#we've been hoping for rain for so long in the garden

[simshousewindsor]

TIME TO REST

[Buckingsim Palace]

Queen Katherine: (in a daze)

Martin: (talking inaudibly)

Martin: The Duke of Norfolk agreed to move the ball to next week, in light of Her late Majesty. Lastly, Emperor Keanu asked for a private audience following the funeral.

Queen Katherine: (sniffing) Sulani?

Martin: Yes. He asked for an audience. After the funeral. Shall I approve said request?

Queen Katherine: Oh, umm. Yes. Cancel my afternoon please, Martin.

Martin: (confused) but you're supposed to lead the Queen Dowger's procession from the palace to lay in State at Westsimster Hall? It's in thirty minutes!

Queen Katherine: I have a Prince consort, two dukes, and an earl that will be in attendance. I am far too grief stricken! I need to rest. Tell the Duke of Kent I'm sorry.

- - - - - TWO DAYS LATER - - - - -

[Buckingsim Palace]

Prince Rainier: The cars are here, Kate. It's time to go. The sims are waiting.

Queen Katherine: (somber) Granny would be so happy it's a nice day. She hated when it rained in Windenburg. She thought it was absolutely dreadful. She loved the sun. The warmth. The sea.

Queen Rowena: Darling, it's time. Come, now. We must stay on schedule.

Queen Katherine: I'm coming.

Queen Katherine: (somber) Hello, uncle.

Prince Louis: Hi, bear. We've got this, okay? Together.

Queen Katherine: Together.

- - - - - LATER - - - - -

[St Leo's Chapel, Windsor Castle]

[Archbishop of Calgary]: While Queen Zarah lived, something of the great reigns of Edward I and Queen Lara-Leigh seemed to live on with her.

[Archbishop]: Thus proving that character the essential strength of Windenburg Monarchy, as it shall remain.

[Archbishop]: Her late Majesty always regarded herself as a servant of our great country, which she proudly served to the end.

[Archbishop]: As consort to our great Edward II, Queen Zarah showed great compassion and we hope she is met by the Almighty with that same warmth and compassion.

[Archbishop]: Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. We send thee, Zarah, Queen Dowager to your final rest.

(the coffin is lowered into the royal vault)

- - - - - LATER - - - - -

[Buckingsim Palace Gardens]

Emperor Keanu: Thank you for allowing me to attend her committal.

Queen Katherine: She would have wanted you there. Reading granny's journals, I realized how much she gave up marrying my grandfather and moving to Windenburg. She loved her home of Sulani! Duty and pride kept her away.

Emperor Keanu: My father, although stubborn, was a good emperor. I'm sad I never knew Aunt Zarah. My father had me when he was 60. By then, they had been estranged for over 30 years.

Queen Katherine: (sighs)

Emperor Keanu: He never spoke of her. Not once. I only knew of her from family photos and stories other family would tell of their childhood. By the time I was of age, your father was on the throne and Aunt Zarah no longer had an official reason to visit.

Queen Katherine: I see.

Emperor Keanu: Father loved your father, his nephew! They only met during official engagements, three times, but they appeared to keep whatever issues between Aunt Zarah and father separate. At least that's how it appeared.

Queen Katherine: I am so sorry a disagreement between siblings, decades ago, caused such an awkward rift between our families, and nations. We must start a new, stronger relationship.

Emperor Keanu: I couldn't agree more, cousin. Whatever happened in the past was laid to rest today.

Queen Katherine: Speaking of rest. We should head inside. It's been a long day and I'm sure we both could use some.

Queen Katherine: Oh, the King of Oasis Springs is also our distant cousin.

Emperor Keanu: He is?

Queen Katherine: I haven't talked to him since father's funeral. He and father had a falling out shortly before he died. I still don't know what about.

Previous | Beginning | Next

[antiquatedsimmer]

( Hello Everyone! Been awhile, had to rebuild my entire world & find horrible bug fixes. But I'm so happy to make a post! I hope u enjoy.) Subtitles will be available under the cut

So glad to be able to play my favorite pixels again, even if just for a little. I had a ER visit recently so I'm mostly sleeping till my health is better.

Everything was ruined in the save corruption, I had to completely start over, I mean complete restart, an entire new EA folder.

I love everything and had to rebuild my entire save + replace all locations in other worlds + remake broken sims.

Took forever..... But! I Tried to catch everything up to speed with a diary entry since a lot of stuff was lost in corruption.

Thank you for reading!

SUBTITLES:

Dear Diary, 1908

I am utterly exhausted… The rain jus' won't quit, and the Mud puddles cling to my skirts, chilling my ankles while dampening the hems of my dresses.

I'm struggling to tend to the farm like ah oughta, since Ma and Pa need so much care. Everyday I thank the Lord for Josephine,

The only thing we've ever expected of her was to make Silas happy, She's never lived or worked on a farm in her whole life...yet. She's taken it upon herself to learn the skills so that I don't have to do all the work alone. Josie's clothes aren't particularly built for gardening and are more for a garden party but her heart is in the right place. 

Perhaps I can get her some proper work gloves and boots... I couldn't stop laughing when her heel got stuck in a mud puddle. 

I'll be honest...I didn't expect Josie to enjoy living here, I figured going from a comfortable lifestyle to a poor farmers wife would be tough for anyone.

Did you know her father liked to bet on horses? Sometimes I wonder what its like having so much money u can afford to throw it away. 

I'm happy Josie is Happy here but, there are times I think about what if we had that money. Would Mama and Papa be cured? I Don't know… At the very least I would be getting better help, Josie can only do so much.

Silas hasn't lifted a finger in regard to anything involving the farm in a long time. I remember how he would beg Papa to allow him to learn so he could improve the farm for us.

I'm confident all aspirations of that are gone.

Now, all I hear is money money money. I know I don't know much but I think money changes people. Josie keeps me updated on Silas since we hardly speak anymore, she tells me He's been promoted to factory overseer and hired as a inventor for her fathers company.

She says he has the 1st patents for some of his inventions, which makes me a little confused, Where's all the money? If true we could be providing better for our family!

I would be angry if my heart wasn't already heavy with worry. The thought of living without Mama or Papa… Josie is the only thing keepin' me steady.

Her and the never-ending things that need to be done.

I pray every day for a change. Please Lord.

Yours truly,

Lucile

[ryanscabinlife]

I have been swamped these past couple of days outside and it's been extremely invigorating! Here are garden updates and some of the things I'm currently working on

First is the garlic! it's looking fantastic, they're just about 2 feet now and some are starting to get really thick.

Yesterday I planted my tomatoes. I specifically did not even bother starting seed for these guys, coz first of all we don't really have the indoor space, and also we had such great luck last year so we just repeated what we did. We just bought some from our local garden centre. Last year, we had 6 roma tomatoes (our favourite tomato variety) and it fed us throughout the summer and we've even managed to can over a dozen mason jars that we enjoyed in the winter. This year I have 30 of them! Last year, we had 2 cherry tomatoes, this year we planted 6.

Since our property is not big enough to have a well, the garden is 100% being watered by rainwater that we collect. Unfortunately for us, it's been a bit dry lately, hoping for more rain in June. Due to this circumstance, I decided to mulch what I could, in the hope that it will contain the moisture in the ground.

Shawn claimed a corner to turn into a place to relax and read books and god knows what. I will leave that to him but I was tasked to create a border to kinda separate it from the rest of the garden. I want to use some logs, terracotta pots, and other recycled things in our yard. So far this is what a have :(. I have been checking Facebook Marketplace every day for big planters but so far no luck. What's up with people wanting $100 for stuff that they don't want anyway?

I direct seeded a ton of things in the long beds where the trellis structure is including the snow pea I started indoors just a couple of weeks ago

Most of the potatoes are out! I've never grown potatoes before so this is a little too exciting for me

It turns out we have an apple tree and she is blooming! I don't exactly know what she is, my guess is some sort of crabapple. I'm so glad I didn't let Shawn chop her when we were building

And finally, the big project that's keeping me busy. My 42 feet border. This is the part where I don't know what I am doing. I've never planted ornamental flower beds before so it's kinda scaring me. Most of the things planted in this bed are perennials and few annuals on the front. I also broadcasted wildflowers all over. I'm really hoping for a cottage garden look for this one. Can't wait to see it in the summer when it's all filled up (hopefully)

25-May-2023

[thatoneaceinthecorner]

RQG Art Masterpost

Hey guys! So recently I've had a wave of notes on some of my old rqg art, and a few new followers. I got really nostalgic about rqg and decided I wanted an easier way to access my rqg-related art (other than the dumpster fire that is tumblr's tagging system), and I wanted other people who are just finding my art to have an easy way of looking at the rest, if they want to. So I dug through everything and made a masterpost! This post contains links to all the rqg art I've ever posted on tumblr, as well as a couple images that I couldn't find the original posts for, despite all the digging. It's loosely organized, emphasis on loosely, but I hope it should be fun to look through if anyone ever feels like it. Spoiler warning for the whole show, just in case anyone new isn’t done with their first listen. There's also stuff in here that's pretty old and that I don't necessarily love anymore, but seeing how my skills progressed over time is still pretty neat. This is a long post, so I've put all the links under the cut. Enjoy!

My top three pieces and why they're my favorites

General:

Shoin's sketch of London

RQG Inktober: Scars

Resurrection Ritual in the Ursan Village

Zolf Smith, cleric of what comes next (comic)

Alex's horrible Barret Monster with knife arms

Ada and Tesla in their lab with the Babbage brain

"Why didn't you do more" (it's all your fault comic)

Blue-veined arm in Other London

Zolf and Azu hear the hivemind

Sasha and Cicero leave Rome behind them

Apophis in human form

Party camping outside the Garden of Yerlik

Kantu!! Because I thought they were cute

Also these two drawings, the ones I couldn't find the original posts for. Azu giving Hamid a piggy-back, and a really old drawing of Azu in Carter's mind museum.

Sasha Racket:

Sasha hangs out with gargoyles (and sphinxes)

Sasha portrait

Goodbye, Brock

Goodbye, Grizzop

If Grizzop had lived and helped raised Sasha's kids

Sasha deserves bat wings, as a treat

"I so wish you could meet them"

My very first drawing of Sasha, post-Kafka fight

Wilde:

Wilde masterpost (yes he has his own)

"We're all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars"

His brain might've popped

Wilde looking pretty (plus bonus shitpost sketch)

"Oh Wilde, you must have been so scared"

Wilde with blue veins

Wilde gets his magic back (first time I ever drew him)

Zoscar:

Wild and Zolf in the rain, epilogue

"We've got this" "Yeah, we've got this" aka Parallels

Breath of Life

Wilde's first death

Peace and comfort (for once)

Actually some more peace and comfort

And a little more

Aaand back to some angst

RQG Zine Art:

The End of the World As We Know It

How Little He Matters

Rome Is Where the Heart Is

Animatics/Animations/Videos:

Hamimatic - Immature

Zolf is the sand guardian, guardian of the sand

Wilde and Zolf in the rain but animated this time

Sasha protecting Wilde in Paris

Time lapse of some of the "Breath of Life" drawing

Ben Meredith quoting Jenna Marbles (starring Toothbrush Zolf)

Doodles, sketches, and requests:

Messy busts of the whole party (plus Wilde, obviously)

Azu and Grizzop outfit/deity swap

Never wake a sleeping Barnes (comic)

Toothbrush Zolf

Azu caring for undead Sasha

Ada mourning Babbage AU

Fun sketch page of various PCs

Domestic Zolf and Wilde

Canon-compliant under-dressed Zolf (look he's posing like the coppertone baby from that one brand of sunscreen, i thought it was funny)

Sasha and Wilde bonding time

If Sasha and Cel met each other

Sasha and Zolf, amputee buddies

Wilde in a flower crown (Everyone Liked That)

More domestic Zolf and Wilde

Sasha playing with Hamid's twin brothers

Sasha looking after Grizzop's kids

Zolf and Wilde hugging

Sasha and Skraak, dynamic duo

Barnes and Carter hugging

Kobold in the kitchen with Zolf

Ada holding down the fort

Happy Hamid

Cel and Grag

Wilde and Hamid high-five

[animezinglife]

ACOTAR tag game 💕

Thanks for tagging me, @crazy-ache! Honestly, after reading your responses, I'm convinced we might actually be the same person. XD

Several others actually tagged me in this too, and I'm sorry to everyone for the delay. It's been busy and I've had company.

Answer the questions below & tag whoever you want, or make it an open tag!!

Who's your favourite ACOTAR character?

Lucien Vanserra. Back when I had no intention of continuing the series after the first book, I joked a lot about him having to be tired from carrying all of Prythian on his back.

Who's your least favourite character?

Ianthe. I still hope Stryga used her fingers as toothpicks.

Say something nice about your least favourite character.

She's probably objectively pretty.

Who's your favourite High Lord? (If you picked one for your fav character, then who's your second fav!)

I don't really feel like I know many of them enough to make the most sound decision. I think if I were living in Prythian, I would feel very at ease with Helion or Tarquin as my High Lord even if the latter is still a mere child of eighty and has his moments of naivete. He seems very honest and fair.

Helion I think would be similar, but less naive and more adept at seeing all the angles Tarquin might miss.

To be clear, I love Rhysand. I just think how I would feel about him as High Lord would probably differ depending on where I lived in the Night Court.

Favourite MINOR character?

I love Vassa. I think she has a lot of potential and is so cool. The image of her in her firebird form raining hell down on those Hybern ships was epic.

Jurian's fun, too.

Last but not least, Varian cracks me up. He probably has the most questionable taste and survival skills out of the whole lot of them and doesn't get nearly enough credit for just floating around to wherever his funky little heart desires.

Favourite ship? (Crackships included!)

Elucien has the potential to be my favorite and I'm already down bad for them. Of the ones who already are canon, though, Feysand.

Favourite court and why?

Of the ones we've spent time in, I'm not going to lie: I favor Spring for the way it was portrayed in the first book. Warm weather, green, gardens, pools of starlight, Tamlin playing his fiddle while people dance and celebrate, etc. It's very faerie.

That said, Autumn is the one I'm most intrigued by overall for all the usual and popular reasons. Autumn could very easily overtake spring.

Make up a brand new court RIGHT NOW, NO PREP JUST VIBES.

The Celestial Court. It's more otherworldly than Night or Dawn; more heavenly full of crystals and clouds. Its on its own plane of being entirely. The Fae there are known for their close connections to their gods and the High Lord and Lady are historically considered to be demigods. They would have an otherworldly glow/light to them like Tolkien elves; be a bit more unsettling. There's a lot of mystery around them and their power. I think of a lot of white or light clothing, fair skin, and long, fair hair. Unusual eyes that look like you're gazing into the heavens.

What relationship would you have wanted to see more of in the books?

Elain and Lucien, obviously, but it's not time just yet. So, I'd love to see Elain making her own friends.

I'd also really like to see more of the Lucien and Eris dynamic, because we're definitely not being let in on at least a few things.

What's your unpopular opinion?

Every single ACOTAR book could be cut down about 200 pages and not lose any meaningful or relevant content. They're all entirely too bloated.

If you want a spicier take, I'm forever underwhelmed by Nesta as a character. I understand what the goal was and could still for the most part appreciate the story, but I never did get invested in her and what investment I did develop didn't last after I finished ACOSF.

What's your favourite headcanon/fan canon?

The best way to sum up many of my favorites would simply be Elain finding herself and her confidence in a potential relationship with Lucien. How it would be a healing journey, but also very much one of her coming into her element and power (and him into his, too).

I love the idea of them becoming completely uninhibited out in nature and to have this extremely deep connection that goes beyond other bonds.

If you were swept away to Prythian, what's ONE thing you would want to do?

Lucien (<- keeping @crazy-ache's answer here because I absolutely would if he'd have me)

"I want to experience all the magic. Just frolic through a field and really feel this fae magical world, see the creatures, witness the magic and spells, just be absolutely bewitched by it all." (<- keeping this answer, too, but I would add Helion's libraries to the mix).

If you could have ONE faerie ability seen in the books, which would it be?

I'd want to put a lot of effort into healing magic, but I'd love to be able to winnow or create water wolves. Winnowing would be ideal so I could see the world more easily and see my family whenever I wanted.

Thank you so much for the tag! Anyone who wants to do this, please feel free.

[yves-and-scessernee]

Ask Game: List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the askbox for the last 10 people who reblogged something from you! get to know your mutuals and followers (>w<) <3

Sure! Thank you for sending me an ask <3 Let's see what I've got.

My read-aloud reading group makes me happy. We started a couple of years back as a way to get together and eke out some time in our lives to get through some books, and I'm honestly really proud of how much we've done. Some members have gone from feeling deeply insecure about reading aloud to jumping in with such enthusiasm and eagerness, and I've loved watching that progression. We've cleared novels like Dune, Dracula, 'Salem's Lot, the play Long Day's Journey Into Night, a ton of poems and short stories, and we're currently in the middle of The Vampire Lestat. I really look forward to it each week.

My wife makes me happy <3 She just got home from work.

The pride flag I use makes me happy. When I started publicly identifying as a lesbian I knew it was really important to me to avoid symbols that have brought pain to my network of friends and family, most of whom are mspec and/or trans, and while I pass no judgement on those who use these symbols for their own reasons I've just ... heard enough from my personal community to want to avoid them wholesale. I made the decision to use the dawn lesbian pride flag for me, and it's brought me a lot of joy. It's definitely made being public about my identity a very positive experience. And I really love that I can point to a specific stripe and say "that's me! I'm there!"

My religion makes me happy. I've spent some time lately preparing my altar for the spring, thinking about bringing in some flowers from the garden soon.

I did two long entries and two short ones, so let's close off with a medium-length one. The spring weather makes me happy. Winter has its moments to cherish, but spring ... the sudden chatter of birds, the lift of a brisk spring breeze, the shift from snow to rain, the way the landscape empties and begins to turn green. It's been raining on and off for the past few days, and I have been listening to it with my window open. It feels like hope. It always has.

[thestudentfarmer]

Feb 20, 2023

Hey everyone! I hope you've all had as great a week as possible and been able to work on your gardens, homesteading skills and sustainable methods this week :)

We've had a little bit of everything this week for all the above here in our little plot.

Today's post is going to include an update on the lentils and then some info and caretaking stuff for ducks 🦆

So first up! The lentil experiment!

This is a pic as of today, there's clear spotting in the grow pattern. But I kind of expected that. I didn't have a lot for even coverage (and just tossed it out). It had a late grow period and the front gets a weird double micro- climate/grow zone in the winter.

A lil close up of what's come up. They are a bit darker stemmed and darker leaved than it looks. But those that sprouted are doing amazing!

I'm thinking about letting a section grow entirely to produce more pods and seeds just to see how well it'll do now and just doing a half row of till in.

🦆🦆🦆Now onwards to the ducks! 🦆🦆🦆🦆

If you've ever thought about getting ducks, please do your research on them.

Despite sis having done extensive research there's still things we don't know, didn't know until it happened and we're continually learning as we go.

As a quick mention our ducks are kept primarily as pets, for pest control and because we wanted their eggs. Sis and my Hubby love them, though only Hubby can eat them. (I don't overly enjoy the taste personally, but I can eat them)

Meet Nugget (the back left), Pie (back right) and some of you may recognize the handsome fellow in the front middle, Cheese! (Aka, Poppa Cheese).

These are our ducks. While we don't know for sure what Pie (we believe is a magpie) and Nugget (we believe is a magpie mix ) are, we are certain Cheese is a silver Appleyard.

Awhile back I noticed we weren't finding any duck eggs, well Miss Pie it turns out hid a nest. I believe I posted it awhile ago with a few eggs in it by the time it was discovered. We figured we would let her sit on them and gave them the hatch time plus a week to be sure. Sadly no eggs hatched. We will not be allowing large nesting again. And the next hatch will be done with an incubator. ( a fun experiment and share for later!)

This is what the nest ended up looking like on "pull date" (today actually)

I think one broke yesterday morning as there was that unforgettable rotten egg smell. For the comfort of us and our neighbours (as well as Pie.) It was time to remove it.

Found the broke one(s?) They were not rolemovable by hand. So a shovel was needed to remove them.

All empty. I did fully remove, trim and am planning to block this spot so she may not nest here again.

The hidden bounty was way bigger than expected and I have a feeling she wasn't really nesting now :( there was almost 60 eggs hidden here!)

The lesson this student learned? At this time natural incubation is a no for our homestead. Any found nests from now on, sadly will have to be removed. We have tried nesting a handful of times now and it just hasn't panned out.

As well a note to share with those thinking of ducks~

They need ponds and if you get filtration get the darn best filtration you can.

In addition to the nest removal and cleanout It was pond clean day happens every 2-3 days so long as it doesn't rain.

This is a pond washed out and refilled 3 days ago. (It rained, we don't do pond wash on rainy days.)

Dumped, be sure to rinse em well, this is why if u get filtration make sure it's heavy duty. This sludge probably could be watered down heavily and used for soil fertilization. For me tho, I'm only doing that in the duck area. Too many weed seeds for the garden to be a viable use for that and not a good filter system planned yet.

The lucky ducks enjoying the fresh cleaned pond (for now lol)

Their area is under some redesign as well. Projects I will be sharing later as they are done~

Thank you all for joining me today! What project or ideas are you looking forward to this week on your own gardening, homesteading, learning journey?

🌱🦆Happy Homesteading and Animal Husbandry!🦆🌱

[evhinox]

Mateo, Then Rufus.

Midnight death call and I'm left with no choice but a deadline of my heart that's beating

You took me out of my cage with scattered books on the ground and a cluttered bed, pillows, and a blanket

You tried to hide your pain, but you couldn't resist, and started to become a sprinkling rain in my garden

But soon, we'll discover that I am a shelter to you, and you're my definition of serenity

We rode your bike to go on a lifetime adventure

And that lifetime is only for today

Our itinerary was the whole goddamn world

And countless activities that we'll spend with each other

With a mix of a slow burn feeling and a bit of existential crisis to consider for a day

Riding train, your bike, some random games

Photographs that we cannot be able to look back on, and hold on to

We're creating scenes and memories

That we wouldn't be able to think back and remember

'Cause there is no more future for us to live for, so tell me, how can I fancy this, fancy you?

I'll bring these supercuts in the afterlife

And I won't forget every details of you

'Cause you made me feel on top of the world just by spending this day with you

Rather than to live a long life without witnessing sunshine, your bright smile, jaded by misery

You're a falling fruit that I'm waiting to catch, with an

Unforgettable taste of sweetness – the most rewarding prize everyone could ever have

It's an electric jam and we're having our own slow dance under this flashing neon lights

Whispers to each other's ears, the music's blasting and we can't hear anything but us

You and I can feel each other's pounding hearts – this is our own electric, through the bones, through our souls, we have our own mirrorball

And a music that only us can hear

We're so close together, and we know that this wouldn't last forever

In my mind, and in my heart, you'll live rent-free

Let's find one another in the afterlife, and I hope there really is, and we'll live together, eternally, without having to say goodbye

Who knows that I'll get to touch your lips with mine

Backstage, after we performed a song together

We've only been with each other for less than a day

But it feels like we've known each other since we're little

But oh, we almost did, right?

"...Rufus."

This Mateo kid.

You're home is the safest place right now, you say

How ironic.

Who knew that an apartment with a cool atmosphere

Will turn into blazing orange flames and smokes?

We still have four remaining hours

But we didn't get the chance to cherish it together

We didn't even get to say our final goodbye

We didn't even get to stare at each other's face

I didn't even get to have a final glance in your eyes

We didn't even get the chance to say and express this

sincerest love that we share to our deadliest deadline

We're destined to meet at the finish line of our game

We did so much today cause there will be no more tomorrow

You left out of our safety zone, and now I'm left here all alone

And now I cross the street without an arm to hold me back.

I'll look for you in the afterlife, my Mateo.

A piece of poetry written by me after reading "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera

[miracle-sham]

Necromancy and Magic Shops Snippets.

| {MGI Civil War 3 Event} |

| {Necromancy} |

———

| Word Count: 540. |

———

It had been raining the day before, when a fierce knock upon her door rattled the hinges.

Marinette had rushed downstairs to pull open, revealing a sopping wet Adrien at the threshold.

“I need your help...” He rasped, stumbling inside into the warmth beyond.

“Okay.” Marinette had agreed without question or hesitation. She had promised him she'd be there for him no matter what, after everything they've been through as Ladybug and Chat Noir.

“My mother... My father...” Adrien grimaced. “She woke up again. Because of him.”

Marinette didn't need to guess the truth he spoke underneath. She had been dead, cold and still inside that wretched crystal coffin.

“I need your help.” He repeated, staring into her eyes desperately. “I can't do this alone, please.”

“Okay.” She promised, swallowing thickly. “There's a shop, I've heard of. They specialise in... Gardening.”

Adrien nodded, eyes closing for a brief moment. “I can't go. She'll get suspicious if I'm gone for too long.”

“I'll go for you then. I won't let you down.” Marinette whispered.

Which is why she was here, stood in front of the unassuming clocktower that shouldn't exist, labelled neatly with a purple bat shaped sign 'The Batgirls' Emporium'

The door creaked as she opened it, stepping inside. The crackle of magic rolling off her as the wards let her through. She clutched at her Ladybug protective charm tightly.

The shopkeeper was watching her. She glanced away, scurrying towards the necromancy section, hope desperately curling in her chest as she scanned the aisle for what she seeked.

———

Cass looked her latest customer up and down. Their eyes met, and the other looked away first.

She nudged her partner gently and gestured to the necromancy aisle. Steph whistled.

"Ooooh, boy, you're looking for a toughie, huh?" she asked the nervous girl.

"I, um, I didn't -- I don't --"

"Not to worry, not to worry," Steph interrupted. "We've got you covered! We've got animal revivals, people revivals, plant revivals (although we charge extra for a kingdom's crops), and --"

"I'm not!", the customer interruped, "Looking to bring someone back! I need to put someone down!"

Cass's eyes sharpened. Steph froze, then slanted a look at the other.

After a quick examination, Cass shook her head.

"Well," Steph said, "Sorry for any rude assumptions I might've made." Her voice was low and soothing.

“It's... Fine.” Marinette mumbled, refusing to look at her, hands fidgeting at her sides.

Steph sighed. "Look, Cass isn't karate-chopping you right now, so I trust you're not up to any evil. What do you need?"

Marinette made a slight keening noise. “It's... I don't know exactly, I've only heard rumours of it... But my friend, someone he knew was dead and now they're not. And there's. He's scared. I promised I'd help.” She admits, saying far too much and yet not enough at the same time.

Cass vaulted over the counter and pulled Marinette into a hug. She tensed, and Steph feared she'd bolt. Instead, she melted into it.

How long had it been, Marinette wondered, since she'd last been hugged. Even Adrien kept his distance these days, despite everything, not that she faulted him, they were both hurting and coping and healing in their own ways... But she missed being comforted.

———

| @writingsnippetsthatneverupdate | | @maribat-get-in |

[sebsxphia]

Sebbie my love, I hope you're doing well, I know I usually start off like that, but I can't help it (lol).

We've had sun showers here all day long and it's only feeding the yearning hours. It's also getting warmer, everything's all green, the trees are popping along with the flowers and everything smells amazing from the rain and once again, the Miles Miller x cottagecore!wifey!reader thoughts/thots are back again.

You and Miles have been living in the cottage for a while now and alot has happened in those last few years. Benny was born in the house and has already learned his first word (Miles was practically in tears when Benny first said "Dada", lol) and he's taken his first steps there too.

Your house always smells so good from the herbs you keep in the pantry and often you can tell what season it is based on the smells. Spring smells like lavender and mint, Summer smells like peaches and sweet tea, Fall smells like cinnamon and apples and winter smells of pine and cedar.

Spring and summer are without a doubt yours and Miles's favorite seasons. Every morning he'll make sweet tea with fresh peaches, put them in mason jars and stick them in the kitchen window so they can mix with the full sun. While Miles is out in the garden with Benny, you'll make lemon cookies or have dinner going later in the day. If there's been a sun shower? Forget it, Miles and Benny will be out there in the yard, running around and often times the two of them will come in covered in mud.

You've even sewn together a little stress pillow for Miles that has fresh lavender sprigs in it from your garden and he's almost always using it (one time he put it over his eyes and you found him dead asleep on the couch, lol). Even the trunk that has all of Benny's toys, stuffies and his blankies in it has lavender sprigs in it and it'll knock him right out after a long day. During the super hot nights, you two are always eating the fresh, homemade popsicles in the freezer and taking cool baths at night before curling up with the windows open so you can listen to the peepers that live in the pond at the edge of the woods.

hello my love! thank you so much, i hope you’re doing well too!

aaaaah cottage core thoughts with miles 🥹 these are so sweet and i always absolutely adore them! what i would give to have this life, it just sounds so sweet, warm and loving. thank you so much for this my love! 💌

[vaida-talks-about-everything]

Kailman Legacy || 22: Green and Eager

Listening to music, Dayla Ann put on the finishing touches of her look and took a deep breath, taking herself in. She only had so many opportunities to get this dolled up, with the kids home for the summer and both farms taking any free time she had, so to see herself in this pale green dress, glowing from summer sun, in heels she hadn't worn in years, it was sweet. Just as sweet as the man she was waiting for.

Freshly shaved, dressed in crisp neutrals, and confident, Noah John knocked on the door and waited for his date. He remembered their first conversations on the property when he walked her to his very door at his protégé's graduation party. She was beaming with pride for her brother and shared many childhood stories of his getting dirty outside and caring for the animals, dreaming of racing horses one day. Having seen her embrace her dream with the farm up the hill, Noah John wanted to hear all the more about the dreams hidden in her heart, hoping to be invited into them one day.

Enthralled by her, he kissed her cheek, initially surprising her. When their eyes met again, the two smiled, eager to embrace a new bit of touch between them. So, with hands held, the two made their way to Brindleton Bay.

"So you like green, I take it?"

"How could you tell?"

“Your house, your clothes, your eyes all match. It's cute."

"Cute?"

"Yeah, you know what you like and you have it everywhere you can see. And you make it known that you like it."

"This isn't just about my favorite color, is it?"

"What can I say? You know what you like, so go for it. I didn't have to guess with you, you were just forthright."

"I've been alive long enough to know what I want, and you just so happen to be just that."

"Well, I hope it stays that way, 'cos you're just what I want too."

Despite the current downpour, Dayla Ann was charmed by the setup of candles and greenery on the table and the picnic basket with their dinner for the night. She asked about Emerson and the ranch, especially since the kids want a dog just like his, and he laughed, saying they're welcome to play with him anytime. Noah John mentioned that Louisa loved spending time with Clover and would love to babysit should the opportunity present itself. With this in mind, Dayla Ann asked if Emerson knew about the two of them.

"I didn't want to tell him, or anyone really, without consulting you first. My biggest concern is going at this as fast or slow as your comfortable."

"Because of my situation with my kids and ex-husband?"

"Yes, but more so because I really respect you. I don't know what led to things not working out, and I don't need to, but I do know that these kinds of things need a lot of time, patience, and care to navigate well so I won't take this any further than you're able. I'm eager, sure, but I'm not in a rush."

"You talk as if you've done this before. Have you?"

"No, but I've learned enough from people I'm around that all those intricacies are complicated and take precedence over most other things, so I care more about seeing this through well than in a certain time frame. We're both older, we've lived enough life to know what we want, right?"

Touched to hear him reference something she'd said hours before meant everything, proving all the more that he's intentional and earnest and... everything else. "Right."

Time flew by before they realized the rain had long stopped, and the stars sprinkled the sky, so they had their dessert and walked in the gardens just outside the little cafe greenhouse. Tim was tempted to bring up her ex-husband and ask what kind of person he was and how he's treating her now, but she started talking about the movies that her family watches every Winterfest. Hearing about her little brothers and sisters singing around the tree, her Mama making treats in the kitchen, and her father leading the little family choir, Noah John was sure he wanted to be there next time. Whatever kind of man he is, he thought, is missing out big time.

He took her to her door again, and they shared a long hug before saying their goodbyes. Dayla Ann was awestruck as she closed the door, feeling tremendous warmth in her chest. Meanwhile, once Noah flopped onto his bed, still in his clothes, he smiled wide, butterflies dancing within him, already thinking of what he'd do next time he saw her. While she winded down for the night, mentally preparing to swap the kids with Tim, Dayla Ann remembered a song she'd listened to while getting ready that was so fitting for the evening she'd had.

🎶I've been spending the last eight months thinking all love ever does is break and burn, and end. But on a Wednesday in a cafe, I watched it begin again🎶

[umichenginabroad]

Rome Week 1: Exploring Rome and Getting Accustomed

Hello!

I've officially been in Rome for a week and without a doubt, time is flying by so fast. It feels like I've just landed a couple of days ago!

Within this first week, I've just been exploring nearby landmarks and restaurants to get accustomed to my surroundings for the next seven weeks.

Below are some of the landmarks I've visited this past week. Of the landmarks I've seen so far, the Villa Medici is my favorite. The Villa Medici housed French students who were tasked with producing art. We were able to see some of their works and walk through the massive garden that is there for students to get inspiration.

Coming to Rome, I knew that there was a lot of history within the city but the amount of landmarks is quite overwhelming. However, I don't have class until 4:15PM for the first four weeks that I'm here and so I plan on tackling this large list in the mornings so that I can learn a bit more about Rome's history and get my steps in!

Moving on to the restaurants, I am so very content. Not only are the foods cheap (each restaurant dish costs about 12 euros; each street food is under 5 euros), but the foods are also fresh. For the most part, my flatmates and I are eating out. However, there have been times in which we've made food at home and those meals are equally as delicious!

The highlights of everything I've eaten so far are the limoncello at Saltimbocca and the squid salad at Zig. Limoncello is a lemon liquor that is supposed to be drank after a meal to help with digestion and it tastes EXACTLY like a lemon Starburst. The squid salad at Zig is your typical salad but the way the squid was prepared was amazing! Hands down the best squid I've ever had.

In terms of life in Rome, it is quite different than life in the USA. The main thing is that Romans eat dinner late (dinner starts at 7PM) and so I had to adjust my eating schedule. Additionally, of the restaurants that my flatmates and I have been to, the restaurant will either bring the check to us or we would have to walk up and pay (there isn't a general consensus on how payment works). It's been quite difficult to see what the restaurant prefers and so there have been times when my flatmates and I are just sitting at our table. However, as the program continues, I'm hopeful that we'll be able to gauge the payment system on our own!

Before I end this post, I did want to include some tips in the event that any of you are planning to visit. My first tip is to bring a reusable water bottle. Restaurants will not offer complimentary water but Rome has drinkable water fountains everywhere and it's quite refreshing! My other tip is that if you're traveling to Rome (and Italy really) in May, pack a raincoat and an umbrella. Despite May being a "summer" month, it has been raining / gloomy since I've gotten here. As we approach June, I'm hopeful that this weather disappears but in the meantime, I'm cycling through the same rain jacket and two long pants as I was not expecting this weather to last this long.

That's all I have for this post! This coming weekend, I'll be visiting Florence, Milan, and Como so stay tuned for a post about that!

Sabrina Huynh

Materials Science and Engineering

Engineering in Rome, Italy

[seeyeps]

Poppy Super Bloom 2023

What is a poppy super bloom? A poppy super bloom is a rare event in which the desert floor becomes covered in a blanket of California poppies. Super blooms typically occur after an unusually wet winter, when the conditions are just right for mass germination.

The last recorded poppy super bloom in California took place in 1998. The next predicted poppy super bloom will occur in 2023.

Poppy Super Bloom 2023 is an annual event that occurs in the springtime. It is a time when the poppy flowers in California's Antelope Valley bloom in massive numbers. The carpet of orange blossoms can stretch for miles and is truly a sight to behold.

This year's bloom is expected to be even bigger and better than usual, thanks to favorable weather conditions. So if you're looking for something beautiful to see next year, make sure to add the Poppy Super Bloom to your list!

Will There Be a Superbloom in 2023?

There is no easy answer to this question. While conditions in California have been favorable for a superbloom in recent years, there is no guarantee that 2023 will see another one. Superblooms are caused by a combination of factors, including precipitation, temperature, and soil moisture.

All of these conditions must be just right in order for a superbloom to occur. Another factor that can impact the occurrence of a superbloom is the presence of certain desert plants. Some species of desert plants actually help to promote blooms by releasing chemicals that encourage seed germination.

So even if conditions are otherwise favorable for a superbloom, if these key plants are not present, it may not happen. predicting whether or not a superbloom will occur in any given year is difficult at best. However, if you're hoping to see one in 2023, keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best!

Where is the Super Bloom in Southern California?

The Super bloom is a natural phenomenon that occurs every few years in Southern California. It is caused by the perfect combination of rainfall and sunshine, which allows the wildflowers to flourish. This year, the Super bloom is expected to peak in late February or early March.

What Month Do California Poppies Bloom?

March and April are the best months to see California poppies in bloom. The state flower of California, these cheerful annuals are easy to grow and make a great addition to any spring garden. Plant them in full sun in well-drained soil and enjoy their showy blooms all season long!

Is There a Super Bloom in Death Valley This Year?

This year, there is an incredible super bloom in Death Valley! The last time this happened was in 2005, and it's been dry since then. This year's bloom is thanks to the drought conditions we've had recently.

The desert floor is covered in wildflowers, and it's truly a sight to see. If you're planning on visiting Death Valley this spring, be sure to check out the super bloom!

California Super Bloom 2023

The California Super Bloom is an annual event that takes place in the state of California. It is a time when the wildflowers bloom in abundance, creating a stunning and colorful display. The event typically lasts for several weeks, and it attracts visitors from all over the world.

The first recorded super bloom took place in 1858, and since then there have been numerous super blooms throughout California history. The most recent one occurred in 2017, when the desert area of Anza-Borrego State Park was blanketed with wildflowers. The next California Super Bloom is predicted to occur in 2023.

This will be a particularly special event, as it will coincide with the 200th anniversary of the state's admission into the United States. There are many factors that contribute to a super bloom, but the main one is rainfall. Above-average rains during the winter months help to trigger the growth of wildflower seeds that have been dormant in the ground for years.

Once these seeds germinate, they quickly grow and bloom during the springtime. If you're hoping to see the 2023 California Super Bloom, start making your plans now! This will be an event that you won't want to miss!

Super Bowl 2023

Super Bowl LIII, also known as Super Bowl 53, is scheduled to be the 53rd annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL). The game is scheduled to be played on February 3, 2023 at a yet-to-be-determined stadium. This will be the first Super Bowl held in Los Angeles since 1993 and only the second time that the city has hosted the game (the other being in 1967).

The Rams are set to host the game as their new home, SoFi Stadium, is set to open in 2020. Los Angeles was originally awarded Super Bowl LV in 2021, but due to construction delays with SoFi Stadium, they were instead given Super Bowl LVI in 2022. The NFL then decided that Los Angeles would host Super Bowl LIII one year later.

Anza Borrego Super Bloom

The Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is located in southern California and is the largest desert state park in the United States. The park covers an area of 600,000 acres and includes parts of both the Sonoran and Mojave deserts. The Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is home to more than 500 species of animals and over 2,000 species of plants.

One of the most popular attractions in the park is the annual Super Bloom. This phenomenon occurs when there is an unusually large amount of rainfall in the desert which causes wildflowers to bloom. The last Super Bloom occurred in 2017 and it was one of the most spectacular displays of wildflowers in recent memory.

Spring Wildflowers

There's something about wildflowers that just makes us happy. Maybe it's their bright colors or the fact that they're a sign of springtime. Whatever the reason, we can't help but smile when we see them popping up all over the place.

If you're looking to add some wildflowers to your spring landscape, here are a few of our favorites: 1. Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) - These beautiful blue flowers are one of the first signs of spring in many parts of the country. They typically bloom in April and May and prefer moist, wooded areas.

2. Trillium (Trillium spp.) - Another flower that blooms early in the season, trillium come in a variety of colors including white, pink, and red. They're often found in forested areas and can be difficult to grow in cultivation. 3. Bloodroot (Sanguinaria Canadensis) - One of the first wildflowers to bloom in spring, bloodroot gets its name from the deep red color of its roots.

The delicate white flowers appear for only a brief time before giving way to large leaves for the rest of the season. 4. Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) - This unique flower looks like tiny pairs of pants hanging from delicate stems. They bloom from April to June and prefer shady areas with moist soil.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the poppy super bloom in 2023 is sure to be a magnificent sight. The picturesque scene of colorful flowers against the backdrop of the mountains will be something that visitors will remember for years to come.

[balkanradfem]

Why is rain so much more effective than watering the garden?

‘Nothing I do compares to how the plants boom after the rain’ is a common proverb to hear among gardeners. If you’ve tried to grow a garden, you’ll notice that all your watering efforts don’t have as much success as a single night of rainfall, that makes your plants go lush, green, twinkling and happy. So why is rain so much better for the plants than any water we can provide to them? It has to do with the quality of the water, but the quality of the soil as well.

Rainwater is ‘soft water’, meaning it’s free from minerals our tap water holds in, and the plants find the buildup of minerals hard on their surface and roots. Rainwater cleans the soil and the leaves from all the buildup of dust, dirt, minerals and salt, and on top of it, gives it more acidic pH, which plants prefer to grow in. That’s why they end up looking greener, cleaner, twinkling and lush. But how come they also immediately grow bigger? That has to do with the quality of the soil.

If it hasn’t rained for a while, your soil will become hard, dry, sometimes cracked if it’s rich in clay, and it will start to support less organic life inside. Worms, bugs, bacteria and microorganisms that make your soil rich and healthy, all need water in order to keep making it healthy, having a dry spell will damage their lifespan. So, we water the soil to keep it wet, but the soil doesn’t get the same quality being hand-watered, and rain-watered. Why is that?

In order to water the already dried soil, all we can do is pour the water on top. We usually do this directly onto the stem of the plant we’re trying to water, so the plant gets nice and filled up on it. But, if the soil is dry, it will become hydrophobic, meaning, instead of absorbing the water, it will reject it, and the water will be pooling on top, not sinking down to the roots, and only the surface of the soil will become seemingly wet and muddy, while it doesn’t manage to penetrate deep inside where it’s needed the most. Would it help to water a little, wait until it absorbs, then water more? Yes, it helps a little, and it takes a long time and a lot of patience and water to do it this way.

This is why we have drip-watering systems, where you put in a long tube (or hose) with little holes in it, which always drips water, making sure the soil is always getting water in the small quantities and never dries out and becomes hydrophobic, that is generally preferable to the plants as well, always being able to draw water and count on it. But, it still isn’t as effective as the rain.

Rain falls in tiny little droplets, who give the soil hours to absorb it. It’s gentle and persuasive, and during hours of rainfall, even the toughest soil will melt and accept the hydration and soak it deep inside, giving all the microorganisms a new burst of life. This in turn, makes the soil soft, pliable, easy to work with – and not only the soil directly around the plant, but in every possible direction. Soft soil deep inside means the plant can now have an easier time pushing her roots thru; until that moment the underground soil was hard and unforgiving, and the plant was having a hard time stretching her roots in any direction, but now? All of the territory is hers. This, I believe, is what causes the rapid growth, the plant has gained means to take new underground territory, and is able to absorb new nutrients, gain stability and power to hold more ground and feed herself better, and immediately sends the good news up to the leaves, which grow happy with the agreeable development.

To top it off, rain has nitrates in it! That is a mix of oxygen and nitrogen, oxygen makes sure the plant’s roots have a good time and don’t rot even when it’s a heavy rainfall, and nitrogen is the most vital element plants need to grow, and it means that every time it rains, your garden is being fertilized.

The reason we exist is the six inch layer of topsoil, and the fact that it rains sometimes. Without this incredible balance and life-giving resource, none of us would succeed. We need to protect the soil, and the rain.

[thestudentfarmer]

Hello hello everyone!

Sorry it's been a bit, we all know how personal stuff can be sometime. Anyway up to the post!

I've an empty garden bed for a bit but since I had squash in it I'm gonna add some good stuff back and try something a lil different.

Now if you don't know what's in the jar thats all cool! it's lentils, since their a legume and relatively cheap and I've extra from food pupropses I've decided to try planting them as a sort of cover crop/ green manure.

☆🌱 What is a green manure you might ask? 🌱☆

 a green manure is plant material grown that is not grown for produce. Instead it's grow specifically for the purpose of improving a soil's nutritional value or texture. Green manure or cover crops are usually planted after a garden's produce crops are harvested and done (though you can interplanetary smaller cover crops while larger ones are grown to give ground cover) then churned into the soil just before the next planting season to add valuable organic material to the soil that will break down over time.

It's not pretty right now, but that can be fixed up :) I'm watering the soil after scoring it a bit. You don't need to score but I did cause we've had some cool weather as well as a lot of rain recently so compaction might be a problem. Plus itll help shuffle those lil established weeds while their small and not seedy

I sprinkled around the lentils willy nilly, mostly cause I won't be harvesting this growth, I'll either till it back in or if it's too much material I'll pull half out to feed to the gals as a food source and special treat.

After shuffling the dirt a bit over the seeds I like to cover the rows with screen or a very light tarp. Being in close proximity with neighbours I know I'll have issues with pigeons and the smaller birds trying to pick off the seeds. As soon as the majority sprouts ill be removing it till the next planting.

Jan 22, 2023 is the start of the lentil experiment.

Also very exciting news, I cannot recall if I mentioned last year I ended up planting a bunch of pumpkin seeds cause they sprouted... but they have lil pumpkins coming in now! I hope they make it to past green though, we had some frost a few days in a row and the leaves as you can see got a bit damaged :( I'm gonna let them go as long as possible :)

That's it for this week's garden update :)

🌱🌻Happy Gardening🌻🌱