#she knows so much about seed dispersal

[yaralulu]

I’ve seen a few people confused on if Feyre really manipulated Tamlin and Lucien into distrusting each other by alluding to some kind of affair between her and Lucien so let’s talk about it.

It’s important to note that Tamlin and Lucien’s relationship was already rocky at this point so it wasn’t that hard for Feyre to cause tension and distrust between them.But still she caused some irreparable damage to their friendship that wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for her manipulations.

Feyre was intentionally being more handsy and close to Lucien because she wanted to stir up distrust and suspicion not just between Tamlin and Lucien,but amongst the Spring Court.By alluding to an affair between the High Lord’s emissary and his consort,the very foundations of the court started to crack.Also Tamlin without Lucien by his side is just a recipe for disaster and Feyre knew that.

Feyre wanted other people to notice her and Lucien being close.She knew their newfound coziness would be reported back to Tamlin,planting seeds of doubt in his mind.

It was my first time on a horse in months, and I was stiff enough that I could barely move as the party dismounted. I gave Lucien a subtle, pleading look, and he barely hid his smirk as he sauntered over to me.Our dispersing party watched as he braced my waist in his broad hands and easily hefted me off the horse, none more closely than lanthe.

I'd rolled onto Lucien's bedroll at some point, any schemes indeed second to my most pressing demand—warmth. But I had no doubt Jurian would tuck away the information to throw in Tamlin's face when we returned: we'd shared a tent, and had been very cozy upon awakening.

But it was Jurian right on their heels, as if he'd been divulging the details of his surveying who smiled at the sight of us, knee to knee and nearly nose to nose."Careful, Lucien," the warrior sneered. "You see what happens to males who touch the HighLord's belongings."

So even when Tamlin wasn’t around Feyre was continuing this act because she wanted everyone to start thinking something was happening between her and Lucien.And her efforts were not in vain.Her plan worked..a little too well even.

"You don't act that way with Feyre." A silk-wrapped threat. "You're mistaken.” "Am I?" Twigs and leaves crunched, as if she was circling him. "You put your hands all over her." I had done my job too well, provoked her jealousy too much with every instance I'd found ways to get Lucien to touch me in her presence, in Tamlin's presence.

Then we have the infamous nightmare scene.The whole thing was a set up so that Tamlin would catch his bestfriend and Feyre in a compromising position after he’d probably already heard rumors about them.She wanted Tamlin to start questioning Lucien and his intentions.

I had no doubt Tamlin was now running through every look and conversation since then. Every time Lucien had intervened on my behalf, both Under the Mountain and afterward. Weighing how much that new mating bond with Elain held sway over his friend.

By planting doubt and suspicion in Tamlin’s mind,Feyre’s schemes worked and Tamlin and Lucien’s friendship suffered.

Tamlin and Lucien, it seemed, had spoken before the meal, but the latter made a point to keep a healthy distance from me. To not look at or speak to me, as if still needing to convince Tamlin of our innocence.

I hauled myself into the canvas tent when the fire was dying out, the space barely big enough for Lucien and me to sleep shoulder to shoulder. "Maybe I should sleep out there." I rolled my eyes. "Please."A wary, considering glance as he knelt and removed his boots. "You know Tamlin can be ...sensitive about things."

So yeah everything Feyre did was intentional and with purpose.She used Lucien to make Tamlin jealous therefore condemning their friendship.She roped him into her schemes which ended up having detrimental effects not just on his relationship with Tamlin but on his entire reputation in Spring.And sure Tamlin and Lucien’s friendship was already not the greatest but Feyre made things exponentially so much worse.

[anarchiii]

Worlds apart-13 —ACOTAR x TOG AU

Part Thirteen | warnings: angst, blood, violence, | Azriel x Celaena Sardothien

Summary; pain and sorrow one after the other, Azriel decides that maybe he isn’t meant for this world, but maybe for another…

Note: this is an AU it’s not in the books.

Masterlist / Series Masterlist

Azriel’s POV

“What’s wrong with you, boy?” Amren snapped, clearly having enough of his tensed body and impatience, everything, he almost wanted to say, everything was wrong, it had started an hour ago when he woke up to a nightmare where he watched as Celaena choked to death on her own blood right infront of a door, a human man simply watching her die, he stood there and could no nothing. It had felt so real. So real in fact that his love seemed to watch him as she lay there, tears falling from her beautiful eyes.

“She’s in danger,” he finally said, whispering more like it, what if she was dying right now, dead even? “Who?” He could barely think straight, she could be suffering right now and he wasn’t doing anything, “Celaena, I can feel it, I need to help her.” She looked up at him. Her eyes a blazing silver, she nodded once, eyes landing back on the book she was reading, after a few more minutes she said, startling him, “I’ve got it,” he immediately got up. A small spark of hope filling his chest but he ignored it.

“Let’s do it,” he said, before she could say anything, “right now, this very moment,” this was the first time he had seen the Firedrake look concerned but she didn’t disagree, besides, if it didn’t work, Rhysand and the inner circle would never know, they didn’t have much time if what he suspected was true, his family would understand, they had to.

She nodded again, running out of the Day Court library and down a long winding staircase, he didn’t ask where she was going, just followed, by the time they were reaching the bottom, he was out of breath, the exhaustion of running and barely sleeping for weeks could come later, love first.

“Grab Truth-teller and make a semi-deep cut along your forearm, don’t ask questions just do,” Amren snapped, dropping to the cold stone floor and flipping through the book violently, he indeed didn’t ask questions, just did, he made the cut, his blood flowing quickly. The ruby liquid like a river. Amren grabbed his harm harshly before dipping her child-sized fingers into the liquid and drawing marks on the ground, the same marks Celaena had drawn, though there was a difference between then and now, he was not afraid, he would not be afraid.

-

He forgot how terrifying it was, standing infront of the sickly green portal that would lead him—hopefully—to his darling, if he could even call her that, perhaps he would come all this way and show himself fully to her just for her to send him back home, when she didn’t realise that she was his love, was this all for nothing? Was he so pathetic that the first person that had shown him a love that wasn’t platonic made him think and act like this? No, this couldn’t all be for nothing.

He shook his head, trying to disperse those thoughts, Amren was eyeing him but said nothing, she had been incredibly patient, it was almost like she knew something he didn’t, there was no other reason for her to act in such a manner, she started tapping her foot on the floor impatiently, but still stayed silent, everything was so odd— right. He had to go now. If it was anything like last time then the portal would not be here much longer.

Breathing in deeply and exhaling, he went through it, picturing nothing but her lovely face, that pure smile that made her look goddess-like, the strawberry blush that covered her cheeks when he said something about her, the way she put her hands on her hips to prove a point not realising that she was like a beautiful siren to his sailor, the beautiful maiden seducing the unprepared guard, she was his temptress without even trying. Lovely.

-

He landed face-first on a marble checkered floor, the first thing he noticed was the haughty laughter and clinking of glasses all around him, he got up, groaning as the pain retested in his nose, he ignored it, everyone around him was in dresses and suits, except him. People around him were eyeing him and some blushing as they took in his body but relatively ignored him, Azriel bestowed the same upon them.

He also noticed a mousy-brown haired man watching him from a wall, in the same moment, another plain looking man appeared and instead walked up to him and offered a glass of champagne, he refused a couple of times but the man didn’t stop insisting so he grabbed the glass but didn’t drink it, he keep surveying his surroundings but there was no sign of Celaena anywhere, but if his dream was right, then she was near a wooden door. And she looked like she was in a hallway. The servants quarters, kitchens, or even power-rooms were his guesses.

He didn’t think to hard on it as he started running down halls and rooms, his surroundings seemed to become more familiar from the dream so he kept going, he was nearly there to where I knew Celaena was when something hard hit his head, he slammed into a wall but got up instantly and drew Truth-teller—the blade mercifully staying with him this time—he turned and faced the wait from before. He drew a simple long dagger and threw it—aiming for his head. Thankfully, he missed, moving to the side before welding his blade and slicing along his neck, the man bled out instantly and fell to the floor, not even a worthy opponent.

He didn’t linger long, wiping the blood off of his blade quickly and breaking out into a run as he raced to find his love, small puddles of blood lay on the floor, the further he went the larger they became, what the Hell? Bodies started appearing, the inflicted wounds janky and uneven, their eyes still open. Gazing to the covered sky. No matter what they had done—he still sent a silent prayer for them to whatever Gods inhabited this world, the Mother was not here to save him, she never had. Anyway.

He slowed down as to not slip and stopped, listening for anything, anything that could help, he heard gurgling, choking even, he turned another corner and beheld the sight in front of him, there she was, her sweat-covered forehead leaning against the doorframe of that oak door. Blood spilling out from her wicked mouth. Her lovely skin covered in old—and new—blood, blood, there was so much of it.

He slammed to his knees and came before his lovely Fire, her eyes flicked to his but held no emotion, the golden ring in them gone dull, she was dying, the woman he had dreamed about every second he had been away from, dying—suffering, he didn’t know what to do. Azriel had planned everything he was going to do and say to her when he was here but now. . . Now he was here. He was completely lost.

Her expression grew pained as time went on and he got enough sense to act, he took off his shirt and ripped it up into strips, wiping away all the blood to see what he was working with, she bore many wounds but he knew those were not the main cause, it was invisible, poison. He looked to the oak door and, before he could think straight, put his whole body weight into it and started shoving into it, it didn’t take long for the door to snap off its hinges and bang open, he rushed to the sink and started collecting water. Washing Celaena’s wounds and making her drink the liquid. He didn’t know what to do, he wasn’t very familiar with poison, only using it a handful of times, and the Cauldron knew what poisons people used in this world, Azriel had no antidote. He was useless.

He started crying then, utterly useless, perhaps this was his punishment for all the horrible things he’d done in his lifetime, forced to watch his heart stop in front of him, he didn’t stop the tears, didn’t stop them as they fell onto her pretty face, she was crying as well, neither could tell which tears were their own. He rested his brow on hers, closing his eyes and wishing to anyone that would listen to save her.

He heard the panting of breath first, he turned his head slightly to see Dorian rushing their way, covered head to toe in blood, a dagger hanging from his grip, his face laced with anguish as he took in his friend—friends, Celaena made a small whimpering sound as she spotted him, the Prince got on his knees as grabbed her hand, rubbing his thumb across the scarred-skin, “I’m sorry,” he breathed, “I’m so damn sorry. Cel. I left you for five minutes and they attacked me, I fought them off the best I could—I see you did aswell,” a soft laugh accompanied by a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, “it was my Father that sent the men, he tried to take us both out, I should’ve known this would happen, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. . .” The Crown-prince was shaking with barely contained tears.

This was all his fault, it was his fault Celaena Sardothien and Dorian Havillard were suffering, being punished for being good, being fare, these humans were infinitely better than him and yet they were suffering, it was cruel, it was torture. It was injustice.

He distantly heard panicked yelling—for the Champion and her friend, not him,—the stomping of feet and clashing of swords against swords, yet no one moved, there was no point, not when time was running out, her heart would only beat so long. A person could only be so strong for so long.

He heard a shocked gasp as those loud footsteps stopped, he didn’t turn around this time, though, he did react when a strong hand grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back, he just kept staring at those lovely eyes, the dulled blue that had once been brighter than the sky, she was the light he had been searching for-for centuries. And now that light was going out. The fire in her was getting smothered.

“Azriel!” He heard someone yell in his ear, he came to, realising it was Chaol, he turned his head, looking into the man’s eyes, he didn’t move, just met eyes with her again, watching as her breathing turned slower, how she closed her eyes and didn’t open them for longer periods of time, he heard the Captain swear—a colourful combination—he pushed him aside and ran to his friend, holding her face in his hands. Azriel just watched. He watched as Chaol yelled for the antidote, watched as Dorian was dragged away by struggling guards, their expressions apologetic.

He watched, just as he had done his whole life, the only thing he had ever been good at—apart from killing and torturing, but that was and never would be something he was proud of,—he watched as one of Chaol’s men shoved a strange liquid down Celaena’s throat. Blood kept flowing from out her mouth but she swallowed. Nothing happened, it was too late, it would never work, he saw the truth in her eyes, she knew this was the end.

He crawled over the blood to her, putting his scarred hands that were so beautiful to her on her face, the marks looked so strange on her un-marred skin, beauty and the beast, he kissed her lightly, his lips staining with the scarlet liquid, he looked deep into her eyes. Hazel orbs meeting those of cerulean. Water and earth. The perfect clash.

In that moment, he used all the power he had to beg to the Gods, to anything, that he would do anything to let her live, even if that meant the end of him, he used everything he had to ask for mercy, he felt a strange thing flow through him, like a curious cat rubbing against his legs. Though its voice was older than the obsidian blade that lay discarded mere-meters away, “and what would you give me in return?” It purred. “Anything” he whispered, anything.

“Your soul, even?” Curious, to see what he would do for love, “my soul, yes,” it made a humming noise, like it was contemplating its options, if it could even do that, “your love will live, but you will not be standing by her side while she does, that is your price, if you visit this world again I will see to it that your Fae girl will perish.” It said. It’s voice cold and cruel, and—Fae girl? Celaena was fae, well, that wasn’t much of a shock but. . . Why didn’t she tell him? It made so much sense now, that un-earthly grace she held, the beauty she possessed that no human should have. Fae. He would’ve laughed in any other circumstances. But not this one.

“Okay, yes, i agree, but give me at least ten minutes with her,” he said at last, Chaol and Dorian were giving eachother wary glances as they watched Azriel talk to himself, he didn’t care, though, not when he felt the thing nod its head and watched in wonder as Celaena’s face brightened ever so slightly, her breathe evening out, it had worked, it had damn worked!

He kissed her again and again, he knew his time was running out now but he had enough time to kiss her, everyone else excused themselves, their faces full of shock and amazement at Celaena Sardothien’s recovery, but he didn’t care. He looked at the assassin again. Fearful for their time to end.

He tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, brushing his fingers down her cheek, his beautiful, wicked thing, the woman with a heart of fire, his Fireheart, he had to leave her and yet he had never loved her more, the lady who walked with death by her side, the girl that smiled at the sun that rose and frowned at the sun that set, the female that kissed the scars on his hands and called them beautiful, she would make a great queen. And an even better lover.

He kissed her once more, the last time before grabbing a folded up piece of paper from his pocket and placing it in her hands gently, she didn’t move to pick it up or read it but that was fine, she didn’t have to, he didn’t cry this time, no, he smiled. Smiled as he looked deep into her eyes and said, no pain in his voice, “I have loved you from the very first moment I saw you, you were—and are, incredible. Never in my five hundred years of existence have I met someone like you. And I damn well hope the person that steals your heart realises that, you and I both knew this wouldn’t last, no matter how hard we wished it otherwise, there is a female in my world who is just as amazing, and I think you would love her, she’s not you—and never will be. But I think it would be easy for me to love her. As easy as it was to love you.” She nodded her head slowly, still dazed but seemed to understand what he was getting at.

“What is her name?” She got out, her eyes held no agony or jealousy, just pure, unfiltered love, he smiled, showing all his teeth, “her name is Gwyneth Berdara,” she smiled at that, copying his, she hit his shoulder in a playful way before saying, “very well, send me a solstice card,” he laughed, it wasn’t loud but it was full. Gods he adored this woman.

“You can count on it,” he said, she laughed softly at that, he kissed her head in goodbye before getting up, Azriel Shadowsinger was still smiling as he grabbed Truth-teller and made a return portal, and he was still smiling when he arrived back in the Day Court library, he was moving instantly, hugging Amren quickly before flying back home to Velaris.

-

He landed hard on the main balcony of the House of Wind but shook it off and made his way to the library, Clotho letting him in with a wink and a smirk, he ran through stacks and stacks of books and papers, the Priestesses curious but didn’t stop him, he kept running. And then he saw her—

He pulled to a stop right in front of her, her copper hair shining in the light of the candles, she didn’t reject him when he put his hands on her face, warm skin meeting that of cold, nor did she pull away when he put his lips against hers, no, Gwyn just kissed him back.

Yes, both Azriel and Celaena had a lot of healing to do but that would come with time, he knew the assassin was strong and would survive and not only that but flourish, but him on the other hand? He wanted this incredible Valkyrie by his side as he did, he wanted to wake up to her teal eyes sparkling and know she wasn’t going anywhere, to know she saw all of him and embraced it.

Celaena Sardothien and Gwyneth Berdara were similar in a lot of ways, but also so, so different, and he loved that, Azriel would never stop loving the haughty female that shone like the sun but he also had a lot more love to give, love that was reserved for the sassy red head and her only. His Oristian.

-

Celaena’s POV (bonus)

Everything hurt, and not just physically, not as Azriel said what he had said and handed her a piece of paper and simply left, she knew things would end badly but like this? Celaena had no idea what or who he had been whispering to before—because she’d slipped in and out consciousness many times—but all she did know was that whatever he had done, had worked. And she was so, so grateful, but. . . Now he was gone, she was alone again. Well, not really.

Dorian sat next to her, his eyes vacant as a few Royal healers patched him up, said Healers did the same to her, working quickly and quietly, no more than ghosts, she had stopped crying some time ago but her eyes still burned, her body still shook. She had nearly died. That wasn’t something someone got over instantly, Celaena had a feeling it would be a while of healing. Especially with the news.

It had gotten out that the King had attempted to assassinate his Champion and Son and the public had been outraged, revolting against him and seemingly snapping, it seemed all the citizens had gotten sick of the Rules he’d in-forced, and, rightfully so. Many people had-had enough of their family members being sent to Endovier or its sister camp, Caculla, the Assassin couldn’t help but agree with them.

But what had shocked her the most was that one of the King of Ardalan’s court members had gone rouge and killed the man, stabbing him right through the heart with his Rapier, she had been incredibly amused to hear that, apparently the old bastard was right, there were a lot of traitors working for him. Though, Dorian hadn’t found it amusing, simply nodding and staring at nothing, like he had been doing for two hours now.

She couldn’t find it in her cold heart to feel sorry for him. No, not as she remembered how much the man had made her and her family suffer for so many years, he deserved it, everyone in Erelia could breathe.

Sighing, she finally decided to open the folded paper the Shadowsinger had given her, it was relatively new but still had a few ink stains on it and lots of folded marks, as if he had opened and closed it many times before giving it to her. She breathed in—this was the only thing she could ever remember him by, faintly, she could smell the night-chilled mist and leather of his sent, and if she tried hard enough. She could almost imagine that lovely smile of his that she adored so well, her Azriel—closing her eyes for a second, she exhaled and began reading. . .

‘Celaena Sardothien-

I write you this to tell you all the things I could not voice out loud, if you are reading this then we did indeed not last, it pains me that we did not get to see how far our love went for one another but I think, even with the short amount of time we had together, that it was one of the happiest few weeks of my life, I have lived a long life but experiencing such a short amount with you has made me realise how unfulfilling it was without you in it, you made me feel alive.

I hope this letter finds you well and I hope that you are happier now or are getting there, you deserve all the joyous moments that you will have, I have never meant anything more than that—except for when I told you I loved you, perhaps I love another person when you’re reading this but you will always hold a special place in my heart, I hope the man that steals your fiery heart is worthy of it. And I hope he knows how damn lucky he is. A piece of my heart will forever belong to you, even when we both are nothing more than dust, I am yours and you are mine, just in a different world. Star-crossed lovers, remember?

—Azriel Shadowsinger’

The End. (Actually)

Note: this series is finished, I know it might not seem like much to some but this series kept me going when I was having a rough time and that is why I want to say a special thank you to these people;

-A big thank you to @cynthiesjmxazrielslover for supporting me through this all, I know we are only mutuals but you are a great friend to me and I couldn’t have done this without you, you’re my motivator and my inspiration, I love you girl, stay amazing. 🫶

-A big thank you to @azrielslittleslut for liking and believing In this series from the start, your stories are a huge inspiration and I aspire to one day write as beautifully as you do, Mwah. ❤️

-A big thank you to @shadowsingercassia for loving all of the chapters and making me want to keep going, you appeared halfway through the series but you might as well have been here since I started writing, your love for what I do has helped me more than you could’ve imagined, I know I am not a very big or popular writer but the one little like you give me amounts to hundreds others could give. I love you so, so much. Keep being the person you are. 🫶

-some thank you’s to @aelincaddel, @yashiw, and @snoopyspace for loving this series so much that you asked to be on the taglist, that little thing has meant so much to me. Thank you, lovelies. ❤️

Thank you once again everyone, even if you just liked one of the chapters from this series and no other, or rebloged one or even commented, thank you, that small gesture of appreciation made my day. The epilogue for this series is already written and I hope you all like it. I know some people wanted Celaena and Azriel to end up together but—sadly—that didn’t happen, but I hope the ending was still good. If anyone has any questions about something in the series. Please do ask.

I love you all so much and I hope to make more stories that are just as entertaining. ❤️❤️

-

[whatyadrawin]

The Fruit After the Flesh 18+ - Chapter 8

Minors DNI!

Masterlist

Approximately 2,872 words

Pairing: Thomas Hewitt (Headcanon) x AFAB reader

This chapters Warnings:  Sexual language and events, foul language. This is Slasher smut, be mindful of that and use discretion.

A/n: This chapter escalates very quickly. I want to point something out though, as I feel it is important to note which can be found at the bottom of this chapter due to it being a spoiler. Let me know if you want to be in the tag list. I update chapter progress on the masterlist whenever something changes.

Please enjoy this chapter! I worked very hard on it so reblogs, comments, and likes are appreciated very much.

Tag-List: @fan-goddess

Chapter 8

The sun began to pass the middle of the sky, your clothes were wet after you raced to put them on when Tommy left the pond running.

You walked through the forest, juniper trees are sparingly dispersed with the mesquite, the thick branches are heavy with blue buds which smell like cedar. As you get to the edge of the forest you smile as the dangling foliage of the mesquite tickles your shoulders when passing through.

You get inside the house and Luda Mae lets out a sigh of relief,

“Oh sweetheart, I was worried sick about you. Thought you went and got lost in the dang wilderness!”

You wrinkle your brows upwards, you feel awful having made Luda Mae stressed,

“I’m so sorry! I saw a pond when I was exploring and couldn’t help but go for a swim, it was refreshing” you say apologetically,

Luda Mae smiled as she put her hands on her hips,

“You went as far as the pond? Lord, I haven’t been out there in ages. You best try to avoid going through that forest alone hun, it has a lot of dangerous old garbage left over from past times. Take Thomas with you when you next feel like a swim, he knows the forest well.”

You smirk to yourself thinking about Tommy getting all wet and upset in the pond with you, but then you realized she must have not seen him come in yet, -she would have seen him soaking wet and known he was with me?- You look out the window to see if Tommy was in the barn, Luda Mae noticed you looking outside frantically so she asks,

“Everything all right dear? You look like a hen searchin’ for seeds.”

You turn to her and ask,

“Did you see Thomas come in at all?”

“Charlie said he saw Thomas head inside and go to his room, something happen?” she sounded confused as to what he problem could be.

“Oh no, I just…” you paused and thought it may be best to not let her know you were flirting naked with her son in the pond, “…wondered why he wasn’t up here getting his lunch is all.” You hoped to sound authentic.

Luda Mae squinted her eyes at you through her glasses, she didn’t say a word for a good minute,

“That’s strange, I told him to come right back with you for lunch. He’s usually mighty hungry by this time of the day. I’ll go check on him.” She made her way towards the basement door but turned to you and said, “You didn’t see him at all out there?”

“I was just swimming in the pond” you felt bad not being honest but it wasn’t like you were lying, you were just swimming after all. She closed the door behind her as she entered the basement, you hoped Tommy would keep it on the down low about you being a total tease in the pond -I don’t think Luda Mae would want to hear about her son being a peeping tom- you hoped you could get him to ‘accidentally’ peep on you once more just to see his pants get tight again; it was a unique experience to be so perverted after so many years of chastity. You wanted to let yourself loose and play with danger, the thrill gave you adrenaline that aroused you deeply, but you knew there could be serious consequences if Thomas was the kind of man to go too far when giving in to temptation.

Luda Mae returns, she looks a bit upset and it had you panicking internally,

“Is he ok?” you ask hastily,

She tightens her lips into a crooked form, and raises an eyebrow,

“He was gettin’ changed and said he wanted to be left alone. I’m gonna bring his lunch down to him. Must be tired from all the work he’s been doin’ in the barn what with moving all that old lumber ‘round and what not.”

You feel relieved to hear he didn’t tell her what he got up to, but you didn’t like keeping things from Luda Mae. A feeling entered your mind, one of regret and anxiety, -oh no, what if he’s mad at me? Maybe I overstepped a boundary and now he doesn’t want to see me!- In your excitement of being a tease you didn’t stop to think how it could actually be hurtful to him, -maybe he feels embarrassed or violated, or something because of what I did, fuck!- Now you felt sick, you wanted to go check on him and ask if you upset him and apologize if you did but you decided to give him space and try to talk with him tomorrow.

After you ate your lunch, you spent most of the afternoon moving your belongings into the room Luda Mae gave you. The shelves and armoires were big enough to fit everything you owned if you wanted, and the bay window was so charming next to the writing desk, it made you feel so happy being able to live with this family.

Dinner time rolled around and you didn’t see Thomas come up at all, Luda Mae had to go bring his dinner down to him. That night you slept poorly, the whole night was just rumination about what you might have done wrong and how you ruined everything by letting your libido take priority for once, -of course the one time I let loose, I get punished. Why do I have to live quietly, why can’t I just give in and be free with my body!?- You felt cursed.

-

You woke up early the next day and put a robe over your racy night garments, you wandered slowly toward the kitchen to grab some coffee and toast, you were still feeling anxious and upset from last night and were not in the mood to eat much of anything. Of course, Luda Mae was already up bright and early, her hair was frazzled and she was wearing a long white nightgown like a Victorian estate owner,

“Hey hun, how did you sleep?” her voice was gravelly and quiet, you didn’t want to worry her so you lied and said it was very good. You went on to ask,

“I need to do some laundry, is there a washer and dryer in the house somewhere?”

Luda Mae nodded slowly, she said,

“Down in the basement, there’s a room with a washer but no dryer, it went and broke on us a few years back and we just hang it all outside now. Theres a clothing line out back, I can show you when the washers finished.” You thank her and finish up your measly excuse for a meal and head to the restroom to get your laundry bin.

You look in the mirror and realize -oh shit, Tommy’s down there! I should freshen up a bit- You brush your teeth and pin up your hair in a cute half up-do, you find a more attractive robe, a short one, black with cherry pattern details on it, you made this one yourself with silk, it matched your sleeping garments. You spritz on a gentle, fresh perfume and thank god that your lash extensions were lasting this long.  If you were going to apologize to the man, you might as well look cute doing it, -I hope he is more inclined to forgive someone who looks cute…-

The basement door was really damaged, there were deep cuts and scuffs in the wood which led to the paint cracking all over the place. You felt a bit nervous going down to his domain but you were determined to make things right. Luda Mae passed by on her way upstairs and said,

“Make sure you stay down there for the whole wash cycle hun, the dang thing sometimes stops and has to be manually resumed.” She continued on her way upstairs.

You take a few steps; it was exceedingly dark and you weren’t able to see much, you carefully felt for each step with one foot as you made your way down, your red, fluffy, low-heeled slippers didn’t help much. Nearing the bottom, you see a dim light from an old bulb, it’s enough to help you see the rest of the stairs. The basement was quiet and dark, it creeped you out but it was clean at least. The floor was lined with old cement, you saw a long hall where on the left side there was one enormous sliding door made of steel, on the right you saw a small interior door, an old double door next to it, and towards the end there was a corner, all you could see was a dim red light. You were curious about the basement, but it scared you too much to look around, so you look for the laundry instead.

You turn to the right and see that right next to the staircase was an alcove with an old top-load washer and dryer, you walk over to it, the floor to this alcove was old crème colored tile and dark greyish-blue walls, there was a fluorescent light that flicked on when you used the light switch on the wall, it quietly buzzed at you which just added to the eerie feeling. You let out a sigh and began placing your clothes into the old washing machine, there was powder detergent sitting on the ledge of a tub sink where the washer would flush out the dirty water after its cycle.

When everything was ready to go, you turned on the washer and it quietly starting gushing water onto the clothes. You look behind you and see no one is around, you feel a bit anxious, hoping Tommy would come out at any moment and let you know what was on his mind, but the hall remained empty. You waited for a while and got bored of having nothing to look at, so you decide to wander the hall and see what the red light around the corner was.

As you rounded the edge of the wall you saw an old walnut wood door, there were small brass letters nailed into the door that spelled ‘T.H’ the red color of the light gave the area a menacing appearance. -well now I know which door I can’t go through- you decide to head to the old double door and take a look inside; this room was horribly dark, the slot windows were covered in overgrown plants and the wall on the doors side had a massive creepy looking furnace from another time, the rest of the room was sparsely riddled with old furniture and junk.

This basement was fairly boring to you, the small interior door only led to a dingy washroom with a horribly outdated and unkept tub and shower head. The final door was the huge steel sliding door, it looked like the kind of door you would see in a fish market, this made you curious. You tried to push the door but it was unreasonably heavy, you put your whole-body weight into it and it barely moved. The more you tried the more you were out of breath, you took a second to rest before trying again, this time it was able to budge far enough for you to get a glimpse into the darkness where you could barely make out some silhouettes – are those…hanging hooks?-

Just when you wanted to push for a better view, the door is forcefully slammed shut, your arm is grabbed and you are spun around with your back pushed into the cold steel making you let out a soft whimper. You look up to see Tommy looking down at you, his massive hand was effortlessly pinning your arm against the door, his other hand on the door itself keeping it firmly closed. Your other hand was free, trying to steady your body as it flattened against the sliding door.

“Tommy!” you said his name with surprise, you didn’t even hear him leave his room.

He slowly released your hand and backed away, closing his eyes in relief, he pointed at the door and shook his head.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know I wasn’t allowed in there.” You spoke earnestly.

Tommy ran his hand through his hair, and hung his head as he rested his other hand on his hips, he nodded and made his way back to his room, but you call out to him before he could turn the corner,

“Tommy wait, I want to talk to you if that’s ok?”

He turned and came back up to you, the top of his chest was exposed from his grey tank top which had a damaged rock band logo on it; he had soft and loose black cotton pants on that had a handmade drawstring which dangled lazily over top his generous mound. He still had on that leather face mask, it did nothing but tease you, it felt like you would never get to see his true face.

Tommy followed as you walk over towards the washer which had just finished its spin cycle,

“Sorry, I need to get my clothes out of the wash. I wanted to ask if you were mad at me?”

Tommy furrowed his eyebrows, he looked perplexed by your words but did not respond, so you continue,

“After how I behaved in the pond yesterday, I didn’t know that it upset you and I wanted to apologize.”

Tommy let out a sigh, you felt alone in this one-sided conversation, you wish you could read his mind. You turn your back to him so you could continue grabbing your damp laundry, you follow up saying,

“I didn’t know where your boundaries were and maybe I was feeling a little too confident, I feel like I was inappropriate. I want to know how you feel about it.”

You don’t hear him say anything, you expected him to be silent, yet you still wanted to offer the option to respond. Just when you think you were annoying him further, you are pressed against the washing machine from behind, large arms cover over top of yours and his hands pin yours down, they were so big that they fully covered your own entirely. Your whole body is caged in by Tommy’s massive form, you could feel your heart beating so fast you thought it would explode.

Having this beast of a man enshroud you like this was a swift reminder of just how powerful he was, you could feel an ache inside you, a wet slick began to form between your legs and the moment felt intoxicating. Tommy leaned down, your body was unable to resist following his motion, he had you bent forward and unable to move, but you didn’t want to move. You instinctively arch your back and press into Tommy’s pelvic area, you could feel a growing density press through his soft cotton pants and into your delicate center.

You hitched a sharp breath when he pushed himself into you, it was overwhelmingly erotic and before you could let out a moan you hear him speak,

“You fear me?” his deep growling words were carried by a smooth southern accent, you could hear him begin to breathe a bit heavier.

You bite your lip, and reply in a breathy whisper,

“Yes”

He let out a low, amused laugh. For some reason you felt like being bratty, you couldn’t help but push him, seeing if he would snap and do something about you,

“I’m going to keep doing it”

He lets out a playful “Hm?” he knew what you wanted to keep doing but he wanted to hear you say it. His body now pressing in tightly, making it hard for you to breathe, your breasts began to spill out of the robe which caught his eye. He was now so firm that it hurt your soft folds through your panties, this did nothing but burgeon fluids further out of your entrance which soaked the fabric barrier between you both. You continue, your tone now devilish and seductive,

“I’m going to keep pushing you, until you unravel.”

Tommy knew he could never let loose how he wanted, but he liked playing your little game. He never felt such raw emotion before and you made him feel crazy with desire.

He lowered his head so his mouth was just above your ear, and spoke hushed, but firm,

“Good”

-----------

He releases you from his grip and heads back to his room. You remain there still, and speechless, you were left an aroused mess from the interaction, but it gave you clarity for your anxious concerns. You never upset him, you didn’t go too far, Tommy was just as twisted as you were and wanted to see how far you could take him. You knew however, that he was restraining himself, you knew there was a potential for him to break. You wanted him to claim you, You wanted to feel something raw and real, something free and wicked. You wanted him to pour kerosene on the fire inside of you and touch the flames as he watches it burn.

Next chapter-

A/N Continued: So, Thomas behaves in a way that has some real world controversy. He is forceful and threatening, Y/N is depicted as wanting to play cat and mouse with him and push him to break so they find out how dangerous he really is. The same interactions are nowadays being used as part of a harmful rhetoric spewed out of the mouths of misogynists which they claim excuses sexual assault towards women and femmes. I want you to be comfortable in knowing that I am not about that shit and that my only relation to it is via consensual and responsible kink. The activities in my fics are all JUST fantasy and nothing more. I know I shouldn't have to clarify that, but none of you know me as a person and it can suck when you read a fic and find out the author is a creep (it taints the story IMO), so I wanted to put you at ease. I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)

[kesouu]

Blue Star☆｡⁠*✯ﾟ+*⁠.⁠✧

(⁠☆) Narumi Gen x Oc

(｡⁠*ﾟ⁠+ CHAPTER 4 +ﾟ⁠*｡⁠)

(⁠｡⁠•̀✧) SORRY I TOOK TOO LONG TO UPLOAD THE NEXT CHAP HUHU This also has spoilers for the b-side manga but next chapter I'll start straying from it i think🤌

6 Years ago...

It had been a year since Narumi and Hoshiko had joined the defense force and Hoshiko was getting dizzy from going around the large headquarters looking for Narumi, knowing him, he was going to get himself into all sorts of trouble. He had almost been kicked out multiple times for misconduct and no way is Hoshiko letting the reason she joined in the first place get kicked out. Even if she didn’t want too though, Vice captain Itami had spoken to you about Narumi’s behaviour, threatening to kick him out if this continued and that he wanted the girl to look after him as his closest friend but no matter how hard she tried he always managed to slip out of her sight. Hoshiko was looking for him rather frantically this time, all the division captains and platoon leaders were having a serious meeting on a kaijuu that emerged in Saitama and Narumi might cause a scene during it. She decided to make her way to the meeting room that was nearly on the other side of the building to check if he was anywhere nearby, the girl could only sigh at the distance as she started walking.

“Now then, I will brief you on the kaiju that emerged in Saitama Prefecture’s Koshigaya City. Please take a look at this.” The operator showed them an image of a the large kaiju on the meeting room’s big screen “A plant-type kaiju? The fact that it showed up in an urban area is worrying.” Vice Captain Itami comments as the operator continues with his discussion. “It broke through the asphalt and sprung up between the buildings at the crack of dawn. It seems that it hid underground and stored up on nutrients. Then it’s pod fruit pemerged on the portion of the plant above the surface.” Captain Igarashi’s face grows into a puzzled one as she questions “Huh? Wazzat? What’s a “pod fruit”?” the operator then explains in return “A pod fruit is a form of seeded fruit. It splits open, shooting seeds into the air.”

The screen shows a close up image of the kaiju’s pod fruit and the operator points at it “This was the pod fruit when it first emerged this morning.” Then the pictured changed into one of the kaiju where it’s pod was opened way more that it was in the one previously shown “And this is it’s current state” Hasegawa speaks up at the sight of it “It appears to have opened up more since this morning.”

“Once the fruit gathers enought nutrients, the sunlight triggers the fruit to split open casuing it to release and disperse it’s seeds.” Pictures of old disasters that had occured were being displayed on the screen that were similar to that of the situation now. “ For a well-known example of the damage caused by plant-type kaiju, we can refer to the specimens found in Hibiya back in ’66 and Sendai back in ’96. In particular, I’d look to the cataclysm in ’96 which saw the fruit split and spread it’s seeds. An incident that required time to effectively manage.” And with that the operator finishes his explanation “And this one is even bigger than the one in Sendai? If it splits open, we’re in for trouble.” Vice captain Itami asks “How much time do we have?” Captain Shinomiya follows up the previous question “By outr calculations, based on the solar radiation, temperature, and other factors, we estimate that it could occur as early as 2 p.m” the operator states their findings “So basically, we need to eliminated the fruite by then.” Hasegawa summarizes as the operator nods.

“What if we were to snipe it from the air via chopper?” Captain Ashiro asks “I’m afraid that might prove difficult as well. Take a look at this if you would.” The operator then switches the pictures to the current state of Koshigaya city with raging plant yoju growing everywhere along with the honju leading them “These are the emerged honju and its yoju offshoots. They are deploying around the fruit and growing a a rapid pace.” The pictures switch one after another showing more and more of the damage the kaiju had currently done in the area “Their roots extend deep into the ground, while their tentacle-like trunks reach high into the sky. Any copter that approaches will likely get swatted down.” Vice-captain Itami sighs at the information “Taking to the sky is too risky...it seems attacking by land is our only option.” “If we can find a way to secure a line of fire, then i have no doubt we can eliminate the fruit.” Captain Ashiro exclaims “The density of the kaiju is the issue here. Not to mention their speed. I doubt dealing with them will be so straight-forward.” Hasegawa retorts.

The crowd begin to argue on their course of action till a yawn was heard from behind “You sure have some boring meetings” Narumi states, the noise of his console could be heard at the sudden silence of the people in the room. “The gist is simple, isn’t it? Just cut through the kaiju’s emergence point and destroy the fruit. Charging in guns blazing is the only solution. That is, unless you’ve got any better ideas?” the boy says uninterested as he looks to the crowd from his relaxed position in his chair “Narumi?! How did you get in here?! You weren’t invited to this meeting!” Hasegawa yells at Narumi who angrily shouts back “Where I go is my own business. This room’s got air-conditioning and a huge monitor. It’s perfect for gaming.” The door of the meeting room slams open as Hasegawa quite literally kicks Narumi out of the room with him landing at the feet of a bewildered Hoshiko who had just arrived.

Hasegawa briefly apologized to the people of the room as Narumi got up from the floor. Hoshiko turns to Narumi who was staring at the tall man, annoyed at the fact he was kicked out. “Gen, seriously, you can’t keep doing what you want!” the girl says firmly as she stood in front of his face as he let out a sigh of his own. “And another thing! This kaiju has a wide emergence area. Even if you were to deploy the entire first division, you wouldn’t be able to cover it all. Face it, you need my help.” Narumi says as if it were a matter-of-fact to which Hoshiko was quick to cover his mouth with her hand to prevent him from saying more but it proved to be futile as he struggled against her grip and managed to free his mouth “Well, what do you say, old man?” both Hoshiko and Hasegawa were fuming at this point, ‘This boy really doesn’t know when to quit, does he?!’ Hoshiko thought trying to cover his mouth again while Hasegawa put him into a headlock.

Captain Shinomiya stays silent as Vice-Captain Itami answers in his stead “Yes, this operation will require number of soldiers. That naturally means you’ll be on the front lines as well, Narumi. But bear this in mind. We receive a notice from headquarters yesterday. It stated and I quote “Officer Narumi’s problematic behavior has been picked up by the media and we simply can’t take it any longer.”” The boy mentioned could only widen his eyes and mutter out “What?” a scowl appears on the Vice Captains face as his tone turns cold sending chills down Hoshiko’s spine “If you cause any trouble on this mission, we’ll be forced to consider you formally discharged from our ranks.” Hoshiko lets out a gasp and Narumi stills in Hasegawa and Hoshiko’s hold. “Narumi.” Captain Shinomiya finally speaks up after his long silence “Manners, appearance, diligence, grace – none of that matters to me. I Have only one demand. Show me results and skill.” She could hear the boy chuckle as he held her hand out of the way of his mouth “I just gotta show results, right?” I might as well be playing on easy mode.” Narumi smiles as he says that.

Hasegawa’s platoon arrives at their positions later that day as Hasegawa stands tall in his full battle armor “I’ll give an overview of our mission once more. Were in charge zone F. we’ll be moving toward the fruit in the center region while striking down threats from the perimeter in tandem with other platoons. The honju’s core should be in this vicinity according to the estimate provided by the analysis team. I’ll advance and-“ Hasegawa was cut off by a loud yawn and Hoshiko of course knew who the culprit of that was “NARUMI, ARE YOU LISTENING?!” Hasegawa yelled at her friend while she could only deadpan ‘The damn mission hasn’t even started yet but Gen has me exhausted…’ “Ah, hold on a sec! I’m at the best part! I’m about to beat my best time-“ Narumi replied as he focused on his console but it was his turn to be cut off as Hasegawa kicked him for the second time that day for misbehaving and Hoshiko grabbing the console out of his hands keeping it in her pocket so he wouldn’t be able to use it again “GAAH!!! WHAT’RE YOU TWO DOING?! ARGH…YOU’RE MAKING ME LOSE LIVES!!” the girl scoffs as she glares at the boy that was kneeling on the ground “You can do this later. Right now, we have a job to do Gen.”

The platoon leader ignores his complains as he gives the boy instructions “She’s right. Now Narumi, give me backup along with the other officers.” The mentioned boy gives Hasegawa an uninterested stare as he questioned him “Me? Back you up? You’re kidding, right?” the man’s expression turns grim as he turned to face him completely “Have you forgotten that the upper base threatened to discharge you? The stipulation was that you don’t cause any trouble. Headquarters isn’t expecting you to produce spectacular results. What they want to see from you is teamwork. Refusing to work with other officers that isn’t Mitsuba isn’t going to cut it. You only need to perform as well as an average officer, so behave yourself and provide backup as you were ordered.” To the threat Narumi stretched in boredom and complained once more “Not even co-op play. Just regular old support, huh?” to end his statement he yawns out once more “What’s the matter with you? Sleep-deprived” Hasegawa comments so Hoshiko grabbed him by the collar and looked right at his face “You pulled another all-nighter on that new game you bought, didn’t you?” the girl interrogated as the one in her grasp lowered his head and removed her grip on his collar and started walking away.

“Platoon leader, are you sure it’s okay to let him do as he pleases?” a platoon member asked To Hasegawa as the man turned to the member of his team “He stayed up all night playing games. Theres no way he’s taking this seriously. I don’t want him dragging us down. Not to mention he already has a history of disrupting our missions.” The platoon member finished to which Hasegawa reassured them “Just let him be. Either way, his future is riding on this mission.” The man sighed and look at Hoshiko who saluted, knowing exactly what that look on the mans face was saying. He may show it through anger most of the time but he cared to at least make him stay, he did after all, have very promising potential. The look Hasegawa gave to the girl told her ‘Take care of him if he goes too far.’

-☆☆

[theeternalwombtarot]

your next quantum leap

Message: hey, first “big” reading in a long time, I hope that you guys haven’t been feeling like I’ve neglected doing readings I’ve been undergoing a lot of changes and working a lot behind the scenes as of lately! Thank you so much for waiting and being patient with me! I love you and I hope that everything is going well and if it isn’t that it shall pass and you’ll receive peace very soon.

***

i.

pile one, your next quantum leap brings the gift of love and relationships or comes under the cover of love and relationships. You are receiving your ten of cups finally, divine love, true love, fulfillment, etc. or are in the process of preparing for it’s arrival. I see flowers as a representation of growth and transformation. Many of you are feminine energies. The flower of a plant is the seed bearing part of a plant, you’ve been planting seeds or are in the process of releasing them in order for them to be dropped down into the soil to grow. Many living organisms also help in the process of spreading the seeds of a plant by helping to disperse them. Someone you will love and someone who loves you is coming into your life (or for some of you is already present) and they will help you plant your seeds, and help you grow as well. The imagery in the picture for pile one is a woman standing in the center of a garden, she’s topless/nude and I feel like that represents vulnerability and receptivity. There is nothing but growth around her.

This upcoming season, throughout these next few weeks and months, you may need to learn to outgrow the habit of selling yourself short, minimizing your value or minimizing the possibility of miracles or things working out in your favor. There are gifts for you, there are blessings for you, there are manifestations for you to receive, the seeds that you’re planting will have grown and be ready to harvest but it’s up to you whether you’ll be collecting what you’ve grown and reaping the benefits of your hard work and cultivation. You’ve planted something, you should harvest it and put it towards your abundance and prosperity and let it bring you good things.

During this season, you may feel confused or disconnected from your intuition in a way, there’s a message here about not knowing what to do with what you’ll be receiving, feeling overwhelmed, or feeling as though you’re having to relearn everything you’ve ever known because your life has shifted so drastically. You asked for change, you asked for what you deserved and the universe gifted you exactly that. But because you’ve done things one way for a long time or have only received one thing for a long time, the gifts you receive may feel foreign to you, you’re about to shift into a new version of yourself. You’re finally shifting into your higher self. Transformation and rebirth are significant. You may feel passionate about children lately or motherhood. Or recieving lots of imagery or seeing lots of posts on social media about children, parenting and motherhood.

There’s a possibility you’ve gotten in arguments lately about what people deserve, what children deserve or what’s best for people or what’s best for someone in particular. There’s a diety who thinking of, I’m not super familiar with her, a Haitian deity named Ezili Dantor who protects women and children fiercely. This season you’ll be in the process of fully and wholly shifting into your feminine energy after a long time of having to switch back in forth from your masculine and feminine or having to step out of the energy of recieving and relaxation to push things into fruition or make things go in a way that you felt was right for you. Some of this behavior may have shown up frequently these past couple years in trying to force relationships to work or push people into being in alignment with you or giving you what you’ve deserved all along and/or even having to stand up and remove yourself from situations that weren’t serving you in order to open yourself up to recieving these gifts or open yourself up to moving into a period of ultimate rest and relaxation forever.

You’ll be working hard this season on building a foundation for yourself or continuing to work towards cultivating a life of prosperity, peace and abundance. You may be shifting your energy into your career, into your education or your finances. Whilst love is here, and you’re building your connections and are in flow and in tune with whomever this person may be, your external energy is focused on your material and physical world and preparing things for yourself. While your feminine energy is at ease, is being loved, is being fed on a soul level, your masculine energy is out creating a world for you, building a foundation, making a name. You’ve created balance. 👥. The wheel is turning in your favor, complete transformation, all blessings are coming in, the dam separating you from your manifestations and from everything you’ve earned all this time has began crumbling.

Oracle:

29 • Let Go • “The Blood Moon” • Full Moon • Mother : “the full blood moon is a time to let go. Here I painted the mother, breaking away from her past self, as represented in the shadow of herself, fading behind her. This mother is letting go of the past, and everything that haunts her soul, so she can move forward with the child that is inside her. it is time to let go of the past that has haunted you to this point. That is the person you used to be and even though that old self has allowed you to be the person you are today you are no longer that individual this card also represents that now is a perfect opportunity to release the negative factor in your life. This could be a person or a habit that harms your happiness or sense of self. Think about what you need to set free.”

39 • Personal Alchemy • “The Cold Moon” • Waning Moon • Crone: “ the waning, cold moon is a time for you to process the deep, embodied, yet personal inquiry of yourself as the crone is illustrated on this card she is reaching deep inside herself finding her soul represented in the glowing orb she holds within her chest. This indicates the time to start identifying the areas in your life where you want to make changes gather the resources to make those shifts plot out of plan, and then take steps to implement the new ideas, we engage with this process of change by breaking it up into small easily, implemented new habits. where in your life can you apply personal alchemy and start changing those patterns?”

7 • Explore • “The Crow Moon” • Waxing Moon • Maiden : “ the waxing crow moon is about exploring through your inner self to find what you may be missing within as this maiden is depicted walking through the forest, guided by her lamp glow, and her crow companion. She’s looking deep into the darkness she’s trying to find her true path and the courage within herself to move forward now is the time to explore yourself your surroundings, and even current connections you have with other people what new routes can you take to solve a current predicament you may be in? examine what is around maybe there’s a different path you can make such as a new job or a new class? this other avenue may guide you in the direction where you would like to be in life perhaps a connection with an acquaintance, or friend, may lead you to a unique opportunity.”

17 • Decisions • “The Mead Moon” • Full Moon • Mother: “ the full mead moon, is a time for decisions about how you harnessed the earths restless, energy and where you are going to apply it here the mother of the mead moon is depicted standing before two paths. She is looking upon these paths, deciding where she should refocus her life which will fulfill her soul. Time is up now is the time to choose one with conviction this card is a reliable indication that time is up, move forward and make that decision that has been bouncing around the back of your mind that decision that you’ve been hesitating to make act now to take steps toward a resolution to the problem, you have been mowing over, move forward in the direction that feels right in your soul.”

***

ii.

Pile two, your next quantum leap brings up the question of understanding your inner feelings, listening to your needs and desires and following and listening to your heart. There’s a message here about serving yourself Justice and exercising self love by allowing yourself to have what you’ve been asking/wishing for, or coming to terms with what you want and what you should do in order for you to be happy, prosperous, and fulfilled. This season you’ll be having some sort of breakthrough, coming to a conclusion, or coming up on a new idea. Whatever this new idea or decision might be for you may lead to communication between you and others or you and someone and particular. Emphasis on new communication. You may say something you may have not usually have said or you may say something or express something or communicate something you had not intended to say or share for a long while or until way later.

There could also be new news you’ll be sharing with your friends and family and loved ones regarding something incredibly significant. While one side of you on an internal scale will be focused on serving yourself Justice, focused on self love and the cultivating of a space space on for yourself and others and preparing you for the overcoming of a new obstacle or the receiving of a new opportunity. The other side of you, on an external scale will be focused on gaining financial independence, saving and investing money, or bringing more stability to your financial life. You could be saving up for something special, budgeting, or preparing to make a large financial investment or move soon. Some of you are masculine energies, and are shifting into the energy of a provider. You may be about to offer someone your cup or offer someone stability or commitment.

You could’ve been unsure about something or in the process of coming to conclusion(s). Throughout this season whatever this is will be heavily on your mind, and you’ll come to some sort of resolution or realization. Mental breakthroughs on whatever this is are in store for you within the next couple of months. You may be working through any deep seated fears, healing karma (detaching from karmic behaviors, habits, people, etc.) on an independent and personal level. You’re preparing yourself for a transformation or a shift in your reality. A lot of this could have to do with love and relationships and the decision to move into the energy of love or the energy of recieving love and preparing yourself to be in a long term commitment. Financially, mentally, and emotionally.

The world card upright signifying completion of cycles, integration, and accomplishments. You may also find yourself traveling or planning to travel very soon.

Oracle:

21 • Dreamwork • “The Buck Moon” • Waning Moon • Crone : “ the waning buck moon is a wonderful time to undertake dream work for this card. Here is the crone with a swirling universe in the front of her like luminescent Stardust. butterflies float around her in a dreamy landscape. The crone gazes at you as if she can see your inner self by doing so she tries to get your soul to manifest the imagining in your mind, this card encourages you to look back at your recent dreams and consider what you may have conjured in your sleep. Dream work is the process by which the unconscious mind alters the manifest content of thoughts to decode their real meaning for the dreamer, your higher self, or your dream self has been waiting for you to start paying attention. What were you dreaming about? What could be the meaning behind such images and emotions? were you afraid in your dream angry, or forlorn? try to think back to your vision and reflect on what your inner self is telling you.”

20 • Prepare • “The Buck Moon” • Full Moon • Mother: “ the full buck moon is the time to prepare. It is time to make something ready for use in your current situation. The mother is illustrated on this card, perched upon a pillar, as she has been given a place to concentrate on the strategy that she is preparing for her current undertaking, this is a strong signal that it is time for you to develop a plan. is there a business idea you would like to launch or maybe you are looking to remodel your home? sit down and write out the necessary steps you need to get this project in motion maybe it is time for you to start packing for a trip or organizing your home for a new baby. consider where in your life you may need to make some preparations and plans.” 

37 • Reach Out • “The Cold Moon” • Waxing Moon • Maiden: “ the waxing cold moon, represents a time to reach out to another as the maiden is illustrated here strong in both carrying an owl upon her shoulder she stretches a hand out to help those in need now is the time to make an effort to do something for other people. This indicates that it is essential to lend a compassionate hand to those in need. Maybe there’s a classmate who may need help on a paper where you excel reach out and offer your support. Perhaps there’s a person who is struggling with addiction who needs encouragement? Where in your life can you do something good for another?”

35 • Take Root • “The Snow Moon” • Full Moon • Mother: “ a full snow, moon is a time to become established in your life to take hold of a new idea, or a way you wish to live. The mother is illustrated on this card firmly rooted to the earth. Timing is ideal to take an idea or belief and make it become established or accepted. If you believe that, you would be happier, living a vegan lifestyle. This could be the time to embrace and commit to it maybe you moved to a new city, and you have been feeling alone, consider volunteering or spending more time in your community. where in your life do you need to be accepted to have a permanent solid base to turn to? time to take root and do what is necessary to be a part of that World.”

***

iii.

Pile three, your next quantum leap has everything to do with you coming to terms with and finally feeling some deeply rooted emotions regarding where you stand in life, what you’re doing, what you’re accepting and some of the decisions you’ve made. This will ultimately lead you to walking away from something or making better choices but first comes the storm before all things can be watered after months without proper rain, before the dirt that hides the truth is washed away, and before we can step into peace and alignment with what is necessary for us to be fulfilled and happy. There’s a catalyst under way or you are in a position where you are experiencing one. You could’ve caused someone or others a great deal of trauma or pain, and in the process caused yourself a great deal of trauma and pain. This is your karma for some of the decisions you’ve made. But, with karma comes resolutions for everyone. You’ll get to see what happens when you make choices that aren’t in alignment with you and when you make choices at the expense of others.

You may be dealing with issues regarding co-dependency, may have karmic issues and cycles to heal regarding your parents, your childhood, addiction, certain people you choose to love and be around, etc. you’ll be dealing with a heart chakra opening and an awakening regarding how you feel and how you’ve made others feel. I hear ambulances out side of my window. There might be a great tower moment in store for you this season. A rude awakening or a long time moment of depersonalization that has caused you to step outside of yourself and reality in order to look at everything from a distance or different perspective.

You may also have a spiritual awakening for some of you. Whilst as a whole, your status quo, belief systems, and regular way of behaving and thinking will be challenged and broken down. Your old way of doing something or doing things may not be working out for you or in your favor any longer. You may struggle with accountability, struggle with confronting your feelings and accepting feelings of loss. There may be elements of your past that threaten to come up and break your heart as you’ve been done nothing to aid in or heal your past heart break. I’m getting a message about a phantom itch or phantom pain, something or someone who’s no longer there anymore is resurfacing for you on an internal level and bringing you pain and revelation. You’ll have to be strong, you’ll have to be willing to fight through this in order to get to a better place and find true peace.

You may find that things you want may not all be available to you any longer due to your choices and your decisions, but don’t be discouraged, there will be more for you to receive when the time comes to be rewarded for hardship. But you must do the inner work. Your past and your negligence is confronting you and you’ll have to face the consequences of your actions. Once in for all. You feared your shadow, you feared what the consequences would be for all that you ran from, all that you didn’t take accountability for, and all the damage you may have done with the intention to protect yourself or shield yourself for more wounding but it’s here for you. All you can do is learn from it. This energy is heavy and there’s a lot of heart break and defensiveness coming through here. You’ll make it through, I’m sure of it. But it won’t be easy. Surrender. If you run anymore, you’ll be sorry.

Oracle:

33 • Prophecy • “The Blue Moon” • Waning Moon • Crone: “ the waning, blue moon is a time for prediction and foresight as the crone is shown upon this card there is a skull referring to the past, and how she can use that for insight going forward. future selves are pictured as ghostly figures around the wise woman, and the raven represents divination and awareness. Now is the time to use past experiences to predict the outcome of a current state of affairs. It is also time to seek knowledge of the future, or the unknown by supernatural means. reflect on what has happened in the past, and how that can likely happen again. how did you react previously to a specific situation? Do you want to act that way again or is it time to change paths, maybe a loved one treated you poorly before and may do so again with current circumstances think about possible outcomes to the events that are about to unfold.”

14 • Propagating Energy • “The Hare Moon” • Full Moon • Mother: “ the full hair moon is a time to cultivate, or tap into the tulleric current, which is the energy that derives from the heart of the Earth. Here the mother of the hare moon is pictured holding the earth in her hands as the current of energy swirls from the center. She is cradling this earth energy in her palms, ready to use it within herself to make her strong and intuitive. This card represents the need to gather your personal energy. you need to take inventory of all your unused or more importantly your misused power and store it for an essential purpose. Have you ever been in the situation that drained you of your vitality? Is there a specific person you deal with who depletes you? Reflect on what parts of your life are diminishing your energy, and how to pull that energy back to you and redirect it towards a better purpose.”

31 • Honoring The Past • “The Blue Moon” • Waxing Moon • Maiden: “The Waxing Blue Moon represents a time to honor your past. Here the Maiden is pictured cradling a skull in her hands, honoring the dead or those who have gone before. The raven represents prophecy and insight into that past, where she can grasp the full meaning of how those experiences impacted her life. It is time to recognize what has passed in your life. Understand that without those bygone days, you would not be the person you are today. It may be that you honor the past you, the unenlightened you, the you who did not know back then. Maybe it is time to praise the integrity of someone in your past, like a parent or friend. This person's advice may have led you to the right path. Think about the lessons learned, and let those ethics and morals guide you in the future.”

29 • Let Go • “The Blood Moon” • Full Moon • Mother : “the full blood moon is a time to let go. Here I painted the mother, breaking away from her past self, as represented in the shadow of herself, fading behind her. This mother is letting go of the past, and everything that haunts her soul, so she can move forward with the child that is inside her. it is time to let go of the past that has haunted you to this point. That is the person you used to be and even though that old self has allowed you to be the person you are today you are no longer that individual this card also represents that now is a perfect opportunity to release the negative factor in your life. This could be a person or a habit that harms your happiness or sense of self. Think about what you need to set free.”

4 • Purification • “The Ice Moon” • Waxing Moon • Maiden: “The Waxing Blue Moon represents a time to honor your past. Here the Maiden is pictured cradling a skull in her hands, honoring the dead or those who have gone before. The raven represents prophecy and insight into that past, where she can grasp the full meaning of how those experiences impacted her life. The Waxing Crow Moon is about exploring through your inner self to find what you may be missing within. As this Maiden is depicted walking through the forest, guided by her lamp glow and her crow companion, she is looking deep into the darkness. She is trying to find her true path and the courage within herself to move forward.”

***

May peace be upon all of you! ❤️🌺

[songbirdseung]

The Prankster's Paradox / Park Sunghoon

synopsis: A YouTuber is going around pranking couples by pretending to be someone one of them is sleeping with, making it look like they’re cheating. Unfortunately, Park Sunghoon and y/n, who have just come out from a café, are their next target.

Once upon a time, in the bustling heart of Seoul, lived a YouTuber named Kim Taeyang. He had a penchant for pranks, and his channel boasted millions of subscribers, all eagerly awaiting his next hilarious escapade. Taeyang was known for his impeccable timing and an uncanny ability to exploit the most unexpected moments.

One sunny afternoon, Park Sunghoon and Y/N were strolling down the picturesque streets of Myeongdong after sipping cappuccinos at their favorite café. Park Sunghoon, a tall and handsome young man, had a broad smile that could light up any room. Y/N, his equally charming partner, was known for her infectious laughter and stunning beauty. Together, they were the epitome of a perfect couple.

As they walked hand in hand, enjoying the crisp autumn air, they were completely unaware that they were about to become the stars of Kim Taeyang's next viral prank. Taeyang, hidden behind a corner, had spotted them from afar. His mischievous grin stretched from ear to ear as he whispered to his cameraman.

"Today's target: the lovely couple in front of us," Taeyang said, pointing discreetly at Park Sunghoon and Y/N. "Let's make it look like one of them is cheating. That'll get us millions of views!"

His cameraman, eager to capture the impending chaos, nodded in agreement.

As Sunghoon and Y/N turned the corner into a quieter alley, Taeyang sprang into action. He dashed behind Sunghoon, donning a ridiculous disguise, complete with a fake mustache and a flashy wig. He then started walking beside Y/N, pretending to be someone she was secretly seeing.

"Hey, babe," Taeyang said in a ludicrously exaggerated voice. "I've missed you so much."

Y/N froze, her eyes wide with shock. Sunghoon turned to see a stranger beside his girlfriend, and his face contorted into a mixture of confusion and anger.

"Who the heck are you?" Sunghoon demanded.

"I'm… I'm," Taeyang stammered, trying to keep up the act. "I'm the guy Y/N's been seeing behind your back!"

A small crowd began to gather, drawn by the spectacle. Sunghoon's face turned red with fury. "What? Y/N, is this true?"

Y/N, still in shock, could barely form words. "No, Sunghoon, I swear. I have no idea who this guy is!"

Taeyang continued to act out the charade, but it was clear that the situation was escalating beyond his control. Passersby were taking out their phones to record the drama, and the crowd was growing larger by the second.

Panicking, Sunghoon clenched his fists and took a step towards Taeyang. "Get away from my girlfriend right now!"

Before things could get physical, a security guard intervened, breaking up the commotion. He recognized Taeyang as the YouTuber known for his pranks and ordered him to stop immediately. Taeyang complied, taking off his ridiculous disguise with a sheepish grin.

As the crowd dispersed, Sunghoon and Y/N were left shaken by the ordeal. They couldn't believe what had just happened, and their trust in the world had been significantly eroded.

Little did they know that this bizarre incident would be the beginning of a long and tumultuous journey. They tried to laugh it off, chalking it up to an unfortunate encounter with a YouTube prankster. But deep down, a seed of doubt had been planted.

Over the next couple of years, Sunghoon's trust in Y/N began to wane. He couldn't help but wonder if there was any truth to the prank that Taeyang had pulled. His mind would occasionally drift back to that fateful day, and he'd find himself questioning Y/N's actions and explanations.

Y/N, on the other hand, had been hurt by Sunghoon's growing suspicion. She felt like she was under constant scrutiny, as if the prank had forever tainted their relationship. Despite her efforts to reassure him, the wedge between them continued to grow.

Then, one day, while Sunghoon was out of town for a business trip, he received a text from a friend. It contained a photo of Y/N at a café, sitting intimately close to a man Sunghoon had never seen before. The friend had innocently taken the picture and sent it without any ulterior motives.

Sunghoon's heart sank as he stared at the photo. It triggered a flood of doubts and insecurities he had been harboring since that prank in Myeongdong. He confronted Y/N when he returned home, showing her the incriminating photo.

Y/N sighed and tried to explain, "Sunghoon, that's just a friend from work. We were discussing a project, and we met at the café to go over some details. There's nothing going on between us, I swear."

But Sunghoon's trust had been eroded over time, and he found it hard to believe her. He couldn't shake the feeling that history was repeating itself. The arguments that followed were heated, painful, and relentless. Their once-perfect relationship had unraveled into a mess of accusations and mistrust.

In the end, unable to overcome the doubts and insecurities that had taken root since that fateful day in Myeongdong, Sunghoon and Y/N decided to part ways. Their love, which had once been the envy of their friends, had become a casualty of a YouTube prank.

As they said their tearful goodbyes, neither of them could have imagined that their love story would end in such a tragic way. It was a stark reminder that even the strongest bonds could be shattered by a single moment of doubt, and that sometimes, the line between comedy and tragedy was razor-thin.

[marmolady]

Fever: Part Two (Estela x F!MC)

This was originally going to be a one-shot, then it became two chapters, now it's three!

Book/Series: Endless Summer

Main Pairings: Estela x MC/Taylor (f)

Summary: Post-ending (Endless Ending) Safe in its protective bubble from the fiery destruction beyond, La Huerta still has some cruel tricks up its sleeve for those who might make it a home. PART ONE

Word Count: 2804

Warnings: Coarse language.

Comments and reblogs are hugely appreciated! Honestly, I just love geeking out about these characters, so if anyone ever wants to just do that with me....

AO3

___________________________

“That you, Red?”

It had to be her, to be real. Quinn. Because those other faces were there to taunt him, and Quinn? She couldn’t haunt a man if she tried. Not without help from Vaanu, anyway.

“Jake!”

Her voice sounded… right. Natural. Even Mike, when he’d talked to him, there was something off. Aside from the fact that he was a dead man talking.

Quinn rushed over, sat beside him on the cool tiles. He’d sprawled on his back, getting some relief from the heat of his own skin. So much for making it to the bar. He couldn’t tell how long he’d been down there… he almost certainly hadn’t been awake for some of it.

“I’m so sorry-- we couldn’t find you! Last thing anyone knew you were in your room… then you must have gone out of sight of the cameras….”

“All this time on the run,” he slurred, “…shoulda known I could give ya the slip….”

He coughed. Thankfully, that was all, this time. If his friends wanted to find him, he was pretty sure there’d be a trail of vomit to follow. It was small wonder he was gagging for a drink now… even just water.

She put her hand to his forehead and frowned. “We have something you can take,” she said, calmer than her worried face had him expect. “You’ve probably been seeing things-- but it’ll be over soon, I promise.”

Too exhausted to worry too much about how Quinn knew that, Jake just closed his eyes. These ghosts were his own guilty conscience, his penance for failing his brother for a second time. No medicine was curing that.

___________________________

Finally, everyone was together-- save for the three presently under the supervision of the healing team. Raj had put on a big lunch, feeling that a pick-me-up would be necessary.

As they sat around the tables, Michelle gave an update.

“Okay, first things first, we know this isn’t contagious, and we know this is something the Vaanti healers are familiar with and confident they can treat easily.”

There was a slight shift in the energy around the room, as the most pressing fears were put to rest.

Taylor was quiet, still shaken from her earlier experience with Estela, frustrated that there didn’t seem to be a thing she could do to help. Somehow, she’d have to let that go. Quinn gave her knee a squeeze, understanding, and Taylor offered a half-smile of thanks.

We’re in this together. That’s always made the difference.

“It’s a plant they would have encountered yesterday,” Michelle continued. “Its defence mechanism is to poison anything that comes in contact with its leaves, and induce nightmare-like hallucinations so that the affected individual-- in theory-- runs away, associating the area with danger.”

Grace was taking notes. “That’s fascinating. I wonder if that method also assists with pollen or seed dispersal.”

Taylor, in her bad mood, almost snapped that the intricacies of plant reproduction was hardly a priority right now but had a quick realisation. “So, these stupid things could start popping up around here? We should check their clothes for seeds, right?”

“It would certainly be prudent,” Aleister agreed darkly. “If I wanted my mind turned into a hallucinated hellscape I would ask Raj.”

“Hey, I only deal in good vibes, bro, you know that!” Raj’s face, though, quickly sobered. “But seriously, coming down from a trip, they’re gonna want to keep their hydration up-- and have a really good meal to wake up to. A bad trip is a rough ride; my buddies are gonna want some serious TLC.”

“And they’ll have it,” Michelle said resolutely. “Estela and Jake seem to have been affected more severely, we think because Sean is physically larger and maybe had proportionally less contact with the leaves. The remedy given will keep them asleep while the worst symptoms subside, and the healers are staying with them just to be safe-- we don’t really know if humans respond to the plant or the treatment the same way Vaanti do.”

That was what scared Taylor. Though she tucked into her plate of food, Estela didn’t leave her mind for even a second. But what could she do? Hurrying through lunch, she was quickly back up on her feet and heading for the infirmary, Grace and Aleister a little way behind her.

“I would put my head around the door to check in on Estela,” Aleister mumbled, “but I wouldn’t want to risk…. I know I am on shaky ground with her at the best of times.”

“Probably wise,” Taylor sighed. “I mean, she’s asleep now. Still, with how she’s been… I’m honestly too scared of accidentally making things worse myself. This is really hard. Anyway, at least with the guys, I don’t feel like I might hurt them.”

Grace took Taylor’s hand and held it tight. “I was hoping to talk to one of the healers. If they can describe the plant to us, I’m hoping I can draw up something helpful for identification in the future-- or even see if Iris has images saved to her archives. The more we can learn, the better.”

The small medical bay had two beds, now occupied, and was being monitored by the less experienced of the two visiting Vaanti healers, a handsome, somewhat lanky young man who went by the name of Nesh. Nesh was instantly enthusiastic about assisting with the identification of the plant, which in Vaanti was called ‘nijti’.

“You will notice it does not grow near to Elyys’tel-- it has been a long, ongoing fight, but our gardeners have perfected a poison that prevents its growth. I had the screaming fever as a small child, before we had such success; I was young, but I remember it still for how I felt so ill. Back in those days, it was very common, now not so-- though children who have not yet learned to recognise the patterns on the leaves are vulnerable as they play in the forest.”

Looking on as Grace kept taking notes, Taylor probed the young healer further. “Are there other plants we need to be especially wary of? Obviously, we’re not going to try eating anything growing here without checking first, but anything like this that’s dangerous even to touch?”

Over the next half hour, Grace’s papers were filled with drawings and diagrams; the grasping sea weeds that Taylor recognised as having almost drowned Quinn-- which apparently also served as hunting grounds for a deadly snake--, a tree with sap that caused paralysis, and several shrubs, vines and bushes known for stinging and leaving victims with severe rashes.

“That really is helpful,” Taylor said. “Thank you!” At least we’re learning…. It was a shame it had to be the hard way… but we’re learning….

A little while later, Quinn joined them, Furball trotting at her heels. “How’s everyone going?” she asked, sitting down.

“They are resting well,” Nesh replied cheerfully. “We are waiting for Lupus to have further decrease in temperature, but he is progressing with no concern.”

Furball pricked up his ears, hopped down from Quinn’s lap, bounded across the room and leaped onto the far bed, nestling himself down over Jake’s forehead.

“Well, that’s just the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,” Taylor said, helpless but to grin. “Always doing your bit to help, aren’t you, little guy?”

“I think he’s been worried,” Quinn commented. “He can tell when something’s up.”

They sat for a little while, quietly watching their friends sleep. Furball’s efforts paid off, with Jake’s temperature soon entering the normal range.

“This all has me thinking,” Quinn said, “it really might be better for us all if we find a way of moving closer to Elyys’tel. I know I’d been hesitant-- this place has come to feel like the closest thing to home I have-- but if La Huerta is home now, we can’t just shut ourselves away from it.”

Grace nodded. “We’ll have to all talk about it some more once everyone’s back on their feet. But I do keep thinking, somewhere along the coastal trail; we would have the best of both worlds, and we’d be making something all our own.”

“Every time I think I’ve removed the last image of his blasted face…,” Aleister scoffed. “It is truly amazing how much a person can enjoy the sight of themselves. I would turn my back on this place in a heartbeat.”

Taylor knew it was an inevitability. It was just time… for everyone to be ready to truly embrace what a life on La Huerta could be, to be ready to accept the permanence of their situation. A hotel could never be home forever.

“The more we belong here, the safer we’ll be,” she agreed. “This place is like Rourke… it’s fighting La Huerta, trying to tame something too far beyond us. We can’t thrive hiding behind a tall metal fence, expecting the danger to never creep in. We need to learn from the Vaanti, and that’s not happening here.”

“If I may say,” said Nesh, who’d just been checking his patients for signs of dehydration, “you will be welcomed well. It is far to walk here from Elyys’tel, and it is a shame for those of us who have enjoyed Centaurus’ ‘Grandma’ dishes.” A twinkle came to his golden eyes. “I would be very happy to exchange medical advice for ‘Grandma’ recipes.”

Maybe something like this really wouldn’t have to happen again. Maybe, Taylor considered, they just needed the wake-up call. Just as Diego and Varyyn having to incessantly back-and-forth between their two bases wasn’t working, neither was shutting themselves away from a society that welcomed them, embraced them, and genuinely wanted to see them find their feet.

Why do we always have to learn things the hard way?

___________________________

Sitting back in the couch, it was easy to get swept away by the gentle classical music and soft light… when one had been through the kind of day Michelle had, to give in and nap was a temptation.

Adjusting the fluid drip she was putting Estela on, Ravyya looked upon Michelle with a small smile. She hadn’t much experience with humans, but she’d already grown fond of Pavo. The Catalyst had fire in her eyes and a thirst for knowledge. If the Catalysts were to survive on Vaanu long-term, Ravyya was certain that Michelle’s drive to find success as a healer was vital.

“You look tired, Pavo,” the old healer commented. “It is harder, of course, when it is family.”

Family. Yes, Michelle couldn’t deny that one. She remembered back to that dreadful phone call they’d all made, leaving messages to loved ones back home. Her bridges burned, she’d had nothing to say. But Taylor had held her, loving her like a sister, and all of them-- Quinn, Estela, Craig, Zahra, Jake, Diego, Raj, and despite everything, Sean-- they’d all been there for her. When they’d been separated during the escape from MASADA, she’d grieved far more than she ever let on, though she guessed Raj had felt her tears against his shoulder that first night. This was her family, and for all she grieved the life, future, the world that had been lost, the people she was with made it bearable. It wasn’t just for herself that she wanted to become the closest thing she could to an actual doctor; now it was for them. Enough had been lost-- that the twelve of them would make it was non-negotiable.

She glanced to the bed, to Estela with her pallid skin soaked with sweat. She thought of Jake, the tortured look in his eyes… he’d said not to bother trying to cure him. And Sean….

If she lost him now, there was no way she could bear it.

“Nothing feels like enough,” she said quietly. “I liked the idea of caring for people-- and it came with prestige. My mother raised me alone; she’d be able to shove it in the faces of anyone who’d ever doubted her.”

 Somewhere along the line, she’d lost her mother. It was all her fault….

“Now,” she said with a bitter laugh, “it’s just us staying alive, and sometimes it feels like it’s all on me. Maybe… maybe I can go after a semblance of my dream, and maybe it’ll be enough, but right now, I’m just… drowning.”

Ravyya’s expression was sombre but sympathetic. It was difficult to fathom the scope of what the Catalysts were grieving, though it was far beyond offering comfort. There was little else, though, to give.

“From the stories I have heard, the twelve of you have survived great adversity… and you will survive now. It should be said, though…,” she paused, looking Michelle straight in the eye. “You are not alone.”

Michelle was quiet for a long while, as thoughts tumbled through her troubled mind. A best way forward had become clear to her, but it was only with the blessing of the healers of Elyys’tel that it had a chance.

“Ravyya,” she ventured at last, “I’ve been meaning to propose something to you.”

The old healer lifted her chin, listening.

“I want,” Michelle said, “to build a medical centre of sorts, one that combines human knowledge and technology with Vaanti medicine. I’m not prepared to give up my study, even if it’s not what I expected it to be. I have a wealth of medical textbooks available to me here, and Iris is willing to guide me. Rourke-- er, the Hydra-- left behind cutting-edge equipment that could be utilised for the good of the Vaanti people. And,” she faltered, knowing how much she was asking of Ravyya, “I would love for you to train me as you’re doing with Nesh.”

Ravyya frowned. The very mention of the Hydra’s name had made her lip curl, but she caught herself, aware that emotion could so easily cloud her best judgement. “I will need to carefully consider your request, Pavo,” she said slowly. “This clinic-- would you be stationing yourself in Elyys’tel? Healing care must follow the greatest need; that would not be here, where most Vaanti would not dream of venturing.”

“Yes, in Elyys’tel,” Michelle confirmed. “Assuming Varyyn approved, of course. Honestly, I don’t think… I don’t think we can stay where we are forever. We’re closed off here, and overwhelmed by the scale of what has to be maintained. I think something’s going to have to change.”

Considering the Catalyst quietly, Ravyya stroked her chin. “Let me sit with it.”

Michelle dared feel heartened, hopeful. The closest she’d felt to imagining her future self and feeling it to be her. She nodded her thanks.

There was a knock on the door, and Taylor came in, Furball perched upon her shoulder.

“Hi,” she said softly, weakly smiling her thanks to Michelle and Ravyya before her attention turned to Estela. “Do you think it’s safe for me to be here now?”

Ravyya stood up. “When she wakes, her mind will be clear. You may tend to her overnight if you wish; I will be in the next room should you need assistance.” Her expression softened a little. “I have no reason to believe you will; everything is progressing as we would expect. Goodnight, Catalysts.”

Michelle walked over to Taylor and hugged her. It had been a long, hard day. “Did you eat dinner?” she asked.

“I didn’t eat much, but it was something. Quinn said she was going to bring you something up?”

“Yeah, she did. I’ll probably go downstairs and sit with Sean and Jake for a little while before bed.”

This time, Taylor initiated the hug, squeezing Michelle tightly. “Just make sure you’re taking care of you as well. Thanks for everything, Meech.”

Then, Taylor was alone with Estela again.

It’s different now.

She wasn’t sure she’d believe it until she saw it for herself.

“It’s me, sweetheart,” she whispered. “Just me.”

To be safe, dreading Estela waking up to being trapped with a threat, Taylor resolved to sleep on the sofa-- it was comfortable enough, and she could keep an eye on her wife without risking making things worse. Ravyya had said it was fine, but…. She couldn’t know. Taylor’s need to be close to Estela had caused enough pain; she wouldn’t be selfish again.

She leaned in and softly kissed the top of Estela’s head. “Sleep well… I love you.”

Then, she settled herself down on the sofa with a spare blanket and closed her eyes. Sleep, she imagined, would not come easily.

“Mrrrp?” came the chittering of a tired fox.

“Come up here, Furball,” Taylor called gently. “I guess you figured I needed a cuddle, didn’t you?”

Furball snuggled in over her chest and under her arm, his little body pleasantly cool in the stuffy tropical night. Taylor tickled his soft belly, appreciating the company.

“G’dnight….”

[rootedincuteness]

PSA: Some Info About Butterfly Bushes

@windpurr

I'm sorry it took me so long to get to this. Life has been crazy of late. So... I had not heard about this myself, so I decided to look it up, and apparently, there are two major issues with butterfly bushes in many states in the U.S.:

They are considered an invasive species, and as such, they tend to take over certain areas and outcompete other plants that support caterpillars and butterflies. The result is that there are fewer sources of food to support some insect species, and their populations may suffer because of that.

They are very prolific. They make a lot of seeds and can spread very quickly to fill open areas, wherever the seeds are blown.

As far as it being illegal plant them, it is in all but two states. I happen to live in one of the states that does not have a legal ban on planting or owning butterfly bushes.

A little background about the bushes in my yard... There used to be five of them, all planted by my mother when I was a young child. We had a white one, a yellow one, a dark purple one, a blurple one, and a magenta one. For whatever reason, in the last 5-7 years or so, most of them have died off. We aren't sure whether that's because of some biological issue (bacteria, fungus, nutrient deficiency, etc.) or maybe due to extreme weather (we have been getting intense and prolonged heat waves in the Summer in recent years), but we're currently down to only two bushes.

The two we have left are the blurple one...

...and the magenta one...

The magenta one is healthier and gets more flowers. The blurple one has been struggling for a while now and doesn't get as many flowers, but it's holding on so far.

Even though they aren't banned in my state, I want to thank you for letting me know that these bushes can be problematic. I always thought of them fondly, because my mother planted them. She loved butterflies, so she thought she was doing a good thing by planting bushes that would feed them. She passed away in 2017, and remembering how much she loved the bushes, I don't have the heart to rip them up. However, I will take some steps in the future to help mitigate the negative local ecological impact of my butterfly bushes:

I've learned that the spreading of the seeds is a huge part of the problem, and that this can be minimized by clipping the dead flowers before they can disperse seeds and properly disposing them. Both of my bushes have many dead flowers right now, so I will get right on that.

When and if these two bushes die, I will not replace them. Instead, I will look to plant something less invasive that will benefit local insect species.

I was going to do this anyway, since they've grown a bit spindly, but I will trim back both of my bushes and keep them to a smaller size. This will reduce the number of flowers they produce each year.

Again, thank you for bringing this to my attention, I really appreciate it! I am an environmental microbiologist and I teach environmental science, so I care very much about the environment and about lowering the negative impact I have on it. I will definitely look into what I can replace these bushes with when they die.

Have a great day! =)

[clockworkdragonffxiv]

So I was thinking about the Endwalker arc in FFXIV because none of you can hope to stop me because it's cold and I didn't want to get out of bed and the story of Venat reminded me of a passage from Fred Saberhagen's science fiction universe, Berserker.

To us, the Carmpan watchers, the withdrawn seers and touchers of minds, it appeared that you had carried the crushing weight of war through all your history knowing that it would at last be needed, that this hour would strike when nothing less awful would serve. When the hour struck and our enemy came without warning, you were ready with swarming battle-fleets. You were dispersed and dug in on scores of planets, and heavily armed. Because you were, some of you and some of us are now alive.

What my mind is connecting that with is why Venat/Hydalen did to the world. She created a world full of so much pain and adversity and struggle that it created a version of mankind with the sheer resilience to push back against Metion's song. That even in the face of cosmic despair humanity had inherited her resolve and would soldier on. Or just her stubbornness and willingness to take the suffering and use it as armor. Because nothing less awful would have sufficed.

It's also, I think, where the original Azem failed. Because that world didn't know suffering or pain as the modern one did. So they were overcome too by the song. Or otherwise failed.

While their reincarnation had been tempered in the flames of everything short of armageddon itself hurling themselves at challenges far mightier than them and suffering again and again to the point that even Fordola was both astonished that you were still standing and, I think, moved to get back on her feet and get to work. Because if the WoL could endure all the shit they'd been through, well, all she could do too was get up and keep moving forward.

But not just the WoL. The Scions and even Zenos were part of that. Creating humans whose response to existential despair is to fight back with even greater strength, and sacrifice in droves all so one of them can get close enough to Metion to stop her. She turned the planet into a world much like our own: a crucible. Because the incredible strength of the Ancients wasn't enough, they needed tempering. They needed the raw psychotic tenacity to look all the despair and dread of the universe in the eye and go, "No."

... and then try and tear that eye out with their bare hands.

She's a rather morally ambiguous character, and the game acknowledges that. I mean, what Venat did was monstrous, yet nothing less would have prepared humanity to have a chance at resisting Metion's song to the point that once people had the chance they could brace themselves against it and soldier on. Nothing else would have had the weapons ready for the WoL and Scions to take the fight to Metion herself, such as the Ragnarok and the tribes being willing to hurl their own gods into the ship's furnaces just so their champion could get at her.

Sure, the WoL had spent years laying the groundwork for this as they had befriended pretty much everyone until it created an alliance that grew beyond them, but Venat created the ground for that seed to be laid in. And she did it on a mountain of death.

Because it was the only thing that could be done.

[originemesis]

@sixwingedmercy xxx

"Well.." The angel spoke, walking towards him and taking a seat next to him, her eyes falling to the guitar, listening to the notes as they danced in the air. It was nice. Adam was a very talented musician, one of his many talents he held and didn't display to the many. It was a shame really. Adam was hard to read, she admit to that, but it was a talent of her's to be able to read people's souls. It was necessary for her role. If she couldn't tell what people were feeling, she wouldn't be able to bring out the joy within them.

She folded her hands in her lap, looking off towards the sky around them. "You're different from the other mortal souls that inhabit Heaven, you know that." The seraphim spoke, her words soft and caring. She was used to Adam's crass attitude. It didn't phase her anymore. The mortal souls that accompanied them, well, that was a different story. There were many times she noticed them being taken aback. "Is there anything on your mind? You know I'm good listener. I won't tell Sera anything either, you have my word. " She asked, turning to look at him in the eye, or well, the eye that lit up upon the mask he wore. Emily wished he would not wear it so often. She never understood why he felt the need to done the mask as much as he did. It was like he was trying to hide.

Oh great- she was pulling up a perch. It's not like he really expect Miss Sunshine and Rainbows to up and fuck off in a flustered flailing of white wings with the rather tame (for him, anyway) take he was granting her under the cotton candy shades that heaven's twilight brought with it. But the seed of doubt in his chest that had sprouted twice before with the disparaging dispersal of both the beings created to remain at his side still remained like an already hard pill to swallow and accompanied with the conditions of a dry mouth and not a glass of water in sight. Maybe once that cloud they were on spilled its pink jelly guts.

Shifting a knee he'd monotonously man spread out under the wide spill of his robe to make room for her to plop into her own rendition of a to turtledove loafing in the cumulus, he waits for whatever degree of that daily affirmations mumbo jumbo she was prone to pitch him in her pursuit of uncontested joy in heaven and keeps strumming long and slow notes that spark up hints of electricity between his talons and the strings. If her hair frizzed up from sitting too close, that was on her.

"Yeah- yeah. I'm just built different. You actually come up here for something, or is preaching to the choir all you're good for~" A lazy click of his tongue dispelled any hint of agitation his words might suggest. He was harsh by his very nature - what a clean and smooth soil turned out like when ran through the wringer that was Earth outside of the garden a few too many times: coarse, calloused, realistic...certainly lacking a filter. Or at least one that wasn't grimed over beyond Sera's efforts of guidance. Of course that high and mighty attitude of hers didn't exactly help expedite the process any faster. Her seraphim successor had the right idea with how to handle him though- with a careful softness that cushioned his tumultuous talents and directed them where needed.

"Won't you?" A mostly unconvinced snort follows a series of tremolos he plucks along the neck of his axe. "Looks like I'm turning out to be the influence she always warned you about. My very existence convincing you to keep secrets from the boss ~ or maybe you're just finally hitting your 'too rad for rules' phase?" With a light shrug that sends his rolled sleeves back down over his playing hands, he paused mid-melody to hike them back up to his elbows. "Well, there's not much to say is there?" After the fussing with his garments, he drums talon tips along the golden base of the soul bound instrument absentmindedly before flicking a side long look at his hunkered company.

"Vibing with folks up here... it's like-yeowch! Pulling teeth, y'know?"

[casspurrjoybell-17]

Hart and Hunter - Chapter 16 - Part 2

*Warning Adult Content*

Julian Hart

With the more relaxed atmosphere, new questions rise in my mind. 

I still can't wrap my head around the fact I have a great-uncle who looks young enough to be my brother and I haven't even begun to process what he'd told me about my Fae ancestry but the mystery of Lagrange seems mundane by comparison. 

"I've been thinking," I say, drawing even with Halloran as we approach the place where he and I had discovered the cavern.

"Let's say you're right and Rhiannon came through the portal here but you said portals in the 'underworld' are hard to find, while on this side, they don't change. If Lagrange was her target, it seems too coincidental that he'd have a shop right above the one she found." 

"I see your point," he allows.

"And I've been pondering the same thing. Honestly, I don't know, which is why we're here."

"The runes are strange, too," I say.

"What do they mean and who were they for?" 

"That I can answer," Halloran says.

"Your scholarly wolf is correct, more or less. The one in the thrift shop means 'Hart' and 'beware' while the one in Lagrange's means 'ha Lárán' or 'Halloran' if you will and 'so it is done.' Runes are cryptic, even among Fae;but I think the messages were meant for other Shifters other targets and not for us. The first tells them why she's here, vengeance for her lover and perhaps for her son. The second tells them who seeks it."

 "So, a calling card." 

"More or less." 

"Do you think she'd talk to us? To me?" I ask.

"I mean... It's been, what? Almost sixty years since she was banished. Couldn't she be pardoned and allowed home after all this time? If she stops murdering people, I mean." 

Halloran winces.

"I don't think you quite comprehend the scope and severity of her crimes, Julian."

He lowers his voice, perhaps conscious of Dane and Ingrid's presence.

"She slaughtered an entire innocent Wolf-pack and jeopardized a fragile peace. However tragic her own tale, the choices she made were her own and she bears the responsibility. Besides, as you say, it's been nigh on sixty years. Sixty years in the underworld is no picnic. I'd be surprised if she's even sane at this point. So don't put too much stock in the meaning of runes." 

I fall silent again as the seeds of his words sprout new questions in my mind. 

How would Dane's family feel if they knew just whose grandson he'd mated with?

And was it right for me to stand at his side and 'claim' land where my own ancestor had spilled Wolf's blood?

Despite my commitment to support him, he'd told me the ritual required a full moon, so we had another ten days to think it through. 

My thoughts are interrupted as we reach the place where Halloran and I had moved the bricks and all eight of us crowd about the opening, peering in.

"I've only brought spelunking equipment for two," Halloran says.

"Anyone have experience caving?" 

"I do," Ingrid says, raising her hand and then wincing as her nails scrape the vaulted ceiling overhead.

"I went caving with friends last summer." 

"You did?" Dane asks skeptically and Ingrid sticks her tongue out at him.

"Anyone else?" Halloran offers, half hopefully but Ingrid remains the only eager volunteer. 

He sighs.

"Very well. The two of us will explore the lower cavern. The rest of you record as much as you can up here, take pictures and notes, whatever. We want a detailed map of the place, if possible." 

We disperse in groups of three... Chloe, Ian and Sam head back the way we'd come while Grace, Dane and I forge on into the dark. 

Without the added spice of fear, the tunnels quickly lose their air of intrigue and before long, I'm tired and bored with the cold brick passageways. 

It's obvious they align with the streets above, with branches leading to the historic buildings on the block.

Some are dead ends... things have changed since the tunnels were built but some lead to trap doors like the one in Lagrange's shop. 

Oddly, we can't open any of them from this side. 

"So, this grandma thief is running around, right?" Grace posits.

"Breaking into shops and stealing crap, looking for a Shifter. Okay but how does she get down the tunnel and conceal it from the top? Basic rule of true crime... you can't kill yourself and bury yourself, too." 

I laugh but to my surprise, Dane takes the question seriously. 

"That's a good point," he says.

"I wonder..." 

A scream cuts him off and we freeze, listening.

"Was that...?"

"Ingrid," Dane confirms.

"I'd know that ear-piercer anywhere." 

“Shit.” 

As one, the three of us turn and make our back down the tunnel as quickly as we can. 

At the cavern, we find Halloran helping Ingrid over the lip of the chasm and I breathe a sigh of relief.

Both appear unharmed. 

"What happened?" Dane asks, as Ingrid unclips herself from the ropes. 

Ingrid shakes her head and points toward the circular hole at her back.

"See for yourself." 

I advance, Dane at my side and the two of us shine twin beams down on the black water a dozen meters below. 

A pale shape catches the light, and I bite back a gasp.

"Holy shit," Grace breathes over my shoulder, giving voice to my thoughts.

"Is that... a body?" 

"Yes," Halloran confirms grimly.

"And unless I'm very much mistaken, it's the body of Jeffrey Lagrange."

[bethestaryouareradio]

Nature Talks

“Stop, look, and listen. Nature is what you may be missing.” Cynthia Brian

StarStyle® Empowerment is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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When I was telling my husband that I had deep watered one of our magnolia trees, his response, was “Why did you do that? Don’t you think the tree had plenty of water this past winter?” I retorted, “If you drink three glasses of water on Saturday, don’t you think you’d be thirsty by Thursday?” It was an “aha” moment because he really thought that just because we had experienced a very wet winter, the trees were sufficiently satiated and wouldn’t need additional moisture in the summer. “You better write about this in your garden column,” he said.

And so, I will.

Probably like many people, my husband doesn’t know much about gardening or beneficial natural practices. Although he appreciates a beautiful landscape, he prefers to fill the green bin with leaves and grass clippings, while I’m an advocate for composting the matter. He’ll pull a “stick” out of the ground believing that it is dead, whereas the peony was just dormant. We are forever engaged in a battle of the bins.

Having grown up on a farm and ranch, I have the advantage because I was taught to listen to the calls of nature from babyhood. My mother told me that when I was only a few weeks old, she would put me on a blanket under an orange tree canopy as she worked in the orchard. Evidently, I was mesmerized by the rustling leaves, babbled at the birds, and cooed at the changing light. My formative years encompassed a deep connection to the land that has trained me to respect and admire the natural world throughout my life.

Nature doesn’t communicate with humans in our language. But nature does indeed talk to us with its own language. By observing and understanding the cues in nature, humans gain insights, knowledge, and inspiration. We must learn to utilize all our senses. The sounds we hear from the buzzing bees, the chirping birds, the gurgling creek, or the whirling wind convey information about the environment, species interactions, and weather conditions. The scents we smell are plants and animals communicating with one another about mating, territory marking, food availability, or even danger.

Nature gives us signals when plants, trees, shrubs, or flowers require essential resources. There are visual cues, physiological changes, and even interactions with the surrounding environment.

When addressing the needs of your garden, be aware of these signs:

1.     Wilting. When plants lack water, as an adaptive response, their leaves or stems will droop, fold under, go limp, and even drop.

2.     Color and Texture changes: When plants experience a deficit of nutrients, they will exhibit distinct changes in the leaves. Nitrogen loss results in yellow or very pale green leaves. Iron and manganese deficiency will show yellowing between the veins of leaves, called interveinal chlorosis. Chlorosis means a lack of chlorophyll which is the pigment responsible for a healthy plant’s green color.

3.     Slow growth: When plants have insufficient nutrients, minerals, and food, plant growth is stunted.

4.     Flower and fruiting patterns: Again, nutrient deficiencies or water stress affect flowering and fruiting. There could be a reduction in production, smaller flowers or fruit, or even lower quality.

5.     Root development: Roots provide valuable insights into the needs of a plant. If roots are shallow, brown, mushy, too dry, or lack fine feeder roots, this could indicate poor soil conditions, too much water or waterlogging, lack of moisture, or the necessity for fertilizer.

6.     Interaction with pollinators and wildlife: When plants lack resources, their normal characteristics may be modified to attract pollinators or seed-dispersing animals. They may produce additional fruit, pollen, or nectar to entice animals and insects to stop by to help with reproduction. If you’ve ever walked through a patch of forget-me-nots after flowering, you’ll remember how your socks or pants were covered with sticky seeds ready to be deposited elsewhere.

The more time we spend outdoors in nature, the deeper sense of connection and knowledge we will acquire. Our association with the natural environment is a direct source of stress relief, inspiration, peace, and reflection. This leads to greater understanding and appreciation for our earth while cultivating a harmonious relationship with nature. We become intuitive to the needs of our plants and trees.

This past year at the Biodiversity Conference in Montreal, more than 190 countries committed to protecting 30% of their lands, oceans, and inland waters by the year 2030. Biodiversity loss is one of the top threats to humanity. Humans have the ability and the responsibility to assist the health and longevity of our planet.

The leaves on my magnolia tree were drooping, furling, wilting, and dropping. All it took for it to bounce back to its elegant beauty was a deep soaking.

Nature is talking to all of us. We need to stop, look, and listen.

Happy Gardening. Happy Growing. Happy Summer!

Cynthia Brian’s June Digging Deep Gardening Tips

EMPTY vessels of water to eliminate mosquito larvae from hatching. Add DUNKS or a few drops of bleach to any standing water such as a bird bath or non-recirculating fountain. Do not add bleach where fish or frogs reside.

ADD brilliance to your patio or patio with containers filled with petunias, geraniums, or other summer bloomers.

CUT all grasses surrounding your home to three inches or less and remove junk and debris from the perimeter to create a defensible space from fires.

MAKE a rich potting mix by mixing equal parts of good soil, compost, and sand. Add leaf matter and liquid fertilizer.

NET your fruit trees or pick the fruit early to prevent hungry birds from devouring your summer crops of cherries, peaches, apricots, and apples.

CELEBRATE the summer solstice by creating an upscale, yet casual table arrangement with a variety of roses.

PLANT a passionflower vine to climb a pole for a fascinating futuristic flowering showstopper.

DEEP SOAK any trees with wilting, drooping, or dropping leaves. If you have magnolias, the large creamy white flowers dazzle after a deep soak.

ATTRACT butterflies and honeybees by planting nectar-rich specimens including zinnias, butterfly bush, and scarlet runner beans.

SUPPORT your sprouting tomatoes with wire cages or teepees to prevent them from toppling over to sprawling on the ground. The fruit will rot when in contact with soil.

Raised in the vineyards of Napa County, Cynthia Brian is a New York Times best-selling author, actor, radio personality, speaker, media and writing coach as well as the Founder and Executive Director of Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3. Tune into Cynthia’s StarStyle® Radio Broadcast at www.StarStyleRadio.com.

Her newest children’s picture book, No Barnyard Bullies, from the series, Stella Bella’s Barnyard Adventures is available now at https://www.CynthiaBrian.com/online-store.

Hire Cynthia for writing projects, garden consults, and inspirational lectures. Cynthia@GoddessGardener.com

http://www.GoddessGardener.com

Read Cynthia Brian’s Digging Deep Column: https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1709/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian-Nature-talks.html

Voice America Press Pass: https://www.vapresspass.com/2023/06/23/nature-talks/

©2023 All texts and photos by Cynthia Brian, StarStyle® Productions LLC, All Rights Reserved

[xtruss]

A skeleton of the newly described bat species Icaronycteris gunnelli unearthed at a site in southwestern Wyoming and now located at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. Photograph By Royal Ontorio Museum

​52-Million-Year-Old Bat Skeletons are the Oldest Ever—and Tell a ‘Really Weird’ Tale

The discovery of a new prehistoric bat species sheds light on the origins of these flying mammals—and raises questions about how they developed the ability to echolocate.

— By Jay Bennette | April 12, 2023

The oldest bat skeletons in the world have been identified as a new species, helping scientists fill in the spotty fossil record of these flying mammals and providing new clues about how they evolved. Both skeletons were recovered from an ancient lakebed in southwestern Wyoming, a site that preserves an entire subtropical lake ecosystem and surrounding forest from about 52 million years ago.

The newly discovered bat, Icaronycteris gunnelli, weighed only about 25 grams, roughly as much as five marbles. It had already evolved the ability to fly and likely had developed the capacity to echolocate. The small bat probably lived in the trees surrounding the lake, flying over the water to hunt insects, says Tim Rietbergen, an evolutionary biologist at the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in the Netherlands and lead author of the study describing the species in the journal PLOS ONE.

Today bats are among the most successful animals on the planet, with more than 1,400 species accounting for one-fifth of all mammal species. They live on every continent except Antarctica, and they are often critical to ecological stability, providing key functions such as pollination, seed dispersal, and insect population management.

The cliff face of a quarry is dotted with information signs for tourists to read as they ascend the stairs.

Flights of stairs lead to the preserved rock of an ancient lakebed in Wyoming's Fossil Butte National Monument. The newly described bat fossils were found just outside the park on private land. Photographs By National Park Service

Despite the ubiquitousness of bats, scientists know very little about their origins. The skeletons from Fossil Lake, the name of the preserved lakebed in Wyoming, date to the early Eocene epoch. At that time, global temperatures were on the rise and mammals, insects, and flowering plants were rapidly spreading and diversifying. These bats look remarkably similar to modern bats, with elongated fingers to hold wing membranes.

“The thought is that … bats originated from some sort of small, insectivorous mammals that were probably arboreal,” says Matthew Jones, a paleontologist at Arizona State University and one of the authors of the study. “But there’s a lot of those,” he adds, pointing out that we don’t know which ones may be related to bats. “Most of them are only known from isolated teeth and jaw fragments.”

After bats appear in the fossil record, they quickly spread around the world. The most ancient bat teeth and jaw bones found so far are roughly 55 million years old. Incomplete specimens from Portugal and China predate the newly described skeletons by a few million years. Scientists don’t know where bats first appeared, though it was likely in Europe, Asia, or North America before the animals spread to the Southern Hemisphere.

“It’s kind of a mystery,” says Alexa Sadier, an evolutionary biologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, who was not involved in the new study. “We don’t have any transitional forms.”

Small Clues

Rietbergen first saw one of the skeletons of Icaronycteris gunnelli in 2017 when he was scrolling through Facebook. “I was like, hmm, this looks a little bit different,” he says.

After asking for some measurements of the fossil, which had been found at a private quarry and was listed for sale, he reached out to Nancy Simmons, a bat expert at the American Museum of Natural History. She agreed with him that it looked like a new species, and AMNH bought the fossil for its collections.

In addition to analyzing the new fossil, the study team reexamined bat skeletons that were already in museum collections. They found another fossil of I. gunnelli that had been acquired by the Royal Ontario Museum in 2002 and was originally classified as the related species I. index.

Top: A male stingray known as Asterotrygon maloneyi from Fossil Lake in Wyoming. The ancient lake supported a thriving ecosystem of fish and other aquatic life, while the surrounding forest was filled with insects, reptiles, mammals, and birds. Bottom: An ancient palm frond from Fossil Lake. The presence of palm trees indicates the area had a much warmer and wetter climate 52 million years ago, similar to the Gulf Coast of the United States today. The specimen is approximately two meters long and is on display at the Mesalands Dinosaur Museum in New Mexico. Photographs By National Park Service

The two skeletons look similar to modern bats, but there are subtle differences. “One thing that stood out for me in the first place,” Rietbergen says, “was the robustness of the bones, especially the hind limbs.”

Most bats today have thin, light bones that make them better suited for flight. The thicker limbs of I. gunnelli may indicate that the species retained some traits of its evolutionary predecessors, such as stronger legs for climbing trees.

The bat also had a claw on its index finger as well as its thumb, while most modern bats have only thumb claws to dangle from as they sleep—another hint that bats from this time may represent the last phases of a transition from climbers to specialized fliers.

The picture gets more complicated when considering a larger bat species from a different genus that also lived at Fossil Lake around the same time, Onychonycteris finneyi. This bat had a claw on each finger and relatively short wings, suggesting it got around by climbing and a fluttering method of flight. Based on the size and shape of its inner ear, O. finneyi was probably not capable of echolocation, unlike I. gunnelli and I. index. Scientists originally considered O. finneyi to be evidence that flight had evolved in bats before echolocation.

But an analysis of the evolutionary relationships between these three bat species from Fossil Lake, as well as other fossil and living bats, found that I. gunnelli and I. index were most closely related to O. finneyi rather than to other echolocating bats. That “is really unexpected and really weird,” Jones says.

“We have in the fossil record a non-echolocating bat that’s most closely related to a group of echolocating bats,” he says. But he noted that this is also true for present-day flying foxes, a group of large fruit-eating bats that cannot echolocate but are most closely related to a group of bats that can. “There’s possibly multiple origins of echolocation or there’s multiple losses of echolocation among even these earliest bats,” Jones says, “which is really, really bizarre.”

Untangling the Past

Complete bat skeletons from the Eocene are rare, and Fossil Lake in Wyoming is one of the only places they have been found. The warm, wet forests that bats lived in were poor environments for preserving their small bones. Only when the bats were quickly buried, such as after sinking to the bottom of a deep lake, have their entire skeletons been preserved.

A few million years after the appearance of bats in southwestern Wyoming, several species lived near a similar lake ecosystem in Germany—and these later animals looked even more like modern bats.

Scientists believe that advantages such as flight and echolocation would have helped bats spread and diversify rapidly. The mammals may have adapted to nocturnal lives to avoid competition with or predation by birds—but when this transition occurred is unclear.

Genetic research has shed little light on the direct ancestors to bats. Instead, studies of DNA have revealed that bats belong to a superorder of mammals called Laurasiatheria, which includes other insectivores such as shews and moles. But it also includes animals that outwardly seem to have no relation to bats. Among them are whales; ungulates like horses, rhinos, and hippos; and the order carnivora, which includes cats, dogs, and bears. Surprisingly, all these animals are more closely related to bats than rodents.

“If you look at the DNA, we get, like, hoofed animals as the closest relatives, which is crazy,” Rietbergen says. “There’s something going on there.”

To fill in the gaps, and possibly even discover the immediate ancestor to bats, scientists are hoping to find more skeletons.

“The more we will find, the more we’ll better understand about how many species of bats were there at that time, how different they were, how diverse they were,” UCLA’s Sadier says. And maybe, searching deeper in time, we will even find the “transitional forms that we are all hoping to find one day.”

[niiicedave]

The Pharcyde - 4 Better Or 4 Worse (1992) (DJ Nu-Mark RMX) (2008) 

Uh, do you take, Rhymealinda Do you love me Tre, do you really love me? To be your lawfully, wedded, wife?

Uh, uh, I do, I do, no I don't, I do

Ah roomie zoom zim, I'm all to be wed To Rhymealinda I remember um, when we first met In eighty-two back in school used to play up all the fools Sometimes you'd be my number fives sometimes you'd be my twenty-two But um, screw the dumb shit, 'cause little Rhyme's true I can't wait to say I do and oh yeah honey there's no due I got my chariot, rolling, now I'm mic controlling Got some spunk in my funk, I can't wait to put some soul in We're rolling all strikes, we're having little tykes One is little Mike the others Ike I'm sure that you would like To hold em, or maybe stroll em on their little bikes When they're born, I've sworn, to bring 'em up right You know, dope is how I breed em, beats is what I'll feed 'em They'll be healthy like a health nut I'm sure you shake your butt (Kick the verse preacher) and I won't disperse Here's my life Rhymealinda for better or for worse

Well it's done she tagged me, duck duck goose I'm batter up I can't sleep the fly brotha must produce The power pack and I'm stacked like a forty-five Mag Straight up tennis shoes in my pants there's a sag Dropping so much grammar gotta slam it down my mouth Shup? I met a slut she, put me in the rut G With the dip that was down with me from the whole front Now front me never too cool how-ever I gotta get the bread, gotta get the butter Fix it up eat down throw it in the gutter (Gutter dreamed it) sour, (creamed it) gotta Skinny-dipped into her ass as if it was a pool of water Now the water's getting hotter so I bought her a new ring Maybe a love ballad is the song I sing I gotta kiss her ass my tongue I hold before I curse If you really want me bitch, take me for better or for worse

Well this is the final chapter (hello?) Of me, we're going to rack up (who is this?) In tune, in tune, in tune, a button (why are you calling my house?) A button, a button! Oh come on, honey (who is this? What?) Would you come along with me down (Mike is that you?) The lane and I will pick your brain (oh my God, who is this?) I won't be good like you think I will (I'll fucking call the cops) I'll take a hammer and start to drill (don't call my house) Your skull, and then I'll really start (oh my God, what is this) Picking, your brains cells, I will be (what? I'm gonna call the cops) Licking, mm mm mm mm! okay? (quit fucking around) You taste so intelligent, ah (hello, who is this?) Yes yes yes, you trusted me, now (help, who is this? What) I busted thee, top of your skull (are you doing? Why are you) You thought the day was going to be dull (calling me?) I'll make it very exciting I took your fingers then I started (who are you? Why are you) Biting, and then I scraped the meat (calling my house?) Off, the bone, of your leg (stop calling here!) Ah, you tried to make me beg (don't call here anymore) But I had to insist, I had to insist I, run up your pussy with my fist Okay, I think we've gone a little bit (I'm gonna call the cops!) Overboard, don't stop it yet (fuck you don't call my house!)

Like this ("like what like what like what")

Yo, I'm Audi Gee No doubts manufactured No ah copies, we can't ah, do the copies No copies, okay Oh, so you expect me to do some type of freak show? That's what it really is huh? Is that what you want? What you talking about? What you talking bout nigga? What you know bout the problems of L.A.? I'ma tell you what's wrong with the problems Of the people in the L.A. See the brothers needs some type of education And you know, some type of foundation, in the, uh Community, cause the mute-co, duh, the community Grows like seeds, and the seeds will not fall from The tree if you don't water the grass So nigga get off your rusty black ass Like this, like this You can get with this, or you can get with that I think you get with this because Fat Lip's fat Fat Uh, okay um, okay uh, keep going keep going keep going Keep going, hey Romye Romye, come here come here come here come here come here Come here come here (ok ok hey yo yo yo yo) come here for a second Hey Rhasaan, Rhasaan, Imani, Imani I think you should Oh, duh!

Songwriters: Derrick Lemel Stewart / Derrick Stewart / Emandu Imani Rashaan Wilcox / Emandu Wilcox / John Martinez / Lou Donaldson / Trevant Jermaine Hardson

4 Better or 4 Worse (interlude) lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

[impishglee]

oh are we doing trc/tdt canon major hate? is that what’s up? anyway. why the fuck is blue not a conservation biologist and/or an ecologist. what the fuck is sociology. blue is doing biodiversity rapid inventories in the cloud forests as we speak

[balkanradfem]

How I learned to grow leek

My first method of growing leek was to plant it inside in containers, and wow they did not like that. I managed to grow 2 leeks per season, and one got stolen at that. There was, however, a gardener in the community garden, who always had extra leek, she was giving it away, she couldn't get rid of it enough, and I was perplex how was she doing it. So one day, she came over to my garden, and decided to teach me her ways.

The instructions I got from her were as follows: Dig out a shallow row, it doesn't need to be big or long, just the depth of a finger. Then, sow seeds in it thickly, she helped me do it and we dispersed a half of a seed package in that little row. Then water gently, so the water doesn't carry seeds around, and cover it back up with soil. No watering after you cover it up, the dry soil keeps the moisture safe underground and makes it easier for the plants to come up.

What happened next is they grew like this!

I was very surprised that almost every seed we threw down germinated and decisively grew, while me trying to germinate it inside had 2% success rate. They like being outdoors better! Now, what we grew is a bunch of plant starts, they can't exactly grow big this close together, so the next instruction I got was: Wait until they're the thickness of a pencil, then pull them out, and plant anywhere in the garden, separated.

I waited until they got bigger, and for rain to fall, because I needed soft wet soil in order to be able to pull out the little leeks without breaking them. Planting was extremely easy – just stabbing a stick into the ground to make a hole, pushing the leek in, and then pushing the soil to keep it in place. It didn't feel like they were taking any space in the garden at all, because they could be planted anywhere  - in the middle of strawberries, between tomatoes, around peppers, any little space I could find, I'd pack a few leeks there. They were still so small, I doubted if many of them would take and actually grow.

And you know what. Every. Single one of them grew. It turns out they're extremely happy to latch onto any earth and will grow in any place they can. I planted them apart late summer, and in the fall, I had some good young fresh leeks! I left most of them in the garden during winter, and found out that leek will not grow much during the cold frosty weather, but it will stay put, stay fresh, and be perfectly delicious to eat. So every time I'd visit my garden in the winter, I would take a few leeks back and had leeks all winter. And then in the spring, they started growing again! And then I found I had actual big leeks, and every tiny one who seemed like it was struggling, suddenly transformed into a large ass leek.

It is now the end of May, and I am still eating leeks from that same planting. I had never, from the moment they were starting to grow, been out of leeks. I've brought in more than 100 leeks during the last two seasons. I've had leeks in every possible way. I've had to harvest the last of them because it's been so hot now, they're going to seed, and even when they're going to seed, they're still tasting just as good.

So now, you finally understand why I am complaining about washing vegetables. When a woman has to bring in and wash 100 leeks, that is not something that happens without consequences. Leeks grow their layers from underground up, meaning every single time a new leaf grows, dirt from the ground gets trapped between the leaf and the stem. Meaning, even after your leek looks washed, as soon as you start cutting or peeling it, there will be dirt falling out of it everywhere.

But anyway, here's to 100 leeks for all of you hungry for leek! This way of planting also proved great for parsley (without planting apart) and parsnip (also without planting apart, and a little deeper row). I've certainly been impressed with how happily these will grow sowed outside! Hope you all have leek abundance.