#urban orchid

[imagesinbloom]

What shops carry your products?

here is the list of fine retailers that carry our products. Shop local or shop with us online !!!

We are not always out at art fairs, and not everyone likes to buy online, so we have worked hard to get our products into fine shops around the area. Here is our current list!!!

[gardenwithnana]

We call it an Orchid Tree, but were not sure that it's an orchid.

[msmysticfail]

all rights reserved

[quinnfrankephotography]

Awesome walk this morning. A Photographer in the park was asking me about charismatic animals and I hadn't seen any in the last few weeks. So of course after I saw all this cool stuff.

[aliaslittlewilliam]

Street Orchid, Turin, Italy

Copyright @aliaslittlewilliam

[invoke-parlay]

My little baby experimental hydroponic tomato I’m growing in an orchid pot. I love plants 🌱

[a-cosmic-latte]

[gloomglimmer]

𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑-𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐃  𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐒  …  (  𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞  𝐨𝐟  𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬  )  set  the  scene  with  these modern &  evocative  prompts  inspired  by  florals  &  their  hidden  meanings. themes:  city living, devotion,  sacrifice,  healing  &  protection.   

⁽   *   ⁾    𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐒  𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐊   →   sentence  starters

“I  will  always  find  you,  no  matter  how  lost  you  feel.”

“Let  me  take  your  pain—if  I  could  bear  it  for  you,  I  would.”

“You  don’t  have  to  stand  alone—I’ll  always  be  here  to  catch  you.”

“Your  scars  do  not  make  you  less  worthy  of  love.”

“Rest  now.  I’ll  be  here  when  you  wake.”

“I  will  stand  between  you  and  the  storm.”

“Tell  me  your  story—I  want  to  know  every  part  of  you.”

“Run.  I’ll  hold  them  back.”

“Let  me  hold  you  until  the  nightmares  fade.”

"If  they  want  you,  they’ll  have  to  go  through  me  first.”

“I  will  always  be  your  light,  even  in  the  darkest  moments.”

“Come  back  to  me.  I’ll  wait  as  long  as  it  takes.”

“I  won’t  let  them  take  you—I’d  give  anything  to  keep  you  safe.”

⁽   *   ⁾    𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐒  𝐒𝐄𝐄   →   scene  prompts

LAVENDER  →  A  small,  cozy  apartment  in  the  heart  of  a  busy  city.

CHERRY  BLOSSOM  →  A  rooftop  bar  with  twinkling  fairy  lights.

RED  ROSE  →  A  luxury  penthouse  suite.

SUNFLOWER  →  A  sunflower  farm  just  outside  of  town.

RUE  →  A  quiet,  almost  abandoned  street  in  the  heart  of  the  city.

FORGET-ME-NOT  →  A  run-down  but  charming  vintage  record  store  tucked  between  newer  shops

BLACK  VELVET  PETUNIA  →  A  chic,  underground  jazz  club  in  a  city’s  artsy  district.

MARIGOLD  →  A  farmers’  market  on  a  busy  weekend  morning.

MOONFLOWER  →  A  secluded,  trendy  rooftop  lounge  overlooking  a  sprawling  cityscape  at  night.

POPPY  →  An  abandoned  warehouse  on  the  outskirts  of  town.

MANDRAKE  →  A  small,  independent  cafe  nestled  on  a  quiet  street.

LILY  →  A  serene,  minimalist  art  gallery  with  bright  white  walls.

CARNATION  →  A  high-end  florist  shop  with  glass  vases  of  colorful  blooms.

PEONY  →  A  luxury  spa  retreat  by  the  beach.

ORCHID  →  A  rooftop  garden  in  a  sleek  modern  building.

DAFFODIL  →  A  trendy  brunch  spot  by  the  lake.

TULIP  →  A  chic  urban  loft  filled  with  large  windows  and  tulip  arrangements.

CAMELLIA  →  A  sleek  art  deco  hotel  lobby.

JASMINE  →  A  night-lit  garden  terrace  attached  to  a  modern  apartment.

SNAPDRAGON  →  A  secret  garden  tucked  behind  an  old  café  in  the  city.

LOTUS  →  A  chic  yoga  studio  with  floor-to-ceiling  windows  overlooking  a  busy street.

AZALEA  →  A  late-night  food  truck  park.

[inonibird]

HEY, remember how I chatted about making soaps and candles earlier this year?? And then barely posted about it? I've been actually doing it all along, I just never shared a whole lot about the journey. :'D But for anyone curious, here's what I came up with for the various Scents of Sahuldeem (not all pictured, but everything WAS crafted as some point and thusly sniffed and approved), accompanied by excerpts where the original source of said scents were mentioned throughout the series:

Kuninda :: Peony ~ Plumeria ~ Orchid The only touch of decor to suggest this chamber housed someone special was the ceramic pot of kuninda blossoms on the table. || The rest looped chains of fiery kuninda blossoms over the stone statue wherever they could reach.

(note: looks and smells like Starburst)

Kushlal :: Butterscotch ~ Marshmallow ~ Warm Vanilla Sugar “Ah,” said San Hill with a knowing smile when the droid translated. “So you do have a word for sweetness. Though I suspect it is an uncommon flavor?” || The kushlal taste of the blue food—so much more intense and delightful than the fruit on Kalee!—was almost worth the stomachache.

Nuurma :: Grapefruit ~ Verbena ~ Bergamot The fruit trees and bushes were not quite ready for harvest, but it would not be unheard of for someone to pluck a round, juicy nuurma from a branch prematurely to enjoy its tartness. That is precisely what Bentilais san Sk’ar did as he strolled into the courtyard, first nodding down at the posted attendant and then pausing to pick a rose-flushed nuurma that looked like it had been specially cultivated for children in his huge hand.

Sandanul :: Gardenia ~ Ylang Ylang ~ Lavender The largest and most preeminent zaagmade belonged to the San Clan, and all of the entrances from each neighboring district were appropriately festooned with night-blooming sandanul and rippling, silken banners embroidered with their clan sigil.

(note: this is definitely a nighttime soap smell)

Seshu :: Ginger ~ Bamboo ~ Lemongrass “You really need to remember to chew on seshu root before a flight.” || “I’m still not used to the feeling myself,” he went on, “and I’ve been flying for years. I find seshu root helps. We may still have some on hand, if you want it.”

Simsu :: Frankincense & Myrrh ~ Sandalwood ~ Lilac Lanterns of priceless simsu resin—a gift from the mountain city of Sukundar—which blazed with blue spirit flame when burned. || He rummaged until he found his pouch of simsu and, moving from one pillar to the next, he took a small handful of the colorful resin and filled the depressions before taking a fire-striker to each and setting them ablaze.

(note: the flame is not blue :c)

Ulekni :: Lily ~ Lotus Blossom ~ Aloe The lush southeastern region lent itself well to the cultivation of greenery that was strewn like a form of art across the landscape of the city, an urban garden interspersed with decorative fountains, quiet pools that brimmed with blooming ulekni, and practical channels running to and from the Shumiv’za.

Zigmash :: Red Poppy ~ Green Tea ~ Agave Musk The scent of brittle grasses, brambles and flowering zigmash, mingled with the scorched sands of the desert lands that stretched beyond the northwest hill of the valley, meant he was home. || “Zigmash. ‘Breath of the twin’, or ‘breath of the moon’. A flowering plant indigenous to Kalee. It possesses analgesic, soporific, and mildly euphoric and hallucinogenic properties.”

(note: OG recipe was too grassy, 2.0 smells like candy and I want to bite it)

Zuulum :: Fig ~ Caramel ~ Pomegranate “It’s dried to represent life where you least expect it—this dry, withered husk, like the desert—but then you taste what’s hidden inside. So sweet and soft.” || “We don’t have zuulum most of the year. We only eat it during Sudab’a Ud-Imin.”

[rjzimmerman]

The Complicated Ecology of Cemeteries (Sierra Club)

Excerpt from this story from Sierra Club:

Cemeteries are a paradox in the modern Western world. On one hand, they are widely seen as calm and comforting spaces, places to grieve but also quietly contemplate in a world that offers few such chances. But their association with death—and decades of horror films and suspenseful TV shows using them as backdrops—can make them unnerving places. This same complicated relationship extends beyond the human experience of grave sites. For the nonhuman world of plants and animals, cemeteries can be sources of both refuge and danger.

Itescu, along with Jonathan Jeschke of the Freie Universität Berlin, published a paper earlier this year reviewing the biodiversity value of cemeteries and comparing it with other urban spaces like parks and botanical gardens. They found that cemeteries tended to host more native species than city parks, which were often landscaped with non-native or even invasive plants. Parks had their own advantages and contained slightly more species overall, but cemeteries proved to be important plant and animal havens in urban areas, including for endangered species like orchids. It’s one of the first global reviews of the biodiversity of cemeteries, with data from 50 cities in 27 countries.

A high-level study like Itescu and Jeschke’s can tell us a lot about the overall value of cemeteries to wildlife, but there is so much variety in the size, age, and management of individual sites that further inspection can provide even more insight into these unnaturally natural urban oases.

The rural cemetery as we know it, with its parklike landscaping and winding walking paths, is a relatively modern concept, only about 150 years old. Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of the oldest and most visited burial sites in the United States. It was among the first in the country to embrace this new type of design. For its architects, Alexander Wadsworth and Jacob Bigelow, the cemetery was not just a place for the deceased to rest. Rather, it could also be a destination for loved ones and others to visit.

Their design is rare among cemeteries not only for its age and claim to fame but also because it employs a full-time ecologist—Paul Kwiatkowski. When he first came to Mount Auburn in 1999 to work in the greenhouse, the cemetery’s president allowed him to experiment with improving the water quality in their ponds and then collect rainwater to reduce their groundwater usage. Over time, those small steps added up to a more conservation-minded way to manage the whole site, drawing the attention of other experts who wanted to help.

“We invited ecologists, biologists, hydrologists, landscape designers, and herpetologists,” Kwiatkowski said, “and we got everyone together to walk around the cemetery, to have conversations and evaluate where we stood with what we had been doing to improve habitat and create a balance between natural and manipulated areas.”

Today, the 175-acre cemetery is home to a huge variety of wildlife and hosts researchers from around the country studying its flora and fauna. Animals like bats, coyotes, foxes, and raccoons frequently roam the grounds. And it’s become one of the most diverse birding sites in the Boston area, enticing warblers, owls, flycatchers, and other resident and migratory species.

[milksockets]

'urban orchid' a/w 2003 collection by arkadius

[the-daydream-archives]

This one is for the CC creators who need some inspo :D I have had these lying around in my brain for some time now but since I have no idea how to make clothes/hair, I thought if anyone would need some ideas for Plantsims CC that maybe this would help. Also another fun thing that I had in mind is to make a variety of plant sims just like regular plants (like water-based plant sims, normal plant sims, orchid-type plant sims, tree-based ones, and etc.) It would also be really cool if we had some variety especially if there are types of plant sims who still live in rural areas versus the ones that live in urban cities. (So if you want a modern-looking plant-sim, their wardrobe could be more in-theme with city fashion but with plant-based substitutes instead)

[jaysficarchive]

In This Town

The girls take up Kotoha on her offer and head to Makochi to see what all the fuss around Bofurin is about. Part 2 to this.

Warning(s): Swearing, Satsumi being a shade assassin, the whole story behind Hanae's scars

A/N: Guess who started reading Windbreaker 🤪

@peachyblkdemonslayer

Since the day Kotoha approached them, the girls anticipated the day they visited the town Bofurin called home. They hoped Kotoha wouldn't mind a few guests tagging along. Satsumi wasn't as enthusiastic since it was mainly about trying to change her opinions. She already warned Kotoha it wouldn't work. Even if this group was as noble as she said, nothing would change. The group stopped just outside the entrance to Makochi, where they saw the famous sign near the Sakura tree.

Rumiko read it out loud.

"Those who destroy things, those who are malicious, no matter who, without exception, will be punished by us, Bofurin."

Satsumi only glared. All she noticed were the different gang signs etched onto it. For people in charge of protecting the town from gang violence, they sure didn't do a good job at eradicating the ones responsible. "Yall better not get any ideas. Treat this like a mini vacation or something. I don't care."

Momoka checked the time on her phone. "Let's go in. I'm sure Tachibana is waiting for us."

Makochi seemed like a nice place. Shops and restaurants lined the streets. People of all ages passed by. On the surface, it looked like any other place.

Miyoko noticed some of the townsfolk staring at her and waved at them. Someone even came up to her and asked if she was a celebrity. Perhaps they'd seen her face in advertisements or catalogs. Sachie, her friend and modeling junior, watched in awe and hoped someone would come up to ask her the same. Though it wasn't just her they stared at; it was the whole group.

Momoka browsed the fabric shops for new materials. She ended up buying some ribbons, some new pins and needles, and a book. She had a good conversation with some older ladies about protecting her hands when working with needles among other subjects.

Wakako stopped by a flower shop to get souvenirs for her parents. The scent of the freshly watered plants made her think of the one her mother worked at. She bought a carnation for her mother and an orchid for her father.

"Interesting choices. Are these for anyone special?" the store owner inquired.

"My parents. I buy them flowers anytime I go somewhere new." She smiled.

The Sameyama sisters were just coming out of a clothing store when they spotted some boys eyeing them. Sensing danger, Momiji glowered as she pulled out her tazer and turned it on as a warning. Akemi, still holding her sister's hand, watched the boys go away.

"빌어먹을 이상한 놈들," she mumbled.

"I know, right? Let's get going before they come back." Momiji walked off.

Unlike her friends, Satsumi wasn't immediately taken by the quaint town. She heard stories of residents being harassed and assaulted by gang members on the daily. Those were scary enough. God forbid someone harm any of her friends. She might have to go to jail.

"Hey, don't be that way," Pearly whispered. "Wanna do some urbex with me? We can make some boys cry while we're at it."

Satsumi smiled. Three things she liked: urban exploration, making boys cry, and Pearly.

Kotoha was glad the girls took up her offer. Hopefully she could get at least some of them to change their minds, or think differently, about Bofurin. To close the gap, she invited the boys for when they got off patrol. At the same time, she wanted to learn if they had anyone like them in their own lives. Satsumi didn't given her intense hatred of delinquents.

Finally, the girls all met up at Cafe Potos for the moment of truth.

"We're here!" Momoka announced as they walked in.

Kotoha smiled. Almost everyone she remembered from that fateful encounter was here. She saw some had bags in their hands. Wakako stood out with the flowers she bought. However, Satsumi and her companion were missing. "Welcome. I saw some of you walking around."

"This town is beautiful and the people are friendly. I don't understand why the government doesn't care about this place." Hirose sat across from her at the bar. As an aspiring lawyer, she found the plight of Makochi particularly interesting. It reminded her of a lecture her mother gave to her political science students. If anything, it made her sense of justice stronger.

"Someone asked Kazumiya senpai if she was a celebrity," Sachie added. Her, the purple haired girl in the yellow hoodie, and the brunette girl with the star hairclip must be guests since they weren't there the first time Kotoha encountered the group. "I-I'm Sachie, by the way."

Satsumi and Pearly arrived a few minutes later. She never noticed the albino had two different colored eyes until now. She wondered if one was a contact or if they were natural.

"And where were you two?" Miyoko asked.

Satsumi scrunched up her nose. "None of your business. But since it's you, we went urban exploring." The two sat down at a table beside each other. Kotoha noticed how close the pair were. It seemed like they were always together and rarely left each other's side in a way that felt more like lovers than friends. Maybe they held those type of feelings for each other.

Arisa was already smitten at the first bite of the omurice served. "This is delicious! It's like how my grandparents make it!"

"I heard your family runs a restaurant, Fujiyama." Kotoha attempted to break the ice with the blonde. She recalled the night Umemiya and the others came home in the worst condition she'd seen them in. Poor Dr. Brook had her work cut out for her.

"It's called Paradise Grill. You should come visit," Satusmi suggested in between bites.

Kotoha was surprised at how soft Satsumi's voice could be. "How's the food?"

"It's good." Satsumi took a sip of her drink. She knew why there was an extra focus on her since she hadn't really said anything for most of the trip.

She continued to try and break the ice between them. "What's it like in Tokyo?"

Everyone's answers were different. They all lived in different parts of the city which influenced their answers. But all agreed Shibuya was where they spent most of their free time. They promised to give her a tour next time she came.

"Enough about us. Tell us about you." Miyoko listened attentively.

Kotoha was a little shocked at how straightforward Miyoko was. "Well, I like taking care of plants and I hate being taken care of. I like stylish stuff in general."

"I can relate to that." Hanae placed her fork on the empty plate. Before the incident (and even a bit after), she hated whenever someone, especially a boy, tried to take care of her when she was capable of it on her own. It made her feel helpless.

Kotoha got the feeling she'd seen Hanae before or at least heard her name somewhere. A sense of deja vu that lingered since she first came across the girls. Maybe it was a case of looking like someone she once knew. She wanted to know how she got the scar across her nose as well.

A while later, a few Bofurin members entered the establishment. Not a single one of them had a bruise or a scratch despite being on patrol today. Surprisingly, things were slow since the visitors arrived.

Satsumi side eyed them. "Here come the bad boys."

"Kotoha!"

Kotoha motioned to the girls. "We have some guests. Treat them nicely."

Both groups introduced themselves. Nirei wrote down as much as he could in his little book of secrets. Hanae smiled. He reminded her of her younger sister Bai. Miyoko and Tsubakino instantly got along after she complimented his makeup and told him that she's always on the lookout for a makeup artist. Amazed, Tsubakino asked for her autograph. Miyoko somehow pulled a pen out of thin air and signed her name on a piece of paper for him. She smiled proudly as he squealed with joy.

The autograph read "Live long and dress fabulously - Kazumiya M."

Satsumi noticed the boy with dreads tied into a ponytail wearing Bofurin's signature green jacket and gave him a judgemental look. "Now I know he ain't in no gang."

Sakura's eyes shifted around and landed on Pearly. "Oi, who's that?"

Pearly pointed at herself. "Who? Me? I'm life and death. I am maiden, mother, and hag. I am the beginning, the middle, and the end. I am the sky and the sea, the sun and the moon. But call me Akadori."

Sugishita started freaking out when his tongue started stinging at the sight of the girl sitting next to her. "You!"

All eyes were on Satsumi, who nonchalantly lifted the cup to her lips.

"I remember you! Why did you have to do that to us?! We weren't bothering anyone!" Hiragi yelled. He got it the worst when she spiced their food to hell and back. The amount of stomach pills he went through that night alone drove Althea and her mom insane.

Arisa gasped when she realized the reason behind their reactions. "She gave those Wasabi dishes to you all?"

Pearly burst out laughing at the thought of a bunch of hardened gangsters keeling over from the pain of ingesting too much spice. Unfortunately, most of the others didn't find it as funny as she did.

"Toko, that's not funny. She could've given one of those boys acid reflux or worsened an ulcer." Arisa scolded.

Akemi nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Like that guy said, they weren't hurting anyone. I bet Satsumi didn't even know they weren't delinquents."

Pearly blinked. There was no way her own friends were actually defending these guys.

"You can't be serious..."

Satsumi finished her omurice and drink when she spoke up. "Keep that same energy when we get back."

"Is that a threat?" Kiryu asked. He didn't take too kindly to the insinuation behind her response.

Satsumi and Pearly gave him the most offensive side eye at the same time. It was bad enough their friends were turning on them. They didn't need anyone else, especially not a boy in a gang, in their business.

"Shut the fuck up, pinky."

"This is girl talk. No boys allowed."

Momoka shot them a deadly look. She apologized to Bofurin, mainly to Kiryu, for her friends' rudeness. As revenge, Pearly took a photo of her in the act and anonymously sent it to Momoka's mom.

"You are so messy," Satsumi whispered.

Pearly smirked. She knew what Satsumi meant by telling the girls to keep that same energy. Momoka may have been the first but surely not the last.

Once things calmed down and more food was served, the girls began asking questions about Bofurin and the situation in the town. Everyone listened closely as Umemiya explained the reason he formed the gang. Everyone except Satsumi and Pearly, of course. "If I lived here, I'd be so grateful to have you guys." Harumi touched Rimes' arm out of habit. She ended up becoming another victim of Pearly's revenge quest. The picture was sent not only to her mother but Akkun's number as well.

Momiji noticed the pair stopped interacting and cleared her throat. When they looked at her, she motioned to the conversation. "You two sure seem busy over there. Anything you wanna add?"

Satsumi leaned and folded her arms. "Yeah. Imma tell you like I told ole girl over there. I don't care if you rescue cats from trees and help old ladies cross the street, yall are and always will be delinquents to me. I have no intention of hearing yall out. Especially not anybody who's buddy buddy with Toman."

The girls' eyes widened. Did that mean the

"We're not a gang!" Sugishita growled as he picked up a chair. He was getting tired of these gang allegations. Satsumi simply stood up and let her height do the talking before getting physical. She cracked her knuckles to show she wouldn't hesitate to get violent.

"Feeling froggy? Leap."

Sugishita backed down.

The cafe's bell rang as someone entered. She was a black girl with firey orange braids. Her outfit consisted of a red tank top, plaid skirt, and brown heeled boots. A red leather bag was slung over her shoulder. Hiragi must've known her since his expression softened and he got up to hug her.

"This is Althea."

Althea beamed and waved at them. Her face was covered in freckles. Her teeth were gapped. "It's nice to meet you."

Satsumi closed her eyes and balled her fist. She decided not to say anything because if she did, she probably would've had to go home. Yet again I'm seeing a pretty girl make a terrible choice in boyfriends. When will I be free?

Sachie fidgeted as she walked up to Kiryu. "I meant to ask this earlier but...you wouldn't happen to be from a wealthy family?"

Kiryu hesitantly nodded. His family was a touchy subject. Whatever this girl was about to ask needed to be with caution. "Then you understand what it's like to be in Arinobu's shoes..." He was surprised when she bowed.

"P-please go see the basketball game with Arinobu!"

Kiryu helped her back up and into a chair. "Who is Arinobu? What are you talking about?"

Sachie started explaining. "You may be familiar with his family. They own Uchi Dentistry."

Nirei started snapping his fingers. "I know them! They do some of the best dental work in the country."

Sachie nodded before continuing. "Arinobu is the third son. The eldest son Akihiko is in college, studying to take up the family business. Atsushi, the second, is a high school prodigy. His father has a lot of achievements. Having a family like that can weigh on a person."

Kiryu knew very well what she was talking about. Elite families came with a lot of expectations and demands. To be branded as a failure or disappointment to the family was a death sentence. It could also be liberating. In the case of Arinobu, the Uchis were like royalty in the dentistry field. "Sounds like he has big shoes to fill."

"Too big. Everyone's always comparing him to his brothers or father. Arinobu hated the environment he grew up in. He turned to violence as a result. Him and three other boys formed a gang called Olympus for people just like them."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"I guess the point I'm trying to make is...please be his friend. Or at least someone he acknowledges."

Kiryu and just about everybody else was taken aback by the request. Sachie played with the sleeve of her chunky sweater. She felt herself getting teary. "Arinobu is very nice once you get to know him. He likes basketball, birdwatching, and ramune. He has it all but has nothing at the same time. At school, he's even more isolated. No one approaches him or talks to him. He needs people outside Olympus who understand him and accept him."

She got back up and bowed again. This time getting on her knees. "Please be his friend, Kiryu-san. Please come to him not as a delinquent but as someone who earnestly wants to be his friend."

Kiryu was unsure of how to approach this. Sachie appeared to be a nice, slightly anxious girl. "He has you, doesn't he?" He helped her back up again and ordered her a cup of tea. "He can't really be lonely if you care that much about him. Same goes for him and Olympus."

"I'm just one person..." Sachie looked down at the cup. Her caring a lot about him was true. Even their first meeting was her caring for him. However, it wouldn't be enough. She wanted him to have someone outside of both her and Olympus. A real, true friend who understood his attitudes and feelings.

"What him and I have isn't what I'm asking for him. Yes he's close with the other leaders and has the respect of 100 boys, but he needs someone outside of that world. He would like for someone to play basketball or go birdwatching with when I'm not around. A friend like I said."

Kiryu hummed. That statement made him wonder about the nature of Sachie's relationship with Arinobu. "I'll go with him."

A gasp left her mouth as more tears welled in her eyes. "T-thank you...thank you so much." She tried her best to wipe her tears using the sleeves of the sweater. "Here's his phone number. If he asks, tell him I gave it to you."

More friendly conversations emerged. Momoka and Althea became fast friends due to how similar they were. Her and Hiragi's relationship reminded her of her and Mitsuya. Bofurin knowing Toman was an unexpected but welcome surprise. Rimes stared at Satsumi, who was talking to Pearly. He wasn't there for the infamous visit to Paradise Grill so he had to learn about it through word of mouth. He wanted to know what happened to make someone hate delinquents so much that she'd put them at risk like that?

Thankfully, Kotoha was about to get him his answer.

"If you don't mind me asking, Fujiyama..."

Satsumi glanced at her. "Ask what?"

"You're very hostile to delinquents. What made you like that?" She asked.

Everyone fell silent. Hanae touched the scar across her nose.

Satsumi remained quiet for a long few minutes before finally responding. "...I hated them since I was a kid. They would pick on my friends and my siblings. One time I saw a real tough looking guy about to hit my big sister just because she rejected him. First time I ever threatened someone with a knife was because a gang came to the restaurant and caused trouble."

Chills ran down Kotoha's spine as Satsumi described several more incidents that occurred. "The straw that broke the camel's back was an incident involving a close friend of mine. You may have heard about it. Made headlines around the country."

Kotoha was about to ask what she meant when Hanae spoke up.

"She's talking about me. I used to be in a relationship with a boy named Taiju. He was the leader of a gang called the Black Dragons. I foolishly thought being his girlfriend would keep me safe. For the most part, I was. Until..." She touched the scar again. "Last year, I was kidnapped by a rival gang. I was held hostage, tortured and beaten for hours to the point where I thought they were going to kill me. Eventually Taiju came to rescue me-"

"No he didn't!" Pearly angrily corrected. She slammed her fists on the table. Tears filled her eyes. "Don't you dare give him any credit for that shit rescue! It was me and Satsumi who saved you! We followed those guys and got you out of there!"

Hanae let out a shaky breath. "The rescue mission was...disorganized for lack of better term. There was so much chaos and confusion. Fujiyama and Akadori broke into the warehouse to save me themselves. I guess someone thought they were the police and...and..."

Althea put her hand on Hanae's shoulder. "Hey, you don't-"

"I'm fine." Hanae's eyes were on the verge of spilling tears. "Someone must've thought they were the police and the next thing I know, I'm bleeding. Apparently they cut me from my stomach to my thigh. I lost so much blood that I ended up passing out on the way to the hospital."

Kotoha finally remembered where she saw her. She heard a story on the news about a high school girl being kidnapped and beaten by a biker gang. Who could be so cruel to do that to an innocent girl all because she dated a rival leader? Having that happen to a friend was probably just as traumatizing for Satsumi and Pearly. "Oh my goodness...I didn't know that was you, Torikawa. I thought I'd seen your face before, I just didn't know where..." She reached out to comfort her.

"You see why I hate delinquents?" Satsumi fought back tears despite her voice breaking. She vividly remembered her hands covered in her best friend's blood. How scared she was that she just watched someone die and how she was going to have to explain it to Hanae's family. "I don't care if Bofurin protects this town, I can't bring myself to give them a chance! I won't let something like that to happen to anyone else!"

Overwhelmed, she ran out of the cafe. She came back almost an hour later to tell everyone she was going home. Pearly got up and joined her side, telling them the same thing. Both paid for the service before leaving. It took a long time for the energy from before to come back.

Hanae bowed as she and the other girls prepared to leave. She felt like everything was her fault when it really wasn't. "I'm so sorry for sharing something personal like that."

"It's not your fault. You were just answering a question," Kotoha reassured her. "Please tell Fujiyama and Akadori that I hope they're feeling better. Give them these too." She handed her some packed sandwiches.

Kiryu walked up to Sachie. "Can I ask you a question?"

"O-of course!"

"Are you and Arinobu lovers? I've been curious about that ever since you asked me to go to the basketball game with him."

Sachie timidly nodded. Kiryu knew it. When he eventually did meet this boy, he would tell him how lucky he was to have the girl. "Keep looking after him. He needs you."

"Y-yes!"

The girls waved as they headed to the train station to head home. Kotoha would be glad to know that she accomplished what she set out to do.

[botanyone]

How Orchid Bees Craft Unique Scents from Non-Floral Sources

How Orchid Bees Craft Unique Scents from Non-Floral Sources https://ift.tt/ErGd8w3 Did you know there are bees out there that couldn’t care less about pollen or nectar? Yes, you read that right! Male orchid bees have a completely different mission: roaming the tropical forests looking for scents. Why? To create their own “designer perfumes,” which they will later show off to impress female bees during unique courtship rituals. But these perfumes aren’t just for show. Each bee’s scent gives a clue about its ability to find rare and unique smells, giving female bees a hint about the male’s skills. But flowers alone don’t do the job as they’re often hard to find, short-lived, and don’t have enough variety to create truly complex fragrances. To expand their repertoire, orchid bees search for smells in unexpected places, like rotting wood, fruits, and even tree wounds. While earlier studies showed that flowers and other smells are essential for these bees, no one had thoroughly studied all the non-floral sources they rely on. So, how do these bees build their unique perfumes? To find out, Jonas Henske and his team conducted a study across different rainforests in Costa Rica, Suriname, French Guiana, and Ecuador. They observed male bees in action, watching where they stopped to collect scents from things like tree bark, decaying wood, and tree sap. The study revealed that orchid bees, especially male bees of Eufriesea corusca, were highly attracted to specific non-floral scent sources. They found 28 non-floral sources that attracted the bees—20 of which attracted males and 7 attracted females—showing that orchid bees use a wide range of materials to create their perfumes. One of the most interesting sources was the Protium tree, which attracted more than 50% of the bees with its strong-smelling sap. Over two years, researchers tracked 45 bees, noting that some returned to the same tree multiple times, with one bee returning 19 days after its first visit. Chemical tests revealed that more than half of the compounds in the bees’ perfumes were found in Protium resin, showing a strong connection between the tree’s scent and the bees’ perfume-making habits. Left: Resin found in Protium heptaphyllum. Photo by Paulo Robson de Souza (Wikicommons). Top-right: Male Eufriesea corusca collecting scent at Protium ravenii. Mid-right: Female Euglossa asarophora collecting resin at Protium ravenii. Bottom-right: Female Euglossa imperialis female collecting resin at Protium sp. Bee pictures taken from Henske et al. (2024). Interestingly, the bees didn’t just stick to one source. Some scents, like methyl cinnamate, appeared in the bees’ perfumes but weren’t found in the Protium resin, suggesting that the bees blend smells from different sources to create unique, species-specific perfumes. These findings show how adaptable orchid bees are when creating their perfumes, proving that male bees can mix scents from different sources depending on what’s available in their environment. Using floral and non-floral sources, these bees can still gather enough appealing scents to attract mates, even when flowers are rare.  READ THE ARTICLE: Henske, J., De Dijn, B. P., & Eltz, T. (2024). Non‐floral scent sources of orchid bees: Observations and significance. Biotropica, e13395. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.13395 Victor H. D. Silva Victor H. D. Silva is a biologist passionate about the processes that shape interactions between plants and pollinators. He is currently focused on understanding how plant-pollinator interactions are influenced by urbanisation and how to make urban green areas more pollinator-friendly. For more information, follow him on ResearchGate as Victor H. D. Silva. Portuguese translation by Victor H. D. Silva. The post How Orchid Bees Craft Unique Scents from Non-Floral Sources appeared first on Botany One. via Botany One https://botany.one/ February 05, 2025 at 03:00PM

[clonerightsagenda]

Liveblog part 2!

I have to admit, maybe it's because Uglies has been in development hell for ages, or because I read these books loads of times in middle/high school, or because the Westerforum was my first social media experience, but it's a little magical actually seeing this story on the screen. I'm enjoying myself more than I thought. However we are 25 minutes in so let's see how things go.

Seeing the kids running laughing through what is obviously one of our destroyed cities is a bit more chilling than reading about it

Having your surgery canceled seems to be a much more present fear in here versus in the books where it came as a shock. Same with the Smoke being more widely known as an urban legend.

I'm not 100% sure because I'm not familiar with the actress but I think their attempt to make Tally 'ugly' was give her a big nose. I have a big nose. :( Which I would not mind except as my jaw continues to recede my profile is getting real wild. I look like fucking Phineas from Phineas and Ferb

Specials aren't scary enough

I wonder why the movie keeps using procedure instead of operation

Feeding Tally a lie about the Smoke developing a weapon is new, but it is in line with Dr. Cable's mentality

Heyyyyy the crash bracelets somehow hovered her whole body? No fair I want her painfully swung around by her wrists. That's part of their charm. Also a plot point in Specials

SPAG BOL!!!!!!!!!!

They changed the poem

Oh come on in that montage would it have killed them to show Tally opening package after package of Spag Bol getting more annoyed each time

Wait they're making Peris the perennial flake a Special??

Tally's blowing her cover way earlier

Ok so we're using the orchids as more of a direct metaphor for the city regime. That would be more fitting if they kept the mandatory araciality #white person sweep

Shay gets to use a flamethrower….. she deserves this.

Dramatic TallyShay fire rescue scene. At least they are giving me this new content if they have also introduced a new fighter in the n-drangle

Gonna take another break to shower so my hair has time to dry

[meadowsxdream]

Just finished making over my Jungle Explorer sim ♡ Elena Belmonte

Once upon a time, there was a girl called Elena, and she was the vibrant heart of the jungle.

Fast forward to another life, and she now finds herself suffocating in the city.

Her apartment is a curated museum of artifacts and memories, they haunt her with tales of thrilling adventures... Ancient relics from forgotten temples, vibrant textiles woven by indigenous hands, and maps scrawled with the secret paths that wind through the dense rainforest.

Each item tells a story, a fragment of the life she once led. The jungle is where she was born and raised, as a girl her world was full of adventure and discovery. Her father taught her every trail, every hidden grove, every secret, until she knew it as intimately as her own heartbeat.

She grew up to guide expeditions, helping tourists uncover the mysteries of the wild. She built a life of excitement and fulfillment.

But fate... had other plans.

A clumsy misstep during an expedition led to a severe injury, she became anchored to her urban San Myshuno apartment that was only meant to be an extension of her work, educating the world about her homeland.

The city's relentless pace and towering structures felt like a prison compared to the boundless freedom of the jungle.

For months, Elena nursed her wounds, both physical and emotional, trapped within the confines of her apartment, she would get lost gazing at her walls adorned with treasured memories, a constant reminder of all she had lost.

She could close her eyes and remember the scent of blooming orchids, the call of distant birds, and the feel of the earth beneath her feet. Her father's voice guiding her always, each lesson intertwined with the rustle of leaves and the whispers of wild water.

As years passed and Elena grew more hopeless, her fragile peace was suddenly shattered.

Her beloved father had passed on.

The loss shook her to her core, reigniting a fire within her. The jungle, her true home, was calling her back. It was time to return, to reconnect with her roots.

Despite her injury and her clumsiness, she had a renewed sense of purpose, she knew where her heart needed to be to heal.

As the city skyline faded in her rearview mirror, she felt the weight of her burdens lift. The horizon ahead was painted with the promise of renewal, each mile bringing her closer to the place where her soul could breathe again.

The jungle awaited, timeless and untamed, ready to welcome her home.

I am brand new to content creation, this type of storytelling, but I am having a lot of fun with these stories and makeover, and my hope is for anyone who stumbles across this small corner of simblr, can find a piece of themselves in this series of stories. The apartment that inspired her character was created by Ganymede47 here. The Jungle Adventurer challenge I wanted to do with her is posted on my page under challenges.

And the video I created of her spoken story and makeover is here Meadow ♡