#seeking prairies

[tinyurbanwilderness]

Here we go again with another Illinois “Prairie State” prairie about to be lost. Don’t let what happened to Bell Bowl Prairie happen here. Please help!

“A prairie in Monroe County, Illinois, is about to be lost forever.

Less than 1% of Illinois’ prairies are left in our beautiful prairie state – and only 600 acres of hill prairies (i.e., prairies on bluffs like this one) remain. That’s smaller than New York’s Central Park.”

[literaryvein-reblogs]

a list of "beautiful" words for april

to try to include in your next poem/story

Anfractuous - full of windings and intricate turnings; tortuous

Baldachin - a rich embroidered fabric of silk and gold

Casuistry - specious argument; rationalization

Dépaysé - situated in unfamiliar surroundings; astray

Éboulement - landslide

Edulcorate - make pleasant

Gramarye - necromancy, magic, enchantment

Intercolline - situated between hills

Katabasis - a going or marching down or back; retreat

Mortiferous - deadly, fatal

Mythopoeia - a giving rise to myths

Nephelococcygia - the act of seeking and finding shapes in clouds

Oblivescence - an act or the process of forgetting

Prairillon - a small prairie

Quassia - a drug from the heartwood and bark of various tropical trees of the ailanthus family used especially as a bitter tonic and remedy for roundworms in children and as an insecticide

Redivivus - brought back to life; reborn—used postpositively

Stelliferous - having star-shaped markings

Tonitruous - thundering, fulminating

Upaithric - hypaethral (i.e., having a roofless central space; open to the sky)

Vorago - an engulfing chasm; abyss

More: Lists of Beautiful Words ⚜ Word Lists ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[theonion]

His tolerance pushed ever-higher from decades of listening to the folksy radio program, desensitized A Prairie Home Companion fan Ira Hawthorne told reporters Thursday that he had recently been forced to seek out gentler and gentler material. 

Full Story

[serene-sky-kid]

A young skykid from the limits between Hidden forest and Daylight Prairie, after being adopted under the wings of the forest witch, Orion seeks to rebuild his life. Despite having been a moth with great aspirations, now his only dream is to live a quiet life where everything that happened in the past will not find him again.

I'm making full bodies of all the characters just for fun, I hope this is Orion's final design, I keep changing his cape

[dandelionsresilience]

Good News - May 22-28

Like these weekly compilations? Support me on Ko-fi or $Kaybarr1735! Also, if you tip me on Ko-fi or CashApp (and give me some way to contact you if it doesn’t automatically), at the end of the month I'll send you a link to all of the articles I found but didn't use each week - almost double the content!

1. Scientists Invent Healthier More Sustainable Chocolate

“The new chocolate recipe from researchers at ETH Zurich uses more materials from the cocoa pod that are usually discarded, including more of the pulp as well as the inner lining of the husk, known as the endocarp. […] The resulting chocolate also [was “deliciously sweet” and] had 20% more fibre and 30 percent less saturated fat than average European dark chocolate[, and] it could enable cocoa farmers [to] earn more from their crops.”

2. Vermont Is Coming for Big Oil, Making It Pay for Decades of Climate Pollution

“Legislators in Montpelier are on the brink of enacting the "Climate Superfund Act," modeled after the federal Superfund law, that seeks to make oil, gas and coal companies pay for damages linked to historical greenhouse gas emissions. […] Companies would be held liable for the costs associated with […] floods and heat waves, along with losses to biodiversity, safety, economic development and anything else the treasurer deems reasonable[, that were caused by their emissions].”

3. Important bird habitat now protected in the Rocky Mountain Trench

“Grassland-reliant species in the Rocky Mountain Trench now have more protected habitat thanks to a new [270-hectare] conservation area near Cranbrook. […] About one-third of the Skookumchuck Prairie Conservation Area is forested[…,] Most of the site is a dry grassland[…, and] Three hectares of wetlands add to the landscape diversity and offer crucial benefits to wildlife and water systems in the area. This conservation gem also provides habitat for endangered American badger and excellent winter range for elk, mule deer and white-tailed deer.”

4. Lemur Week marked by 70th breeding success

“A wildlife park has celebrated its 70th lemur breeding success ahead of a week raising money to help save the endangered primates. […] The park's open-air Madagascar exhibit is home to 31 free-roaming lemurs and was officially opened in 2008. […] Females are only sexually receptive for just one or two days a year, leaving a small window of opportunity for males to father offspring. […] The two playful siblings, one female and one male, were born to father Bernard and mother Hira.”

5. Innovative material for sustainable building

“Researchers introduce a polymer-based material with unique properties. This material allows sunlight to enter, maintains a more comfortable indoor climate without additional energy, and cleans itself like a lotus leaf. The new development could replace glass components in walls and roofs in the future.”

6. Isle of Wight eagles don't pose threat to lambs as feared

“While there had previously been fears that the eagles would feed on livestock, such as lambs, the project has found no evidence of this. [… “W]hite-tailed eagles effectively steal meals from other predatory birds[, which is] a really important ecological role that had been lost within the landscape and is being restored.” [… The birds’] population was boosted by a chick last year – the first time the species has bred in England in 240 years.”

7. Breakthrough discovery uses engineered surfaces to shed heat

“Cheng's team has found a way to lower the starting point of the [Leidenfrost] effect by producing a surface covered with micropillars. […] The discovery has great potential in heat transfer applications such as the cooling of industrial machines and surface fouling cleaning for heat exchangers. It also could help prevent damage and even disaster to nuclear machinery.”

8. New malaria vaccine delivered for the first time

“A total of 43,000 doses arrived by air today from UNICEF, and another 120,000 are scheduled to show up in the coming days. […] They're the first vaccines designed to work against a human parasite. […] Across four African countries, these trials showed a 75% reduction in malaria cases in the year following vaccination of young children. […] The Serum Institute of India, who will be manufacturing the new vaccine, says a hundred million doses will likely be available to countries by the middle of next year.”

9. Urban gardening may improve human health: Microbial exposure boosts immune system

“"One month of urban indoor gardening boosted the diversity of bacteria on the skin of the subjects and was associated with higher levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines in the blood. The group studied used a growing medium with high microbial diversity emulating the forest soil," [… whereas] the control group used a microbially poor peat-based medium. [… N]o changes in the blood or the skin microbiota were seen. […] “This is the first time we can demonstrate that meaningful and natural human activity can increase the diversity of the microbiota of healthy adults and, at the same time, contribute to the regulation of the immune system."”

10. Cities Are Switching to Electric Vehicles Faster Than Individuals

“[M]ost large cities have adopted some kind of climate goal, and some of them are buying EVs for their municipal fleets at a faster rate than the general public. And that progress could speed up as more EVs enter the market and as cities get educated about grant funding and tax incentives that were passed over the last four years.”

May 15-21 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[skidar]

Yeehawgust Day 26: A Horse With No Name

On the prairie watch out for that old grizzled mare. Don't seek her out, don't stare too long. The horse has no name, but if you meet her in the dark, she'll call out yours. There's nothing you can do the stop what comes next. Keep your head down, ride on.

[pinkrelish]

Eddie and miss mouse doing missionary with his hands beside her head and she grabs his wrists moving her head side to side moaning and him begging her to look at him in the eye 👁️

ugh, yes. 18+ sweet, romantic smut [wc: 1.4k]

humming praise along your jaw, he asks from his husky throat not yet warmed from dawn, “please, baby,” and you nod, “—don't wantcha missin' your god.”

oh, how you explore him without sight, skimming your fingers over the smooth length of his back, planes of muscle filling your palms with steady breaths. from the sway which dips with each long draw of his hips. up bumps of spine, curve of ribcage. contrasts of solid strength feeding into the hidden lurch beneath his skin, subtle contours shifting and flowing in sync with his lazy thrusts. shoulders. working man shoulders, broadened by time and labor, flexing under your loose grip. hard shapes for your hands to find; groove of his delt, swell of his bicep. strong arms beginning to shake.

you lower your sightless study to his forearms. fingertips grazing through prairie grass hair leading you over the ridge of an at-home tattoo and through the field of faint scars. upon his knuckles, you widen your reach to encompass them all, falling short. falling weak. falling, falling.

stability was found in his mighty palm to your cheek. stifling hot, big, and rough with character. everything familiar you sought in a home, cherishing the doorway between forefinger and thumb, trailing open kisses to the bed of his palm—three pecks for good luck, and one to grow on—then feasting on the meat above his wrist, and bathing your warm tongue over the rest.

"makin' you feel good?" eddie checks to inflate his ego, brimming with amusement. "or's here better?" his abs brace, his knees move in, and your body clings to a shiver. "mm, right there, huh?" his tender tease flows into the kindest sigh.

he peels his stomach off yours, chilling your combined sweat and tightening your nipples with the rush of air. sharp teeth flirt on the pulse beneath your ear as he adjusts, uncoordinated, rocking an arm under your shoulder and tugging the fitted sheet loose on the mattress; his other hand slips up to cradle your head, protecting you from the old oak headboard while your pillow lifts your hips.

the position loads his weight where he pins you best—embraced in his arms, wholly respected. your leglock around his ass restricts him down to a fraction of his long draw from before. he understands. the ache he stirred with his practiced fingers crooked between your thighs reached a yearn for something bigger, and when he sank into you, half an hour ago, you expressed your satisfaction in a whisper-thin gasp. "that's it," he kissed. to be stretched by his head notched at your opening, easing in, splitting you, fulfilling you, reaching a depth which was made for him. "that's fuckin' it," he moans in the present when you clench firmer around him.

the pretty noises you made then, when he could last, earned his pride. now, they spur his pace.

you dig your heels into his backside and cradle him close, tilting your hips; wet friction grinding bliss against your core. the warmth of his body smothers you, and the wiry hair above his solid base follows the same quick roll, lapping at you like his tongue. you seek foundation beyond the darkness of your eyelids, turning your mouth to the hand on your shoulder, sucking a kiss on the peak of knuckles. his polished skill between your legs spark deep, fluttering moans. the angle was a work of trial and error over the years, but eddie was ever diligent to learn—eager, you'd say—to delay his release, and build yours.

consuming throbs of hot pleasure pulse within you. each stroke is better than the last. the pillow, the angle, the extra twitch of his cock when you squeeze around him just right. you were—"eddie, i'm—"

"look at me, baby," he asks, and you switch to pursuing his other hand, slotting your small fingers through the gaps where he worsened your bedhead. "open your eyes. wanna look at you," he laughs, mashing his nose along the blooming fever on your cheek, draping his curls over you both. it takes all your strength to answer him in an inarticulate whine, nestling into his palm until he understands the message and caresses his thumb over your temple. "please," he begs. you try. yet, he demands, stern voice pooling molten lust where he delivers relentless smacks of skin, "look at me when i'm your god."

your eyes fly open.

sleepy blue on the cusp of yawning orange presses through the thin curtains. light floods his smugness in swings between his long hair, stupid shadowed grin glinting in the daybreak. his curls tickle in sweeps across your cheeks, and at once, your weak limbs are threaded in the space where your chests press, and you're bringing him down for a rough kiss, teeth to lips, dirty like the sounds drowning out the birdsong.

muffled moans grow loud as he pulls away, just enough to adore you in the cage of his arms, watching you battle the haze while his eyes shine from vanity. his muscles burn from fatigue, and his smile interrupts his panting, cutting each labored breath with a stutter, but he keeps going, chasing the reason your expression pinches.

it comes on so strong, so fast, you clamp down on him hard, and though he expects it, eddie's whine is punched from his lungs, surprising you both. the pretty sound lends you strength, and he nearly collapses from every wet ridge massaging him as he grinds slow and steady in your heat, driven deeper by your assertive legs forcing him to bite his tongue as you rode out your high. he's dying. "baby," he pleas, nose to nose, forehead to forehead, sweat mixing on his damp bangs, soft body squirming under his, "y'look so fuckin' hot. can i?" poor boy asking to finish.

you soothe him in circles scratched on his scalp while he stills from motion, sighs jumping in time with the aftershocks pulsing on his length. the feeling of weightlessness was taking over. showing mercy, you release him, and he rises. careful as he can be in this state. fast, fast, fast, hiking you higher on the pillow and keeping you in place with one hand on your hip and the other cupped under your thigh, dimpling shadows in the sunrise. strong torso between your legs, top of his stomach flexing on every slap, sending ripples over your skin. light penetrates the center of the curtains to paint his beauty. flushed red, head dropped forward, messy hair kissing his shoulders, long lashes marrying, succumbing to whatever his body decides. watching himself slide into you, mouth hanging open at the sight of your pussy gripping him as he rocks back, upper lip lifting at the sheen of cream coating the base of his slick cock, eyebrows scrunching from the honor.

he picks up the urgency in which he's fucking you, each moan cracking higher.

"look at me," you break his concentration, voice not as powerful as his. he obeys, and the connection races an extra heartbeat in your chest, throat gone tight from the sense of accomplishment.

nothing compares to the flattery of his lidded gaze fighting to stay open as his warning comes late, already spilling into you.

wicked heat spreads in waves, burning your cheeks, pumping your reward in arrhythmic pulses. his tip is oversensitive and red when he pulls out, covered in a beautiful shine. he gives you the pillow, and adjusts himself so his length follows your stomach; though he takes a sharp inhale at the sensation; and lays on top of you, stretching his legs between yours. the magnitude of his understated working-man muscles go lax. amalgamating scents of sex encompass the tangle. birdsong rings through the blood rush. you hum, he hums.

"love starting our days like this."

"mhmm."

you revisit discovering him without sight. his weight limits your movement as he catches his breath from his efforts, but you encircle his middle. trace the tacky skin along his spine, roll your head to feel his curly hair sticking to the dew on your neck, rub your foot along his hairy calf. you lean up to press your lips to the salty crest of his shoulder, and end the motion when thick honey drips to the bedsheets. his spent self softens on your belly. you almost drift into a dream. "you're so corny with the 'god' line," you complain in a whisper, only a tad annoyed, and he sweetens you with his full lips smacking a noisy kiss to your cheek.

"yeah, but it worked," he replies, voice retaining its rasp from sleep, yet sporting a teasing rise, "and you still love me."

"and i still love you," you yield, rolling your closed eyes.

"do you?"

"i do."

"good," he huffs, "didn't wanna lose my grocery shopping partner."

you roll your closed eyes harder.

[mufos-photo-album]

Hmm, with the new kind of dark plant the Season of Radiance is introducing, this brings up a question: will they add dark plants to the Valley of Triumph?

The Valley of Triumph is currently the only realm in Sky that has almost no dark plants. The only area that has them, as far as I can remember, is the little side area in the Valley Elders' temple, and even then it's hidden away from new players. From a symbolic standpoint, this made sense as the Valley is supposed to represent the "peak" of one's life, a time with little to no darkness. I wonder then, if TGC will forego this symbolism in favor of Radiance's dye mechanic.

If they do, I can't lie I'd be a liiiittle hurt. Like, the fact that the Valley has so few dark plants raises many interesting questions about what the place represented and why dark plants rarely take root there. It's special in that sense.

I will say that there could be some evidence that the Valley will be skipped over as a place to find dye. So far, the dye colors have been introduced with sets of 2. 2 dyes for the Daylight Prairie, and 2 dyes for the Hidden Forest. There are 8 pots in front of the Radiance guide's cauldron, and if the pattern continues there is the possibility that the Valley will be skipped over in favor of the Golden Wasteland or the Vault of Knowledge. (see pic below)

Blue light *does* come from the Valley of Triumph, but as we've seen with the previous dyes, the color of the dye does not necessarily correspond with what realm a certain color of light comes from (ex. Red light comes from the Golden Wasteland, yet red dye comes from the Daylight Prairie)

(Now that I'm typing this out I'm also remembering I saw a chart floating around where someone actually *did* figure out which realms all of the dyes will come from, but I don't feel like seeking it out right now)

[kat-idk]

Skykid Culture - Skykid lingo!

Disclaimer: this is for the sky au I’m building for my characters. Most of these are terms that have been floating around ingame that I put in with some original ones. If you want an actual reference for game terminology, check out this page on the Sky Wiki.

Also edit: removed “dev”, im nuking the Secret Area out of existence in my AU. My Sky Kingdom now, TGC.

See? I told you I had worldbuilding stuff coming. This has actually been sitting in my back pocket for a while, so I decided to break the silence.

yeet

Ancestor - interchangeable with Spirit, or ancestor spirit, describes the Kingdom’s original inhabitants

(the) Ark - short for Forgotten Ark, casual

(the) Aviary - short for Aviary Village, casual

Bird Statue - term for one variant of a Home shrine.

Butterfly - a young skykid, no longer a moth but not in the “teenager” phase, named as such because the next progression in appearance from the moth look is usually one of the capes from the realm spirits

Call/Honk/Chirp - the sound skykids can make that isn’t normal spoken language.

Caterpillar - word for newly landed skykids without a cape.

Candle Hunting/Candle Running/Wax Hunting - the practice of going through a realm to collect all the light in order to craft candles.

Wedges/Wings/Flaps/Cape Stars - the amount of stars that a Skykid has on their cape.

Chibi - slang for a skykid who is very short and/or wearing the Hide n’ Seek Pioneer’s mask. Origin of this term is unknown.

Closet - the places where a skykid can change their outfit and hairstyle, magical or otherwise.

Constellation - the star pattern for each Realm, can be accessed from a Constellation Table.

Friend Constellation: a skykid-only star pattern. Not an actual star pattern in the sky, just a made up one. Used by groups of friends or groups like the Theater Troupe to display members.

Constellation Table - one of the big slabs in the ground in Aviary, Home, or Orbit that allows you to view Constellations (both kinds.)

Daily Quest - The daily tasks you can get from the Home Shrine or spirits at the Aviary Cafe.

Dawn - very old slang for Isle of Dawn. Used by really old skykids (Pre-Gratitude to maybe Lightseekers) or people who want to be pretentious.

Day - very old slang for Daylight Prairie. Same usage as Dawn

Deep Call/Big Honk - yelling using the non-language Skykid noise.

Descendant - very old term for skykids. Used by Elders, some Spirits (ex. Prophecy spirits & other religious folk) and very old or pretentious skykids (same crowd as the word Dawn)

Dusk - very old slang for Golden Wasteland. Same usage as Dawn

Eden Cycle - another word for week.

Expression/emotion - the gestures skykids learn from spirits.

Faerie Ring - a ring of mushrooms that sometimes appears in the Village Islands.

Ikejou - term for conventionally attractive feminine presenting skykid. 

Ikemen - ditto to Ikejou, but masculine instead 

Jelly - short for Jellyfish

Kreb - funny way of saying Crab

Krill - Everyday term for Dark Dragon

Library - uncommon informal term for the Vault of Knowledge.

Manna - Another old term for Golden Wasteland. Part of its original name, Golden Shores of Manna. Used by some normal Spirits and pretentious skykids.

Moth/Sparrow - term for new skykids who have a cape

Night - an old term for the Vault of Knowledge. Same usage as Dawn

Point of No Return/the Eye/Stormlock - word for the part of Eden where you’re supposed to die

Rain - an old term for the Hidden Forest. Same usage as Dawn 

Realm Spirit - word equivalent to saying “base game spirit” in-game.

Recorded Memory - word for Shared Memories.

Season - a period of time that lasts 12 Eden cycles, or 3 months. Also refers to the event where a new group of Spirits appears and all attention is focused on helping them after being freed, which takes roughly 3 months 

Season Pendant - a special neck accessory awarded for helping the new spirits of a specific Season a lot.

Shores of Manna - same usage as Manna or Dusk, “Golden” part of name omitted because of the Realm’s ruined state

Shrine - can refer to a spot where offerings are made or something like a Home Shrine where you tap into the surrounding light to do something through meditation.

Small Mask - the Hide n’ Seek Pioneer’s mask, which shrinks skykids when worn. 

Social Space - the gathering spot at the beginning of a Realm.

(the) Storm - most skykids just say Eden or the Eye of Eden, but spirits and the same types who use Dawn for Isle use this word.

Sunset - Name for Valley of Triumph, same usage as Dawn

Tower - a very rarely used name for the Vault of Knowledge

Veteran - an uncommon term for an older skykid with 11-12 wedges. 

Wax/Light (in context of candles) - the material used to forge candles.

Wing Blessing - word for the winged light Spirits offer to Skykids when they give them Ascended Candles. Aka wing buff in game terminology.

Owl hair - the Rhythm Guide’s hair. Came about after a spirit compared their hair to an owl. …whatever that is.

Penguin hair - the Performance Guide’s hair. Since the Rhythm Guide’s hair got a nickname, people thought, “why not their twin too?”

[tinyurbanwilderness]

Still seeking prairies. There weren’t many butterflies or bees.

[coochiequeens]

Indigenous women represent about one-fifth of all women killed in gender-related homicides in Canada -- despite comprising just five percent of the female population."

Possible human remains discovered at a Canadian landfill site may be the bodies of two murdered Indigenous women police suspect were disposed by a serial killer, the Manitoba provincial government said Wednesday.

At the Prairie Green landfill, north of Winnipeg, experts "identified potential human remains in the search material," the government said in a statement.

Federal police and the province's chief medical examiner are now investigating and seeking to identify the remains as those of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran.

The two women were raped, killed, dismembered and thrown out with the trash, according to court testimony from a trial heard last year.

On a tree out front of Camp Marcedes, located next to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, a photo and red dress signify the loss of Marcedes Myran with a call to action in searching the landfills for her remains from Downtown Winnipeg, Canada on September 27 2023.Shay Conroy for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Jeremy Skibicki was found guilty in July 2024 of killing four Indigenous women.

The body of another victim, Rebecca Contois, was found in a separate landfill and in a garbage bin, while the remains of a fourth unidentified victim in her 20s is still missing.

Skibicki targeted Indigenous women he met in homeless shelters.

In December 2022, Winnipeg Police Chief Danny Smyth wrote an open letter to Indigenous leaders, vowing to secure a conviction. following correspondence to the AFN, AMC, SCO, MKO  and the Long Plain First Nation.

"The investigation involving the murders of Rebecca Contois, Marcedes Myran, Morgan Harris, and Buffalo Woman has been one of the most complex and important homicide investigations during my tenure," Smith wrote. "I have heard the calls from the families, the Indigenous leadership, and the community. I understand your calls; the pain and sorrow is unimaginable."

Elle Harris, member of the Long Plains First Nation and daughter of Morgan Harris, poses in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, on April 27, 2024. SEBASTIEN ST-JEAN/AFP via Getty Images

The case was seen by many in Canada as a symbol of the dangers faced by Indigenous women in a country where they disproportionately fall victim to violence, termed a "genocide" by a national public inquiry in 2019.

Indigenous women represent about one-fifth of all women killed in gender-related homicides in the country -- despite comprising just five percent of the female population.

A similar situation exists in the U.S., where Native American women are disproportionately targeted in murders, sexual assaults and other acts of violence, both on reservations and in nearby towns. 

There were more than 5,700 reports of missing Native women and girls in 2016, according to the anti-sexual assault organization RAINN, which cites statistics from the National Crime Information Center. The BIA estimated more recently that roughly 4,200 cases of missing and murdered Indigenous people remain unsolved.

Earlier this month, the remains of a woman found dead on a reservation in southwestern South Dakota were identified as a Sioux woman who went missing more than a year ago.

[maxknightley]

If someone, hypothetically, were to paint some miniatures based on the "Holy Dominion of Northwestern Iowa", what colors and kinds of symbology would they potentially use 👀

okay so can I just say that as a lorebrained vexillology dweeb you have given me such a beautiful gift. Ideas that immediately come to mind:

Overarching colors

Red, to represent military valor and The Passion, but never alongside white or blue. The Heptarchate is part of the "post-American" movement within the former United States, rather than one of the polities seeking legitimacy via translatio imperii.

Gold, representing prosperity and ambition; the state's (relatively) bountiful supply of wheat and maize; and the glory of God.

Pale pink or lavender, representing love, temperance, and the Prairie Rose, unofficial flower of the now-defunct United State of Iowa.

Orange, drawn from the founders' (questionable, New-Agey) understanding of Buddhist monasticism. Symbolically, it represents joy; brown, which is essentially a darker shade of orange, may be used to represent trees or fertile soil.

Specific symbols

BROKEN WHEELS. An end to cycles both mundane and metaphysical; a testament to the Palatinate's effectiveness in repelling and pacifying road-warriors.

SUNRISE AND SUNSET. Naturally unifies all the aforementioned colors. Seen as the "successor" to Noah's rainbow - a symbol of God's pledge that the strife of the 22nd century was over, and that humanity would endure.

CROWNS, in particular A CROWNED DOVE, representing the unchallenged authority of God and his earthly representatives, i.e., the Heptarchs themselves. (The Dove is one of the few exceptions to the "don't put white next to red" rule.)

Additionally, families, monasteries, and social organizations - regardless of wealth or social standing - will often have their own crests or coats of arms that contain more unique, personal symbolism.

Such crests will almost invariably include a "Fursona" (untranslatable), an animal meant to represent that group's values and virtues; often, a family's name is derived from its crest rather than vice versa. For example, Lavender's family - the Spadeharts - were so rechristened in the 2130s, being gardeners and farmers who sought to embody the cervine virtues of Meekness, Temperance, Kindness, and Discretion.

[milliesfishes]

Omg i jist had this thought

Reader secretly pining for billy and hes oblivious to her little crush and innocently rejects her advances to spend time with her because he jjst doesnt think too much about it and unknowingly hurts her feelings until someone has to spell it out for him and he comes to the realization and realizes he returns her feelings

౨ৎ꣑ৎyou love billy (he has no idea)౨ৎ꣑ৎ fem reader x billy the kid

Billy wouldn't describe himself as a ladies' man.

He wasn't one to flirt, keeping his interactions with women the same as he did with men. Polite, kind and quick. But everything has an exception, and his happened to be you.

The inn where you'd both been staying at first had you in rooms in the same hallway, and that was how you'd met. Bumping into each other one morning when the two of you were too tired to pay attention where you were walking, the long-term result had been a friendship he wouldn't trade for anything.

Brighter than sunshine, pretty as any flower in the forest, he embraced your bright presence when it entered his life. He'd have been a fool not to. You were one of a kind, the sweetest girl in town. Billy couldn't imagine his life without you.

You were his favorite riding companion, and he sook you out for it as often as he could, racing you through the grassy prairie fields and venturing into the nearby forests and mountains. You were funny, making little observations that had him laughing all too often, and he didn't laugh for just anyone.

He'd walk through town with you, arms linked together as you chatted with him about whatever was on your mind. Though initially shy, as you became more comfortable, you'd talk about almost anything with him. And he loved to listen.

Always so lovely and mild-mannered, he cherished your presence, the fact that you chose to befriend him. A no good, wanted man as far as he was concerned. In the company of the gentlest girl he'd ever met.

Billy was a rough-and-tumble outlaw. You were the kindest girl this side of river. He wasn't about to be the one to corrupt you. In fact, he'd go to lengths to make sure you were never corrupted at all.

You were absolutely darling, so sweet to him even though he'd argue he didn't deserve it at all. Eventually he moved out of the inn and acquired a little cabin in the nearby woods about ten minutes from town, and you frequented it at his request.

One night it was raining hard, and you were sitting by the stove with him to keep warm, just talking in your sweet way. He had opened his mouth to say something when a clap of thunder made you jump, automatically moving into his chest.

His arms came immediately around you, and he couldn't help but smile at the fact that you felt that safe around him. Rubbing your back, he leaned his head down to breathe in your scent.

At that moment, when you were burrowed into his arms, hiding from the storm, he had an overwhelming feeling of protection. That was all he wanted to do forever- to keep you safe from anything that had the potential of marring your precious innocence.

He had you over to his place as often as he could get away with, always nervous about you staying at the inn with no protection, especially since it was mainly occupied by men.

Sometimes when the two of you had lost track of time and the sun was long sunk behind the hill, he'd tell you to just stay over. Lucky for him you often agreed, and you'd spend the night cuddled in his arms like a cat curling up for warmth. His heart always twinged at the adorable sight of you.

He was in awe of just how good you were to everyone to matter what. But even though you were nice to all you met, he liked to think you had a soft spot just for him. Were you staying over at your other friends' houses and sleeping in their arms? No, you weren't.

He didn't realize how close the two of you really were until you came to his cabin late one night, exhaustedly collapsing next to him and seeking comfort. Of course he'd obliged, pulling the blanket up over you on his bed and holding out his arms to you. "Rough night, pretty?"

"Mhm," you smiled at the nickname he'd given you as he'd hoped you would, as you always did. "Tessa had her baby. Took all day."

"You were with her the whole time?" Billy mused, nosing against your hair.

"Yeah," you mumbled into his chest, and he smiled. Your eternal kindness never failed to amaze him.

"You're a good friend, pretty, ya know that?" he mused, rubbing your back. "Always lookin' out for others."

"She has hardly anyone else. Poor thing, her baby's daddy up and left her when he found out," you said softly, and he nodded sympathetically. "Just about everyone in town's shunned her cause of it."

He kissed your temple and marveled at your selfless actions. But your words got him thinking.

Billy didn't often make a habit of worrying what others thought. He was far past that, with his status as an outlaw and his former life on the run. A few days after that night he noticed people whispering as the two of you walked arm in arm through the square, and he started to care again.

He saw the two of you from an outsider's eyes. You could be on a poster for an angel baby doll, so darling and dear. He was on a different kind of poster, with a cash prize underneath.

People talked. He knew that better than anyone. And while he didn't care what they said about him, it bothered him that they might be saying bad things about you. In this world, a woman's reputation was all she had, and he didn't want you to end up like Tessa: abandoned and hopeless, besmirched by an outlaw.

So, the next day when you came up to him in town, asking if he wanted to go for a ride and fidgeting with your fingers, he said he had other work to do. That someone was gonna have his head if he didn't get it done by this-time-or-other.

Your face had fallen, and it made him feel bad. But of course, you didn't argue, just gave him a slightly let down smile and walked away. He felt an odd feeling of disappointment, like he'd wanted you to protest, call him out on his excuse. You wouldn't have, though. You were too sweet to even dream of it.

Over the next few weeks, he continued to brush you off, although it hurt his heart. He didn't want to keep his distance from you- he wanted the complete opposite. But if it kept you safe and protected, he'd keep his distance forever.

It was lonely; being separated from you and spending his weeks without your sunshiny presence was lonely. His bed was cold without you there to cuddle up beside him. His rides through the desert felt melancholy. Billy couldn't recall ever missing a friend in this way before, but then again you were special. He felt twinges in his heart that he set aside to figure out later.

It got to the point where you stopped approaching him at all. It saddened him though it was completely his fault. He'd see you across town with some of your other friends, and long to go up to you and just apologize over and over. But he didn't.

He heard that Tessa had been ill, and you'd gone to care for her and the baby. The news made him smile at how goodhearted you continually proved yourself to be.

It also made his heart jump, hearing about you. He was unsure why.

A couple of times, his boys asked where you were, since they'd been so used to you hanging around, even fond of it. Billy would always shrug and brush it off, saying you were busy. He caught a few of them exchanging odd looks, which confused him.

All in all, he managed to keep his distance. And it was for the best, he tried to convince himself. It was for the best.

This mindset was kept up until one day when it was raining.

He'd been coming back home from a ride, water drizzling over the brim of his hat. It hadn't been the worst day for work, but he was still tired and he looked forward to sleep.

Off in the distance, he noticed something lying in the grass. Thinking it was an animal, he rode a little closer to investigate. But as he got a better vantage, he realized it wasn't an animal at all.

It wasn't just any person either.

You were collapsed in the grass, breathing faint, eyes closed. Your skin was pale, and he could see sweat beading on your forehead. The rain only made the sight more miserable; you were shivering because of it.

Without thinking he jumped off his horse and fell at your side, panicked thoughts filling his head. "Oh pretty..." Worry flooded his senses as he assessed your condition. Shaking your shoulders lightly, he breathed, "Pretty...pretty...wake up...please wake up..." You hardly stirred.

You must have caught what Tessa had, he realized frantically, remembering what he'd heard about you.

Billy could still hear you breathing, which was a good sign, but your skin was hot, your movements feverish. He scooped you up, gently lifting you onto his horse. You gave a little moan, and he gritted his teeth, knowing you must be in pain. "I know," he said hurriedly, grabbing the reigns while keeping his arm around you. Your weak body was slumped against his chest, and he could feel how hot you were through your clothes. "It's gonna be okay. We're just a little bit from home."

He rode as quickly as he felt he could with you propped against him. You were hardly conscious, and the sight of you sunk and settled into his stomach like a stone to the bottom of a river. Anxiety coursed through his blood; he hated sickness and all the tragedy it'd held for him in the past.

Once he reached the cabin, he tied his horse and lifted you into his arms as gently as he could. You whimpered, waking up a little. He hated that you were in pain but he was glad you were hanging on.

"'S okay. 'S okay," he mumbled as he carried you inside, eyes on you as yours sleepily opened. "Hey pretty, I've gotcha."

"Billy?" you mumbled weakly as he laid you down on his bed.

"I've gotcha pretty," he repeated, getting up and rifling through his drawers for something for you to wear. Your wet dress wasn't doing your condition any favors. He decided on one of his shirts for now, resolving to cover the rest of you in blankets.

Going back over to you, he kicked off his boots and sat on the bed next to you, pulling you into him to sit against his chest. You gave a weak little noise of protest, but he rubbed his hand up and down your arm soothingly, unbuttoning the back of your dress and easing it off you. "Shh, I know, I know," he said softly. "'m just gettin' ya more comfy. 'm not gonna do anything bad for ya."

He got you into his shirt and settled you back down into bed, pulling the covers up around you. You were still shivering despite your fever. Billy went to get more blankets, and he wrapped them around you, cocooning you in warmth in an attempt to quell your cold.

Billy went to get a rag and some water, and once he returned, he mopped your sweaty brow diligently, trying to get you to sleep. "Shh, pretty...try 'n rest."

You whimpered, opening your eyes and looking at him so desperately it broke his heart. "Billy..."

"Don't speak," he muttered, his thumb smoothing your cheek. "You're real sick pretty. Ya need some sleep."

"Was I awful to you Billy?" you mumbled, stirring.

"You ain't never been awful to me," he said quietly, mostly focused on getting you to close your eyes. "Pretty-"

"I must've," you insisted weakly, reaching a limp hand out for his. "If you didn' wanna be 'round me."

Billy's brow furrowed as he realized what you were talking about and a tidal wave of guilt crashed over him. He shook his head, squeezing your hand. "No...no pretty. It ain't nothin' you did. It was somethin' I got in my head."

You were too exhausted and sick to respond, and he wouldn't have let you if you tried. He smoothed a hand over your forehead, and you relaxed at the feeling. "Shh, sweetheart. You just rest. I'm 'boutta take care of ya."

He nursed you all through the night, trying to break the fever. When your lips were dry, he squeezed water over them. When you shivered even under all the blankets, he got under them with you and let his body heat warm you up. When you thrashed feverishly from your sick hallucinations, he held you tight in his arms, whispering things to you until you calmed down.

The next day, you weren't better by much. You mumbled things about secrets and guilt, and all he could do was listen and try to calm you down. It hurt him dearly to see you like this. He worried for your life at different intervals in the day, when you were passed out from exhaustion.

After a worrisome night, he woke up next to you and felt your forehead, relieved beyond belief when he felt that the fever had broken.

You opened your eyes, looking up at him tiredly. He gave you a little smile, stroking your hair. "Hi sweetheart. How ya feelin'?"

"Tired," you murmured, blinking sleepily. "Achey."

"Oh," he leaned down and kissed your forehead, his lips lingering there. "My poor girl."

A little smile came to your face, and you rested your head back on the pillow next to his. "You've been so good, taking care of me."

"Course I have," Billy tucked some of your hair behind your ear. "I found ya lyin' in a field pretty. I wouldn't ever just leave ya there." He traced his fingers up your cheek. "What were ya doin' there anyways?"

You looked away, biting your lip. "I was...I was just out walking."

He nodded, half smiling. Then he sat up, resting his hand on your head comfortingly. "I'm gonna go into town for just a bit. 'm gonna try 'n find some medicine, okay? You just rest while I'm gone."

Looking up at him with something in your eyes he couldn't quite place, you nodded. Billy rubbed your cheek once before standing up and tugging his boots on, kissing your forehead before he left.

At the general store he found what he needed quickly, heading over to be rung up. It happened to be one of your other friends at the counter today, and he greeted Billy kindly, noting what he was buying. "Feelin' under the weather?"

"Nah," Billy explained the situation. "She's doin' better now but I want her to stay better so-" he gestured at the little bottle.

"Ah," your friend smiled. "Mighty kind of ya to care for her. Course I shouldn't expect anything less from her man."

Billy tilted his head. "Oh...we ain't like that. I'm just helpin' her out."

Your friend frowned in confusion. "Oh? That ain't what everyone's sayin' 'round here."

"What d'ya mean by?" Billy asked, unable to help his curiosity.

"Y'all are so close, everyone thought you were together," your friend chuckled. "Sides, she's head over heels for ya. Anyone could see it." He handed Billy the medicine bottle. "Guess we got it wrong though."

His words hit Billy like a punch to the gut, his head nearly spinning. The thought of you...loving him in that way was shocking...new...he'd never thought you'd ever care for him in that way.

So when he'd thought everyone was whispering awful things about you, it'd really been rumors about the status of their relationship. He felt...relieved at the fact, but still confused at what else your friend had said.

Head over heels? Billy left the store in a daze. He somehow was able to get on his horse and start the journey home. But the thought kept swinging back around like the pendulum on a clock.

If what your friend said was true and you loved him...he'd made a huge mistake over the past few weeks. Brushing you off, refusing to see you...how could he have made such a mistake?

On the way home it was all he could think about. How he'd been trying to protect you, but he'd inadvertently ended up hurting you. But he'd truly had no idea.

The thought of you loving him sent his head into overdrive. He toyed with it, let it bounce around for a second...his heart fluttering at the thought.

Did he love you? He knew he did, but he'd never thought in a romantic way. But now as he thought of your head on his chest as you slept, and your laugh, and your smile, the way he'd felt when he thought you could die from your sickness, and the protection he wanted to give you, the everything he wanted to give you...he realized he did.

He loved you. And he'd been fool enough not to see it.

By the time he came to this conclusion, he was back at the cabin, jumping off his horse and rushing inside to you, the medicine bottle clutched tightly in his fist. He eagerly went to your bedside, kneeling beside you and setting the medicine on the side table.

You opened your eyes when you saw him, and he couldn't help his smile when he saw the sweet sparkle back in them. "Hi pretty," he said softly, reaching for your hand and stroking it. "Feelin' any better?"

Nodding, you sat up a little, a tiny smile on your face. "Better."

"Good," Billy kissed your knuckles. Now that he'd realized how he felt everything about you seemed so much brighter. Your soft hair, your soft skin, your bright eyes.

You looked nervous for a moment, looking down at your joined hands. "Billy...I need to tell you something. I...I lied about why I was in the field. I was coming to see you that day." By the look on your face, you'd been thinking about this all day.

He looked into your eyes, showing he was listening. "You were? When you were sick?" There was a little jump in his chest at that.

"I didn't know I was that sick." You nodded, finally meeting his eyes. "I missed you so bad, Billy. And I was tired of keeping it all inside. I was ready to say I was sorry for whatever I did, whatever I said that made you upset."

Billy lifted his hand to your cheek, stroking it softly. "You didn't do a damn thing. I was tryin' to protect ya...went about the wrong way of doin' it for sure, but I only had good intentions."

You seemed to understand, and you looked down. "I felt awful..."

"I'm sorry," he murmured, coming up to sit next to you on the bed and holding you close. "I am. I shoulda told ya 'bout how I was feelin'. I was worried people were sayin' bad things 'bout ya bein' seen with me." He took in a breath, preparing himself for what he was about to say. "I was tryin' to protect ya cause I...cause I love ya."

There was a little moment of silence. You looked up at him with the sweetest baby doll eyes he'd ever seen, and then he saw that tiny smile again. Sitting up slightly, you brought your hand to his chest, your expression soft. "You love me?"

He nodded with a quiet smile. "I love you."

"You love me." Your face burst into the sweetest smile he'd ever seen, and then your arms came around his neck, leaning against him. He folded his big arms around you, holding you nice and close to him, right where he liked you. "And I love you."

"You do," Billy murmured into your hair, pulling back so he could see your face. "You love me and I love you."

He'd never seen such joy on your face, and you leaned forward, nudging your nose with his. Billy didn't want to play the waiting game, and he pressed his lips to yours, reveling in the way they locked together perfectly, like they'd been made for it.

"I love ya," he mumbled, kissing your nose. "I love ya to the stars. Ain't no more questions 'bout it."

come talk about billy here!

[allthecanadianpolitics]

An Alberta First Nation in the province's oilsands region is seeking more control over the traces left by ancestors on their traditional lands. "We'd like to manage our historical resources," said Shaun Janvier of the Chipewyan Prairie First Nation, which considers a vast tract of land in northern Alberta its territory. "The archeology is directly linked to the native people in the area. It belongs to us." Chipewyan Prairie is one of the first bands in Alberta to begin developing a cultural resources policy in an attempt to have more say in how artifacts and the places they come from are found, studied, preserved and displayed.

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Tagging: @newsfromstolenland, @abpoli

[mushbeast]

rewards for november have finally dropped!

i wanted to focus on a cozy universally loved bird - the quail, specifically the california quail for both the sticker & print reward. the sticker sheet also includes the infamous grey partridge that many think are prairie chickens (i don't know how many times i've had to tell people prairie chickens don't live in saskatchewan). i love seeking them scurry around in the parks <3 it also includes the common quail which you can find in europe, asia, and africa. all of these are in the same order called the galliformes. i recommend geeking out via ebird to see just how many birds are in this family!