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mochinomnoms · 5 months ago

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Silly scenario, but imagine something goes wrong in Alchemy, which results in Riddle getting turned into a fish, specifically a goldfish like a legit goldfish, not a merman. If Floyd were to find out, depending on his mood, he would either laugh or annoyed that his goldfishy quite literally turned into a goldfish. Now imagine Floyd carrying goldfish Riddle around the campus in a small tank. This was funnier in my head, I swear.

I'm so sorry, Riddle, because Floyd has the impulsive decision-making of a 2-year-old who just discovered free will.

He's dropping Riddle into his mouth and just barely registers, “oh wait, I probably shouldn't eat him lol” before spitting him back into the bowl.

If you wanted to take it on a much sweeter, shipping note, this would be a great opportunity for Floyd to show a much softer side to Riddle. I'm assuming that Riddle is still very sentient and aware in this new form, but maybe the others aren't aware of that.

This includes Floyd, for plot purposes of course, as he takes to carrying Riddle in a little baggy. Riddle's not happy, as he's been snatched from Trey and Cater's very dependable hands and is now being jostled around in this stupid eel's hands.

Imagine his surprise when Floyd, upon entering an unfamiliar part of Octavinelle, carefully drops him in a pleasantly cool, refreshing tank. It's a freshwater one, too, which doesn't match the rest of the waters surrounding the dorm. It takes a moment for him to realize that it's probably one of Jade's terrariums, perhaps gifted to Floyd, if the random knick-knacks like a small bouncy ball and a still wrapped lollipop were any indicator.

I suppose he could be fascinated with freshwater marine life, being from the sea. Still, it's much more well-kept than I'd expect from Floyd, of all people.

There's a few other small freshwater fish swimming in the small tank as well. They looked remarkably healthy and lovely, despite being mostly gray and silver. The filtration system looked expensive too, was this all really Floyd's doing?

“Floyd, did you really put Riddle into my tank?” Ah, never mind, this makes more sense. “I thought I told you after the last time, stop added things into my tank. And when did you add that candy?”

Riddle had never heard Jade speak in such an irritated tone, it reminded him of how Cater would speak with his older sisters on the phone. Siblings don't always get along, he supposes.

“Aw it's fine, the little guys love my decorations! And besides,” Floyd leaned down to stare at Riddle with his bi-colored eyes. They looked quite pretty, he'd hate to admit.

“I gotta take care of my Riddle!” Huh, Floyd never, if ever, called him by his actual name. “Sea Turtle and Seabream probably would've kept him in that stupid bag until he turned back. That's no good!”

Riddle watched as Floyd rested his head on his arms, gazing at him with an expression he'd rather not name as Riddle swam around in the water. He had to admit, the water against his scales felt quite nice, Riddle wondered if being in a merform would be the same?

“And I gotta make sure he likes the water, that way he'll agree to move into our home after we get married.”

WHAT

Riddle was glad that he couldn't do more to express himself other than fan and flutter his fins and gills, as he's sure Floyd would rub his sudden embarrassment in his face.

“Please, you have to confess for that to even happen.” Jade scoffed as he reached his hand in to pick out the toys and trash Floyd had left in the tank. “And that's if you get him to not hate your guts.”

“Jaaaaaaade! You're being meeeeean!” Floyd turned back around to wrap his arms around his brother's waist, letting himself become deadweight for Jade to drag as he tried to walk to the trashcan by his desk.

“You can't say nothing! You're in the same boat with your mate!”

“I am most certainly not!” Jade's huff was almost amusing, if not unsettling coming from him. “My darling is just shy, I need to be careful—”

“You're a scared little bitch is what you are.”

Riddle watched as Floyd immediately ran out of the room, Jade following right after him. He thinks he could make out sounds of crashing, but it was muffled from the water and glass. It took all but of a few minutes for a disheveled Floyd with a blood nose to zoom back into the room, nearly smacking against the tank as he fell to his knees.

“Sorry Little Goldfishie, didn't mean to leave ya alone. I'll stay with ya for a while until you turn back into my Riddle. 'Kay?”

Perhaps delusional lovesickness ran in the Leech family. Perhaps Riddle was also a bit delusional, as the fond look in Floyd's eyes didn't completely turn him off.

#mochi asks #twst #twisted wonderland #floyd leech #riddle rosehearts #floyd x riddle

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palestinegenocide · 9 months ago

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Israel blocks entry of vital medical machines and ventilators

CNN has reported that Israeli forces have set up “arbitrary and contradictory criteria” regarding what items are allowed to enter Gaza, blocking the delivery of anesthetics and anesthesia machines, oxygen cylinders, ventilators, and water filtration systems.

“Other items that have ended up in bureaucratic limbo include dates, sleeping bags, medicines to treat cancer, water purification tablets and maternity kits,” the report added.

Since 2007, Israel’s blockade over the Gaza Strip barred Palestinians, at varying periods, from importing products such as cumin, soft drinks, shaving cream, instant coffee, and cookies. Other items include wheelchairs, footballs, lentils, and tomato paste. At the time, Palestinians circumvented these draconian bans through the use of underground tunnels, which were mainly used for commercial purposes.

UN officials and humanitarian organizations have been warning of a famine in the Gaza Strip, enabled by Israeli forces’ siege and shooting at Palestinians gathering near aid trucks, seeking to get a share of the food.

Wafa news agency reported that since Thursday, Israeli forces shot and killed Palestinians waiting for aid to arrive at the Nabulsi roundabout, dong so twice in less than 48 hours, west of Gaza City. At least 117 people were killed and hundreds were injured.

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pumpsoul-oct123 · 4 months ago

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The Importance of Preparedness: 10 Essential Items for Your Survival Kit

1. Water and Water Filtration

What to Include:

Water: At least one gallon per person per day for at least three days.

Water Filtration System: Portable water filters or purification tablets to ensure you can make any water source potable.

2. Non-Perishable Food

What to Include:

Canned Goods: Fruits, vegetables, and ready-to-eat meals.

Dry Goods: Rice, pasta, cereals, and protein bars.

Specialty Items: Baby formula, pet food, and items for dietary restrictions.

3. First Aid Kit

What to Include:

Basic Supplies: Bandages, antiseptic wipes, adhesive tape, and scissors.

Medications: Pain relievers, antihistamines, and any prescription medications.

Specialized Tools: Tweezers, a digital thermometer, and a CPR mask.

4. Emergency Lighting and Power

What to Include:

Flashlights and Batteries: LED flashlights with extra batteries.

Solar-Powered Lights: Solar lanterns and portable solar chargers for electronic devices.

Hand-Crank Radio: A multi-function radio that can receive weather updates and charge your phone.

5. Shelter and Warmth

What to Include:

Emergency Blankets: Thermal blankets or sleeping bags.

Tarp and Duct Tape: For creating makeshift shelters.

Warm Clothing: Hats, gloves, and extra layers of clothing.

6. Personal Hygiene Items

What to Include:

Sanitation Supplies: Wet wipes, hand sanitizer, and biodegradable soap.

Toiletries: Toothbrushes, toothpaste, and feminine hygiene products.

Waste Bags: Plastic bags for disposing of waste safely.

7. Important Documents

What to Include:

Identification: Copies of passports, driver’s licenses, and Social Security cards.

Medical Information: Health insurance cards, medical records, and prescriptions.

Financial Information: Bank account details, credit card information, and insurance policies.

8. Tools and Supplies

Why It’s Essential: Having the right tools can make a significant difference in an emergency, allowing you to perform necessary repairs, signal for help, or navigate your surroundings.

What to Include:

Multi-Tool: A versatile tool that includes pliers, a knife, and screwdrivers.

Whistle: For signaling for help.

Maps and Compass: Local maps and a compass for navigation if GPS is unavailable.

9. Communication Devices

What to Include:

Cell Phone and Charger: An extra charger or power bank.

Two-Way Radios: Battery-powered radios for communication if cell service is down.

Emergency Contact List: A written list of important phone numbers.

10. Personal Protection Equipment

What to Include:

Face Masks: N95 respirators or other protective masks.

Gloves: Durable work gloves for handling debris.

Protective Clothing: Long-sleeved shirts and pants to protect against exposure.

#emergency preparedness #preparation #prepper #prepping #preparedness

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mostlysignssomeportents · 1 year ago

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The Canadian Miracle

"The Canadian Miracle" is a short story published today by @tordotcom; it's set in the world of The Lost Cause, my forthcoming @torbooks novel.

I'm serializing it on my podcast! Here's part one.

Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.

— Fred Rogers (1986)

It’s a treat to beat your feet on the Mississippi Mud.

— Bing Crosby (1927)

I arrived in Oxford with the first wave of Blue Helmets, choppered in along with our gear, touching down on a hospital roof, both so that our doctors and nurses could get straight to work, and because it was one of the few buildings left with a helipad and backup generators and its own water filtration.

Humping my bag down the stairs to the waterlogged ground levels was a nightmare, even by Calgary standards. People lay on the stairs, sick and injured, and navigating them without stepping on them was like an endless nightmare of near-falls and weak moans from people too weak to curse me. I met a nurse halfway down and she took my bag from me and set it down on the landing and gave me a warm hug. “Welcome,” she said, and looked deep into my eyes. We were both young and both women but she was Black and American and I was white and Canadian. I came from a country where, for the first time in a hundred years, there was a generation that wasn’t terrified of the future. She came from a country where everybody knew they had no future.

I hugged her back and she told me my lips were cracked and ordered me to drink water and watched me do it. “This lady’s with the Canadians. They came to help,” she said to her patients on the stairs. Some of them smiled and murmured at me. Others just stared at the backs of their eyelids, reliving their traumas or tracing the contours of their pain.

“I’m Alisha,” I said.

“Elnora,” she said. She was taller than me and had to bend a little to whisper in my ear. “You take care of yourself, okay? You go out there trying to help everyone who needs it, you’re going to need help, too. I’ve seen it.”

“I’ve seen it, too,” I said. “Thank you. I hope you don’t mind if I give you the same advice.”

She made a comical angry face and then smiled. She looked exhausted. “That’s all right, I probably need to hear it.”

My fellow Blue Helmets had been squeezing past us, trudging down the staircase with their own bags. I shouldered mine and joined them. Elnora waved at me as I left, then bent to her next patient.

I stepped out into the wet, heavy air of the Mississippi afternoon, the languid breeze scented with sewage, rot, and smoke. My clothes were immediately saturated with water sucked out of the ambient humidity, and I could feel myself pitting out. Squinting, fumbling for my sunglasses, it took me a moment to spot the group of angry men standing by the hospital entrance. Red hats, open-carry AR-15s. It was the local Maga Club. On closer inspection, a few of them were women, and while they skewed older, there was a smattering of young adults, and, heartbreakingly, a good number of small kids, holding signs demanding foreign agitators out of mississippi!

Bekka, a Cree woman from Saskatchewan who’d been my seat buddy on the helicopter ride, leaned in. “Straight outta central casting.”

At first, I thought she was right. Weather-beaten, white, unhealthy in that way poor Americans are, lacking access to basic preventative care. They looked so angry. Plus, the guns. But there was something else there, and I couldn’t put my finger on it until I spotted a sign being held aloft by a heavyset, middle-aged guy with wraparound shades and a sweat-sheened face: our lives matter too.

I knew he meant it in a gross way, but I couldn’t argue with it.

Read the rest on Tor.com, or listen to it on my podcast!

#clifi #the lost cause #science fiction #short stories #hopepunk #preapocalyptic fiction #climate

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joy-haver · 2 months ago

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Let’s talk a little bit about hurricanes!

Let’s discuss where the danger lies, individual preparedness, community preparedness, and mutual aid efforts around these storms and their aftermaths.

To start, the thing to remember about hurricanes is this: It’s not one disaster. It’s hundreds of different disasters at once.

Hurricanes have their own massive winds. They also spawn tornadoes. Hurricanes bring storm surges like tsunamis, but they also bring heavy rains, swelled rivers, broken dams. The vectors for flooding are multitudinous.

With any disaster, the danger isn’t always direct. While many people die die in the immediate storm, often the deaths continue to accumulate for months after. This is because people don’t just go on living just because the storm is over. All of us have lives that are dependent on infrastructure. Medical infrastructure, food infrastructure, social infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, electrical infrastructure. When any of these fails it can put strain on the rest. People go hungry, go lonely, their disabilities go untreated, injuries are more likely in the wreckage, they die of infection and disease and suicide because it seems so hopeless. So many become homeless, displaced, losing everything. And often there is nothing in the way of aid.

And bigotry can often exacerbate. white supremacist groups and police become vigilantes, killing those who scavenge the wreckage. Even in milder hurricanes, police violence and violence from store proprietors increases. Disabled people are often pushed out of hospitals to die at home. People are euthanized.

Hurricanes exacerbate the worst parts of the system of domination.

But they also bring out the best in communities and people who believe in caring for one another.

After every hurricane, tens of thousands of volunteers go out in their airboats to save people from the floods. People prepare food, develop water filtration. People open their homes to those who have fled, those who often have lost everything. These volunteer armies of aid workers are from all accross the south east, from many paths of life and from every conceivable part of the political spectrum. On the flat boats of the Cajun Navy, in their supply lines, you will see maga hats standing next to anarchist abolitionists, both concerned primarily with how they will get an old woman both just met her medicine. Months and years after the storm you will see flocks of children flittering like bees around stripped down homes, helping to remove what is tainted and rebuild towards home again, and they will be working aside those same people who helped in the immediate aftermath.

Even when government aid does come in, it is not the government that manages all of it. They pass off many of the resources the mutual aid organizations for distribution.

The environmental cleanup, the saving, the feeding, the rebuilding; the vast majority of the work is done by everyday people. That can include you.

So, What Do We Do?

1. Individual and household preparedness.

The biggest step is preparedness. A pound of cure is nice, but it is better served with an ounce of prevention.

Individual Preparedness begins with risk evaluation.

Ask yourself these questions;

-what is the likelihood of my home flooding? Has it flooded before? How much could it flood if it did? Do I have sand bags or flood walls to prevent minor floodwaters? Do I have roof access in high floodwaters?

-what is my evacuation plan? Do I have friends in a safer area (away from coasts, outside of a flood plane)? Do I have transportation to their? If not, how can I find other people that do?

-how long can I live without power? Do I have life saving medical equipment that needs power? If so, who do I know with a generator?

-how much water do I have stored? What vessels around my house can hold water? (Remember, you can always use less than drinkable water to flush toilets).

-how much non perishable food do I have stored? How would I cook it without electricity? How much cooking fuel do I have access to? How would I continue to cook and wash dishes if I had limited access to water?

-What would keep me going if I lost everything I own? What motivations to live and keep going could I hold onto?

-do I have home insurance? Do I have pictures of the things inside my house stored on the could or a third party location incase I need to make a claim?

-where are my important documents stored? Are they safe incase of a flood, or the house falling down?

-how acclimated am I to the heat? Have I been spending enough time outside? Will a loss of air conditioning make me unable to function? Do I have a plan to get cool if that happens?

2. Community preparedness

Of course, individual preparedness is not enough, nor is it the most efficient. Survival and rebuilding comes from communities working together. So how do we do that?

Let’s talk a bit about skills you can have, and skills you can look for in your community, that might come in handy in a hurricane or post hurricane disaster.

-airboat and pirogue navigation! This is how you save lives. Flat bottom boats you can get people into.

-food storage and preservation. Networking with folks who doing canning, save beans, store large amounts of rice, gather nuts, dehydrate greens and fruits. These folks will often provide much of the food before outside aid arrives, and after it dries up.

-outdoor cooking!

-water purification. This is huge. Clean water is the hardest thing to come by. Having water purification tablets and devices, or knowing how to make your own, can save hundreds of peoples lives.

-cautious eyes. Everyone needs help spotting downed power lines in these environments.

-ham radio enthusiasts. These folks can be the lifeblood of rescue operations, resource distribution, and medical assistance. This is probably the most under utilized skill in disaster response and management

-construction. This is huge. Rebuilding requires many many volunteers. The wonderful thing tho, is you can just show up and learn most of the time.

- cleaning. Mold is a huge problem post hurricane.

-first aid!!!!

-physical strength. Many frail old people need to be carried out.

-a strong sense that flood water is dangerous. This might not seem like a skill. It is. Being willing to instill this sense of fear and respect in others will save lives.

-networking. This is huuuge. Somone has to connect all the rednecks and Cajuns and gays and aid organizations and churches and restaurants and whatever else. None of this works without relationships. Knowing people, building trust ahead of time. Being the person they come to with their resources.

-grant writing. Get that government money into the community.

3. Resource evaluation

Skills to offer your community are very important, but that’s not all we have. We have access to other resources, and if we leverage those right, those too can save lives.

Community preparedness begins with resource evaluation, and needs evaluation.

Here are some resources you might have, and how you can use them.

-a safe home, high off of flood zones. You can be an evacuation destination.

-a generator. You can be the place with power that people flee to to save their medications, or to use medical equipment, or simply to keep from having a heat stroke

-a large pot and propane burner. You can be the person who cooks for masses of displaced people. Or you can let someone else use it and cook.

-flat bottom boats. You can save people, or let others use them to.

-construction equipment and supplies. You can bring these in after a disaster to help.

-access to large buildings with generators. If you are the janitor at the stadium, you can open the gates to that high ground. If you are the secretary of the church, you can unlock the doors of shelter.

-contacts with people in nearby cities who have been through this before, and have their own resources. Hurricanes are terrible, but they don’t hit the whole south at once. We can take turns saving each other

- a pool full of water people can use to flush toilets.

- storage of food.

-space others can store any items listed

-access to lots of sunscreen, insect repellents, and mosquito nets

-access to soap, detergent, toothbrushes, toothpastes, menstrual products, and deodorant. Specifically go for free and clear soaps, dial gold, and dawn. They all have different applications.

-an excess of phone chargers. Phones are lifelines. They are one of the most important things you can have.

-an excess of medicines. Rationing and saving prescriptions might save your life or others.

-first aid equipment

4. need’s assessment.

All of this is great, but to make best use of it, it’s best to know ahead of time where resources will be needed, and who might need the most help.

Begin learning this by focusing on these things.

-do you know the people who live around you? Do you know who’s old and alone, and might need to be checked on in a storm? Do you know who is disabled? Do you know who lives at the bottom of your hill by the flooding creek, and who lives at the top where it’s safest? These questions can save lives!

-do you know who might need help evacuating? If you plan to evacuate, do they know you could take them with you?

-do you know who needs access to generators for life saving equipment?

-do you know who is too poor to afford to be prepared?

-do you know who might need help putting sand bags around their home?

-do you know which mutual aid and charity organizations might need help connecting to local communities?

Thank you for reading!

Stay safe out there, and help as often as you can, while still keeping yourself stable enough to help again later. Right now many homes are flooded in Florida, power is out in Georgia, and a dam broke near Asheville.

Volunteer : https://stability.org/default.aspx

Donate : https://nonprofit.resilia.com/donate/

https://nonprofit.resilia.com/donate/

#hurricane #hurricane helene #mutual aid #preparedness #prepping #preppers #anarchism #disability #natural disasters #rose baker #text post #links #community #floods #tornado

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dragonballnewstar · 3 months ago

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GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE~!

Welcome back to AMP! Up Your Week! It's the week of August 19th and l hope you all had a fantastic weekend! Let's get this week started off on the right foot!

Oohhh boy it's definitely a Monday for us. My dad completely forgot his bag at home while going out on patrol to where my mom had to run back and grab it. Plus, for our younger siblings it's back to school so everyone is running around.

So, why not start with some good science news?

If you guys don't know, I love sound-based sciences. Vibrations, waves, the effects if has on the body - but what about it's effects on water? Well, a pair of high schoolers invented a unique water filtration device that uses a wall of sound to hold back microplastic particles from running water.

Microplastics are everywhere nowadays and only time will tell the effects they will have on our health. Their device is no bigger than a pen, yet using ultrasonic sound waves that move through water freely, the teens have managed to capture as much as 94% of microplastic contaminants by pushing them away from the water’s outflow point. They are eager to see their invention grow and be tested even more, and I am so excited for them!

Now with more science news, a 520-million-year-old worm fossil has solved the mystery of how modern insects, spiders and crabs evolved. The “incredibly rare and detailed” fossil, named Youti yuanshi, dating back to the Cambrian period, offered a peek inside one of the earliest ancestors of many species today. The fact it is a larva that has survived in such amazing condition for this long is noteworthy and I highly encourage people to read this article for more details!!

// Unfortunately I don't have a music recommendation today because it has been an INSANE few weeks on my end and we might be moving! So I am currently scrambling getting things packed up @_@

#;ic: ampa #amp up your week!

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poojagblog-blog · 9 months ago

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/PRNewswire/ -- Industrial Filtration Market is expected to reach USD 47.1 billion by 2029 from USD 37.1 billion in 2024 at a CAGR of 4.9% during the forecast period according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets™.

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tauforged · 8 months ago

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what everyone absolutely needs to know is that it’s by no means a glamorous or ‘dignified’ job lmfao when our probes get stuck we smack them with hammers and/or yank on the casing with all our strength or use our weight as leverage and it’s not uncommon to get mineral build-up or biofilter sludge or grease or other such assorted substances all over oneself in the process. doing maintenance on pumps and skimmers and ozone injectors (and other adjacent equipment) is a very physical and sweaty and loud job. not uncommon to have to stop what i’m doing to stretch / drop a layer of uniform before going back in to take another shot at unsticking that lever or unscrewing that probe casing. ive built more muscle doing this job for the past handful of months than i did in four years of stocking 50lb bags of dog food and 80lb boxes of saltwater 7hrs a day. what i’m saying is that loids job is not all scanning papers and taking notes and sitting at a desk looking pretty he’s also climbing around in the bowels of whatever plumbing or piping there is and prying shit open with his bare hands and hauling heavy equipment around and hitting stubborn switches or casings with a mallet hard enough to flake rubber off the thing and regularly have to replace it. just so everyone knows. working as part of a very small technician team in a facility with any amount of large, delicate, specialized equipment that sees heavy use, be it life support systems like air or water filtration or specific instruments for void research, you end up wearing several hats just to keep everything moving smoothly and safely, so while on paper you might be there to do ‘assorted maintenance tasks’, in reality you’re part mechanic, HVAC tech, electrician, janitor, inventory manager, secretary, IT guy, the list goes on and on ON TOP OF whatever science you’re also doing. i ran out of time to type i ahve tasks to be doing i’m just going to post this as is hang on

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liillyliilly · 5 months ago

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Sirens (I Don't Know Why)

hirugami sachirou x reader words; 1187 synopsis; the one who grips your heart and never gives it back- unrequited love despite your best intentions

There was just no easy way to say it. She had seen him at his worst before ever seeing him at his best. He was frozen in place, and she was holding a bag of groceries for her mom.

“Don’t you dare walk away from me.” She dropped the bag of groceries, and was holding his right hand, carefully looking at the marks.

His knuckles were cut open from the stone fence he had been dragging his hand on. Blood dripped from each of the fingers to the center of his palm, bits of debris were settling into his hand. He just kept swallowing thickly.

Hirugami Sachiro was deeply embarrassed, and it was just increasing with each moment as she cleaned up the injury with her water bottle. So there they sat, on a curb barely big enough to be called a ledge, a puddle of water at their feet.

“I know you have something to say to me.” She picked through her backpack, looking for a band-aid. She had already put her aquaphor on his hand to create a protective seal. Handing him the McKesson brand bandage, she continued, “I don’t want an excuse though, I want the truth.”

L/N Y/N was in his same year, but a different class. Hirugami only saw her during assemblies, school festivals, and occasionally some volleyball games. She had only just seen him for the first time today, recognizing the uniform he was wearing as one from her school.

He still hadn’t said anything to her, letting silence awkwardly filtrate throughout the space they occupied. She ate a cookie she had packed for an emergency snack and offered half of it to Hirugami. He politely declined.

Her watch beeped, letting her know she needed to definitely be on her way home. Before she left she turned around for one final parting comment, “I’ll be around, come find me when you wanna talk about this whole thing.”

Guilt was ripping into Hirugami. When he had sat at the dinner table, his mom asked what had happened to his hands, he said nothing had happened. But he thought back to L/N, the way she could see right through his calm and cool demeanor.

The next day he looked for her at school, scouring the halls when he had a chance, and going to volleyball just slightly later than usual. After volleyball was when he had found her.

Sitting on the pavement in the center of the courtyard, drawing using chalk. Her school skirt was coated in hand prints of various colors, her cheek had a line of green going from her ear to her nose. The sunset was making her hair shine and glow.

“Ready to talk now, I suppose?”

“I guess.”

“Grab a stick, I need to finish this before I leave school.”

She was playing music from her phone as it rested on her bag off to the side from the central chalk area.

“I blame my hands.”

“For what exactly?”

“For making mistakes, you know, when playing volleyball.” Hirugami filled in a circle with his blue chalk following her direction. “If I can’t do it right then I’ll be left behind.”

“Are you even having fun? Playing volleyball? If you really enjoyed it then wouldn’t your thought process be that mistakes are a part of getting better?” She disclosed, and told him that that was just her viewpoint and if he thought she was ridiculous then that was okay.

“I don’t think I like volleyball.”

“Then quit it.” She was bold, honest, and genuine. Everything he wanted to be, and it was all encapsulated by this girl who escaped from his hands.

“I will, my friend told me the same thing. I’ll stick it out through high school, and I’ll work hard. As soon as it's over though, no more volleyball.”

Their chalk drawing mural was of a large bottle of water, he finally saw it once they stood up and stepped back. She said something about the school asking her to do something refreshing, he thought she was hilarious.

They talked a few more times throughout high school. He wanted to get up the courage to approach her more frequently than he ended up doing. He had however gotten her number, and he always texted her when he saw a new mural at school, it was always a chalk mural. Goldfish, a Starry Night rendition, birthday cake, her last mural was a graduation cap and a diploma scroll.

He had his veterinary school acceptance printed out, the school would put him through a regular zoology and biology blended major, and then he could go straight into vet school. He wanted to show her, if only he could find her. It was becoming a recurring theme that he could never find her despite how hard he had looked.

That night he texted her once again, asking where she had gone.

My boyfriend took me out for dinner! Sorry!

Boyfriend?

Maybe it was his fault for getting too attached to someone who he had only talked to a few times. He didn’t even really know her. Then why did he feel like curling up into a ball and sleeping for the next twenty-four hours?

He saw her only three more times in his life.

Once during college. It was at a party and she was dancing with her friends, swinging her hips to the beat of a Rihanna song. She laughed and sang along and Hiragumi thought he could officially die happily at seeing the sight before him. They chatted for a bit when the party died down, when the music began to shift from EDM to slow jams. She had broken up with her high school boyfriend, but she hadn’t wanted to get back into dating because she wanted to work on herself.

Once during his career as a veterinarian. She was with her younger sibling, their dog had gotten sick and she remembered that he worked at a clinic that was just barely out of the way. The dog just needed a few shots and the puppy was good as new. She had just started dating again, but was only going on dates that her friends set her up with, wanting to try out blind dating for a bit. Hiragumi kept biding his time until he felt like the moment was right.

Once, and the final time, was during a class reunion, the 15 year reunion. Everyone had settled into careers, had families or marriages to look after. Hiragumi still hadn’t found his person, he was just waiting for her to realize he was the best choice. She brought her fiance to the reunion. The fiance was just superb. Hiragumi stole a bottle of wine and sat outside with Hoshiumi.

They passed the bottle back and forth between them.

“Love isn’t real.” Hiragumi looked up into the sky, running one hand over his knuckles. Echoes of his past were stinging again. Making their presence known.

“Maybe it isn’t.” Hoshiumi concurred. They finished the bottle in half an hour and never went back to the reunion.

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glassboxdiaries · 6 days ago

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Here's how I set up my new beginner-friendly planted tank for Marmalade, my betta fish, that also houses a small colony of yellow Neocaridina shrimp and a variety of low-maintenance aquarium plants.

I used an 8-gallon (30-liter) portrait tank to provide plenty of swimming space, along with the following supplies:

• Fluval Stratum

• Seiryu Stone

• Spider Wood

• Aquarium Light

• Heater

• Hang-On-Back (HOB) Filter

• Window Privacy Film

• Aquatic Plants

The Spider Wood was wide enough for the tank but lacked height.

To solve this, I used a piece of Seiryu Stone large enough to serve as a base for the wood while adding some height.

After ensuring both pieces fit well together in the tank, I secured them by gluing them in place.

I settled on an arrangement where the Narrow Leaf Java Fern acts as a canopy over the Anubias.

This setup helps reduce direct light on the Anubias, minimizing the risk of algae growth.

Additionally, I added window privacy film to the back of the tank for a cleaner look.

Next, I added Fluval Stratum Aquasoil to the tank, carefully spreading it around the Seiryu Stone so plant roots can spread throughout the tank.

Other substrates can work for this setup but I chose Fluval Stratum because it's cheap and easy to find in my area.

Next, I added a small amount of water to cover the Fluval Stratum, as it's a lightweight substrate and plants can sometimes float out of it after planting.

You don’t need much water for this step, about an inch above the substrate layer is usually enough to make planting easier.

I planted Monte Carlo in the foreground, Bacopa Caroliniana on either side of the Seiryu Stone, Hygrophila Polysperma Rosanervig at the back left, and Limnophila Sessiliflora at the back right.

Once happy, I filled the tank with water and cloudiness is normal at this stage.

I used a tap water conditioner to make the water safe for beneficial bacteria, then added an ammonia solution to mimic fish waste and feed the bacteria, then added liquid fertilizer to provide micronutrients for the plants.

This method cycles the tank before introducing my betta.

I took a cheap HOB filter, added some 30PPI foam as biomedia, and filter floss for mechanical filtration.

This setup is cheap, maintains the cycle, and is very easy to clean when needed.

I squeeze the 30 ppi foam out in old tank water and replace the filter floss when needed.

I let the tank cycle for five weeks, using the ammonia solution to simulate fish waste and feed beneficial bacteria.

These bacteria convert ammonia and nitrite into nitrate, which the plants use as food ensuring the tank is safe for my betta before adding it.

After confirming safe water parameters multiple times with my liquid test kit during week 5, I ordered my betta fish.

Upon her arrival, I floated the bag in the tank to match the water temperature, then gently netted her and introduced her to her new home.

She’s been in the tank for a couple of months now and seems really happy, always exploring and looking for food.

I’ve managed to count her shrimp tank mates multiple times and she hasnt eaten any but there are some baby shrimp in there so time will tell if they make it or not.

#aquarium #fishtank #betta #bettatank #bettafish #bettafishtank #tropicalfish #plantedtank #plantedaquarium

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