#gardening zone 7

[panthertown]

The part-shade beds are lined, mulched, and surrounded by paths. They're partially-buried hugelkultur mounds, which we put in 3 years ago, but they've never quite been productive and I've been terrible about maintaining them. I wish I had some before pics but it was so weedy it was kind of hard to photograph.

The nettles in the lower bed are promising -- the groundhog leaves them alone, they provide several harvests of tasty greens, they're perennial and shade-tolerant, and I might figure out how to harvest fiber from the stalks. The upper bed has some daylilies which I'll harvest for tubers once they spread a little more.

As for the middle bed, I just got five lbs of mushroom spawn:

I tried wine caps once already but I don't think I gave them adequate substrate so they didn't produce very much. I also overloaded the middle bed with nitrogen (composted sheep manure) last year and definitely killed off the mycelium in that one :( Added a bunch of shredded cardboard for carbon and a little bit of compost. If this experiment goes well, I'll invest some effort into creating a huge mushroom bed along the north fence line.

I mulched the beds weeks ago and almost forgot that I also threw some cress seeds down under the mulch toward the bottom of the mushroom bed. So far the pests have avoided my other cress patch, so I'm happy to have finally discovered some greens I can grow and actually get to eat. The motherfuckers DESTROYED my sochan this year, which is weird because they've left it alone for so long :'(

[iloveschiaparelli]

progress in the balcony garden

I traded one of my sea urchin echinopsis children for 2 snake plant cuttings which will live in the window hanging pots until I'm sure they're rooted, then one will likely go into the hallway bathroom.

I've planted a large quantity of hummingbird blend wildflower seeds in the large planter. I'm hoping they'll germinate soon and bloom and just make the whole balcony feel more special.

I also planted some Thyme from an Herb Rocket, some kind of fast-growing seed kit from dollar tree. I don't know if it will work, I'm just following the instructions and hoping for the best. I think I'll get another one of these small plastic planters for my spearmint seeds. I'll also need pots eventually for the lavender plants and new spider plant children, but I'm avoiding plastic pots (and broke) so it might be a while. I should probably move the African violet to a real pot too.

The spider plant in question is doing very well, it's flowered twice now and new children are already forming from the old flowers. There are also new flower buds forming so I think it will flower again soon. I may pot the existing child soon for giving away. The child I potted 2 weeks ago is now living by the window in my bedroom. I didn't notice the flowers at first because the whole branch was behind the blinds, but one day while outside I saw them through the window. I pulled the branch in front of the blinds because the flowers are sticking to the blinds and also because Rookie kept batting at them where I couldn't see.

The African violet was wilting and a lot of the flowers had died back, so I reported it. And it wilted even worse. I pruned all the Dead flowers and leaves back and reduced the amount of watering, a few days later it looked slightly better but not by much. Finally I realized it wasn't supposed to be getting full sun, so I moved it back to the hanging pots inside so that the temperature is more stable and the light, while plentiful, is indirect. And it already looks so much better!!! It's got a few more blooms and the leaves and flowers are significantly perked up. My one concern is overwatering it again.

My hesitation to repot it into a ceramic pot is vecause the plastic one fits so nicely into this silver colored ceramic, but honestly I should probably just pot it in the ceramic and be done with it. There's no drainage holes so I'll have to buy more river stones to place in the bottom.

The basil plant looks great, especially since I pruned off the dead stems from when I dropped it and pruned off a bunch of the tops as well. I haven't been eating it, so I had just been leaving it to grow. Turns out you really are supposed to prune it back to encourage growth. I might try drying out some of the leaves in the dehydrator next time to preserve it til I need it, instead of just dumping it over the railing.

My roomate and I both have lavender plants that are both on the balcony. Mine has been in full sun, but Lilly's was on the table where it got more shade for a while. I've been checking the soil of both frequently and while I've had to water mine a few times in the last couple weeks, hers has stayed suspiciously moist. I moved it to get more sun but I noticed today that it has a yellowish tint forming on it compared to mine. I'm suspecting potential dry rot, but the soil on top isn't warm to the touch yet so I'd have to dig into the roots a bit to confirm. I won't repot it without her permission.

The beeblossom used to have red stems and leaves but since the flowers have cone and gone, it's turning green. I've never cared for or really seen one of these plants before so I'm uncertain if this is a bad thing. The texture also seems slightly different. I am not a veteran in this but I bet pruning the dead flowers and leaves will help the plant out a bit. Also, the soil shrinks into the center of the pot making watering a pain since it just runs down the sides and onto the ground. I keep forgetting that I need to buy a pot to plant this in. Beeblossom doesn't yield any results on Google, so the species listed on the tag is Gaura Lindheimeri. It flowers in hot pink.

Finally, I didn't like how all the plants looked just in a line (which also made some of them difficult to reach behind the table) and I still don't have the means to buy or build a bench to raise them on, so I arranged them all around the Thyme planter for now. The succulents and lavender are in the back since they need significantly less water and this is a pretty wet region. Except for Nina the echinopsis, she's at the front for some reason. (I probably put her there so I wouldn't get stabbed watering whatever I swapper places with her). I should probably move her do she doesn't get overwatered and dry rotted. The Thyme needs to be watered twice a day to germinate so I've been keeping a good watch of this part of the plant empire.

Which reminds me, the plastic planters didn't have drainage holes so I stabbed it with a knife and accidentally created a larger hole than intended. Which I covered with a store receipt before pouring the river stones in so they wouldn't fall out. Hopefully the paper isn't too toxic. By the time it biodegrades, the soil should be mixed in with the stones enough to hold them in place.

[seedsweedsandandcreed]

I just found out that in zone 7, nasturtiums can be planted around April 13th, according to the 2024 Almanac.

This is super exciting to me because they are adorable little plants that are made up of circles and flowers.

But then I found out that they are kind of time sensitive for blooms. If planted too late they won’t produce their edible flowers. Interesting, no?

[pwnflora]

What is Gooseberry and How to Grow it

Gooseberry is a small, round, edible fruit that grows on a thorny bush in the Ribes family. It is also known as “Indian gooseberry” or “amla” in some cultures. The fruit can vary in color from green to yellow to reddish, and has a tart, acidic flavor. Gooseberries can be eaten raw or cooked, and are commonly used in jams, jellies, pies, and other desserts. They are also used in savory dishes,…

[sassafras-manson]

Landscape Retaining Walls in New York An example of a large traditional backyard stone retaining wall landscape in summer.

[raeniskaies]

you need to fix your attention span ♡

- it is rumoured that human beings have an attention span shorter than a gold fish' . can you believe that such intelligent , amazing creatures as us can't even concentrate for more than 7 seconds ?

000 , just a short notice

- i apologise for taking so long to post ! life has been so busy and im sorry I left you guys ! also ty for 200 + followers ! i love you guys !

001 , don't have multiple tabs open

- stop having multiple tabs open ! this can cause frequent distractions and decreases your attention span !

002 , minimize multitasking

- just as previously stated , multitasking can help you lose focus on what you're trying to focus on !

003 , create no phone zones

- you don't need to take your phone everywhere with you ( at home ) , create no phone zones to reduce screen time and additionally regain more of an attention span ! no phone zones can be in your washrooms , kitchens & gardens , in those places you can focus on more important things other than your phone!

004 , say I'll do it after [x]

- if you had planned on doing something , do it. just because Jess or Ella asked you to call + play dress to impress + watch tik toks with them , doesn't mean you abandon your work. tell them you'll do it after [x] ( your work ) and just watch your attention span increase !

005 , automate school hours on school

- this chapter is just about using school for work and not for your phone !

006 , be okay with boredom and be curious

- if you're on a road trip or if you're waiting at a doctor's appointment , remember that your phone isn't your last resort ! for entertainment , try and look outside , imagine who has visited the area hundreds of years ago and how much it had changed or if you see any people , imagine their story ! be curious & imaginative !

007  , consume longer content

- watch long form videos til the end ; don't watch it on x2 speed ; don't read comments as you watch it ; don't skip past it ; watch it to its proper ending ! once you get used to focusing on long form content , your attention span will improve !

008 , consume to absorb , not skim

- when watching long - form content , don't skim past important details , watch it to absorb its content + not to get an uninformative gist !

[physics-of-one-piece]

The One Piece World Timezones [Fixed]

Okay, so I did a big WHOOPS. I thought the Grand Line is the equator. Someone in the notes pointed out that no, the Grand Line is not the equator and honestly, yeah, my fault for not going a bit deeper into my research.

Here is how the globe is and how the Grand Line goes. The blue thingy is I suspect the actual equator.

The reasons I thought the Grand Line is on the equator is:

1) weather

2) natural occurences

3) map on the One Piece Wiki

Crazy shit happens in the equator in our world.

Here is how the Grand Line is positioned as told by Law.

(source)

Now, let's fix the mistake. (Sighs)

And... ROTATE THE MAP.

Here it is. I sighed many sighs while rotating this and maybe I cried a bit at getting everything 3 hours wrong and then cried some more that Dressrosa & Hawaii aren't in the same timezone bcs goddamn it, that fit, as did Mariejois.

But FINE. I'm doing this for all the Doffy x Reader writers, all the One Piece x Reader writers, all the One Piece fanfic writers, full stop. I REFUSE TO ALLOW MY MISTAKE TO BE A CURSE. I'll also edit the OG post and put this pic there so both posts have the correct one.

Okay, one more time, 100% correct this time:

Paradise:

Reverse Mountain [UTC -1]

Cape Valley [UTC 0]

Cactus Island [UTC 0]

Little Garden [UTC +1]

Drum Island [UTC +2]

Alabasta [UTC +3]

Island where Luffy Kicked Bellamy's Ass Vol 1 Jaya [UTC+4]

Skypiea [UTC +4]

The Arc I Skipped After Seeing It Became Filler Ring Long Island [UTC +5]

Water 7 [UTC +5]

I'm so sorry, Snail 😭

Ennies Lobby [UTC +6]

Florian Triangle [UTC +6]

Sabaody Archipelago [UTC +7]

Amazon Lily [UTC +7]

Impel Down [UTC +8]

Marineford [UTC +8]

Holy Land of Mariejois [UTC+8]

All the thematic representation of it being UTC +12, splash into the water 😭😭😭

Fishman Island [UTC +9]

New World:

New Marineford [UTC -8]

Punk Hazard [UTC -8]

Dressrosa [UTC -7]

Totto Land [UTC -5]

Wano [UTC -4]

Law vs Blackbeard Island [UTC -3]

Elbaf [UTC -3]

Weird that it's Elbaf that's Northeast, since shouldn't Law have gone there as his route? Maybe Kid lied and went there still after Law said Northeast is the quickest path, while Law took a detour onto Winner Island to fight Blackbeard.

Hachinosu (Pirate Island, Blackbeard's HQ) [UTC -3]

Egghead [UTC -3]

Even though Egghead's not shown on the map, Luffy went directly south from Wano, and by the line, the Sunny would have entered the UTC -3 zone.

Lodestar Island [UTC -2]

Calculating Guide:

From East to West

- if it's 17:00 (5 pm) in Marineford (UTC +8) and you want to know what time it is in Dressrosa, this is what you do:

1) (Current time in Marineford) - (UTC time number of Marineford) which is

17 (5pm) - 8 = 9 am (UTC 0)

2) now that you have UTC 0, you put another minus, this one from Dressrosa's UTC, which is UTC -7, so it goes

9 am - 7 = 2 am

So it's 2 am in Dressrosa, while it's 5 pm in Marineford!

From West to East

Say it's 22:00 (10 pm) on Saturday in Dressrosa, what time is it in Holy Land? Here are the steps.

1) (Dressrosa current time) + (Dressrosa's Timezone Number) = time at UTC 0

So that's:

10 pm + 7 = 5 am Sunday (UTC 0)

2) UTC 0 time + Holy Land Time Number

So: 5 am + 8 = 13:00 (1 pm) Sunday

So while it's 10 pm Saturday in Dressrosa and Doflamingo is conducting business with the Paradise part of the Grand Line, in the Holy Land, the ugly Celestials are eating lunch on Sunday or napping bcs they are freeloading cu- (censored) unlike Doflamingo who's actually working!

(looks at the maps of my previous timezone post) Okay. It's fine. I only missed Dressrosa by 3 hours. IT'S FINE.

(it's not fine, I'm crying, it's not FINE, my favourite island and I couldn't even get it right the first time, if Doffy turns me into a toy I deserve it)

I'll go climb the Red Line and jump off it. This is the greatest shame as a scientist. Wrong numbers.

A/N: Of course, if what the pic above said is true, it might as well could be that the original tinezone map I made is semi- correct and the entire territory up until Wano has a timezone from UTC -12 to UTC -9 if it's only the first third of the New World, as those are the "thirds" of the west timezones. I don't read the manga, but I'm caught up with the anime and if the manga does reveal a map, actual map like that curved one in the picture with Law or Oda finally makes one, I give the manga readers full permission to send it to me in an ask and I will update the posts again. For now, this is the most "official" map we have, and the most recent one. Also, the Grand Line being in the shape of a rollercoaster is fitting, haha.

Taglist: @fanaticsnail @moonbaby26

[records-of-dirt]

Create Your Own Soil Profile!

A garden’s soil is the base of all its growth, and knowing how to properly  interact with your soil can make all the difference!

Step 1 Site Observations

Take a few photos of your site (project area)

Note down:

what vegetation is there?

is it near water?

the slope

approximate exposure to sun

Step 2 Take a soil profile

Set out a tarp or a garbage bag

Dig a hole about 3 feet deep (you may want a friend’s help!)

Place that soil in piles onto the tarp, sorted into different soil layers

Remember horizons! (O, A, E, B, C, R(bedrock))

Make a sketch of a soil profile, and measure the depth of each horizon

The top of the profile should start with 0 cm

Refill the hole, and try to return each type of soil in order!

Step 3 Build your profile

Describe each layer of soil, moisture/structure/color/smell

Use the “feel” method to take notes

Step 4 Drainage

Dig a hole 1 foot deep and 1 foot wide(ish)

Fill the hole with water and measure how long it takes to fully drain

An ideal time is around 10 to 30 minutes!

Note down the time

Keep in mind that even if the soil type would suit desert-like plants more, think of the weather. If it rains a good deal the drainage can matter less(or more!)

Step 5 Biological Activity

Bury a pair of cotton underwear(I know it’s silly)

Wait about 60 days

Unearth the undies, the more tattered they are the more activity there is!

Step 6 pH Testing

OSU Lab for Oregon, and many states have soil testing labs

Soil pH Meter

DIY Test

Step 7 Hardiness Zone

This just takes looking at a map!

Hardiness zones can tell you about the weather’s highs & lows in a particular area

USDA Plant Hardiness Map

And that 's it! It's a lot, and you don’t have to do everything. Each step can provide a better view of how to properly support your garden, and can be fun activities to do with friends and family!

I’ve included a template for a complete soil profile, but feel free to make them as fancy as y’all want!

Sincerely,

records of dirt

[evil-peanut-butter-addict-sam]

@shelbygraces

shut your bubble gum dumb dumb skin tone chicken bone google chrome no homo flip phone disowned ice cream cone garden gnome extra chromosome metronome dimmadome genome full blown monochrome student loan indiana jones over grown flint stone X and Y Chromosome friend zome sylvester stalone sierra leone auto zone friend zone professionally seen silver patrone big headed ASS UP You and your splotchy hair dye you can't ever choose what color you want, like make up your mind, lovejoys music is better then what you will ever make because you have made NOTHING against them you have been on YouTube for what over 10 years and almost 20 years? And your just now getting 100,00? Sad that just shows that your own 'supporters' aren't even supporting you and just sending absolute shit on us. For God's sakeI had a BLOODY TAMPON tell me to kms all because I had a Wilbur Soot costume you need to learn to control your subs everyone else can why can't you? With how far apart your eyes are I would be way to long to get from one eye to the other I would have to get a pit stop on your nose before anything, your fashion style is practically equivalent to a 7 year old girls closet. The only reason why they replace William with you in QSMP is because you would have never made it when everyone else got a invite, I'm surprised you even got the amount of support you have gotten because you weren't even known even after the relationship with Wilbur you only started getting your fame is because your a selfish little bitch that doesn't know when to stfu. On the selfishness side of you why didn't you give your fans the merch you absolutely promised them? Was it because you where too small of a creator even then to collaborate with someone? "I'd settle for a gun-" Yeah Wilbur we all would settle for the gun them having to hear her loud annoying voice, Shelby you wanted to say it's weird to be friends with minors because Wilbur was friends with tubbo and Tom when they were kids still but your in your early 30S AND FRIENDS WITH AIMSEY WHEN SHE WAS A MINOR you hypocrite "He had a ant infestation" Oh? Now did he? I would like proof on that. Or if I'm gonna be honest you probably don't even have proof like EVERYTHING ELSE and if you did have proof you would have showed it in the first stream. Wil said that he has many different pieces of proof showing you consented but he's not showing them for YOUR OWN PRIVACY AND SAFETY. " hello! My name is Shubble and welcome bsck to my channel" YOU SOUND LIKE STITCH IN YOUR INTROS WTF?? AND YOUR INTRO VOICE LITERALLY HASNT CHANGED IN THE PAST SIX DAMN YEARS? GET CREATIVE MAKE SOMETHING NEW. "I have alot of opinions about sounds in minecraft, what are the best sounds, what are the worst sounds" 1. Damn right you have opinions i think its obvious with the amount of time you have come out with almost every single popular ex of yours and there's suddenly something that went wrong in every damn one. 2 you are the worst sound not just on minecraft but in mankind. 3 William gold has the most iconic and funny ass minecraft sounds. "Just another thrift hall!" Why? Because you can't afford full priced clothing? "I will not be dying mu hair anymore" Then why the hell is your hair orange rn? Me and MULTIPLE people thought you weren't gonna say anything about ILGWIS because the song it literally directed towards how shitty you are/had been but NO you had the clout Shelby, you had to piss people off like me. "Stream my stream instead" Yeah that's all we can do because one again you have no music to stream. Fuck you Shelby, you clout chasing bitch.

VICTIM MORTALITY AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH

[megalony]

I Won't Allow It

This is a new Aegon Targaryen imagine, I hope you all will like it. I might do a follow up if anyone is interested.

Taglist: @lunaticspoem @butlegendsneverdie @langdonzvoid @jennyggggrrr @rogmeddows @radiob-l-a-hblah @rogertaylorsbitontheside @chlobo6 @rogertaylors-lipgloss @sj-thefan @omgitsearly @luckytrashgooprebel @scarsout @deaky-with-a-c @killer-queen-ofrhye @bluutac @vousmemanqueez-blog @jonesyaddiction @milanosaurus @httpfandxms @saint-hardy @7-seas-of-fat-bottomed-girls @mrsalwayswritex @rogerina-owns-me  @hellsdragon @im-an-adult-ish @crazylittlethingg @allauraleigh @onceuponadetectivedemigod @ceres27 @avyannadawn  @noonenuts @sleepylunarwolf @coverupps @justagirlthatlovedtoread

Masterlist

Summary: Aegon knows the risks of childbirth and is thrilled when (Y/n) sails through labour. But when she takes a bad turn, he doesn't know how to cope. He won't live without her.

Enjoy.

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

With a quiet sigh, (Y/n) closed her eyes for a few seconds that felt like an eternity. She wished this meeting would come to a swift end, but she had an unsettling feeling that it was going to drag on for a long while yet.

This meeting had been going on for over an hour already and (Y/n) wasn't sure she could stay standing for much longer. There were no chairs in the great hall, every member of the council and public had to remain standing while every decree was read aloud and every misdemeanour was dealt with.

Out of everyone in the hall, (Y/n), Aegon, Aemond and Helaena were the most unamused of them all. The four stood close together, huddled in a line near Alicent and Otto, trying to be respectful without showing their dismay for the entire event. It wasn't joyous to be here, not like when they had jousting events out in the gardens, even hunting would be more preferrable to this.

Trying not to show her discontent, (Y/n) curled her hand around Aegon's bicep and gently pressed her lips against his shoulder.

Out of them all, her husband looked the most annoyed. He stood broad and confident enough with his shoulders squared and his hands clasped respectfully in front of him, but it was his expression that gave away his annoyance. His lips were curled into a grimace, his eyes were zoned out and his tongue was pressed up against his cheek. He wasn't listening, he hadn't been listening after the first ten minutes.

But when he felt (Y/n) nuzzling her face into his shoulder and her delicate fingers held onto his arm, his grimace unfolded into a soft smile he saved just for her. He let his shoulders slack and loosened the tension in his arms so she could wrap herself around him like a vine.

He turned his head and kissed (Y/n)'s temple, breathing in her scent that was as distracting to him as her beauty.

Aegon stayed like that for a while with his head turned away from the court business and his lips relaying a constant kiss against his wife's forehead. He liked the way she was leaning into him and the feel of her protrouding stomach pressing into his side.

If this meeting carried on for much longer, Aegon was going to walk out. He didn't like them at the best of times, but he certainly didn't like the fact that his very pregnant wife had to stand around for hours at a time and endure these dullish meetings. She was almost at full term and Aegon had told her to stay resting in their room but (Y/n) didn't want to be alone or parted from her husband.

She was still expected to attend these meetings as well and with the failing health of the King, they all needed to stay in good graces, (Y/n) included.

"Okay?" He whispered quietly, his lips mumbling against her skin while he moved one hand to rest against the back of her head, holding her close despite the very public audience.

"Hm," (Y/n) found herself nodding but she didn't quite believe herself and she knew Aegon didn't either.

She couldn't stand still, usually she had no problem standing in the hall and watching the meeting play out, especially with the extra weight on her stomach making her feel tired. But today, she couldn't stop fidgeting. Her lower back was constantly aching, her feet were throbbing and her stomach and pelvis were heavy and dull.

The maester had said that she would start to feel like this and she would have the fake contractions soon to prepare her for labour. She hadn't had them yet and figured this was the start of them. Any day now, they were going to meet their baby.

With Aegon smiling against her temple and his fingers knotting in her hair, (Y/n) felt a small wave of ease battle the discontent she felt inside, even if it was only for a moment or two. She could have whined when he slowly untangled his hand from her hair and went back to clasping his hands together against his front. He had to try and look a little regal and sophisticated in front of everyone.

Shifting his weight from his toes to his heels, Aegon slowly rocked back and forth, not enough for everyone to notice, but just enough for his mother to glance his way and feel Aemond's gaze burning into the back of his head. He was so desperately bored. Why did they all have to be here to witness this?

He continued to sway on his feet and took to looking up at the ceiling that seemed as high and distant as the stars in the midnight sky. But his shifting concentration snapped when he suddenly felt a weight on his chest.

His eyes shot down and he realised it was (Y/n)'s hand clenched around his leather tunic. Her grip was fearsome and her other hand dug painfully into his upper arm. In less than a second, Aegon could feel the buttons starting to undo and pop open from her force and when her knees bent out and she leaned over, she almost pulled him down to the ground.

Something resembling a buried growl left Aegon's lips when he flustered to curve his arms around his wife and hold her up so she didn't fall to the floor.

"What is it, what's wrong?" Aegon tried to keep his voice quiet enough so that only (Y/n) could hear him but it didn't stop others from noticing his struggle to keep his wife up on her feet and not the stone floor. He didn't like the way all the voices in the hall came to an abrupt stop when they noticed the shift in the atmosphere.

"I- I don't…" (Y/n) couldn't find any words. She didn't know what was wrong, all she could tell was that the burning in her stomach had suddenly shifted like she had been holding something heavy in her arms and now she'd dropped it.

"Aegon,"

His eyes flitted from his wife to his sister when Helaena leaned over and rested her hands gently on (Y/n)'s shoulders before she cast her eyes downwards. And when he followed her line of sight, he couldn't stop himself from smiling just the tiniest bit.

Her waters had broken.

By now, a few murmurs were cutting through the thick atmosphere but Aegon couldn't hear them. His ears were ringing, buzzing with excitement and relief. This meeting was over and more importantly, his and (Y/n)'s long wait was about to be over. Just a few more hours.

"Mother, can you alert the midwives please?" He was sure most of his family were relieved to postpone this meeting, even his mother, stood silent with her mouth agape, seemed like she wanted to smile despite herself. "Alright, let's get you upstairs," Pressing his lips against (Y/n)'s ear, Aegon tightened his arms around her before he carefully turned her to the side and made a slow but steady beeline for the exit.

Removing her hand from Aegon's tunic that was now partially exposing his chest, (Y/n) tried to straighten herself up a little when some of the tension lessened in her lower back. It was going to be a long, torturous walk back to their chambers from here.

When they were out of the hall and out of earshot, Aegon leaned down and pressed a kiss to the shell of (Y/n)'s ear.

"You have impeccable timing, my love."

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

(Y/n) watched the midwife give a lasting, if disapproving look over towards Aegon before she excused herself from the bedroom, a bundle of used towels, sheets and cloths in her arms. It was clearly the first time the experienced midwife had delivered a baby with the father present in the room.

She had tried her best to discourage Aegon and get him to vacate into the adjoining sitting room but she had no such luck, on any of the times she told him.

He wasn't going anywhere.

There was no chance that Aegon would leave the room when there was a chance the worst nightmare of his life could happen. Being a disappointment to his family, his mother, didn't frighten Aegon, he had made peace with that demon long ago. Disappointing his father was much the same. The possibility of him taking the crown frightened him, and failing as a King worried him to no end.

But what petrified Aegon more than anything was the thought of losing (Y/n).

He wanted children, not just because it was seen as his duty to both the realm and his twisted family, but because he loved (Y/n) so much that another person to love like her made him think his life would be complete. Someone else to love him as unconditionally as (Y/n) did seemed unbelievable and Aegon wanted to be a far greater father than his own had ever been to him.

He was the son his father had always wanted, always yearned for, but that pride hadn't brought Aegon and his father close, no matter what happened. Aegon knew his child would be the light of his life.

He was afraid though, he didn't want to lose (Y/n) the way his father lost his first wife. He wanted (Y/n) to be like his own mother, strong and able to sail through childbirth with no problems or consequences or fatalities. And to soothe his petrified thoughts, Aegon simply had to be in the room from start to finish so he could reassure himself that (Y/n) was alright.

It didn't matter if everyone, his mother included, told him it wasn't right or fit for him to be in the room, he had to be there. And (Y/n) wanted him there, he needed no more approval than that to stay by her side.

With an arm circled around (Y/n)'s shoulders, Aegon nuzzled his face into the top of her hair and pressed his bare chest into her side. Over the evening and during the night, Aegon had become too warm with all the fussing from the midwives and from (Y/n) who had burned up something horrid during labour. He reduced himself down to his underwear in the early hours of the morning and was barely starting to cool back down.

He couldn't tear his eyes away from the bundle in (Y/n)'s arms. And he couldn't believe how well (Y/n) looked. Aegon hadn't seen any woman after the trials of labour, but a mere hour after giving birth, (Y/n) looked as well as he'd ever seen her. Colour had returned to her face, a smile was broad on her lips and despite the tiredness pooling in her deep eyes, they were almost sparkling.

Even laid there, half slumped into Aegon and propped up by thousands of pillows, (Y/n) looked like a goddess to Aegon. Despite the sheen of sweat that was vibrant on every inch of her skin or the way her silver hair was matted with sweat and clung to her neck. Even though she was still shaking from the after effects of giving birth, she looked truly stunning to Aegon.

When the bedroom door slowly crept open, Aegon's smile almost slipped from his face and he was ready to tell the midwife to leave, her duty was over. But his smile widened when he saw his mother slowly walking into the room, checking if it was alright or not for her to enter.

"How do you feel?"

(Y/n) leaned her head back on Aegon's shoulder, trying to fight the tiredness that was almost as strong as the shaking she felt.

She felt good. The shaking, the dull aches and throbbing pains were minimal compared to how elated she felt to be wrapped up in Aegon's arms with their daughter in her arms. As soon as she got some sleep, she would feel even better.

"Tired… would you like to hold her?" (Y/n) held her arms out when Alicent perched down on the edge of the bed and she could see tears in the Queen's eyes when a small bundle was rested in her arms.

"You've done wonderfully,"

Alicent couldn't help but sneak glances at her eldest every now and then. A few years ago, she would never have imagined Aegon would be happy and content in marriage or that he would be at his wife's side during her labours. From the troubled soul who drowned his sorrows in wine to the beaming son in front of her was a change like Alicent had never seen before.

A silent exchange passed between Aegon and his mother after a while when he could feel (Y/n) drooping against him and he noticed she was having trouble staying awake.

"I'll let you rest and pop by in the morning," She patted (Y/n)'s leg before carefully standing up, adjusting the newborn in her arms so she could settle her down in the crib at the foot of the bed. Wet nurse and nursery be damned, (Y/n) and aegon wanted their child as close as they could get her, she was staying in their chambers with them where she belonged.

When the door closed, Aegon shuffled down until he could burrow into the mountain of pillows. He spread his arms to allow (Y/n) to inch closer and lay herself over his chest with her arms bound to his waist and her face tucked into his neck before his arms coiled back around her middle.

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

Aegon gave the door a quick shove until it clicked shut behind the maid who scuttled out of the room without needing to be dismissed verbally. All of the servants had come to realise that they would have to sweep in and out of the Prince's chamber quickly and efficiently. Their usually slow and tiresome tasks such as changing and making the bed and sweeping and generally tiding the chamber were not required for this week.

This was the one week where Aegon could actively and happily refuse every royal duty he was told to attend or perform. He wasn't attending any boring meetings, he wasn't going to training religiously like his brother, he wasn't seeing to state affairs or having the awkward meetings with his father.

For this week, or as long as he could possibly manage, Aegon was staying in his chamber with his wife and daughter and no one would even think to stop him. Even his mother was pleased he was staying put with (Y/n) whereas he thought she would have tried to force him back to normality straight away.

Adjusting the newborn in his arm, Aegon turned on his heels and slowly padded across the room towards the bedroom.

Seeing as how he wasn't leaving the room, all he had decided to wear was some thin loose bottoms. There was no need to be formal or dress up in his usual stiffling leather attire when he wasn't going anywhere or doing anything pressing. He could walk around his own room barefoot in his underwear if he liked.

A fondness spread across (Y/n)'s lips when she turned her head towards the door and saw a sight that swelled her heart. Her husband looked so natural and relaxed holding their daughter as if it was his life's purpose that he had been waiting for for years.

She liked the way his hair fell across his forehead but didn't hide his broad smile and she loved how he cuddled Daena against his bare chest and how the muscles flexed in his arms when he held her.

Fatherhood looked good on him.

"Are you hungry?" Aegon advanced over to the bed until he was stood between (Y/n)'s legs and he could kiss her temple.

When the maids came yesterday to bring breakfast they were stunned when Aegon took the tray from them and quickly dismissed them. For the rest of the day and today, they had learned to hurry in, set down the food on the table and leave. They didn't want to disturb the Prince and his lady.

He had been quite surprised yesterday that (Y/n) had woken feeling tired but refreshed and seemed to gather bounds of energy. He had walked the length of their bedroom more times than he cared to count, pacing around slowly but happily with (Y/n) in his arms when she needed to stretch her legs but couldn't walk unaided. It also surprised Aegon that (Y/n) was starting to get her appetite back when the midwife wrongly said (Y/n) would be run down and would likely eat very little in the upcoming days.

But (Y/n) was still feeling a little queasy so light meals and soup were on the menu for this week.

"Hmm, very." Leaning forward, (Y/n) held Aegon's hips and kissed his stomach just above his hips causing a shiver to run down his chest.

"Come along then," His voice was as gentle as his touch when he moved Daena into his left arm and coiled his other arm around (Y/n)'s waist to help her up. He loved the feel of both his girls in his arms and (Y/n)'s hands on his stomach and back and her lips on his collar bone.

He hoped this week never came to an end.

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

Aegon let out a soft groan before he slowly unravelled himself from around (Y/n) when she started to fidget again. He rolled onto his back and reached his arm over to drape it across (Y/n)'s stomach until his hand coiled around her hip and he gave the flesh a soft squeeze. He wouldn't be able to sleep unless at least one part of him was touching her, whether that he his hand, his foot or even his leg. They just had to be touching.

Shuffling again, (Y/n) slowly heaved herself around until she was laid on her right side and she inched back until she was touching Aegon's chest and leg. His arm stayed wrapped around her and his hand moved absentmindedly in his sleep until his palm was flat against her stomach.

She thought she was finally falling back to sleep until the dull throbbing pain started up again and she smothered her face into the pillow to quieten her whimper.

(Y/n) had felt sick since early this evening but going to sleep had taken the unease away for a while. Even when she woke up to feed Daena and soothe the babe back to sleep, (Y/n) had felt better when she laid down. But now the ache was becoming more assertive and it wouldn't go away.

Her knees coiled up to her soft stomach and her arms bound to her chest, hoping that compressing herself would somehow make her feel better, but it didn't.

Maybe she should have listened to the midwife and taken things easier, not walk around the chamber as much or eat just little bites for the first week. Maybe the pain was because she had felt better to begin with and pushed herself too hard, but then again, (Y/n) didn't think she had done a lot. Aegon had been with her for the past three days, he helped her move around, he didn't let her leave the bed too much and told her to rest. He even picked Daena up from the crib and soothed her because he was so infatuated by her.

As soon as a sudden spike stabbed through (Y/n)'s stomach, she could feel tears welling in her eyes and a sob bubbled at the back of her throat.

It hurt. It was getting worse. Why wasn't it stopping?

Unravelling her arms from her chest, (Y/n) latched her fingers around her husband's upper arm and gave a sharp tug on his arm, jolting him closer to her to wake him up. Burning cries errupted past her lips and she could feel hot, sticky tears falling down the crease of her nose and coating her lips but she didn't care. She just wanted the pain to go away.

A hiss scraped past Aegon's teeth and he tensed when his arm started to burn. It took a moment for him to open his eyes and lift his head before he realised it was (Y/n)'s nails scraping down his arm that was causing him pain. She was drawing blood beneath her nails, she was digging in so hard.

"A-Aegon… oow, Aegon…"

"Love, what's the matter?" The urgency in his voice was crystal clear and he woke up with a start.

Pushing up on his elbows, Aegon sat up and twisted to the right so he could look down at (Y/n) and lean over her. He didn't like the way she was shaking or the grip she still had on his arm that she was scrunching and clawing at so badly that he couldn't feel his fingers anymore. He could see she had her eyes closed tight but her legs were digging into her stomach which he was sure couldn't be comfortable after giving birth only four days ago.

"Talk to me, what's wrong?"

"It hurts, really bad." He could hear the force in her voice and the way it quivered, she could barely speak from the pain.

"Alright love, shh. I'll get the Maesters."

Leaning down, Aegon pressed a chaste kiss to the top of her head before he slowly dragged his arm free of her viper grip and untangled himself from the sheets. He didn't know what to do first. He couldn't move from the shaking that overwhelmed him.

It took a few attempts for him to properly light the candles on the table to adorn the room with a golden glow and he grabbed the pants that were strewn on the chair near the window. He couldn't very well call for help in the nude.

He wished he didn't take another glance back at (Y/n) before he left the room. Now he could see the blood staining the bedsheets.

"Aegon slow down- tell me what's happening!" The urgency in his mother's voice only spiked the fear that was coursing through Aegon's blood. He tried to run down the corridor, pulling his mother along behind him until she was tripping over her night skirts and struggling to breathe from the panic.

He had woken her during the middle of the night by kneeling at her bedside and shaking her violently until she woke with fright, scaring her frail husband beside her. Now he was dragging her down the halls of the keep, presumably back to his quarters, and Alicent had no idea why.

"Is it Daena?"

Although Aegon always went to his mother when he was troubled, he had never come to her as frantic and bewildered as this. He had never had such rage, torment and panic in his violet eyes, not even when he was drowning his sorrows with wine.

"(Y/n), I-" Whatever he was about to say drowned out into a squeak when they reached the corridor that housed Aegon's chamber. He could hear his name from all the way down here. He could hear his wife screaming for him.

The two Maesters Aegon had alerted before waking his mother were already in the room and he bustled past them to scramble back on the bed beside his wife. With more candles across every inch of the room, Aegon could see her better and he could see how poorly she looked. Clammy, discoloured skin, trembling limbs that were coiling up to her stomach and a large circle of blood around her torso and legs.

He almost fell on top of her when he held his hand out and (Y/n) latched her fingers around it and wrenched his arm against her chest like she had done earlier. He tangled his free hand in her hair and shakily pressed his lips against her temple, trying to soothe her but he didn't know what was happening or what he could do.

"Aegon, sweetheart, I'll take Daena into the next room for a little bit while the Maesters work." Alicent could see the confliction on her son's face. He didn't want her to leave, he had woke her up and dragged her here because he needed help too, he needed to comfort (Y/n) but in turn wanted his mother to comfort him. She always told him it was going to be okay, she would hug him and quench his frivilous mind and her presence was calming.

But Aegon relented with a nod. He knew Daena was starting to wake and all the bustle and panic in the room would only disturb her. Alicent would be in the adjoining room only a few feet away if he needed her.

(Y/n) curled her arm around Aegon's neck, gripping his back tightly before she tugged on him and tried to sit up until he understood her silent plea. He swooped an arm around her waist and pulled her up so she could sit up and he took the liberty of inching closer so she could lean against his chest.

No sooner had one of the Maesters stood at (Y/n)'s side, did she reach out and snatch the empty bowl from his hands before promptly throwing up. Her throat burned, her stomach twisted into knots and heaved and it felt like she could barely breathe anymore. Her body was caught between crying and heaving and she choked between the two until everything she ate came back up with vengence and she could finally breathe again.

"What's wrong with her?" Aegon snapped his jaw like a dragon, barely able to see through the tears and the hair sticking to his face.

"It seems to be an infection from childbirth, your grace."

"Well fix it. Quickly!"

Tears burned down Aegon's face like poison soaking into his skin but he couldn't stop them. This was his worst nightmare, this is what he had feared for the past nine moons since finding out about (Y/n)'s pregnancy.

He wasn't willing to lose her like so many other men lost their wives in childbirth and he would not lose her from complications after birth. If (Y/n) died Aegon would die too. He had been reluctant to think or talk about labour because as much as he wanted a child, he didn't want to risk that it posed.

"D-don't leave me, please…" (Y/n) coiled her free arm back around her stomach to try and ease the pain but she pushed back into Aegon until she could feel every ridge of his skin glued against her.

She wouldn't get through this if he left her side.

"I'm not going anywhere, my love. Shh, I'm here." His lips nestled back to her temple and his arms cocooned around her middle, keeping her flush against his chest and their hands entwined together. He could feel how cold she was and he was determined to give (Y/n) his body heat and keep her safe and warm. There was no where Aegon could or would go, he couldn't be anywhere but here unless he wanted to drive himself insane.

"I'm scared-"

"I won't let anything happen to you, I swear it." He wasn't sure what was within his power, but Aegon would trade anything to the Gods if they saved (Y/n). He would give his life in exchange for hers if they asked it of him.

"Here your grace, drink some of this," One of the Maesters leaned close and held out a cup towards (Y/n) but she only groaned and shivered.

"What is it?" Aegon had to know exactly what they were trying to do and how they were planning on saving his wife. His world. His everything.

"Milk of the poppy, to ease the pain and let her sleep-"

Aegon had never heard (Y/n) scream as loud yet feebly as this. She writhed in his arms, shaking and pushing back until she was starting to hurt him because she could not get any closer to him but she still pushed and nudged until his body started to ache. Her nails began to scratch at his skin again and when she tucked her face into his neck, he could feel her raspy, wet breaths and her tears trickling down onto him.

"No. No I- I can't have it… Aegon, what if I d-don't wake up? Endless sleep, I- I don't want it."

(Y/n) cried until her throat went raw and her lungs burned for breath she couldn't seem to find. She could feel the heat radiating off of her husband and it seeped into her frozen body and soothed a small ache within her.

She didn't want milk of the poppy, it would take away the pain but it would also make her sleep. With how horrid she felt and the panic of everyone, (Y/n) knew she was close to death. If she went to sleep, she might not wake up from it. If she had to die, (Y/n) wanted to know when death came to possess her. She wanted to be awake and aware and have Aegon and Daena in her sights before she passed.

(Y/n) didn't want to die. Just the thought sent her body reeling and made her scream until Aegon was hushing and whispering in her ear and he started to rock her from side to side.

"You won't die, my love, I won't allow it. You don't have to have the poppy milk, shh, just calm down. I'm here, I'm not leaving you and you aren't going to leave me, are you now?" When (Y/n) slowly started to breathe instead of scream and her body settled in his arms, she heard him whisper. "There, now. Shh, I've got you."

When the ruckus and the panic in the room seemed to calm down and (Y/n)'s bleeding relented and was under control, Aegon was relieved to have his mother back in the room. She moved the cot to a quiet corner in the room so Daena could sleep before she sat on the other side of the bed.

"Ready, one, two…" Alicent wrapped her arms around (Y/n)'s front and carefully leaned her forward so Aegon could scoot behind her.

He laid back into the pillows with (Y/n) between his legs and her head on his shoulder, his arms tight around her waist to try and keep her warm. His mother wrapped two blankets around them both to help (Y/n) absorb some heat. Aegon didn't bat an eyelid at the heat that now consumed him or the light sweat that started to coat his skin, as long as (Y/n) was okay, he didn't care about anything else.

"Drink this, it will help clear the infection." Alicent pressed a cup gently against (Y/n)'s lips, relieved when she drank most of the remedy after being assured it wasn't milk of the poppy.

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

Aegon groggily opened his eyes and took a moment to gather his senses. Where was he, what was he doing, what was going on?

His back was throbbing horribly and he soon realised it was due to the way he was laid. His body was awkwardly slumped to the left on three uneven pillows and he was curved at the hip. Both his arms were loosely draped around (Y/n) who was also laid curved like he was but she had slumped down a little so her head was now resting just beneath his collar bone.

And when he looked further down the bed, he saw his mother draped over (Y/n)'s legs with her and her own legs were dangling off the side of the bed. She couldn't have been very comfy, she must have been exhausted to fall asleep laid like that.

They were all exhausted.

It had taken until almost midday for the shaking to stop and the remedies to finally start combating the infection (Y/n) had. Aegon couldn't remember much after that. Sleep came in waves, every few hours he would get maybe an hour or so of sleep before he woke up to get smoe more fluids into (Y/n) and while his mother saw to Daena and got something for herself to eat and drink.

"Aegon…"

His eyes went wide in their sockets and he pushed himself to sit up when he suddenly realised (Y/n)'s hand was cupping the side of his face.

"Mother, mother!" He gently but urgently nudged Alicent before he twisted round so he could look down at (Y/n). "Love, how do you feel?"

She felt run down, broken, horrid and sick, but despite feeling all of that, she felt better.

Her body was no longer succumbing to shaking and she didn't feel as if she was drowning in a frozen lake, she was finally warm wrapped up in her husband's tight embrace. Her stomach wasn't tied in a thousand knots or thundering like she was being stabbed and there were no horrid aches and pains rattling through her and pounding in her blood.

(Y/n) couldn't answer, she didn't have the words, but the delicate smile on her face was enough to send Aegon's heart rocketing in his chest and bring him back to life. His hand moved to cup the back of her head and his lips pressed urgently to her temple until (Y/n) could feel his tears soaking into her skin and his breathless laugh vibrating through her.

And when Alicent's hand slipped into her own and Daena's small whimpers started to fill the air, (Y/n) couldn't help but cry. Her hand moved from Aegon's face to grab at his shoulder, then his arm and squeeze him as tightly as he had held her all night.

He did as he promised. He didn't let her die.

[panthertown]

Bloodroot, giant solomon's seal, mayapples, and cinnamon fern coming back

And my carolina spicebush is blooming

The mostly-native shade garden is a slog and I've killed a lot of plants but I'm finally starting to see the payoff. In a few years it's going to be really magical back here.

Two yrs ago I spent $80 on a quarter pound seed blend from prairie moon and even my gardener friends were like bro that is too much money to spend on some seeds. But last year the grasses came up along with one (1) hairy wood mint. I hacked the dead stalks back a couple weeks ago and now I see THREE!!! things coming up that might be native shade flowering plants. Never listen to the haters stay on your grind 😎

[paper-mario-wiki]

Do you do farm stuff Scout? Or would you like to? Like owning chickens or tending an outdoor garden, that sort of thing?

From ages 7 to 19 I lived on farms, and was made to be an active participant in maintenance and usages of the facilities I don't know why the fuck I'm typing it like this, but I grew up on a farm. I was kinda in charge of everything, but slacked a lot and my brother had to cover for me. That said, I still spent a LOT of time doing chores.

At one point or another I've been responsible for most every farm chore you can really think of. All the basics like raking leaves, milking goats, collecting eggs, feeding chickens- but also the big stuff like moving tons of hay, herding flocks, caring for large animals such as llamas, alpacas, horses, and cows, as well as delivering babies, gutting and plucking fowl (only chickens and turkeys, though I've also cared for ducks and geese), dehoring, hoof cleaning, corpse transportation, crop maintenance, winter ice removal by breaking up frozen water troughs in 10 below weather (thought this was usually circumvented by anticipating the cold and setting up water heaters beforehand), constructing enclosures, slaughtering pigs, and etc etc etc etc etc all that shit. Bunnies snakes mini horses donkeys. All that shit. Farm stuff. Ya know.

Moved away when I went to college and immediately plunged into a mixed-zoning district in the Fushimi district in Kyoto. This was a really good transition from rural living to city living, because mixed zoning districts have blocks dedicated to apartment complexes and family homes right next to blocks of rice fields and ponds, which was behind the 7-Eleven I bought most of my food from.

Now I live in a SHITTY mixed zoning area in SHITTY America where we never stop hearing cars because there's a massive parking lot nearby and constant police sirens, not because the area is particularly dangerous, but because there's like 2 police stations nearby.

My ideal housing goal, which also happens to be my current goal in life, is to reach a slightly more rural version of the Kyoto living situation. The goals are very distinct:

0. I'm editing this one in after the fact to note that while I've used Kyoto as an example a few times in this post, I'm just looking for an area that feels right and would happily live in any prefecture that fits my needs.

I want to not be tied directly to a visa which would draw me away from doing whatever work I really want to do, like my student visa did later on when school started getting worse as professors were struggling to learn digital classroom mechanics. The visa I'm shooting for is dependent on a few ideas I have for businesses, but that's still kind of a long shot.

I want to be in a position of relative financial freedom so that I can spend enough time genuinely living there instead of just being tied to a computer all day, limiting me to the world I already know. This one's the big one, so I'm still workin on that. That said, recently I've been taking some pretty massive steps towards making this a more tangible circumstance. Fingers crossed.

I want to have a home that I own instead of renting, and I'd like to work with a Japanese architect to actually construct it. Again, these are big big plans, but I think a life goal is a thing worth thinking big about. And it's not like I'm trying to build a mansion, or even a family-sized house, I think I'd be content with three bedrooms, a kitchen, and common room. Of course, in keeping with the "dream big" spirit, in a world where I've got enough money to have a nicer, slightly bigger home, I can imagine as many as 5 bedrooms. It's nice to imagine in this "perfect" outcome that I've got a reason to have enough space for guests to sleep over. A local community, or an otherwise tangible, real-world web of relationships would be nice. Like, Real Adult Socializing Shit.

I want to have a significant emphasis on self-reliance on this home. As far solarpunk as I can reasonably go, without biting off more than I can chew as someone who's kinda limp-wristed. In a gay way and a feeble way. I figure this will come down to solar panels, water filtration, a well, and a garden (or at least the space to have gardening stuff like pots and soil). Some chickens would be nice too, but I don't know that I'd ever take on livestock proper.

I want to be properly submerged in trees without being more than a 5 minute bike ride from a train station. Somwhere like Yase-Hieizanguchi Station in north Kyoto is a good example of station that's on the edge of a metropolitan area and the forest. There was an apartment there I almost got, but backed out when covid hit cuz I decided moving across town would be a whack decision.

This is a BONUS goal, but I think it'd also be nice to not compromise on a single location, and instead have a home out in the inaka, while also having a small apartment rented in the city I can go between whenever I need to. In a world where I can afford a plot of land out in the country, but would still need to travel into town for business, that would be nice. Though in that scenario I'd likely need to also take on the arduous task of getting a Japanese drivers license. If I know far enough in advance that I want to take this specific route then I could bypass that last one by getting an international license before moving to Japan, but after moving to Japan you're barred from getting an international license.

I couldn't tell you in honesty that I'm a Salt of the Earth, Red Blooded American Farmer in my heart, and in fact I could not WAIT to move away from the farm. I hated that I didn't have a say in living on a farm, and was made to take care of animals. But what I DID enjoy about that life was the stillness. The opportunities of perfect silence. The stars unobstructed by light pollution. The ability to explore. Those things I was incredibly grateful for. And as such, in my perfect world, I would like to live on something like a farm again one day, just on my own terms.

[twstunes]

Take My Hand again actually we're gonna go on a walk through Night Raven College campus real quick while I lose my mind

First off look at the front gate. People have definitely brought up the birds and the keys and those ARE both very important symbols, BUT. What about the thorns sprawled across the top of the gate? And the repeat use of 4-pointed stars in the lettering gives an especially prickly quality, overall.

Also of note are the decorations on the main pillars and the very specific aesthetic choice for the shape of the wrought-iron fence—by which I mean both reflect designs found in Draconimom's appearance.

The carvings on the gate pillars feature an ankh-like shape that matches up eerily well with the central decor of Draconimom's belt, as well as two curves that mimic the main body of the belt. The three-leaf/bud-like shape above that is reflected in the lace pattern and dangling decoration of the Mirror Chamber's chandelier. The two swooping S-shapes mimic the Draconia family's iconic horns, and the little decorations on either side of the carving match with the shape of Draconimom's pauldrons.

As for the fence…it's That Shape again. Each post also bears resemblance to the upper portion of Draconimom's staff.

Considering the focus on thorned vines in relation to Diasomnia/the Draconias, the way that vines are slowly creeping up both the fenceposts and gate pillars feels relevant.

(Please recall: The coffins by which students are summoned into NRC are also referred to as "Gates.")

Next stop is the botanical garden. As I mentioned in a previous post, the building's overall shape is notably similar to the chandelier found in the Mirror Chamber. The large beams surrounding the building, with their spear-like support pillars, give the impression of the building being held in place by thorned vines.

The inside of the garden doesn't yield much in the way of analysis, unfortunately. The most stand-out feature is the crumbling structure in the subtropical zone, but that arguably could've been intentionally allowed to decay as a way of cultivating the various mosses and lichens we see growing on it.

(Please recall: at the beginning of the game, before you choose a student, Crowley has a monologue in which he appears to refer to the Dark Mirror as "a lovely and noble flower of evil.")

And now the Hall of Mirrors. This one has subtler details than the others, but still just enough for the pattern recognition part of my brain to start making noises.

Again, the outside of the hall bears a passing resemblance to the chandelier in the Mirror Chamber, though much less so than the botanical garden. More important to this analysis is the inside of the building.

Listen. Not all lace is related to overblots. But the majority of lace in Twisted Wonderland HAS appeared in relation to overblots. The presence of an unmistakably lace-y pattern on the beams under each ceiling arch feels worth pointing out. After all, as of Book 7, at least one student per dorm linked to the Hall of Mirrors has overblotted.

There are also small floral decorations on each arch: two buds in the lower corners, and a bloom at the top. Again, Crowley's "flower of evil" comment comes into play; each dorm, again, features a major antagonist who is visually and textually placed parallel to their respective member of the Great Seven (OG Disney villains).

There's also. Y'know. The horn-like design on the pillars.

(Please recall: each dorm linked to the Hall of Mirrors is, apparently, contained within a pocket dimension with somewhat strict borders.)

Okay now we're at the coliseum and I need you to bear with me for this first point. Look at the entrance. It's too ostentatious to not be important somehow, right? It's too overdone. It's the Dark Mirror's mask, kinda? Don't ask how long I've been staring at this thing

Aside from that, the coliseum has thorns lining the rim of the structure twofold. One set of thorns exists as spears jutting out along the rim, while the other set exists as the long, simple, repeating pattern on the wall just under those spikes. On the outside of the building, this pattern repeats for every floor, effectively giving a sense that the structure is "wrapped" in thorns.

There are also thorns visible in the support beams of the stage; they're especially noticeable after Malleus fixes the stage, as they're lit up a bright pink (as opposed to the gold they were prior).

Upon the stage sits an odd, crumbling structure. It's clearly made of a different type of stone than the rest of the coliseum, being a dark gray instead of subdued purple, but that's not all—the architecture doesn't match up, either. The two main columns don't resemble any others found in the coliseum, notably. The arch-and-a-half visible both distinctly feature three-pointed arches, unlike the round arches consistently found throughout the rest of the building.

The fact this structure has been allowed to remain in such a deteriorated state is also worth questioning, especially since it's obviously been modified at some point fairly recently; the LCD screen it's been fitted with seems to work like a normal electronic device w/ no magical component to it. Even if you were to argue that the structure is supposed to have a distinct aesthetic from the rest of the coliseum to better draw attention to the stage it rests on, its condition renders the argument null. I love its decrepit vibe as much as Malleus might, but very few people would see this as an acceptable "centerpiece" for such an important location. With how Crowley squawks about maintaining the school's reputation, why does this pass by without comment from him…?

At least the chains frame the stage nicely. Though, they could serve a symbolic purpose as well…

(Please recall: according to Rook, the school staff claims that the coliseum is "imbued with a special field that makes it harder for damage to spill out." We can assume that this is the truth, as no one outside of the coliseum seemed to notice Vil's overblot—just the traces of excessive magical energy leftover afterwards.)

And finally, we come to the Mirror Chamber. Keeping in mind that the Dark Mirror can teleport people (both for enrollment and in general), the most notable visual qualities of this room are as follows:

Gates (coffins, the Dark Mirror)

Plants (chandelier, rose arches, standing lamps, windowpanes)

Mirrors (the Dark Mirror)

Containment (chains, coffins, the Dark Mirror)

It is very, very interesting that the four primary structures on NRC campus with a direct relationship to the items on this list also feature aesthetic similarities to the Mirror Chamber. Also of note is that although each structure chiefly embodies one item on the list, they all incorporate aspects of the other items:

Front Gate–

Plants: As previously noted, there are vines steadily attempting to overtake the fence and pillars + thorns sprawling across the top of the sign.

Mirrors: Structural design is mirrored across the vertical axis, carvings are mirrored across both horizontal and vertical axes.

Containment: Although open in this view, the front gate as a whole embodies the concept of NRC campus as an area that is closed off to the rest of the world.

Botanical Garden–

Gates: The entire building signifies a departure from the surrounding campus into a space especially designed for the housing and growing of plants.

Mirrors: Look at that thing. You can't have a building made mostly out of tempered glass and not have it be reflective as fuck.

Containment: Aside from the appearance of being held down by thorned vines, the building does, again, exist for the purpose of containing plants.

Hall of Mirrors–

Gates: Each mirror acts as gate leading to each of the seven dorms.

Plants: Previously-detailed floral decorations.

Containment: Again, each mirror contains a dorm. This, in turn, means that this building technically contains…nearly the entire student body.

Coliseum–

Gates: It's got one right out front lmao. But yeah, like the botanical garden, the building signifies a departure from the surrounding environment.

Plants: As mentioned earlier, the entire building has the appearance of being wreathed in thorned vines + further incorporation of thorns in the stage.

Mirrors: Previously-shown Dark Mirror comparison. Also, like the front gate, the structural design is mirrored across the vertical axis.

What does this all mean? NO fuckin clue. But if we consider how the very first battle of the game seems to take place in the Mirror Chamber, at least two of these locations have been (or will be) the setting for a major overblot battle.

(I will say…it's very funny that, despite Pomefiore being the first established dorm from a lore perspective, a lot of the campus has much more Diasomnia-esque aesthetics.)

[pwnflora]

Crocus Planting in the Pacific Northwest

Crocus is a genus of flowering plants in the iris family, Iridaceae. They are known for their cup-shaped flowers that bloom in various colors, including purple, white, yellow, and orange. Crocuses are often one of the first flowers to bloom in the spring and are commonly planted in gardens and lawns. In the Pacific Northwest (PNW), crocuses can be planted in the fall, ideally in September or…

[greenwitchcrafts]

Rosemary

Rosmarinus officinalis

Known as: compass weed, dew of the sea, elf leaf, guardrobe, incsensier, labonotis, Mary's cloak, polar plant, sea dew, stella maria & star of the sea.

Related plants: A member of the mint family Lamiaceae that includea basil, mint, sage, savory, marjoram, oregano, hyssop, thyme, lavender & perilla. As well as other herbs such as catnip, salvia, bee balm, wild dagga, and oriental motherwort. 

Parts used: Leaves, roots, sprigs & essential oils from the flowers.

Habitat and cultivation: This evergreen  shrub is native to the Mediterranean Portugal, and northwestern Spain.

Plant type: Perennial

Region: Zone 6 with occasional winter protection & zones 7-10

Harvest: Anytime but avoid taking more than 1/3 of the plant when you do.

Planting tips: Rosemary has a low germination rate and slow to sprout, try using cuttings or buy from a nursery if you have problems. Keep in full sun with a well drainer container & let the soil dry out completely before watering again.

Medicinal information: Over the years rosemary was used to relieve muscle pain, repelling insects, improve memory, boost the immune system & promote hair growth.

Cautions: While safe, ingesting excessive amounts of rosemary can be dangerous and lead to vomiting, coma & pulmonary edema.

ROSEMARY IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR EVERY HERB

Magickal properties

Gender: Masculine

Planet: Sun

Element: Fire

Deities: Faeries, Elves, sea spirits & Virgin Mary

Magickal uses:

•Place in dream pillows to prevent nightmares

• Burn as an incense to purify & remove negativity

• Hang above your doorways to drive away unwanted visitors

• Add to a ritual bath for cleansing & removing hexes

• Use as a substitute for frankincense

• Plant in your garden to attract fae

• Carry a sprig to protect against the evil eye

• Keep under your bed to ensure fidelity & a happy relationship

• Wash your hands with a rosmary infusion before healing magick to increase potency

• Wear in a satchet or amulet to improve memory recall & improved health

• In Italian folk magic, it is cooked with to alleviate sadness  grief

• Rosemary may be used as incense at rituals of death and dying. It may be cast upon the coffin when it is slowly lowered into the burial place. With this we will all remember with love and fondness the one who is passing into another life, and thus we will also remember that we inhabit mortal bodies as we walk through the earth

[that-one-xachster]

Megumi x Childhood Bestie!Reader Hcs part two

ok I'm continuing this lmfao

so lets get to the part after go/joe kidnaps itadori

and you're just chilling with megumi in his room questioning all life choices

and he's questioning life itself

"crabs probably think fish can fly"

"...what did you eat today"

"tuna mayo"

"istg if you pull the Inumaki crap-"

"bean bags are boneless sofas"

"wHaT"

"...I want a beanbag."

*audibly sighs*

so yeah very fun

and you have a sleepover with him bc like

why not

and drama

so let's say todays that very special once in a lifetime day that you fall asleep INSTANTLY

and like just boom "I'm tired" you're knocked out

and megumi's just there like "gurl??"

my bro is absolutely done cause you're like taking up most of his bed

and personal space

give the man a break 😔✋

so he tries shoving you a lil to the side

keyword: tries

but you're a stubborn person so you don't budge

also you're gripping the bed for dear life in your sLEEP-

you haven't grown out of it lmao

megumi pulls his iconic face and is just

absolutely done at this point

so-

he's known you since childhood anyway right

and you're asleep right

right

so you won't mind if he just plops on top of you and cuddle-spoons you while your sleeping to create space right 😊

just to create space

you don't mind even when you're awake but megumi doesn't know that-

so yes he lies on top of you- wraps an arm around your waist- and spoons you while he falls asleep-

im giggling squealing kicking my feet writing this don't mind me

so yes he's still spooning you while you're asleep-

and in the morning he wakes up first ehe-

bc sleep = none or sleep = all

"all's well thats well for me"

iykyk

but you're still sleeping

and its like 7:30 am

its too early for this shit

so he just stays in bed cuddling you

and boom half an hour later you wake up

but you pretend to be sleeping heh

why

plot

so you two are technically cuddling rn and then my bro realizes that your awake-

and hes like

"oh good morning"

yeah we're totally gonna gaslight

"good morning to you too"

we're gonna keep up the gaslighting

so you turn around and you're facing megumi and you're like what time is it he's like 8:30 am or sum

so you both get up bleh the boring stuff

AND THIS IS THE MOMENT WHERE ITADORI IS GETTING SHOWN HIS ROOM SO-

YOU SEE WHERE THIS IS GOING

so then megumi walks out of the room but you're still inside cause why not

and then itadori and megumi have some bro talk and you just pop up behind megumi-

itadori sHRIEKS

gojos like 'did u two have a sleepover 😼'

and megumi ofc is like 'why do you care'

and itadori goes-

GASPPP ARE YOU TWO DATING???

the way your faces heat up so fast

FACES

WITH AN S

PLURAL

MEGUMI'S BLUSHING TOO

and hes like 'what the f no i'm not dating this idiot here'

you're like 'i wish 😔'

tHE WAY HE BLUSHES HARDER

no this does not go unnoticed by gojo and he whips out his phone faster than lightning mcqueen and bombards him with pictures

'smile for the camera megumi~'

'boy if you don't shut your skin tone chicken bone google chrome no home flip phone disowned ice cream cone garden gnome extra chromosome metronome dimmadome genome full blown monochrome student loan Indiana jones overgrown flintstone x and Y chromosome hormone friend zone Sylvester Stallone Sierra loan autozone professionally seen silver patrone head ass up-'

yes I had to

anyway y'all gotta go pick up the other first year aka nobara

and you're like

"OOH OOH GOJO SENSEI BOY OR GIRL"

"hehe you'll see"

so you make all of them speed to wherever the hell yer picking her up

idt I mentioned you slept in the car and your head was on megumis shoulder eheh

itadori kept teasing him and won't let him live it down fr

so yk nobara and her iconic scene

you have no shame

and you drink your respect women juice

im trying to make this gender neutral 😭

you see the uniform and you're cheering her on so much like

"WOO YEAHHH- PUT HIM IN HIS PLACE YOU GO GIRL-"

and shes like tf is this crazy bish doing

but you're just really excited to have another person in the group cause being around the same uh 7-8 people can get boring

so you meet her and you're pretty excited

"be glad boys, you're getting another girl in the group."

now that drops your opinion

so you have a smol idea

to uh

you whisper something in her ear and the wAY HER EXPRESSION DROPS

guess what you said <3 bc ik ofc I wanna see what y'all think

anyhoo so then shes like WHAT THE HELL and drops it

and boom you pull your feminine/masculine/nonbinary wiles and she's now your bestie

and gojo says we're going sOmEwHeRe

and nobara and itadori get so excited

yk the EJWRHTKWJEHTAUIETHR and the hugging gojo

you're standing next to megumi though cause you know whats coming

the way their face drops when y'all go to that messed up school- was it a school?

anyway yuji and nobara go in and you're outside with megumi and gojo

y'all are sitting down nearby

you're tired af with this shit so you just plop your head down in megumi's lap and no questions he just lets you

<3

and hes running his fingers through your HAIRRRRR

*screaming*

so you have some lovey-dovey time and gojo sneaks a picture cause he low-key ships you two

and after the two come out y'all just walk back very nice day

okay moving on from the boring stuff he goes back to his dorm

is developing a crush ehe

so hes just lying in bed thinking like

WHY TF AM I FEELING THIS WAY OVER THAT IDIOT RAHHHH

poor guys conflicted

but good for you hehe

sigh I'm tired ill write a part 3 later lmao