#Grape Growing Define

[shotorozu]

(gender neutral reader, reader went to middle school with bakugou and midoriya, reader can make chocolate, and reader bent their back for the making of said chocolate, not that much beta read /derogatory, i got carried away 😭)

bakugou katsuki is a feared, but admired guy— especially during valentines day.

it’s interesting.. when he was a younger boy— he’d take gifts from admirers (usually girl classmates or other kids that frequent the park he goes to) with widened eyes and a scoff, snatching the gift away from them with quick hands, and mumbling how valentines day is stupid— that it’s lame and he doesn’t understand it.

but refusing gifts are rude, he’d remember his mom say, after he refused to accept something his dad made for him— and back then, he’d listen to his mom like his life depended on it. so, for a year or two— he’d take gifts.

but as the blond boy manifested a quirk and became just a bit older— he started ignoring her words altogether, having had grown out of the “listening to mom all the time is cool” phase.

his features started defining themselves, and he was starting to become taller. before he knew it— he had a sudden wave of admirers crashing down at him almost everyday of the year.

and it almost excluding valentines day.

because he’d sneer at anyone willing to offer their affection in the form of sweetened confectionary, and resorted to blowing up love letters into smithereens.

if his personality wasn’t obvious enough, this was precisely the reason why his admire-from-afar to get-personal ratio was obviously imbalanced.

of course, no one really learns— even as he grows older, enters UA for highschool, and retains his personality even after some realizations, because bakugou katsuki is quite beautiful.

so there’s at least a handful of admirers that are willing to risk it all— even if it meant some form of humilation or intimidation.

but not you.

you’ve prepared a little something for everyone in your class— yes, even the forbidden grape haired classmate and him. your hands practically hurt from stirring, and you feel like if you’d even bend up slightly, you’d hear multiple cracks amass from your back.

but you think it’s all worth it. your work tastes good, looks good and cute, and you’re certain everyone would enjoy how their chocolates varied in flavor, even if the change was just slightly noticeable.

you hand out chocolates to each respective person as soon as they pop into the common room.

the girls of your class perk up in interest and clamor around you— smiles adorning their faces as they line up to receive their chocolates.

mina, kyouka and hagakure compare their flavors together, momo asks you how you did it, because she’s “bad at cooking”

ochako’s already munching on the sweets, when he starts thanking you. finally, tsuyu just looks at you silently, and gives you a warm side hug.

midoriya goes beet red when he realizes that you personally gave everyone a slightly different flavor (you don’t know how he blushed over that, but you find it endearing.) todoroki, tokoyami, shoji, sato, koda, and ojiro look a little confused and dazed at first when you give them your chocolates, but they end up accepting it with gratitude.

kirishima, iida, kaminari, sero, aoyama and mineta accept your chocolates rather quickly, wasting no time in giving their thanks (excluding mineta— who just teased you about liking him, which was and will never be the case)

but through it all, you managed to avoid eye contact with your snarky blond childhood friend and classmate— who was silently trailing you with crimson eyes the entire time.

for a moment you think he’s mad at you for not giving anything, which you’d understand— if it weren’t for the fact that he is valentines day’s #1 public enemy. but you exchange this thought for something else.

he must think that you’re strange for making the class chocolate, and you wouldn’t blame him. usually, it’d be sato making stuff like this. not to mention, you heard him remark rather loudly about the kitchen smelling strongly of chocolate, in his usual bakugou tone.

you made the right choice not to give him the chocolates you made, you think to yourself. not to mention, how amidst it all, you might’ve showed a slight bias to his chocolate’s design— and revealing your crush on him on today of all days is less than ideal.

and you think nothing of his behavior—

“s’ i’ve got nothing, huh?”

he jumpscares you when you close your locker, and he lets out a snort when your shoulders rise in reflection of your surprise.

your gaze trails to his locker, which cannot close due to a lump of chocolate and letters preventing it from properly doing so. “you’ve got plenty, though. i don’t want to give you diabetes or anything.”

(which was half true because wow the amount of chcolate—)

“you gave all of them chocolate. why’da do that?”

“because.. it’s valentines day..?” you start walking away from your locker— and to which he follows all the way. you try not to think much of the action

“but what makes you think that i shouldn’t get any.”

normally, one would state that as a question, but the way he said it, the tone of his voice— it wasn’t said like one.

“i know you, kachaan,” you reason while making use of his childhood nickname, which gains an eye twitch from the blond. “if i was told to count how many letters you’ve burned and chocolates you either gave away or thrown out, i wouldn’t have enough fingers on my hands.”

“‘cause all of them were fuckin’ store bought?”

“and what if they weren’t?”

“then they were horrendous.” he states, matter of a fact. then, his eyes narrow, “and it’s not like you’re giving me a damned letter.”

you feel your cheeks heat up. that’s not the case— but the idea of writing him a love letter has your mind going into haywire.

“it’s not. but you’ve never showed interest in this sorta thing in a long time.”

“what— eating chocolates?”

“pretty much.”

he blinks, unamused. “you can be such a dumbass sometimes. can’t take the fucking hint.”

you’re pretty sure he meant to say that quietly, but he didn’t. you’re unphased at this point.

but you don’t get what he means, so you try to defend yourself. “but—” your words come to a sudden halt, as you realize the uselessness.

“wait, why am i trying to reason with you?— look, i actually did make something for you too. if i didn’t then that’d be such an asshole move of me to exclude you.”

“really. you’re not bullshittin’ me?”

“no.” you reply, firmly. “but you have to promise not to laugh. you can insult me, but laugh? no way.”

he raises an eyebrow.

then, you shift onto one leg and start looking for something in one of the front pockets of your bag. the search doesn’t take long, because you pull something out— medium sized chocolate in clear wrapping, with an orange bow tying it together.

it’s clearly slightly bigger than the rest of your classmates, and you hope he doesn’t notice.

he silently unwraps the chocolate, and gets eye to eye with your creation. it’s three pieces of chocolate shaped as explosions— the middle explosion being bigger than the other two. anyone who sniffed it could smell orange first, as the middle (biggest) piece has a swirl of orange and milk chocolate, the left piece is simply milk chocolate, and the right piece is white chocolate.

he takes the middle one and bites half of it, and chews. you observe, like he’s a top chef reviewing your latest work, and when he finishes, he says—

“not bad,” he remarks, flashing that heart racing smile. “wanna taste?”

you gulp, stupefied by his offer. words don’t have real meanings for a second. “huh?”

then, he’s reaching up and popping the other half into your mouth, thumb pressing against your lips.

you almost choke— and it wasn’t from the chocolate. you bite, taste the flavor, the mouth watering taste of orange and chocolate swarming your mouth.

to twist the knife into the wound— he cups your face and presses a deep, but quick kiss against your lips. his soft lips linger onto yours, and this intensifies what you can already taste.

and then, as quick as he kissed you, he pulls back— gaze still lingering on your lips.

a toothy grin starts to grow on his lips, and he pats your shoulder— beginning to create distance between you two by walking ahead.

“next time, give me the chocolates first, will ya? tastes fuckin’ good.”

you have a feeling he isn’t talking about the chocolate.

[thedansemacabres]

Introduction To Supporting Sustainable Agriculture For Witches and Pagans

[ID: An image of yellow grain stocks, soon to be harvested. The several stocks reach towards a blurred open sky, focusing the camera on he grains themselves. The leaves of the grains are green and the cereals are exposed].

PAGANISM AND WITCHCRAFT ARE MOVEMENTS WITHIN A SELF-DESTRUCTIVE CAPITALIST SOCIETY. As the world becomes more aware of the importance of sustainability, so does the duty of humanity to uphold the idea of the steward, stemming from various indigenous worldviews, in the modern era. I make this small introduction as a viticulturist working towards organic and environmentally friendly grape production. I also do work on a food farm, as a second job—a regenerative farm, so I suppose that is my qualifications. Sustainable—or rather regenerative agriculture—grows in recognition. And as paganism and witchcraft continue to blossom, learning and supporting sustainability is naturally a path for us to take. I will say that this is influenced by I living in the USA, however, there are thousands of groups across the world for sustainable agriculture, of which tend to be easy to research.

So let us unite in caring for the world together, and here is an introduction to supporting sustainable/regenerative agriculture. 

A QUICK BRIEF ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE 

Sustainable agriculture, in truth, is a movement to practise agriculture as it has been done for thousands of years—this time, with more innovation from science and microbiology especially. The legal definition in the USA of sustainable agriculture is: 

The term ”sustainable agriculture” (U.S. Code Title 7, Section 3103) means an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will over the long-term:

A more common man’s definition would be farming in a way that provides society’s food and textile needs without overuse of natural resources, artificial supplements and pest controls, without compromising the future generation’s needs and ability to produce resources. The agriculture industry has one of the largest and most detrimental impacts on the environment, and sustainable agriculture is the alternative movement to it. 

Sustainable agriculture also has the perk of being physically better for you—the nutrient quality of crops in the USA has dropped by 47%, and the majority of our food goes to waste. Imagine if it was composted and reused? Or even better—we buy only what we need. We as pagans and witches can help change this. 

BUYING ORGANIC (IT REALLY WORKS)

The first step is buying organic. While cliche, it does work: organic operations have certain rules to abide by, which excludes environmentally dangerous chemicals—many of which, such as DDT, which causes ecological genocide and death to people. Organic operations have to use natural ways of fertilising, such as compost, which to many of us—such as myself—revere the cycle of life, rot, and death. Organic standards do vary depending on the country, but the key idea is farming without artificial fertilisers, using organic seeds, supplementing with animal manure, fertility managed through management practices, etc. 

However, organic does have its flaws. Certified organic costs many, of which many small farmers cannot afford. The nutrient quality of organic food, while tending to be better, is still poor compared to regeneratively grown crops. Furthermore, the process to become certified organic is often gruelling—you can practise completely organically, but if you are not certified, it is not organic. Which, while a quality control insurance, is both a bonus and a hurdle. 

JOINING A CSA

Moving from organic is joining a CSA (“Community supported agriculture”). The USDA defines far better than I could: 

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), one type of direct marketing, consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community’s farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production.

By purchasing a farm share, you receive food from the farm for the agreed upon production year. I personally enjoy CSAs for the relational aspect—choosing a CSA is about having a relationship, not only with the farmer(s), but also the land you receive food from. I volunteer for my CSA and sometimes I get extra cash from it—partaking in the act of caring for the land. Joining a CSA also means taking your precious capital away from the larger food industry and directly supporting growers—and CSAs typically practise sustainable and/or regenerative agriculture. 

CSAs are also found all over the world and many can deliver their products to food deserts and other areas with limited agricultural access. I volunteer from time to time for a food bank that does exactly that with the produce I helped grow on the vegetable farm I work for. 

FARM MARKETS AND STALLS 

Another way of personally connecting to sustainable agriculture is entering the realm of the farm stall. The farmer’s market is one of my personal favourite experiences—people buzzing about searching for ingredients, smiles as farmers sell crops and products such as honey or baked goods, etc. The personal connection stretches into the earth, and into the past it buries—as I purchase my apples from the stall, I cannot help but see a thousand lives unfold. People have been doing this for thousands of years and here I stand, doing it all over again. 

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Farmers’ markets are dependent on your local area, yet in most you can still develop personal community connections. Paganism often stresses community as an ideal and a state of life. And witchcraft often stresses a connection to the soil. What better place, then, is purchasing the products from the locals who commune with the land? 

VOLUNTEERING 

If you are able to, I absolutely recommend volunteering. I have worked with aquaponic systems, food banks, farms, cider-making companies, soil conservation groups, etc. There is so much opportunity—and perhaps employment—in these fields. The knowledge I have gained has been wonderful. As one example, I learned that fertilisers reduce carbon sequestration as plants absorb carbon to help with nutrient intake. If they have all their nutrients ready, they do not need to work to obtain carbon to help absorb it. This does not even get into the symbiotic relationship fungi have with roots, or the world of hyphae. Volunteering provides community and connection. Actions and words change the world, and the world grows ever better with help—including how much or how little you may provide. It also makes a wonderful devotional activity. 

RESOURCING FOOD AND COOKING 

Buying from farmers is not always easy, however. Produce often has to be processed, requiring labour and work with some crops such as carrots. Other times, it is a hard effort to cook and many of us—such as myself—often have very limited energy. There are solutions to this, thankfully:

Many farmers can and will process foods. Some even do canning, which can be good to stock up on food and lessen the energy inputs. 

Value-added products: farms also try to avoid waste, and these products often become dried snacks if fruit, frozen, etc. 

Asking farmers if they would be open to accommodating this. Chances are, they would! The farmer I purchase my CSA share from certainly does. 

Going to farmers markets instead of buying a CSA, aligning with your energy levels. 

And if any of your purchased goods are going unused, you can always freeze them. 

DEMETER, CERES, VEIA, ETC: THE FORGOTTEN AGRICULTURE GODS

Agricultural gods are often neglected. Even gods presiding over agriculture often do not have those aspects venerated—Dionysos is a god of viticulture and Apollon a god of cattle. While I myself love Dionysos as a party and wine god, the core of him remains firmly in the vineyards and fields, branching into the expanses of the wild. I find him far more in the curling vines as I prune them than in the simple delights of the wine I ferment. Even more obscure gods, such as Veia, the Etruscan goddess of agriculture, are seldom known.

Persephone receives the worst of this: I enjoy her too as a dread queen, and people do acknowledge her as Kore, but she is far more popular as the queen of the underworld instead of the dear daughter of Demeter. I do understand this, though—I did not feel the might of Demeter and Persephone until I began to move soil with my own hands. A complete difference to the ancient world, where the Eleusinian mysteries appealed to thousands. Times change, and while some things should be left to the past, our link to these gods have been severed. After all, how many of us reading know where our food comes from? I did not until I began to purchase from the land I grew to know personally. The grocery store has become a land of tearing us from the land, instead of the food hub it should be.

Yet, while paganism forgets agriculture gods, they have not forgotten us. The new world of farming is more conductive and welcoming than ever. I find that while older, bigoted people exist, the majority of new farmers tend to be LGBT+. My own boss is trans and aro, and I myself am transgender and gay. The other young farmers I know are some flavour of LGBT+, or mixed/poc. There’s a growing movement for Black farmers, elaborated in a lovely text called We Are Each Other’s Harvest. 

Indigenous farming is also growing and I absolutely recommend buying from indigenous farmers. At this point, I consider Demeter to be a patron of LGBT+ people in this regard—she gives an escape to farmers such as myself. Bigotry is far from my mind under her tender care, as divine Helios shines above and Okeanos’ daughters bring fresh water to the crops. Paganism is also more commonly accepted—I find that farmers find out that I am pagan and tell me to do rituals for their crops instead of reacting poorly. Or they’re pagan themselves; a farmer I know turned out to be Wiccan and uses the wheel of the year to keep track of production. 

Incorporating these divinities—or concepts surrounding them—into our crafts and altars is the spiritual step towards better agriculture. Holy Demeter continues to guide me, even before I knew it. 

WANT CHANGE? DO IT YOURSELF! 

If you want change in the world, you have to act. And if you wish for better agriculture, there is always the chance to do it yourself. Sustainable agriculture is often far more accessible than people think: like witchcraft and divination, it is a practice. Homesteading is often appealing to many of us, including myself, and there are plenty of resources to begin. There are even grants to help one improve their home to be more sustainable, i.e. solar panels. Gardening is another, smaller option. Many of us find that plants we grow and nourish are far more potentant in craft, and more receptive to magical workings. 

Caring for plants is fundamental to our natures and there are a thousand ways to delve into it. I personally have joined conservation groups, my local soil conservation group, work with the NRCs in the USA, and more. The path to fully reconnecting to nature and agriculture is personal—united in a common cause to fight for this beautiful world. To immerse yourself in sustainable agriculture, I honestly recommend researching and finding your own path. Mine lies in soil and rot, grapevines and fruit trees. Others do vegetables and cereal grains, or perhaps join unions and legislators. Everyone has a share in the beauty of life, our lives stemming from the land’s gentle sprouts. 

Questions and or help may be given through my ask box on tumblr—if there is a way I can help, let me know. My knowledge is invaluable I believe, as I continue to learn and grow in the grey-clothed arms of Demeter, Dionysos, and Kore. 

FURTHER READING:

Baszile, N. (2021). We are each other’s harvest. HarperCollins.

Hatley, J. (2016). Robin Wall Kimmerer. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teachings of plants. Environmental Philosophy, 13(1), 143–145. https://doi.org/10.5840/envirophil201613137

Regenerative Agriculture 101. (2021, November 29). https://www.nrdc.org/stories/regenerative-agriculture-101#what-is

And in truth, far more than I could count. 

References

Community Supported Agriculture | National Agricultural Library. (n.d.). https://www.nal.usda.gov/farms-and-agricultural-production-systems/community-supported-agriculture

Navazio, J. (2012). The Organic seed Grower: A Farmer’s Guide to Vegetable Seed Production. Chelsea Green Publishing.

Plaster, E. (2008). Soil Science and Management. Cengage Learning.

Sheaffer, C. C., & Moncada, K. M. (2012). Introduction to agronomy: food, crops, and environment. Cengage Learning.

Sheldrake, M. (2020). Entangled life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures. Random House.

Sustainable Agriculture | National Agricultural Library. (n.d.). https://www.nal.usda.gov/farms-and-agricultural-production-systems/sustainable-agriculture

[leejenowrld]

could you write a little something about mfal yn during her pregnancy 💫(if ur comfortable ofc)

word count 1.5k

genre smut

synopsis just a heavily pregnant yn giving jeno a sexy strip tease and lap dance on his birthday, it’s their tradition

the room is softly lit by twinkling fairy lights strung across the ceiling, casting a warm and intimate glow. a few candles flicker on the bedside table, adding to the cozy ambiance. streamers in shades of blue and silver hang from the walls, while colorful balloons float around, bouncing gently with each movement.

it’s jeno’s birthday, and every year without fail, you give him a special treat: a strip tease and a lap dance. this year is no different, except for one significant detail—you’re heavily pregnant at 8 months, carrying his baby.

you've set up a small table in the corner, adorned with a delicious fruit platter featuring juicy strawberries, slices of watermelon, and ripe grapes. a bowl of whipped cream sits beside it, ready to add a touch of indulgence to the festivities.

for your attire, you've chosen something comfy but still sexy: one of jeno's oversized shirts that clings to your curves in all the right places. paired with lace panties and a supportive bra, you feel confident and alluring, despite being heavily pregnant.

in the background, soft music plays, setting the mood for the evening ahead. jeno sits on the edge of the bed, shirtless, his body glistening in the soft light. his abs ripple with every breath, sculpted and defined, drawing your gaze irresistibly. his thighs are thick and muscular, the veins in his arms prominent as he watches you with hunger in his eyes. his boxers are tight, barely containing the bulge that pokes through, a clear sign of how hard he is before you started the dance.

your birthday boy, sits eagerly, his eyes lighting up with anticipation as he waits for your performance. his breath catches in his throat as you enter the room, your silhouette illuminated by the soft glow of the candles.

as you start to sway your hips to the music, jeno can’t contain his excitement, his hand instinctively moving to rub the growing bulge in his pants. a low moan escapes his lips, betraying his arousal at the sight of you.

“you’re not allowed to touch,” you pout playfully, crossing your arms in mock disapproval as jeno breaks one of the rules of your game.

“yeah, i’m not allowed to touch you,” he agrees breathlessly, his voice thick with desire, “but i’m allowed to touch myself because you’re so fucking sexy…fuck, baby.”

his hand moves more urgently now, stroking himself through his pants as he watches you with rapt attention. the sight of you unbuttoning your shirt sends a shiver of anticipation down his spine, and he can’t help but groan as you reveal more of your tantalizing curves.

“this is the best birthday gift ever,” he murmurs, his voice a mixture of awe and lust as he drinks in the sight of you, his eyes darkening with desire.

as you sway your hips seductively, the curves of your heavily pregnant body accentuated by the soft glow of the dimly lit room, jeno's eyes darken with desire. he sits on the edge of the bed, his gaze raking over you hungrily, his hands twitching with the urge to touch.

"god, you look incredible," he breathes, his voice husky with longing as he watches you move with a grace that belies your swollen belly. "i can't get enough of you, especially with that sexy bump."

“jeno,” you whisper, your voice barely audible over the pulsating rhythm of the music, “i don’t feel sexy with this bump.”

his eyes darken with desire as he pulls you closer, his hands tracing the curves of your body with a hunger that sends shivers down your spine. “baby,” he breathes, his voice low and husky, “you’re sexier than ever.”

his lips brush against your ear, sending a jolt of electricity through you as he speaks. “this bump,” he murmurs, his hand caressing the swell of your stomach, “it’s a reminder of the love we’ve created together. and that, my love, is the sexiest thing in the world.”

you groan softly, the intensity of his touch igniting a fire within you as you melt into his embrace. his laughter is like music to your ears, a symphony of reassurance and love as he showers you with gentle kisses.

“i’ll always find you sexy,” he whispers against your skin, his breath hot against your neck as he pulls you closer. “no matter what changes, no matter what happens, you’ll always be the most beautiful woman in my eyes.”

and as you sink into his arms, the weight of your insecurities melting away, you know that with jeno by your side, you’ll always feel desired and cherished, no matter how your body may change.

you smile, feeling a surge of confidence as you continue your sensual dance, each movement eliciting a soft groan from jeno's lips. you reach up, trailing your fingers over the soft fabric of your lingerie, teasingly pulling at the straps as you slowly reveal more of your curves.

jeno's breath catches in his throat, his eyes following your every move with rapt attention. he reaches out tentatively, his fingers brushing against the swell of your belly before trailing lower, skimming over the smooth skin of your thighs.

"need to touch you" he moans, his voice a low whisper filled with need as he struggles to contain his desire. "i need to feel you."

nodding, you shiver as his hands roam over your body, exploring every curve and contour with a reverence that sends sparks of pleasure shooting through you. his touch is gentle yet possessive, his fingers leaving a trail of fire in their wake as they trace the outline of your swollen breasts and the curve of your hips.

"you're so beautiful," he murmurs, his voice thick with emotion as he pulls you closer, his lips brushing against the swell of your belly. "i love you so much, especially now, seeing you like this. you're the sexiest woman i've ever seen."

gasping, overwhelmed by the intensity of his words and the depth of his love for you, you continue your dance, your movements growing bolder and more uninhibited as you tease and tantalize jeno with every sway of your hips.

as the music reaches its crescendo, you straddle jeno's lap, feeling the hard length of him pressing against you as he groans in anticipation. you grind against him, feeling a surge of pleasure coursing through you as he wraps his arms around you, pulling you closer until there's no space left between you.

"god, i need you," he moans, his voice raw with desire as he buries his face in the crook of your neck, his breath hot against your skin. "i need to be inside you, now."

[yuriisclumsy]

𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐕𝐈 — 𝑪𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑭𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒔

𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐕 | 𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐕𝐈 (you are here) | 𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐕𝐈𝐈

Authors note: Hi, everyone! Been busy with other stuff. The project for Dawn Winery is finally progressing when we managed to fix the laser (yes, we did by one). I'll update once we have everything more defined. PS. I have a character sheet for Amalia! Will post it after the next Arc is published.

Volksfest

╰[A Volksfest (pronounced [ˈfɔlks. fɛst]; German for "people's festival") is a large event in German-speaking countries which usually combines a beer festival or wine festival and a traveling funfair.]

╰Volksfest begins in Autumn – August to November – because it is the season of harvest.

Adler’s Tavern

–Adler’s Tavern should be on top of your list to visit during this festival! With out-of-this-world music and local beers and wine, with famous staples from all around Teyvat.

–Many come here for the Autumn show in Adler’s Tavern. The show can vary between years. From shows about Autumn itself, to Archon related shows, but there is always one show that is always performed during the season: Grace and Humanity.

╰Grace and Humanity is a show depicting the love Her Grace has for humanity, blessing them with great harvest each year.

╰The tavern has a little theater that is always full during these festivals. When not in use, Adler will rent it out to producers to host their shows here. Safe to say, it always has something in its box at the entrance.

╰Majority of the shows are family friendly, especially Grace and Humanity.

–Overall, a 10/10 place to visit even outside of Volksfest.

Wine Festival

–This festival is done only during Volksfest because many people can gather and taste, and make, wine. This Festival is hosted by the farmers in the ‘countryside’ of the city.

╰There is grape juice for kids to not make them feel left out of this festivity.

Old Times Renewed

–As the name suggests, this festival is to bring back the old in the city. During this one week festival, people will dress with traditional clothes, or old styled clothes to commemorate the past.

–Foods that have a long history or are traditional will be served especially for this time.

╰If you have time, walk around the city and see which restaurant brings back a 100-year-old-recipe into the menu.

╰A lot of this restaurant only bring out this old recipes for this festival only, so don’t miss it!

Farmers Harvest

╰The Farmers Harvest is different from Volksfest because it actually involves farmers coming together to harvest their crops and selling them in their markets. Depending on what plant they are harvesting, the date for that Farmers Harvest will begin.

╰During this period, all vegetables and fruits in season will be on display in the Farmers Market.

╰Fruits and vegetables that don’t take long to grow will not be included in Farmers Harvest.

Grapes

–Begins in August and ends in November.

Pumpkins

–Begins August, ends in October

 Wheat Fields

–from July to September.

Parades

╰There are three main parades in the City that are celebrated each year.

Irene Parade

–This parade is done once a year on July 9, for the founding of the city.

–The main streets of the city are closed for this parade. It begins from the main entrance of the city, traversing through farmland, following the streets of the city, to eventually end at the entrance of the Castle.

╰At the end of the parade, a young boy who won the week long competition present a present to her Grace representing the gratitude of the people for forming the city.

Masquerade

–This parade welcomes winter with open arms. It is a dance with masks to show the winter it got nothing against them.

–There are many parties hosted throughout the city, but the most important one is the one hosted in the castle by her Grace.

╰If you received a letter for the dance, consider yourself luck! There is only a limited amount of letters sent out to random individuals. So make sure to accept before they give it away to another!

January, The Month of our Lady

╰The first month of the year is dedicated to celebrating and recognizing Her Grace alone. Many activities and parades happen during this time, such as Grace’s Mercy.

Grace’s Mercy

–Grace's Mercy is a parade done once at the end of January.

–It usually consists of tales, sayings, and shows regarding her Grace. But the main course is the dance done in her honor in the city’s square. Only one dancer is allowed to dance the traditional performance each year.

╰It is a great honor to perform this dance as it takes years of practice and experience, with even some of the best dancers unable to follow the routine with how difficult it is.

– If she is happy with the gift the people of the city will be blessed and protected until next year.

[Fun Facts]

–Diluc has made contact with Madam Adler after coming back from his revenge-emo-phase to manage the family business.

–Madam Adler and Master Crepus were good friends back when he was still alive.

╰They were penpals.

–The time of grapes to be harvested is when Volksfest begins and ends.

╰The time for wine making!

–The Irene Parade is a legal Holiday. No one works that day, even her Grace.

–There are actually two dances for Grace's Mercy, a male version and a female version, both are as complex as the other.

…: (╭ರ_⊙)

???: You don’t understand me?

???: What don’t you understand?

…: （ ゜ρ゜)ノ

???: Why am I wise?

???: I’ll take that as a compliment.

…: ＼(´◓Д◔`)／

???: Oh, you don’t understand why I act like I do.

???: I see…

???: The only thing I can say about that, is that I have many years on me.

???: It may be the reason I behave like I do.

???: Maybe you could learn a few things from me.

…: (ｷ▼⊿▼)ﾉ

???: Hehehe… Don’t make me laugh.

???: You mature?

???: What nonsense is that?

…: ಠ╭╮ಠ

???: Oh look at how cute your pout is…

…: 〴⋋_⋌〵

???: Okay, okay! I’ll stop teasing you.

𝚃𝚊𝚐𝚜: @udretlnea, @taurus-caeli. Re-blog or Comment if you want to get added into the Tag section for The Divine City: Arc. Back to The Divine City: Arc Master-List. Go to Story, a related series.

Back to Master-List

[apoemaday]

Love Song

by Denise Levertov

Your beauty, which I lost sight of once for a long time, is long, not symmetrical, and wears the earth colors that make me see it.

A long beauty, what is that? A song that can be sung over and over, long notes or long bones.

Love is a landscape the long mountains define but don’t shut off from the unseeable distance.

In fall, in fall, your trees stretch their long arms in sleeves of earth-red and

sky-yellow, a little lop-sided. I take long walks among them. The grapes that need frost to ripen them

are amber and grow deep in the hedge, half-concealed, the way your beauty grows in long tendrils half in darkness.

[kylestfs]

-> Jake had been shopping around for new clothes all day. He came across this store that sold tracksuits, hoodies etc. It wasn’t his type of clothes at all, since these type of clothes would make his jock body look goofy, but he for some reason, felt the need to enter the store. As he was checking out the clothes, he saw a simple sleeveless shirt that would show off his biceps perfectly. He decided to go to one of the dressing rooms to try it out. As he entered the cabin, he saw a pair of Rancid-smelling black Nike TNs along with a grey tracksuit & basic shirt. Instead of just giving it to a store employee in case the owner would come back to pick them up, he decided to try them on. He first got his previous black simple shirt off, and put on the grey, sweat smelling shirt. He wasn't expecting anything, considering the size of the shirt compared to the size of his body, and his expectations were right, the shirt didn't fit at all, he all of the sudden felt a weird sensation as if someone was touching and squeezing his torso, back & arms. He didn’t really think anything of it though. As his Pecs deflated, turning flat but defined. His nipples grew, becoming bigger and more sensitive. His Abs shrunk also, this time becoming just flat, with a black treasure trail growing, even though the trail soon wouldn’t be leading to any treasure. His arms shrunk too, and that’s when he started to realize, even though all he could see and imagine was foggy. His arms became average sized, with black hairs crawling up on his arms and to his armpits, which quickly filled with dark bushes of hair that started to emit a strong, unpleasant scent of sweat and teenage manly body odor. Still not realizing completely what was happening, he grabbed the tracksuit, and saw that a black, Calvin Klein underwear was hiding behind it. He quickly removed his own underwear and pants, showing his average sized butt & 7 inch soft penis and got the new one on. The underwear was again, way too tight, it was squeezing his penis and hips, but his body quickly adjusted to fit the underwear. His penis shrunk, from 9 inches hard to a really non impressive and ridiculous 4 inches hard, and an absolutely ridiculous 1 inch soft. People sometimes made fun of his penis for not bulging out of his grey sweatpants, but he was too dumb to react. He just usually sat quietly in shame. His balls became really small, like two smelly grapes that sat really closely to his small cock. His butt shrunk to fit his new frame and lost all of its muscles, but became more round and twink-ish. His butt now looked like two small beach balls, it was perfectly round and smooth although it was hairy and covered in small moles. His butt was all a top could ask for, fluffy, fat and cushiony. His two round and fat buns would now nicely stretch all of his tracksuits and bounce, giggle and vibrate whenever he would walk.

Soon his round butt would be horrible smelling too. A dank, reeking smell of eggy, manly fart coming out of his two round buns and his hole, which would also stink up the back of his underwears and tracksuits. Jake was on autopilot, like he wasn’t controlling his body. He now put on the tracksuit. His legs shrank but still stayed somewhat muscular. They were now covered with a coat of small, black hairs. His body was now at 75% of the transformation. His mind was changing, he now thought he had always been like this. He didn’t question his old clothes being in the changing room, as he put on his horrible-smelling Nikes to leave. His scentless size 15 feet shrunk to fit the shoes, but yet again ended up still being pretty big, as they stayed at a size 12, while keeping big, masculine monkey toes. His feet began to emit a really strong and unpleasant odor. It smelled like heavy french cheese & B.O. It was absolutely horrible, whenever he removed his shoes, he could just stink up a whole entire room with his cheese scent, but yet again Jake thought he had always had smelly feet, he didn’t particularly like having stinky feet, considering the amount of people that complained whenever he removed his Nikes, but at the same time he didn’t care. He was dumb. His face began to change. His hairless chin gaining a black coating of hair along with his upper lip gaining a huge mustache, his blonde hair shortening into a black simple short cut. His face becoming angular, his lips shrinking, teeth whitening. His breath started to smell bad too, like he hadn’t brushed his teeth this morning and still had his musky morning breath. Jake got out of the dressing room, getting a text from his boyfriend telling him to come over, because he wanted to smell his feet, and maybe do some other things. Jake was really excited, his hole was definitely in need, so he took the first bus that lead to his bf’s place and came over,

Sitting on the bus, Jake couldn’t stop farting, the eggy, masculine smell taking over the whole entire bus, which was thankfully almost empty. His big butt was emitting 3 farts every 30 seconds, it was uncontrollable. At least his round cheeks would be stinking enough for his boyfriend to inhale, he thought, even though he was embarrassed by his horrible smelling farts.

Here’s jake, the farting smelly gay scally lad.

[lizzybeth1986]

KLAW DAY 1: THROWBACK

For Throwback Day I thought I'd revisit an old favourite of mine, That Old Grape Juice. I initially wanted to write it as a four parter - two parts that would focus on Liam and Olivia's friendship, and two that would (at the time) focus on a budding romance between Drake and Kiara. For obvious reasons, the Driara chapters never happened...but I do love the two Liam and Olivia fics I managed to write 😁

Cabernet Franc is the first chapter of this short series. It is set in Lythikos in TRR1 Ch 7, shortly after Olivia mocks Savannah in front of Drake. I hc'd at the time that she spent some time showing Liam around after that.

Chardonnay shows the Lythikos Ball in Ch 8, from Liam's point of view rather than the MC's. It also explores Liam's reaction to the kiss Olivia forces on him at that Ball and how he handles that situation.

Under the cut I'll be going through the process and experience of writing this fic!

1. What about this character inspired you to write this piece?

Oh, so many things!

- Often the Liam and Olivia equation was analysed back then mostly from Olivia's perspective, leading many to believe he didn't care much for her just because he wasn't romantically inclined. I believe that is not at all the case. This fic was an exploration of Liam's perspective of their friendship, while waking up to these new feelings he has for my MC Esther.

- This was written before Liam's Gastrodiplomacy scene in TRR3, but goddamn did I already get the impression that this man had an extremely extensive palate 😋 The food and the wine were DEFINATE inspirations!!

- I really, really, for once...wanted the kiss Olivia pushed on him to be viewed as a violating act, not as some comic thing or some political move that canon wanted to portray!

2. What was your process like?

I have NO experience with wine or any alcohol. Nor have I ever had lobster in my life. So a lot of my time was spent reading up on wines, trying to figure out what would be perfect for which chapter...and around that I would build my story!!

There was a lot more space for me to freely pick and choose what I wanted for "Cabernet Franc". My only requirement was that there should be a mention of vanilla, one of Liam's favourite flavours! Based on that I was able to choose the cheese as well. Certain sequences I'd had fixed in my mind before I did the research - I knew there needed to be a joke about the bust of Luther Nevrakis, and that the conversations between Liam and Olivia needed interruptions from the real world - in the shape of Olivia's secretary Anne-Marie. I knew I wanted Anne-Marie to be both a reminder to Liam of the origins of Esther, the girl he is growing to love, as well as someone who has to put up with so much of Olivia's tantrums and moods. It was a matter of trying to weave all these together with Liam and Olivia's contrasting views of their relationship as a connecting factor!

For "Chardonnay" I needed to work under a few restrictions. Because it was set during the Lythikos Ball, I knew that canon had already established lobster bisque as the main meal. It was more a matter of which wine would pair well with that...and even better if it were a white wine to contrast with the red one of the previous chapter!! I also needed to keep in mind that Liam is seated far away from Esther and Hana's table, so he may not see much. The prominent sequences I had in mind were Liam's confrontation of Olivia after he realizes she's treated Esther and Hana badly, the Kiss™, and the ensuing conversation between Olivia and Liam. I needed to take the underlying tensions of the previous chapter and double them in this one!!

3. What part of creating this piece gave you the most joy?

I wouldn't say joy...there's nothing joyful about this particular sequence in Chardonnay. But it did give me some comfort to write Liam's reaction to Olivia's kiss and have him view it as something he didn't consent to and was deeply uncomfortable with. I also have Olivia realize immediately that she crossed a line and rush in to apologize to him. Though that conversation then gets derailed into a brief discussion about propriety and public image, I needed to establish first and foremost how violating Olivia's gesture was here from Liam's point of view.

4. Did you have a playlist to get you in the mood for creating?

Not for this one!! Just a lot of tabs on my browser for wines 😅😅

5. Are there differences in the way you make content for this character, and the way they are depicted in regular canon/fan content? If so, why?

Re: canon, yes, definitely. Canon and some of the fandom don't exactly center Liam a lot in his own story and he is often used to make a point about how irresistible the MC is. I like exploring him as his own character, viewing him not only in romantic but also platonic relationships. Some of my favourite fics to write for him are the friendship fics I've made between him and another lady of the court like Hana, Kiara or Olivia.

Many Liam stans have special and unique ways of looking at him, and I'd like to believe that my Liam has his own uniqueness among them too. I like to explore his cultural background and since a lot of my content also looks at race relations, that plays a part in the way I write Liam too.

[captain-astors]

if you’re still doing 003 reqs i’d LOVE to hear what you think of tatara! he’s one of my favorite characters so i’m biased </3

I am indeed still doing these, and still thriving. Here we go!

How I feel about this character: 

So cool looking, the white trench coat and mask combo is so stupid and pretentious but it works somehow, and the fact that it has emotional value actually leans to the silly side of it in my mind. I’m not sure why, I think I’ve just wired my own brain incorrectly enough to go “haha you have emotions.” But I’m going to tell that portion of my mind to be quiet for now, because he has an excellent design, though it could stand to have a few more defining traits, and he looks a bit like a pokemon gym leader.

Oh! Also, Hands down coolest Kakuja and I wish I’d seen it before the Kakuja polls, in which I so foolishly voted Uta or something, thinking there could be no better. How wrong I was, FLAMETHROWER KAKUJA. The mere combination of words invokes awe. I could roll it around in my mind for hours. Continuing the pokemon comments, it really feels like the evolution of his normal outfit because it is also pretentious and stupid but somehow works and it’s really cool anyways. I didn’t realize how… large it was supposed to be before I saw a screenshot of the anime’s portrayal. It always felt human-sized to me, perhaps a couple feet taller but no, it apparently has the dimensions of an 8-wheeler and I don’t know how to feel about that. He definitely doesn’t really have a grand plan he’s just chilling with these comparatively much worse people while doing nothing particularly remarkable himself, he’s mostly just a functional figurehead eating grapes and providing the method to the madness that is Aogori. Eto had plans but she’s not going to take the time to carefully direct them herself. It’s a thankless job but might as well have the pale beanstalk who was-a-mask-wearing–kakuja-before-it-was-cool do it. He doesn’t seem to mind, or at least he’s just going to be in the same bad mood regardless.

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: 

Just secondhand HouTata. I observe it. Live in antagonism, die alone, perfect. The golden standard. Neither of them are happy. Be like them, fictional couples. Also I like the thought of Tatara being awful at cuddling but the natural warmth makes it nice anyways. 

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: 

Ayato. “I don’t care about him at all, not worth more than the dust beneath my feet without about the same usefulness- oh they grow up so fast.” Go put what can only be described as your awkward nephew to bed, I don’t know why you thought it was a good idea to let this child into your terrorist organization Tartara, but congratulations he’s yours now.

My unpopular opinion about this character: 

I have few opinions on him and none of them are very strong so it’s difficult to find an unpopular one… his personality gives the profound impression of an undersalted pretzel stick standing upright inexplicably, and a shade of light green-grey. When lost I just spew a small piece of my constant stream of nonsensical, slightly unhinged simultaneous thought processes. 

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: 

More screentime. Yeah he existed to prove points about other characters but you’d think the debatable leader of Aogori would be a bit more fleshed out.

Favorite friendship for this character: 

Eto! Mutual respect, terrible decisions, fun times.

My crossover ship: 

Maybe Rem. Or Luida. These are just my end-of-ramble thoughts now. The song I listened to for most of this has several instances of very goatlike screams and they were never where I thought they were no matter how many times I looped it. 

[the-ravening]

You know I need to ask about Zemo/Torres, Secret Sugar Daddy because I also have a fic with a similar name and I want to know how close ours are to being the same fic because of FCCU chats 😂

We have definitely had this convo before, and our similarly named WIPs are 100% based on the same FCCU chats. If you ever get back into Zemo someday, I would totally love to write this fic together because it was a great idea.

For anyone else who’s wondering (and @zsparz you asked about this too, I’ll be answering yours next), this is a story where Torres is working with SBZ on missions, and picks up a daddy on a sugar baby app as his side hustle. He doesn’t know his sugar daddy’s real identity, and of course, it’s Zemo.

Here, have everything I've written, since it's not much.

Torres mentions to his daddy that his upcoming job is somewhere warm and the next gift he receives is a selection of skimpy speedos, which he makes good use of when their mission gives them the chance to turn one of Zemo’s fancy Mediterranean villas into their safehouse for a few weeks. The place is like something out of a travel guide, with its lush courtyards and outdoor patios and grape-trellis enclosed pool area. While they have a few days to kill, waiting for their contact and running remote surveillance, Zemo spends much of his time lounging poolside, wrapped in one of his many fine silk robes, fruity cocktail in hand, designer sunglasses perched on a slightly sunburned nose. He gives off the air of a man oblivious to his surroundings in his pampered state of leisure, but Torres gets the sense that behind his dark glasses, Zemo is watching him closely as he swims.

He should be weirded out by it. He should feel uneasy, left all alone out here to fend for himself against Sam and Bucky’s adopted terrorist. He knows what kind of man Zemo is, has read his files and details of all he’s done, has spent enough time with him on these missions to understand not to trust half the words that drip off his honeyed tongue. But the truth is, having the older man’s hungry gaze on him is a bit of a turn on. The intense midday sun glints on the water as he does lazy laps around the pool, and he can imagine how it must look rippling over the lean muscles of his back. As he pulls himself up onto the ledge after his swim, rivulets of it sluice down his chest, catching in the dips of his well-defined abs. He’s got a nice golden tan already, just from spending these first afternoons in the sun here, and he can feel Zemo’s eyes linger on him, running down his body appreciatively to settle at the telling bulge of his growing hard-on. It’s titillating having Zemo’s attention on him like this, and the tiny, form-fitting swim shorts don’t hide a thing. He lets Zemo get an eyeful as he slowly towels off, reveling in the thrill of being watched. Not one to miss an opportunity, he makes his way back to his room, still dripping wet and hard, to take some mirror selfies for his daddy in the ensuite bathroom. He’s well practiced at it by now, knows his best angles, turning just so into three-quarter profile to show off his tiny waist and clenching his muscles to get the desired definition. He squeezes a hand over his cock, gives it a few strokes over the speedo to get it nice and plump for the photo, and then snaps a few in quick succession, making sure to emphasize how well he fills out the tiny shorts. Choosing the best shot, admiring how the light and shadow plays over his golden skin, what a fucking meal he looks like with the thick head of his cock threatening to burst out from the waistband of his shorts sitting low on his hips, he sends it off to his daddy with a quick message consisting of a string of eggplant and sweat drop emojis. He doesn’t have to wait long before his phone dings with a reply. I knew you’d look delectable in them, his daddy writes. Stream for me now? Torres throws a glance out the window overlooking the pool to make sure Zemo’s still sitting out there on his lounger, and he is, right where Torres left him. Fortunately, the man seems completely engrossed with something on his phone, so Torres can be fairly certain he won’t be interrupted or overheard, can even make some extra noise while filming for his daddy. He starts up a video call and trails a hand down his chest, over the firm plane of his stomach, slowly inching it down to dip his fingers beneath the stretch of hot pink and neon green lycra where the hefty bulge of his cock is tenting the fabric…

And lest we forget, this is the Torres thirst trap selfie that inspired the fic:

[7serendipities]

My Bealtaine Season

A lot of witches and pagans use the term “Samhain Season” for the months of October and November (approximately - everyone seems to define it a bit differently) but I hardly ever see its counterpart - “Bealtaine Season”. There's an Otherworldly high tide at this time of the year as well, though it might be a little more difficult to sense, as there are upticks in activity in the physical world and many of our mundane lives as well - getting outside more and tidying gardens in preparation for planting, making summer vacation plans - as opposed to the slowing down of the autumn and winter.

But just as Samhain is the modern Irish month of November, kicked off with Oíche Shamhna, November Eve, so too is Bealtaine the modern Irish month of May, with Oíche Bealtaine the May Eve festival. Though this year where I live, the rising tide was already quite high by the dark moon on the night of April 19th-20th, and I expect it'll be another week or so before I actually feel the ebb.

It's a busy time of year, for me, because the beginning of the high tide often overlaps with another of my personal festival calendars, and there are a number of mundane anniversaries as well. My other personal festival calendar follows the movements of the star Spica, and this year, Spica’s heliacal seetting was approximately April 25th. So we went straight from the dark moon (20) into that (25), and then my wedding anniversary the following day (26), and then Oíche Bealtaine/Hexxenacht (30), Bealtaine/May Day (1), my child's birthday (3), the astrological cross quarter & full moon (5), my mother's birthday (7), mother's day (14), and the dark moon again (19), which is when I expect things to settle down, given my past experiences.

I wouldn't mind Otherworldly things settling down early, though - whether it's just that or also the astrological weather, I haven't been sleeping well, and when I've been asleep I've often been pulled off somewhere, doing magical work instead of getting uninterrupted rest. I'm exhausted.

Despite that exhaustion, though, I've been outside quite a bit, getting garden beds ready for the growing season, and getting my beautiful new crabapple tree settled in. While the cherry and plum blossoms usually follow the equinox around here, it seems like this crabapple will flower along with the azaleas and rhododendrons. Those tend to be at peak bloom just after our last hard frost, which is usually just about the first of May. And then a week later, it's time to start moving all my seedlings outside for good, so it's a busy time of year for a garden witch like myself as well! Weeding the herb bed and transplanting seedlings and planning out what else to plant where once the ground is warm enough to germinate seeds. This year I'd also like at least one more shrub to fill in a gap in front of the house.

I try to only put native plants directly into the ground, with my crocuses being the main exception. I didn't plant any of the daffodils or grape hyacinths or dandelions, though the pollinators seem to love them, so I let them stay. I try to proliferate what native plants show up, like the milkweed, the boneset, the wild blackberry, and the asters. the crabapple is a hybrid, not a wild type, but it's still close enough that the native pollinators and birds should get use of it. Pretty much all of my other herbs and veggies are in raised beds or pots, in an attempt to contain them. The containment hasn't worked well for the mint or the yarrow, but it turns out yarrow is native here as well, and the mint is a reasonable addition to my front lawn, no worse than the grass. I planted an eastern white cedar in the back yard last year, and also a passionflower vine, but I'm not sure if that actually made it through the winter. It's supposed to be a perennial but I've yet to see it this spring. If I had a bigger budget, I'd love a couple of serviceberry bushes and a redbud tree and a bunch of native irises and honeysuckles… but most of that will have to wait!

Being in good relationship with my land and local spirits is one of the foundations of my practice, and native landscaping is just one of the ways I lean into that. I've also been working on a ritual format similar to quarter calls, that petitions large nearby land spirits or waterway spirits that form natural borders in the landscape. I used it for a small ritual with a group of friends last weekend, and called upon the Susquehanna River, the Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac River, and the Appalachian Mountains. I know these landmarks, I know their spirits, and I have been developing relationships with them for years - it seems only fitting to give them offerings and to ask for their support as I do seasonal workings.

[apatheticfluorescence]

The mango I tried this time was very green despite being ripe. Which the internet says is a keit or kent. It's hard to figure out which one it is because both say small fibers but this one has defined fibers around the edges. Last time it had a pear or peach like quality but this one was very very tropical. It reminded me of kiwi, pineapple, a bit of starfruit, and most weirdly sour grapes.

So much so that I can't quite remember where I had these sour grapes. They had seeds and a thicker skin and a clearer gelatin like flesh. They mightve just been the seeded variety in the store but I also have a vague memory of grapes growing on a vine in the gravel alleyway behind my childhood home. I definitely remember a blueberry bush on the corner there, every once in a while I would eat them but I remember them usually being green. After a while of reflection no there were def grapes there and that is exactly the flavor I'm thinking of.

[spyridonya]

26., 30, 32 for the OTP asks! <3

I’m answering for Daeran and Kadira this go around, but thank you so much for asking! <3 Once again it's under the cut because i blab too much!

How do they comfort each other?

Jokes are their first line of defense, but eventually they both gain several habits to comfort the other.

Daeran has a habit he developed with Kadira not long after he took to her bed and realized she'd only ask him to come every other night. Daeran had some inkling that she was giving him space for his casual encounters, though he never took the advantage. Rather, he began to go to her room and simply put his head on her lap while she worked. Eventually this transferred to the bed where he'd doze (never fully trusting himself to fall asleep) while snuggled up to her while she did her paperwork.

Kadira's habit for Daeran is doing his hair. She recognized his hair's texture early on, but it had never been her business until they became a 'not-couple'. While adventuring, Kadira would clean Daeran's hair with water and prestidigitation, the spell allowing her to remove soil and grim from his hair. She'd then use grape seed oil or olive oil on his hair, defining his curls. Daeran was very hesitant about anyone other than a proper servant touching his hair, but Kadira's method ended up relaxing him and giving his waves a less frizzy look than he ever thought possible.

What is their favorite place to kiss the other?

Daeran's casual kisses for Kadira are usually her fingertips, though when alone he'll steal her tail and kiss the spade end of it. Kadira will kiss Daeran's check and the palm of his hands, the former rarities for Daeran since his mother's death.

How do they resolve their arguments?

Daeran has no idea how to properly argue in a romantic situation, it's one of the rare instances that Kadira has more insight on. Part of this is due to his mother being his sole caretaker; Silaena never argued with a partner and Daeran never had an example of how to argue with a lover. It didn't help that Daeran's causal relationships were horribly unbalanced in terms of power to Daeran's advantage. As such he's incredibly passive aggressive and catty and much to his surprise? Kadira confronts him with full honesty about her anger before stepping away to deal with her feelings.

While her mother Irka didn't have a partner when Kadira was growing up, Kadira had examples of how to argue with her grandparents. Her grandmother and grandfather would yell with each other, though they would never swipe at each other with passive aggression but with full honesty. They would spend some time away from each other for no longer than a day before coming back and being rational about what happened earlier.

As such, that pattern began to emerge on the few times they had arguments, with Daeran quietly trying to affirm if Kadira still cared for him - something that she would always assure him of despite her anger.

[snips-n-clips]

Interacting with Language: Humor

10.2.2022

I, like many people, spend a lot of my time on the internet. It is the main medium in which I socialize and also interact with language. In particular I think the way that irony and sincerity is used for comedic purposes through posts on this website, which I have been a part of since 2012 has really affected my sense of humor and language in casual spaces. CJ the X on YouTube has an interesting video essay about the language of internet memes, and the evolution of the structure of that language– from the first macro image format to the more modern memes which often deconstruct and subvert their established setups. On Tumblr memes often manifest themselves through original text posts, often one post acting as a catalyst to spawn others similar in nature or as subversion. There are also many posts or memes that play around with irony and sincerity that I find very interesting. Irony here being defined in its colloquial usage and not as the dictionary definition. This understanding of irony being “an attitude of detachment or subversive humor” (courtesy of LitCharts.com).

The post above plays with sincerity, humor, and meme language. An anonymous person confesses to user exitwound about how they have influenced their life by introducing them to eating frozen grapes, and follows with a sincere statement of “thinking about the web between us all”. This is then followed by a softening and couching of the sentiment with “yknow”. “Yknow” used here as a sort of buffer between the genuine sincerity of their original statement. This reminds me of something I do in that often times I will state something vulnerable and personal, and then as an acknowledgement of the ironic and humorous tone of Tumblr as a platform, punctuate the statement with an ‘lmao” or ‘lol’. In addition exitwound has answered this ask with a meme, two images of grapes with the text, "frozen grapes got me thinking" on the top image of frozen grapes, and "about the web between us all" on the bottom image of fresh grapes growing on the vine. with an additional caption "you’re so (expletive) real for this anon".

The meme image format and the use of the expletive are both important in reinforcing the dialogue between ironic humor and genuine sentiment.  By including “you’re so (expletive) real anon” user exitwound acknowledges the sentiment behind Anonymous’s confession being genuine and open about how that simple act of Anonymous eating frozen grapes because exitwound (a user that the Anonymous user presumably follows and therefore in a sense sees and interacts with regularly) eat frozen grapes connects them to another person. These frozen grapes therefore symbolize a human experience that is larger than Anonymous' own individual existence. They connect Anonymous to exitwound and also to anyone out in the world who has ever eaten a frozen grape. As a side note, I happen to be an enthusiastic consumer of frozen grapes, and so now I am personally involved in the fibers of this web as well. In addition to echoing the sincere sentiment, by specifically including “so (expletive)” in this sentence exitwound also reflects the tone of Anonymous' language here. The expletive softens the sentiment of “you’re so real for this” with an irony tinged humor.

The specific image used of freshly grown grapes to illustrate “the web between us” is also meaningful here. In these sorts of internet meme formats typically only one image is provided. In this post there are two images of grapes, one of frozen grapes on the top, and one of fresh grapes growing on the vine below. Tumblr user exitwound could have provided only the single image of frozen grapes, a literal illustration of the subject matter. But instead they provide two which I believe further acts to point out an understanding of the dialogue between irony, humor and sincerity. To meme using only the single image of frozen grapes would be to approach this jokes as only ironic. The frozen grapes being a mundane, consumer product and within the culture of ironic humor on the internet that image alone would be simply reduced to "funny" and "ironic".

However, including the grapes in a more “natural” setting and thus framing them not only as the end product that we consume but as the plant that grows and flowers and bears fruit once again brings sincerity and "sentiment" back into meme. It brings to mind not only the idea of grapes as food and as a product but as a cultivated, living plant. As if we the viewer are meant to be thinking about the greater experience of grapes in connection to humanity. To think of all the people working and tending to the plants throughout their life cycle. To think of the harvesting of the fruit. To think of all the ways grapes are used and enjoyed by people– to eat, to process into wine and juice, to turn into jams and jellies, to stick in a freezer before consuming. A dialogue of casual irony and humor, and the sincere sense of feeling connected to the world around you.

[manwalksintobar]

Love Song  // Denise Levertov

Your beauty, which I lost sight of once for a long time, is long, not symmetrical, and wears the earth colors that make me see it. A long beauty, what is that? A song that can be sung over and over, long notes or long bones. Love is a landscape the long mountains define but don’t shut off from the unseeable distance. In fall, in fall, your trees stretch their long arms in sleeves of earth-red and sky-yellow, a little lop-sided. I take long walks among them. The grapes that need frost to ripen them are amber and grow deep in the hedge, half-concealed, the way your beauty grows in long tendrils half in darkness.  

[atsoukalidis]

A truly majestic wine from Greece! This is how the producer describes it: “The microclimate at Lacules Estate is influenced by the Mediterranean climate, the coastal proximity and the terrace viticulture. It grows grapes that produce wines with balanced acidity, fine textures, deep concentration, and the capacity to age. Our Lacules Estate wine is an exciting blend of Syrah with Cabernet Sauvignon. The precise composition of the wine changes from year to year. The wine is aged for two years in 100% new French oak and will stay another year in the bottle prior to release.” I found a clear dark purple color wine. Clean on the nose with medium+ aromas suggesting of raspberry, plum, cranberry, vanilla, violet, blackberry and dark cherry. Developing. Dry on the palate with medium+ acidity, medium+ alcohol, medium+ body, medium+ ripe and fine-grained tannins, medium+ flavor intensity displaying raspberry, plum, cranberry, vanilla, violet, blackberry and dark cherry. Medium+ length with dark fruit aftertaste for a wine that combines a well-defined fruit with silky tannins and a delicate hint of oak. Very good quality for a balanced, yet complex wine that can be aged for at least another 10 years and is ideal to accompany meat dishes. Thank you for the wonderful treat!

[feuillemorts]

⟨  nathalie emmanuel. cis woman. she / her. 31.  ⟩   we welcome  lynesse redwyne  to winterfell, the  lady  of  the arbor.  keep an eye out for their  frugal  nature, they tend to cover it up by acting  compassionate.  rumor has it they are  neutral  to the peace treaty, and their loyalties lie with  houses redwyne and tyrell.  you’ll know it’s them when you get flashes of  dried flowers with the petals just beginning to fall  +  small, deliberate stitches  +  only taking care of yourself after everyone else has been helped  +  the golden glow of a summer evening．

BASICS

NAME： lynesse redwyne． MEANING： nature’s choice． ALSO CALLED： lyn, ness． TITLES： lady of the arbor． AGE： thirty one  ( 516 ac )． BIRTHPLACE： the arbor, the reach． GENDER： cis female．      PRONOUNS： she / her． ORIENTATION： heterosexual, heteromantic． MARITAL STATUS：  unbetrothed, unwed．

RELIGION： faith of the seven． LANGUAGES： the common tongue． MORAL ALIGNMENT： neutral good． PERSONALITY TYPES：enneagram two, the helper  /  esfj-t． POSITIVES： compassionate, practical, industrious, dutiful, unpretentious． NEGATIVES： frugal, overachieving, repressed, workaholic, self-sacrificing．

FACE CLAIM： nathalie emmanuel． HEIGHT： five feet, seven inches  /  170 cm． DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS： a ring of gold piercing her septum, curling coils of hair that are difficult to tame．

FUN FACTS： started her own garden as a kid and still cares for it today． a cup of tea will fix all your problems type of girl． middle child syndrome dialed up to eleven． just wants the arbor to be run well without any nonsense, please and thank you．

HISTORY

I． an heir, a spare, and one to adore　—　such is often the dynamic among three siblings, and so it proves to be with house redwyne. mace is the oldest, granted every wish. denyse is the beloved youngest, treasured and cosseted. their father's many bastards are evidence of fertility and wealth, welcomed by even the ruling lady. and lynesse? she settles into the role of helper, quietly available to aid any member of her family with whatever they ask.

II． although such care for her family is appreciated, it also means such behavior is, before long, expected, even taken for granted. she is loved by her parents, to be sure, but not granted much individual time with them. her brother monopolizes their half-siblings as if it is his right, and her younger sister is quiet and too young to truly play with. so she looks elsewhere for companionship:  entire days are spent trailing behind the workers in the arbor's vineyards, fond greetings of　‘ little lady lyn ’　welcoming her arrival, freckles and hem darkening despite the inevitable scolding. an idyllic childhood, in its own way, until tragedy unexpectedly strikes their family  ﹔  lynesse is only eleven years of age when her mother dies, but denyse is younger still, and her father and mace are hardly the maternal type, let alone concerned with daily tasks. so she rises to the occasion, basic understanding of how to manage a household becoming experience, and the first inclinations towards practicality and frugality growing distinct.

III． when mace leaves on his travels, it is fairly obvious that regardless of whatever excuses about grape varieties had been given, he is truly only thinking of himself and his own pleasure. as is so often the case, however, their father indulges him, leaving those remaining to pick up the pieces. if her smile is tight as they wave the ship goodbye, he is soon too far away to tell. as the years pass, the burden lynesse is expected to carry grows heavier in direct correlation to her father's failing health. having studied the same general topics with both of her siblings but never the specifics of leading a house, much less an entire island, she relies heavily on her younger sister, who soaks up much of the necessary knowledge at their father's side until it is no longer possible. upon his passing, their situation is further complicated by the fact that lynesse is not the ruling lady ﹔ minor issues can be taken care of, but she barely has any jurisdiction for more significant matters. her continued relationship with the island’s workforce proves invaluable, their support ensuring past vendors give her a chance and her own dedication combined with their obviously excellent product securing return business.

IIIV． life is not easy, but it is for the most part calm　—　until their mercurial ruling lord returns. mace thinks it a gift that he has taken the burden of governing from her, but fulfills so few duties that little changes, and what does seems nearly all negative. any credibility she has won with the merchants is tested now that the lord is back, even though much of his time is still spent away from the arbor. his son arrives with him, and she does her best to mitigate how carelessly he is treated despite her concern about their house's future if the boy is made heir. denyse is betrothed, sent away to increase his power rather than her happiness. lynesse has done her best to remain quiet and non-confrontational in hopes that he will not take offense and do the same to her, leaving her beloved arbor with no true guidance, but she is slowly reaching her limit.