#rock garden weed control

[milksuu]

Second Magic

Pairing(s): Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III & II / witch!fem!reader

Word count: 2.OK

Content/Warnings: soulmates, reincarnation, immortal, soft magic, slice of life, fluff, minimal use of y/n, minor angst, implied sexual themes, minor blood

Summary: Death claims everyone at some point. Unfortunately for you, your gift of magic cursed you with eternal youth and an ability that has shunned you from the village of Berk. More than one-hundred years later, memories resurface when you’re visited for a potion from Berk’s next chief.

He was the spitting image of your long-lost love—your soulmate—Hiccup Horrendous Haddock II.

a/n: hello there everyone! I'm back with something new to add to the hiccupxreader tags. still on my mythical/magical kick. I do plan to have about three parts to this. so please stay tuned for updates, or let me know if you'd like to join a tag list. thank you and please enjoy.

There came a knock at the door. No one ever knocked on a witch's door by accident.

From the bedroom window, you peeked through the muslin curtain. Below the two-story cottage, grew a garden of lush greens and wild flowers. Where the weeds and dandelions led a trail to your front porch, a figure stood at your door. More pestering thuds bothered the home and the skin of your nose wrinkled. Muttering a thing or two, you ambled down the aching stairs. Before reaching the door, you rummaged through a decorative drawer, procuring a gray river rock. It was enchanted with one of your magic spells—a screeching stone, you called it.

“You can stop trying to break down my door,” you said, pressing the stone against the entryway. “Didn’t you read the sign posted on the oak tree outside? Clearly, it said no trespassing.”

“No—think I might’ve missed it,” the muffled voice of a young man answered, and it seemed honest enough. The stone hummed at the response. “Are you [Y/N], by chance?”

“There’s a chance I could be,” you said with soured lips. “Not many people come this far into the woods. And fewer people know of me, let alone my name. Which leads me to ask, who exactly sent you?”

“Gothi sent me. She mentioned you two knowing each other,” he replied in truth, and the stone continued its soft hymns. “She said if there’s anyone who could help me, it would be you.”

She’s still alive?

“That all depends. I trust Gothi, but I’ll need to trust you as well. You can start by telling me your name.”

There was a beat in the air. “It’s Hiccup.”

The ghost of your breath trapped itself inside your chest. That name—it had been buried beneath over a century ago. Yet the stone sang sweetly, and your heart squeezed in a haunting delight. A part of you wished it would scream. Wretched and revolting as it was, it would give you reason to cast the stranger away.

To your grief, he wasn’t so much a stranger as you thought.

Pocketing the stone, you opened the door with a creak. Meeting the green meadow of his eyes, your magic dug its fiery claws between your ribs. With all your power, you tried not to let his familiar freckles unsettle you. Fearing if you did, your magic would spring out of control. The windows would shatter. The roof would crumble to dust. The fireplace would spark and scorch the floors. Or something much worse. Touch him, and reveal when death would knock on his own door.

You wouldn’t let that happen. Not again. Not ever.

With a deep breath, you pushed the door open wider. “Come in,” you said, "we can talk more inside.”

He tipped his chin and thanked you for the invitation. When he stepped through, his gaze swept about your home. Dried flowers, herbs and spices hung from every inch of ceiling by twine. Sunlight spilled from the white-painted windows, and warmed the cushions of two chairs perched near the fireplace. Bookcases stood on either side of the mantle, stretched tall enough to touch the rafters, and wide enough to cover the entire walls. At the back of the home was the kitchen and brewing space. With emerald cabinets and honied-countertops, stacked with jars and vials, scattered petals, and corked potions.

“Make yourself comfortable,” you said. “I’ll prepare us something warm to drink.”

With a blink, he tore his gaze from the foliage and oddities. “Sure, I would appreciate it.”

When you left for the kitchen, he absently traced a hand against the chairs upholstery. Although it matched its counterpart, there were subtle differences; the legs were built taller, and arm rests crafted higher. When he took a seat, it felt made for someone of his stature—an odd thing to notice. His gaze raised to a row of books on one of the bookcase shelves. One particular book stood out among the jewel-toned backs of scarlet, green, and yellow. A simple spine of leather, softened over-time with use, and streaks of charcoal staining the edges.

Like a cool breeze, a sense of familiarity swept through him, touching the marrow of his bones. It begged the question.

“Have you always lived here by yourself?” Hiccup asked.

“You could say that.” 

For a moment, you lost yourself in the fragrant pools. When was the last time you served someone tea? It may have been the day before a young man's mortal fate—the same day you couldn’t convince him to stay. Leaving you to join the collection of things he left behind. Your throat tightened around what felt like a ball of hot wax. Searing as it was, you swallowed its entirety. 

Balancing the trembling porcelain, you returned to the next room and took a seat of your own. 

“I’m sorry if I was rude earlier. I’ve…never welcomed visitors. It’s always been safer that way.” With a smile, you offered him a cup. “But between Gothi sending you and your genuine nature, I’d like to help you.”

“Thanks—and you don’t have to apologize to me. I’m the one who decided to come here unannounced. So…” Hiccup trailed off, taking a drink. He stared at the ripples with solemnity. “My father isn’t doing so well. And you know Gothi, she’s the best Seer we have on Berk. She’s done all she can, but it’s not going to be enough. When I asked if there was anything more I could do, she recommended that I seek you out.”

“I’m sorry about your father,” you said, lowering your own cup. “If Gothi wasn’t able to help him, then he must be very sick.”

“I’m trying not to think about it too much.” He worked the tension of his lips between his teeth. Then pitched a sincere look your way, and said, “So you know, I’m not worried about you being a witch. If anything, I find myself pretty lucky to ask for your help. Even if that does mean I have to sell my soul for it.”

“I have some good news for you, then. I won’t be needing it. Quite frankly, I wouldn’t even know what to do with yours,” you said with a laugh. “But most spells and potions require something of personal value. At least, the stronger ones do.”

Setting your tea cup aside, you hopped onto your toes. Approaching one of the bookcases, you trailed a finger against the backs of countless titles. Your search came to an end when you plucked one out; dense with musky pages, a silver lock clasped at the side, and a small wooden door carved into the cover.

Peering over your shoulder, you found your nosy company arched forward in his chair. You cleared your throat, “Don’t think about peeking over here. A witch never reveals her secrets.”

He apologized under his breath, and shifted his chin away. But like a child snuffed out of his curiosity, he wore a pout of disappointment. You smiled in amusement, and brought your attention back to the book.

You knocked against the small door in a melodic tempo. The little door sprang open, revealing a tiny ear inside. You brought your mouth close, whispering the incantation with the smallest voice you could muster. Too loud, and the door would snap shut against your lips.

An unpleasant experience you remembered from childhood.

The lock clicked open, and you breathed a sigh of relief. Page after page, you mumbled and zipped through each recipe. A couple more turns, you tapped against the right one. Breezing through the ingredients, you had all but one. Oh buttercups, you blushed.

“What is it?” Hiccup furrowed his brows at your dawning expression. “Everything all right?”

“It’s a bit hard to explain. I—I don’t have one of the ingredients any longer. But maybe you still do,” you exclaimed, taming the warmth of your cheeks. “Come with me.”

With a tilt of your head, you gestured to the kitchen. Your guest rose from his seat, following your footsteps. With instructions for him not to touch anything, you scrambled to find your proper ingredients; mugwort, newt tail, bog water, and a strand of witch hair. Tossed and muddled by mortar and pestle, you poured the mixed contents into a glass jar.

“Time for the last ingredient,” you said, picking up a kitchen knife, “hold out a finger.”

Although hesitant, he lifted a hand. “Tell me you’re not going to cut it off. I’m already down a leg, if you haven’t noticed.”

“Not at all. That would be more than what I actually need,” you answered, albeit a little too plainly. With your other hand, you touched the stone tucked in your dress pocket. “You only have to be honest when I ask you this question. If you’re not, then we’ll both hear about it.”

He nodded carefully. “Go ahead.”

“Have you ever—Oh, how should I put this?” Calming the storm of embarrassment brewing in your chest, you exhaled the words in one breath. “Have you ever committed the coupling act?”

There was a gulp. Then a twitch of his lips. Followed by a blush that bloomed from nose to ear. “What? No, I—I haven’t. What kind of question is that?”

Without a word, you sliced the tip of his finger. A hiss sizzled from his mouth when you squeezed it open. Aligning the bottle underneath, you caught the blood falling in pitter-patters. Once enough dripped into the brew, a plum of red smoke burst into the air. Both of you coughed and waved your hands around the space. When the pungent cloud faded into wisps, you corked the bubbling potion.

“A warning would’ve been nice.” He wrapped his finger in a handkerchief you provided. He went on to mutter, “Not sure why you couldn’t use your own finger.” By the delivery, the last part was meant to stay in his head. 

Embarrassment washed through your veins, and painted every inch of your skin posy pink. The sight of it colored his own complexion.

“I didn’t mean to say that, honestly,” he apologized after the realization struck him. “It just sort of came out.”

“Absolutely no tact at all,” you chastised, snatching back the handkerchief. “Gods, you’re just as bad as him.”

He blinked with mystification. “Him?”

A slip of the tongue had the back hairs of your neck bristling. Magic pulsed like coils of lightning in your stomach. Crackling up through your chest, wanting to burn deeper holes in your heart. The roof groaned and creaked. Grains of wood dust fell onto your nose, dispelling the awful feeling.

“You have to go. Please, take it and leave. And don’t worry about repaying me.” Before he could argue, you forced the potion into his possession. With a clap of a hand, the wood beneath his feet shifted, motioning him out the front door.

“Wait a second.“ He wedged his prosthetic between the shutting door and frame. “Right bookcase, third shelf, leather back.”

“What on earth are you talking about?”

“There’s a book that belongs to my family. Ask me how I know.” The question was rhetorical, and in your bafflement, he continued. “My families crest is sealed in its spine. And the only way you could have it is if someone gave it to you. You said you never had visitors. Sorry to say, but I’m not buying it.”

“That book has nothing to do with you or your family,” you glowered, and the stone screeched and howled from your pocket. You clapped your hands against your splitting ears, with your company mimicking your movements. Over the prevailing wails, you cried, “You’re right—I lied and I’m sorry for it! It belonged to your great-grand uncle. And that’s the truth of it.”

The screeching stone fell to whispers. But the thumping of your heart continued to beat in your ears. 

“Wait. My great-grand uncle?” He caught a breath in his throat. “You don’t mean—there’s no possible way you’re talking about—”

“I am.” Your voice dropped to a whisper. “My only visitor before you; Hiccup Horrendous Haddock II.”

[reasonsforhope]

"Around the capital beltway or Washington’s famous Rock Creek Park, you may see a group of people ripping up vines along the treeline beside the roads.

If you have then you’ve glimpsed superheroes who traded in their capes for gardening gloves and their time for the satisfaction of terminating an invasive species and saving a native tree.

Washington D.C’s “Weed Warriors” are a group of volunteers going back to 1999 that work for free to keep hundreds of species of invasive shrubs, vines, and climbers from taking over native ecosystems.

Among the 600 or so non-native invasive plant species found in and around our nation’s capital, some like Polygonum perfoliatum, also known as “mile-a-minute” vine, can be devastating. Suffocating trees by overgrowing the leaves in their canopy branches, mile-a-minute can kill thousands of trees every year.

Since 1999, Weed Warrior volunteers have logged over 135,000 hours of time weed whacking in Montgomery County alone. Anyone can become a Weed Warrior; the group works in units for two-hour spaces removing weeds or planting native species in their place.

These invasive species management events are led by specially-trained volunteer Weed Warrior Supervisors and/or staff from the Montgomery Parks Dept. Warriors can get certified to de-weed in their spare time, or lead events on their own. They can even have their own unique patch of ground in the D.C.-Metro area to control.

Why would anyone want to trade their free time or laboring hours away for free doing something our tax dollars are supposed to do for us? The answer is simple: it’s addicting.

“If I have any good mental health, it’s due to Weed Warrioring,” said 74-year-old area resident Barbara Francisco. “You have a sense of accomplishment.” ...

The Weed Warriors website states that non-native, invasive plant species (NNIs) can alter the complex webs of plant-animal associations that have evolved over thousands of years to such a degree that plants and animals once familiar to us are eliminated...

Anyone who feels this is something they want to contribute their time to can go to the Montgomery County Parks website here and look at the upcoming Weed Warrior events—the next one is October 21st."

-via Good News Network, October 12, 2023

[sokkagatekeeper]

hi for the love of god hello every kid in atla is the loneliest in the world . aang is not just the last air nomad left he is also the avatar and his responsibility to do his duty as such while not allowing his culture to be forgotten and extinct sets him apart from everyone else in the entire world its not just one aspect that singles him out is his entire existence aang IS a hallow he IS the only piece left he IS the legacy he IS the loneliest person in the world the only one who can make his choices for himself the ship and the compass the arrow and the bow the history and the person responsible for any future at all. katara is the last southern waterbender she has made a promise to herself to remember that every day of her life even when her brother could never truly understand what that means to her nobody understands what any of her values mean she lives for the hope in something hopeless and faith in a better world she is the first one willing to get her hands hurt for her cause she has no female friends for fourteen years of her life. sokka has made it his mission to utilize every single piece of knowledge he can get his hands on as a weapon he understands the realities of war better than everyone else he IS the leader the brain the community big brother the father his life of self-made misery is but a side effect of all that knowledge and pessimism he actively chooses to carry for everyone else he hates being the man the brother the father the soldier but it is his job he can take on this enormous fire nation ship all on his own he can die for redemption he can sell his childhood to war for the war to have its heroes as unharmed as possible. zuko has no friends of his own he is the heir the disgrace the world's loneliest dancer he searches for the company of his family all over the world in the shape of a twelve year old simultaneously he runs away from the company his uncle offers but he will never truly get that company he's looking for because ozai just won't care and because azula is as alone as zuko is. azula has two friends who are her friends for survival for aristocrat etiquette for boredom and mocking even she is a child prodigy obsessed with an older brother of hers who keeps abandoning her to the father she is also obsessed with azula wants to please she wants to control she gets to a point where she has literally. no one left on her side. ty lee only ever lets go of her stupid girl mask when mai does they are both the loneliest girls in the world together they see each other better than the rest of the world but its still not enough they HAVE to let go of the masks for company they have to keep the masks for survival they are a mirror of each other but the glass is a cage they can't get out without cutting themselves with the shattered pieces of that reality. toph is rooted to her garden like another pretty flower of her parents she wants to be a weed she wants to be a rock crush the flowers she is a secret blind child her parents are ashamed of she looks for company in the wildest hardest creatures she refuses vulnerability when it knocks on her door she runs away and away and away because the ground is all the real sincere true company she's ever known and understood. yue is the princess trapped in the tower and the dragon is her duty her place her family herself her emotions overflow but as big as they are even they cannot create a bridge large enough to escape it she literally dies to duty her first love is as lonely as she was and the most company she gets now are stars and other strange spirits she was never made to be a girl but that is what she was. suki was imprisoned in the worst jail in the world at sixteen years old because duty because leadership because sacrifice because there are no more soldiers to fight this war she is a community creature completely isolated. every child in atla is the loneliest in the world

[libraford]

I saw you were killing your lawn grass to plant clover and other things. Do you have any advice? We're trying to do no mowing or anything but it's SO LONG I worry about ticks and chiggers. I dunno how to convert this to something a little less wild.

Some examples of it! It's just a lil crazy atm and I kinda want a garden of edible vegetables somewhere!! But I have no idea how to even start. I really wanna plant trees but the ground here is so hard (mountains) it's so hard to dig to plant.

---------

That grass is going to outcompete anything you try to plant there at its current state. You will have to get rid of that grass.

You have a couple options.

The first is mowing it with the intent to kill it. I mean real short. I mean get that blade so close to the dirt its hitting rocks. With as high as it is right now, you might try a weed whacker for the tallest parts. If you can rent a good mower, do so. I've been using a cheap mower and its been struggling. Or get someone else to mow it for you- but you have to get it short.

The second option is smothering it. It can't grow if there's no light. I've done this accidentally before with pieces of cardboard weighed down. Two weeks-ish will have it dead, just check it periodically. This might be harder to do on a large area.

We are doing a combination of the two.

First, cutting it short. Show that grass who's boss.

After its been cut, we are using the pieces of our shed that blew over in a wind storm to cover the lawn one section at a time. After the two weeks are up on one area, we move the plastic pieces further into the yard.

Here comes the clover.

Once the grass is dead, that's when you can plant your ground cover (clover mix). Try to do this on a day when the soil is wet.

When it comes in, the clover will want to get tall. Cut it down. Once you cut it, it will grow more slowly and you won't have to do it as often as you would with grass.

Once you reseed the lawn, you will have to continue reseeding it because that grass will want to take over. We skipped it this year and the grass took control of the lawn.

You might want to look into 'no mow' plants that do well in your soil. Because its one thing to stop mowing but the real benefits to the soil come from plant diversity. But sadly, we don't have the same kind of dirt and my knowledge of your soil type is limited and this is like a whole... thing.

Like our main concern in our area is having plants that help with drainage. Probably not the same problem where you are. So think about what kinds of problems you have and try to find a garden blog that deals with those specific problems.

[blu3cl0v3rs]

Summary: The Graveyard Garden.

Warnings: Vague descriptions of death

Prompt: Overgrown | Passage of Time 

Extra: Set in post S5. The Graveyard Garden was first an idea spawned out of a comment I made on my Day 15 post, and I decided to run with that idea!

            If you were to visit the monastery now, you would find its charred remains. The rot covered framework was a ghost of the regal building it used to be. A melted controller still left in the room the Ninja used to game in. Charred cloth and scraps of metal were the bare remains of a bedroom. Leafy stalks stuck out from in between the old stone tiles of the courtyard, and tiny fungi bloomed on the lumber.

            If you were to visit the monastery now, you would most likely miss the pathway behind the burnt building. A pathway that used to be pristine slate rock, now overgrown and dirtied. One that led to a garden, filled with an assortment of flowers, from chrysanthemums, to azaleas, to irises, to hydrangeas, and many more. The flowers used to be well cared for, having a watchful eye carefully weeding and caring for the precious blooms.

            However, now the petals were browned and crumbly, the heads flopping towards the dry dirt ground. The flowers sprouted from outside their beds, some half-eaten by bugs or passing wildlife.

            Peeking out from behind the flowerbeds, you'd find a neat line of small graves surrounding a shrine. The headstones had the beginnings of moss growing on them, slowly covering the names so carefully carved into them. Some decaying remains of flowers that looked to be from the very garden near it were placed lovingly in front of each stone.

            The shrine was a meek thing, crudely put together and seemingly ready to break at the slightest gust of wind. On it sat an incense holder with wet ashes and dirt settled in it, along with a few dried buds and disintegrated snacks.

            Once, decades ago a child grieved here many times. 

            Once, that child's sensei taught them how to cultivate flowers and honor the dead.

            Once, that same sensei-turned-father had to consider if he should set up a headstone for that very child in that garden.

            But now?

            Now, this garden is unknown, forgotten by everyone but that sensei. That father.

            And, one day, that man will return with new students and a heavy heart to rebuild that torched building, and that garden will be meticulously cared for once more.

[wazzappp]

It's my dad's birthday weekend so my family rented a place by the lake and HOOGH is it giving me ideas for the safe house Robbie and Gabe would be staying at between RE7 and RE 8.

I want to change some stuff about the safe house itself (specifically I want it to be by the water). Maybe fewer stairs (just in case Gabe has some trouble adjusting). It's still in Spain of course we still need RE8 to happen, still in the woods, just with a lake!

After about 2 days of interviews (interrogations) to figure out exactly WHAT happened the BSAA makes their decision what to do with the boys. They're told they're getting relocated. Congratulations! It's not a choice.

They're shipped out on a plane to some place they don't know the name of and introduced to a house they've never seen before. There's a lady showing them around like she's trying to sell it to them. It's an older place but with new furnishings. It's nice and cozy. Two floors, fireplaces for the winter, two bedrooms and two bathrooms (Gabe is EXTATIC about that bit he gets HIS OWN BATHROOM. Robbies not really mad about it either). The top area is a living room with a kitchen dining room deck and a bedroom with a bathroom. Downstairs is an additional bedroom and bathroom with its own smaller deck. The backyard is a bit of a mess with two distinct areas. The garden (facing the lake with an artificial beach and dock) and a running around area (overrun with tall grass. The people who lived there before hadnt bothered to weed or mow. Or hadn't been there in a while). There's also a garage (the lady mentions There's also a fixer upper car in there.) There's also a town not to far away (they'll need to ask for permission to leave).

Groceries are delivered each week with instructions for how to cook the meals inside (if they want to switch to pre-made all they need to do is ask) along with a weekly allowance of what robbie made in about a month working at Canelos for any extra stuff they might want. It's perfect. Robbie is scheming for how to get away immediately.

But suddenly he realizes the wall to stop erosion on the small beach is starting to fail and Gabe has been loving being in the water so much. So he takes a couple of rocks and spends a day moving them around to fix it. The fixer upper in the garage has some unique problems of its own too, and if he ever wants to get to town he should really take care of that. And they have the money now so he orders Gabe all the ninja wolf memorabilia he could want. Games and books and action figures the whole deal. Pretty soon posters are all over his walls.

The meals are good too. Gabes finally approaching a good bodyweight and he's using it to explore the woods nearby and he's taken an interest in cleaning up the garden. Robbie realizes the more grassy area would make an EXCELLENT shooting range for practice (he was caught off guard. He wont be EVER again). He asks about it and the handlers say they'll see what they can do. Sending someone to 'train him' (supervise) while he tries new things and sets up targets. Sometimes he even has Gabe move pulleys around so he can practice shooting moving targets. They still dont trust him, but to appease his want for a morning routine of shooting practice they let him keep a handgun. Gabe is able to call some of his friends on occasion (monitored of course) and tell them a bit about what life is like now. They feel distant but hey. Better than nothing.

It's sort of hard to think about leaving now (especially after Gabe starts practicing his abilities in the garden. Especially after Robbie cuts himself on accident while cooking and sees it heal right before his eyes. When he starts to wonder if it's a good move to keep him away from other people).

The BSAA has managed to strike a balance between 'allowing them to recover' and 'keeping them busy enough that they won't WANT to escape or fall into any post traumatic depression (hey they can't really control that but they can t r y). Keeping the boys together, monitored, and away from people they can infect is their best move. Regular doctors visits help to monitor their mutations. They're both still infected and the BSAA knows that. But it's worth more to keep them alive as possible assets than to destroy the first real example of a stable biowepon.

[blacktowbarony]

d100 Character Quirks

Addicted to pipe weed.

Agent of a secret society or cult.

Always looking for the right accessory.

Always wants to spring the trap.

Anti-establishment.

Aspirant of one random career, but is really awful at it.

Ass-kissing suck-up.

Big competitive streak.

Bitter over some past wrongdoing.

Blasé towards dire circumstance.

Bluntly states the facts.

Boastful of family name.

Bookworm.

Braggart.

Brave to the grave.

Cannot abide the destruction of art.

Cautious.

Collects seeds, statues, etc. for their garden back home.

Deep ties to a mud-wrestling club.

Dire nut allergy.

Dumb as a rock.

Enraptured by cute animals.

Every insult must be avenged.

Exalts the virtues of walking barefoot.

Excellent restraint and self-control.

Excellent tipper.

Fusses over the health of allies.

Generous disposition.

Gore turns the stomach.

Gravitas in spades.

Greedy enough to steal the food from another’s plate.

Grizzled survivor of total party kill.

Gullible, susceptible to suggestion.

Habitual rhymer.

Habitually underestimates foes.

Happily married.

Has a grand, idealistic vision for the future.

Has an item of huge sentimental value.

Hopeless romantic.

Humble.

Illiterate.

Immature sense of humour.

Keeps proposing friendly wagers.

Knows all the constellations.

Laser-focus on current tasks.

Laughs at others’ misfortunes.

Licks their weapon to intimidate foes.

Likes their personal space.

Love of gold for gold’s sake.

Loves swimming naked in ice-cold water.

Loves to smash glass.

Merciless.

Monsters make them blush.

Musically gifted.

Nationalist patriot.

Neat freak, avoids getting dirty.

Never had friends before now.

Never misses a joust, knows all the knights’ names.

Never turns down a chance to hobnob with the social elite.

Oath of celibacy.

Out of retirement for one last job.

Overconfident in own abilities.

Polite to a fault.

Proud parent of d4 kids.

Pyromaniac.

Rich parents have cut them off.

Secret relative of another player character.

Secretly wants to try cannibalism.

Sharp dresser, keeps affairs in order.

Short-tempered.

Sluggish and lazy.

Spits. A lot.

Spouts cryptic metaphors.

Staunch teetotaller.

Strong code of honour.

Strong phobia (d20 Phobias).

Student debt for one of their careers.

Suspects strangers to be vampires.

Talks to the stars like an agony aunt.

Terrible liar.

Theatrical thespian.

Town drunk.

Tremendous appetite.

Tries to accept all cultures, no matter their customs.

Tries to convert others to their religion.

Ugly. Just really, horribly grotesque. Good person though, popular in hometown but nowhere else.

Unwavering faith.

Very chipper, especially in the mornings.

Very superstitious.

Wants enough gold to buy an island.

Wants immortality, in one form or another.

Wants something named after them.

Wants to capture a rare monster and train it to play an instrument.

Wants to taste every monster.

Wears a helmet to keep “them” out.

Why tell the truth when a lie is more fun?

Wine snob.

Would give their life for a noble cause.

Writes bad poetry.

Writes embellished accounts of their adventures, for future publication.

[innytoes]

OMG the generator game me Gilmore Girls and flower shop. This seems ripe for so many things. Taylor would be insufferable about regulations

So everyone knows that either Stars Hollow attracts weird people, or if you live there long enough you become Like That.

Taylor was a little apprehensive when he heard that the building next to Doose's market was bought by a bunch of former rock stars. Okay, so they only had the one album before the lead singer blew up at the record company for not letting him have creative control, their rhythm guitarist ran off with half their songs, and the other two went 'fuck it this isn't worth it anymore'.

(Lane breathlessly tells Rory all about this when she finds up three fourths of Sunset Curve is moving to Stars Hollow.)

They also bought a big house on the edge of town, with some land.

Nobody is exactly sure who lives where. Like, do the drummer and his cute skateboarding husband live in the house and the other two live above the flower shop? Do they all live in the big house? Is the apartment above the flower shop just storage? Are they growing something illegal up there?

(Taylor tries to get up there so many times will all kinds of HOA and town bylaw nonsense and they never let him. Luke Danes encourages this. And maybe trades tips with Alex about how to further annoy Taylor.)

In fact, they all live in the big house but also sometimes above the flower shop (it's Luke's Writing Den. The suspicious activity that Taylor thinks is Weed is really just Reggie trying to breed a new type of lily. They sometimes crash there after town festivals or when one of them needs some alone time.)

Reggie is the person who mostly runs the flower shop. He likes talking to people and he likes making bouquets, he took an online class!

Some old lady eventually takes pity on him and teaches him how to do it correctly. And tells him what thorn strippers are.

Alex does most of the gardening. He finds it relaxing. Sure, not all of their flowers and plants are home-grown but it keeps him busy. He also likes taking dance classes at Miss Patty's.

Luke actually has nothing to do with the flower shop except that he hangs out there a lot. But he also does that at the music store. And at Luke's. It's very confusing to everyone for a while. Some people have started to distinguish them as 'Beanie Luke' and 'Baseball cap Luke' or 'Coffee Luke' and 'Music Luke'. Or even Luke-Luke and Luke. (Luke Danes is of course Luke-Luke and he hates it.)

Luke tries to play for tips ones and nearly comes to blows with the town troubadour.

He really likes Hep Alien though and encourages them whenever he can.

Luke (Patterson) quickly rises to Gilmore levels of 'should not have coffee but will get it anyway because he doesn't take no for an answer'. Except where Lorelai and Rory usually plague the diner in the mornings, Luke comes just before close.

Alex and Willie would go so hard for the dance marathon. Reggie would beg Luke to be his partner and they'd drop out after like two hours because Luke never actually went to bed and has been up for 24 hours straight and Reggie got distracted because someone brought their dog.

Okay but you know that in between Max and Luke, Lorelai tried to date Reggie and Lane nearly exploded because YOU COULD HAVE A MEMBER OF SUNSET CURVE AS YOUR NEW STEPPARENT RORY and Rory was like: yeah no I'm pretty sure Grandma made him cry at Friday Night Dinner and he and Mom are better off as friends.

Reggie is Very Relieved when he and Lorelai break it off after like two weeks and Diner Luke stops glaring at him and will make him hot chocolates again.

Miss Patty and Babette have this bet going who will have the longest slowburn, Luke and Lorelai or Other Luke and Reggie.

Luke and Lorelai actually win and get together first and the only one who called it was Alex.

[adamrosner]

Beginner's Guide to Starting Your Vegetable Garden

Starting a vegetable garden can be one of the most rewarding activities for anyone interested in fresh, homegrown produce. Whether you have a spacious backyard or just a tiny balcony, growing your vegetables is both fun and sustainable. Here's a beginner-friendly guide to help you get started on your vegetable gardening journey.

Choosing the Right Location for Your Garden

The first step in creating a successful vegetable garden is picking the correct location. Vegetables thrive in areas that receive at least 6-8 hours of sunlight per day. Therefore, it's essential to choose a sunny spot. If you're working with limited space, container gardening or raised beds can be just as effective as a large plot in your yard.

In addition to sunlight, consider the soil quality. Good garden soil should drain well while also retaining moisture. If the soil is heavy clay or too sandy, it may need amendments such as compost or organic matter to improve its structure.

Deciding What to Grow

As a beginner, it's essential to start small. Choose a few easy-to-grow vegetables that you and your family enjoy eating. Some ideal options for beginners include:

Tomatoes: A versatile and productive choice.

Lettuce: Proliferates and can be harvested over several weeks.

Carrots: Great for loose soil and ideal for containers.

Peppers: Relatively easy to grow in warm climates.

Zucchini: A fast-growing and productive vegetable.

Consider your climate and growing season. Warm-season vegetables like tomatoes and peppers thrive in summer, while cool-season crops like lettuce and spinach prefer spring or fall. Research which vegetables are best suited for your region's climate and start with those.

Preparing Your Garden Bed

Once you've chosen your vegetables, it's time to prepare the garden bed. If you're using containers or raised beds, fill them with a high-quality, well-draining potting mix. For traditional garden plots, start by loosening the soil to a depth of 12-18 inches.

Remove any weeds, rocks, or debris from the planting area. If your soil quality is poor, consider adding compost or other organic matter to improve its fertility. This will provide your vegetables with the nutrients they need to grow strong and healthy.

Planting Your Vegetables

After preparing the soil, it's time to plant your vegetables. Follow the seed packet or plant tag instructions for spacing and depth. Different vegetables have varying space requirements, so pay attention to how much room they need to grow.

If you're planting seeds, make sure they're spaced evenly and lightly covered with soil. Water them gently but thoroughly after planting. For seedlings, dig a hole slightly larger than the root ball and place the plant in it, covering the roots with soil and gently pressing down to remove air pockets.

Watering and Mulching

Proper watering is critical to the success of any vegetable garden. Most vegetables need about 1 inch of water per week, but this can vary depending on your climate and soil type. Water deeply and infrequently rather than giving shallow, frequent watering sessions. This encourages the roots to grow deeper, making plants more drought-resistant.

Adding a layer of mulch around your plants helps retain soil moisture, reduces weeds, and improves the overall health of the soil. Organic mulches such as straw, grass clippings, or shredded leaves are ideal for vegetable gardens.

Managing Pests and Diseases

One of the challenges of vegetable gardening is dealing with pests and diseases. To reduce the likelihood of problems, consider using natural pest control methods like companion planting, which involves planting certain crops near each other to deter pests. For example, marigolds can repel aphids, while basil can improve the growth of tomatoes.

Keep an eye on your garden for any signs of pests or disease. Early detection is critical to preventing the spread of these issues. Handpick insects when possible, and use organic insecticides only if necessary. Regularly rotating crops also helps minimize disease buildup in the soil.

Harvesting Your Vegetables

The most exciting part of vegetable gardening is, of course, harvesting the fruits (or vegetables) of your labor. Harvesting times will vary depending on the crops you've planted. Root vegetables like carrots and radishes can be harvested when they reach the desired size. Leafy greens like spinach and lettuce can be picked as soon as the leaves are large enough to eat. For vegetables like tomatoes and peppers, wait until they are fully ripe for the best flavor.

Harvest regularly to encourage continued production, especially for crops like zucchini or beans, which produce heavily. Enjoy your fresh vegetables right away, or preserve them by freezing, canning, or drying them throughout the year.

Starting a vegetable garden is a rewarding and educational experience. With careful planning, attention to your plants, and a little bit of patience, you'll be enjoying fresh, homegrown produce in no time. Whether you have a small balcony or a big backyard, gardening can bring a sense of accomplishment and a deeply fulfilling connection to nature.

[lovelikedestiny]

The sun is already setting as Joe finally sets a foot into the garden.

It is exactly the moment Joe likes to watch most - when the sun welcomes the approaching night with a kiss of rose gold and the night sees her off, his violet and indigo fingers caressing her cheek as she nestles her face longingly into this last touch before leaving her love behind, a trace of fire and amber following her on the sky.

Joe can feel the growing darkness in his very bones as the horizon grows darker by the minute, letting himself be guided by the shadows, leading him to the person he is looking for.

It is no surprise where Joe finds Nicky.

He is sitting cross-legged under the magnificent apple tree which is also the heart of the garden Nicky had created. No matter how often Joe wanders through the terrain behind his house, it still astonishes him what Nicky was able to build out of wasteland; infertile ground, rocks, and weeds everywhere.

Needless to say that his fae abilities certainly helped a lot with that.

Although Joe walks over grass, luscious green, swaying lightly in the wind, his steps cause no sound and he moves completely silent. One of the characteristics of a demon.

Nicky’s back is to Joe, so he can’t see him to make up for not being able to hear him. But Joe knows that he will not scare Nicky because his love has long since sensed him, can see it in the way the flowers he passes turn to face him or the small tree at the side of the barely there path bows his branches as if greeting him.

Inside their house Joe has startled Nicky more than once by suddenly standing next to him or noiselessly showing up to inform Nicky about something, only to make Nicky jump with a shout.

At least, when Joe forgot to knock on the wall or door frame to make himself noticeable, audible.

Inside their house, Joe is the one having a slight advantage with the lurking shadows telling him whispering where what is going on. He doesn’t need light to orient himself, as a demon, darkness has always been a part of him, a living, breathing creature he is able to control and bend according to his will.

But here…in this garden, in nature, it is a different story.

This is Nicky’s kingdom.

A kingdom in which Nicky is deeply connected with his surroundings, drawing strength from the ancient earth, every flower petal, every blossom and stem, insect, and living organism.

Joe is quite sure that the carefully nurtured lavender on the patio has told Nicky that Joe was coming as soon as he stepped out of the house or that the wren chirping on the fence of the vegetable patch has lent Nicky his eyes to watch his steps without leaving his spot.

When he sits down next to Nicky, not bothering to protect his stylish black trousers from dirt, several blades of grass near him, stretch out to Joe and when he places his hand on the ground, they curl around his fingers and Joe smiles.

“Hello to you too,” he says to Nicky and the blades release his hand in a silent sigh, returning to their former position.

“Hello, my love,” Nicky replies, his voice as soft as the first breath of night, coming over them.

Nicky’s eyes are still closed, hands digging lightly in front of him into the earth like Nicky were touching a loved one; tender yet forceful and determined.

There are roots attached to his fingertips…no. His fingers are roots, growing deep into the ground and the skin in his face looks like bark, fusing with the pale skin of his neck. Some of his hair strands have turned to trails, others to feathers, and most of them are covered with spider webs, the silvery color accentuating the warm honey brown of summer in Nicky’s original hair.

He is beautiful. It is an echo, pulsing through Joe with a shock of wonder and gratefulness for gifting him with this wonderful man, making him his.

Joe blinks and Nicky’s appearance is again that of a middle-aged man with an oversized hoodie, disheveled hair, baggy jeans, and worn-out sneakers.

Joe loves him so much it hurts.

Even though nature has parted itself from Nicky, his eyes have not lost the spark as they open, bright and crystal clear mirrors to the core of untamed and breathtaking wilderness.

[walker-extended-universe]

In Another World

Relationship(s): Cordell Walker/Emily Walker, Geri Broussard/Hoyt Rawlins, Hoyt Rawlins & Emily Walker, Hoyt Rawlins/Emily Walker, August Walker & Emily Walker & Stella Walker

Tags/Warnings: Implied/Referenced Character Death, Major Character Death, Alternate Universe- Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe- Role Reversal, Grief/Mourning, Supportive Friends, Crimes & Criminals, Jail, Moving On, Falling in Love, Accidental Relationship, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending

Summary: What would've happened if Cordell and Geri had been the ones to die? Would Hoyt and Emily have found their way to each other? What would that have looked like?

Written for @angstober Day 31: Won't Forget

It was just supposed to be a simple raid. Sure, there was always a risk with his job; they all knew it. But Cordell always came back alright. Maybe he had a scratch or a bruise or, heaven forbid, a stab or a shot wound, but he always came back.

Maybe Emily had just grown naive enough to fool herself with pretty lies like that. Otherwise, that phone call may not have destroyed her so completely.

She tried to shove it down. There was so much for her to do. She had to make preparations for the funeral- his real funeral, not that pony show the county was putting on for their Fallen Ranger. She had to handle the contents of Cordell’s will and thank the Lord every day that she’d bugged him to keep it updated. She had to work with the life insurance company to make sure her family got what they were owed (not that it could replace Cordell). And she had to keep up a normal life on top of it all, make sure the kids got to school and kept up with their coursework- not to mention keep up with her own work.

She never realized how much she needed Cordell to get through her day. Everyone in their lives would joke that she was the one that held their family together, especially with how much his work took him away. Goodness knows how many fights they’d had about that. But Cordell was always the one that made her coffee in the morning and reminded her to take snacks when she had a busy day and might not be able to eat a full lunch. He was always the one that took care of the garden and made sure the weeds didn’t get out of control. He was always the one that kept her car topped up with gas and reminded her about oil changes. He was always the one that helped her sleep at night, his warm body and steady heartbeat a comfort that she couldn’t get a decent night’s sleep without.

How was she supposed to live the rest of her life like this?

“Mornin’, Em! I made pancakes.”

Emily smiled and brought down some plates. “Thanks Hoyt. The kids will love it.”

“So will you.”

She never expected Hoyt to be such a big support. Maybe she shouldn’t have been surprised; he’d been Cordell’s best friend and one of her closest ones for many years. She supposed it was just easy to forget what a good friend he could be when he was around since he spend so much of his time away.

He wasn’t everything she needed, but he helped. He made sure the kids got to school and packed her lunches and kept the house in order- things she felt too frazzled and lost in her grief to care about.

A small part of her felt bad for taking up his time like this. She knew Geri wanted time with her own boyfriend. But Hoyt was insistent on helping and Geri never said anything to her about it so she wasn’t going to rock the boat. It was nice having him around.

Maybe it was a little strange to have him stay the night when he had someone else to go home to, but she couldn’t help but feel comfort in not being totally alone when she couldn’t sleep.

There was nothing wrong with a friend helping out a friend, right?

—-------------

She was never supposed to be involved. Hoyt tried so hard to keep the line between his private life and his work clear and firm. He never talked about his friends or family with his more dangerous cohorts, and he definitely never told them about Geri.

But it wasn’t enough. He didn’t do enough to protect her. And now Geri was being rolled out of her own home in a body bag.

Hoyt had been the one to find her. He came to the house early to make Geri some breakfast after he made some for Emily and the kids. He felt a little bad for spending so much time over there, even if he did have a good reason. He just wanted to do something nice to remind her he still cared. He’d even bought flowers on his way over.

Now those flowers were in the trash and he was relegated to the porch while various LEOs trampled in and out of Geri’s house. His thumb hovered over Emily’s contact in his phone.

He should call her. She deserved to know her best friend was dead. But how was he supposed to tell her? It had only been about 6 months since they lost Cordell. How was he supposed to tell her she lost her best friend now too? And how was he supposed to explain that it was all his fault? She’d slam the door in his face next time he came over for sure. How could she ever stand to look at him again?

“I can tell her if you want.”

Hoyt jerked and looked up at the man who had apparently materialized next to him. “Larry,” he greeted. “Don’t worry. I’ll tell her. You had to tell her about Cordell; it’s my turn.”

“I don’t mind,” he said. “I know…. I know it’s not easy.”

“I’ll tell her,” Hoyt repeated. “It’s the least I can do.”

After everything he’s done. After everything that’s happened. This is the least he can do.

—------------------

Two funerals within a year. That was a new record for Emily. First her soulmate, then her best friend. Both taken far too soon in such violent ways. She felt like the unfortunate main character of a soap opera.

It didn’t help that Hoyt was avoiding her. After the call where he told her what happened to Geri, he’d barely spoken two words to her and he hadn’t come by the house at all. It hurt that he was leaving her alone at a time like this, though she could hazard a guess as to why.

She didn’t get a chance to confront him about it until after the funeral. Everyone came to the Walker ranch for a chance to rest and eat and somehow, they ended up in the kitchen alone.

“It’s not your fault, you know,” she said, grabbing his arm before he had a chance to leave her. Again.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Hoyt said. But he didnt’ pull away.

“I know what you’re thinking, Hoyt,” she said. “And it’s not your fault. I don’t blame you and Geri wouldn’t either. Because it’s not your fault.”

“We both know it is, Em.”

“It’s really not.”

Hoyt wrenched his arm out of her grip. “It is!” he whisper-yelled. “It damn well is! You know it and I sure as hell know it! I don’t even see how you can say it’s not!”

“Hoyt-”

“I’m the one that worked with those bastards! I pissed them off! I gave them a reason to come after me! I gave them a reason to hurt her!”

“Maybe but that’s not-” Emily glanced out of the kitchen to make sure no one was watching and then dragged him out to the back porch.

“I don’t know why you’re even trying to have this conversation,” Hoyt griped. “Everyone in there blames me.”

“That’s not true and you know it,” Emily snapped. “I don’t blame you. The kids don’t blame you. Neither does Abby.” Bonham probably did but he’d always been a little rough on Hoyt so it wasn’t worth arguing over. “The only one blaming you is you and you need to stop it because I-” she let out a shuddering breath. “I can’t lose you too.”

Hoyt deflated and sat on the porch bench, head in his hands.

Emily sat next to him and hugged him. “You didn’t kill her,” she whispered. “Maybe you didn’t make the smartest choices but you didn’t pull that trigger. You did everything you could to keep her out of harm’s way.” Emily hugged him tighter. “I know this hurts a lot right now and it’s going to be a long time before you forgive yourself, but I’ll be here until you do.”

Hoyt said nothing. He just quietly sobbed into his hands. And Emily sat by him until it was time for them to go back inside.

—-------------

It took less than a week for Hoyt to decide on his next move. Maybe Geri’s death wasn’t his fault entirely, but he had a part to play in it. It was time for him to start making up for his mistakes.

“Hoyt, you really don’t have to do this.”

He glared up at James. “It’s the right thing to do, Captain. The only thing I can do right now. It’s about time I start taking this life seriously.”

James sighed. “Alright. I can’t guarantee you’ll get full immunity but with the information you’re willing to hand over, you’ll get a good deal.”

“I’m not doing this to get myself out of trouble, Cap. I just want a little justice.”

James nodded. “Right. Just make sure you leave the work to the justice system, alright? You’ve got people that would like to see you walk out of prison again one day.”

“I know.” As much as he’d love to shank the bastards that did this to Geri (he had a pretty good idea of who exactly pulled the trigger too), he wouldn’t do that to Emily. They were all each other had now. “Now, how do we do this? I’m not used to actually giving up information during these things…”

“Well, it’s a lot like normal, except you’re actually going to answer the questions I ask you. Are you ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

—----------------

Hoyt ended up getting one year in prison. It would’ve been much longer for all the charges brought against him, but giving up his cohorts helped reduce his sentence by a lot.

On the day of his release, Emily was waiting outside the prison for him. The rest of the family was putting together a little surprise party for him at the ranch. She smiled as he walked out of those doors for the last time and held out her arms for a hug.

It felt good, knowing he would be around for more of these.

She pulled back, sliding her hands down his arms. “How does it feel? Being out for good?” she asked.

Hoyt hummed. “Weird. But good. Really, really good.”

She smiled. “Good. Come on; everyone’s waiting for you. Yes, even Bonham. He’s been working the grill all day.”

Hoyt chuckled. “Now that, I have to see.” He squeezed her hand. “Thanks, Em.”

“Of course; what are friends for?”

—----------

Hoyt hadn’t been expecting a full on welcome back party. But, considering how well he knew the Walkers, he probably should have.

It wasn’t a big bash, just an intimate affair with the family. It was nice to see them like this. Happy. Smiling. Laughing.

There were two people missing but Hoyt was in a good enough mood to overlook that for now.

Emily pulled him aside as the party wound down a bit. “I got you a present,” she said, putting a small box in his hands.

“Aw, Em, you shouldn’t have. I don’t need anything.”

She rolled her eyes. “Just open it, Rawlins.”

He chuckled and opened the box. Inside, there was a set of keys and a set of papers. He glanced at Emily before skimming the papers. He didn’t understand everything but he saw the LLC the Side Step was listed under. “Em?”

“You don’t have to accept it,” she said. “But I think this would be a good start for your new life. I’m managing it right now but it’s not something I can do forever, even with the help I have, and…. I think it’s what Geri would want.”

He lifted the keys from the box and gingerly held them in his hand. “What do you mean you’re managing it?” he asked, mostly to distract the conversation from himself.

Emily nodded. “Geri left it to me. Well, technically she left it for any potential future children but I was the secondary. I’ve been handling the admin with help from Abby and some of the more experienced workers but…. I think it’d be good for you.”

Hoyt hummed. “Are you sure? I’m not exactly a businessman. Spent most of my life doing pretty much the opposite.”

“Yeah, but you’ve left that behind for good. And you need a job anyway.” She shrugged. “Maybe this is just nepotism, but I think you’d be good at it. You know your alcohol, you’re a good salesman and you know how to get along with business partners, and you’re a lot smarter than you give yourself credit for. And you know we’ll all help you if you need it. I know you can do this. If you want to.”

Hoyt closed his hand around the keys. “Well, I don’t have as much confidence as you do but…. I’ll give it a shot.”

Emily smiled and hugged him. “I knew you’d love it.”

He wrapped his arms around her, a warmth blossoming inside him that he hadn’t felt in a long time.

—------

Somehow, in the middle of everything, they both missed that they were falling in love all over again.

It was only natural that they grew closer, of course. Hoyt had officially moved in with her after he got out of jail and she took time off work to help him take over the Side Step. Spending almost all hours of the day with someone would only naturally lead to them growing closer. And they were already quite close to begin with, so it really wasn’t that far of a leap.

Maybe that was why neither of them noticed it until they both took the plunge. 

It happened on the one year anniversary of Hoyt going straight. Emily had insisted on doing a little celebration but Hoy didn’t want to make a big deal of it so it was just the two of them at the Side Step after closing. “I still think you’re downplaying how big of a deal this is,” Emily said in between sips of beer. “I mean, a whole year without being in jail is a record in and of itself. And I don’t think you’ve been in one place for this long since we graduated high school. You should be proud of that.”

He shrugged. “I’m just catching up with everyone else. And I think you are downplaying how much you helped me get here. If anyone should be celebrated tonight, it’s you.”

“Well, maybe we can both be celebrated.” Emily clinked her glass against his before pushing off from the table and going over to the jukebox.

“What are you doin, Em’?”

She picked a song and fed a coin into the machine. “We’re celebrating, aren’t we?” She sauntered back over as the music played. “Dance with me, Rawlins.”

Hoyt chuckled and stood up, taking her hand and twirling her. “Who am I to deny such a polite request?”

They were just playing around. Nothing wrong with a dance between friends. But when the right song is playing and you’ve got a little too much alcohol in your system, sometimes you realize the man you're dancing with is more than just a friend to you. So maybe you put your arms around his neck and get up on your toes and kiss him. And maybe he kisses you back. And maybe you do a lot more kissing and very little talking for the rest of the night and you don’t even really think about what it all means until it’s morning.

So, Emily made breakfast, sent the kids off to school, and cornered Hoyt before he went to work. “We need to talk.”

“Too early to talk,” Hoyt muttered into his coffee.

“Too bad, we need to.” She pushed him into a chair and stood in front of him. “We need to talk about last night.”

“You mean about the fact that we kissed and probably would’ve fucked if we’d had a little more alochol in our system.”

Sometimes Emily appreciated Hoyt’s bluntness. Now was not one of those times. “Well- Yes. We need to talk about that and decide what happens next.”

He sighed and put his coffee mug down. “Look, I get it. You regret it. I’m sorry too. Now we can drop it and pretend it never happened.”

“Hoyt- That’s not what I was trying to say!” Emily crossed her arms. “First of all, I haven’t regretted kissing a boy since Rodney in 8th grade and we both know that wasn’t a kiss I initiated. Secondly, I’m not sorry at all for kissing you last night. I’m just sorry it happened the way it did. I- We needed to talk first.”

“About what?”

“About wh- About us! About our history and what this means! I mean- We- We’ve been friends forever, you dated my best friend, I married yours! And what does this mean for our future? How are the kids going to react? Or Abby and Bonham? Or-”

“Breath, darlin’.” Hoyt smothered any other words she had to say in a hug and she couldn’t help but melt into it. He rubbed her back until she calmed down a bit.

“First off, I don’t regret it either. Second, I don’t know how everyone’s gonna react. But I don’t think I really care. I think we do what’s best for us, Em.”

She sighed. “I mean- maybe we don’t need their approval or whatever but we still have to tell them. And… it might be weird.”

Hoyt kissed the top of her head. “So let it be weird. I believe some wonderful, beautiful, smart woman once said that ‘things don’t have to be good to be good’….”

Emily laughed. “Did she now? Tell me more….”

They would have to tell everyone. But they could do that later. It was nice, just being in this bubble where they were the only things that mattered.

—-------

They had to tell the kids first. Emily was adamant about that. “We need to know if they’re okay with it first and figure out what to do if they’re not.” It honestly hadn’t occurred to Hoyt that they wouldn’t be okay with it, but now he was terrified of that happening.

They decided to just talk to the kids one night after dinner. Nothing special, nothing crazy, no need to freak them out.

“Is something going on?” August asked as they moved to the living room. “You two are being weird.”

“Nothing bad happened,” Emily said gently. “We just have something we want to talk to you about. Please, sit.”

The kids sat on the couch, watching them apprehensively.

They’d talked a bit about what to say, but none of the words seemed right. Hoyt was planning on just letting Emily take the lead on this one.

“Well…” she started. “You guys know your Uncle Hoyt and I have been friends for a long time-”

“Just friends. Real good friends.”

Emily side eyed him but continued. “We’ve gotten…closer over the last couple years. Losing your dad and Aunt Geri…. It was hard. But we supported each other.”

On impulse, Hoyt grabbed her hand. It was half a way to hide how his were shaking and half a way to show his support. And maybe hint as to where this conversation was going.

“What I’m trying to say is… A lot has happened and… We’ve decided to start dating.”

There was a long moment of silence that stretched on far too long. Hoyt squeezed Emily’s hand, praying this went over well.

“Is…. Is that what you needed to tell us?” Stella asked.

Emily nodded. “I know this is weird for you guys but-”

Stella interrupted her. “Mom, you know…. We don’t really care. You’re happier with Hoyt than you’ve been since Dad…. And we’re happy for you.”

August nodded. “Yeah. You make each other happy and… we’re just happy to see you happy.”

“And we kind of already figured you were,” Stella added.

“What?”

“Well, yeah, I mean, you live together-”

“-and if you’re not here at the house you’re both usually at the Side Step-”

“-and you’re both kind of touchy with each other-”

“-which we’re totally cool with,” August finished.

Well. At least they didn’t have to worry about that. “I guess you should stop calling me ‘Uncle’ Hoyt then.”

Emily rolled her eyes. “Don’t make it weird.”

—----------

They had the approval of the family. But there were two more people they needed to talk to.

“Hey, Cordi.” Emily sat in front of his headstone. She picked a flower from a nearby patch of wildflowers nearby and set it on top. “It’s been a while since I came here. I’ve been busy.”

She sighed. “I may as well just come out with it.Hoyt and I…. We’re seeing each other. Romantically. Never thought I’d say that,” she said with a chuckle. “But… here we are.”

She  traced a pattern in the grass. “I know I don’t have to ask you for your blessing or anything but… It just seemed like the right thing to do.” Emily kissed her hand, then pressed it to the top of Cordell’s grave. “I love you. So much. And I miss you so, so much. I’m not- I could never forget you I just… I need to move on.”

A gust of wind blew past her, pushing the flower off of the headstone and into her lap.

She chuckled. “I guess that’s you telling me to get on with it, huh?”

She should’ve known he would understand.

“Goodby, Cordi.”

[starrystrawb]

Now introducing Volcanos! She is hot tempered, powerful, and kinda small compared to her fellow Mother Earth epithets. But make no mistake, she hold a power few of them possess. She is known to cause chaos so deep it can effect the other epithets.

She (kinda obviously) is based of Pele! For anyone who doesn't know, Pele is the Hawaiian Goddess of volcanos, wind, fire, lightning, and dance. She is immensely powerful and effects the other gods and goddesses around her. She is known for being quick to anger, passionate, and loving towards her people. Pele's mythos fascinates me and I adore all the stories she has. The most popular one being that she will disguise herself as a beggar woman and ask for alcohol and cigarettes. If you are kind to her, you will be in her good graces, if you fail, you will feel her wrath.

On to our eco tips!

Fire season is upon us, friends! Remember to keep in local ordinances and safely prepare yourself and your home! In some eco-systems, fire is necessary. That is what controlled burns are for! To ensure that the forests we love remain healthy, and to protect other areas, people, and wild life. Some good ground rules are to keep a fire extinguisher close by when having an out-door fire, properly store any wood kept for fires, and keep dry grass cut back away from anywhere you intend to have a fire! When you are enjoying a nice warm fire, be safe and responsible! Keep young children and pets a safe distance away, be cautious of the cinders, and completely extinguish a fire before turning in! Just like Smokey the Bear says; Only YOU can prevent forest fires!

As the seasons change and the temperatures rise, we find ourselves outside more. It's a beautiful day, friends! Be sure to enjoy it! If you are leaving the house or out in the sun, wear sunscreen! And reapply every 30 minutes - 2 hours. If you're able, use reef safe sunscreen, or sunscreens with environmentally friendly propellants if you prefer the spray kind! Most reef safe brands will have "REEF SAFE" printed on their packaging. I've used Blue Lizard and Hawaiian Tropic and liked them both!

Once you're sunscreen has run out, what do you do with the bottle? It's unfortunate but true that many beauty products are not curb-side recyclable. Some companies like Sephora, Nordstrom, and Terracycle have been advertising that they now take empty beauty product containers for recycling! If you can, consider taking your empty sunscreen bottle, blush container, or shampoo bottles to a company that provides these services! If you don't have that option, maybe repurpose the container if you can. It's not single use if you use it more than once!

I don't like yard work. I'm going to be very honest with you. I love being outside, and sometimes I even love sweating. And when my family is out there with me, damn I am just so happy! Until I am raking, or shoveling, or pulling weeds. I think it's the worst. But that doesn't mean I cant be environmentally couscous while I bitch about the work! Use paper or compostable bags when throwing out your yard debris. If you have room, you can compost weeds, leaves, sticks, and grass! If you garden, you can make a Lasagna Bed, where you layer compostable materials between layers of dirt! If you're trying to fill a hole or a large area, consider throwing those sticks and leaves and grass and whatever other organic materials in as a space filling base layer before you will it with dirt or rocks or mulch or whatever you want! The only thing I don't think that works for is a water feature.

Be brave, friends! It can be hard confronting people about problematic behavior or calling out big companies and big celebrities. I'm not saying you should berate the person in front of you at the coffee shop for not having a reusable cup, or neg someone for forgetting reusable bags! But if someone you know is supporting companies and people that are causing harm, let them know. If they choose to continue to support them, that isn't your problem. But at least you tried! Don't support companies that back Israel, like Starbucks. Boycott places that refuse to release their environmental impact statements, like Temu. Tell that one guy you know who thinks that they can't make a difference that they can! One person is all it takes to start a trend. Look at mom jeans or reusable straws!

Base

[justsomerandomfanfic]

Can I have a platonic matchup for X-Men and lord of the rings?

I am a 20 yr old lesbian who has natural brown hair but I dye it (currently light pink),brown eyes, anxiety,depression,ADHD,autism,and 2 anxiety disorders

Likes

Yellow,Sweaters,Music (70's-mid 00's),True Crime,Flowers,Animals,Writing,Sweets,Food,Video Games,Movies,Stuffed Animals,Blankets,Cosplay,Weed,Incense,Tattoos,Friends,and Family

Hates

Spiders,Bullying,Yelling,Racism,Abuse,Snakes,Any type of pain,Sexism,Being Alone,Loud Noises,Not being good enough,Lying,Homophobia,Hot weather,Being sick,Transphobia,Being used, Arguing,and any type of Addiction

Thanks for questing another matchup! Surprise! Was able to get this out early! Here ya go! <33

X-Men;

Charles Xavier:

🧠 You met Charles when you were simply eating lunch in a diner and the man and his seemingly friend sat across from you on the booth seat; you slowly stopped eating, staring at the two men, confused as to why they were interrupting your peaceful lunch

🧠 The man with striking blue/green eyes introduced himself as Charles, before introducing his friend, Erik, in which he then told you that they were just like you; which confused you even more, what were they talking about?

🧠 That's when they found out, oh, you didn't know about your powers, and so Charles explained why he was there and talking to you; you were a bit apprehensive but listened

🧠 Charles told you that you were a mutant, and that's when you asked if he was joking or not, playing some prank on you, but when he began to speak in your mind, you believed him and asked him to continue; in which, Charles told you that you were a mutant but you just haven't unleashed your powers

🧠 Charles said that he could help and train you, and you took him up on that offer, moving into the mansion only weeks later

🧠 Charles became your teacher, asking you about your past, seeing if anything triggered you powers, only to find out when you were taking a break in the garden did little yellow flowers grow after each footstep; Charles was amazed and said you had such an amazing gift, the gift of nature and sunshine

🧠 Charles went straight into teaching you how to control your gift and by the time you were an expert, you friendship with the man fully bloomed

🧠 When he wasn't working on anything or teaching classes, Charles would watch movies with you, comfy under soft yellow blankets

🧠 When you're sad about something, whether that be just from depression or anxiety, or even nothing in particular, Charles would bring you sunflowers and candy to make you feel better

🧠 Charles is your best friend and you could never ask for another, he was your rock and you were his anchor; two peas in a pod

--

Lord Of The Rings;

Boromir:

⚔ You joined the fellowship in Rivendell, meeting Boromir when everyone was arguing about the ring, you actually knew Boromir before all of this, having lived in Gondor for most of your shared childhoods

⚔ You never really became friends, him being a bit overwhelming at times, yes, he was kind to you then, but you two never really clicked

⚔ You, as a child, always wanted to spar and sword fight, but you were never allowed to, so when you got to see Boromir and his brother spar and fight, you grew a bit jealous over the man and sort of held that over him for a while

⚔ After you moved, having grown tired of the place, you taught yourself to fight and a few years later Elrond sent for you to join the conversation about the ring

⚔ After joining the fellowship, and realizing Boromir was joining too, you tried to ignore the childhood jealousy and try and talk to him again, which actually went pretty smoothly; he was still the sweetest and most charming guy there, minus little Sam and the other Hobbits

⚔ As the journey went on, you and Boromir quickly became friends, always having each other's back when orcs came a huntin' and even sitting together by the fire during shared watch

⚔ Boromir would tell you stories about the journeys he had gone on, and how his brother had been doing and the loss of his mother, he dropped his walls around you

⚔ You apologized for how you acted as a kid to him, but he waved off your concern and said it was years ago and that you were just a child, it wasn't your fault

⚔ When Boromir died, you felt like a piece of your heart shattered and sailed away with him as he did down that lake, you felt as if you'd never smile again

⚔ Leaning on Aragorn during the hard nights of seeing the arrows pierce his body, though it was hard for a long time, you cherished the moments that you did have with him, carrying his bow as a remembrance to your friendship, he was truly you best friend

[fashionablyenigmatic]

Balancing Act.

The former embodiment of Balance? Baphomet. Most folks recognize them as a demon, a rock and roll icon, that 'As above so below' goat dude cooked up by some quirky occultist in the 1800s. But you know what? They were all those things. Spirits morph over time, cruising through cultures that slap names on the mysterious, and they evolve, changing to suit the whims of us humans.

And at this moment Baphomet was just chilling on a couch, puffing on a cigarette, glued to the screen as the latest Avatar of Balance totally annihilates some video game enemies. "Hey Bennie, ease up a bit. If you keep squeezing that controller, it might just explode in your death grip, my good bitch," Baphomet quipped between drags.

Bennie glanced down at their hands, realizing they were indeed white-knuckling the controller, and immediately loosened their grip. "...Sorry. It's just...been a crappy week, you know?"

"I can tell, things aren't going great for you, huh, kid?" Baphomet inquired, placing a gentle hand on Benni's shoulder, though there was a slight twitch as Bennie wasn't accustomed to such simple acts of gentleness lately.

With a sigh, Bennie confessed, "No, not really... I mean... I just feel like giving up on... existence."

"Yeah, life's a tough gig, especially yours, but, lucky for you, existence is a gift. I mean, check me out. This cigarette? Not even real." Baphomet casually flicked the cigarette toward the TV, and it faded into nothing. "Sure, I can imagine what it tastes like, but it's not the same as actually tasting it, right? And when you're a spirit, time just sort of bleeds out weird."

Bennie nodded solemnly, not entirely convinced that their situation could get any worse. From the very start, they had been thrust into a whirlwind of trauma, much of it inflicted by others. Now, as an adult, Bennie had hoped for better control, but what little they had was easily snatched away.

Glancing out the window, they took note of Al's sculpture of Dionysus in the garden below. A god symbolizing wild and uncontrolled freedom, surrounded by meticulously placed flowers—no errant weeds, no quirky wild blooms. Everything just so. And it made Bennie want to vomit.

"I despise this place, but I can't leave," Benni sighed, heading over to the hookah to take a hit.

"Why not? What's stopping you?" Baphomet asked.

They let out a cloud of smoke as the spoke. "It's... safe here. No one's going to fuck around with Al's manor, and if they did, they'd find out real quick."

@passimtemere

[leslie-allen-spillane]

Henri Blommers

Henri Blommers is an Amsterdam-based fine-art photographer working in general analog, with a variety of cameras and techniques. He creates a refuge out-of-this-world dimension full of bold colors, based on contemporary socially engaged themes like plastics and the impact on our future, and digital influences on our lives, and is co-creator of Hello Gorgeous magazine fighting the stigma around HIV.

In his projects, Henri materializes the images by cooking film in plant material, soaking negatives for weeks in salt, or spraying agricultural chemicals on film.

Nature under threat

During my research, I photographed the places that different stakeholders in forestry, farming, water management, and the local community referred me to. Areas where biodiversity is either increasing or decreasing or where changes in policies have been implemented. For example, leaving the remains of fallen trees, keeping field margins intact, having weeds in between crops, having streams go their own natural way, leave rocks in the fields. In other words, restoring the multitude of biotopes, so uniquely found in Switzerland.

Homo reconnectus

Regeneration is necessary if we want to overcome the climate crisis. We can achieve this by implementing regenerative agriculture (traditional farming without chemicals, artificial fertilizers, and concentrated feed) and reducing cattle so drastically that they are only grazing for nature management and living on residual flows. The reduced methane and nitrate levels will result in soil impoverishment leading to improved biodiversity. We can improve the basis even more drastically by connecting loose pieces of nature, such as forests, meadows, and gardens, enabling plants and animals, now blocked by roads and other human obstacles, to find their species for mating. Also, the concept of ownership needs to change: our garden is not our property. We are only its temporary stewards. Chaos is good, not the controlled black earth stony garden that is the common ideal now. Our human perception that nature starts beyond the fence of our garden needs to change. Education and re-prioritization are fundamental if we are to become part of nature again. To be part of the pyramid and not at the top, a new type of human, Homo Reconnectus.

Analog images developed in water from rivers in agricultural areas and boiled with plant remains of invasive or proliferating species due to climate change. The negatives were then treated with glyphosate, fertilizer, nitrogen, ammonia, and biological pesticide or incorporated into analog or digital collages.