#floating timber floors

[timberflooring525]

Floating Timber Floors: Enhancing Homes with Style and Functionality

Floating timber floors have become increasingly popular among homeowners looking to enhance the beauty and functionality of their living spaces. Unlike traditional hardwood floors that are nailed or glued down, floating timber floors are installed by interlocking the planks over an underlayment, creating a "floating" effect. In this blog, will explore the numerous benefits of these timber floors and why they are an excellent choice for modern homes.

Easy Installation: One of the primary benefits of these timber floors is their ease of installation. Unlike traditional hardwood floors that require extensive preparation and specialised tools for nailing or gluing, these timber floors can be installed quickly and efficiently using a simple click-and-lock mechanism. This makes them an ideal option for DIY enthusiasts or homeowners looking to save time and money on installation costs.

Versatility: These timber floors are available in a wide range of styles, colors, and finishes, allowing homeowners to find the perfect flooring option to suit their aesthetic preferences and interior design scheme. Whether you prefer the classic elegance of oak, the modern chic of bamboo, or the rustic charm of reclaimed timber, there's a floating timber floor to complement any decor style and architectural theme.

Durability: These timber floors are constructed from high-quality materials, such as hardwood veneer or engineered wood, which makes them exceptionally durable and resistant to wear and tear. The top layer of hardwood veneer provides the beauty and warmth of traditional hardwood floors, while the engineered wood core adds stability and moisture resistance, making these timber floors suitable for use in high-traffic areas such as living rooms, kitchens, and hallways.

Moisture Resistance: Unlike traditional hardwood floors, which can be susceptible to warping, cupping, and swelling when exposed to moisture, these timber floors are more resistant to moisture damage. The engineered wood core and moisture-resistant underlayment help to prevent moisture from seeping into the planks, making these timber floors an excellent choice for homes in humid climates or areas prone to moisture buildup, such as basements or bathrooms.

Easy Maintenance: These timber floors are relatively easy to maintain and require minimal upkeep to keep them looking beautiful and pristine. Regular sweeping or vacuuming, along with occasional mopping with a damp cloth or hardwood floor cleaner, is all that's needed to remove dirt, dust, and spills from the surface of the floor. Additionally, the protective finish applied to these timber floors helps to resist scratches, stains, and fading, ensuring long-lasting beauty and performance.

Comfort and Insulation: These timber floors provide excellent comfort and insulation properties, making them a cozy and inviting flooring option for homes. The underlayment beneath the planks adds cushioning and sound absorption, reducing noise transmission and providing a comfortable surface for walking and standing. Additionally, these timber floors help to insulate the home, retaining heat in the winter and keeping the space cool in the summer, which can lead to energy savings and increased comfort year-round.

Cost-Effectiveness: While the initial cost of these timber floors may be higher than some other flooring options, such as laminate or vinyl, their long-term durability and low maintenance requirements make them a cost-effective investment for homeowners. With proper care and maintenance, these timber floors can last for decades, adding value and beauty to the home while reducing the need for costly repairs or replacements in the future.

Conclusion:

 Floating timber floors offer a myriad of benefits that make them a practical, stylish, and cost-effective flooring option for modern homes. From easy installation and versatility to durability, moisture resistance, easy maintenance, comfort, insulation, and cost-effectiveness, these timber floors tick all the boxes for homeowners seeking a beautiful and functional solution of flooring that will stand the test of time. Whether you're renovating your existing home or building a new one, consider the many benefits of these timber floors for a timeless and elegant finish that will enhance the beauty and comfort of your living space.

[jacksonlucy]

Built-In Home Office Perth Inspiration for a mid-sized, modern built-in desk study room redesign with white walls and a gray floor.

[iamthelorenzo]

Dry Bar - Contemporary Home Bar Huge trendy galley medium tone wood floor and brown floor dry bar photo with flat-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, laminate countertops, mirror backsplash and gray countertops

[globalalliances]

One of the key benefits of floating timber floors is their versatility. They can be installed over a wide variety of subfloor types, including concrete, tile, and existing timber flooring. This makes them a popular choice for renovations, as they can save time and money by avoiding the need for costly subfloor preparation. GAT Flooring offers high-quality domestic, commercial, business, and industrial floating timber floors in Brisbane at the most affordable prices. Visit us -

[globalalliance123]

Find the Perfect Floors at Our Flooring Shop in Gold Coast | Global Alliance Trading

The Flooring Shop Gold Coast is a one-stop destination for all your flooring needs. With a wide selection of premium-quality carpets, tiles, vinyl planks, and timber flooring, they offer the perfect solution for any home or commercial space. They have a team of expert installers who can provide top-notch installation services that will exceed your expectations. They are known for their exceptional customer service and competitive pricing, making them a top choice for many customers. Call us at 07 3200 7888 if You Would like Further Information.

[firstchoiceflooring]

What Are The Latest Hardwood Flooring Trends?

Hardwood floors are available in a variety of wood species, each with its own unique grain pattern and colour. The type of hardwood you choose will affect both the look of your floors and how durable they are. To read more visit us: https://flooringfirstchoice.livepositively.com/what-are-the-latest-hardwood-flooring-trends/

[shamardj]

Open - Living Room

[rosella35]

Borrowed Courage: Chapter 12

*Edit* = Kaleb's dad's physical description has changed because I'm indecisive and for next chapter's lore ;)

~

Oop. The last time I updated this was October 2022. I've completed an entire Master's degree since then ^^'

Thank you for being patient with me everyone! You have @fireflywritesgt and their incredible writing recently to thank for me rekindling my G/T hyperfixation and picking up my slack with Borrowed Courage. I hope you enjoy this mammoth of a chapter, kicking off the morning after Brooke and Kaleb's video call.

Word count: 7.4k *whistles*

Content warning: contains angst, swearing, and borrower gang tattoos(?)

****

A normal weekend for Kaleb was relatively boring by human standards, but to his borrower side, it was a welcome change of pace. His daily use of Upsize and constant interaction with humans meant that by the end of the week, Kaleb’s mind and body were battered to the point of exhaustion. It was for that reason that he’d come up with a rule for himself that on his days off, it was strictly ‘borrower time’. The concept was exactly as it sounded; Kaleb’s Saturdays and Sundays were spent tinkering away within the walls at his original size, going on the occasional borrowing trip (mostly out of habit than necessity), and if he really felt like it, travelling to the city’s aptly named interspecies zone with one of his upsized family members. As much as he loved attending school and blending in with human society, there was a deeper, almost visceral part of Kaleb that relished the moments he got to spend living unapologetically as a borrower. 

Unfortunately though, this weekend was going to be different. As his phone’s alarm went off bright and early on Saturday morning, Kaleb groaned, dragging himself reluctantly out from under his mothers’ handmade quilt of fabric scraps and across the room to silence it. He braced himself on the side of his propped up phone for a minute, hiding a yawn behind the back of a hand and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes with the other. Bands of light streaked through the cracks in the wall that separated his cobbled-together living space from the human-sized apartment outside, illuminating hundreds of tiny, floating dust particles that no borrower could ever seem to escape from. Kaleb studied them intently for a minute, trying to distract himself from the overwhelming urge to flop back into bed.  

There’s no time to sleep in, he reminded himself, because today, he had a mission. A very un-borrower-like mission that involved breaking his own rule. 

In his meagre defence, Kaleb hadn’t expected Brooke to actually take him up on the offer to study together in his family’s apartment. In fact, if he were being honest, he’d made that comment in the spur of the moment to sound cool in front of his human neighbour. This brought him to his current predicament: Kaleb had lied about having human guests over. Well, at least guests Brooke’s age. The truth was, the only human who had ever stepped foot in the Finch residence was Evie, and for good reason. 

This is gonna be a long day. He thought, staring longingly at his unmade bed one last time.  

With a begrudging sigh, Kaleb forced himself into his morning routine. He pulled on a fresh pair of handmade clothes, ran his repurposed toothbrush through his unruly bedhead, and set out into the ‘hallway’ that led to his family’s main living area. His cloth shoes were silent against the dust-covered timber floor, which was really a support beam that ran horizontally from one side of the wall near his human bedroom to the open kitchen and living room area on the other. On a normal Saturday morning, Kaleb would take his time with the trip, admiring the infrastructure of the apartment walls from a perspective he was fairly sure not even the human architects who designed the place would ever experience. Today, that luxury was swept aside as he turned the corner and shimmied down a knotted line stapled to the connecting support beam. From there, he speed-walked the last few feet’s distance towards a door crafted from the sturdy plastic cover and spiral binding of an A6 sized notebook. 

“Hey mom, dad? You there?” Kaleb called as he crossed the threshold, leaving his shoes on a mat at the door. 

Having constant access to Upsize and by association the human world meant that the Finch household was more accessorised than most borrower dwellings. The floor was carpeted for starters, hence his mom’s strict no-shoes policy. Their kitchen and living room area had been purposely built parallel to the human-sized equivalent, which allowed Kaleb’s dad and uncle Rodney to construct a series of tubes and pipelines that provided water, electricity and gas. The kitchen itself boasted a functioning gas stove and range hood made from a small aluminium funnel that filtered the steam outside.  

On the other side of the room was a walk-in pantry that housed a wide assortment of nuts, dried fruits and repurposed glass trinket bottles filled with pickled vegetables. There was a sprig of rosemary and a bay leaf almost as tall as Kaleb himself leant against one side of the doorframe, and a stick of cinnamon on the other. And, on the apartment’s kitchen counter that could be accessed through a door next to the pantry was his uncle Rodney’s most prized possession, a mini fridge meant to hold human cosmetics, that allowed the Finch family to do what most borrowers could never dream of—store their perishables. 

Kaleb’s mom, dad, and twin sisters, who were seated at their popsicle stick dining table having breakfast, glanced up in surprise when he entered the room.  

“Someone’s up early.” His mom remarked, looking over his shoulder at a leather watch pinned horizontally across the wall to check the time. She gestured for him to sit down in a spare seat before leaving her own chair to fetch him a plate and cutlery. Kaleb did so, fighting the urge to drool as he took in the plate of steaming dime-sized pancakes, syrup, and berry slices his mom had prepared in the centre of the table. 

“Heh, yeah. Morning.” He greeted, thanking her as she handed him a simple plastic plate repurposed from a button, a copper wire fork, and a knife he was fairly sure had once belonged in a set of Cluedo. Kaleb wasted no time helping himself to a stack of pancakes, maple syrup, and a slice of strawberry, momentarily distracted from his reason for being up so early in the first place.

As if reading his mind, his mom continued. “It’s not like you to be up this early on a Saturday. How was work last night?” 

“Same old.” He said around a mouthful of pancake. “They’re talking about letting me start working the drive through next month, which sounds kinda cool. Apparently the pay’s a bit better than flipping burgers.” 

“Ooh, I wonder if you’ll get any pranksters.” Juno piped up eagerly from her seat at the other end of the table. “Y’know, like those people on TikTok!” 

Kaleb smirked across at his sister. For their thirteenth birthday and in preparation to begin attending human school next year, Juno and Paige had been gifted their first ever mobile phone, or in other words, their gateway into the world of the internet. Since then, the pair of them had been chattering non-stop about all of the amusing things human influencers did to entertain their loyal fans on social media. “If I do, you’ll be the first one to hear about it.” He promised her, before turning back to his mom. 

“Actually, I was hoping to ask for you and dad’s opinion on something.” Kaleb started, setting his knife and fork down as he mulled over his next words. 

His parents both looked at each other, and then across at him with concern. “Sure, Kaleb. What’s wrong?” Asked his dad, leaning across the table to grab a wedge of blueberry.

“Well… nothing’s wrong, exactly. I just…” He squeezed his eyes shut, finding himself clamming up all over again. Why was it suddenly so hard to speak? 

“Is this about apologising to that girl in your class?” His mom interrupted, lacing her fingers together. “Because if it is—"

“No, no, it’s not that.” He replied before she could continue with what was sure to be another lecture. “Well, I mean, it is, kind of…” Voice trailing off for the second time, Kaleb gritted his teeth in frustration and decided to just get it over with. 

“How do you feel about me bringing someone from my class over to work on a project next week after school?” He blurted out.

Instantly, the mood around the dining table shifted. “Someone from your class… Wait, you mean a human?” His mom realised, an incredulous look plastering her face. “You want to have a human over? In our apartment?” 

“Who?” His dad enquired, scratching his stubbled chin thoughtfully. “Is it someone you’ve told us about before?”

“Well, about that…” Kaleb began to fidget idly with his fork, preparing himself for the reaction his next words would almost certainly garner. “It’s actually Brooke Tucker. Y’know, from downstairs?” 

“Brooke Tucker…” His mom was the first one to connect the dots. “Hold on, you mean the girl your teacher called me about… the exterminator’s daughter?” She looked positively aghast. 

Meanwhile, from the other end of the table, his dad chuckled, amusement glinting in his hazel eyes. It was the perfect example of how he and Kaleb’s mom couldn’t be any more different when it came to handling situations involving humans. “I take it your apology was well received, then?” 

His mom’s icy gaze shifted from Kaleb to her husband. “Hugo, this isn’t a joke.” She scolded, pointing her own wire fork across at him accusingly. “Don’t you see how risky that is, letting a human like that into our home? What if she notices something amiss, or worse, someone gets seen?” 

“Margalo, dear, let’s think about this for a minute.” Kaleb’s dad cut her off from her fretting, well practiced in calming her anxious antics. “It’s not like Kaleb’s going to be giving her a private tour of the walls. I’m sure the two of them will just study together in the main room like I’d imagine any other human students would. Am I getting that right, Kaleb?” 

“Pretty much.” Kaleb confirmed, endlessly grateful for his dad’s support.

His mom glanced helplessly from her husband, to Kaleb, and then back again. “I know, but that doesn’t eliminate the risk involved here.” She protested. “With that… man… for a father, that girl is probably more observant than your average human, and besides all that, I heard from Kaleb’s teacher that she brags about torturing borrowers in class. Why on earth would you want to bring someone like her into our home?”

“Yeah, about that.” Kaleb said, recalling his conversation with Brooke from the other night. “It’s a long story, but turns out, she actually made all of that stuff up to try and get me to leave her alone. I… I think I can trust her.”

Margalo Finch narrowed her eyes. “You think, or you know?” 

Meanwhile, Kaleb’s dad was appraising him with that observant look of his that always seemed to peer deep into one’s soul. It was the same look he got when he was thinking of a new protagonist or plot-line for one of his novels. “She has no reason to suspect us, dear.” He finally said, addressing his dishevelled wife with the calmest voice he could muster. “Even if Kaleb did provoke this Brooke Tucker girl about her father’s…” he coughed “…line of work, that doesn’t mean she’s automatically going to assume there are borrowers living here. Besides, plenty of young humans are getting into borrower rights activism these days, and if she’s had a change of heart so quickly, then isn’t that a good thing? One less thing to worry about with Kaleb going to school, hmm?”  

As he listened to his dad defending him, Kaleb felt a pang of guilt that both of his parents were blissfully unaware of how much Brooke already knew about their family secret. He’d thought about telling them what had happened; how he’d made the fatal error of running his mouth on the apartment roof that night and paid the ultimate price for it; how he’d escaped with Evie’s help and against his better judgement, confronted Brooke again the following night; how he was finally starting to see eye to eye with her, as rocky as that process was turning out to be. But he just couldn’t bring himself to do it, at least not yet. A part of him was afraid that if he did, he would never be allowed to attend human school or use Upsize again. That was a gamble Kaleb just wasn’t willing to make.  

“I… I understand that, but why?” He was jolted from his thoughts by his mom, who stared across at him with an expression that was a mixture of confusion and defeat. “I’m proud of you for making things right with her, but I thought you couldn’t stand the girl.”  

Kaleb let out an exasperated sigh. That question again. It was one he was still grappling with himself. Why was he making this much of an effort with Brooke? He decided to shelve that debate for the time being, instead casting his mind back to the conversation he’d had with his mom earlier that week. “It’s like you said, isn’t it?” He recalled. “That the humans own the world, and we just live in it. When I thought about it that way, I wanted to make more of an effort to see things from Brooke’s perspective, y’know, just like any other human would. I guess I figured if I do that,” Kaleb almost laughed at the absurdity of his next words, “then maybe we could even be friends someday.” 

Kaleb wasn’t sure if it was the delivery of his conviction, or the fact that he’d used her own words against her, but he could see the fight leaving his mom’s pale blue eyes. She sighed, relenting. “Well… I suppose it’d be alright to have her over, so long as it’s just the one time.”

He breathed a sigh of relief. Well, that’s the first hurdle crossed. “Thanks, mom.” 

“You’re actually gonna bring home a human then, Kaleb?” Juno exclaimed. “That is so-o-o dope!” 

“Dope?” Their dad asked, bemused. 

“Yeah!” The borrower teen declared proudly. “We’ve been practicing our slang for human school!”

Kaleb groaned, pinching his brow. “No one uses that word anymore, Juno.”

“But Damon said—”

“If you’re actually listening to Damon, then that’s your first mistake.” 

“That’s what I said!” Paige piped up smugly from beside her twin, and Kaleb reached across the table to give her a first bump. 

“Okay fine, I won’t say it again.” Juno relented, before quickly turning back to her older brother with an impish grin. “But still, Kaleb, are you sure you wanna have a girl over? Our apartment looks so povo.”    

“Hmm… I’ve definitely heard that word get tossed around, but only by this one Australian kid in class.” Kaleb confirmed as he processed the rest of her remark. “You do have a point, though.” He straightened up in his seat. “That’s kind of the other reason I got up so early this morning.” 

“Povo?” His mom repeated in confusion, to which Hugo Finch sighed. 

“I believe our children are comparing the main apartment to something akin to squalor.” 

“Well, I suppose we do have quite a bit of… extra furniture.” She surmised with a chuckle, starting to lose some of the tension she’d built up from before. 

‘Extra furniture’ was a stretch. The truth of the matter was that by nature, everyone in the Finch family was a kleptomaniac. Kaleb had seen a few episodes of Hoarders on YouTube, so he knew their human-sized living space wasn’t overly messy per se, but the fact remained that the Finch apartment currently functioned as more of a storage space for its residents’ various trinkets and bits-and-bobs than a place you’d expect humans to be living in. After all, it wasn’t like most of the giant furniture they could have purchased to fill the rooms would ever be used in the way it was intended. In fact, the only reason the apartment contained things like an old table and chair in the living area and Kaleb’s springy mattress were for the human-sized borrowers to have somewhere to sit while they waited for their Upsize to wear off in the afternoons. 

With that in mind, Kaleb revealed his next big proposal. “How about this,” he declared. “I have some money saved up. If you let me have Brooke over to study, I’ll turn the apartment into the most decked-out human condo you can imagine.” 

Margalo eyed her youngest son skeptically. “That’s the first I’ve heard about these savings.” She pointed out. “Doesn’t most of your money go towards your Upsize?”  

Kaleb cringed at the reminder of his current financial situation. “Well, yeah, but I have some left over.” He protested.

“Hmm,” was all his mom replied with as she mulled over the idea in her head.

His dad spoke up next. “It would be nice to add a little bit of charm to the place. Who knows, maybe if it were more inviting, I would spend more of my time writing out there instead of in my office.” After earning a raised eyebrow from his wife, he added, “It’s just a thought. I’m sure Evie would appreciate it, at the very least.” 

Juno, meanwhile, looked positively ecstatic. “Yes! A home make-over! I’ve always wanted to do that, since I saw this interior design page online!” She exclaimed giddily, jumping out of her seat with her hands still planted on the table.

“Yeah, c’mon, mom.” Paige agreed. “You’ve gotta let Kaleb do it, our apartment will look so awesome at the end! We can even take those cool before-and-after shots like they do on Youtube.”

With bated breath, the four of them waited in suspense for Margalo Finch’s final verdict on the matter. At last, Kaleb’s mom spoke up, though not without first taking a long, thoughtful sip of her peppermint tea. “Just to be clear, whatever this ‘home make-over’ is going to involve, it’ll have to come out of your bank account.” She said sternly. “Your father and I are able to pay for your schooling, but that doesn’t mean we have the money to afford this, too. Remember, your Upsize delivery is tomorrow. It’s not going to be our fault if you have to miss a week of school because you ran out of money to pay for it.” 

Kaleb nodded his understanding. Every second Sunday, he made the journey to the next suburb over, where for lack of a better term, he made the exchange of two-hundred-and-fifty dollars’ cash for his next package of the highly secretive size-changing pills. “Don’t worry about that. I’ve got it covered.” He assured her, which was only partially true. Satisfied with the way things had gone with his parents, Kaleb thanked them for breakfast and got up from his seat. “Well, I’d better get to it then. I’ve only got this weekend to pull this off.”  

Before he could make his exit, Juno and Paige both leapt out of their own seats, flanking their older brother on either side. Juno looped her arm around Kaleb’s, gazing up at him with wide, pleading eyes. “Hey bro, if you let us take some of your Upsize, we can help out with the decorating?” 

Kaleb hesitated, weighing up the idea in his head. Their offer wasn’t exactly surprising, all things considered. Ever since their dad had permitted them a trial run of Upsize earlier in the year, the Finch twins had been itching to venture out into the human world again. Kaleb couldn’t blame them. For him, experiencing life from a human’s perspective for the first time was like tasting a forbidden fruit. Once he’d seen everything the bustling city beyond the walls had to offer, the apartment building, despite being roughly the size of a city itself to a borrower, had never felt smaller. 

“Well, I guess this would go a lot quicker if I had some extra help…” Kaleb started to reply, but paused, reminded of the abysmally empty plastic jar in his room where he kept his medication. “But I’m down to my last two pills, and I’ll need at least one and a half for myself…”

As though reading his mind, his dad chimed in. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll go collect your delivery tomorrow for you if your sisters want to help out.” He gave the twins a pointed look. “It’ll do them good to take a break from technology for the day.” In a lower voice, he added. “That’s all they seem to talk about anymore.” 

Kaleb nodded gratefully, before turning his attention back to Juno and Paige and their identical gleeful expressions. “Okay, but that still means I only have enough Upsize left for one extra person, and only for half a day. You’ll have to do rock paper scissors on it.” 

The borrower family watched in amusement as its two youngest members played best of three. A moment later, and Juno let out a triumphant cry. “I win!” 

Paige folded her arms and stuck out her bottom lip in a pout. “Fine. But you better let me tag along, too, okay?” 

“Okay!” Juno looked relieved that her twin wasn’t mad. “I’ll even wear the overalls Damon bought me with the big pocket on the front, so you can see everything!” 

Kaleb had taken to leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded, smiling at their conversation. “Well this is new.” He joked. “I was starting to think I’d need to butt in, but it sounds like you’ve already sorted things out.” 

“Ohshut up, Kaleb. We’re not twelve anymore.” Paige snapped indignantly. “I can take the loss this time.” 

He raised an eyebrow. No, but you’re barely a year older than that. 

“Anyway, Mr. big shot.” Juno continued, hands on her hips. “Forget the Upsize. Do you really have enough money to buy all that human furniture?” 

“Well, no.” He admitted, before shooting them a coy smirk, the irony in what he was about to say not lost on any of them. “It looks like we’ll just have to borrow some things along the way…”

****

While Kaleb and his sisters worked tirelessly from morning till night on their DIY apartment makeover, Brooke’s weekend was shaping up to be as dull as ever. She spent her Saturday locked away in her room, humming along to the latest Five Seconds of Summer album through her AirPods as she scrolled away aimlessly at social media. She wasn’t really paying attention to her phone, though. As she lay there with only her thoughts to entertain her, Brooke couldn’t help but mull over the events of the last week, and the many encounters she’d had with her classmate-turned borrower whose family happened to live on the third floor.

It still felt surreal to look back on it all. So much had changed in such a short time; about the way Brooke viewed society, about the way she viewed borrowers, about the way she viewed Kaleb Finch. It was a lot to process, and she still wasn’t sure how she felt about it. A part of her still wished she could go back in time and stop herself from going up to the rooftop that night, if nothing else but to prevent the torrent or emotions—the confusion, the guilt, and everything in between—that followed.  

Even so, Brooke would be lying to herself at this point if she said she wasn’t at least a little curious about the secret life of her upstairs neighbour.

Bored as she was, the human girl couldn’t help but wonder what Kaleb was doing at that time. Would he be out and about exploring town? Considering his poorly concealed fascination with anything human-made, she could definitely picture that being the case. Or maybe he was hanging out in his own bedroom in the walls; a sight Brooke still hadn’t managed to rid from her mind after getting a glimpse of it during their video call last night. 

Or maybe… she glanced lazily up at the ceiling, studying the grate of the air vent in the corner, half expecting to see a pair of much smaller eyes staring back at her from the other side. Maybe he was passing his time stalking her again, waiting for the perfect opportunity to sneak out from within the walls. She found herself scanning the room almost involuntarily, studying every nook and cranny that a borrower could possibly conceal themselves in. She felt her phone slip out of her hand as her heart filled with strange sense of… was it yearning? Curiosity? The thought alone made the human girl shudder in discomfort. 

Did she… want to see him again? Brooke was struggling to deny it at this point, especially after last night. Weird as their conversation had been, it had unlocked a part of her that she thought had been buried long ago. Maybe she was lonely after all; lonely enough that even the company of her former bully was preferable to returning to the way things were. After all, the alternative couldn’t be true, could it? She couldn’t have really been enjoying spending time with Kaleb… right?

Stop thinking about him! Brooke’s thoughts screamed, bringing her internal monologue to a screeching halt. You’re not that desperate, Brooke. Get it together! The human girl would have slapped herself again had she not been paranoid about the footage somehow making its way onto the landlady’s security camera feed. With renewed determination, Brooke snatched up her phone and flopped over onto her stomach in bed, opening up her Netflix account. If binge watching the latest season of Stranger Things couldn’t distract her from thinking about her borrower neighbour, she didn’t know what would. 

****

It was at exactly three thirty-five on Sunday afternoon when Brooke realised that ignoring Kaleb’s existence would be easier said than done. After a night spent glued to her phone screen like the teenager that she was, Brooke had committed to watching the last few episodes of the season on her laptop while she simultaneously updated her Spotify playlist with 80’s songs from the show’s latest soundtrack. Just as the credits rolled after the final cliffhanger, Brooke’s reeling thoughts were interrupted by an email notification in the corner of her screen. Still in the midst of processing the show’s ending scene, she clicked on it, raising an eyebrow at the sight of the subject line: Integration Day.It was sent by Mr. Bell, her history and home room teacher, and Brooke immediately felt all of her concerns about Stranger Things drift away as she read the message.

Dear Students,

I hope you have all had a relaxing weekend.

I am emailing in regards to an initiative the school is putting forward in an effort to promote borrower inclusion into the human education system. Beginning this week, the first Friday of every month will be Integration Day, during which we will be inviting those students living with borrower tenants aged 13 to 20 to have them participate in classes. 

If you would like to be involved in this initiative, I have attached a consent form below. In order to be considered, the form must be completed and signed by both your parents or guardians, as well as the parents or guardians of the borrowers wishing to attend school as part of the program. 

More information regarding the initiative will be announced in home class tomorrow morning. 

I look forward to seeing you all then.

Yours sincerely,

Mr Bell

Brooke closed her laptop abruptly, frowning as she took a minute to process the information. This was a surprise. Of all the things she expected her teacher to agree to host, a borrower education scheme certainly wasn’t one of them. It was almost funny, she thought. Had Brooke received that email even a week earlier, she probably would have had a very different reaction to the one she was experiencing now. She imagined herself fuming in front of the laptop screen, cursing at the borrower race that seemed to find every possible way to make her life miserable. Hell, that part of her was still there, in some way. Mostly though, Brooke felt… indifferent about it all. She wasn’t as angry as she probably should’ve been—would’ve been. Instead… Yep, there it was again.

Brooke couldn’t help but wonder how Kaleb felt about the Integration Day announcement.

Running her fingers down her face in exasperation, the human girl decided it was as good a time as any to get some fresh air, if anything to put some distance between herself and… whatever thoughts her head kept conjuring. So, she got up out of bed, tugged on her pair of well-worn doc martens without bothering to properly do up the laces, and set off into the neighbourhood, bidding her parents a brief goodbye on her way out. 

The street was quiet, save for a group of teenagers riding skateboards and laughing amongst themselves out the front of the local diner. Brooke tore her eyes away from the familiar green plaque emblazoned with the letter ‘B’ hanging in its window. Surprising (and frankly, unsanitary) as it was that borrowers were allowed in a burger joint of all places, she didn’t want to think about that right now. Trusty earbuds in, Brooke trudged along the sidewalk, letting the world fall away for a moment as she listened to the comforting riff of a punk rock song.

Eventually, hunger won against out against her mindless wandering, and she stopped by the bakery to grab a ham and salad sandwich on her way back to the apartment. Before long, Brooke found herself sitting against the railing on the rooftop to watch the sunset, absentmindedly nibbling at her late lunch as she took in the pink and orange hues of the sky.

“Damn, am I gonna have to find a new place to do my evening brooding?” A familiar voice piped up, as if on cue, and the human girl barely refrained from cringing at the sound. 

So much for avoiding him. The nagging voice in the back of her mind taunted. It’s almost like you were hoping he’d be here—

Brooke swallowed down those thoughts, as well as her mouthful of sandwich, hard. Trying to compose herself, she tilted her head in the direction of the voice, eyes widening momentarily in surprise to find Kaleb standing at the top of the staircase a few feet away at his borrower size. He was learning casually against the cement wall with his arms folded, a halfway smile on his face that the human girl could barely make out from this distance. She noticed with interest that he was decked out in what she was coming to label his ‘borrowing outfit’ again; tiny black fingerless gloves, a cropped brown jacket and beige undershirt, khaki pants and what looked to be a brand new set of (barf) rat leather boots. A coil of string attached to a fishhook hung from a loop in his belt, and that ratty looking satchel of his was strung across his body, looking somewhat bulkier than usual. 

Realising she was staring, Brooke coughed. “Yeah, sorry, there really isn’t enough space up here for two.” She quipped, gesturing to his smaller form with her sandwich. “Even when you’re… like this.” That raised another question. “Why are you small, anyway?” Brooke’s trademark nonchalant attitude returned in full force like the trusty emotional shield it was. “Surely there’s something productive you could’ve been doing today.”

She could have sworn he gave a tiny eye roll at her comment. “Speak for yourself.” Kaleb scoffed, stepping out towards her so he didn’t have to speak so loudly. “And I don’t have to be human-sized to be productive, geeze.” There was a pause. “To answer your question, though, I’m waiting for a package. The company that… organises my Upsize comes every Sunday afternoon with a delivery. Since I ran out early though, dad’s gone to get it for me.” 

“That doesn’t sound sketchy at all.” Brooke smirked.

A flutter of wings caught her attention, and she watched as a pigeon landed a few metres away, head tilting curiously at her food. Out of the corner of her eye, Brooke didn’t fail to notice Kaleb already taking a few cautious steps backwards, towards the top of the staircase. With a cheeky grin, she tore a piece of bread from her sandwich and tossed it directly in front of the borrower’s escape route.

Less than a second passed before chaos ensued. Pigeons descended from the sky to fight over the crumbs, and Kaleb let out a startled yell, falling unceremoniously onto his backside with his arms held protectively over his head.

“W-What the hell, Brooke?” He cried, scrambling to a stand and slowly edging towards the shadow of her torso. He looked up at her indignantly with his tiny arms folded. At his size, the sight was almost cute, though she would sooner die than admit that to him out loud. “Are you trying to kill me?” 

“Relax, they’re just pigeons!” Brooke’s grin widened. “C’mon, don’t you guys train them as pets and shit?”

“You try training a wild animal twice your size, see how well that works out for you.” He grumbled back, thoroughly unamused. 

Brooke smirked, stuffing the last of her sandwich into her mouth. As the pigeons, realising there was no longer food on offer, finally dispersed, Kaleb sighed irritably and took a seat about half a meter away from her, one knee drawn up to his chest. Chewing thoughtfully, she noted the uncharacteristic slump in his tiny shoulders. The human girl had an inkling as to why that might be. 

Following her hunch, she spoke up. “I take it you got the email then? About—”

“Yeah, I got the email.” He interrupted, kicking a minuscule speck of rubble with his shoe. With how close he was sitting to the railing, it sailed right over the edge of the roof, and Brooke was once again left to wonder how Kaleb was able to sit so calmly before a relative five-hundred foot drop without losing his nerve. A Borrower’s tolerance to heights was no joke. 

“So?” She pressed, adopting a cheshire cat’s grin. Reaching out, she poked him in the side with a finger. “Want me to take you with me to class on Friday?  I think everyone would get a kick out of it, especially Amy Snyder.” 

Kaleb swayed where he sat, not even looking up at her. His gaze remained focused on the city view ahead of them, as the sun dipped further into the horizon. “You’re not funny, y’know.” 

“Really? I thought it was plenty funny.” 

“Can’t you take a hint?” he snapped, irritation plain on his tiny face as he finally turned to glare up at her. “I’m not in the mood for your stupid human jokes right now.” 

She leaned back on her elbows on the uneven concrete floor, looking down at him tauntingly. “Clearly. I’m confused, though. Isn’t integration what you lot were pushing for in the first place? I would’ve thought you’d be happier than this.” 

Kaleb grit his teeth. “You call bring-your-borrower-to-class Friday ‘integration’? This whole thing is just a publicity stunt, to boost Westmount’s reputation as a ‘diverse learning environment’.” The borrower shuddered. “Tch. I can already see the headline.” 

“Well, at least they’re making an effort, right?” Brooke pointed out. “That’s more than you can say about other high schools.” 

“The whole point of borrowers attending human school should be to learn. This is more like show-and-tell than anything.” Kaleb shook his head stubbornly, hands clenching around the strap of his bag. “Nope.” He decided. “I don’t want anything to do with it.”  

Brooke stared at him for a moment, his five-inch-tall form silhouetted by the glare of the setting sun. A question was nagging at her mind again, one that had been stewing there since her heated debate with him on the same rooftop just the other night. She tilted her head to the side. “Kaleb, why do you hate humans so much?” 

He looked back at her, caught off guard for a moment as the question sank in. “I—”

“Kaleb? You up here?” A distinctly male voice called out suddenly, and the echo of human footsteps could be heard traipsing up the stairs. As if he’d stepped on a live wire, Kaleb was on his feet in an instant, his face losing several shades of colour. 

“Shit, that’s my dad.” He announced in a panic, flashing her a jaunty salute. “Gotta go!” 

“Your—what?” That was all the warning Brooke got before the borrower took off at full speed towards what was no doubt a secret pathway behind the stairwell. The human girl sat, blinking in shock at how quickly Kaleb had made his escape, just as the sound of a man clearing his throat behind her reached her ears. 

Brooke wasn’t sure what she was expecting when she took in the sight of who she could only assume was Kaleb’s upsized father as he stood at the entrance to the rooftop. “Um, good evening.” He began, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly as he greeted her. “Sorry, I didn’t realise anyone would be up here at this hour.” He warbled. Brooke hadn’t failed to notice the way his hazel eyes darted across the roof as he spoke, no doubt checking for any sign of his currently much smaller son. Frowning faintly, he returned his gaze towards her. “I’m looking for a borro— I mean, a boy around your age. He always comes up here to watch the sunset, you see.”  

Brooke almost snorted at his ramblings. That was definitely a trait Kaleb had inherited. Everything else about him, though, was not at all how she’d imagined the borrower man to look like. For starters, he was lean and wiry, even more so than Kaleb, with shoulder-length brown hair tied in a messy bun at the back, showing only the slightest hints of greying. His skin was a deep olive colour, almost sun-kissed, as though the man had spent more of his life outdoors than in. His body was littered with faded scars, one particularly gruesome one on his leg that looked almost like an animal bite, and another jagged line across his forehead, cutting through one of his eyebrows. He even had his right ear pierced with two simple black studs, making him look less like an author and more like a seasoned warrior from a video game. 

What surprised Brooke most about the man though was the sleeve of tattoos running up almost the entire length of his left arm. At a glance, she could make out the realistic designs of what looked to be a field mouse with its teeth bared against an opposing finch, surrounded by strange symbols completely foreign to her human eyes but looking suspiciously like the borrower equivalent of gang signs. That and the fact that the mysterious man in question was unapologetically wearing a t-shirt that said ‘World’s Greatest Farter (Father)’, boxer shorts, and fluffy slippers left Brooke’s mind completely blown.

Realising he was waiting for a reply, the human girl forced herself to speak. “I haven’t seen anyone, sorry.” She spluttered. You owe me, Kaleb. 

“Oh, well, that’s alright. I’m sure he’ll turn up eventually.” Kaleb’s father responded, hesitating as he stared her down with almost the same intensity as she had just done with him. “Actually, I don’t believe I’ve seen your face around here before.” 

“Probably not.” She replied glibly. Brooke for one had certainly never seen the man before, otherwise she might have done a better job hiding her bewilderment. As it was, she was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that borrowers could have tattoos of all things. Shutting down that particular train of thought, the human girl focused back on the conversation at hand. “My family and I just moved in the other day.” She continued, standing up and nodding in his direction. “I’m Brooke.” 

Instantly, recognition flashed in the man’s hazel eyes, and he beamed across at her, closing the gap between them and holding out his hand. “Oh! You must be Brooke Tucker. Our new downstairs neighbour. You know of my son, then—Kaleb.” He cleared his throat a second time as he introduced himself. “My name is Hugo. Hugo Finch. My family and I live in apartment thirty-five.” 

“Nice to meet you.” She answered, awkwardly shaking his hand and trying not to think about how at his normal size, she would be able to fit her own hand around his entire body. “And yeah. He’s in my class.” 

“Yes, he’s told us a lot about you.” Hugo said with a nod, making the human girl’s eyebrows raise in surprise.

“Really?” Brooke gave the upsized borrower her most innocent smile. “All good things, I hope.”

“Oh, of course.” He said without missing a beat. “He tells me the two of you are working on a project together for modern history at the moment. It’s nice to see him making some new friends at school.” 

Brooke winced at that. “I wouldn’t exactly call us friends.” She said, dancing around that particular topic. “But yeah, we’re getting there with the presentation. It helps that we live in the same building, too. Definitely makes it easier to get our research done.” She forced out a chuckle. 

“I’ll bet it does.” Hugo agreed pleasantly, seemingly oblivious to her awkwardness. “I hear you’ll be visiting our apartment after school this week for a study session, too. Sounds like the two of you will be finished before you know it at this rate.” 

Brooke smirked at the indirect mention that Kaleb had apparently asked his parents if he could have her over to study. Cute. “Yeah, seems like it. It’ll be good to get it done early, I guess.”

“You’ll love what he’s done with the place, too.” Hugo continued, his expression full of pride as he spoke about his son. “It was a mess before, but he and his sisters really stepped up this weekend to clean it up.” He gestured to his blatantly stay-at-home attire. “I even tested out the space for my work today, as you can probably tell. Before, I was renting out another… office because of the clutter, but I can definitely see the appeal of working from home now…” He trailed off with a chuckle, paying no mind to the human girl in front of him as she struggled to process this new information. 

“I didn’t realise Kaleb was… redecorating.” Brooke said slowly, not sure whether to be amused or unsettled. She felt herself fidgeting uncomfortably with the inner seams of her hoodie as she recalled her conversation with the borrower in question last night, and how she’d jokingly suggested taking him up on his offer to have her over to his place. Surely Kaleb hadn’t spent the entire weekend cleaning out his family’s apartment just for them to study in… right? There was no way that could be true. She felt her cheeks redden at the mere thought. 

Brooke was jolted back to the present when Hugo gave a breezy laugh, looking almost as uncomfortable as she did. The man wrung his hands, his expression reminding her vaguely of a deer caught in the headlights. If Brooke didn’t know any better, he’d just told her something he wasn’t supposed to. “R-Right, well, I’m sure he’ll tell you all about that at school tomorrow.” He warbled, glancing down at his wristwatch. “Speaking of Kaleb… if you’ll excuse me, I really should be getting back to tracking him down. It was nice talking to you, Brooke. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.” 

Before Brooke could string together a reply, he’d darted back down the stairs almost as quickly as Kaleb had fled the rooftop not even ten minutes earlier. All the human girl could do was stare, hand raised in a wave that had come far too late.

“Yeah. Nice meeting you too…” She muttered to the empty rooftop, as the breeze whistled through her hair and night finally settled in.

Brooke was beginning to wonder if it was a borrower custom to run off mid-conversation. With how much she’d already learned about humankind’s smaller counterparts and their strange and secret culture in the past week, she didn’t think anything would surprise her at this point. Yet she still wanted to know more, a desire that both scared and excited her. She wanted to know more about Kaleb’s world, just like he wanted someone to share it with. Her heart just wasn’t ready to admit that yet. 

For now, the human girl settled back into the blissful ignorance she was used to. She sat down heavily with her back up against the railing, and turned her music back on. 

“My life is so weird.” Brooke sighed up at the stars. 

[0dde11eth]

Jaskier introducing the kaer morons to balloons.

Immediately their eyes go super wide, like a kitty that spotted a bug

The static cling making their hair frizzy, Geralts hair poofs up like a cloud. Lamberts actually looks like a lamb with how his curls end up.

It takes them a few tries to play gently enough not to pop them. Each time it pops they let out a loud yelp, exactly like a puppy.

They go insane with their "don't let it hit the floor" games, and absolutely destroy the great hall.

When their helium one floats away and they look at Jaskier with the most betrayed puppy eyes, and mope for days after.

When jaskier produces another helium balloon they all try to inhale the helium to see squeaky their voices become. It doesn't work on eskels deep timber, much to his disapointment.

Everyone insists that Lamberts voice is naturally that high and squeaky already. He bites several of them in retaliation.

[merrydock]

More concept art for The Best the World Had to Offer! This time, it's Feldspar's shuttle, used when the Hearthians attempted to achieve a full orbit around Timber Hearth for the first time.

The shuttle was inspired by Feldspar's ship design (although in the fic, it's the other way around). Trying to mimic the success of Feldspar's first journey into space, and having been banned from testing rockets in the crater after Slate's last attempt nearly set the village on fire, the decision was made to ride the geysers into orbit. The diminutive thrusters spaced evenly around the hull are for accelerating and decelerating in space, to achieve higher and lower orbits once through the atmosphere. The shuttle is bulky and bolstered to survive a water landing, the pilot's seat attached to the floor with springs and struts to allow for some absorption of the impact. It's fine. Feldspar will have a helmet on, after all!

(More details below)

The hull is 15 centimetres thick, divided into an inner wall and an outer wall, with insulation in between, air filling the gaps. There is a main observation window, and six smaller ones, all lined with gold to reduce exposure to cosmic radiation. Six flat stabilizers stick out from the hull. The fuel tank rests in the lower part of the shuttle when standing upright, accessible for maintenance from a hatch within the shuttle and a refuel nozzle on the exterior. Fuel lines run through the inner wall whenever possible to prevent leakage (and a major explosion) if the outer wall is compromised on impact. The lines are cut off at several points so any accidental ignition is segregated away from the fuel tank. If an explosion does occur, it should be small and not immediately deadly!

The shuttle is pretty bare-bones. Many of the classical ship systems haven't been developed yet; no Signalscope, Little Scout, landing cam, reactor...not even an oxygen tank, since the trip is meant to only be just over two hours long. The console is basic, containing buttons to control the thrusters (which each burn for a predetermined length of time, courtesy of Hornfels' calculations) and a single joystick used to direct the rudimentary satellite dish on the side of the shuttle.

Since the shuttle is expected to land in the water, the hatch and satellite dish are oriented to rest above the waterline when the shuttle is submerged on its side. The air in the walls and in the cabin will allow the shuttle to float, the weight of the pilot's seat and console rotating the shuttle until they sit at the bottom. This will hopefully prevent Feldspar getting trapped within the shuttle when it lands.

With no gravity crystal, and acceleration only occurring during the first 30 mins and last 45 mins of the flight, Feldspar will be subjected to zero-G for about an hour of their trip. The pilot's seat has a harness to keep them tethered, but they packed a bag of supplies and are eager to do some experiments while spaceborne!

[siremasterlawrence]

The Fantastic Four: Entrapment

I woke up last week at the gigantic condo of The Fantastic Four’s couch somewhere in the Multiverse with a splitting headache, my vision super blurry at this point it finally coming back settles landing my eyes on him The Johnny Storm. I touch my face feeling the ship of whipped cream he sprayed on me and the swatting device he used to make me think a insect is over me and I swat myself in retort waking up to see him in a laugh of stitches as he fell to the floor.I sit up rolling my eyes in annoyance as he makes a run for it leaving me sitting totally dazed out and being taken care of by Reed Richard’s who is giving me his full attention maybe a bit too much. A thousand test later the scan is complete with my plan is about o hatch when the man hits the results that I could not even fathom some how I time travelled to a universe that actually has Superheroes and well this is my calling.Reed drones on with more results as I hear him say that my body is imbued with power as well and I should in theory be able to do it literally bend time to my will and of course it all goes haywire when I yell stop feeling the full weight of it all.Next thing I know, the doors slide open in a huge reveal as Torch floats in, Benjamin stomps the ground as the world quakes and Sue walks in ever so gently and gracefully as always typical behavior hoping to get Reed to focus on me again. I take a deep breath “Freeze” I screech so loudly as everyone stops mid step with each and every single person stops in time on my command obediently without question to me because I slip behind Mr. Richard’s and take both of my hands wrap around on his waist lovingly. I can see the expression of fear on his face the anger very apparent to me and to all as I cup his chin lifting it in to air reach closer to me as I kiss down his muscular ton neck making him squirm, grow rock hard and fall to my whims of pleasure. Energy in his body grows a largely kinetic level it is increasing at a unknown rate causes Reed to wiggle, his heart beat races at a alarming rate and he blacks out completely only to wake up in a few minutes.

“Let’s have some fun shall we!” I say to my four new toys.

“If those freaks back home could see me now.” I think to myself.

“Can you hear me? All four of you?”

“Yes” they reply in unison.

“Thank you for attending the rehabilitation center.”

“Reed commence with these plans”

“As you wish “

“In the mean time Johnny and Brick head help him”

“Sue come and worship me”

“Yes Master “

“This Baxter building is my new home now”

“We are happy to be here”

“MASTER…MASTER “

“WHAT DO YOU WANT?”

“It’s been a week we are ready “

“Perfection! Excellent!”

“We will be there”

“Soon the machine transforms the world and you will see new world in one…two…three.”

“Master?”

“Sue you are now my wife”

“Reed and Ben are my slave property”

“Kneel for me”

“Johnny you are my prime slave “

“I am hot and so in love with you “

“All four of you strip”

“Confess your love “

“Worship me”

The final touches have issued onto the main floor of the roof top tier complex of the core building, I move through the building in awe at all of my plans coming to fruition clapping my hands into the air as cool air swoops in to the room. Reed Richard’s follows me in as the door closes behind us as I smirk wicked with a glint in my eyes making Reed shake in his boots to my glee in excitement in my hand and the timber in his voice because I am awesome. I walk to the console Reed has built for me flipping all of the switches a switch as the console blows up in a blue aura sends a bright signal of color trace to those gigantic machine. “Reed Richard’s listen to me extremely, carefully, and with no question because I am always right about all of it simply because I made you submit to me with very little on me and you will know my true power.” I tell him in a stern voice as the machine flips open as Reed is stepping up to the main machine staring deep into it because future depends on it and so does his family and I laugh my ass up as he walks in. The grandiose, glorious and sexy silver design machine of me swung close as he took a seat with the seat belt is closing on him and he locked in as the lights stir up as the window in front showcases in front of the machine. “Reed watch the good ole magic screen before me with a beautiful golden light spun into a circle spinning out of control instantly ensnaring you with one snap and you are last to my words as your life passes by you.” I begin. “Reed you can’t move any longer as you are focus on me, you see my face it’s in the center your focal point Reed you love me now and I am all you know because your mind, body, life and soul are mine to use.” I continue to speak in to his ears. The first time in his life Reed has to be one to accept now powerful his sexual feel of submission has become him as his cock stirs, growing so hard making his cock even hard, horny and over the top. A powerful beam shooting in to both of his eye balls he succumbs completely body falling limp in to my thrall.

“Your wife immediately gave up her free will into my love, lust, need and desires.”

“Yes Master, Sue is yours and I don’t care.”

“Master Lawrence “

“Sue? What is it?”

“How may I serve you?”

“Enter the machine strip him naked “

“Make love to him and remove the last of his will”

“With pleasure “

“Mwahahahahaha “

“Ben are you ready?”

“Yes Sire”

“You see that shaft in the back “

“Join your training and punishment “

“What is this ?”

“The door is shut “

“Help!”

“Relax Ben!”

“Watch as you heal and return normal “

“You will always be The Thing”

“What about me?”

“Strip off “

“Slip under me”

“Oh Master”

“Yes”

“Fuck me”

“Mwahahahahaha “

“Rip it off”

“I rule The Shitastic Four”

The end

[to-proudly-go]

WIP SNIP

Thanks for the tag @spikybanana !!!

Also open tag for everyone if yall like 😘

Dad Vader/Anakin and slowburn Obikin LEZZGO (although it's really just a compilation of random ideas in a document rn 😩)

***

“Peace, little one,” Anakin whispers, and the near-forgotten notes of a lilting warm voice almost floats in the air, harmonizing with his own broken timber. “I am here."

His gloved thumb slides back and forth on Luke’s forehead, smoothing out the lines over bunched-up muscles.

“Nothing will hurt you here.”

As he comforts his son, in his mind unfolds long ago memories and sensations. The anxiety and fear in a place so unfamiliar and unknown, full of beings that distrusted him. The determination to stay near the singular Light that felt safe and welcoming, and the cold hard floor on his back as he dared to get as close as he could to the source of the warmth. His mind skirting on the edge of consciousness and feeling engulfed by gentle touches and reassurance. Then the surprise when he wakes up and is greeted by the sight of two blue eyes crinkling at the sides with the strength of their owner’s smile, and soft words to greet the day.

***

He will have time for guilt later. For now, Anakin hopes that he can give the precious bundle in his arms the same measure of love that he was also selflessly given that night - and many other nights after - so long ago.

[blueiscoool]

Ancient Marble Bust Found at the Bottom of an Italian Lake

Experts suggest the sculpture lived on one of two ornate ships Emperor Caligula commissioned in the 1st century C.E.

An ancient marble bust has been found at the bottom of Italy’s Lake Nemi. Archeologists suggest the object may have once lived on a ship built by the Roman Emperor Caligula two millennia ago.

The stone head was discovered during a routine dredging of the volcanic lake overseen by the Municipal Civil Protection of Nemi, and has since been handed over to experts for analysis.

The city has yet to confirm details about the sculpture, including its age, but you can’t blame outsiders for speculating on its historical significance.

Located just south of Rome, Lake Nemi is one of the world’s great underwater archeological sites. It was there that, in the 1st century C.E., two ornate ships commissioned by Caligula sunk, filling the lakebed with timbers, tarred wool, marbles, and mosaics, among other trappings.

For generations, locals had known of the sunken ships’ existence, but it wasn’t until the late 1920s and ‘30s, when Benito Mussolini ordered the lakes to be drained, that they were removed. The director had the remains of the vessels placed in a museum, but the site burned down during a World War II bombing raid.

Artifacts from the vessels have been continually recovered from the body of water since. One such piece, a mosaic designed for a dance floor, was returned to Italy in 2021 after being used as a coffee table in a New York City apartment for 45 years.

Like many details of Caligula’s reign, the exact purpose of the two ships is unknown. Some believe they held religious significance, as Lake Nemi was once considered sacred. Both were elaborate, but one is thought to have been truly opulent, a floating palace replete with silk sails, fountains, and bathrooms with plumbing.

Whether the recently discovered marble bust was one of the decorations on this ship is not yet known.

The mayor of Nemi, Alberto Bertucci, told Italy’s Dire news agency that he “hopes that this discovery will shed new light on the history of Caligula and his legacy, allowing the secrets hidden in the depths of Lake Nemi to be revealed again.”

[strangewriter2]

Why do leaves fall in autumn?

Why do leaves fall in autumn- Every 12 months, as autumn methods trees undergo a beautiful transformation. Leaves shift from vibrant vegetables to rich sun shades of pink orange  and yellow earlier than gracefully drifting to the floor. This yearly spectacle is both a visible pride and a important part of the herbal cycle. But why do leaves fall in autumn? The system is a lot greater than only a trade in scenery. It is a critical survival strategy for trees. In this blog, we’ll discover the technological know-how behind why leaves fall in autumn dropping light on the complicated biological mechanisms and the environmental elements at play.

The Role of Leaves in a Tree’s Life

To recognize why leaves fall in autumn it’s important to first draw close their function inside the life of a tree. Leaves are the powerhouses of timber answerable for photosynthesis the procedure by way of which they convert daylight into energy. Inside the leaf’s cells  chlorophyll the green pigment  absorbs light power and facilitates rework carbon dioxide and water into sugars which fuel the tree’s growth and improvement. 

Leaves act like tiny sun panels  shooting daylight and converting it into power. However at some point of autumn as daylight hours shorten and temperatures drop. the system of photosynthesis turns into less green. 

The Science Behind Leaf Fall

The falling of leaves regarded scientifically as abscission  is an adaptive response to converting environmental situations. Trees drop their leaves to preserve water and electricity in the course of the chillier months when sources are scarce. Here’s the way it works:

Daylight and Temperature Changes

One of the most significant factors influencing leaf fall is the change in sunlight hours and temperature. As autumn approaches, the days become shorter, and temperatures start to drop. This indicates to the tree that it’s time to prepare for winter, while the conditions for photosynthesis will be less favorable.

Chlorophyll Breakdown

During summer leaves are complete of chlorophyllnthe green pigment that allows photosynthesis. However  as autumn starts bushes stop producing chlorophyll  causing the inexperienced colour to vanish. This breakdown reveals different pigments in the leaves  including carotenoids (which provide yellow and orange hues) and anthocyanins (which make contributions to reds and purples). 

Formation of the Abscission Layer

As the chlorophyll breaks down and photosynthesis slows the tree begins to form a specialized layer of cells at the base of each leaf stem  referred to as the abscission layer. This layer steadily cuts off the float of water and nutrients among the leaf and the tree. Eventually  the leaf weakens and is shed from the tree.often aided by using wind or gravity. The abscission layer additionally helps shield the tree from ability damage or infection when the leaf falls off.

Energy Conservation

Winter poses a venture for trees  as water can come to be scarce and the bloodless can harm residing tissue. By losing their leaves deciduous bushes lessen water loss through transpiration the method by means of which water is evaporated from the leaf surface. Without leaves trees can conserve water and redirect their stored electricity to keep their middle structures at some point of winter dormancy. 

Why Don’t All Trees Lose Their Leaves?

It’s crucial to be aware that now not all timber lose their leaves in autumn. This phenomenon particularly applies to deciduous timber  which consist of species like okay maples  and birches. These timber are adapted to environments with wonderful seasonal changes and have developed to drop their leaves to continue to exist chillier temperatures and restricted sunlight.

On the alternative hand  evergreen timber consisting of pines spruces  and firs hold their needles or leaves in the course of the 12 months. Their needle-like leaves are tailored to preserve water  with a waxy coating that minimizes water loss. Additionall  evergreens generally tend to thrive in environments wherein they could continue photosynthesizing. even in chillier situations. 

Ecological Benefits of Leaf Fall

The annual losing of leaves isn’t best critical for the tree’s survival but additionally plays a widespread function inside the ecosystem. As leaves decompose at the wooded area ground  they enrich the soil with vitamins like nitrogen and carbon. These vitamins guide the increase of vegetation and fungi and maintain various forms of wildlife  contributing to the health and balance of the woodland surroundings.

The layer of fallen leaves also acts as a defensive blanket for the soil, supporting to maintain moisture and save you erosion. Additionally  the leaves offer safe haven for small creatures which include insects worms  and microorganisms which damage down the organic rely and further improve the soil. Leaf litter is an quintessential a part of the natural cycle  turning the discarded remains of one season into the fuel for the next.

Cultural and Symbolic Significance

Beyond its biological importance the fall of leaves in autumn has long been a symbol in human way of life. Throughout history  human beings have associated autumn with issues of trade letting cross  and renewal. In literature and artwork  falling leaves are regularly used to represent the passage of time  the inevitable modifications in life  or the splendor of impermanence.

Conclusion

The question “Why do leaves fall in autumn?” is spoke back not best by means of the elaborate technology in the back of the system however additionally by the wider ecological and symbolic roles that leaf fall plays in our global. It is a essential adaptation for bushes supporting them preserve energy and water all through the cruel winter months. The colorful transformation of leaves earlier than they fall is a byproduct of the tree’s coaching for dormancy  at the same time as the leaves that hit the floor nourish the environment  making sure the continuation of the herbal cycle.

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