, the nanoparticles react with pollutants to make them break down—theoretically removing them from the nearby air and preventing a discoloring buildup. [… R]esearchers developed a new photocatalytic paint that they claim works using UV rays from ordinary sunlight, making its self-cleaning properties easier to activate. They’ve also shown that they can effectively produce this paint from recycled materials [including fallen leaves].”

6. Planting Seedlings for a Cooler Rockingham

“A dedicated group of volunteers recently planted over a thousand native seedlings in Lewington Reserve [… and] re-established canopy cover to areas of the reserve to create cooling shade for the local community and provide homes for native wildlife. […] Planting lots of trees and shrubs in urban areas can help create shade and cool cities, mitigating the impacts of climate change, contributing to biodiversity conservation and building greener, more resilient communities.”

7. Sydney’s first dedicated affordable housing for trans women designed to deliver ‘positive outcomes’

“Community housing provider and charity Common Equity NSW, […] which is for people on very low to moderate incomes, prides itself on creating inclusive living and promotes the independence and well-being of people and communities […, and] will deliver the first-of-its-kind social housing in a bid to provide a safe place to live for transgender women seeking an affordable home.”

8. Rewilding: How a herd of bison reintroduced to Romania is helping ‘supercharge’ carbon removal

“170 European Bison reintroduced to Romania’s Țarcu mountains could help capture and store the carbon released by up to 84,000 average US petrol cars each year. […] By grazing a 48 square kilometre area of grassland in a wider landscape of 300 kilometres squared, they helped to capture an additional 54,000 tonnes of carbon each year. That is around 10 times the amount that would be captured by the ecosystem without the bison.”

9. World’s biggest grids could be powered by renewables, with little or no storage

“[…] 100% renewable supply can then match the load by putting surplus electricity into two kinds of distributed storage worth that [an energy expert] says are worth buying anyway – ice-storage air-conditioning and smart bidirectional charging of electric cars, and recover that energy when needed, filling the last gaps with unobtrusively flexible demand.”

10. Supporting the Long-Term Survival of Copper River Salmon and Alaska Native Traditions

“With $4.3 million in NOAA funds, the Copper River Watershed Project and The Eyak Corporation will remove fish passage barriers, opening more streams for salmon spawning and subsistence fishing. [… As part of this effort, o]ld narrow culverts that constrict water flow will be replaced with “stream simulation” culverts wide enough to fit the full stream, including its banks. They are also deep to allow contractors to place stones and other material inside to mimic a natural stream bottom.”

May 8-14 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[polydeuces]

𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚘𝚍𝚜

pair: hozier x fem! faceless reader

summary: a lesser-known influencer surprises her followers by announcing her wedding to a well-known celebrity through a single Instagram post, revealing their previously private relationship.

liked by brandicarlile, taylorswift, and 45,928 others

sincerelyy/n: When your happily ever after became headline news. 🤍🗞️

view all 728 comments

taylorswift: Pop some champagne 🍾🥂

sabrinacarpenter: nobody will do better than you this night.. gorgeous!

mothercain: i want you (respectfully)

they/nupdates: didn’t see this coming..

allisonrussellmusic: So very magical & joyous 💐

noahkahan: great cake and open bar, sorry i meant wedding.

gracieabrams: someone pinch me

takemetoeden: guys do we think it’s andrew or do we KNOW it’s andrew bc all the articles are guessing it is ⤷ foreverhozier: yes.

liked by people, pheobebridgers, and 2.4 million others

hozier: Two hearts met beneath a canopy of dreams, their love like gentle rain soaking the earth. With hands entwined, they vow to walk through the seasons together, planting seeds of hope and reaping the joy of a lifetime in bloom. 🤎

5.4.2024.

tagged - sincerelyy/n

view all comments

lorde: loved watching this love grow 🌷

mileycyrus: Y'all are so special to me. Sending you all the love and good vibes! Congrats!

noahkahan: Congrats on finding your way to each other. Best wedding ever!

cherrywinelover: holy shit we were right omg someone alert twitter lmaoo ⤷ heartstringsofhozier: already trending babe 😭

arianagrande: is this the real life?? we've all been waiting for this. so happy for you two. ⋆˙⟡ ♡

edsheeran: Wishing you a lifetime of happiness and amazing tunes along the way.

hozierupdates: i’m crying im so happy for you wow

billieeilish: u guys are cooler than i'll ever be. 🖤

selenagomez: The love and happiness in this post are contagious! ❤️ So happy for you both. Here's to a future filled with love and laughter! 🌟

muddybootsbabe: throwing up scratching the walls rn

_

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

Happy National Zookeeper Week!

I’ll admit, I’m feeling a little spicy about it this year (well, every year) because zoos use the celebration for lots of positive facility PR, yet staff don’t often get the support and respect that is claimed in those posts.

So I want to share this great article written by a zoo industry consulting group last year looking at the reality of what happens when a workforce ends up conflicted between their passion (zoos and animals) and pragmatism (paying rent, existing in a capitalist society). They assessed AZA compensation rates by region against things such as a living wage and rental rates in the area. (All text formatting within quotes, such as bold and italics, is original to the article text.)

I cannot give the Canopy Group enough support for the way they framed this research:

“By observing the economics of keeper compensation, it’s no secret that keepers land on the lower end of the wage spectrum. Like all other wages and salaries, the market value of keeper compensation is driven by several economic factors – including the size of the labor pool, the rigor and danger of the work, the technical ability required, and the educational requirements. However, there is one factor that artificially lowers the market value of keeper compensation more than any other: passion.

In this article, we’ll take a look at why passion lowers the market value of animal care worker wages. More importantly, we’ll consider many factors that have emerged in recent years that are making people reevaluate the value of following their passion – a trend contributing to The Great Resignation, especially as it applies to zoos, aquariums, and similar organizations. (…)

The argument here is passion versus pragmatism: the unknown versus the sure thing. It is a decision all zookeepers and animal care technicians have made. Working with animals is immensely rewarding, but this passion is also very popular. This, historically, has meant that the keeper candidate pool is very large. Therefore, if the wage is livable and working conditions are reasonable, the pool should remain large. In a very real sense, a passion for animals drives down the market value of keeper compensation. Anyone who has been through an Economics 101 course will recognize this as a fundamental market principle: supply vs. demand.

However, many zoos and aquariums are having a more difficult time filling positions than normal and have started to see higher turnover rates in recent years. This begs the question – is the current keeper wage too low?”

Their findings?

Here’s their graph of “the median wage of keepers from organizations in different AZA-defined regions” from an AZA survey done in 2021. (Median is the type of average that looks at the middle of a data set’s range).

The median wage for AZA keepers in the South/Southeast was just over $15/hr at the low end, and the median wage for AZA keepers in the Far West / PNW was a little under $26/hr. That’s pretty dang low everywhere, especially when you factor in the increased cost of living in places like the West Coast. Also consider that looking at the median wage doesn’t mean this reflects just entry-level compensation - this data indicates the the compensation middle for all keeper positions, including people who have built their careers as keepers in those places long-term.

Then, they compared those wages to the “living wage” in each region - which they defined as “a calculation of what it takes to live in a particular area, without any other income. A living wage calculation takes into consideration how many earners are in a household, how many children are being supported, etc. The living wage includes the costs of all the basic items a household needs to be self-sufficient.”

“If you receive a wage for a job that is below the living wage, then you are essentially taking a negative net income. This is unsustainable for the long term, and essentially defines where wages start to exploit passion.”

Here’s a figure they provided using the MIT Living Wage Calculator showing the average living wage for each of the AZA regions. The chart on the left shows the living wage for a single person with no kids; the second, for two parents with two incomes and one child to support.

“By comparing the two graphs [to the earlier graph of the AZA median compensation rates], we find that median wages in the Southeast/South and Southwest regions are lower than the living wage for each household configuration in those regions. In other words, if you are a single person household or part of a two-income household raising 1 child in the South, a starting keeper salary will likely leave you with a negative net income. While many people work at this level, it increases the risk of accumulating debt, lowers a person’s ability to afford a home, set a much later retirement age, and can lead to many other negative, long-term effects.”

Big yikes, right?

Next, they looked at living wage vs. compensation for single parents.

“The single-parent living wage exceeds the average keeper wage in all AZA regions. In fact, the living wage required as a single parent is double the average AZA keeper wage in some regions.”

And then they did housing, specifically, being able to purchase a home.

“In many places, even a two-income household at an average keeper salary would not purchase a mid-level home. This means that keepers have to wait far longer than their peers to purchase a home. While paying rent in the meantime, this rent will account for a larger portion of their income than their peers. All in, these effects can set hopeful homeowners back years or decades.”

Canopy’s conclusion was something anyone involved in the field knew was coming.

“Companies like Chipotle, McDonalds, Best Buy, FedEx, Home Depot, Publix, and Walmart are all offering similar starting wages near starting keeper wages – plus many fringe benefits (like tuition reimbursement) and ample advancement opportunities. Many potential keepers in younger generations are putting their passion on the shelf so they can meet basic standard-of-living concerns.

To attract and retain quality candidates, an organization must consider the journey each new employee would have to make over their career. If the journey is fraught with massive debt, decreased disposable income, and limited career opportunities, then you are limiting your potential candidate pool to the small group of people who have decided that following their passion is worth significant lifelong financial hardship. There are many potential candidates out there willing to sacrifice and arm and leg for animals and conservation, but they wouldn’t dare jeopardize the financial future of their dependents and families.”

This is something I’ve heard about for years, and seen first hand. The low average wage at zoological facilities has been damaging their ability to hire and retain skilled staff for as long as I’ve been involved in the industry. I know so many zookeepers who still have roommates into their 30’s, or work multiple jobs, just to be able to make ends meet.

There’s a mythology about zookeeping jobs, a narrative that seeps into the field and actively exploits people’s passion for the job: it tells people that they’re so lucky to be able to work with these rare and cool animals; that they’re greedy and ungrateful when they ask for more compensation because they’re privileged to get to have the job at all. It says that most people would give anything to have these opportunities, so current zookeepers are interchangable and easily replaceable. Ask for too much? Push for a living wage? There’s always someone willing to take your spot. Not all facilities perpetuate this mentality - some places do treat their staff well without intentionally manipulating them to stay them in unsustainable jobs, and there can be legitimate financial reasons that limit staff compensation (mostly at smaller facilities, afaik) - but it’s a reality in the field.

For a long time, this type of mentality towards staff was sustainable. There really were always more people wanting to work in the field. But now, after three years of pandemic stressors and inflation, it’s starting to be a problem. A lot of staff left during the last few years, and facilities are having a really hard time hiring people and retaining them for any duration. I think a large part of that is low compensation rates. People are prioritizing long-term financial stability and recognizing when their passion is being exploited.

When I first started on tumblr back in 2011, there was a whole group of us within the United States who were baby zookeepers or volunteering as industry hopefuls. We all became friends, and I’ve stayed in touch with, or at least aware of, most of them as their careers progressed. Of the 10-15 or so people in that cohort? I can think of three who are still employed in the zoo industry. Everyone else has moved on into other fields - often with great grief over the loss - because of the extreme emotional labor, the physical exhaustion, and the lack of appropriate compensation.

But I guess that annual pizza party, being featured on social media, and maybe getting additional snacks all week makes up for it all?

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

1969 Holden Hurricane Concept

1969 Holden Hurricane Concept

1969 Holden Hurricane Concept

1969 Holden Hurricane Concept

1969 Holden Hurricane Concept

Holden has gone back to the future, restoring its very first concept car - the 1969 Holden Hurricane Concept.

The futuristic research vehicle described as an experiment "to study design trend, propulsion systems and other long range developments" has been restored to its former glory as a labour of love by a dedicated group of Holden designers and engineers.

Code named RD 001; the Holden Hurricane is a mid-engined, rear-wheel drive, two-seater sports car which incorporates a remarkable array of innovative features and technology, much of it way ahead of its time.

Features such as electronic digital instrument displays, station-seeking radio, automatic temperature control air conditioning, rear vision camera and an automated route finder were all showcased in this ground-breaking vehicle 42 years ago. Many of these technologies have only recently made their way into mass production, demonstrating Holden's remarkable foresight into both design and engineering technology.

The Holden Hurricane stole headlines and dropped jaws nationwide when it debuted at the 1969 Melbourne Motor Show.

Michael Simcoe, Executive Director GMIO Design, said it was fantastic to see such a significant vehicle restored.

"At Holden we have always prided ourselves on our ability to look into the future through our concept cars," Mr Simcoe said.

"It's amazing to think that the features we take for granted today were born out of creative minds over 40 years ago."

As its code name suggests, the RD 001 was the first product of the GMH Research and Development organisation, staffed by a small squad of engineers working in conjunction with the Advance Styling Group at the Fishermans Bend Technical Centre in the 1960s.

The team that designed and built the original Holden Hurricane employed some advanced technologies and techniques when it came to the powertrain. Powered by an experimental 4.2-litre (253 cubic inch) V8, this engine was a precursor to the Holden V8 engine program which entered production in late 1969.

The Holden Hurricane's V8 engine featured many advanced design components such as the four-barrel carburettor - a feature which wouldn't be seen on a production 253ci Holden V8 until the late 1970s. The end result was approximately 262hp (193kW), a towering power output in 1969 and one that ensured the Holden Hurricane had the go to match its show.

But perhaps the two most innovative features were the "Pathfinder" route guidance system and the rear-view camera.

The "Pathfinder", essentially a pre-GPS navigation system, relied on a system of magnets embedded at intersections along the road network to guide the driver along the desired route. A dash-mounted panel informed the driver of which turn to take by illuminating different arrows, as well as sounding a warning buzzer.

The rear-view camera was also a ground-breaking innovation.

Engineers using a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) system with a camera mounted in the rear bumper feeding vision to a small black-and-white TV mounted in the centre console.

Former Holden Chief Studio Engineer Rick Martin led the modern-day Hurricane team in researching the vehicle's components, systems and history in order to restore it.

"There are some genuinely remarkable ideas and technology in the Hurricane," said Mr Martin.

"From the automatic air-conditioning and magnet-based guidance system, to the inertia-reel seat belts and metallic paint, this was a car that was genuinely ahead of its time.

"The hand-picked team of engineers and designers who built the original Holden Hurricane worked in strict secrecy and began Holden's now proud tradition of ground-breaking concept cars."

RD 001 stands just 990mm high and has no doors in the conventional sense. A hydraulically-powered canopy opens upwards and forward over the front wheels, combined with twin "astronaut type" power-elevating seats which rise up and pivot forward, along with the steering column for ease of access. Occupants are then lowered to a semi-reclining position before the roof closes over them.

The wind tunnel-tested fibreglass body consists of three segments; the canopy, the engine hood and body shell and was finished in an experimental aluminium flake-based metallic orange paint.

Safety innovations included a foam-lined fuel tank, integrated roll-over bar, digital instrument readouts, ignition safety locks, interior padding and a fire warning system.

The project to restore RD 001 began in 2006 and has been a genuine labour of love for some very dedicated Holden employees. The entire restoration process has been driven primarily by volunteer labour from Holden designers and engineers in their spare time.

But the Hurricane first entered Holden Design in less than immaculate condition. RD 001 had a residency in a trade school where apprentices practised their welding on the priceless concept.

After being returned to Holden in 2006, the Hurricane restoration project has taken many thousands of painstaking man hours to lovingly restore RD 001 to concourse condition.

Holden's Manager for Creative Hard Modelling, Paul Clarke, has been largely responsible for managing the restoration of RD 001. He ensured as many of the original parts as possible have been used or remade using modern techniques to 1969 specification, in order to preserve the authenticity of this hugely important Holden.

"The entire team has done a fantastic job in bringing this beautiful concept back to life," Mr Clarke said.

"The talent we have within the Holden organisation is simply outstanding. Every time we take on a project I'm constantly amazed by the passion and talent in this company, making it a genuine pleasure to work on these projects.

"The Hurricane plays a crucial role in Holden's story and the company has such a great sense of history and heritage that it was very important to bring RD 001 back to life. It's been a challenging but incredibly rewarding process."

Since the debut of the Holden Hurricane Concept in 1969, Holden has continued to build a global reputation for envisioning and executing world-class concept vehicles. Holden is recognised globally within General Motors as a centre of excellence for concept vehicle and show car development and is one of only three GM design studios that is capable to design and build concept cars.

Michael Simcoe added that the Hurricane holds a particularly special place in Holden's history as it kick-started Holden's long love affair with concepts that has since seen the likes of the iconic GTR-X, Torana TT36, Coupe 60, the GMC Denali XT (which was requested specifically by GM for the North American market) and the award-winning Efijy.

Holden Hurricane Concept (1969)

[cynthia39100]

Merlin rewatch -- S3E3: Goblin's Gold

Really don’t like the trend of Merlin pranking Arthur with magic. The part where he dropped the canopy on Arthur to prevent him discovering Merlin stealing his gold, isn’t actually a prank, but it’s no better. Arthur trusted Merlin completely with his safety and his possessions. And Merlin stole a whole crest of gold. I know it's necessary. Still. Feels like a betrayal.

The donkey braying at the end is not super harmful, but the fact that Arthur only became donkey because he confronted the goblin, following Merlin’s accusation, makes the prank less funny. I know Merlin didn’t know it but still!!

[S3E3] [other episodes]

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

OC deep dive

Thanks @mysticstarlightduck here, @mk-writes-stuff here, and @urnumber1star here!

Rules: answer the prompts for your OC(s)!

Previous deep dives:

Lexi, Maddie, Ash, Gwen

Noelle, Rose, Kelsey, Robbie, Akash, Hye-Jin

Jedi, Carmen, Carla, George

I think it's time that I do some SOTL characters! Long overdue!

Let's start with Jack, Tierney, and Úrsula!

What uncommon/common fear do they have?

Jack - dentists...sorry my guy. But also tooth fairies on top of that

Tierney - he has a high royal standing, so I feel like he'd be afraid of like being kidnapped or someone close to him being kidnapped

Úrsula - losing control of her curse

Do they have any pet peeves?

Jack - lazy people, whether they get results or not, piss him off because Jack always gives it his all for a very predictable result

Tierney - people judging him

Úrsula - people who don't leave her alone

What are 3 items you can find in their bedroom?

Jack - the harp he took from the giant's castle, pictures of his family, framed historical documents/photos/art

Tierney - large four-poster bed with canopies, wall full of books with a ladder, a desk where he practices his potions

Úrsula - a handmade large bookshelf filled with books, a cozy corner with beanbags and pillows, a cello with a music stand

What do they notice first in a person?

Jack - height

Tierney - what they're wearing

Úrsula - whatever they're holding

On a scale of 1 to 10, how high is their pain tolerance?

Jack - 5/10

Tierney - 2/10 for anything that isn't electric based

Úrsula - 6/10

Do they go into fight or flight mode when under pressure?

Jack - fight

Tierney - fight

Úrsula - flight

Do they come from a big family/are they a family person?

Jack - small family, big family person

Tierney - large family, only kind of a family person (varies depending on who it is)

Úrsula - small family, becomes less of a family person

What animal represents them best?

Jack - probably a small dog

Tierney - cat

Úrsula - bear

What is a smell that they dislike?

Jack - lavender

Tierney - bad breath

Úrsula - smoke

Have they broken any bones?

Jack - yes

Tierney - no

Úrsula - no

How would a stranger likely describe them?

Jack - “Oh that kid? He's a strange one alright. Had him in a couple classes but never talked to him. Never have I seen someone so mediocre at everything. Teachers would always pull him aside and have conversations with him. He never seems to be fully applying himself. He never - and I mean never - bombed a test. But he also never did anything extraordinary. No awards. No punishments. He'd probably stick in the background if he wasn't trying to get everyone's approval.”

Tierney - “The third prince? I don't know anything about him. He's still a kid, and his older brothers are getting betrothed. Speaking of which, Jarred's ball is coming up, and I'm going! How do I look? Do you think he'll pick me? He better. Richard and Amani are trending! Aren't they such a cute couple? Who were we talking about, again?”

Úrsula - *suddenly getting quiet* “Her? That... beast? Well, she's kinda scary and ugly, isn't she? Like you can almost see the human behind her. It's uncanny. I wonder what she did to make herself get cursed like that. I almost pity her. She's apparently friendly, but no one wants to approach her.”

Are they a night owl or a morning bird?

Jack - morning bird

Tierney - night owl

Úrsula - morning bird

What is a flavor they hate and a flavor they love?

Jack - loves pumpkins, hates cherries

Tierney - loves tea, hates beans

Úrsula - loves chocolate, hates lemon

Do they have any hobbies?

Jack - loves being outdoors, doing chores around the farm, which he'll argue is a hobby. But he'd like to build a fence or a birdhouse whenever he has time. Woodwork.

Tierney - potions!

Úrsula - too many... Composing, reading, playing the cello are the main ones!

Boom, surprise birthday party! How do they react to surprises?

Jack - eh, middle of the road. Depends on his mood. I think he'd like the party more than the surprise.

Tierney - nope. Overdone...please just do something small...

Úrsula - I don't think she cares for surprises. She'd love that she was acknowledged, overwhelmed by the party, and neutral to the surprise part.

Do they like to wear jewelry?

Jack - no

Tierney - depends

Úrsula - yes

Do they have neat or messy handwriting?

Jack - average

Tierney - neat by force, messy naturally

Úrsula - messy but tries her best

What are the two emotions they feel the most?

Jack - disappointed yet determined

Tierney - fascination and hope

Úrsula - fear and wonder

Do they have a favorite fabric?

Jack - denim

Tierney - wool, silk, linen

Úrsula - polyester

What kind of accent do they have?

Jack - rural Irish

Tierney - "King's English"

Úrsula - Paulistano/Brazilian

✨Jack intro✨

✨Tierney intro✨

✨Úrsula intro✨

Tagging @paeliae-occasionally @rickie-the-storyteller @theelfauthor @corinneglass @wolfsbaneandotherfunactivities

+ ANYONE ELSE

SOTL intro

SOTL tag list (ask to be +/-): @illarian-rambling @katwritesshit @wyked-ao3

Blanks under the cut

What uncommon/common fear do they have? Do they have any pet peeves? What are 3 items you can find in their bedroom? What do they notice first in a person? On a scale of 1 to 10, how high is their pain tolerance?Do they go into fight or flight mode when under pressure?Do they come from a big family/are they a family person?What animal represents them best? What is a smell that they dislike? Have they broken any bones? How would a stranger likely describe them? Are they a night owl or a morning bird? What is a flavor they hate and a flavor they love? Do they have any hobbies? Boom, surprise birthday party! How do they react to surprises? Do they like to wear jewelry?Do they have neat or messy handwriting? What are the two emotions they feel the most? Do they have a favorite fabric?What kind of accent do they have?

[tmwcs]

Mermaids Tale - Chapter 1

Alright here we go. First chapter of Mermaids Tale, I think i already mentioned but this story deserves a better title, but we'll stick with it for the sake of ceasing any confusion.

As mentioned in my latest post, I'm adjusting the ML to post the whole storyline of MT, I must...its really quite good and when you read the buildup and the history of the characters, its good. For those of you that want just the good stuff, i'll post ONE chapter of the first smut encounter, just one. This story has alot of smut, among other genres. So there will the best of both worlds here.

Pairings: Heeseung and you

Warnings: Not a whole lot. Mentions of nudity but that's about it.

Summary: Noooooooooooooo....just know, that MT Heeseung is really...sexy. This storyline contains a cat and mouse chase type of thing going on. Lots of hunter and fleeing prey vibes.

Side note, i think they finally fixed my tumblr because posting is alot less of a pain. Seriously, the chapters i've posted so far for each series, some of the grammar errors and structure errors are bc this thing would not let me copy and paste, i had to like re-write each paragraph into the box as i was looking at the draft. So there may have been alot of typos and stupid mistakes in those, apologies.

The sound of the busy city buzzes in your ears as you monopolize through the crowds.

Passing by a line of shops and rows of canopy tents of casual eatery, you keep a hollow face as you remain hidden beneath the bill of your hat. You strut through, strategically making way towards the path of a shorter route leading to your home.

Your hair lays bundled up under your headpiece, eyes remain forward under the hovering cloth, and your body’s form, out of sight and beneath a large sweatshirt. The lengthy shape of your legs made out by the fitted jeans that cover them, and the slight exposure of soft skin on your forearms, revealed by slightly rolled sleeves, remain as your sole identifiable features that are seen.

Carrying out your habitual trend of hiding beneath cloth, and shadow when traveling hasn’t been the most pleasant routine.

However, throughout the course of events in earlier years, you’ve learned and been warned of, the dangers against you. For each time you leave shelter, you place yourself at risk of exposing yourself and suffering the unimaginable, putting an end to your bloodline.

The fate of your bloodline, as mentioned, solely relies on you. Carrying the task of preserving it comes with dire responsibilities and measures, something that you have been doing for many years, yet still haven’t grown entirely used to.

You turn around a corner leading into a marketplace alley. It’s a shortcut you normally take to get back home, saving you a half hour from walking among crowds, which never made you feel easy. Not after you learned of your secret.

The moment you projected the turn, the owner of one of the food tents accidently bumps into you, as he was making his way to customers bringing them hot jasmine tea.

His body was forced back from the impact, as was yours. The ceramic dishes that were neatly staged on the platter fall and shatter on the stone tile. The young man peeks up through recovered squinted eyes and sees that the contents of the teapot had sullied your entire sleeve.

Noticing the color of the material becoming darker from the splash, his face grew into great concern when he saw the skin on your arm glisten at the reflection of a nearby streetlight.

The vapors emerging from your arm are noticeable, as well as the blotches of the bright red shade that takes over the natural hue of your pigment, and the stunning glow you were born with.

He begins apologizing theatrically and calls out to the neighboring canopy owners.

A group of elderly shop owners come to attend to the wound on your arm, suppressing the discoloration with wet cloths and ice. One woman runs back inside her boutique to find a first aid kit, while the others remain in a frenzy as they place effort into treating the burn.

But there was no burn, at least in a somatosensory manner, not visually.

You reassure them that you’re fine, despite their urging in taking you to a hospital. You softly shake your head and thanked them for their care, you further your efforts in convincing them by smiling and waving, appearing as jovial as possible while you continue your way through the alley.

As a child, you didn’t realize that your inability to feel physical touch, vibration, or any sensation for that matter, was really something to be concerned of. Truth be told, you still don’t. In fact, you prefer it that way. Regardless of countless moments where teachers, friends, and family all grew concern over your “defect”, you personally found it convenient.

You would be lying to yourself if you deny ever being curious on what it is like, to feel temperature, roughness, pressure, tickle, itch, pain, pleasure, cloth, skin, and tingle. But you realize that whatever it was that you were missing, you couldn’t possibly be yearning for it if you’ve never experienced it. As depressing that may sound, your “defect” saved yourself the emotional traumas of pain and sadness, which is something you had no problems feeling.

It started when you were six, after your dog Lucy had passed away. You were sad because you missed her greeting you, the way she kept you company and played outside, and the sound of her adorable whines whenever she wanted a doggy treat. You developed a bond with her out of pure emotion because the times that she licked your face, when you pet and rubbed her ears or her belly, or when you held her in your arms, it wasn’t possible to develop any fondness out of the physical compassions of love for her. You never felt it.  Which somehow, you believe, may have placed limitations on the strength of your bond with her. Since everything you felt was out of pure emotion, the number of traits that would cause your grief was limited, therefore you were able to accept her loss much faster.

There were other times too, like the moments where your friends would experience a broken heart or betrayal at the discretion of a loved one. Events such as this is what made you the most grateful. After witnessing the times when a dear friend would come to you for comfort, shattered by the hands of a man who used and abandoned her, you came to understand that the degree of her sadness and heartbreak was enhanced due to her physical relation with that man. Thankfully for you, you could only imagine, not that you would.

You found it very disturbing that regardless of how many times your friend had experienced the ruthless abandonment of her lover, all conducted after a session of sexual intimacy. No matter how many times he left her, she would always welcome him back with open arms, enabling him to do it all over again. Whenever you had asked her why she would even permit herself to let him in again, her response was the sealant of any curious thought you had in the sense of touch.

“I know he’s going to leave, and I wasn’t going to. But then he kissed and hugged me, and I just couldn’t help it, I needed to feel him again. Have you ever gone without sex for weeks Y/N? Its brutal! I got desperate.”

Her words drifted through your brain. What would she have said if you had divulged the fact that, regardless of you being 109 years old, you never had sex. You heard from friends you made along the way of their experiences, and quite frankly, it never appealed to you. It may just be one of those moments where the coined term “you had to have been there” applies heavily to it, which of course, wouldn’t matter for you. The loss of the sense wasn’t just limited to your skin, it was internal as well. You recall the time when you nearly had a close call in exposing your secret.

It was while you were with a group of co-workers, the lot of you all deciding to have lunch at a sushi bar. A moment of carelessness resulted in everyone being confused when the waiter brought out the tea and poured it into each of your cups. You were the first to drink, and upon noticing you sipping from your cup, a fellow co-worker across follows suit and takes a sip.

The sound of the cutlery clashing, the blood curling scream, and smaller dishes shattering on the floor, overfilled the entire restaurant as she jumped up and covered her mouth. The tears streamed down her face as she shouts for ice and water, the remaining group stood off to the side with puzzling looks.

“Too hot! My mouth is burning!”

She panicked as her mouth begin to blister and her lips turned red.

“Why didn’t you let it cool down?”

“I thought it was already cooled down! I saw Y/N drink from her cup, so I thought it was okay!”

The poor girl exhausting her sobbing words as she popped ice cubes in her mouth, desperately trying to relieve herself from the burn.

The group looked your way, they also noticed your lips were bright red, and now that you think about it, you may have had blisters in your mouth as well, but how were you to know?

You played off that whole experience by telling them that you had a damaged nerve syndrome. That’s been your go-to excuse for as long as you could remember, there was no other way other logic that you could use for moments like that one.

You finally make it to your apartment.

Looking down at your arm, you noticed the redness was beginning to swell a bit, ironic that you couldn’t feel the pain from injuries such as this, yet you were susceptible to the damage it would cause. Everything has its ups and downs you suppose.

Migrating to your bedroom, you glanced over to the all the vintage photos of your mother, father, and your siblings.

Managing life by changing your name every decade, relocating, and cutting off ties with friendly relations after a certain amount of time had passed, it wasn’t easy for you to succumb to emotional moments of loneliness. Your life was always moving, nothing was constant or stable, at least not for too long. The only time when you would feel saddened was whenever you looked at the photos of your family, who have all been passed away for years already. The remaining relatives you had from your brother and his wife, your cousins, nieces, and nephews fully remain unaware of your existence, there was no way you could explain that, while they were significantly younger, your appearance had remained unchanged since the year you turned 22. The moment you blossomed into a young woman, no longer having the pre-mature attributes of a girl, you were at your true feminine form and had remained as such. Just like your mother.

A flashback drives past your mind for a moment, you remembered it so vividly.

“Y/n, do you want to join us? We’re doing game night.”

Your younger brother implores you to join, and normally you would, but tonight was different.

“No thanks Matthew, I want to go out for a night walk on the beach. Tell mom and dad I’ll be back after a bit.”

“Are you sure? Do you want me to come with? I don’t think mom likes it when you go out by yourself, remember? She said that a 15-year-old girl should never be out on her own in an unfamiliar place.”

“I’ll be fine, this is private property, and the beach is just right across from the house. I’ll be back in an hour.”

At that, you left the old beach rental your family reserved for the trip to Greece. It was your first time there and it became your favorite place in the world. There was something about the land and the Aegean Sea that surrounded it. It gave you a feeling of familiarity, the same sense someone would get when they go home for the first time in many years. It was nostalgic. Yet, that wasn’t the only thing that made you feel sentimental.

You didn’t know why, but up until that year you pondered the puzzling fact that, while your defect inhibited you to feel physically, there was something about the ocean that contradicted that.

You had found out about it initially when you were 7-years old, your family took a trip to a beach nearby home. The hot sand was too much for your family, and they knew it wouldn’t affect you since the family doctor was the one that initially told your parents of your “nerve damage”.

Despite hearing their calls to you, bidding you to stay put with them, you ignored their yells and ran to the shallow waters. It was the first time you had ever seen the ocean, and you were attracted to its appeal the way magnets attract iron.

With your feet stepping into the water, you were shocked to realize that there was something transpiring. There was a sensation that you’ve never experienced before, and you didn’t know what to call it. Looking back, you know now that it was the temperature of the water. Yes, the temperature. Not only that, but the swirling whirlpool swishing around your ankles, the wet sand riding in between your toes, the jagged tips and points of rocks and seashells, and the feel of the gravitational pull as the water receded, only to return at your feet once more when another rolling wave had hit.

For the first time, you had felt the powerful sense of touch.

You never mentioned the experience to your family, there wasn’t any particular reason, you just felt content that you were able to experience the sensation for once. But you quickly realized that your ability to feel only occurred when you were in the water. The ocean waters.

You exit through the back kitchen door, skipping towards the shallow waves. The rental was just far enough from the water, a single person such as yourself walking amongst the wet sands couldn’t be seen easily at night. But you weren’t concerned at all, there was absolutely no one in sight and that’s how you preferred it, because now you’ll be able to freely express your joy once you reach the shallow waves.  

The moment the water rushed over your skin; you rediscover the sense of touch once more.

Of all things in this earth for you to feel, you were eternally grateful that it was the ocean. You felt as equally grateful as you breached the waters belonging to the beautiful Aegean Sea. It was the first time you get to experience water that was foreign, exotic, and mystical, much different than the local beaches back home.  

Before placing our feet in, you took a second to watch the bubbles of the sea foam riding the waves. It was so pretty to look at. The foam resembled white clouds as the bubbles looked like crystals, reflecting twinkles of glistening light reflected by the moon. Assorted pastel color prisms coated each bubble as you watched them roll back into the sea for the next wave.  

You walk along the shallow end, kicking your feet to create small splashes as you twirl in your summer dress. Apart from the sense of touch, nothing ever changed your experience in the water, up until a feeling hit you. It was a sensation you didn’t recall feeling in the water before, but it stung with a vengeance. You couldn’t put your finger on what was happening, but you knew based off your recollections of witnessing similar reactions with other people, the sensation you felt was the first in your life.

Pain.

The overwhelming reaction of having to feel pain for the first time caused you to collapse, the stinging sensation grew worse. You panicked. Unable to fathom what was going on, your mind tried to process at the sensation you were succumbing to. Drowning with confusion and fear, you realized that, unlike the waters back home, there was something about the waters belonging to the Aegean Sea, and your body was reacting to it.

Fear and shock took over your emotional senses, covering the unpleasant sense of physical pain as legs grew weak, too weak.

The stinging hit every inch of your legs from the hip down, and for a moment you wondered if you had been stung by jellyfish or perhaps bitten by a poisonous sea snake.

To your horror, you screamed as you looked down at your legs, finding that you no longer had them. Not anymore.

Instead, they were replaced with a long, graceful tail and fin. You shuttered in fear, noting that the lower half of your body was now covered with fish scales.

You couldn’t move from the sandy spot you were laying in. Your panic heightened as you attempt to use your upper body strength to crawl away from the water, but the pull of the waves as the tides rolled in enabled the receding sand to sink you down, practically gluing you stuck and your lower half remaining in the water.

As the currents grew stronger, and no one in sight to hear or see you, your body was slowly but surely getting pulled in deeper into the water.

Each wave dragged you in deeper, your whole body was nearly entrenched in the shallow water, yet it was becoming easier to move, so long as you were going in the direction of the deep end. You felt exhausted from fighting against the waves, so you laid there in defeat. Your wet hair was plastered all over your face, the transformation of your lower extremities caused the ruffle lining of your dress to shred.

Noticing that the stinging pain was no longer present, you closed your eyes and found comfort in feeling the soothing sensation of the water showering your entire body. The feeling that you normally enjoyed.

You closed your eyes and laid your cheek down on the wet sand before you, not sure if you just needed a break or if you had entirely given up and assumed you were going to die in that spot. Within seconds after closing your eyes, another wave rolls in, covering you entirely. As it pulls back, revealing every shell and rock that laid thickly underneath the sand, the raging current drags you one final time, fully submerging you in the water.

The feeling, opposed to what you felt moments earlier, was beyond amazing. Even though the temperature of the water was cooler, you felt warm and secured. The swooshing of the current wraps around you and glides against your skin.

Your whole body felt the touch of everything around you. The pale silver scales glowed contrasted against the shadowed depth around you. Considering how dark it was underneath the surface, your view was as clear as glass. Everything you laid your eyes on, you were able to see its finer details, no matter how small or large it was.

You could hear the echo calling of whales, even though they were meters from where you were at. It appeared that not only did you gain the sense of touch by being in the water, but your other senses remain unimpaired. They actually seemed enhanced under water.

As tempted as it was to savor the environment you were in, you started to get worried that your mother would come look for you, especially since your time outside was breaching the final moments of the hour. Though you weren’t entirely sure how you would go see her in the state you were in.

You swam back to the shoreline, although it didn’t feel like swimming, more like gliding. You found it was so easy to move in the water, and you were moving in a speed that you’ve never was faster than any moving car you rode in.

Beaching yourself as you reached the shoreline, you turn to admire the pale-silver color of your tail.

The fin was large and fanned out, the skin that stretched over the frame was semi-transparent, and it glistened with a sheer blend of pastel colors, the same as the seafoam. Two spurs outlined the out corners of the fin as it branched out, they were long, and the tips of them were sharper than any knife you’ve seen.

The scales on your tale all looked like nacre, or simply known as Mother-of-Pearl, reflecting the wide hue of colors to bounce off the silver base. The amount of scales lessened just past your pelvic bone, revealing the skin you were familiar with. Had there been more time you would have removed your dress to see how much had changed with your upper body if it did change. Yet you became more focused on figuring a way to get out of the water, then coming up with an explanation for your appearance.

Moving was hard, compared to how it was in the water, now that you had laid ashore it felt nearly impossible. Finding yourself stuck yet again, the only manner to get farther away from the water was to crawl using your upper body. Digging your elbows into the murky sand, you struggled to find some level of stable foundation as you felt yourself sinking in.

Noticing the partial burial of large rocks all around, you reached for the exposed surfaces, grabbing on to the points and edges. Using the moment of your body to shift in the direction you needed to go, you exhausted every effort by using whatever means necessary to get further up, closer to your destination. The sense of touch begins to fade out, disappearing the further you move away from the water. A bittersweet exchange.

Finally, you reached the dry mounds of sand. Grabbing a handful, you watch as the spilling of dry granules seeps in between your fingers, feeling a sense of accomplishment. You moved upward just a tad bit more, ensuring no part of you, to include the tail, was touching water.

You come to a sudden halt as a familiar sensation hits you. Odd, since you were no longer touching the water, yet the stinging all throughout your lower half re-emerges, and you could feel it just as strongly as you had in the water. You turned over onto your back and saw all the dry granules of sand that coated the scales of your tail. Witnessing the metamorphosis happening before your own eyes, you watched as the beige hue of the sand and the rainbow explosion of color from the scales begin to transform. The merging of colors gradually fades into a hue that matches your skin, while the two long spurs at the corners of your fin begin to recede.

Beginning at the inner triangular tip in the center of your fin, the skin separates, and continues up along the center of your tail, regaining the shape and length of your legs.

Was that all it took? Dry land? Or just being out of the water…these waters.

You didn’t tell your parents what happened that night, you didn’t know how. For the longest time, you wondered if it had been a dream or some type of hallucination. Yet the memory of feeling the water, listening to the whales, and re-visualizing the clarity of your sight, you knew that it was neither.

[raayllum]

TDP Reflections: Strangers breakdown

So just like before with Claudia’s short story (breakdown here), I want to do a deep dive into Soren’s, not only pulling on the other short stories released thus far, but also canon and where I think it may go from here. Strap in, cause there’s a lot to (wonderfully) unpack, thanks to the density of the prose and the introspection!

Consistent motifs

First things first, the story continues the trend of having consistent motifs, this volume having a specific focus on:

Storms (water, drowning)

Hearts

Light and darkness

Trapped / chains

I’m going to be examining some of these motifs in greater detail later on, but for now I want to note a couple things:

1) Soren’s short story continues the emphasis of hearts even over storms. While many of the stories in Vol. 2 have talked about storms and water quite prominently (Ripples, Lost Child, All Storms End) not all of them have in a significant way (The Queen’s Mercy, Strangers) but all have mentioned heart. Part of this is because heart is communicative of many emotions and thereby emotional phrases, but also, I think, a more purposeful motif due to this theory I have, which is that the Key of Aaravos is a literal Key to Aaravos, and holds (or is) his literal missing heart (chest piece). 

The stranger stood up. Approached him. Soren’s heart crawled up into his throat. [...] Viren staggers backwards, his last breath shuddering through the blade. His white robes turn red at his heart. Something in Soren’s own chest shatters along old cracks, but he cannot look away.

2) Soren’s short story is the first time we’ve seen a person be directly compared and embedded in the Light and Darkness motif, concretely (although Rayla and Callum certainly come close), specifically in his bond with Ezran. This is, perhaps, the most important piece symbolically, and also provides many of the parallels between Viren and Soren we’re going to discuss.

He thudded his head back against the thick trunk of a tree and stared out into the night. The void of the Uncharted Forest seemed to go on forever, obscuring everything beyond its canopy. Even the waning moonlight struggled to pierce its veil.

Somewhere out there were his friends. His duty. His king.

Two years before, when the world had seemed darkest, Soren began to imagine Ezran as a kindling flame, a bright little light holding back the abyss. When he’d named Corvus a Crownguard, he’d told him that the young king was not only Katolis’ hope, but all of Xadia’s, too.

Soren had sworn to protect and tend that light. To nurture it. And in his darkest moments, that oath gave him a reason to feel strong again, a way to keep smiling.

How easily it had all fallen apart. How easily he’d chosen to chase the dark instead when he’d found his sister still lurking there. 

We see Ezran and Claudia juxtaposed with each other, in relation to the places they have in Soren’s life as well as in the Cycle: Ezran as a chain breaker, Claudia as a perpetuator. Ezran is now, by and large, become the most important person in Soren’s life, even if his ghosts still haunt him. And well, he’s not the only one: so let’s talk about it.

Soren’s parallels to Viren

Soren thought he was done chasing, done reaching—reaching for people who turned their backs on him, who closed doors in his face, who disappeared over the horizon and never returned.

Doors, chasing, reaching. The line of “people over the horizon line” is presumably Lissa, making this the one and only time Soren has ever thought of her even indirectly in TDP’s vast universe of material. All of this, of course, factors into the way Soren and Viren have begun to parallel each other in S4: worried for Claudia, interacting with butterflies, and Viren expressing similar doubts to the ones Soren had in 2x07/2x08 after his own physically traumatic event that Claudia steamrolled over, and then acted surprised when the emotional epiphanies continued. 

There are also the parallels, per se, with Soren and Viren having panic attacks accordingly in S4, and the parallels between Viren and Sarai coaching said sons through panic attacks. 

But more on their specific dynamic later, because... woof. 

Trapped

Welcome to subsection one of “Soren’s short story’s parallels with Callum (and Kim’dael)”, specifically: 

He struggled for a while, twisting against the thick knot bound behind him, until it was clear that not even his muscles could get him out of this one. The cloth gag in his mouth wouldn’t budge either, despite his gnawing and spitting. Soren was trapped.

Kim’dael fell back to her knees. The weight of the chain around her neck pulled her downward until she bowed her head. She pressed her fingertips to the golden metal collar at her throat. She struggled to swallow. Struggled to breathe. She was trapped.

Now, beyond the increasing emphasis on Freedom vs Imprisonment (which, delicious), feeling trapped by Viren is something that Viren has felt consistently, even when his father was literally imprisoned. While goodhearted, Soren’s view of the world, although its changed, is still fairly simplistic. Some people are good (“Ah, it’s nice being one of the good guys this time”) and some are evil (“That person is a villain. My dad is a villain”). Thus, Soren primarily ties his more negative actions (rightfully so) to wanting to follow his dad’s wishes, but assumes (wrongfully) that Claudia must also be operating under the same context. 

Because if she’s not, if this is what she wants, then in many ways, he’s truly lost his sister already. (But again, more on Soren and Claudia later.) 

Drowning as Darkness

The old man stoked the embers of the dying fire. The flames crept back to life and cast a flickering glow across his face. That face—Soren turned his focus back to the darkness. On breathing. [...] But the world spun too fast, and the face became other things, other memories in an endless torrent. His mother at his bedside. His father’s back, hunched as he read useless tomes by candlelight deep into the night. His sister, crying in her room ‘til morning. Soren gasped the darkness like water into his lungs. He could not breathe. He was drowning.

And here’s the water metaphor explicitly, conflating it with darkness and drowning directly, just like Callum’s dark magic dreams to begin with. Then, it’s exceedingly interesting that while Ezran is Soren’s light... Viren is still the one, clothed in white, who pulls Soren out of the panic attack in the first place, and this more than anything is what reaffirms to Soren that this is indeed his father, even if their bond, just like his father’s body, is broken and warped by dark magic. 

Which last but not least, let’s actually talk about....

Viren and Soren

Righting himself against the tree, Soren held his head up. “Just— get away. Get away from me.”

Something flickered across Viren’s face. For a moment, Soren thought his father would open his mouth and say something like he always did, words that hurt—ungrateful, foolish, useless—but he merely sighed and stood up.

Now, late stage S4 has only begun to hint at what novelization reading fans have known for a few years at this point, which is that Soren was a sickly child growing up and that Viren did something monstrous to heal him, which eventually fractured Viren and Lissa’s marriage. We were unsure up until S4 if it would be addressed and elaborated upon in the show, but with Viren’s “conversations with Kpp’Ar” and dark magic induced dreams, and Claudia bringing it up directly to Soren (“Without magic, you would be dead. Without Dad’s magic”), and now this short story, it’s safe to say S5 will be going full speed ahead. It’s clear that Soren does have something to be ‘grateful’ for, even if that might only be in Soren and Viren’s own minds.

Secondly, Soren referring to Viren as a monster is as loaded as it has always been (“You keep calling it a monster. Does it feel, does it think? Does it have a family?” / “You’re a monster” “You’re mistaken: I’m a pragmatist”): 

He’d conjured up another monster to hide the horrifying truth: this stranger—this man—was undeniably Viren. [...] And Viren—LORD Viren, the usurper king, the monster in Soren’s nightmares—hesitated.

But it’s something Soren has done before, albeit indirectly:

Moreover, we have Soren witness some of the more on the surface parallels between Viren and Claudia, specifically Claudia picking up her father’s mantle (literally) as well as more light and dark symbolism: 

The pair emerged from the tangled dark. Terry carried a lumpy bundle in his arms. Beside him, Claudia held up a staff to light the way. Viren’s staff. It looked too big in her hands, too heavy, but she wielded it with the same effortless elegance as her father. The sight made Soren’s gut twist.

There are also some very interesting parallels in regards to how Claudia views herself and how Soren views Viren as well:

Claudia’s reflection wavered below her in the water. Studying it, she frowned: her face was narrower than she remembered, paler against the sweeps of white hair. Even her eyes looked older somehow, as though the work of the last two years had aged something deep within her, beyond the touch of time. [...] She turned back to the water, gazing straight down into her reflection. The sallow skin, the stolen time behind her eyes… A moment later, she blinked into the pond; her reflection beamed up at her. Her eyes brighter, her face fuller, more color in her cheeks. Small changes, but still—There I am, she thought.

Those same firm hands took Soren’s face and lifted it. He opened his eyes to see the stranger’s face frowning down at him, lined with age and hardship and years without a smile. Soren realized he’d imagined all of it it—the sagging skin, the hollow eyes, the corpse-like rigidity. He’d conjured up another monster to hide the horrifying truth: this stranger—this man—was undeniably Viren.

Even if, as a final note, while Soren can accept that Viren is indeed alive again, he refuses to believe that he’s changed in any meaningful way: 

For a moment, the man was a stranger again, someone unfamiliar, reborn and new and changed and—Viren must’ve sensed his stare. He turned to look at Soren again, his gaze cold and piercing. No, Soren thought. He’s the same. He’s my father. He glowered back, making himself cold, too. Like steel. Like a blade.

What is it building up to?

So like, what is the potential point of all this, then, going into S5? A few things, I think. 

1) It confirms that Soren and Viren’s relationship (and interwoven backstories) are going to be a more prevalent focus this season. This was already set up in 4x07 with Claudia’s remark about Viren saving Soren’s life, and basically confirmed since we know Viren is having dark magic related dreams that include Kpp’Ar (a mentor he disavowed precisely because Kpp’Ar wouldn’t help him save Soren). This focus makes sense for a lot of reasons, I think, since...

2) It seems more likely than ever that Viren is going to defect, join Soren, and that they will work together to bring Claudia home once his ‘abandonment’ sends her off the rails. Viren sacrificed his son to keep his daughter in 3x03 (“If you tell her the truth you will lose her. You will need her soon”) and now S5 is set up to show just what he sacrificed to save the son who would one day kill him as well. Furthermore, it makes sense, as “Soren chose Dad” (2x09) and now for Viren, spurred by his memories and second lease on life (and growing fear of Aaravos using Claudia) to now choose Soren. This allows them to work on figuring out their fucked up dynamic, as well as giving Soren an extra reason to have faith in Claudia even as she gets worse, because if their dad can change then why not her? It also means that her family works to save her, after a lifetime of her always saving them to her immense detriment, which is just... nice, y’know?

It’d be neat, and it’s looking pretty likely, IMO. 

Misc

There were other thoughts and parallels I had that I adored, such as the Eyes, Smiles, and Almost parallels, for lack of a better distinction: 

Claudia leaned forward, shaking the homunculus’s bony shoulder hard—harder than she’d meant to. Its wings fluttered and it whined in surprise, but looked up and met her eyes. Something in its gaze made her breath catch. There was something wide and curious there, simple and yet almost familiar, almost… knowing. 

The gentle flames caught his eyes and made them somehow warm. “Soren, I—”

Zym pressed against her, warm and brilliant—his magic a thousand colors. Zubeia let it comfort her. Lightning struck again. For a moment, its sharp light gave the Dragon King’s form a gentle smile.

However, my favourite non-mage fam related parallel had to undoubtedly be the Hesitation parallel between Viren and Rayla (my beloved foils). 

R: And before I know it, I’ve failed. 

And Viren—LORD Viren, the usurper king, the monster in Soren’s nightmares—hesitated. [...] Soren stared at Viren’s back, his heart thudding against the cage of his ribs again. He had never, not once in his life, seen his father hesitate. 

Which, given the fact that Viren’s hesitation is precisely what’s pushing Claudia deeper down the path of darkness and desperation, further into Aaravos’ clutches, it seems Viren will be too late to know that he’s failed, too, at protecting/saving his daughter. 

[thepen-dragon]

A snippet of Ch.1 of my Voltron Fic.

At the rate i'm going to get the chapter finished and in a readable state sooner than I though. Suggestions or critiques are appreciated. Thankfully no need for warnings (yet). Enjoy!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the sky far above the jungle planet of Irkalla, a sizable chunk of burning metallic debris from a starship screamed through the atmosphere. A fiery ball plummeting from the sky until it crashed through the canopy, scorching the foliage with its searing heat. With a sudden thrashing of leaves, a massive white wolf-like creature burst from the jungle's shadows right into a defensive yet agile stance. Its white fur contrasts with the dark green of the undergrowth. Two layers of fur shielded it from the elements: a snow-white topcoat, smudged with dirt, and a barely visible, pale grey undercoat.

"Easy, Fenrir," a gentle, youthful, yet exhausted voice cautioned the wolf, "if anyone was still on that ship, they may have survived and may not take kindly to a large canine's gaze."

A tall young man, no older than 17, stepped out of the brush, pushing aside low-hanging leaves as he went. His long black jacket only caught on a stray bit of foliage once and only briefly. This young man was Alexander PenDragon, though he prefers Alex, and he has been investigating the sudden surge in ships crashing on the planet for the past few weeks since it all started. On one hand, it was nice as the salvageable tech from the crashes helped Alex work towards a way to leave the planet he has been stuck on for most of his life. On another hand, an eerie trend had emerged, every crash was only a small fragment of a ship that appeared to never have been inhabited to begin with.

"Please be a full ship or escape pod, not just a piece of one," Alex prayed as he approached the wreckage. The scorched earth crunched under his black and grey boots. Fenrir was close behind, but upon getting close, the teen gave a disappointed sigh. The wreck was nothing more than a small fragment of a scout ship that was primarily white, aside from golden markings that may have formed a pattern on the full ship. The wrecks often belong to a race Alex has yet to find any meaningful information on. He salvaged anything that could be repairable for parts until he came across a set of harshly scribbled numbers on a torn and partially burnt fragment of paper. Carefully and cautiously, Alex put the paper in the pocket of his dark blue jeans, not wanting to risk it falling out of his jacket pocket on the journey home. Even though the odds were very much against him, Alex hoped these numbers were the key to not only why so many fragments of abandoned ships were crashing onto the planet's surface but also led to a way off the planet altogether. After a couple of hours scavenging the wreck Alex Wiped the sweat from his brow, and let out an exhausted sigh, "For such a small fragment of a ship, there sure is a lot of worthwhile scrap."

He joggled the light brown, handmade satchel he had brought with him to store the salvage to fit as much as he could. Alex tied his jacket around his waist and straightened his sweat-stained white shirt as best he could before throwing the bag over his shoulders. Brushing his metallic golden hair from his ruby and sapphire eyes, Alex whistled for Fenrir, who came bounding to his friend's side with similar handmade bags hanging from his sides. The young man double checked the bags to make sure they weren't too heavy for either of them to carry before the two loyal companions started the long trek home. Through thick foliage, dark jungle, across streams, and past various fauna the pair covered an enormous distance before needing to stop at a stream for a brief break. Before long the boy and his hound set out again for the last stretch of the trip.

Upon coming to a large cave opening Alex and Fenrir headed inside following a small stream coming from inside. Climbing over various rock formations and stalagmites the pair eventually came to another segment of the cave that opened up to a massive underground oasis. Trees, brushes, and other foliage and some small animals lived around a waterfall that poured in from a large opening in the cave's ceiling that led out into the jungle above. A natural formation protected from the elements and a haven from predators, undisturbed for as long as Alex could remember, except for one thing. In the center of the cave was a large black and silver mechanical beast shaped like a feline with golden plating on its ears, chest, and tip of the tail. The large robotic cat was on its side with its limbs outstretched as though it had laid down rather than crashed, and is covered in various moss, vines, and other foliage while also being surrounded by various wild flowers. Its head was tilted in such a way that the massive jaw was open enough to allow someone to climb inside.

Alex’s uncle Rusty had told him it was based on a lion, though no lion Alex had ever learned of had large red and silver wings on its back.

[botanyone]

Amazon Tree Species in Peril as Forest Web Unravel

Amazon Tree Species in Peril as Forest Web Unravel https://ift.tt/Op0bzKr The ancient endemic trees of Ecuador’s Amazon are sending out a distress signal. Guevara-Andino and colleagues from Universidad de las Américas combined traditional herbarium records with modern forest surveys to assess 81 tree species that exist nowhere else on Earth. Their findings paint a stark picture – 47% are classified as Endangered, and a further 14% of these unique trees are Critically Endangered. As these botanical giants face mounting pressure from deforestation, understanding their status becomes crucial for protecting the irreplaceable diversity of one of Earth’s most species-rich forests. Within this complex Amazonian ecosystem, the research revealed striking patterns. The most endangered species cluster within a few plant families, with the myrtle family harbouring the highest number of critically endangered trees. Surprisingly, smaller understorey trees with small fruits face greater extinction risks than towering canopy species. The problem lies in the decline of forest animals responsible for spreading these small fruits’ seeds. This finding reveals the complex interplay between forest ecology and species survival. “Thus, our results highlight the importance of incorporating meaningful ecological traits in extinction risk estimates, such as those related to reproduction and life history strategies,” said co–corresponding author María-José Endara, PhD. The researchers analyzed data from eighty carefully selected one-hectare forest plots across Ecuador’s Amazon, integrating this with historical specimens from herbarium collections worldwide. Using satellite technology, they tracked forest loss in areas where these unique trees grow. International conservation criteria helped assess each species’ risk level, considering both geographic range and habitat quality in their evaluation. “We found that some endemic tree species populations are experiencing high levels of threat by deforestation inside the Yasuní National Park, the biggest and most iconic protected area in the Ecuadorian Amazon,” said lead author Juan Ernesto Guevara-Andino, PhD. The urgency of this research becomes clear against broader trends in the Amazon. Ecuador’s portion of this great forest is experiencing one of the highest deforestation rates in the Northwestern Amazon, with projections suggesting 27% of forest cover could vanish by 2030. Even trees within protected areas face threats – already, 21% of forest areas containing endemic species have been lost. This dramatic decline represents a significant escalation from previous assessments, revealing an accelerating crisis for these irreplaceable organisms. Guevara-Andino, J. E., Navas-Muñoz, D., & Endara, M.-J. 2024. High extinction risk of the endemic tree flora in a hyper-diverse region of the Amazon. Plants, People, Planet. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10606 Cross-posted to Bluesky, Mastodon & Threads. The post Amazon Tree Species in Peril as Forest Web Unravel appeared first on Botany One. via Botany One https://botany.one/ December 18, 2024 at 03:00PM

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from the New York Times:

There’s a struggle for law and order in many of the world’s tropical forests, and nature is losing.

Last week, I wrote about the major progress Colombia made in 2023, slashing deforestation rates by 49 percent in a single year. But this week, we learned the trend reversed significantly in the first quarter of this year. Preliminary figures show tree loss was up 40 percent since the start of the year, Colombia’s Minister of Environment, Susana Muhamad, told reporters on Monday.

Why have things changed so quickly? Mostly because a single armed group controls much of Colombia’s rainforests.

Muhamad explained that conflicts with Estado Mayor Central, a group that is thought to run a sprawling cocaine operation among other illegal activities, were partly behind the striking numbers. “In this case, nature is being placed in the middle of the conflict,” she said. According to experts, E.M.C. had largely banned deforestation and in recent months it seems to have allowed it again.

A 2023 United Nations report referred to this entanglement between drug trafficking and environmental crime as “narco-deforestation.” Perhaps nowhere is that phenomenon more clear than in Colombia, a country that’s both a stage for the decades-old global war on drugs and one of the most biodiverse corners of the planet, where the Andes Mountains meet the vast Amazon rainforest.

But what’s happening in Colombia underscores a growing challenge for many developing countries. Vast pristine forests are both essential to curb climate change and biodiversity loss, and they’re also prized by groups who want to hide illegal activities beneath thick tree canopies.

Today I want to explain why experts on the ground say that there’s no way to protect crucial forests like the Amazon without dealing with the growing power of armed groups.

[lavishwed]

Top 5 Destination Wedding Themes Trending in 2025

Weddings are no longer just events; they are immersive experiences that reflect the couple’s personality and love story. A thoughtfully chosen theme not only sets the tone for your big day but also creates lasting impressions for your guests. In 2025, couples are embracing creativity and sustainability to craft celebrations that are unique and meaningful. From tropical vibes to celestial dreams, here are the top five destination wedding themes set to trend in 2025.

1. The Tropical Paradise Affair

When it comes to destination weddings, tropical themes remain an evergreen favorite. Imagine exchanging vows under a canopy of palm trees with the sound of waves serenading your special moment.

Decor Inspiration

The key to nailing a tropical theme is vibrant, nature-inspired décor:

Color Palette: Bright shades of coral, turquoise, and sunny yellow.

Elements: Seashells, driftwood, and woven textures for a beachside vibe.

Floral Touches: Exotic blooms like hibiscus, orchids, and monstera leaves.

Venue Ideas

Tropical locales such as Goa, Andaman Islands, or Kerala are perfect for this theme. Whether it’s a beachside resort or a private island setup, the natural surroundings amplify the charm of this theme.

Why It’s Trending

Couples are leaning towards relaxed, fun, and visually stunning settings that feel like a vacation for everyone. The Tropical Paradise theme effortlessly balances luxury with laid-back vibes.

2. Royal Palace Glamour

For those who dream of grandeur, the Royal Palace theme is all about channeling your inner royalty. This trend takes inspiration from heritage properties and the rich cultural traditions of India.

Decor Inspiration

Opulent setups, intricate details, and timeless elegance define this theme:

Color Palette: Jewel tones like emerald green, ruby red, and gold.

Elements: Crystal chandeliers, ornate mirrors, and intricate carvings.

Floral Arrangements: Traditional marigolds or roses paired with gold-accented vases.

Venue Ideas

Locations like Udaipur, Jaipur, and Jodhpur offer stunning palaces and forts as backdrops. Venues like Rambagh Palace or Umaid Bhawan Palace make for majestic wedding settings.

Why It’s Trending

Royal-themed weddings provide a fairytale-like experience and a chance to honor India’s rich heritage. They are especially popular among couples seeking larger-than-life celebrations.

3. Rustic Vintage Weddings

The rustic vintage theme is perfect for couples who want an earthy, free-spirited celebration with a touch of elegance.

Decor Inspiration

Boho weddings are all about rustic charm with a modern twist:

Color Palette: Neutral tones like beige, blush, and terracotta with pops of dusty blue.

Elements: Pampas grass, macrame backdrops, and woven rugs.

Lighting: Edison bulbs and soft candlelight for a cozy atmosphere.

Venue Ideas

Outdoor venues like lush gardens, vineyards, or even desert settings create the perfect canvas for this theme. Think Rajasthan’s sand dunes or Kerala’s hill stations.

Why It’s Trending

Vintage weddings are intimate, stylish, and perfect for couples who prioritize personal touches and a connection with nature.

4. Eco-Friendly Weddings

Sustainability is no longer a trend; it’s a lifestyle. Couples in 2025 are opting for eco-friendly weddings that don’t compromise on luxury.

Decor Inspiration

Sustainable weddings focus on minimizing waste while maximizing style:

Materials: Recycled paper invites, bamboo decor, and reusable cutlery.

Floral Arrangements: Potted plants or dried flowers instead of cut blooms.

Lighting: Solar-powered or energy-efficient LED lights.

Venue Ideas

Eco-conscious venues like Kerala’s green resorts or Goa’s sustainable retreats are ideal for this theme. Outdoor locations also reduce the need for artificial lighting and heating.

Why It’s Trending

Eco-friendly weddings combine the best of both worlds: celebrating love responsibly while maintaining an elegant aesthetic. This theme resonates with environmentally conscious couples.

5. Ethereal Night Weddings

For those who dream of magic under the stars, the ethereal-themed wedding is a perfect choice.

Decor Inspiration

This theme transforms your venue into a night sky wonderland:

Color Palette: Midnight blue, black, silver, and hints of gold.

Elements: Fairy lights, lanterns, and metallic accents to mimic constellations.

Floral Touches: Dark-toned blooms like anemones, dahlias, and eucalyptus.

Venue Ideas

Outdoor venues with minimal light pollution, like hill stations or beachside resorts, enhance the celestial theme. Rooftop settings with panoramic views are also excellent options.

Why It’s Trending

The theme combines elegance and whimsy, offering couples a dreamlike setting to say “I do.”

A wedding theme does more than enhance your decor—it sets the mood and reflects your personality as a couple. Whether you’re drawn to the tropical charm, royal opulence, rustic vibes, eco-conscious luxury, or celestial magic, 2025 has a theme for every couple.

At Lavishwed, we specialize in bringing these trends to life. From conceptualization to flawless execution, we ensure your dream wedding becomes a reality. Let us help you craft an unforgettable celebration that’s uniquely yours!

[moon-alight]

Hi! Could you do bf Yuma reaction to reader getting bombarded with paparazzi?

Sorry that I'm writing this so late. I try my best to be somewhat active but I worked 10 hours yesterday so I'm spent but I'll do it anyways. I made it a bit different. Instead of paparazzi it's more like bullies.

Masterlist

Diamonds - &Team Yuma

Synopsis: Your relationship with Yuma is suddenly revealed to the public and you're bombarded with bullies in school. (This story takes place in South Korea by the way, just so you know)

Warnings: fluff, stalking, slight violence, swearing, name calling, use of the word 'slut', mentions of suicide, very mean words,

Word Count: 1421

Aimi means love, beauty. It's apparently a Japanese nickname. :)

1 year. That's how long it took for people to find out who you are. It's how long it took for your name to be trending on twitter and it's how long it took for people to bash you.

1 year ago, Yuma confessed his feelings to you. Of course, you were over the moon and quickly jumped into the relationship. You've supported him through everything and now you're here.

Your phone blew up the moment you woke up. Notifications from apps and texts from friends and family got you to realize what had happened yesterday.

~~~

It's your one year anniversary. Yuma had told you he would pick you up at 7 which he did. . . 7.30. Luckily you love him so you accept the fact that he was thirty minutes late.

"I'm so sorry, I wanted to leave sooner but they wouldn't let me. I had to finish dance practice first." He looks down when he tells you this. You smile and roll your eyes.

"It's good, I understand." You reply, nicely. Yuma stares at you in disbelief.

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is."

"Just be mad at me." Yuma suddenly says. You look at him with a grin on your face.

"What?" You ask, trying not to laugh.

"Yell at me for being late. Make me feel bad about it."

"Yuma, I understand."

"Oh no, you called me Yuma. I must've done something really bad." There he is. Your always dramatic boyfriend. You chuckle and kiss his cheek. He smirks. "Come on, Aimi, let's get going." He takes your hand and drags you down the street.

"So, what exactly are we going to do?" You ask, curiously. All Yuma had said in his text yesterday was 'be cute, as always and I'll do the rest' but it's not enough for you. You desperately wanted to know.

"That's for me to know and for you to guess." Yuma replies, cheekily. You sigh, accepting the fact that you're not going to get anything out of him.

After walking for 10 minutes, you arrive at the Han River. The sun is already going down slowly which gives a beautiful view of the now red-orangy water.

"I know it's cheesy but I didn't know what else to do, so, uh. . . here we are." You stop next to a big tree. Yuma lets go of your hand and walks over. He presses a small button and suddenly the tree lights up.

Hundreds of fairy lights decorate the branches and stump of the tree. You're staring at the yellowish lights in pure amazement. Yuma puts down the picnic blanket and pulls you down carefully until you're sitting underneath the canopy of the tree.

"Oh this was worth waiting 30 minutes." You breathe out. Yuma laughs next to you and pushes a plate with strawberries towards you. "How did you do all of this?" Yuma looks down, hiding the slight blush of embarrassment. He rubs the back of his neck with one hand.

"The guys helped a little." Yuma admits. "Nicholas climbed the tree so we could hang the fairy lights in them and Fuma found the strawberries in a small shop downtown." You smile and take one of those beautiful red fruits. You take a bite and giggle.

"Delicious." Yuma smiles at you. "Thank you for all this."

"Thank you for putting up with me for a year straight." You both laugh at his comment. "I love you, Aimi."

"I love you too."

~~~

And apparently someone had spotted you two, recognized Yuma and taken pictures from the entire night. They were posted online when you were asleep and now you have to face the consequences.

The hardest part was leaving your house. Luckily your address wasn't spoiled yet, that would've been hell.

You walk through the city on your way to school. Your heart beats in your chest rapidly. Maybe none of your classmates have twitter or maybe they don't follow kpop/jpop news as much.

Unfortunately for you, they do. When you walk through the gates, you feel the stares from everyone. You keep your head low and try to block out everything but it's getting hard when you feel like you're drowning.

As long as they only stare. . . it's fine--

"Hey J-slut!" Oh fuck. "Desperately wants to get famous so she just fucks around idols. Pathetic!" You try to ignore them but the laughs of the group and more voices make your head spiral.

"I bet she's done it with the entire group at this point!"

"She isn't even pretty!"

"You would say nobody wants a pathetic little whore like that in their lives!"

ENOUGH!

You rush inside, past all the groups of people glaring at you and hide yourself in the bathroom. You can't stop the tears from falling down your cheeks. You grab your phone out of your pocket and open WhatsApp.

You hesitate.

What if they were right? What if Yuma never wants to speak to you again now? Surely his career is more important than you, right? He's had this dream for forever and you ruin it for him in one night.

Maybe you can still fix it. Break up with him and have it be filmed and put on social media so everyone knows he's single again. Maybe that would safe his idol-career so he can continue living his dream.

Your phone rings in your hand, you look down at the caller ID and sigh. 'My love'. You decline and put your phone on silent. Maybe it will be better if you just ignore him.

After three hours of class, you have lunch break. You would usually sit with a bunch of people but they haven't even looked in your direction the whole day so you decide against it and sit alone.

"Why do you feel so entitled, huh?" A group of girls stand in front of you. You look down, continuing to poke your food. The girl scoffs. "You're ugly, sad, alone and nobody likes you. I bet that boyfriend of yours only uses your body." She leans closer. "Your pathetic fat body."

You want to reply. You really do. Come up with some amazing thing that would make her the embarrassed one but you can't. Fear stops you from doing so.

"Why don't you do everyone a favour and just kill yourself?" Tears bottle up in your eyes even if you try so hard to get rid of them.

"Ow, is the little bitch gonna cry?" Another girl asks with fake sympathy. "If you died, nobody would give a fuck. The world might even be a better place without you in it."

You stand up, showing defeat towards everyone in the cafeteria and run outside.

For the second time today, you find yourself in the school's bathroom. For the second time, you let tears block your vision but for the first time, you accept it.

What did you do?

Everyone hates you, so you must've done something, right? What did you do? Surely they can't hate you for falling in love with someone, right? Right?

You unlock your phone and see, to your surprise, 20 missed calls from Yuma and 43 text messages. Not to mention, even the other guys have tried to call and text multiple times. Why?

If nobody cares about you. . . why would they call?

You put your phone back in your pocket and stand up. Maybe skipping the last three hours isn't that bad of an idea. You take your bag off the floor and walk outside the school, all the way until you're home.

When you're safe in the comfort of your home, you listen to the voicemail Yuma had left.

"Hey, bug. I know you must be feeling terrible right now. I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to stop the article from releasing. I hope you're okay. I love you, remember that, yeah?"

You can't believe his words. Not after what those girls said sounded so real. But, another voicemail hits your inbox. . . this time from EJ.

"Hey, y/n. I know you're in school right now and I'm not trying to get you in trouble or anything but I wanted to check up on you. We're friends, you know. We all care about you. Sure, not as much as Yuma does, but we like you. You joined the family a year ago and we wouldn't change that for anything.

Hybe is currently getting all those terrible articles offline but I imagine the damage has already been done. I'm so sorry this happened. If you ever need a friend to talk to who would understand you. . . well, you have 8 who would listen to you in a heartbeat.

Just wanted to let you know that you're not alone. Also, Yuma has been a bit out of it today. Maybe it would be good to answer his calls. I'm sure you both would feel better. Much love, EJ."

You can't help but smile at this message. He's right. You're not alone. The moment your phone rings again for the umpteenth time today, you pick up.

"Hello?" Silence. "Helloo?" More silence. "Yuma, are you there?"

"I THOUGHT YOU WOULD NEVER PICK UP!!!" You quickly hold the phone away from your ear at his scream. "I though someone kidnapped and killed you or something. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." You lie. Again silence. "Yuma?" A knock on your door makes you frown. You stand up and walk over. You open the door and see Yuma stand there with a small smile on his face. You hang up the phone and stare at him.

"You're not fine." He opens his arms and without hesitation, you step into his embrace. He rubs up and down your back soothingly. His warmth calms you down. "I'm sorry I couldn't do anything."

"It's fine, whatever."

"You're home which means you skipped school." Yuma replies, pulling away from the hug. "You never skip school."

"Yeah well. . . I have never been called a whore before." Yuma's smile drops. He looks at you with sad eyes.

"They did?" You nod.

"It's not even the worst thing they've said."

"Don't listen to them, whatever they have said. . . it's not true. You are the most wonderful person. You were always there for me and the one time I should've been there for you, I wasn't."

"Maybe we should break up."

"I mean--- WHAT?!"

"I don't want to be in the way of your dreams, Yuma. Maybe we're not meant to be together." You reason. "Your dreams are more important than a relationship, right?"

"That's funny, lately I have only been dreaming about you." Your lips part in a little gasp. "Guess you're my dream now."

"Yuma--"

"I love you and I will fight for this." He says, pointing between you and him. "They will have to kill me if they want to take me away from you."

"What do I do about those bullies?" You ask, insecurely.

"Bug, you might not realize but. . ." He takes your hand and takes you towards the window in your house where the sun shines inside. The rays of sunshine hits your skin, making it look like you glow. "Your skin is made of diamond and diamonds are unbreakable." He traces the sunshine on your arm.

"Surely a bunch of words can't break through the diamonds on your skin, right?" You smile at him and shake your head. "That's my girl."