#seed starting 101

[fordragonfliesandme]

Get a Head Start on Gardening: Top Seed Selections for January Planting

Introduction to January gardening Well it’s that time of year… the time I get extremely giddy & excited. It’s seed ordering time! I love flipping through the pages and seeing what new varieties of beautiful heirlooms are available and what I’ll try this year. If you’ve been watching my Facebook & Instagram pages, you’ll have seen all the NEW cherry tomatoes I plan on growing this year for my…

[wildrungarden]

7/13/24 ~ harvest 🧺

[angelaness]

020525

Cycle Syncing 101: How to Stop Fighting Your Body and Start Flowing (🌚) With It

alright girls, gather ‘round. this is the full post i promised - the one about periods, moods, energy, and how to actually live in sync with your cycle instead of feeling like a chaotic mess every month. because once i started tracking and understanding my cycle… it changed everything. for real. my workouts, my eating, my planning, my self-talk all became softer, smarter, more strategic. so let's break it down.

your menstrual cycle has 4 main phases, and each one brings its own vibe, mood, superpowers, and kryptonite. when you know which phase you’re in, you stop blaming yourself and start working with your body, not against it. ready?

1. Menstrual Phase (Bleeding / Days 1–5ish)

Vibe: hibernation queen. inward. reflective.

Body: hormones (estrogen + progesterone) are at their lowest = low energy, fatigue, cramps, sensitivities.

Mind: introspective, quiet, intuitive. this is your “truth-telling” time.

What to do:

Exercise: restorative yoga, stretching, slow walks. if you need to skip your workout? skip it. your body is doing enough.

Food: iron-rich foods (spinach, lentils, beef, dark chocolate), warm meals like soups and stews. magnesium-rich snacks can help with cramps.

Routines: go slow. journal. say no to extra plans. light candles. wear comfy clothes. treat yourself like you're sacred.

Study/work: focus on review, reflecting on past tasks, journaling ideas. let your brain rest a bit—don’t force deep concentration.

Self-care: warm baths, heat pads, soft music, no loud people.

Mental tip: you’re bleeding out the past month. literally. let go of what didn’t serve you. Zdont feel guilty.

2. Follicular Phase (Post-period / Days 6–13ish)

Vibe: fresh start. springtime energy. main character in a coming-of-age film.

Body: estrogen rises. energy builds. skin glows. you feel light, optimistic, social.

Mind: creative, motivated, open to new ideas.

What to do:

Exercise: try something new—dance, pilates, running, gym sessions. you’ll feel strong and energetic.

Food: fresh and light—greens, fermented foods, seeds, citrus. boost that metabolism.

Routines: this is your reset phase. declutter. plan your week/month. start new habits. your brain wants structure right now.

Study/work: brainstorm, start new projects, prep for heavy tasks ahead. your memory and focus are sharper.

Self-care: vision boards, hair masks, cute outfits. say yes to life.

Mental tip: this is your most productive phase. take advantage but don’t overbook. pace yourself.

3. Ovulation Phase (Middle of Cycle / Days 14–16ish)

Vibe: glowing goddess. seductive. unstoppable.

Body: estrogen peaks, testosterone joins the party. libido spikes. you’re magnetic and bold.

Mind: communicative, charming, high-confidence. great time to network or confront someone (with love, of course).

What to do:

Exercise: go hard—HIIT, lifting, cardio, group workouts. you’ve got power and endurance.

Food: fiber-rich foods (quinoa, carrots, berries) and antioxidants. hydrate well.

Routines: do your “hard” things here—presentations, big meetings, social stuff, shooting your shot.

Study/work: speak, pitch, debate. you’ve got clarity + persuasion.

Self-care: romanticize yourself. take hot pics, go out, flirt with life.

Mental tip: your confidence is real. don’t downplay it. enjoy this phase but stay grounded.

4. Luteal Phase (Pre-period / Days 17–28ish)

Vibe: cozy but moody. nesting energy.

Body: progesterone rises after ovulation. if no pregnancy happens, hormones start to drop = PMS hits.

Mind: detail-focused, critical, sensitive. easily overstimulated.

What to do:

Exercise: lower the intensity. pilates, strength training, long walks. listen to your body.

Food: complex carbs (sweet potatoes, oats), calming teas, B6-rich foods (bananas, salmon). eat more often to manage cravings + blood sugar dips.

Routines: finish tasks. organize. clean your space. prep for your period like you’d prep for a storm—lovingly.

Study/work: editing, detail work, wrapping up loose ends. less is more.

Self-care: limit caffeine, go offline if needed, soothe your senses.

Mental tip: don’t trust every thought. the inner critic is loud but not always right. softness wins here.

General Tips:

Track your cycle: use apps like Clue, Flo, or just a paper calendar. know when each phase starts so you can plan smarter.

Plan around your phases: big goals in follicular/ovulation, rest + review in menstrual/luteal.

Cycle syncing ≠ perfection: life doesn’t always let you live like a hormone princess. do what you can. forgive what you can't.

Be kind to yourself: if your body is low-energy, that’s not laziness—it’s biology. honor it.

Final Thoughts:

nobody told us this. nobody said “hey, your whole system is a monthly pattern, learn the rhythm and life gets easier.” instead, we got shame, pain, and whispers. but no more. now we know better. and syncing your life to your cycle is not about being soft—it’s about being smart. strategic. in tune.

girlhood isn’t chaos, insanity, it’s coded. and when you read the code, you stop feeling like a mess and start feeling like magic.

if you made it this far, you’re already syncing, baby.

go be soft when you need, strong when it calls, and sacred always💕

[lenodrysalad]

"Eddie said he's straight! Buck said Eddie was straight! Buck said he's not in love with his best friend! They shut down Buddie in the show it isn't happening ya'll are delusional! Queerbait! Queerbait! Blah blah blah"

I feel like I'm going insane. I'm sure we're all tired of people shouting "media literacy" every five seconds, but like... Yeah, develop some media literacy, please.

I'm saying this as someone who doesn't usually like romance, despite being subjected to it in basically every piece of media. As someone who doesn't generally look for love stories. As someone who loved Buddie but didn't consider any serious possibility of it becoming canon before season 7/8, who refused to believe Buddie was truly happening until I couldn't deny it anymore: this episode is loud.

Please understand how narrative arcs work. How character arcs work. How character development works. How serial broadcast television works. Understand how writing works. Consider context; take the whole episode, the whole season, and the whole series into account instead of treating things like they exist in isolation.

I'm too tired to go through the step-by-step details of the episode to prove why these, "they said it on screen, therefore..." takes are shortsighted and ignorant; plenty of people have done that already.

But that episode, even if we do take it in isolation, is textbook. Do people really take everything characters say at face value? Do people not watch other character's reactions? Listen to what else is being said? Watch what is being shown? Consider the implications? Themes? Narrative devices?

Consider that maybe, just maybe, characters can be unreliable narrators, or believe something to be true only for that belief to change later. These things don't happen in one episode. There's such a thing as set-up, foreshadowing, the starting point of a plot. 911 is a serial drama, therefore it is going to have A) long-form story and character arcs, and B) drama.

Characters are not going to move in straight lines, or talk in therapy speak, or solve every problem in an hour. They are not always going to be right, or self-aware, or truthful, or rational. Direct dialogue does not equate to honest dialogue.

Also, saying, "well in real life, people do this, I do that, their feelings would be this, yadda yadda yadda" means nothing. Your experiences are not universal, and more importantly, this is a work of fiction. Realism is whatever the story says it is; it's going to do whatever creates the most dramatic, interesting, developmentally beneficial, or emotionally satisfying story. Whether you like that story or not is irrelevant to the fact that stories are not going to cater to all your expectations or real-world experiences.

To people pointing to Tim or the actor's interviews as "proof" they're shutting down Buddie: again, please understand how broadcast television works. They are not going to tell us everything that's going to happen before it happens. They are going to play the neutral zone, the "wait and see," the "will they/won't they." They are going to lie. That is television production 101. You can compare what they've said in the past with canon and list all the contradictions, misdirection, and twists you didn't see coming because they didn't spoil it for you. Watch the show. That is the canon.

They're also not catering to fandom--people they already know are devoted to the show, familiar with Buddie, and consistently tuning in. They're introducing the idea of Buddie to the general audience, people who likely haven't considered the possibility before. The GA has to see that Buddie is an option, so the show needs to manifest it as if it's a brand new concept. This episode pulled the pin on that grenade in a very obvious way; the idea that Buck could be in love with Eddie and that Eddie could not be straight has been planted. The next seed will be Eddie's feelings. Now the show needs to water it and let it grow.

One last thing. Been seeing a fair amount of hand-wringing and condescension over people interpreting this episode differently. As if this is some sort of "gotcha" for bad writing, baiting, or people being stupid. Listen, genuine complaints about this show's writing aside, different interpretations or inferences are completely normal. This isn't unique. That is how people interact with stories, through personal biases, experiences, emotions, and expectations. That isn't inherently a bad thing. It's totally fine to have your own views; media is all about interpretation.

However, it is also true that just because you have an interpretation, that doesn't make it true. Not all interpretations are equal in their validity, evidence, or warrants. The show has an intention, it has a story in mind. If you don't see it, sure, that could be a failure of the writing, but it could also very well be a failure of your analysis, especially when the show hasn't finished telling the story. Looking at one thing in isolation and forming your whole conclusion based around that makes for poor critique.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see who's right.

[madridnoora]

౨ৎ ⋆｡˚ Forbidden - Pumpkin Carving

Forbidden AU Blurb - lsu!joe x oc

Full AU masterlist here -> ౨ৎ ⋆｡˚ Forbidden

Summary: Joe and Daisy spend a random Wednesday night in a highly competitive pumpkin carving contest, in which they both believe they can carve a better pumpkin.

⋆｡˚ word count: 1.7k

18+ Content. MDNI :). Mentions of sex. ⋆｡

Two rich, vibrant orange coloured pumpkins sat opposite each other on the large walnut coloured dining table of Joe's fraternity. A black bin back protecting the surface from the mess that was to come. Dollar store carving kits and empty bowls were carefully laid out beside them. The pumpkins waited to be transformed into masterpieces.

Joe and Daisy sat opposite each other also, locked into an intense stare down. Determination to beat each other smothered across their faces. Daisy's hair was pulled back into a claw clip, a strong demonstration that she was taking tonight's contest seriously. The rules were simple. One hour and thirty minutes to carve your pumpkin and then it would be taken to the fraternity brothers for a vote off. Winner gets head and twenty dollars.

This whole thing started less than two hours ago. A fleeting throw away comment from Joe in the hazy post sex atmosphere about how he had never carved a pumpkin, turned into a late night drive to the store for supplies quickly. Daisy was sure she would win, she had carved a pumpkin every year she could remember. Joe was sure he would win, he won everything he put his mind too.

They bickered between themselves, competitive chirps to one another flying from their mouths. Half taunting, half serious.

Only hour and a half stood between them finding out the truth, finding out who the better pumpkin carver was.

'Readdyyyy....GO!' The slam of Daisy's phone on the table and the start of the timer signified the competition's kick off. A shared glance and a the exchange of mischievous grins, then they dove in.

They each hacked away at the top of the pumpkin's with the flimsy tools provided in the cheap, childish carving kit. Daisy had the technique correct, carving at an angle so the top of the pumpkin wouldn't fall back in when it was placed back on top. Joe was carving the top straight down -- a rookie error that Daisy didn't feel like correcting.

Then came the scooping of the soft gooey inside. The room filled with the earthy yet subtly sweet scent of fresh pumpkin. The intense noise of forceful scraping echoed around the room alongside the slurp of pumpkin guts brushing against skin. Joe's face contorted in vile disgust, the warm sticky sensation of guts brushing against his large hards was not one he was used too. Daisy couldn't help but let out hysteric laughter every time she would look over to him. Never had she seen Joe wriggle and squirm in uncomfortable disgust, she quite enjoyed the sight.

Daisy continued to scrape violently at the pale orange walls of the rounded pumpkin. She scraped at it so violently that pumpkin seeds were beginning to fly everywhere as she yanked the scooping tool out of the pumpkin. However, Joe's muscles and Daisy's constant laughter meant Joe had an advantage in the scooping section. He was able to clean out the pumpkin's insides much quicker than Daisy.

Playful jabs kept falling from each of there mouths.

Joe went straight for the carving tools, a design in his head that he wished to follow. Daisy on the other hand, grabbed the pencil and first outlined her design so she would be able to carve it easier. Joe's eyebrows raised in confusion, then his jaw ticked in annoyance.

'You're cheating' He accused the brunette sat across from him, a craving tool in his hand outstretched as he pointed at her.

'How?' Daisy's cheeky and knowledgeable grin only served to annoy Joe even more.

'You didn't tell me you could draw on the pumpkins' He sulks like a defensive child.

'It's pumpkin carving 101, Joey' Her voice laced in sarcasm as she tried to get under his skin. Her confidence was sky high, there was no way Joe was going to be able to beat her in this contest. She was like a pumpkin craving hall of famer, and Joe was like a rookie who had never touched the ball.

The competition grew more intense, the air around them thickening. Cheap glances and cocky smirks every so often. Their eyes were meant to be focussed only on the pumpkins in front of them, but it was like they couldn't keep their gazes off each other. Blue and sage eyes constantly gravitating towards each other. Sage eyes lingering on the flexed muscles of the quarterback biceps as they worked hard on his pumpkin. Icy blue eyes lingering on the swollen rose pink lips bitting between her perfect white teeth as Daisy focussed with a deep concentration.

Joe carved away, aiming for a scary jack-o'-lantern. Sharp, angular eyes and a pointed crooked grin. Daisy was aiming for something more elaborate. A shadow of a black cat in the moon with stars decorated around. Every cut of the juice filled pumpkin was sharp and intentional. Their hands were coated in the sticky pumpkin pulp making the grip on the small carving tools more difficult.

The clock ticked down, not long left.

They kept at it, the final moments adding a further sense of playful pressure. Joe slammed down the carving tools and sat back in the dining chair. Taking his final pumpkin in, he was proud of his accomplishment's. Daisy wouldn't stand a chance against his design, plus all the voters were his fraternity brothers so he had a home field advantage.

Daisy kept carving down to the last seconds of the timer, only placing down her utensils a moment before the painful alarm rang between the four walls. She too sat back and admired the design she had so delicately carved. This was her best pumpkin yet, and there was no chance Joe had created something better than her. Although, she was extremely curious about what he had made.

They placed a warm tea light inside. The flickering candlelight casting shadows as they dimmed the dining room light so they could see their pumpkins in their full glory.

They looked at each other with arrogant pride and cheeky grins as they held their pumpkins in their hands, ready to turn them around and reveal what they had been doing for the last hour and a half. Both of them believing they had the better pumpkin. The gentle glows of the candlelights bounced off their skin and filled the space between them with warmth -- both emotionally and literally.

'three, two,...one'

They turned their pumpkins around.

Daisy tried to hold in her laugh but she couldn't. It blew its way through her plump lips. Joe's pumpkin was a monstrosity. It's face a lopsided mess of mismatched cuts. One eye way too big and the other way too small. Some flesh of the pumpkin was still stringing from the corner of the ragged mouth he had created. The face of the pumpkin seemed more sorrowful than spooky, a poorly executed mess in the hands of Joe. He was taken a back by her reaction, he didn't think he had done that poorly but when he looked at hers he realised he had been in a contest way out of his league.

Daisy's pumpkin was a detailed, intricately carved design with clean cuts that almost made the pumpkin seem alive. The cat was flawless, as were the little stars she had carved around them. It seemed like she had done it effortlessly, like she didn't struggle on a single cut of the thick pumpkin flesh. Joe had been almost hacking away at his pumpkin.

'Are you like the fuckin' Picasso of pumpkins? what the fuck is that?' His words came out with an attitude, like he couldn't believe the difference between them. Daisy beamed a sweet smile, not an arrogant one but a truly fun and cheerful one. A familiar feeling pinched at Joe's torso once again. He didn't know what it was but it he had felt it when he saw her on the sidelines for the first time, and now. His blue eyes danced over her flushed cheeks as the apples of them bunched. Light crinkles at the corner of her sparkling doe eyes. He swallowed it away, suppressing it. Emotion he denied feeling.

He let out a heavy breath through his nostrils as he realised all he had was the home field advantage as it was time to go around the house asking for votes. Surely, his brothers and teammates wouldn't let him down. That loyalty wasn't so fickle.

-౨ৎ ⋆｡˚ -

Every brother voted for Daisy's pumpkin. Justin and Ja'marr had been in hysterics as Joe presented his beside hers. It looked like someone had let a toddler hack away at a pumpkin.

The whole night had been one of laughter. A weird rarity in the relationship between Joe and Daisy. An evening of shared fun and rivalry which made the night so memorable. A cosy atmosphere as they took part in something almost romantic, something that was outside the realm of their transactional agreement. Neither of them really saw it that way, or maybe they did and just didn't want to admit it. The quiet connection of a feeling they couldn't place building between them as they connected deeper through moments of pure happiness and playful glee.

They placed the pumpkin's back on the dining room table before they headed back to Joe's messy bedroom.

Daisy's victorious grin followed by Joe's sore loser demeanour. The bedroom door shut quietly behind them. A turn of the lock. *click*

'When do I get my prize, Joey' Seduction twirled every word from Daisy's smug grin. It made Joe's eyes darken, he had been planning on at least resisting her for a short while. Making her wait for the reward she had earned fairly. It wasn't like it was a punishment for Joe, he loved the sweet taste of her and he loved hearing his name roll of her tongue in sensual moans. It was the best ego boost he could ask for.

'Whenever you want it' His voice was low and hoarse. Heat creeping up his spine.

'Well, I should really shower, get the pumpkin off me' Daisy began undressing in front of him. Her oversized t-shirt thrown on the floor alongside her shorts and underwear. Joe gulped. Daisy's petite and toned body now stark naked in front of him. Deep blue eyes trace over her. He watches her as she turns around and walks towards the bathroom, her ass bouncing with every step.

Daisy stops in the the doorway of his bathroom, her head flicks over her shoulder.

'Are you coming or are you just going to stare?'

Joe doesn't need a second invitation.

[psalmicwitch]

🔹 Psalm Magic 101 🔹

I practice with psalm magic a lot as a Christian witch, but it’s not exclusive to Christian witches. I’ve said this before on my blog, but the psalms are some of the oldest, most well documented pieces of magic we have.

The psalms, commonly attributed to King David, but there’s actually no evidence of who authored any of the psalms. We have no idea who they came from, but we know they came from much older sources. Using the book of psalms as magical test is a sort of pre-Wiccan traditional witchcraft practice.

I tend to follow Ariel Gatoga’s method of psalm magic, though there are many traditions.

Step 1: Start with a Psalm

Start with a psalm. It helps if it has a meaning that aligns with what your intentions are, but it isn’t explicitly necessary. You’ll have a harder time working the psalm, but it is definitely not impossible. I like this index of psalm meanings.

Your first read through of the psalm you’re going to treat it like an incantation. Recite with intent and with energy, whatever that means for you. Do this without stopping. (If you stop you do gotta start over)

This doesn’t have to be out loud, if you’re in the broomcloset, but read through it as if you were reciting it out loud. I like to describe this as “all but” letting the words come out of your mouth.

Step 2: Work the Psalm

Next, we move on to working the psalm. Our next read through, mentally or out loud, we’re reading and digging deeper, verse by verse, finding the occult meanings behind certain words.

What are occult or double meanings? I really like, again, Ariel Gatoga’s booklet on discerning the double meanings of certain words.

He describes finding these words as seeds which we plant and grow into magic. The description that resonates with me is knitting these words together to grow into a functional spell.

There’s no inherent magic in reciting a psalm. The magic comes from working and weaving its pieces together with intention to work towards your goal.

Sometimes, if I have the energy, I’ll do a second working of the same psalm. Don’t do more than one psalm a day. One thing about psalm magic is that it can be exhausting. I remember the first time I really had success with a working it completely drained me and I passed out immediately after. Even if you don’t get physically tired, it is mentally taxing, so don’t overdo it. (Remember to always raise energy before and ground after.)

Ending and Circuits

I personally end with incanting the psalm once more, putting special emphasis on those occult or double-meaninged words. I made this up. It helps me feel like I’ve gone full circle, but truly, we were finished after we worked the psalm. This second incantation is really just putting frosting on the outside of the psalm cake.

Circuits are an integral part of psalm magic, unlike my little frosting on the cake. When you work a psalm, it’ll work, but to add more energy to what you preformed, you’re going to want to recite similar psalms the next few days. My favorite circuit is definitely 9, 90, and 91 for healing illness.

To work a circuit, pick the 3-6 psalms you want to work, and work them, one a day, 3-6 days straight, depending on how many psalms you picked. After, take a few days rest and evaluate how you feel about what you did. I search deep for my gut to tell me where I stand in the problem. If you feel good, great! If you don’t, do the circuit again.

I like psalms because psalmic magic does not rely on anything else. You can create a ritual around it (I do!) but nothing else is required. You can be the most inconspicuous witch ever. You only need a Bible or a book of psalms.

A final note, if you feel detached from the language found in the book of psalms, especially if you’re not a devotee of an Abrahamic god, it’s important to reframe it. In this text, you are god. (Heresy alert lol). Remember, these texts predate what they’re used for in the Bible. Change your frame of reference, and realize you are the god of the texts. (Or if you do resonate with the way they are written, don’t bother.) It’s about how to make the text work with you. There is no power in the exact language with which the psalms are written.

Once you learn the process, psalm magic starts to feel like second nature.

If you ever don’t want to write your own spell, if you want to recite some old magic, or even if you are worried about getting caught, psalm magic has something for everyone. I really do implore you to give it a shot.

Lastly, if this has been helpful or insightful to you, please consider donating to the ALS Association.

I’m on a mission to end ALS. If you can’t donate, reblog my pinned post, or hey, send a psalm up for healing those with ALS, or knowledge for those working for the cure.

[alexalessandro]

British Kristen AKA K2's Timeline

So we start With K2's creation in Mordred Manor

She materializes butt-naked and goes to the garage, not before being dressed in some wranglers by Kristen.

We can assume this is where the binge-watch of Skins seasons 3 and 4 was initiated (presumably by either one of the Bad girls)

She takes a quick stop to follow the bad kids to Eugenia Shadow's grave and pointedly comments "Mazey's safe innit?"

She probably returned to finish the Skins's binge after that since Simulacra don't take rests.

The next day (or at the very least after the Skins's binge) she meets up with the bad kids again and kisses Fabian for the first time (we can presume they kissed more later lol).

She then gets tackled by the original Kristen and this is probably where K2 got the idea that OG Kristen's "You need to respect. My life." is a little rude (planting the seed for her "I don't think you heard me").

After that, she kills Wanda Childa and continues flirting with Fabian (Probably following her Skins programming)

Actually, Adaine repeatedly says that she did not program the flirting in so probably OG Kristen is the one responsible for the Skins binge-watch as study sessions on how to be a teenager (only seasons 3 and 4 of course)

Now I'd speculate that around this time after the murder of Wanda Childa, something went down between K2 and Fabian after they ran away from the scene of the crime.

Now here is where K2 tries to help Kristen with stealing the addresses from Jawbone and I'd speculate that after the talk with Bucky Kristen had a similar, more uncomfortable talk with K2 where the idea of enrolling into Hudol came to be and that's what K2 worked towards and succeeded in up until the party.

Maybe Kristen got K2 to meet with Percival for help through Aelwyn since she moved back to Mordred.

Then K2 Follows them to Ankarna's Temple (I'd like to say this is where K2 started to connect with Cassandra but it's funnier to think that the reason why K2's divine intervention worked is because she had no fucking clue what was going on 100% of the time and as such she was a literal personification of doubt and that pure connection linked them).

After the temple she probably feels a little rattled, going back on her Skins knowledge from her "How to be a Teen 101" with Kristen, she immediately figures out she must be pregnant and goes to the drug store to check.

She probably has a little bit of a hard time finding the strips but suddenly when she walks down an aisle a bunch of beeps go off (the simulacra pregnancy aura) and she finds the test strip and pees on it in a trashcan.

She goes to the party rattled, as confused as ever because did she do it right? Is she actually pregnant? Nevertheless, she goes through the motions up until she gets on the deck of the ship

Her first Blimey is one of awe, after her "What are we doing?" she realizes she is witnessing something grand, She sees Kristen bowing down in defeat, she remembers something about this god being one of doubt, and she reaches deep inside, thinking back to her own doubt and inner turmoil about how she might be pregnant, she makes one last attempt to help Kristen after she helped her so much with Hudol and how to be a person even if she was rude and sometimes put off by her

"I don't think you heard me..."

[chrissturnslovergirlx]

blowjob 101 - a vinnie hacker smut

a/n: requested by anon; lowercase intended

cw: blowjob, cum in mouth, praise kink, dirty talk

summary: you ask vinnie to teach you how to give him a blowjob

i’m straddled on vinnie’s lap, our tongues fighting for dominance in a heated makeout session. soft moans and groans escape our lips as we feel the friction of our clothes crotches becoming too hot to handle. our lips detach, my ones making their way down the boy’s tattooed body. my clothed pussy running every so slowly along vinnie’s throbbing hard erection, making my arousal more prominent as i feel my pussy drip a delightful wetness. my lips soon find themselves at vinnie’s sweats. i kiss along and above his waistline before pulling down his pants to reveal his cock. wow! i knew he was big, but not this big!

“like what you see, princess?” he smirks.

“mhm! so big!” 

i delicately run my fingers across the popping veins, watching it twitch under my touch. i wrap my hands around it, running my whole hands up and down the shaft. i notice a little droplet appear from the hole at the tip. i swipe my finger over it, earning a hiss from the boy under me. 

“oh shit, did i do something wrong?” i ask concerned.

“no, sweetheart. not at all. that just felt good.”

“oh okay.”

i grow baffled by what to do next. i have a cock in my hands. do i suck it? am i supposed to suck it? i have no idea what to do. i’ve never sucked dick before. well, this just got awkward. 

“baby, you okay?”

“um, not really. to be honest, i’ve never sucked dick before. can you please teach me?”

“of course i can, sweet girl. it’s pretty simple. first, hollow your cheeks and pucker your lips.”

i follow his instructions, each one getting the tick of approval. 

“now, using that technique, sink your mouth onto the tip. just the tip first.”

i do just that, earning a soft moan from the boy’s lips. i continue doing that before coming up for air. 

“good girl. doing so well. now, keep going with that same technique but go lower. just push your throat down my cock. yeah, yeah just like- oh fuck, princess!”

i start bobbing my head up and down. i think i’m getting the hang of it! he’s moaning so i think i’m doing something right. i bob a bit faster, feeling his cock twitch in my mouth. i wrap my hands around whatever i couldn’t fit and jerked it off. 

“fuck princess. you’re taking me in your pretty little mouth so well. oh my god, keep going. i’m gonna cum soon.”

“yeah? cum, vinnie. cum for me.” i breathe out as i come up for air.

“oh my god, let me cum down that slutty throat, please baby.”

“cum in my mouth, i dare you.” i smirk. 

a couple of bobs and a couple more groans and i feel vinnie paint my throat with his warm seed. he tastes so good, i’m addicted. i swallow every last drop, kitten licking his tip. 

“god damn, baby. that was amazing. you did such a good job.”

“i had the best teacher tell me how to keep you satisfied.” i smile, pulling him in for a kiss. 

blowjob 101 was a success!

[lurkinglurkerwholurks]

With a Chance

First posted: August 4, 2018

Focuses on: Bruce Wayne and his horrible children

Favorite bookmark: "they watched homeward bound i'm gonna sue this fic for emotional damages"

Second favorite bookmark: “oh"

This is my “behind the scenes” series where I indulge myself horribly by annotating my fics. Link to the fic itself above. Thoughts below the cut.

Title note: This is, of course, a pun—Chance being the narrator for Homeward Bound, as voiced by Michael J. Fox.

Another Whumptober fic that I somehow skipped over annotating? Oops. I mean, I'm largely doing these for me, myself, and I, so I doubt anyone noticed. But still. I'm a completionist.

“It is now eight o’clock, Father,” Damian announced. When Bruce didn’t respond, Damian sniffed and added, “Eight o’clock post meridian. You have been asleep for nine hours.”

Even though the height doesn't actually work for this, I definitely picture Damian peeking over the edge of the bed like Calvin. Just eyes and a nose.

“You have been sleeping an excessive amount lately,” Damian said, his tone cautious as he placed each carefully chosen word after the next.

Criticizing an authority figure is risky for Damian. And, like he states in the next paragraph, it's not like Bruce is known for being lazy, and he does usually need more sleep than he gets, buuuuut...

“Pennyworth is concerned that you are exhibiting classic signs of a depressive episode.” A pause. “Are you?”

I need everyone to know that, based on my own face, Damian likely had both a furrowed brow and a bottom lip that stuck out in a little pout of consternation. There is a MYSTERY to UNCOVER and SOLVE and that mystery is WHY is Father being so weird and how CONCERNED should we be?????

He hadn’t eaten all day. But then, he wasn’t really hungry, and the idea of forcing himself to stay awake when he couldn’t leave his bed sounded maddening. So he slept.

Both here and an earlier mention of using a bell were unobtrusive, low effort ways to start seeding in the details of why Bruce was in bed and why Damian was really concerned. It's not a revelatory writing trick, but it's one some newbies overlook, I feel.

When Bruce awoke next, he was being watched. Alfred the Cat stared back at Bruce with golden, lidded eyes from his comfortable perch atop Bruce’s chest.

My cats, generally, do not sit on my chest. They do walk all over me and one has a bad habit of tapping my face with his paw when he really wants me up. I feel I was inordinately kind to Bruce here.

Bruce thought that was a really judgey tone to take with an injured man. He was about to say so when another figure appeared behind Damian.

Bruce on drugs is a lot looser and his internal monologue is a lot closer to how I write Tim now. Which is awfully fun from a metatextual standpoint, I feel.

“Hey, B,” Dick chirped. “Good, you’re up.”

This was still within my first year of writing the Fam, so I had yet to shake off some of the more robust fanonisms that I had picked up from others. I rewrite some of the characterization now, particularly the verb chirped, though I maintain that Damian calling for backup is the right choice.

“Dames, pick out a movie. Not 101 Dalmatians.”

The movie choices throughout this fic were fun for me to pick through. 101 Dalmatians was a personal Baby Lurker favorite. I still have a stuffed Dalmatian from when I was small in a box somewhere. His name was Patch. He did not have a Patch.

“Don’t worry, B, the one without brain damage is here.” Plastic pieces rattled against cardboard as Tim shoved a pile of boxes into Dick’s arms. “I’ll take care of this. Go stand over there. Or better yet, go help the brat. He was trying to decide between Madagascar and The Secret Life of Pets, and I’m not doing either of those.”

Funnily enough, not a Ric reference, at least not intentionally. Again, movie choices. I'd replace Madagascar with something else if I rewrote this. All three choices mentioned so far have been animated and too humorous. Maybe Milo and Otis.

[Tim] hesitated, always the reserved son, then placed a hand on Bruce’s forehead and rubbed a thumb along the crease carved into the skin. Bruce blinked slowly, a drugged-up cat basking in the warmth.

Children returning physical affection to their parents in the form they received and themselves preferred is such an underrated treat, in my opinion.

“Flamin’,” Cass said by way of greeting, holding up a monster bag of Cheetos.

“Alfred didn’t see you?” Bruce asked. Cass’s only reply was to giggle as she dumped her load—Bruce could hear crinkling plastic, but also rattling glass within the recycled totes—next to his end table.

For those keeping track, Dick brought unidentified snacks, Tim brought board games, and Cass brought Cheetos and drinks.

“Silly,” Cass said, tapping his nose. Bruce quirked an eyebrow. “Didn’t stretch.” He rolled his eyes, making her laugh again.

They all have to come inspect him, and touch him. Makes me happy.

At Bruce’s puzzled look, Dick smiled and moved to help Cass unload her bags. “You here, unable to patrol or run away or hide in your office? How could we pass that up?” he teased.

Really, think about it. You're telling me that if Damian called and said "I think Father is depressed" but ALSO their dad was bedbound and unable to escape them? Uninterrupted Dad Time with a lightly drugged Bruce?? Of COURSE everyone showed up!

Jason passed off the food to his clamoring siblings, then strode to the bed and glared down at Bruce. “You made me look like an idiot, you know. I had to hear from freaking Jordan that you banged up your back again. How am I supposed to have any credibility as the puppet master of Gotham’s underworld if I have to hear things third-hand from Hal Jordan, huh? Jerk.”

And that is why Bruce was allowed to rot in bed for five days. Baaaaaaad communication. I also don't remember Hal taking strays in this one, so that's a funny piece of fanon I picked up as well, apparently.

(Bruce, you’re on drugs. You get water. Eat your nasty garbage pizza.) It was not nasty garbage pizza. Choosing everything-with-olives was a defense strategy when dining with five bottomless pits.

This was a friend's father's strategy. As an adult, I now have a better appreciation for garbage pizza, but at the time, it was a handy deterrent for when his kids invited too many friends over and pizza was battled over.

At one point, he was jarred from his careful nibbling of a slice of cheese bread by his mattress shaking as his children leapt to their feet in time with the television and sang (deliberately off-key, he suspected) about chasing a line where the sky met the sea and how far they would go. Even Cass knew the words. He found her dramatic gestures surprisingly moving.

2018 was peak Moana time and I do not apologize for this.

Bruce wasn’t sure exactly when everyone finished their competitive blood feuds and settled in next to him. Somewhere in the second movie, he thought, maybe around the waterfall scene. It was a good scene. He remembered watching it with Dick when his boy was still just a boy, and the way Dick’s young eyes had gone wide with concern.

Baby Lurker also both adored and was supremely stressed out by Homeward Bound. Sassy going over the waterfall was horrible. (This was not helped by my ability to read enough to be able to tell that Sassy was voiced by someone named Sally who sounded, to me, very much like my Nana, who was also named Sally. STRESS.)

Bruce wanted to remember the way Tim sprawled at the end of the bed, his head on Alfred the Cat’s back and his hair curling softly at his shirt collar. He wanted to remember Cass tucked under Jason’s arm, eyes blinking sleepily, and her hand tucked into Bruce’s palm. Bruce wanted to remember Jason’s cheek nestled atop Cass’s head, his gaze open and more unguarded than Bruce had seen in a lifetime, and his feet resting on Tim’s legs in what had started as a joke and what had settled into an excuse for physical contact that didn’t end in bloodshed. He wanted to remember Dick taking up more than his fair share of the bed, spine twisted so his head could rest in Damian’s lap, nearly matching Alfred’s purrs as Damian absently stroked his hair. Bruce wanted to remember Damian tucked up against his side, no protestations about being treated like a child or posturing for the sake of pride.

As with Mother Bruce and It Wasn't Real, I took a particular delight in the finicky logistics of who would end up next to whom and how.

“Shhhh!” Damian hissed, eyes rapt on the screen and the long-anticipated reunion taking place. But he bumped his head against Bruce’s chest fondly and left it there, settling as the lone horn played.

Damian is a cat. Heads butts are his form of affection, I state it then and I state it now.

And if every member of his rough-and-tumble vigilante family teared up as the old golden retriever crested that autumn hill, Bruce would remember but never tell.

Also very much enjoyed the slow buildup to the movie reveal. For readers who had never seen Homeward Bound, the final quote still worked well, but those who knew That Scene felt lightly stabbed.

[foxymitts]

You ‘octopi’ my thoughts (octopus hat) - Free Knitting Pattern

My sister wanted an octopus hat, so I created her one!

As you can see, this carnivorous octopus has only left a skull behind…

Materials -4mm circular needles -4mm double-pointed needles -Stitch marker -Main colour yarn (100g DK, shown here in King Cole Riot DK, colour way ‘Cool’) -Contrast colour yarn (about 20g DK, shown here in some unlabeled light yellow) -Tapestry/yarn needle for seaming -Small amount of stuffing for eyeballs and octopus body

Abbreviations St(s) = Stitch(es) CO = Cast on K = knit P = purl Inc = Increase by your preferred method K2tog = Knit 2 stitches together P2tog = Purl 2 stitches together MB = Make Bobble – K stitch in contrast colour, turn, increase st to 3 sts, turn, K3tog, slide back onto left needle, K in main colour

Pattern notes The hat, tentacles and ‘body’ is worked in seed stitch. This is a stitch where there first row is worked as K1P1, the following row is worked as P1K1, essentially you K your P stitches and P your K stitches to create a tightly woven reversible bumpy fabric. (Google it for tutorials etc)

Throughout the pattern you will have to increase and decrease the number of stitches. Try to increase/decrease in the K1P1 pattern as best you can – you will end up with two K/P sts next to each other, but that fine, in the next increase/decrease you will be back to K1P1 the whole way round.

Gauge 6sts by 6 rows per inch in seed stitch

Tentacles (top side) make 8 For the tentacles, you work each tentacle flat and then cut the yarn at the end and leave sts on a spare needle to be used for the bottom edge of the hat.

CO3sts in main colour and work in seed stitch 1-4 – seed stitch 5 – Inc 1 at at beginning of row, keeping pattern correct, continue in seed stitch (4sts) 6-12 – seed stitch 13 – As row 5 (5sts) 14-24 – seed stitch 25 – As row 5 (6sts) 26-40 – seed stitch 41 – As row 5 (7sts) 42-60 – seed stitch 61 – As row 5 (8sts) 62-86 – seed stitch

Tentacles (bottom side) make 8 For these tentacles, you work each tentacle flat and then BO the yarn at the end. You can chose to knit these pieces separate to the main colour tentacles and sew them together at the end, as I have, or work the two pieces together using intersia to change colours. Up to you guys!

CO3sts in contrast colour, work in stockinette stitch (K row followed by P row) starting with a K row. 1-2 – stockinette 3 – K1, MB, K1 4 – P row 5 – Inc 1 at at beginning of row, K to end (4sts) 6 – P row 7 – K2, MB, K1 8-10- stockinette 11 – K2, MB, K1 12 – P row 13 – As row 5 (5sts) 14 – P row 15 – K1, MB, K1, MB, K1 16-18 – stockinette Repeat last 4 rows once more 23 – K1, MB, K1, MB, K1 24 – P row 25 – As row 5 (6sts) 26 – P row 27 – K1, MB, K2, MB, K1 28-30 – stockinette Repeat last four rows 2 more times 39 – K1, MB, K2, MB, K1 40 – purl 41 – As row 5 (7sts) 42 – K1, MB, K3, MB, K1 43-46 – stockinette Repeat last four rows 3 more times 59 – 42 – K1, MB, K3, MB, K1 60 – P row 61 – As row 5 (8sts) 62 – P row 63 – K1, MB, K4, MB, K1 64-66 – stockinette Repeat last four rows 5 more times (86 rows in total) BO all sts

Hat In main colour, CO 39sts, working in seed stitch, work across the 8 sts on each of the 8 tentacles (64sts) that were left on the spare needle. Join in the round, careful not to twist sts. 103sts. Work in seed stitch until work measures 5cm from the CO edge. Decrease 2 sts evenly across hat (I decreased sts 1&2, 52&53) to give 101 sts. Now decrease for the crown: Dec row: *work 8 sts in seed st, K/P2tog* to last st, K/P1. (91sts) Work 2 rows seed stitch. Dec row: *work 7 sts in seed st, K/P2tog* to last st, K/P1. (81sts) Work 2 rows seed stitch. Dec row: *work 6 sts in seed st, K/P2tog* to last st, K/P1. (71sts) Work 2 rows seed stitch. Dec row: *work 5 sts in seed st, K/P2tog* to last st, K/P1. (61sts) Work 2 rows seed stitch. Dec row: *work 4 sts in seed st, K/P2tog* to last st, K/P1. (51sts) Work 2 rows seed stitch. Dec row: *work 3 sts in seed st, K/P2tog* to last st, K/P1. (41sts) Work 2 rows seed stitch. Dec row: *work 2 sts in seed st, K/P2tog* to last st, K/P1. (31sts) Work 1 rows seed stitch. Dec row: *work 1 sts in seed st, K/P2tog* to last st, K/P1. (21sts) Dec row: *K/P2tog* to last at, K/P1. (11sts) Cut yarn and thread through remaining sts.

‘Body’ In main colour, CO 71sts, join in the round careful not to twist sts. 1 – K 1 row 2 – *K6, inc1* to last st, K/P1. (81sts) 3-8 – work in seed stitch 9 – *work 7 sts in seed st, inc1* to last st, K/P1. (91sts) 10-20 – work in seed stitch 21 *work 7 sts in seed st, K/P2tog* to last st, K/P1. (81sts) 22-25 – work in seed stitch 26 – *work 6 sts in seed st, K/P2tog* to last st, K/P1. (71sts) 27-30 – Work in seed stitch 31 – *work 5 sts in seed st, K/P2tog* to last st, K/P1. (61sts) 32-35 – Work in seed stitch 36 – *work 4 sts in seed st, K/P2tog* to last st, K/P1. (51sts) 37-38 – Work inseed stitch 39 – *work 3 sts in seed st, K/P2tog* to last st, K/P1. (41sts) 40-41 – Work in seed stitch. 42 – *work 2 sts in seed st, K/P2tog* to last st, K/P1. (31sts) 43 – Work in seed stitch. 44 – *work 1 sts in seed st, K/P2tog* to last st, K/P1. (21sts) 45 – Work in seed stitch. 46 – *K/P2tog* to last at, K/P1. (11sts) Cut yarn and thread through remaining sts.

Eyeballs (make 2) In contrast colour, CO3 sts and divide across 3 dpns, work in the round. 1 – Inc every st (6sts) 2 – K 3 – *Inc1, K1* to end (9sts) 4-6 – K Stuff eyeball lightly 7 – *K1, K2tog* to end (6sts) 8 – *K2tog* to end (3sts)

Eyelids (make 2) In main colour, CO12sts and work flat. 1-10 – work in seed stitch. BO all sts.

Assembly Sew tentacle bottom sides underneath the tentacle top sides (see photo), making sure to pull thread tight to encourage the tentacles to curl. Sew octopus body onto the back of the hat, I lined up the CO edge of the body at the start of the decreases, then pulled and tacked a few of the body sts onto the top of the crown to emphasise the bulb like shape. Stuff very lightly, again to emphasis it’s shape. Attach eyeballs to hat (use photo as a guide) then partially cover these with the eyelids (again see photo).

Wear and enjoy!

Pattern copyright of foxymitts.co.uk

[homestuck-music-tournament]

Welcome to the Homestuck Music Tournament

Hello, I'm @airprime7, and I run the @undertale-ost-tournament, which is currently drawing to a close. The Undertale OST has 101 tracks, and the tournament was a massive undertaking. Which is why I made the incredibly clever choice of starting a tournament with over 600 tracks! And also make a post for every single track beforehand to categorise them! I'm normal.

At the time of writing, I'm in the middle of making posts for coloUrs and mayhem: Universe B, meaning I still have several hundred more posts to queue up. This post should come out right after the post for Black, marking the end of the first 4 volumes of Homestuck music (and also Midnight Crew: Drawing Dead). 4 posts are being put out every day, which means currently the queue stretches to October; when the Undertale tournament ends, this rate may increase. (October has since come and gone, and I finished the queue, which basically reaches Christmas. I'll keep the post-rate the same once the UTOSTT ends, which should be this month.)

The tournament will be a single-stage knockout bracket, with minor seeding. I'll basically split tracks into a few categories of how well-known and popular I think they might be. For example, tens of thousands of people know Sburban Jungle and Descend, but I don't think more than 100 fans can tell 04 from 05, or are diehard Blue Noir fans. Tracks that were actually in Homestuck will obviously mostly be more well known.

Currently, this account is just for posting every single Homestuck music track, complete with helpful information. That also means you can use tags to search for your favourite tracks, or similar tracks, etc. Every song is tagged. Take Aggrieve, Rose's fight music. It's tagged #Aggrieve, as well as with #Homestuck Vol. 1, the album it comes from. If you want to see more work by the same composer, it's tagged with #Mark J. Hadley (yes, it's true, people other than Toby Fox did the music for Homestuck), and tracks with the #Aggrieve leitmotif are those with the signature Rose Lalonde theme you may not have even noticed in your favourite tracks. Of course, #Rose Lalonde also gives you a collection of all Rose tracks, and since #Mom Lalonde and #Maplehoof feature in the flash Aggrieve is used in, they're also tagged.

Please submit propaganda!

Send asks with propaganda submissions for your favourite tracks, *especially* the ones you think are underappreciated. There's over 600 tracks to be featured in this tournament, and I can't sing all of their praises. That said, I also can't post every piece of propaganda given, so don't be surprised if someone else's argument for MeGaLoVania gets picked over yours.

Here is a more detailed FAQ, which may be updated over time. If you want more information on a track, just click the link on it's name, and you'll be taken to the matching hsmusic.wiki page, which may have creator commentary and more.

Enjoy the tournament!

[wildrungarden]

5/4/24 ~ letting the bebes get some fresh rain 🌧️ 🌱

[blackcat419]

Rewriting HotD: Plot breakdown of Fire and Blood the Dance of the Dragons

Part 1: 101 A.C. To 129 A.C.

The following is an in depth plot breakdown of F&B where character moments, plot beats, difference in sources, and missing details will all be analyzed and possible solutions proposed. The timeline will start in 101 A.C. with the first great council as where the seeds of the dance were thoroughly sowed and watered to the death of Jaehaera in 133 A.C.

This is the first part of my rewriting HotD series. The next part will talk more about character arcs and expanding on them using the enneagram as a jumping off point.

Page numbers will be cited from my copy of fire and blood the 2022 Trade Paperback Tie-in Edition.

Legend

Bold for the year

Italic for character moments

Blue for Orwyle’s account

Purple for Munkun’s A True Telling

Green for Septon Eustace’s The Reign of King Viserys

Red for Mushroom’s The Testimony of Mushroom

Orange for rumors that have no source

Pink for minor sources where their credibility and bias will be discussed when they come up

(Parenthesis) will be used when I deem it necessary to comment on the story either about the plot or how the fandom views the story.

[brackets] will be used for when I want to add real world historical context.

Where Gyldayn does not identify which source he is using or which sources disagree with eachother, it will be assumed that all sources agree with each other.

Biases of sources

While each source is biased towards one claimant over another, this is too simple of an understanding of these sources. Each source is pushing their own understanding of the world, either implicitly or not.

Orwyle wrote his account after being arrested by Cregan Stark and thrown into the black cells. He served as Grand Maester after the death of Mellos in 217, was thrown in the black cells when Rhaneyra took KL in 130, released by Ser Perkin later that year, he was then imprisoned again in 131 by Cregan where he wrote his accounts, he escaped and was re-imprisoned and continued writing his account, and he was later executed in 133. His bias is based in trying to save his own life by appealing to Cregan and trying to show he wasn’t a traitor. So while biased towards Rhaenyra, he’s biased towards making himself look as best as possible with motivations of saving his own life. He’s a primary source from his stationing as Grand Maester till Rhaenyra takes Kings landing and from when Rhaenyra flees Kings Landing and he’s re-imprisoned by Cregan. While Orwyle is imprisoned, he can only be a second hand source at best.

Munkun bases his work on the writings of Orwyle and takes up the position of Grand Maester in 131 when Cregan removed Orwyle. Munkun uses a lot of Orwyle’s sources but because Orwyle is currently writing his own account, I believe Munkun is using his Maester notes which could be less biased as Orwyle wasn’t writing them to help save his own life. Munkun also had access to Orwyle to talk about his recollection of the war. Munkun is a second hand source for anything happening before 131 and only a first hand source for Kingslanding after 131.

Eustace wrote his work after the war. He served as septon to the red keep from Viserys’ death until Aegon III’s reign and his dismissal by Unwin Peake. The Sept has been in conflict recently with the Targaryens leading to the dissolution of the faith militant and the implementation of Targaryens exceptionalism doctrine. Eustace can be seen as biased against the Targaryens in general because of this conflict. Eustace also shies away from salacious accounts, he doesn’t like Rhaenyra, and thinks Northmen are savage. He is a first hand source for much of what happens in the red keep.

Mushroom’s account was written down by an unknown author and covers Mushroom’s time as a fool for King Viserys and later Princess Rhaenyra. Mushroom was in Kings Landing as fool for King Viserys until 113 when he left with Rhaenyra for dragon stone, he returns in 126 with Rhaenyra to Kings Landing but leaves before Viserys’ death in 129, he returns in 130 when Rhaenyra takes Kings Landing, he remains in Kings Landing when Rhaenyra flees, he remains in Kingslanding until Manfryd Mooton travels to Braavos to escape the gloom of the red keep. Mushroom is first and foremost an entertainer and tells his story to entertain instead of inform. He is biased towards Rhaenyra as her fool but he is more biased towards a fun and salacious story. He’s a first hand source for Kingslanding until 113, a bit after 126, and after 130 till he leaves for Braavos. In the times in between he’s a firsthand source for Dragonstone and at best a second hand source for Kings landing.

101 A.C. The First Great Council

Otto arrives at Kings Landing with his wife and children, Alicent becomes the constant companion of King Jaehaerys, and Jaehaerys mistakes her for his daughter Seara pg. 351

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Alicent: Alicent is described caring for the king like a personal care assistant would do in modern times.

(The word ‘precocious’ is used to describe 15 year old Alicent here and many have taken it to mean she was sexually developed and sleeping with Jaehaerys. I disagree as precocious means quickly developing but is not exclusive to sexual development. Because it’s quickly followed by descriptions of Alicent assisting Jaehaerys as a live in care person, I believe this is meant to show that Alicent is more mature mentally and is taking on the caretaker role earlier than she is expected to.)

103 A.C. The king is dead, long live the king

Jaehaerys dies while Alicent reads Barth’s ‘Unnatural History’, his body is burned and entered on Dragonstone, and women reportedly tore their garments in Dorne. [the act of tearing ones garments from their body was seen as a way to mourn in ancient times. Cleopatra reportedly rendered her garments when she learned that Anthony attempted suicide.] pg. 351-2

Viserys ascends the throne, Aemma has already suffered multiple miscarriages and lost a boy shortly after birth, Rhaenyra is 6. Pg. 352

The practice of placing eggs in cradles is picked back up around this time and many dragons are hatching in the dragon pit. Pg. 352

Criston first comes to notice at the melee at Maidenpool where he defeated Daemon, gave Rhaenyra the laurel and asked for her favor, and unhorsed the cargyll twins in the joust. pg 358-9

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Viserys: Described as generous, amiable nature, and well loved by lords and smallfolks. Pg 352

Viserys & Aemma: host lots of feasts and tourneys and lavish gold, offices, and honors on their favorites. Pg 354

Otto: described as proud, brusque (curt), and haughty. The longer he served the more power he gained. Pg 354

Daemon: Ambitious, impetuous, moody, charming, hot-tempered, bored by Rhae Royce, the Vale, and governing. Pg 354

Rhaenyra: precocious, bright, bold, and beautiful. Pg 354

(Precocious is also used to describe Rhaenyra here and I believe it’s meant to draw a parallel between our two leads. Both are smarter than their years)

104 A.C. Rhaenyra Takes Flight

Rhaenyra: becomes a dragon rider at age 7. Syrax is a claimed dragon, not a cradle egg. She’s bold and dragon-riding at a very early age. Pg 354

105 A.C. Heir for a day

Viserys announces that Aemma is pregnant again. She dies giving birth to a son named Baelon who dies shortly after Pg 358-9

Criston Cole is appointed to the kingsguard at age 23 pg 358

Lyonel Strong is invited by Viserys to Kings landing and brings his 4 kids, his two daughters become Rhaenyra's hand maidens, Harwins joins the gold cloaks, and Larys joins the king's confessors. Pg 359

Observed but by who? Daemon is seen saying 'Heir for a day' while drunk in the street of Silk. The book gives us two sources for the rumon, the sex worker sitting on Daemon's lap or one of his drinking buddies. Why would his friend or someone he pays turn on him? Pg 359-60

Viserys names Rhaenyra heir and held a lavish ceremony for lords to swear fealty pg 360

Daemon leaves Kingslanding with Mysaria for Dragonstone and gets her pregnant and presents her with a dragon egg. pg 360

Viserys tells Daemon to send Mysaria away and return to Rhae Royce. Daemon does so, Mysaria returns to Lys and loses the child.

Viserys is suggested to remarry. Runciter suggests Laena Velaryon who is 12. Viserys decides to marry Alicent who is now 18. Pg 361

Rumors at Court suggest that Otto is moving above his station and planned for Alicent to marry Viserys. The rumors also question Alicent's virginity and wonder if she slept with him before Aemma died. Again, who is spreading these rumors? Unlike with Daemon, we don't even get a vague mention at who to judge them better. pg 361

Mushroom restates the rumors above along with Alicent doing 'more than just reading' for Jaehaerys. I again do not believe these rumors as they seem to come up only when Otto and Alicent are advancing politically. pg 361

Daemon and Corlys are both upset at the news of Viserys marrying Alicent. Pg 361

Laena is betrothed to the sea lord of Braavos' son. pg 375

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Viserys: makes Rhaenyra his cupbearer at age 8 and is not seen without her after. He drinks a lot and Rhaenyra is there to serve him wine. Pg 354. Refuses to name Daemon heir but forgives any of his offense. Pg 355 gets mad enough at Daemon and commands him which he rarely does. pg 360 Viserys is also uncharacteristically firm when choosing to marry Alicent and not 'for reasons of state' (perhaps after Viserys lost his wife, son, and his brother left Kings Landing, he wanted someone who would take care of him like Alicent did Jaehaerys. I do not think they were sleeping together before Aemma's death.) Pg 361.

Daemon: Takes the lead of the gold cloaks and gives them better armor, made the city more orderly, and had an 'eye for an eye' style of punishment. Takes an interest in Mysaria. Wants to be named heir but isn't. Pg 355 Speaks of his brother in disdain after being commanded to leave dragonstone. Pg 360.

Rhaenyra: is smitten with Criston (she is 9 at this time so childhood crush) and has him named her personal protector.

Criston: (we don't have much written on his character, just how others react to him. The ladies are smitten and daemon hates him but Cole isn't described like how the other characters are with a list of traits.) pg 359

Lyonel: mistaken for a brute and dumb but just a large, silent, and very smart man. Pg 359

Laena: Fiery, bold, adventurous. Claimed Vhagar at 12 or younger which is very bold and brave. Pg 360-1. The Maester of High Tide says that Laena is more interested in dragon riding than in boys. Pg 361.

Unknown Years between 103-105 A.C.

Eustace, Mushroom, and Otto's letter to his brother tells us that Otto greatly disliked Daemon. Otto's own writings on his feelings about Daemon should be believed as its his own testimony backed up by other sources. But do take his claim that Daemon would be 'a second Maegor the Cruel' with a pinch of salt. Pg 358

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Otto: hates Daemon and uses his influence as hand to remove him from each position Viserys gives him. Pg 358

Daemon & Rhaenyra: Rhaenyra is fond of Daemon and he brings her gifts when he crosses the narrow sea. Pg 355

Viserys: Doesn't try to claim a dragon (Viserys is the first Targaryen who's dragon died before him and had the opportunity to claim a dragon, but never did) Pg 355. Hates conflict and tries to make peace between Otto and Daemon (we'll see him using this tactic again soon) pg 358.

106 A.C. The Marriage and War begin

Viserys marries Alicent and Velaryons are absent. Pg 361-2

Daemon meets with Corlys and they plan to invade the stepstones and take them from the Triarchy. Pg 362.

Viserys supports Daemon by giving gold for the war. Pg 364

---

Alicent: calls Rhaenyra 'daughter' at her wedding. Filling that caregiver role?

Corlys: When slighted, he takes to war to assert his power.

Daemon: When pushed away from his brother, he seeks power through war.

Viserys: tries to fix tensions between him and Daemon by using his power as king to support him. Viserys is reported to say 'let daemon play at war, its keeps him out of trouble' pg 364

107 A.C. Aegon

Aegon is born. pg 365

108 A.C. Crab Ate

Daemon defeats Craghas Crabfeeder and cuts off his head with Darksister. Pg 363

Cregan Stark is born ph 416

109 A.C. King of the stepstones

Daemon and Corlys control all but 2 of the Stepstones islands. Pg 364

Helaena is born. pg 365

Otto is removed as Hand after pushing for Aegon to be made heir and Lyonel Strong takes his place Pg 365

---

Daemon: Declares himself king of the stepstones. Pg 364

Corlys: Places the stepstone crown on Daemon's head. Pg 634

110 A.C. War returns

The Triarchy and Dorne unite to continue fighting in the stepstones. Pg 364

Aemond is born half the size of Aegon but twice as fierce Pg 365

Unknown Years between 106 A.C. - 110 A.C.

Lords and knights seek Rhaenyra's favor but shes only interested in Criston Cole.

---

Alicent: Alicent says at court 'Ser criston protects the princess from her enemies but who protects the princess from ser criston?' Pg 365. no longer using 'daughter' and may be faining concern or actual concern for the princess's virtue around Criston.

Viserys: Keeps Rhaenyra as heir but doesn't argue why when questioned, just states as fact. Interesting level of stubbornness pg 365. Hates the conflict between his wife and daughter but doesn't address the root of the problem and just uses his ability as king to keep the balance through parties and gifts. Pg 365

111 A.C. The second quarrel

Visery's and Alicent's 5th wedding anniversary and Alicent and Rhaenyra wear their signature dresses to assert their sides.

The Blacks have a better tourney performance with Criston as Rhaenyra's champion. He unhorses Alicent's unknown champion, two cousins, and her younger brother Gwayne. Pg 366 (this perhaps shows that Rhaenyra is in a better position than Alicent?)

Daemon rides in the tourney but hasn't declared for a side. Pg 366

Daemon remains in Kingslanding for half a year.

Daemon returned to his old goldcloak friends in the street of silk and treated Alicent with respect but no love. He spends a lot of time with Rhaenyra, gives her gifts, and mocks the greens. pg 367

Grand Maester Runciter says Daemon and Viserys quarrled again and Daemon leaves for the step stones again. pg 367

Eustace says Daemon seduced Rhaenyra and took her virginity. The two were discovered by Ser Arryk and brought to Viserys. Rhaenyra begs to marry Daemon but Viserys denies it and confines Rhaenyra to her room and sends Daemon away. Pg 367-8

Mushroom says Rhaenyra wanted Criston so Daemon tutored her with kissing lessons, touching men for pleasure, but they did not have sex. Criston was horrified and spurned Rhaneyra. The story comes out in part thanks to mushroom. Daemon tells Viserys to let him marry Rhaenyra and Viserys tells Daemon to leave Pg 368-9.

Daemon leaves for the stepstones pg 369

---

Rhaenyra: the act of wearing 'the dramatic red and black dress' is Rhaenyra's first step into the feud with Alicent. She is 14. following Eustace and Mushroom's account, we get the idea that Rhaenyra is now exploring sexually and perhaps looking for love in either Daemon or Criston who are both denied to her pg 369

Daemon: gives his crown over to Viserys, perhaps showing that family is more important to Daemon than power. Pg 367 Eustace and Mushroom both agree that Daemon was explicitly active with Rhaenyra and its seems in both cases was doing to to grasp at power. pg 369

112 A.C. Rhaenyra's Suitors

Grand Maester Runciter dies and is replaced by Mellos. Pg 369

Lord Commander Ser Harrold Westerling dies and is replaced by Criston Cole. Pg 369

Rhaenyra visits the Trident and the sons of lord blackwood and bracken fight over her in a duel, a younger son of house Frey asks her to marry him, the Lannister twins quarrel over her. pg 369 (while not stated, its pretty clear that Rhaenyra is on tour looking for a husband)

---

Viserys: declines to wed Rhaenyra to Aegon stating 'The boy is Alicent's own blood... She wants him on the throne.' interesting separation of himself from his son and seeing Alicent wanting her son to be king as a bad thing. Again, Viserys declines to fix the root problem.

113 A.C. Betrothal of Fire and Sea

Rhaenyra is betrothed to Laenor and concerns about him being gay are dismissed. pg 370

Rhaenyra refuses to marry Laenor, also refers to Alicent's kids as half brothers. Only relents when Viserys threatens to disinherit her. pg 370.

Eustace says that Criston asks Rhaenyra to run away with him and Rhaenyra declines. Pg 370-1 (I believe Eustace more as its in line with Rhaenyra choosing power over personal happiness or freedom)

Mushroom says Rhaenyra asked Criston to take her virginity and Criston refuses 'even when Rhaneyra used the arts she had learned from Daemon' Pg 371 (so simple sexy pose or blowjob? probably just sexy pose). Rhaenyra then has sex with Harwin Strong and Mushroom claims to have found them together the next morning. pg 371

Rhaenyra leaves for Driftmark with the strong sisters, mushroom, and Harwin as her new champion.

Dalton Greyjoy is born (world of ice and fire)

---

Rhaenyra:Rhaenyra chooses power over her own happiness by agreeing to wed Laenor to keep her spot as heir. Eustace says that Rhaenyra begs for Viserys' forgiveness after he threatens to disinherit her while mushroom says she spits in his face. Pg 370 Eustace and Mushroom dispute how much she was willing to grovel for her father's forgiveness.

Viserys: uncharacteristically strict and threatens to disinherit Rhaenyra if she doesn't marry Laenor. Perhaps he wants everything to go the way he imagines it and does not want people upsetting his ideas for the future?

Criston: turns from being loyal to Rhaenyra to loathing her. Pg 371 (was this because Rhaenyra tried to seduce him or scorned him?)

114 A.C. Marriage of Fire and Sea

Rhaenyra and Laenor are married. She's 17 and he's 20. pg 372

Rhaenyra gives Harwin her favor and Laenor gives Jeoffrey Lonmouth his favor. Pg 372 (Showing that these two pairs are both lovers now). Criston takes Alicent's favor after being denied Rhaenyra's Pg 372 (was Criston still holding out hope for Rhaenyra?)

Criston wins the tourney, breaking Harwin's collar bone and putting Jeoffrey in a coma where he dies 6 days later. Pg 372

The animosity between Rhaenyra and Alicent was noted by envoys in letters to Pentos, Braavos, and Old Volantis Pg 372

Laenor returns to driftmark while Rhaenyra remains in Kingslanding. pg 372

Eustace says Rhaenyra and Laenor only shared a bed a dozen times (12) and Mushroom adds that Qarl Correy joined them as well and Rhaenyra would either watch them or seek out Harwin. pg 373

Rhaenyra's pregnancy is announced and Jacaerys is born a 'large strapping lad, with brown hair, brown eyes, and a pug nose' pg 374

Alicent gives birth to Daeron who is noted as traditional Targaryen coloring (pale hair and purple eyes) pg 374

Viserys orders Jace and Daeron share the same wet nurse. pg 374

Addam of Hull is born pg 443

---

Laenor: was only knighted before wedding Rhaenyra. Lover of Jeoffrey Lonmouth and according to mushroom sat by his bed till he died. pg 372

Criston: leaves Rhaenyra's party to join Alicent being either scorned or repulsed by Rhaenyra enough to fight in a blind fury.

Rhaenyra: doesn't leave with Laenor and stays in Kingslanding. Is clearly not interested in Laenor and prefers spending time with Harwin her new champion.

Viserys: Again does not address the main issue between the blacks and greens and instead tries to have Jace and Daeron be raised closer together.

115 A.C. Daemon and Laena travel diaries

Rhae Royce dies and runestone passes to her nephew pg 374

Daemon leaves the war in the stepstones to try and claim runestone but is denied and told to stay out of the Vale by Jeyne Arryn. pg 374

Daemon leaves for Driftmark where he duels and 'makes short work' (unknown is betrothal is broken or he dies) the sea lord of Braavos' son. He then marries Laena and they fly across the narrow sea first to Pentos, then across the Disputed Lands, then to Old Volantis, Rhoyne, Qohor, and Norvos. Pg 375-6

Rhaenyra gives birth to Lucerys in the later part of the year. Eustace says that Laenor and Harwin were by her side. Pg 376

Rhaenyra leaves for Dragonstone as she and Alicent can't stand each other pg 376

Laenor is said to visit "frequently" (frequently is in quotations implying that he is not actually visiting frequently?) pg 376

Alyn of Hull is born pg 443

---

Daemon: again tries to claim power by claiming Runestone but is denied. He then marries Laena either for love as the singers says but singers are known to romanticize things. More cynical men say because she gave him a way to keep from falling in the line of succession more. But Laena is not ahead of Daemon in the line of succession and marrying her won't stop him from being further down the line so I'm more inclined to believe he fancied her. (perhaps Laena and Daemon both fought in the stepstones or met more there?) pg 375

Laena: we can discern that Laena is very adventurous and loved to travel.

Viserys: Is happy to meet Luke and doesn't seem worried about him not looking Targaryen.

Alicent: According to Mushroom told Laenor to keep trying to get one that looks like him which could show that Alicent is aware that Luke and Jace are not Laenor's and is slyly letting him know she knows.

Rhaenyra: She now decides to leave kingslanding for dragonstone when she had previously chosen to stay in kingslanding.

116 A.C. The Second Quarrel ends

Baela and Rhaena are born and called "Daemon's first trueborn children" Pg 376 (Implying he has bastard children?)

Viserys and Daemon reconcile over Daemon now being a father. Pg 376-7

---

Daemon: seeks his brother's forgiveness again.

Viserys: forgives his brother again believing fatherhood changed him.

117 A.C. Bastardy Rumors Spread

Jeoffrey is born pg 377

Rumors spread in the Greens that Harwin is the father of Rhaenyra's sons. These rumors would support Alicent in getting Rhaenyra out of being heir but we know that Viserys does not care. Mushroom says Harwin is the father and Mellos hints at Harwin being the father. Eustace acknowledges the rumors but dismisses them. (Interestingly Eustace claims Rhaenyra slept with Daemon but does not believe her children were fathered by Harwin). Pg 377

The Velaryon boys are given dragon eggs by royal decree. (The Targaryen boys are not given dragon eggs in contrast) pg 377

Rhaenyra gains weight after childbirth. Mushroom says she resented Alicent for staying slim. Pg 377

Eustace says Viserys placed Jace on his knee and said the iron throne would be his one day. Pg 377

The Targaryen boys and Velaryon boys become rivals but still train and study together Pg. 377-8

Rhaenyra is close with Laena and Daemon Pg 378

---

Rhaenyra: is fond and more than fond of Laena perhaps implying a romantic interest or just a very close friendship? Pg 378

Viserys: has eggs placed with the Velaryon boys but not his own kids with Alicent. Perhaps wanting to dispel rumors as quickly as possible and assert their legitimacy.

118 A.C. The Betrothals

Viserys agrees for Rhaenyra to have Jace (4) and Luke (3) betrothed to Baela and Rhaena (2). pg 378

119 A.C. Laena Conceives

Laena gets pregnant again and Rhaenyra joins her on dirftmark. Pg 378

120 A.C. The Red Spring

Laena dies of childbed fever (basically infection from unsanitary conditions) and gives birth to a boy dragon baby who quickly dies Pg 378

Daemon flies to Dragonstone to get Rhaenyra's more skilled Maester Geradrys but he arrives too late pg 378

Mushroom says Rhaenyra and Daemon sat vigil over Laena's body and she comforted him while he grieved pg 378

Merchants at a fair in Spicetown say Laenor and Qarl quarreled and Qarl stabbed Laenor to death before fleeing. A large crowd of people are more likely to have the true story as it's harder to sway them all. Eustace also agrees with the merchants and says Qarl was motivated by jealousy of Laenor leaving him. Mushroom says Daemon payed Qarl to kill Laenor to make room for himself as Rhaenyra's husband. pg 379

Corlys offers a reward for Qarl's head but he's never caught. pg 379

Aegon and Helaena are both dragon riders of Sunfrye and Dreamfyre respectively pg 380

Daeron has Tessarion but has not ridden her yet. Pg 380

Aemond claims Vhagar but is ambushed and fights the velaryon boys. Luke slashes out Aemond's right eye (weirdly changed to his left in the show) pg 380-1

Viserys tries to make each side apologize to one another. Alicent demands Luke's eye and Rhaenyra says Aemond should be questioned "sharply" (tortured). pg 381

Aemond claims Aegon told him the Velaryon boys are strong and Aegon says everyone can tell. pg 382

Lyonel and Harwin die in Harrenhal by fire. Pg 383

Rumors say the fire was either a mischance or black Harren's curse. Mushroom says Corlys set the fire to get revenge for Laenor being cucked (why now after three kids?). Eustace says Daemon did it to remove his love rival. Another rumor was Larys did it to get Harrenhal as his seat. Mellows says Viserys ordered Harwin's death to hide Rhaenyra's affair with him and that Lyonel's death was unforeseen because he wasn't supposed to accompany his son back home. Pg 383

Viserys sends for Otto to replace Lyonel as hand. Pg 383

Rhaenyra remarries to Daemon with both of their previous spouses having not been dead for half a year. pg 383 Eustace says they married in secret knowing Viserys would not allow it. Mushroom says Rhaenyra was again pregnant and did not want a clear bastard. Pg 384

Rhaenyra gives birth to Aegon at the end of the year and according to Mushroom, named him Aegon to slight Alicent. pg 384-5

---

Laena: wants to ride Vhagar one last time before she dies showing her love and connection to her dragon.

Daemon: must have loved Laena a lot to try so desperately to save her life.

Rhaenyra: comforts Daemon (non-sexually) after Laena dies. But remarries to Daemon quite quickly, perhaps showing not desire for Daemon but need for a powerful ally?

Viserys: makes fun of Aemond by saying he can claim an egg or hatchling if he's bold enough. This also shows that Aemond was not given a cradle egg. pg 380. Viserys is more concerned about rumors of Rhaenyra's kids' bastardy than Aemond losing an eye, one being treated with threats of tongues being removed while the other is forced to kiss and make up. Viserys also decides to not make Rhaenyra Hand to avoid more conflict between her and Alicent, again unwilling to address tension and rather ignore it till he can't. Pg 383

122 A.C. Viserys and Sibling Marriage

Rhaeanyra gives birth to Viserys and his dragon egg does not hatch. Pg 384

Viserys weds Aegon (15) to Helaena (13). Pg 384

---

Viserys: interestingly weds Aegon and Helaena together, most likely to keep Alicent from seeking marriage alliances.

Aegon: Lazy and somewhat sulky. Drinks and fondles serving girls.

Helaena: Happy and described as making a fine mother (so caring and attentive?)

123 A.C. Twins Born

Jaehaerys and Jaehaera are born. Both get and hatch cradle eggs. Jaehaerys is polydactly and Jaehaera is described as slow to grow. 385

Mushroom claims Aegon fathered a bastard boy on a maiden from the street of silk and a girl by one of his mother's maidservents. Pg 386 (How would he know this being on Dragonstone?)

126 A.C. Take his head

Daeron is sent to oldtown to be a cupbearer and squire for Lord Hightower. Pg 386

Corlys falls ill with fever and the issue of succession is raised. Pg 386

Corlys's nephew Vaemond claims he should be heir as Rhaenyra's kids are bastards. Rhaenyra has Daemon behead Vaemond and feeds his head to her dragon. Pg 386 Vaemond's younger cousins, his wife, and his sons flee to Kingslanding to plead their case and their tongues are removed. Pg 386

Viserys cuts his hand open on the throne had has two fingers removed. pg 387

Cregan overthrows his Uncle as regent and imprisons him and his cousins. Pg 416

---

Alicent: While it is not stated, I believe Alicent sent Daeron away for his own safety after Vaemond was killed.

Rhaenyra: Escalating what she's willing to do to keep power, no longer is she bending to Viserys' wishes like she did as a teen or sneaking behind his back, this is out-in-the-open murder.

Viserys: Again esculating his covering for Rhaenyra allowing her to order the death of another highborn.

127 A.C. The Feast for the lost fingers

Maelor is born and given a cradle egg Pg 386

Viserys holds a feast for his recovery and Rhaenyra and Alicent attend with all their children. The court chronicles record that the two sides looked to mend things. Mushroom says that once Viserys left, fighting broke out between the kids. Pg 387

Viserys stops sitting the iron throne and Mushroom claims to be entertaining the king. Pg 387

Maester Mellos dies and is replaced by Orwyle by the Citadel. Pg 388

Daenaera Velaryon is born.

---

The Velaryon and Targaryen Boys: All three (assuming Daeron and Jeoffrey are there as well despite not being mentioned) boys go out of their way to provoke eachother.

128 A.C.

Cregan’s wife Arra Norrey dies in child birth to his son and heir pg 416

Dalton avenges his uncle’s death in the Stepstones and claims the sea stone chair (world of ice and fire)

129 A.C. 3rd day of the 3rd moon

Helaena brings her children to Viserys' room and he tells them a story about Jaehaerys. Viserys dies in his sleep. Pg 390

---

Viserys: his last act is to tell a story of a Targaryen king to his grandchildren.

Thanks for reading the first half of the timeline breakdown for rewriting HotD!

[talonabraxas]

Seed of Life

In sacred geometry, everything starts with a circle seating at the center (at the void or the zero point). The first step of creation is to create a second circle that departs from the center to form a Vesica Piscis. These two circles are connected at their center and illustrate separation and the mirror of consciousness. By repeating this process 5 more times in a vortex motion, we obtain a pattern called

the Seed of life.

The Seed of Life is composed of 7 identical circles, 1 circle at the center and 6 circles around it. All circles that create the pattern of the Seed of Life fit together perfectly in their center. This placement/alignment symbolizes the perfect order of the universe. As we will expand the pattern of the Seed of Life to create the Flower of Life, you will see that this perfect order will continue.

These 7 circles are the core of creation. Together, they embody our 7 main chakras, the 7 notes in the musical scale, the rhythm of life (7 days per week), and the 7 visible colors of the rainbow. It is interesting to note that, even though one single circle is associated with white light, when apparent separation occurs the full spectrum of visible light becomes visible. Despite the apparent separation, white light can be found at the heart of the inner circle where all rays merge as one. These 7 colors are often referred to as the 7 rays of creation. Just as a seed, this symbol contains all the information and elements necessary for creation.

The Seed of Life is also associated with the 7 days of creation because the number 7 symbolizes a complete cycle of manifestation. From the pattern of the Seed of Life, we can draw the number 8 / the infinity sign. It depicts the infinite nature and potential of Spirit/creation. Also, the Seed of Life can be used to draw the yin-yang symbol to illustrate polarity and how each polarity balances the whole in perfect equilibrium.

Sacred Geometry, Seed of Life:

[zoesblogsposts]

o 625 words to know in your target language o

There is a really interesting blog called "Fluent Forever" that aids foreign language learners in tricks, tips and techniques to guide them to achieving fluency "quickly" and efficiently. One of the tricks is to learn these 625 vocab words in your target language, that way you have a basis to start delving into grammar with ease as you can understand a lot of vocab right off the bat. Plus this list of words are common across the world and will aid you in whatever language you are learning. Here is the list in thematic order

• Animal: dog, cat, fish, bird, cow, pig, mouse, horse, wing, animal

• Transportation: train, plane, car, truck, bicycle, bus, boat, ship, tire, gasoline, engine, (train) ticket, transportation

• Location: city, house, apartment, street/road, airport, train station, bridge hotel, restaurant, farm, court, school, office, room, town, university, club, bar, park, camp, store/shop, theater, library, hospital, church, market, country (USA,

France, etc.), building, ground, space (outer space), bank, location

• Clothing: hat, dress, suit, skirt, shirt, T-shirt, pants, shoes, pocket, coat, stain, clothing

• Color: red, green, blue (light/dark), yellow, brown, pink, orange, black, white, gray, color

• People: son, daughter, mother, father, parent (= mother/father), baby, man, woman, brother, sister, family, grandfather, grandmother, husband, wife, king, queen, president, neighbor, boy, girl, child (= boy/girl), adult (= man/woman), human (# animal), friend (Add a friend's name), victim, player, fan, crowd, person

• Job: Teacher, student, lawyer, doctor, patient, waiter, secretary, priest, police, army, soldier, artist, author, manager, reporter, actor, job

• Society: religion, heaven, hell, death, medicine, money, dollar, bill, marriage, wedding, team, race (ethnicity), sex (the act), sex (gender), murder, prison, technology, energy, war, peace, attack, election, magazine, newspaper, poison, gun, sport, race (sport), exercise, ball, game, price, contract, drug, sign, science, God

• Art. band, song, instrument (musical), music, movie, art

• Beverages: coffee, tea, wine, beer, juice, water, milk, beverage

• Food: egg, cheese, bread, soup, cake, chicken, pork, beef, apple, banana orange, lemon, corn, rice, oil, seed, knife, spoon, fork, plate, cup, breakfast, lunch, dinner, sugar, salt, bottle, food

• Home: table, chair, bed, dream, window, door, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, pencil, pen, photograph, soap, book, page, key, paint, letter, note, wall, paper, floor, ceiling, roof, pool, lock, telephone, garden, yard, needle, bag, box, gift, card, ring, tool

• Electronics: clock, lamp, fan, cell phone, network, computer, program (computer), laptop, screen, camera, television, radio

• Body: head, neck, face, beard, hair, eye, mouth, lip, nose, tooth, ear, tear (drop), tongue, back, toe, finger, foot, hand, leg, arm, shoulder, heart, blood, brain, knee, sweat, disease, bone, voice, skin, body

• Nature: sea, ocean, river, mountain, rain, snow, tree, sun, moon, world, Earth, forest, sky, plant, wind, soil/earth, flower, valley, root, lake, star, grass, leaf, air, sand, beach, wave, fire, ice, island, hill, heat, nature

• Materials: glass, metal, plastic, wood, stone, diamond, clay, dust, gold, copper, silver, material

• Math/Measurements: meter, centimeter, kilogram, inch, foot, pound, half, circle, square, temperature, date, weight, edge, corner

• Misc Nouns: map, dot, consonant, vowel, light, sound, yes, no, piece, pain, injury, hole, image, pattern, noun, verb, adjective

• Directions: top, bottom, side, front, back, outside, inside, up, down, left, right, straight, north, south, east, west, direction

• Seasons: Summer, Spring, Winter, Fall, season

• Numbers: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 21, 22, 30, 31, 32, 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, 60, 61, 62, 70, 71, 72, 80, 81, 82, 90, 91, 92, 100, 101, 102, 110, 111, 1000, 1001, 10000, 100000, million, billion, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, number

• Months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

• Days of the week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

• Time: year, month, week, day, hour, minute, second, morning, afternoon, evening, night, time

• Verbs: work, play, walk, run, drive, fly, swim, go, stop, follow, think, speak/say, eat, drink, kill, die, smile, laugh, cry, buy, pay, sell, shoot(a gun), learn, jump, smell, hear (a sound), listen (music), taste, touch, see (a bird), watch (TV), kiss, burn, melt, dig, explode, sit, stand, love, pass by, cut, fight, lie down, dance, sleep, wake up, sing, count, marry, pray, win, lose, mix/stir, bend, wash, cook, open, close, write, call, turn, build, teach, grow, draw, feed, catch, throw, clean, find, fall, push, pull, carry, break, wear, hang, shake, sign, beat, lift

• Adjectives: long, short (long), tall, short (vs tall), wide, narrow, big/large, small/little, slow, fast, hot, cold, warm, cool, new, old (new), young, old (young), weak, dead, alive, heavy, light (heavy), dark, light (dark), nuclear, famous

[mariacallous]

Given the alternatives—farm to table, app to front door—can the microwavable meal compete? Since débuting in March, a company called Crave New World has been hawking its next-gen TV dinners on college campuses, even brokering a deal with fraternities and sororities: free food to fuel a social-media competition (the prize: tickets to the N.C.A.A. Final Four).

“People in the house liked them so much, we almost didn’t have enough to make the TikToks,” Jacob Avram, a University of Michigan sophomore and a Delta Chi chair, said recently. He played director for his frat brothers: “Take a bite, say ‘Mmm.’ Act like it tastes good.”

“I have a lot in common with them,” Matthew Brag, the company’s founder, said of the frat guys. He was in a flannel shirt, jeans, and work boots, driving an S.U.V. up the 101 Freeway to the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he was going to pass out samples. “I didn’t eat fruits or vegetables growing up,” he said. “Stouffer’s was, like, sixty per cent of my diet.” Owing to what he calls food-related O.C.D., Brag, who is thirty-six, didn’t eat a salad until four years ago—“a Caesar, and even then it was a process,” he said. “It wasn’t like I woke up the next day saying, ‘Hand me the fucking kale.’ I woke up saying, ‘What are healthier versions of things that I’ve had for three decades?’ ”

Lasagna, mac and cheese—the sort of stick-to-your-ribs grub forsaken, Brag said, by “New Age, direct-to-consumer companies launched in the zero-interest-rate years.” A former investment banker, Brag helped Warren Buffett acquire Heinz in 2013. “Those brands,” he went on, “came with all this associated life-style virtue signalizing—‘Eat this, and also practice Transcendental Meditation,’ all this super-patronizing B.S.”

Eating healthier, in Crave’s world, means high fibre and no seed oils; the meals also avoid dairy, “an allergen,” Brag said, to capture “as wide a market as possible.” Last year, Brag spoke to dozens of consumers, focus-grouping his frozen meals. “We asked what their favorite comfort-food dishes were,” he said. “They just started crying,” reminiscing about what Mom used to make. In September, Crave will hit the shelves in a thousand Kroger grocery stores and other retailers.

On campus in Santa Barbara, having weathered some anxiety about a bake sale that had set up next to Crave’s red-white-and-blue booth, Brag explained that he’d hired two young women who could pass as current coeds to hand out the samples. “They’re going to do a better job than I ever could,” he said.

A bro with a bike and wavy hair ambled over. “Would you like a free sample?” one of the women asked. “It’s free of seed oils, high in protein, low in calories, and high in fibre.”

The bro took a paper cup of mac and cheese. “I think if it had a little bit of seed oil it would be better,” he said, chewing. “Maybe some sunflower oil, or just dip it in canola.”

“Kids,” Brag said from the sidelines.

A guy carrying a skateboard sidled up to the other server, looking ambivalent.

“Just have one,” the woman said. “It’s breakfast.” (It was past noon.)

“Aw, hell,” the guy said, and theatrically took a bite of mac and cheese.

“Honest rating?” Brag asked.

“Two.”

Other testers were more expansive. “Delicate noodle taste,” a boy in a hoodie said.

“It’s a good level of spice,” a girl in sweatpants offered.

“They have such a complex language about it,” Brag said. “I’d be, like, ‘This good, this bad.’ ” He went on, “College is not actually my demo—it’s their parents. It was supposed to create a flywheel effect”: kid tells Mom, Mom adds to cart. “We’ve had a lot of website inquiries from parents being, like, ‘My kids keep talking about this. How can I send it to them?’ That part, at least, has worked.” ♦