#fox river derivatives

[literaryvein-reblogs]

A Writing Refresher: Basic Grammatical Terms

Adjective: A word which qualifies or modifies the meaning of a noun; as in a 'red hat' or a 'quick fox'. They can be used to complement the verbs 'to be' or 'to seem' ('Sue seems happy today'). Adjectives are sometimes formed from nouns or verbs by the addition of a suffix such as '-able' (lovable), '-ful' (heedful), '-ic' (heroic), '-ish' (foolish), '-ive' (combative), '-ous' (famous), or '-y' (needy).

Adverb: A word which qualifies or adds to the action of a verb: as in 'he ran quickly', or 'he ran fast'. Adverbs can also qualify adjectives, as in 'the grass is intensely green'. They are usually formed by adding '-ly' to an adjective: 'playfully', 'combatively', 'foolishly'. They can also sometimes be formed by the addition of '-wise' to a noun ('the hands went round clockwise).

Clause: The word is often used but very hard to define. It is a sentence or sentence-like construction included within another sentence. A main clause might be a simple noun plus verb ('I did it'). A co-ordinate clause is of equal status with the main clause: 'I did it and she did it at the same time.' A subordinate clause might be nested within a sentence using the conjunction 'that': 'he said that the world was flat.' Here 'he said' is the main clause and the subordinate clause is 'the world was flat'. Relative clauses are usually introduced by a relative pronoun: 'I read the book which was falling to pieces'; 'She spoke to the man who was standing at the bar.'

Conjunction: A word used to connect words or constructions. Co-ordinating conjunctions such as 'and', and 'but' link together elements of equal importance in a sentence ('Fish and chips' are of equal importance). Subordinating conjunctions such as 'because', 'if', 'although', connect a subordinate clause to its superordinate clause ('We will do it if you insist'; 'We did it because he insisted).

Noun: A word used as the name or designation of a person or thing, such as 'duck' or 'river'. Abstract nouns denote abstract properties, such as 'invisibility', 'gentleness'. Proper nouns are nouns that designate one thing, as, for example, personal names.

Object: Usually the thing to which the action of a verb is done. More technically a substantive word, phrase, or clause, immediately dependent on, or ‘governed by’, a verb, as expressing, in the case of a verb of action, the person or thing to which the action is directed, or on which it is exerted; that which receives the action of the verb. So 'the man patted the dog', 'the woman was reading the book'. An indirect object of a verb denotes that which is indirectly affected by an action, but wihch is not the immediate product of it, as ‘Give him the book’, ‘Make me a coat’.

Participle: a word derived from a verb which functions like an adjective, as in 'let sleeping dogs lie'. More technically 'A word that partakes of the nature of a verb and an adjective; a derivative of a verb which has the function and construction of an adjective (qualifying a noun), while retaining some of those of the verb'. Present participles usually end in '-ing' and usually describe an action which is going on at the same time as the verb: so in the sentence '"Go and play on your own street," she said, kicking the ball', the saying and the kicking are simultaneous. Past participles usually end in '-ed' or '-en' ('the door was kicked in'; 'the door was broken'). They are used in two main ways: combined with the verb 'have' they form a past or 'perfect' tense (so called because it describes an action which has been completed or 'perfected'), as in 'I have smashed the plate'. Past participles can also be used in passive constructions (which describe what was done to something rather than what something did), as in 'the plate was smashed'.

Preposition: A part of speech which indicates a connection, between two other parts of speech, such as 'to', 'with', 'by' or 'from'. 'She came from China', 'He gave the chocolates to me'.

Pronoun: A part of speech which stands for a noun: 'he', 'she', 'him', 'her', 'them'. Possessive pronouns express ownership ('his', 'hers'). Reflexive pronouns are 'herself', 'himself', 'myself' and are used either for emphasis (he did it all himself'), or when an action reflects back on the agent who performs it ('he shot himself in the foot'). Relative pronouns include 'who', 'which', 'that' and are usually used in the form 'he rebuked the reader who had sung in the library'. Interrogative pronouns ask questions ('Who stole the pie?'; 'Which pie?'). Indefinite pronouns do not specify a particular person or thing: 'Anyone who studies grammar must be mad.' 'Somebody has to know about this stuff.'

Sentence: This is a term which professional linguists still find impossible to define adequately. It is usually supposed to be 'A sequence of words which makes complete sense, containing subject, object and main verb, and concluded by a full-stop'.

Subject: Usually the person or thing who is performing the action of a verb. More technically the grammatical subject is the part of a sentence of which an action is predicated: 'the man patted the dog'. It can be a single noun, or it can been a complex clause: 'the bald man who had just picked up the ball gave it to the dog.'

Syntax (Greek 'together arrangement'): a term designating the way in which words can be arranged and modified to construct sentences. Writers characteristically use syntactic sub-ordination when they aim for a highly formal effect, and syntactic co-ordination when they aim for a simpler, more straight-forward effect.

Verb: Usually a word which describes an action (such as 'he reads poems', 'she excels at cricket'). More technically 'That part of speech by which an assertion is made, or which serves to connect a subject with a predicate.' This technical definition includes the most frequent verb in the language: the verb 'to be' which can be used to connect a 'subject', such as 'he', with a 'predicate', such as 'good at hockey'. There are verbs which take an object ('he raps the desk'), which are called transitive verbs. Other verbs do not, and are termed intransitive verbs ('I sit, he lives'). Some verbs can be used either transitively or intransitively: 'I sing' is an intransitive usage; 'Paul McCartney sings "God save the Queen"' is a transitive usage. The main verb is the verb on which the structure of the sentence depends, and without which the sentence would not make any sense. In the following sentence the verb 'fell' is the main verb: 'The boy, who had run too quickly, fell'.

[bestiarium]

The Sottai [French-Belgian folklore]

Few folklore traditions are as common throughout Europe as the supposed existence of a race of tiny, dwarf-like creatures. Usually hidden from human society, these beings are usually not evil or malicious but do tend to be tricksters.

The Sottai, also called Sotê or Sotai, is a species of tiny leprechaun-like creatures living in Vosges and Lorraine, in France, and also near the Ambl��ve river in Wallonia (Belgium). Specifically, in Belgium they are said to inhabit the caverns of Remouchamps.

The Sottais are characterized by their laziness and absolutely detest physical labour, but they are nevertheless helpful and usually willing to help out people in need. Indeed, there are stories about Sottais helping out workers and farmers and only demanding food in return.

It is known that these little creatures greatly enjoy parties and festivities, and they happen to be excellent dancers as well. Though not particularly dangerous or malicious, they are also exceptionally skilled archers. As a local story from the Ardennes goes, emperor Charlemagne of the Carolingian Empire was greeted by a troupe of Sottais when he was travelling through the Ardennes. Impressed by their archery skills, he invited them to become a part of his royal entourage, but the creatures refused and returned to their homes.

The name ‘Sottai’ might have been derived from ‘sot’ (silly or foolish) or ‘les sottes gens’ which means something like ‘the silly people’. This implies they were known as tricksters and jokers.

The Sottais, however, are all gone today, as they have all been killed by soldiers from Luxembourg. The soldiers collected bundles of dry wood and lit them on fire at the entrances of the cave system which the little folk inhabited. After being smoked out of their homes like foxes in a hunt, the Sottais were slaughtered. Those who managed to escape found out that the military men were being aided by the local population, which the Sottais had always helped out. Shocked by this betrayal and the cruelty of humans, the little folk left forever.

One Sottai remained, however: a local legend from Wallonia tells of Glawenn, a young Sottai with curly hair, the only one who stayed behind. He did not leave with his brethren, because he was hopelessly in love with a human girl named Garite. The tiny Sottai had been friends with the girl since they were little, and he would often bring her gifts which he had crafted with great skill. Garite eventually married a farmer named Thomas, and though it pained Glawenn, he accepted his fate and told Garite that ‘everything I do for you, I would gladly do for your husband and children’.

As the story goes, Thomas had sown rye on his field, but he had rotten luck and nothing would grow on his lands, even though the fields of his neighbours were full of life. One day, in a fit of rage and frustration, Thomas yelled ‘the devil may have this field and everything in it!’

Unexpectedly, a strange whispering sound came floating on the wind and it sounded a lot like someone saying ‘thank you’. Thomas was chilled to his very bones when he looked at his fields and realized that Pierre, his 4-year-old son, was playing there. He understood now that he had given his own child to the devil, albeit unintentionally.

Uncertain what to do, he told everything to his wife Garite. Garite, in turn, went to the cave where the last Sottai lived, hoping that her childhood friend could help them out. Meanwhile, the rye was growing very well, and her son Pierre had grown tall and strong as well.

When the time came for Thomas to harvest his crops, a strange man emerged from a nearby shrub. He was ugly, tall and thin, and wore a strange costume that didn’t resemble anything the locals wore. The man stopped Thomas, and told him that the crops rightfully belonged to him, as did his son Pierre. Thomas had, after all, given him his land and everything in it.

But Thomas was brave and argued that the devil did not have the right to take these things based solely on a loose promise made in anger. The devil retorted that Thomas had indeed given him these things, and it was because of the devil that the crops had grown tall. And so the two argued back and forth until the devil came with a proposal. The next morning, they would play a game, and the winner would receive both the land and the boy.

For the first round, both Thomas and the devil had to bring one animal: their opponent had to guess which species it belonged to. In the second round, both players had to come up with a task – something doable and natural – that the other had to complete.

Thomas told the entire story to his wife, who yelled at him for being a complete idiot. She went to see Glawenn again, and the little leprechaun told her “tell Thomas to show up half an hour early, and to do everything I tell him to. I will help him win this contest.”

The next morning, Thomas saw the strangest animal he had ever seen: it was about 60 cm (2 feet) high, had 4 legs, and was covered in colourful feathers. In truth, this was Glawenn, hunched over and covered in feathers. Sure enough, the devil showed up and he could not guess what strange animal Thomas had brought. But he himself had an even weirder creature, the likes of which Thomas had never seen. Luckily, Glawenn saw through the fiendish ruse and understood that it was nothing more than a goat in a fancy disguise. He whispered ‘it is a goat!’ to Thomas and so they had won the first round.

For the second game, Thomas gave the devil some of Glawenn’s unnaturally curly hair, and told him to straighten it. But try as he might, even the devil himself was unable to accomplish this.

Realizing he was defeated, the devil retaliated and told Thomas ‘for your task, you will throw this leprechaun in the Adseux river, and if you refuse, I will have both your son and your land.’

The past few weeks had seen heavy rainfall, and so the Adseux was wild and deep. There was no way Glawenn could possibly survive this. But Glawenn accepted his fate and, with his hand on his heart, proclaimed his love for Garite one final time before jumping to his demise. Mercifully, death came quickly, for the tiny man was smashed against the sharp rocks almost immediately. The river carried his remains to the cavern of Remouchamps, where he was born. Defeated, the devil disappeared.

And so the last Sottai died.  

Sources: La Garde, M., 1865, Le val de l’Amblève. Histoires et scènes ardennaises, 2ième édition, Ve Parent & Fils, 468 pp., p. 237-251. Méchin, C., 2010, Petit dicionnaire des mythes et légendes en Ardenne, édition 2010 revue et augmentée, The Book Edition, 250 pp., p. 227. Institut Archéologique Liégeois, 1852, Bulletin de l’Institut Archéologique Liégeois, Volumes 1-2, Maison Curtius, 568 pp., p. 273-274. (image source 1: Victor Prouvé) (image 2: a 1923 poster advertising the caverns of Remouchamps, where the Sottais supposedly lived. Image taken from ClassicPosterGallery)

[numinousmysteries]

Full Circle

[on Ao3]

November 27, 2023

She finds him in the backyard studying the stars. The luminous full moon threatens to overpower the night sky. It’s the beaver moon, named for the creature that retreats to its home every November to ride out the winter. The beaver hides from the cold, unlike the fox who trudges along through snow and frost.

She knows his gaze isn’t content to rest on the moon. He’s staring light years back in time, seeking starlight that’s been dead for millennia, looking for a little girl who disappeared half a century ago tonight. 

The story is so familiar that it’s become interwoven into her own memory. She closes her eyes and feels his terror. The forgotten board game. Samantha’s floral nightgown. The ribbons in her hair. The bright light. His sudden paralysis. The moment his innocence shattered and he lost his faith that the world was benevolent and people were good. It was the loss that dominoed a lifetime of loss: his parents, her sister, her daughter, their son, and, five years ago, the cluster of cells they created against all odds, gone in a piercing cramp and a river of blood before it ever had a fighting chance. 

He came close to losing her too many times—to mutants, to murderers, to cancer, to his own vortex of despair. But tonight, at least, she is here. She comes to stand vigil beside him, wordlessly taking his hand as they both peer out into the clear night sky. He is like a kintsugi bowl, more cracked than whole, but with her golden light filling in the lines of fissure. They are two broken people who only remain upright by leaning on each other. Without her, he would disintegrate, the fibers of his being wrested apart and she would do the same.

His hand is warm in hers. Somehow, still, his heart beats and blood courses through his veins. Energy, derived from starlight, still burns in his every cell keeping him alive, and breathing, and beside her. And somehow, still, her heart pumps to match his rhythm, her lungs rise and fall, and she survives. For what purpose, though, she does not know. 

She hears footsteps in the tall grass behind them. Perhaps this is it. Some henchman sent to finally obliterate them for what they’ve seen, for what they know, for angering any number of the enemies they’ve made along the way. Mulder doesn’t budge. At this point, does it matter? They have weapons inside they could rush to retrieve, but the urge for self-preservation has dulled. What is left to preserve? What remains to be defended? 

Still, she lets go of his hand to see who’s approaching. A figure looms in front of their home, his shape caught in the moonlight. He’s skinnier than the last time she laid eyes on him, with a dark, matted beard but she knows it’s him. She would know him in any form, in any universe, this child—now a man—who grew inside her body, who she gave life to, who she failed to protect. 

“William,” she whispers, and Mulder finally turns away from the sky to face him. 

Together, they cross the yard to meet him, stepping so gently as if they’re pursuing a wild animal who could flinch and flee at any moment. But he doesn’t budge. He stands still, allowing her to bring her fingertips to his face, feeling his rough skin and ragged beard. His flesh is cold under her hands and she instinctively pulls him in close to her. His knobby, jagged vertebrae poke through his threadbare coat. How is this the same body she once held in her arms and nurtured with her breast?

She slides her hands down his sinewy arms to hold his elbows as she pulls back to examine his face—his father’s hazy eyes stare back at her. He turns to look at Mulder, standing next to her, his own eyes blank. For as long as she’s known Mulder, his driving force was a desire to believe, but now she isn’t sure he has any trust left in that conviction. Decades of false hopes have finally worn him down, so now the burden to believe rests on her.

She takes Mulder’s hand in hers and lifts it to William’s face. He keeps his palm on the younger man’s cheek but doesn’t move. 

“It’s really you,” she says just above a whisper.

“It’s me,” her son responds, his voice hoarse and tired. 

She looks desperately into Mulder’s eyes for any sign of recognition. She knows he’s scared. She’s terrified, herself. Getting another chance at reuniting with their son only to have it be an illusion, or to have him ripped away again would destroy them both. It’d be the final blow to an already fragile existence. The fracture that would ultimately tear down the shaky frame he’d been struggling to maintain for half a century. 

Silently, she urges him to embrace William, to let himself believe just one more time. But it’s William who steps forward first, wrapping his arms around his father and resting his head on his shoulder. She watches as Mulder shuts his eyes and inhales deeply, taking in the essence of their son. 

“Come inside,” she says. “Let’s get you warm.” 

She guides William by the arm toward the backdoor. 

Before he follows them in, Mulder turns back, raising his eyes to the stars once more. There is no replacing what is lost. He will always be a brother without a sister, a son without parents, a father without a child. Fifty years ago, his family was cleaved apart. Tonight, they will attempt to forge a new one together. Three broken down, battered souls trying to form a whole.

[princess-of-the-corner]

Little rant about the location of the Miraculous Guardians' temple in Tibet... And of how NONSENSICAL it is, for three reasons:

First of all, the Order has strong Chinese influences... But historically Tibet isn't China. It was a separate civilization, with its own culture, language, and writing system of INDIAN derivation (considering how many peoples adopted the Chinese writing system, it's a pretty big deal), that at one point even posed an exhistential threat to the Tang Dynasty. The only thing Tibetan temples have in common with SOME Chinese temples is that they're from (different schools of) Mahayana Buddhism... And that would lead in the second reason for nonsense.

Songshan, or Mount Song. The mountain range where we can find Shaolin Temple, the center of Chan Buddhism and where Chinese martial arts originate from. And to top it off, Chinese astrological mythology consider Songshan "the centre of Heaven and Earth". We already have a location in China that would be PERFECT to hide the temple where the Miraculous are held... If it wasn't for the third reason.

The Chinese Miraculous Box uses the Wuxing for the Fox, Butterfly, Bee, Peacock, and Turtle Miraculous... And the Wuxing is a TAOIST concept. Not Buddhist, Taoist. A different philosophy/religion (I don't know nowhere near enough of it to claim it's either or both) from Buddhism. Meaning the Order of the Guardians is fundamentally incompatible with the Tibetan location.

A better location could be either the Wudang Mountains, location of various important Taoist temples, or the Bayan Har Mountains, from which flows the Yellow River in whose basin, according to legend, at one point ruled the Yellow Emperor, mythical creator of many principles of Taoism. But instead Astruc went for Tibet, because many legends have sages with mystical powers living there and because China CURRENTLY controls the place. Talk about creative lazyness...

Sorry for the rant, but Miraculous Ladybug has such an enormous potential wasted by the creative lazyness, arrogance, and immaturity of one man, and after stumbling on the Wikipedia page about the Wudang mountains I had to vent.

This is all quite fascinating actually. But yeah ML just kinda yoinks the vibes

[princesssarisa]

There are more meanings of Barbie characters' names?

I'll go through the whole list of Barbie's family and friends from Wikipedia for all the characters I didn't list before.

Barbie's family members

George (her father): "Farmer."

Margaret (her mother): "Pearl."

Tutti (her discontinued sister): An Italian word that means "all" – best known in the US from "tutti frutti" ("all fruits"), a term for mixture of chopped candied fruits or for sweets with a mixed fruit flavor. For Barbie's sister, it must be a nickname.

Francie (her cousin): Short for Frances, meaning "Frenchwoman."

Jazzie (another cousin): Jazz is a style of music; the slang term "jazzy" means bright, colorful, and showy, like the music. It could also be a nickname for Jasmine. It's obviously a nickname, at any rate.

Kirsten (another cousin): "Christian."

Lulu (another cousin): Probably short for Louise or Louisa, meaning "famous in battle," or for Lucinda or Lucia, meaning "light," or for Lucille, meaning "little light."

Millicent (her aunt): "Strong in work" or "unceasing strength."

Adele (another aunt): "Noble."

Female friends (she's had so many!)

Raquelle: "Ewe."

Grace: Self-evident.

Stacey: Derived from Anastasia, meaning "resurrection," or from Eustacia, meaning "fruitful."

P.J.: Unknown; we'd need to know what her initials stand for.

Steffie: Short for Stephanie, meaning "crown" or "wreath."

Cara: "Beloved."

Whitney: "White island."

Miko: "Delicious" or "entertaining."

Kira: "Young" or "black."

Becky: Short for Rebecca, meaning "tie" or "snare."

Kayla: Derived from Catherine, meaning "far off" or "pure."

Lea: "Weary."

Jamie: "Heel-grabber" or "supplanter."

Kelley: "Bright-headed."

Devon: "Calf" or "fawn."

Tracy: "Warlike" or "fierce."

Nia: "Bright" or "purpose."

Viky: Short for Victoria, meaning "victory."

Tara Lynn: Tara means "elevated place" or "star"; Lynn means "lake."

Lara: "Citadel."

Drew: Originally a male name derived from Andrew, meaning "manly."

Melody: Self-evident.

Simone: "Listening."

Shannen: A variant of Shannon, the name of a river in Ireland, which probably comes from a root word meaning "old" or "ancient."

Maiko: "Child in a linen robe" or "dancing child."

Harper: "Harp maker."

Renee: "Reborn."

Daisy: "Daisy flower," of course.

Tia: "Aunt."

Courtney: "Short nose."

Desiree: "Desired."

Ling: "Spirit" or "bell."

Dee Dee: Unknown; originally a nickname for anyone whose name started with D.

Dana: "God is my judge" or "wise."

Diva: A term for a singing star (especially an arrogant one), from the Italian word for "goddess." Obviously a nickname.

Tori: Short for Victoria, meaning "victory."

Susie: Short for Susan, meaning "lily."

Nichelle: A cross between Nicole, meaning "victory of the people," and Michelle, meaning "Who is like God?"

Marissa: "Of the sea."

Ana: "Grace" or "favor."

Gabbie: Short for Gabriella, meaning "God is my strength."

Chelsie: "Chalk wharf."

Marie: "Bitter," "drop of the sea," or "beloved."

Mari: "Truth," among other possible meanings.

Mariko: "Child of truth" or "jasmine child," among other possible meanings.

Isla: "Island."

Male friends

Blaine: "Yellow."

Derek: "Ruler of the people."

Curtis: "Courteous."

Todd: "Fox."

Steven: "Crown" or "wreath."

Kurt: "Brave counsel."

Ryan: "Little king."

Barbie's younger siblings have lots of friends too, but I'd be here all day if I tried to look up their names' meanings too.

[iamheretemporarly]

hey dude. . . simple american here. can you tell us some cool awesome whimsical facts about Algeria? :))

OOOOOOOH ANON YOU JUST OPENED THE FLOODGATES

Algeria used to own the strongest navy ever known in the Mediterranean Sea, its power was so big that we used to have full control over the sea, nothing going in nor out without Algerian supervision

Similar to that, Algeria’s navy was so strong it used to tank European powers in battles, we even beat America in a war once

Algeria is full of diverse cultures and races, that includes Arabs, Kabyle, Tuareg, shaoui and much more

Following up to that, Algeria has the nickname of a “continent” given its very diverse landscapes and nature, it has seas and Sahara deserts, it has dunes and it has rock mountains, it has green mountains and green landscapes, it has rivers and it has ponds, it has snowy areas and it has hot areas, every corner of Algeria is like entering a whole new country, but infact you’re still in the same place

Algeria harbours one of the biggest open air museums in the whole world, aka “the Tassili”, which is a Sahara desert area located in the south of Algeria, mostly in the city of Djanet, it is full of beautiful rocks and cave painting that date to thousands of years back

Following up to that, the tassili harbours the oldest rock city “Sefar” that is full of paintings and artefacts that is said to represent tha oldest civilisation in the world

Algeria’s national animal is the fennec fox! Silly lil guy

Algeria’s second president was the first man to ever speak Arabic in the United Nations without interpreting, this was at the times where Arabic was not assigned an official language in the UN

We have a full section in our national anthem that tells France to eat shit and die

Algeria works by a “treat everyone the same way they treat you” system

Algeria is the 10th largest country in the world

It was an Algerian man that put Arabic in computers for the first time ever

Back during the October wars with the Zionist entity Israel, America sold rigged weapons to Egypt, so Algeria was like “nah fuck that” and went into debt with USSR from the amounts of weapons we bought from them

Back when the earthquakes struck Türkiye, the neighbouring country Syria was also badly horribly affected by the same earthquakes, however no country dared to send aids because America put restrictions against it, Algeria’s response to that was “nah fuck you, I do whatever I want” then proceeded to be the first country to actually step in and send help to Syria as well

It was Algerian human frogs that cleared Egypt’s harbour’s from ocean mines and bombs after the war with the Zionist entity

Algerians take dignity seriously, it’s so serious that if you go to Algeria and offer someone a tip they’d actually be offended that you thought that they were helping you for the money

Algeria is famous for its nickname “the country of the million and a half martyr”, that name is derived from the fact that during our 7 year revolution against France, OVER, one million and a half of people were martyred

Following up from that, during the whole 132 years of occupation, it was actually over 5.6 million people that faced martyrdom, the 1.5 million are only the ones that were victim to the 7 year revolution

When Algerians didn’t have access to weapons they used to actually beat the weapons out of the French authorities

Arbi Ben M’hidi, a famous Algerian martyr and figure, was so brave and held into his beliefs so tightly to the point he earned the respect of a French general that was supervising him, not that we need his fucking respect

“What is taken by force is only returned by force” is a famous quote in Algeria that stems from the massacres of 8th of may 1945 where over 45.000 Algerian people were murdered in one day

Little Omar aka Omar yacef is a brave 13 year old boy that used to work for the FLN and as their messenger, he was very brave and is a huge figure in our country, may he rest in peace

Following up to that, Saadi yacef, Omar’s uncle, was one of the FLN heads in Algiers, he managed to live past the revolution and survived to play his own character in the movie about the Algerian revolution, “the battle of Algiers” movie, he also managed to live to the point of seeing a whole hospital be built in the name of his brave nephew in 2014

Algerians have a fuck around and find out mentality, due to all the humiliation we endured for 132 years, we refuse to take any shit any longer

An Algerian’s favourite question is “where are you from”

Algeria once upped the prices of gas so high for France because the president fucked around and had to find out, he had to come over all the way to Algeria to negotiate about this situation

Algerians also go by a “im getting myself out of this hole, I don’t need nobody” mentality, cause for years so many countries turned their backs on us, most notably the dark decade

The dark decade is a time period from 1991 to 2002, where a civil war broke out and terrorism was all around the country, due to that, all countries closed their borders with algeria and called us terrorists and all (except Libya god bless and save our brothers there) so we really didn’t receive any outside help with isis, we had to fight them off on our own, we clawed our way out of that hole ourselves

Similar to that, when extreme forest fire struck algeria a few years back, only few countries offered aid to the destroyed cities, it was Algeria’s own citizens from other cities that donated money, food, clothes etc etc to the affected cities, showcasing the solidarity between our people

Algeria actually had many major resistances before the 1st of November revolution, the most notable one being the emirates of Abdul kader, they really made France run for its money, tho they all failed due to them being separate and all of the resistances dying with their leaders (not all the leaders were killed but still, the resistances stopped when the leader was stopped)

Speaking of Amir Abdul kader, after his resistance was stopped, he was exiled to Syria, there he had managed to actually save the lives of so many Christian folk from murder despite him being a fully Muslim man

Algeria actually had a decent Jewish population, however when France came along they found a way to separate Muslims and jews by giving jews full citizenship while leaving Muslims to eat dust and be their slaves, so when Algerians gained independence they kicked out anyone with a French citizenship, which included the Algerian jews with the citizenship, that resulted in Algeria’s Jewish population to get smaller and smaller as most of them left with the French, leaving Algeria a country that’s 99% muslim

Algeria actually suggested to cut off all gas and petrol on America and Europe to the Arabs a few days ago as a way to peer pressure the west into calling for a ceasefire on Gaza, unfortunately some Arabs countries voted against it

These are the things I could name on the top of my head, hope you enjoyed this silly infodump

[dp-marvel94]

The Same Type of Ghost- Chapter 2

Summary: Deep in the Infinite Realms, something writhed. And only Clockwork can help.

Word Count: 2308

Chapter 1 -> Chapter 2(here) -> Chapter 3

Also on AO3

Note: For @everystarstorm @modordracena @five-rivers @currentlylurking @aedelia

For Phic Phight 2023. Welcome to the second chapter! This chapter is from Clockwork's pov, which prove to be so hard to write. 😭 Used the two prompts below.

Clockwork is DEFINITELY not sick, stressed, tired, or overwhelmed. The idea of an incredibly powerful ghost with control over time itself experiencing anything like that is ridiculous! Everything is fine, and anything that implies otherwise is mere coincidence. Lurking | Lurking🕓🍁#5333 | Currentlylurking| currentlylurking | (Team Human)

Clockwork knew about Danielle of course, he knew everything. But knowing about her was not enough to prepare him for the full force of her puppy-eyes when she came to him asking for help. Aedelia | Aedelia#2626 | aedelia | neokid93 | neokid93 (team Ghost)

Clockwork is DEFINITELY not sick, stressed, tired, or overwhelmed. The idea of an incredibly powerful ghost with control over time itself experiencing anything like that is ridiculous! Everything is fine, and anything that implies otherwise is mere coincidence. Lurking | Lurking🕓🍁#5333 | Currentlylurking| currentlylurking | (Team Human)

In eternity past. Before the stars took their places, before the first plant opened its leaves to the sun, before the first human received the breath of time, there was Time.

The ectoplasm of the newborn Infinite Realms swirled, condescending. A form took shape, the vague impression of a human body, though indistinct, blending in with the surrounding atmosphere. For a moment, the first ghost hung in the air, present but unaware. 

Then…. their consciousness awoke. And it screamed.

Too much… Infinite images filled their mind… their minds: one but many, many but one. Mountains eroding into dust. Stars exploding into Supernovas. Flowers, opening to the sun and wilting in the light. A chick, breaking out of its shell and a blink later, being eaten by a fox. A woman, screaming in pains of childbirth, then holding her son. A man, dancing with a little girl, and later weeping at her grave. The ticking of a clock.

The future reached back. Countless impressions of time and its meaning molded, imprinted on the very fabric of reality. The changing of the seasons. The cycle of the moon. The tides. The flow of a river, banks overflowing and flood receding. Birth and Life and Death. All these added.

Millennia of civilization, differing cultures. Tribes, villages, towns, cities, great metropolises. So many people, so many thoughts and experiences. Billions of mortal minds, each with their own conception of time.

An orderly procession. A cruel master. A caring father. A power hungry tyrant. Impersonal, passionless. A comforting hand. 

Time was a circle. Time was a straight line. It was steady and dependable. It was variable and relative. It was methodical. It was chaotic. It was impartial. It was ruthless. It was compassionate. 

Time was all these things and more. And yet…

It was too much. Too many images, too many thoughts. A prism of numerous factions, stacked on top of each other. It was too much for such a new ghost, for one so limited, so like the mortals and their thoughts which the being derived from. 

And the power…. pause, rewind, fast-forward, reverse. Creation and destruction. Time, the power to control time itself. So much power, too much power in one so fragile.

It was too much. Too much for the small, humanoid form to contain. Time unraveled, definition ripping away. Growing larger. Expansive, stretching around the Realms. The power of Time lashed out, pained, distressed, confused.

Creation strained, trembling under the weight. Volcanoes erupted. Hurricane winds blew. Disease. Destruction. Death. The timestream shook, splintering with the pressure. Paradoxes sprung up, welling from the cracks. Dying in reverse. Individual people, towns, cities blinked out of existence. Civilizations lost and reborn in an instant. Entire species… extinct, always existed, and never evolved. All at once. 

Existence groaned, cried, wept, all filled with suffering and chaos. On and On and On and On and….

The chiming of a bell tower. The ticking of a clock,

Instantly, Time paused. An image: gears and springs. The swinging of a pendulum. A grand clock tower. Somewhere in the mass of a body, an impression of a head tilted, curious. 

More flashed but… slow and ordered. A tadpole, sprouting its legs. Wheat stalks, blown in the wind. Two children, playing in a creek. A man and a woman, sharing a tender kiss. 

Time made a confused hum. They did not understand….

More images. Trees growing, reaching towards the sky. A mother cat, grooming her kitten. A father, lifting his son on his shoulders, the child reaching high enough to pick an apple. A mother, teaching her daughter to sew. A family, sitting in front of a fire and sharing stories.

A spark of understanding. Was this…. their purpose? A sense of rightness welled at the thought. Yes. Yes. This was why they came into existence. To guide life, to help it flourish. 

The planet Earth, suspended in space. A blue and green dot, utterly unique in the big, grand  universe. The masterpiece of creation. And this was why… this was why they came into existence, to serve the Earth and its life. Especially humankind. 

And… a glimpse of Time’s future flashed in their understanding. Long years of service, repairing the damage they’d caused. Shadows of loneliness, an aching core.

But…. there, far off was love. They would love and be loved in return. The vague impression of laughter, hugs, goodnight kisses. There would be joy, centered around…  a child with white-black hair, green-blue eyes. 

Yes. Yes. An impression of eyes crinkled. This was a good future.

They would be a kind, compassionate, steady helper. Not without mischief and humor, of course. A knowing smile bloomed on the face, the ticking of a clock from deep within.

The expansive personification of Time condensed, growing smaller. Yes. They knew what they would be. The image of Father Time…. That felt right. They… no, He. Singular, not plural. Not the contradictory prism. Not the unstable conglomeration. But one, singular personality. Not all of Time but its instrument.

The form folded in on itself, down and down. Into the shape of a human male, the body of a grandfather (Ha! He already liked the pun there.) clock embedded in his chest. 

He would be, he was Clockwork.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the present, Clockwork looked away from his time window, from the memories of his origin. He had seen and been so much back then, in those first moments of existence. So different from his current personage. Even now he did not know how, but he had been humbled, compressed into a much smaller, more manageable form. It could be constricting; after millennia, he could perceive and utilize the immensity of his greater consciousness much more readily than at his origin. But being often so limited did have its perks, such as greater ease interacting with mortals and near-mortals.

Speaking of…. With a thought, another time window opened, this one showing two young ghosts. A tall, scarred, muscular male and a much smaller, white-haired female. Ah, yes. Prometheus and Danielle, two of the young Daniel’s clone siblings. 

The two children spoke, the girl’s hand on the boy’s arm as he cried. The younger’s eyes were drawn wide, words pleading. But it proved fruitless as her brother turned away, sobs increasing. He wobbly flew forward, throwing himself into…

“Curious.” Clockwork’s head tilted. The image in the glass blurred, the object of Prometheus’ interaction invisible to the time master’s sight. An irregularity in the timestream then. “Curious indeed.” 

On the screen, the girl paused, staring after her sibling for a long moment before… “Time… ” determination settled on her face. “Clockwork…” The child hurried away. “We need Clockwork. He’ll… he’ll help.”

Again, the image closed, leaving the viewing room silent. 

Clockwork gripped his staff, brow furrowed in consideration. The girl was on her way now, this being the first time she chose to seek him out. Never before had seen even occupied Daniel on a visit, but now… he’ll help. She sought his assistance, and regarding something unperceived by his sight. 

Again, curiosity sparked at the thought. “Well, let her come then.” The ghost mussed, shifting into an old man as he opened the path to the lair. Danielle should have no trouble finding it now.

Sure enough, a knock sounded at his door, not twenty minutes later. “Clockwork!” Came her shout. 

“I’m coming, I’m coming, child.” Clockwork hurried forward. 

The Master of Time opened the door. The younger ghost flew through, nearly bowling him over, if not for his foresight.

The old ghost gave a chuckle. “You are in quite a hurry, aren't you?”

The teasing, normally so soothing to his other charge, had no such effect.

“I can’t believe I found this place so fast. This is the Clocktower, right?” She eyed him a little suspiciously, gaze fixing on the pendulum in his chest. “And you’re Clockwork?”

“I am.” The adult ghost gave her a disarming smile. 

For a moment, the two ghosts studied each other. Clockwork felt the ticking for his core ease, something soft and fond. Floating here, with those green eyes and white hair, she really did look like her original. And the child from that long ago future-vision. Though she remained purely in her ghost form, unlike the black-and-white haired vision child. Perhaps a fusion of Daniel’s human and ghost form? That would explain the mixed features… and the presence of four arms. 

Dismissing the thought, Clockwork cleared his thought. “How may I help you, dear?”

What a refreshing question to ask! And for once not knowing the issue… his core hummed in delight at the thought.

“Well…” The girl landed, awkwardly shifting foot to foot. “I was flying in the Zone by myself a few days ago when I saw this weird, horrible, scary thing. And I just knew I needed to figure out was up with it. So I asked Pro to come with me. And we found the things and…” She swallowed, paling. “It was awful. Screaming and crying and crawling around. Pro said…. He said it was a bunch of our brothers. They…. All ended up here but stuck together…

A hand covered her mouth, cheek green with nausea. “I… god. That’s why it looked familiar. It looked like that time Danny tried to duplicate but he couldn’t quite split so he just kept making more heads and feet and…” The girl leaned over, word trailing off. 

The old ghost floated forward, a hand rubbing her back. “That sounds truly ghastly, Danielle.” He soothed, compassionate. “I am sorry to hear you encountered that.” He truly was. Such an amalgamation…. It echoed back the effects of his early madness. The poor thing… he really should speed its passage along to the Thereafter.

“Please.” Danielle’s quivering voice cut through the thought. “Please. You have to help them.” 

Clockwork gently stroked her back. “I will. Rest assured…. I will hasten the creatures’ fading, quickly bringing an end to its pain.”

“What? No.” Jerkily, the girl looked up, eyes crinkled in confusion and then offense. “No. There has to be a way to… separate them or something.”

The ancient ghost shook his head. “I fear there is not.” In the past creatures like this, full of pain and contradiction, either hide away from the world, wallowing in their agony…

“Please. You have to… you have to try.” Danielle begged

…. Or they lashed out, becoming increasingly violent and destructive. There was no undoing the creation, only hastening the eventual end.

The words were too painful, too cruel to say to the girl, gazing up at him with hope.

“Please.” She repeated. “They’re in so much pain. Pro won’t…. He won’t leave them until he knows they’ll be okay. Please… please. You have to try.” The round, green eyes bore into his, shining with tears…..

The old ghost has no defense against them. “Very well.” Clockwork relented, his core ticking a sad beat. “I will do what I can.”

The words brought some light back to the child's countenance. “Okay. Thank you. Thank you!” She floated off the floor. “Let me take you to them.” She darted off. “Come on!”

Clockwork could have opened a portal but he flew after the girl.

Twenty minutes of flying and they arrived at the scene. The wails and screams came first, echoing across the Realms. Quickly, the writhing black and white mass filled the time master’s vision.

Clockwork froze, for once in a millennia surprised. This… this paled in comparison to Danielle’s brief description. This magnitude of suffering….

A sob rose, the creature harmonizing with itself. The old ghost shuddered; his core trembled with the feeling. 

So much pain…. All these minds, pressed close together. The emotions feeding into each other and echoing. All those poor cores-

Wait. 

The time master tilted his head, eyes wide. He sensed something in the creature. No, not multiple cores. But… one. One, singular core. Somehow, impossibly, there was only one. Perhaps one soul had cannibalized the others. Or-

“Please. You have to help them.” A deeper voice begged. 

Clockwork turned at the sound. Ah, yes. “Prometheus.” The adult ghost offered a compassionate smile, a hand resting on his boy’s shoulder. “Yes. I will help them.”

The time master turned back to the conglomeration, brow furrowed in thought. Yes, perhaps, one soul, stronger than the others, had communed the rest, only to be overwhelmed by the torrent of emotions. Or this was not a true ghost but an imprint of dozens of emotions and memories. Or perhaps… this was something all together new.

“Yes,” Clockwork rubbed his chin. “I will take them back to my lair.” 

Slowly, the ancient ghost approached, hands outstretched. “Shh, child.” 

The creature… no, the child, for somehow, this was a child, despite the monstrous appearance… continued to cry, deaf to the comfort.

“Shh…” Clockwork reached, fingers grasping the approximation of a hand. “Father Time is here.”

One gentle touch from the Master of Time and existence warped. 

The two beings appeared in the Clocktower, the room around expansive and empty. 

The child whined, dozens of voices ringing in pain. So much pain. And Clockwork felt all of it. From every pore of the child’s being. In every cry, every pulse of the core, every second. His own core inside of his chest chimed with the need to help, to comfort. And as he promised, he would. He could help, in a way no other creature in existence could. Afterall…. 

With the Time Master’s core so close to the child’s, he could feel it, the similarities between himself and the other. They were a true ghost, not an imprint, nor a simple cannibal soul. No, they were a prism of numerous factions, stacked on top of each other. 

Clockwork could help as no one else could. After all, they were the same type of ghost.

[cloakedsparrow]

Wayne: Occupational name meaning "wagon maker, cartwright", derived from Old English wægn "wagon".

Grayson: Means "son of the steward", derived from Middle English greyve "steward".

Cain: Most likely from the given name Cain, which means "acquired" in Hebrew.

Todd: Means "fox", derived from Middle English todde.

Drake: Derived from the Old Norse byname Draki or the Old English byname Draca both meaning "dragon", both via Latin from Greek δράκων (drakon) meaning "dragon, serpent".

Head: From Middle English hed meaning "head", from Old English heafod. It may have referred to a person who had a peculiar head, who lived near the head of a river or valley, or who served as the village headman.

Thomas: Derived from the given name Thomas, which is a Greek form of the Aramaic name תָּאוֹמָא (Ta'oma') meaning "twin".

Pennyworth: From Old English pening, penig meaning "penny (the coin)" and worþ meaning "enclosure". A notable fictional bearer is Alfred Pennyworth, a DC Comics character notable for being the butler of the superhero Batman.

Thompkins: From a diminutive of the given name Thomas.

Bertinelli: ???

Gordon: From the name of a place in Berwickshire, Scotland, derived from Brythonic words meaning "spacious fort".

[xtruss]

Etymological Map of America

— Alex | Vivd Maps

America’s rich tapestry of stories is woven into the fabric of its landscape, with many tales embedded in the place names of the cities and states. Understanding the meanings behind these names offers insights into the development of the land, its history, and its culture over the centuries. Not only does this deepen our appreciation of our surroundings, but it also enriches our vocabulary and occasionally aids in solving crossword puzzles, a sentiment strongly endorsed by WordTips.

Take, for example, Missoula, which translates to “River of Ambush” in Montana, evoking memories of inter-tribal conflicts. Similarly, Manchester, New Hampshire, derives its name from “Breast-like Hill,” harking back to the voluptuous mound upon which a Roman fort was constructed around 79 CE in Manchester, UK. Centuries later, Samuel Blodget, inspired by the barge canals of the British Manchester, spearheaded the construction of similar waterways in his New Hampshire town and suggested adopting its namesake.

But what about the rest of the U.S.? Armed with our etymology hats, we delved into dictionary country, scouring sources such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Online Etymology Dictionary, the Encyclopedia Britannica, the American Library Association, and regional news reports. Our quest uncovered the literal meanings behind the names of each U.S. state, its capital city, and 178 of America’s largest cities.

Literal Translations of State Names and Their Capital Cities Across the U.S.

Names sometimes transcend boundaries. Both the state of Kansas and Kansas City, MO, derive their names from the Kansas River, which, in turn, honors the Kanza tribe, translating as ‘People of the Southwind.’

Interestingly, there exists a lesser-known Kansas City within the state of Kansas itself. This city adopted its name from its Missouri counterpart, hoping to leverage the fame of the Missouri town. According to local history teacher Matt Beat, “KCK wanted to capitalize on the success of KCMO and essentially mislead visitors into believing they were in the authentic Kansas City.

While numerous state names honor Native history or describe geographical features, others carry traces of colonial influence. The Carolinas, for instance, owe their name to King Charles II and his father, Charles I. The territory was initially chartered by Charles II, who bestowed the name in honor of his father. Additionally, the capitals of both Carolinas pay homage to European explorers, with Sir Walter Raleigh and Christopher Columbus lending their names to these cities.

The Literal Translation of Major City Names in the Northwestern U.S.

In addition to the straightforward meanings of city names like ‘Anchorage’ (a place suitable for anchoring) and ‘Portland’ (land surrounding a harbor), the Northwestern U.S. boasts some lesser-known etymologies, both of Native and settler origin.

Honolulu, for instance, derives from the Hawaiian language: ‘hono’ meaning ‘port’ and ‘lulu’ meaning ‘calm.’ Interestingly, the name traces back to British Captain William Brown, who initially named the port Fair Haven upon his arrival in 1794. Before this, Hawaiians referred to the area as Ke ʻAwa O Kou, meaning ‘the harbor of Kou.’

Meanwhile, Boise, Idaho, takes its name from the French word for ‘wooded area.’ However, the name’s origins are influenced by English as well: fur traders passing through the region called it the Wooded River, a name later translated by French trappers.

When surveying the area in the 1830s, the French United States Army officer B.L.E. Bonneville had the final say, choosing French over English.

The Literal Meanings Behind Major City Names in the Southwestern U.S.

Many major cities in the Southwestern U.S. bear names that honor notable individuals. Reno, for instance, pays tribute to Jesse Lee Reno, a Virginia-born Union general who met his demise during the battle of Fox’s Gap. The official announcement regarding the city’s naming stated:

“The name of the new town on the C.P.R.R. at the junction of the contemplated branch road to Virginia City in Nevada, is Reno, in honor of General Reno, who fell gloriously fighting in defense of the flag against the assault of traitors in rebellion.”

Similarly, Orem, Utah, derives its name from Walter Orem, a prominent figure in mining and railroad development who constructed the state’s inaugural electric railroad. However, the town’s naming was more an act of flattery than gratitude towards Orem’s contributions. In 1919, as the town faced a critical juncture in its expansion efforts, requiring investment for incorporation and the establishment of a networked water system, it was named after Orem in hopes of securing his support. Prior to this, the area had been known as Provo Bench.

The Literal Meanings Behind Major City Names in the Southeastern U.S.

In September 1687, Henri Joutel noted in his writings: “We arrived at the said place called Chicagou which, according to what we were able to learn of it, has taken this name because of the quantity of garlic which grows in the forests in this region.”

Other accounts suggest that the name Chicago may have originated from the Algonquian word sheka:ko:heki, meaning “place of the wild onion,” or possibly from the Ojibwa word for skunk. Regardless of its precise origins, it appears that odor was a prominent characteristic of the area before the establishment of the town of Chicago in 1833.

Topeka, on the other hand, translates from the Kansa (Siouan) language as “A Good Place to Dig Potatoes.” The founders chose this name in 1855 with originality in mind. Fry W. Giles, a banker and city founder, described Topeka as “a name not found in the list of post offices of the United States, nor in any lexicon of the English language. It was novel, of Indian origin, and euphonious of sound.”

The Literal Meanings of Major City Names in the Southeastern U.S.

Understanding that Baton Rouge means “red stick” doesn’t require fluency in French. But why was Louisiana named “red stick”? In 1699, French explorer Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville stumbled upon the area and spotted a reddened pole adorned with sacrificial fish and bear heads by the Native inhabitants. This visual left an impression on d’Iberville, leading him to refer to the area as Baton Rouge when the French colonized it.

Among the most intriguing place names in the study is Memphis. The city took its name from the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis, which translates to “enduring and beautiful” or “Place of Good Abode,” depending on interpretation. The founders, John Overton, James Winchester, and Andrew Jackson, were less concerned with etymology; they chose the name because both cities stand beside vast rivers.

The Literal Meanings Behind Major City Names in the Northeastern U.S.

Some city name translations in the Northeast are well-known or easy to understand, such as Philadelphia (from the Greek for “brotherly love”) or Portland (the land around a port). Others require a bit more digging.

Would you be able to identify the city name that translates to Botolph’s Stone if it wasn’t labeled on our map? Boston was named after a town in Lincolnshire, England, which, in turn, was named after Botolph, the patron saint of travelers. The second part of the name could derive from “stone” or perhaps from “tun,” the Old English word for village.

The Dutch colonized New Netherland, which included parts of present-day New York City, Long Island, Connecticut, and New Jersey, with the city of New Amsterdam located on today’s Manhattan Island.

However, in 1664, James II of England, the Duke of York, captured the island, leading to the city receiving its eventual name.

If that sounds odd and European, remember the city was briefly called New Orange when the Dutch briefly recaptured it in 1673.

Methodology:

The WordTips team compiled research from a diverse array of sources, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Online Etymology Dictionary, the Encyclopedia Britannica, the American Library Association, historical records, and regional news reports. The aim was to unveil the literal meanings behind the names of each U.S. state, their respective capital cities, and 178 of the most populated cities scattered across the country.

The investigation delved into various aspects of etymology, considering cases where a state or city was named after a person or significant event, where the words in a location’s name evolved in meaning from an earlier version of English or another language, or according to the significance behind another location after which a U.S. state or city was named.

This project’s research was concluded in January 2024.

[sunderbannationalpark]

About Sunderbans National Park

Information About Sunderbans National Park, India

Covering an expanse of approximately 10,000 square kilometers, the Sundarbans forest spans across both India and Bangladesh. India claims around 4,262 square kilometers of this natural marvel, while the rest falls within Bangladesh's territory. Sundarbans National Park occupies the Indian portion, renowned globally for hosting the largest mangrove forest on the planet. This national park is a haven for nature enthusiasts and wildlife aficionados alike. With its thick mangrove cover, intricate network of river channels, picturesque estuaries, and a thriving population of Royal Bengal Tigers and various other wildlife species, the Sundarbans offers a captivating landscape that beckons visitors from far and wide. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the park possesses a unique allure that draws tourists seeking unparalleled natural beauty and biodiversity experiences.

Located at the southeastern edge of the 24 Paraganas district in West Bengal, India, the Sundarbans National Park derives its name from the Sundari mangrove plant (Heritiera Minor). Situated within the world's largest delta formed by the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers, this national park covers an expansive area of approximately 2585 square kilometers, making it India's largest national park and tiger reserve. The Sundarbans region encompasses around 2125 square kilometers of mangrove forest, while the remaining area, spread across 56 islands, is dominated by water bodies, totaling 4262 square kilometers.

Flora in Sundarbans National Park:

The Sundarbans, renowned as the largest mangrove forest globally, boasts the mangrove tree as its flagship species, thriving uniquely in its waterlogged terrain. With remarkable adaptability, these trees endure prolonged inundation by sending up spikes from their roots, aiding respiration and providing structural support to the mangrove ecosystem. Among its diverse array of flora, the Sundarbans is home to the 'Sundari' mangrove, a distinctive variety that dominates the landscape and lends its name to the forest. Encompassing over 300 plant species, the Sundarbans region harbors a rich botanical tapestry.

Fauna in Sundarbans National Park:

The Sundarbans National Park, dominated by the majestic Royal Bengal Tigers, reigns supreme as the apex predator with a population exceeding 400 individuals. These iconic tigers exhibit remarkable swimming prowess in the park's salty waters and are notorious for their occasional predation on humans. While tourists flock to catch a glimpse of these striped wonders, the park harbors a diverse array of fauna that equally captivates wildlife enthusiasts.

In addition to the Bengal Tigers, Sundarbans teems with captivating wildlife such as Fishing Cats, Leopards, Macaques, Wild Boars, Wild Buffaloes, Rhinoceroses, Indian Mongooses, Jungle Cats, Foxes, Flying Foxes, Pangolins, Barking Deer, Spotted Deer, Hog Deer, and Chitals. The park is also home to saltwater crocodiles and various snake species, adding to its rich biodiversity.

Moreover, Sundarbans boasts a vibrant avian population, featuring a kaleidoscope of exotic birds. Among them are Openbill Storks, Black-capped Kingfishers, Black-headed Ibises, Coots, Water Hens, Pheasant-tailed Jacanas, Brahminy Kites, Pariah Kites, Marsh Harriers, Swamp Partridges, Red Junglefowl, Spotted Doves, Common Mynahs, Jungle Crows, Jungle Babblers, Cotton Teals, Herring Gulls, Caspian Terns, Gray Herons, Common Snipes, Wood Sandpipers, Green Pigeons, Rose-ringed Parakeets, Paradise-flycatchers, Cormorants, Grey-headed Fish Eagles, White-bellied Sea Eagles, Seagulls, Common Kingfishers, Peregrine Falcons, Woodpeckers, Whimbrels, Black-tailed Godwits, Little Stints, Eastern Knots, Curlews, Golden Plovers, Northern Pintails, White-eyed Pochards, and Whistling Teals. These avian residents contribute to the park's enchanting atmosphere, making it a paradise for birdwatchers and nature lovers alike.

Climate of Sundarbans National Park:

The climate in the Sunderbans forest is generally temperate and pleasant, with temperatures ranging from 20 to 48 degrees Celsius. Due to its proximity to the Bay of Bengal, humidity levels are consistently high, averaging around 80%, and heavy rainfall is common. The summer season, lasting from March to May, is characterized by hot and humid weather. Monsoon conditions prevail from mid-May to mid-September, marked by increased humidity and windy conditions. The region frequently experiences storms, particularly in May and October, which can escalate into cyclones. Winter sets in from October to February, bringing colder temperatures to the area.

[sakurajimastan]

もっと好きな漢字: Yokai

I wanted to make a special post for some kanji that occupy a similar space in my head, that being yokai. I think many of us are familiar with yokai, even if we don’t realize it, from the fascinating faces of Studio Ghibli to the adorable little creatures of Pokémon and similar works (the most obvious being Yo-kai Watch).

This won’t be a comprehensive look at all yokai, as that’s virtually impossible, but instead an overview of yokai with some well-known examples (and their related kanji).

妖怪 (yōkai)

For the first time, I’m dealing with two kanji at once! The first kanji singularly means bewitching or attractive, while the second means suspicious or mysterious. This I think encapsulates the duality of yokai; they’re both beautiful and dangerous, very charming and unsettling.

Yokai encompasses a wide variety of supernatural creatures, being gods and demigods, good guys and bad guys, helpers and deceivers and everything in between. The breadth of yokai and variations across time and space are virtually infinite. For brevity, we will only be looking at the most popular ones.

狐 (kitsune)

The kanji for kitsune consists of two radicals; the leftmost is often used to indicate animals (and will be reappearing in this list), while the rightmost part, 瓜, means melon, but the reason for using this radical remains a mystery to me. It can straightforwardly mean fox, but in the mythological sense, it can also mean “fox spirits.”

These fox spirits possess supernatural abilities such as shape-shifting and can be venerable figures or conniving tricksters. The nice ones often serve as guardians or messengers for the Shinto god (or goddess) Inari. Perhaps the most iconic feature of the kitsune is their many tails, of which they can have up to nine, symbolizing their age and/or power.

狸 (tanuki)

Tanuki uses the same leftmost radical as kitsune, with the rightmost 里, meaning village, deriving its onyomi reading. The tanuki and kitsune have other similarities, as both can shape-shift and can be seen as trickster characters. These iconic creatures are all over Japanese pop culture, from Studio Ghibli’s Pom Poko to the wonderful Tanooki Mario.

It’s worth noting that tanuki, much like kitsune, are based off of a real animal, the Japanese raccoon dog of the same name. I understand that they populate parts of Europe and Asia, but we don’t have them in America, so I think they’re neat! As such, the yokai of tanuki can also be referred to as 化け狸 (pronounced bakedanuki), with bake alluding to shape-shifting.

鬼 (oni)

Oni can be roughly translated to demon, devil, or ogre, and indeed they are typically large ogre-like creatures with horns protruding from their heads and skin that is red, black, or other colors. They also tend to don a loincloth made of tiger skin and a club. Traditionally, they are portrayed as brutishly strong, as well as murderous and even cannibalistic.

To me, oni feels the most omnipresent in Japanese culture out of all these yokai. They’re a frequent feature of Japanese architecture, they’re central to rituals for 節分 (setsubun), a holiday celebrating the first day of spring, and they’re prominent in many Japanese folktales such as Momotaro and the legend of Shuten-dōji.

河童 (kappa)

The kappa is one of my personal favorites, a yokai that makes its home in rivers and is usually about the size of a human child, hence the kanji meaning “river child.” They are typically green and possess the characteristics of birds and turtles. A distinct feature of theirs is a bowl of water on their heads; if the water spills out, they become weaker.

To me, kappa are interesting because they can be quite vicious and even murderous, but they can also be tricked or bargained with. While they are sighted as a cause for children drowning in rivers, they can also be swayed by a delicious crunchy cucumber. This is where a type of sushi roll with cucumbers called ���童巻 (kappamaki) gets its name.

天狗 (tengu)

It is alleged that tengu may be derived from the Chinese word tiāngǒu (written the same as tengu), a dog-like creature that evilly devours the moon as a stand-in for a lunar eclipse. The tengu, however, is a creature with bird and human characteristics. It is often described as goblin-like along with having a long nose and feathery wings.

Tengu reside over mountains and forests and are sometimes said to embody the spirits of warriors. Often malignant, tengu may disguise themselves as ascetic monks who dwell in the mountains, or 山伏 (yamabushi), to lead people astray. But modern incarnations sometimes give the tengu a more protective, albeit still menacing, role.

[lexiklecksi]

Writeblr positivity (tag game)

Thanks for tagging me @writernopal this took me too long to answer but it was good to think about these questions.

1. What motivates you to write?

The urge to ban all my ideas onto paper. And kind comments on my writing posts, of course!

2. A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not, maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them): This snippet is from this flash fiction written from the pov of the phoenix Fox. I won't attempt to translate it because I'm afraid most metaphors would be lost in translation.

Die Zeit zieht an mir vorbei, sie berührt mich nur selten, viel zu oft vergesse ich mich. Zeit verliert an Bedeutung, wenn man schon so viele Leben gelebt hat wie ich. Zeit ist ein Konstrukt für die Sterblichen, es schafft Ordnung in einem Universum voller Chaos. Doch letztendlich ist ein Leben so kurz im Vergleich zu dem Baum des Lebens, so bedeutungslos wie ein Sandkorn im Wind, nur ein Wimpernschlag in der Geschichte der Welt. Man werfe mir Verdrossenheit vor und man möge Recht behalten, doch nur wenige können nachvollziehen, wie es ist, solange zu leben. Nur wenige fühlen meinen Schmerz, denn sie sterben nur einen kleinen Tod. Der Tod hat mich schon unzählige Male in die Arme genommen, hat mich vergessen lassen, wo ein Leben beginnt und ein anderes endet.

3. Which OC makes you smile every time you think/ talk about them and what are they like?

Dietbert Siegfrieden, the funny dwarf, makes me smile when I write scenes from his pov and talk about him. He is such a gullible dwarf with a pure heart. Dietbert always tries his best to make his family and every being he meets laugh out loud. He is my only real feelgood character, compared to all my other characters who are morally grey. Of course, I love all my characters and talking about them never fails to make me feel happy.

4. What process of writing do you enjoy the most?

When ideas I had in mind for long spontaneously burst out when writing scenes or a poem and start to make sense. I usually set a timer and then just write, without thinking too much about the plot and other stuff that might hold me back from writing.

5. What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

Writing dialogue comes easy to me which dates back to my school's drama club for which I've written several scripts, some even were performed on stage. I just love sassy or emotional dialogue! I think it's what I can write best. Writing poetry for 10 years also makes me confident in writing flowery metaphors.

6. What is something in the writeblr community that is most enjoyable?

The ongoing support of readers and interaction with fellow writers, especially in my found(ed) writing family @writeblrcafe.

7. A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)

For my ya fantasy novel, I'm using Bibisco which is a great software to organize my novel. I highly recommend it!

8. A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law etc)

The magic of all creatures living in the forest Avni is derived from pantheism. Yggdrasil is the oldest tree in the forest and sentient. All creatures of the forest are connected to Yggdrasil and worship it as the creator of all life and protector of the forest. On another note, I don’t have a strict magic system, but the different species have different kinds of magical powers and these powers are believed to come from the forest itself. When the forest dies, all mystical creatures like elves, dwarfs and giants are left helplessly without their magic and of course all animals and plants lose their habitat or even lives. Avni will also become the centre of conflict in my story, when the humans seek out to destroy Avni by cutting down trees, poisoning rivers and burn the vegetation to build more factories and houses.

9. What piece of advice would you say to encourage others to write if they are having a rough patch?

The world needs to hear your stories, so write them. And even if only one person reads your story and gains a new perspective, it was worth writing it, because you have changed the life of someone with your words, and what's more powerful than that?

10. Tag some people whose works you love/have been your biggest supporters

I'm tagging @charlies-storybook @yvesdot @writinglyra @junypr-camus @silent-creed @retrogayyde @ashirisu @holdenmarrswritings @aether-wasteland-s @betweenthetimeandsound @wheres-all-the-tea-gone @tyne-sharrow (sorry it took me so long to post and thanks to everyone who took the time to read my answers)

[burlveneer-music]

Yussef Dayes - Black Classical Music - his long-awaited debut solo studio album is out today

Today, celebrated multi-instrumentalist and visionary artist Yussef Dayes announces his highly anticipated debut solo studio album ‘Black Classical Music’, released on September 8th via the revered Brownswood Recordings, Warners and Cashmere Thoughts Recordings. Alongside this, Dayes shares a first taster of the record, the title track “Black Classical Music” featuring Venna & Charlie Stacey. Dayes introduces Black Classical Music in his own words; "What is jazz? Where did the word derive from? Birthed in New Orleans, born in the belly of the Mississippi River, rooted in the gumbo pot of the Caribbean, South American culture & African rituals. Continuing a lineage of Miles Davis, Rahssan Roland kirk, Nina Simone, John Coltrane, Louis Armstrong ~ music that is forever evolving & limitless in its potential. The groove, it’s feeling, the compositions, the spontaneity, with a love for family, the discipline & dedication in maintaining the very high bar set by the pantheon of Black Classical Musicians. Chasing the rhythm of drums that imitated one's heartbeat, the melodies for the mind and spirit, the bass for the core. A Regal sound for this body of music." “Black Classical Music” is Dayes 19 track debut solo studio album. At every turn, Dayes distinctive drum licks and Rocco Palladino’s bass are the sturdy anchors; aided by Charlie Stacey (keys/synths), Venna (saxophone), Alexander Bourt (percussion), and a whole host of honourable features including: Chronixx, Masego, Jamilah Barry, Tom Misch, Elijah Fox, Shabaka Hutchings, Miles James, Sheila Maurice Grey, Nathaniel Cross, Theon Cross and the Chineke! Orchestra, the first professional orchestra in Europe to be made up of majority Black and ethnically diverse musicians.

[themomsandthecity]

150 Cool Baby Names Like Arya, Orion, and Zaire

So you're getting ready to have a baby? Chances are, you are already brainstorming meaningful baby names to make sure that your little one has the coolest name in their class. The word cool likely means very different things to very different people, yet there's something universally "cool" about picking a baby name like "Orion" or "Esme" for your child. Still for many parents, the concept of naming can be the most daunting part of preparing to have a baby, partially because a kid's first name could inform their future identity, individuality, and even personality. It's also likely that one big question festers in your mind as you scroll through endless lists of baby name ideas: "should we go for a meaningful baby name, or should we opt for a cool baby name so our child can stand out?" Fortunately, if you decide you want to go for a cool, unique name, you can define what exactly "cool" means to you. Because picking any baby name can be hard, though, we've curated a list below of cool baby names to make things easier. Whether you interpret cool as popular, rare, fashionable, or having sentimental meaning in your culture, this list will meet all your naming needs. Scroll through this list for some pretty cool names for girls and cool names boys that any child will say with pride as they grow up. Many of these are also gender neutral baby names, so they'll match any gender of your baby. Happy name hunting! Cool Names For Boys * Ace: Latin - One; unity * Arlo: Irish and English - Between two hills * Archer: Latin - bowman * Atlas: Greek - To carry * Axel: Scandinavian - Father of peace * Beckett: English and Irish - Beehive; little brook; bee cottage * Bishop: English - Occupational name; overseer; guardian * Bowie: Scottish - Blond * Brooks: English - Of the brook * Bryant: Irish - Strong, virtuous, and honorable * Camden: Scottish - Winding valley * Chance: French - Chancellor * Colt: English - Young horse * Crew: English - Fort near a slope * Dallas: Irish - Skilled * Duke: English - Leader; English rank of nobility * Easton: English - East-facing place * Eddison: English - Son of Edith or Adam * Ellis: Welsh - Benevolent * Ender: Turkish - Very rare * Felix: Latin - Happy; fortunate * Finn: Irish - Fair * Flynn: Irish - Son of the red-haired one * Fox: English - Animal name * Greyson: English - Son of the steward * Griffin: Welsh - Strong lord * Holden: English - Hollow valley * Hugo: Latin - Mind; intellect * Jace: Hebrew - The Lord is salvation * Jagger: English - Occupational name; carter * Jax: American - God is gracious * Jett: English - Excellence; stone * Jones: English - God is gracious * Kai: Hawaiian - Sea * Kenji: Japanese - Second son * Knox: Scottish - Round hill * Leo: Latin - Lion * Lincoln: English - Town by the pool * Maverick: American - Independent; nonconformist * Max: Latin - Greatest * Miller: English - Occupational name; grinder of the grain * Orion: Greek - Constellation; hunter; mountain dweller * Orson: Latin - Bear cub * Oscar: English and Irish - God spear; deer lover; champion warrior * Otis: German - Wealthy * Peyton: English - Fighting-man's estate * Phoenix: Greek - Dark red * Pierce: English - Son of Piers * Porter: French and Latin - Carrier; gatekeeper * Remy: French and Latin - Oarsman or derived from Rheims; a city in Northeastern France * Rider: British - Horseman * Riggs: English - One from the ridge * Roman: Latin - Citizen of Rome; strong; powerful * Rowan: Scottish and Irish - Rowan tree; little redhead * Ryder: English - Messenger; cavalryman * Smith: English - Blacksmith * Tate: British - Cheerful * Thompson: English - Son of Tom * Wilder: English - Wild; passionate * Wyatt: English - Brave in war * Xavier: Basque - New house * Zaire: African - The river that swallows all rivers * Zayn: Arabic - Beauty; grace Cool Names For Girls *… https://www.popsugar.com/family/Cool-Baby-Names-46043726?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

[peterghoffman]

Fox River Derivatives, #4 2010-2013

[howdytoad]

Scarlet Catchfly

Art By @azreto

Ship: BKDK, Rating: Teen, Tags: AU, Hybrids, Minor Character Death, Happy Ending

Izuku’s body froze on the spot when he saw him—the same fox from that fateful night so many months ago. 

His heart pounded in his chest fearfully as they stared at each other from across the valley; the fox stood at the treeline, and Izuku knew he should have stayed in the forest. There he was less vulnerable, less open to attack. But the sun had been high in the sky after an absence of what felt like many, many moons, and he longed for the heat and the light that was in abundance out in the open valley. 

He had spent so many nights in his sad, empty burrow that he had come to crave warmth from whatever avenue he could derive it from. He longed dearly for the comfort his now long gone siblings and mother once provided. He could recall them easily, all huddled together in their burrow. He desperately missed the smell of them, the love and companionship that they had provided. 

They were all gone now, lost the very night he had last seen the same garnet eyes he was now staring into. The fox kept his eyes on him—he made no effort to hide his presence from Izuku, to try and sneak up on him, chase him down, feast upon him. The last time their eyes had met the fox had done the opposite, clearly taught well by his mother how to hunt. He remembered the very same fear ripping through his body, his feet carrying him through the sodden, muddy earth. He recalled how he prayed with each stride for his feet to carry him to safety, away from the gnashing teeth of the fox. When he had finally lost him and escaped, he waited a while longer before making his way back home, as to not lead a scent trail and endanger his family—but his efforts had been all for naught anyway. 

 The very same relentless and sudden rain that had impeded his escape from the fox had caused the river to flood, taking away everything from him. Ever since that night, life had been so empty and meaningless. Even though it felt like the world had ended, he kept waking up, he kept on living no matter how much he wished he had just let that stupid fox eat him that night. He had been so lonely ever since, and despite the flourish of the woods and fields that once brought him such wonder, he always found his thoughts making their way back to that dark stormy night. 

Izuku looked to the fox across from him in the valley again. He didn't run. He stood and stared back at the fox at the edge of the trees and waited, and waited... and nothing. 

Time kept passing, yet all the fox did was stare back at him. He looked out past the tall grass and wildflowers between them, simply staring at the poor rabbit. The fox’s blond hair swayed with the breeze. The grass and trees seemed to sway with it, the sound of rustling leaves surging out to his sensitive ears all while his heartbeat met a staccato beat. 

They stayed that way for several moments more, the cry of a cicada finally breaking the fox’s dark gaze as it moved swiftly towards the sound. He swished his tail a couple of times before walking off into the depths of the forest. Izuku watched him with bated breath until the fox finally left his sight. 

The fox had stuck around, Izuku came to find out. The rabbit could smell him all over his territory. It put him on edge. Even though he had resolved to let the fox claim him in that field, it still bothered him. Why was the fox making himself so obvious when he had so expertly hidden his presence the first time around? It was like he was leaving out warning signs for any other predator in the area while also making his presence so glaringly obvious to the young rabbit. It was merely impossible to not have the fox on his mind. 

After the last encounter in the field, he began to aggressively scent Izuku’s entire territory. The scenting soon led to the fox remaining constantly close by, which unnerved the rabbit greatly. 

The fox stayed out of Izuku’s sight at first, lingering off in the distance, doing nothing to mask his scent nor hide his tread through the underbrush. He lingered at the edge of Izuku’s vision. He was like a shadow, making himself known but not speaking nor entering Izuku’s field of vision. His presence had become so normal that sometimes Izuku didn’t pay that much attention to him; he had long given up on the fox trying to eat him again. 

It started to feel nice after a while, the presence of the fox. It felt like someone out there was still looking out for him and despite the fox never talking to him, he still felt at least a little less lonely. He had become so accustomed to the fox’s not quite there presence that it felt weirder to be away from the fox than not.

Eventually, even his unseen presence started to be seen, slowly but surely making his way further and further into Izuku’s field of vision. The first time he’d been close enough to talk to Izuku, he had just stared at him the whole while—just like the fox had done when they had met again in the field. That had seemed like forever ago now to him.

After several moments of staring at each other, the fox snarled out “What?!” 

And it was so absurd to him that Izuku laughed and laughed—until he realized that this was the first time he’d heard another voice in such a long time, and suddenly, Izuku’s high-pitched giggles turned into short-breathed cries. His breath stuttered as he struggled to take in air, tears leaking uncontrollably from his eyes. The fox just looked on in confusion as the rabbit seemed to break down in front of him, collapsing on the earth as he wailed.  

“What the fuck?” the fox said under his breath, clearly unaware of how to approach the situation in front of him.

He slowly made his way over to the small, pathetic rabbit that had caved in on himself and sniffed at him audibly, trying to scent the source of the small creature’s distress. The fox quietly watched Izuku for a moment more, wailing on the forest floor like some sort of lunatic, with his ears pointed back and reluctant concern etched out onto his features. 

“You dying or something?” the fox asked him gruffly and Izuku soon found himself laughing through his tears again as he tried to regain his breath. 

It took him several minutes of high-pitched noises and strained breathing before he was finally able to calm himself down enough to ask the fox the question that had been bothering him since he had met him again.

“Not unless you finish what you started the first time I met you,” Izuku giggled and wiped his tears away with the back of his hand. “Why haven’t you, by the way?” he continued. 

He looked up at the fox and held his hand out for the fox to grab, which the fox quirked an eyebrow up at for a moment before he shook his head and took his hand, helping him up off of the floor. 

“Haven’t what?” the fox asked, his voice gruff and low.

 Izuku didn’t know how the blond managed to convey anger through every syllable he uttered, but it was a trait that Izuku found himself already becoming unreasonably fond of. 

“Killed me, eaten me, like you tried to do the night of the storm,” Izuku said. 

The rabbit brushed the dirt off of himself before holding his gaze upon deep garnet eyes. The fox seemed startled at the line of questioning for a moment before he returned the rabbit’s gaze, seemingly contemplating his answer before he exhaled deeply and looked off into the forest. 

“I don’t know,” the fox said after thinking for several moments, and Izuku had the sense that he hadn’t been truthful. 

“Well let me know when you change your mind on that one,” Izuku said sarcastically. When the fox sneered at him the rabbit chuckled in response. He had owed the fox at least some kind of sass on account of the attempted murder. 

The fox pinched his eyebrows and shook his head at Izuku. Izuku had presumed he was beginning to regret not having actually eaten him all those nights ago. 

After the last encounter, Izuku found he couldn’t leave his burrow without running into the fox. He no longer stayed at the edge of his vision, silently watching. As soon as either spotted the other, the fox would stalk right up to him and quip criticism and sass at him throughout his day. Each time the fox, whom Izuku had learnt was named Katsuki (and whom he had begun to jokingly refer to as Kacchan on the account of his cuddly personality), criticized him, Izuku would mumble a joke about wanting the fox to just eat him already or some other such thing. It would always result in the fox snarling some lecture at him, and Izuku always found himself giggling at Katsuki’s grumbling. 

It felt warm, whenever Katsuki had fussed over him. 

“You’re gonna break your neck, climbing up there like that Deku!” 

“Gods, you suck at hiding your scent. What if another predator comes and I’m not around, huh?”

“Did you skip a meal again? How have you survived this long on your own?” 

“Wait for me before leaving my territory! I don’t care that the blueberries are sweeter there!” 

Katsuki had become such a constant in his life, always appearing to be so concerned for his well-being. He was there, from when Izuku awoke in the morning until he returned to his burrow in the evening. He had long since given up on the notion of the fox trying to eat him; despite his harsh words and occasional swats at him, Katsuki nagged and lectured him far too much to see the rabbit as anything less than a companion. Izuku had hoped at the most the fox had come to see him as a friend. Izuku had come to think of him as such, though he’d be hesitant to claim such a thing aloud, scared of how the fox would react. 

Still, when he left his burrow every morning, the first thing he found himself doing was searching the horizon for blond tufted hair and red, piercing eyes. If Izuku’s eyes would fail to reveal the fox’s presence he would find himself closing his eyes, tilting his head back and scenting the air in one deep pull. He could always catch the faint, aged sweet and musky scent of the fox everywhere around his borrow, but ultimately he would never fail to catch a fresher scent off deeper in the forest. Kacchan was never too far. 

He’d walk up to meet the fox with a smile and a greeting on his lips, eager to hear the low growl of “whatever,” or some other such nonchalant response. Despite his abrasiveness, the fox would never be too far from his side, accompanying the rabbit while he foraged and went to explore out a little farther past his territory, eager to explore the forest a bit more now that he had the protection of the fox with him. 

He found himself beckoning the tow coloured fox forward one sunny fall day. The sun had been high in the sky and he had felt like lounging under the sun, so he found a nice spot out in a field a little outside his usual stomping grounds. He sighed loudly as he stretched out dramatically, flopping to the ground and startling the fox in the process of his typical lapinian display of comfort. He laid comfortably amongst the grass and wildflowers surrounding him, and soaked up one of the last sunny days before fall was fully upon them. 

He lay there for quite a while, occasionally peeking out of the corner of his eye to look at the fox, who had been seemingly standing guard, his tawny hair swaying in time with the grass and trees as the wind blew. Izuku turned his attention from Kacchan and looked over to the side. The rabbit saw some scarlet catchfly flowers next to him. His ears twisted towards them as he concentrated. He looked at them for several moments, the deep red colour of them reminding him of his companion’s eyes and the long straight, pointed petals reminding him of his unruly, spikey hair. 

Izuku giggled at the comparison, sat up and smirking to himself. The rabbit's antics caused the fox to look over towards him and raise an eyebrow. He shook his head and looked back out towards the horizon. Kacchan muttered what Izuku thought sounded like “creepy weirdo,” under his breath. 

Izuku looked back to the flowers that reminded him so much of the predator that stood across from him—bold, explosive and just as beautiful. Izuku grabbed them and began to weave them together, twisting them into a flower crown. He hummed as he worked, picking more flowers as he needed to and skillfully weaved.

 It was nostalgic for him, something he used to do with his mother and the rest of his siblings. He looked over to the fox as he worked and smiled. He never thought he would be able to make one for someone else ever again. 

He looked it over when he was finished and smiled. He was proud of himself when he looked it over, sure that the weaving would withstand a little tussle if it came to that. 

“Hey, come here!” Izuku called out to the fox, whose ears twitched slightly before looking over towards him. 

“What?” he questioned, looking over towards Izuku.

“Just come here, I made you something.” 

The fox sighed and slowly made his way over. He sat next to the rabbit and stared at him.

“Well, what is it?” he asked. 

“Here!” Izuku said and placed the crown of red flowers on the fox’s head and smiled at him.  

Kacchan looked surprised for a moment before he blushed and reached up to touch the circlet of flowers Izuku had placed upon his head. 

“It’s adorable, they really suit you!” Izuku gushed, he then reached over to tuck a stray hair misplaced by the crown. He tucked the tuft under the crown, tidying his appearance. 

“Who the fuck you calling cute?” The fox grumbled, though his face was nearly as red as the flowers that sat atop his head. 

Izuku giggled at the sight of it. 

“Why you, silly! You think I call you Kacchan for nothing? It’s because you’re so cute,” Izuku laughed, pleased with his teasing of the blonde before he reached over and tapped him on the nose. 

“Shaddup!” Katsuki shouted.   

He rubbed at his nose and grabbed the crown from his head and firmly placed it upon Izuku’s.  

“I think red’s more your colour anyway,” he said. He then grabbed Izuku’s chin and tilted his gaze up to meet his own. 

There was a smirk on his face and his eyes were slanted into a sneer.  It was heated and teasing. Izuku couldn’t think of anything to say in return, his face and ears simply heated up in response. 

He imagined he resembled a tomato. 

Katsuki started cackling at Izuku’s extreme reaction and patted him on the shoulder. He got up off the ground where he was seated next to Izuku and offered his hand to help the rabbit up, and Izuku grabbed it graciously, letting himself get pulled up by the fox. 

The fox smiled devilishly at him. He then turned to look out towards the horizon, silent for a moment. 

“You should get home, it’ll be dark soon,” he said finally.  

Izuku blushed, then nodded silently and started the trek back to his burrow, with the fox following behind him. 

It wasn’t until later in the evening when the sun was low in the sky and Katsuki was about to say his farewells for the night that Izuku was struck by a feeling. When he realized it, something in him broke a little. 

He didn’t want the fox to leave, even for just the evening. 

“Wait!” Izuku shouted before he could think, running up to the fox and grabbing his wrist to stop him from making the trek back to his own burrow for the evening. The blond stopped and turned back to look at the rabbit; he remained quiet and waited for Izuku to continue. 

“Umm,” Izuku uttered.

He released the fox’s wrist and began to rub his hands together in embarrassment. 

“The nights are getting colder and since you always come back first thing in the mornings anyway…” The rabbit trailed off and pointedly looked everywhere else except for the fox before him. 

He began to mumble unintelligibly and Katsuki cut him off. 

“Spit it out, dork,” the blond said curtly. 

“Stay with me?” Izuku shouted out in embarrassment. 

His eyes were scrunched closed and his shoulders were hunched up. His heart was running away in his chest and he felt like it would burst out of his ribcage and fall down at Katsuki’s feet. 

“Why?” Izuku heard the fox ask. His voice was the softest it had ever been. 

The rabbit opened his eyes in shock at the tenderness in the blonde’s voice and when he looked at him he felt his chest hurt for another reason. 

The fox’s eyes were downcast and set away from Izuku; his posture was smaller than the usual proud way he carried himself and Izuku could not figure out what it meant. 

“Kacchan?” Izuku asked. 

The fox sighed and looked up at him before he continued. 

“I’m still a predator, you know,” Katsuki hissed, and Izuku was still for a moment. 

Izuku knew all this, knew he must be crazy to yearn for the presence of a creature that tried to kill him when they had first met. He could remember how terrified he was that night, just barely escaping with his life. He also remembered the horrible sorrow he was faced with when he finally made his way back home. Remembered the unbearable loneliness he felt for nearly a year. 

Izuku found he didn’t care about any of the risks. He had been resigned to die by the fox’s hand when they had met again in the field anyway. Izuku had only felt alive again when Kacchan had started lingering around every tree and bush. 

Izuku slowly reached forward and grabbed the fox’s hand and held it in his own. He looked up to the fox’s eyes and held his gaze there before speaking again, rubbing his thumb across the back of Katsuki’s hand as he did so. 

“I know but…” He stalled for a moment, gathering the courage to say what he wanted to say next.

“It’s lonely when you’re not here,” Izuku confessed, tears gathered at the corners of his wide eyes and threatening to fall down his freckled cheeks. 

“Deku,” Katsuki said, his tone hoarse. 

Izuku yelped when the fox pulled him forward into his body, a hand tilting his head up—and then suddenly lips were on his own. It was warm, soft, and sweet, and Izuku felt like thousands of butterflies were beating their wings against his ribcage. He returned it, deepening the kiss when rough fingers threaded their way through his messy curls and nudged against the flower crown he had forgotten was still sat upon his head. 

He was lightheaded and struggling to breathe when they parted. Katsuki’s fingers lingered on his freckled cheek, lovingly stroking the skin there before he lowered his forehead against Izuku’s and closed his eyes. 

“Me too,” he said. He took a breath and continued. “That night, when I tried to… The flooding…” he trailed off and Izuku immediately understood. 

He wasn’t the only one to lose everything that night. 

“And then, I saw you again in that field and you looked as miserable as I felt and I just knew… You didn’t even try to run away and you just looked at me with those wide eyes, you were scared but still resolved and I couldn’t… I’d never seen anything like it. I just found myself needing to be around you and you never ran, you always knew I was close by and it just seemed like you were waiting… I don’t know the exact moment when I started to need you but…” 

He took his time with the words, and Izuku thought it was the most he’d ever heard the fox speak at once. As he listened, he slowly brought his hand up to grasp the hand that was caressing his cheek and intertwined the fox’s fingers with his own. 

Katsuki lifted his forehead from Izuku’s and opened his eyes. Izuku held Katsuki’s gaze again before he repeated the question he had asked before. 

“Stay with me,” Izuku says, more sure than he had been of anything before in his life. 

Katsuki nodded before lips met his own again.