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rebeccathenaturalist · 10 months

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Why We Need to Care About Insects

Originally posted on my website at https://rebeccalexa.com/why-we-need-to-care-about-insects/

Some months back a study was released that demonstrates just how damaging climate change is to insects, particularly those in tropical areas. Warming temperatures cause insects to die from overheating and dehydration, kills off their food sources, and lowers their fertility rates to dangerous levels. Moreover, changes in climate affect insect phenology, the timing of when they hatch, migrate, breed, and so forth.

And because insects are so small, they’re often disproportionately affected by many of these problems. As ectotherms, they rely on the air around them to regulate their body temperatures; their small mass means they lose heat faster than larger animals, and can be overloaded with heat much more quickly. Tropical insects are especially at risk from major fluctuations in temperature because they are adapted to a relatively narrow temperature range.

Gray spruce looper moth (Caripeta divisata)

But the problem goes far beyond the tropics, and we are in the middle of an insect apocalypse. This problem often flies under the radar of those who are not already aware of invertebrate conservation. While a few insects, such as monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) and domestic honey bees (Apis mellifera), find themselves in the press on a regular basis, most species don’t have large fan clubs. Some of my favorite insects include the white-tipped ctenucha moth (Ctenucha rubroscapus), the velvet snail-eating beetle (Scaphinotus velutinus), and the black-tailed bumblebee (Bombus melanopygus), none of which are insects you’re likely to find making the headlines.

To be fair, there are a lot of insect species out there, so it would be hard to feature every single one individually. But we already face the problem that many people simply just don’t see why we need to worry about fewer bugs around. Last year I wrote an article about how search engines tend to produce exterminator sites at the top of results for various insects, and while some of that is no doubt due to advertising-oriented algorithms, they do reflect a widespread demand for extermination services that isn’t matched by more positive attention to these little animals.

Much has been said among entomologists, ecologists, and other professionals about why we need to be concerned about the drastic drop in the numbers of many insect species, and I’ve written about it as well. I could reiterate what would happen if we lost our pollinators (and also how to save them!) or the crucial role insect detritivores play in reducing diseases and keeping the food web cycling along. And I am still a champion for mosquitoes and other unpopular insects.

Green stink bug (Chinavia hilaris)

But these things always bear repeating. It may be that nine out of every ten organisms on this planet is an insect. Insects play an incredible number of ecological roles, from ecosystem engineers to pollinators to food sources and much more. Without them, ecosystems around the planet would collapse entirely.

I could certainly take the self-interested route and emphasize that fully one-third of our food relies on insects and other pollinators. I might also point out that insect detritivores help nourish the soil needed for everything from food crops to timber. While terrestrial insects and other arthropods only make up about a fifth of the amount of global biomass as their marine counterparts, they still represent a natural sink that holds about 200 million tons of carbon at any given time.

But our anthropocentric worldview rarely considers the intrinsic value of insects simply for existing. We’re constantly weighing and measuring their worth based on our biases and values. We divide them into “good” or “bad” insects: good insects are those that do things we like, like pollination or looking pretty, while bad insects are the ones that chew on our homes and plants or which bite or sting us when threatened or seeking food. For a lot of people, any insect beyond maybe a butterfly is a reason to say “Ewww, gross!” I’ve even seen this widespread among self-professed nature lovers, whether they have a true entemophobia or not, though there may be an evolutionary reason for this seemingly disproportionate reaction.

So consider this yet another attempt to change opinions about insects. I can’t cure entemophobia, but I can at least get people thinking more critically about personal and societal attitudes toward insects. I hope to get people to realize that widespread use of pesticides and other garden/agricultural chemicals–which has increased fifty-fold in twenty-five years–is driving the loss of so many insects. I’ve mentioned before that habitat loss is the single biggest cause of species endangerment and extinction, and that goes for insects, too. And, of course, the study mentioned at the start of this article is just one highlighting the increasing impact climate change has on insects worldwide.

Metric Paper Wasp (Polistes metricus)

Let me wrap this up on a bright note: word is getting out. There is a lot more awareness than there was twenty years ago, and there’s more nuance than we had in the early “save the (domesticated European honey) bees” campaigns. More people are ditching pesticides and other garden chemicals unless absolutely needed, and regenerative agricultural practices that use fewer chemicals overall are gaining ground. And while numerous organizations are increasing awareness of insect conservation, the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation–the oldest organization dedicated solely to invertebrates–is still going strong.

And you can help spread the word, too. Share this article with others, and some of the resources and organizations linked throughout. Consider your own relationship to the native insects in the world around you, and whether you might make their lives a little easier. And remember that sometimes it is the smallest of things that have the greatest importance in such a massive system as an entire living planet.

Did you enjoy this post? Consider taking one of my online foraging and natural history classes or hiring me for a guided nature tour, checking out my other articles, or picking up a paperback or ebook I’ve written! You can even buy me a coffee here!

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livwritesstuff · 7 months

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for those who have never lived in a rural area, there’s a certain level of cohabitation with the wildlife that sort of comes with the territory.

Steve and Eddie live in a fairly rural town in my steddie!dads ‘verse, so I’ve been thinking about how they would feel about this.

Steve is mostly neutral about it. He likes the bird feeders they have scattered throughout the yard, and does his best to learn how to identify all the different species so he can point them out to their daughters, and he thinks the owls that live in the woods behind their house are neat, but other than that, he doesn’t really pay all that much attention to it.

Eddie, on the other hand, fucking loves it, thinks it’s the coolest thing in the world, so much so that it actually becomes a source of stress for Steve.

There’s a possum who comes to their back porch for food that Eddie christened Alonzo and is adored as practically another member of the family. It disappeared for a while and they were all convinced it had died until one day it suddenly was back and snuffling around the porch. Ed and the girls threw a welcome home party complete with a hastily-made banner they taped to the door so he could see it.

Eddie would happily get chickens if not for the fox that lives in their backyard (in his words, “the fox was there first”).

Once, when Hazel is a baby, Eddie takes her on a walk around the neighborhood and comes home to see that a hawk had flown into the porch and gotten its talons stuck in the screen door. He looks at it for a second, decides it’s stunned from the impact, closes Hazel in the car parked in the driveway, and then helps the bird out. Doesn’t get gloves or anything, just bare-hands it and gets the bird unstuck. He’s correct about it being stunned because once it's free, it kinda just collapses on the porch. After a little bit, it flies away. Steve finds out about this a month later and flips out (“Sorry, was the last time you got gutted by flying wildlife not enough for you or something?” are his exact words).

When Moe is a teenager and starting to learn about all the ways the Earth is falling to pieces, she finds out that native bee populations are dwindling. Eddie is equally upset to learn about this, so they tag team planting native flowers around their yard. This is the same summer they learn that Robbie is allergic to bees.

Steve comes home one day to see Eddie fully conversing with a juvenile screech owl perched on the rafters of their front porch.

Eddie: So glad you’re here.

Eddie: But

Eddie: We have a cardinal family and a blue jay family

Eddie: They’re off limits.

Eddie: Rats, mice, insects, vermin – go to town on those fuckers.

Eddie: Do not touch my cardinals or my blue jays. Got it?

Steve:

Steve: Don’t let Moe see that thing

Steve: She’ll think it’s delivering her Hogwarts letter

#moe just turned 11 and school starts in a month and a half #steve is trying to be gentle in explaining that she will be going to her normal school in the fall #steddie #steddie dads #liv’s steddie dads verse #steve harrington #eddie munson

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luminouslywriting · 22 days

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Hi. I have to say I’m loving all this Brady attention. And I love your writing!

May I request some headcanons for a John Brady being in a relationship with a woman on base.

Thank you and have a great day ☺️

Ahh me as well Nonny! John Brady has solidly had my heart since the minute Marina and Bee started posting about him haha! So I'm happy to share the brainrot for him. Keep sending in your requests and your thoughts! I seriously love it!

Cut for length, more below the cut, and some light spice sprinkled in:

-I think for someone as focused as John Brady, it had to have been a happy accident for him to fall in love with you and commit to dating you

-So my genuine first thought is that you're a nurse and that everyone in his crew gets sent to see the doctor on base after that disastrous first near-crash landing

-And of course, he's all grumpy and pouty because, ya know (France was France), and that was ROUGH

-But you come into his life with the smile that rivals the damn sun and everything after that just sorta clicks into place

-He's a lowkey lover that has eyes only for you—I imagine that only a few people, if any, would know that the two of you are dating or even together

-And he's taking his time and making the most of the moments that he has with you

-Because his time on base is so heavily monopolized by work and same as yours, it's stealing moments together

-Ducking behind barracks to kiss

-Lingering kisses because neither of you wants to go but it's already late and you have a shift and he's flying a mission

-Small little gifts that are left for one another; it's a small flower plucked from the field that you find at your work station, it's the extra blanket he finds on his bed, or the little notes that you sneakily leave for one another to find

-MAKING OUT IN HIS PLANE, I'm sorry, I don't make the rules here

-Stealing Bucky's jeep when he's super drunk so that the two of you can get some alone time

-He beelines for you anytime he ends up in the hospital wing

-And he loves the tender and gentle touches you give him, a swift and small kiss to the cheek, etc.

-CUDDLING!!!! I just know that he gives the best hugs and the best time on base for him is that early morning before everyone else is up, when you and him are just entwined in one another and he gets to hold onto you

-Dancing together at the parties, but not too many times in a row because you don't want anyone getting any ideas about the two of you

-This man is writing love letters, sonnets, the whole 9 yards anytime he's parted from you

-Sunday afternoon walks together, where your hand is in his and he can pretend like the war is over and you two are actually together

-He definitely has a few dreams about you and he (both spicy and sweet), and this definitely plays into the way that he shows you love later

-If any of the boys flirt with you on base, he does get a *little* jealous and possessive and that might mean a hookup in the hospital wing's supply closet later

-Loves twirling you around

-Husky compliments in between hot open-mouthed kisses

-He keeps your picture in his jacket when he flies

-This man prays for you every day and is literally so devoted

-Probably has already planned out the entire proposal for when the war is over

-Definitely wrote home to his family about you....like Day 1 in Europe

"Ma, look at Johnny's letter! He mentioned something about France and some girl??"

-That kinda thing haha

-Always holds the door for you

-EYE CONTACT is so huge to him and so you best believe that if you're in the room, his eyes are going to be on you

-Is really gentle and giving when he's with you

-HAND KISSES because your hands do so much good as a nurse

-Being there to reassure one another that things are going to be okay and that there's hope for all of you

-And once he's in the camp? OH THIS MAN IS SINGING YOUR PRAISES. And no, neither DeMarco or Bucky is getting paid enough to listen whenever he wants to just talk about how nice you smell or how your hair feels.

-I just think it would be a really tender relationship that so clearly has a bright future, even when he's in the camps

-He's writing to you dutifully and as often as he can and your future together is the thing that keeps him going

#mota #mota fanfic #masters of the air fanfic #ladies who brady #john brady headcanons #john brady x reader #john brady #masters of the air x reader

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golvio · 1 year

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Here’s an aborted WIP of my attempt at designing a Malice-themed flower to contrast with the Silent Princess. The reference I used was a photo of Fritillaria camschatcensis. It’s called the Kamchatka lily, rice lily, or chocolate lily, but it’s not actually in the lily family, but an evolutionary relative known as the fritillary. One of the key things that distinguish fritillaries from their lily cousins is that their main pollinators are flies and other carrion seeking insects, not bees. To attract pollinators, rather than producing sweet nectar, the flowers give of a scent that smells like decaying meat, tricking the flies into coming to it and covering themselves with pollen while trying to figure out where the yummy food is. This scent is why they’re known colloquially as “stink lilies” or “outhouse lilies.”

However, they’re called “rice lilies” by the indigenous peoples of Alaska because their bulbs, which are made up of multiple “rice grains” that come apart when the mother root is dug up, are edible. In fact, since these flowers bloom in winter, they’re a reliable source of starch and were highly prized by people weathering the harsh winter storms in the areas they grow. These flowers also grow in Hokkaido, and the Ainu people regarded these nourishing plants as a symbol of love, with people trying to help a young couple get together secretly placing these flowers near a young person looking for love. Whoever near that person reached for the flowers first would be that person’s soulmate.

However, the Yamato Japanese regard these flowers in hanakotoba as a symbol for “cursed love,” due to their association with the story of the samurai Sassa Narimasa and his lover, Sayuri, whose name contained the characters for “lily.” According to the legend, Sayuri was Sassa’s concubine, who loved him faithfully but was slandered by the other concubines in the household who were jealous of the attention she received from the master of the house. Sassa, who became convinced by the rumors that Sayuri was being unfaithful, brutally murdered her and her entire extended family in a jealous rage. Outraged by her beloved’s betrayal, her soul lingered by the river where she died and became a frightful apparition called a furaribi. At the moment of her death, the white lilies on the manor grounds all turned black, becoming kuroyuri or “black lilies.” They served as an eternal reminder of Sassa’s crimes and Sayuri’s dying curse, condemning her former love to a life of failure and misery.

The flower’s double-meaning clouded by colonialist incursion, plus its association with both curses and death and life and love persevering in the harshest of climates, suited Ganondorf. Furthermore, it felt fitting to have the foil to Zelda’s signature flower, which resembles a “true lily” that produces nectar, be a so-called “false lily” that doesn’t produce nectar and is associated with less-prized-by-humans but still ecologically important animals like flies. Also, the fact that it’s native to colder climates and blooms in winter makes it feel like you could find this flower around the snowy Gerudo Highlands. It was part of a fic idea born from speculation about his backstory/origins in BotW that I’ve currently got on the backburner.

#long post #my art #legend of zelda #loz thoughts #ganondorf #princess zelda #silent princess #botw #totk #flowers #kamchatka lily #fritillaria

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petri808 · 10 months

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To help with writer's block: #12 Nalu!

I hope it helps cuz I can already see it in my mind!

“You kick a ball and your shoe flies off, hitting them in the back of the head.”

Nalu Week- 7/30/23 Shenanigans @allaboutnalu

Magnolia Park, so called for the large flowering trees that dot its landscape is a favorite place for many residents of the mid-sized college town. Forty acres of grassy knolls and walking trails with park benches along the way, at any given time during daylight you’ll likely run into kids playing, joggers and bikers, and people simply taking in the fresh air. Just like a group of friends who are spread out on a large colorful blanket having a picnic on this sunny Sunday.

It’s just one of those spurs of the moment events when they ran into each other at the local supermarket that morning. They rarely have a day off that coincides, so, Lucy Heartfilia suggests they all have a picnic in the park.

“We were just about to head there, so you guys should join us!” The blonde woman beams.

Natsu Dragneel, Lucy’s boyfriend smiles. “Yeah, unless you’re busy.”

“Nah,” a male named Gray Fullbuster shrugs, “no plans.” His new girlfriend Juvia Loxar nodding in agreement as she hangs onto his arm.

Levy McGarden, another female smiles. “It’s a perfect day to hang out, right?” She turns and looks up to her taller husband Gajeel Redfox who just grunts in return. “We’re down for it.”

They pick a spot under one of the magnolia trees, thankful for the shade it provides. There’s a very light breeze that comes by now and again, but nothing that will send their blanket flying. The combination is enough to keep them cool under the warm late spring afternoon. Each couple has supplied a fair share of offerings, snacks like chips and dip or cookies, some popcorn chicken and rolled sushi from the deli, and half a dozen donuts that Gajeel tries to say are Levy’s, but they all know that’s a lie.

For a couple of hours, the friends chat about everything and nothing, catching up on how each are doing. Levy is four months pregnant, so the girls are happily chittering, asking how things are progressing. Aside from month two’s morning sickness, nothing else has been troublesome. She also relays that they hope to find out the sex in a couple of months, and the names they’ve been tossing around for whether the baby is a boy or girl. They eventually made a deal that if it’s a girl Levy will pick the name, and if a boy Gajeel, and they can’t complain about the choice. This leads into a discussion of what Lucy or Juvia would name any future kids they may have. The guys are discussing an upcoming MMA fight and who they think will win the main event. Well, mostly bickering over which fighter they think is better. It’s just a laid back, vegging kind of day where the biggest excitement is a bee that wouldn’t leave them alone for a time.

Well, that is, until Natsu suddenly grabs everyone’s attention by tapping a key from his keychain loudly on the side of a glass juice bottle. They all stop talking and turn from their conversations to see the man sitting back on his haunches, seiza style with a big smile and the reddest blush alighting his cheeks. “I’ve got an announcement.” He states plainly with a slight cracking in his voice. “Lucy, could you come closer?” He accentuates the request by gesturing to the spot in front of him.

“Okay…” Lucy’s tone drips with hesitant curiosity as she heeds the request. “What is it?”

Natsu then pulls out a single shoe from behind his back. Everyone’s eyes narrow in confusion, head tilting, or brows furrowed wondering what in the world is their friend doing. The shoe is a woman’s flat sandal, light beige with an inch deep cork/leather platform sole bottom and crisscrossed straps running over the top to secure it to the foot. It’s open-toed and an open backed slip-on sandal that Lucy recognizes instantly as her own. He holds it perched on the flat face up open palm of his left hand while cradling the side with his right as if presenting a gift. Which he is.

“Natsu why do you have my shoe?” Lucy queries, but her eyes and focus are on the tiny item tied with a ribbon to the strap. Knowing, yet not knowing exactly what it is.

“Because it’s special,” he grins. “It’s the one you wore the day we met, remember?”

“I remember, but what’s that?” She points towards the strap with a head shaking, smiling laugh. “Please don’t tell me you’re doing what I think you’re doing.”

He nods as he replies. “On a day two years ago, the wearer of this sandal stood above me as stars danced around her head and light haloed like a golden angel from Heaven…”

“Oh my god!” Lucy mutters and palms her face despite the heat flushing her cheeks and brimming smile of embarrassment overwhelms.

His grin widens even more and eyes sparkle in the sunlight as he puts the sandal down and undoes the ribbon holding the ring. “Lucy Heartfilia,” Natsu holds the ring up. “Will you be my star for the rest of our lives?”

Lucy snorts a laugh and pushes him lightly on his shoulder pretending to try and knock him over. “You total weirdo!” But also presents her left hand to him. “Of course, I will!”

After Natsu slips the engagement ring onto Lucy’s finger, he pulls her in for a sweet kiss, cradling her cheek and resting his forehead on hers as she whispers words of love through the embrace. Their bonds strength is one that couples wish for, dream of; a connection where unspoken words are communicated simply with a look in a language only known to them. It’s an endearing scene made all the sappier with the oohs and ahhs of their friends and the wows from the women over the white gold band and 1/8 carat solitaire diamond ring. It isn’t a large or fancy ring, but for Lucy, just the fact it is from Natsu is all that matters.

“But Juvia is still confused,” the woman breaks through the chatter. “Juvia doesn’t understand about the sandal.”

“Oh,” Levy laughs, “it’s about how they met.”

“It was long before we met,” Gray takes over the explanation for his girlfriend. “Lucy’s sandal hit Natsu in the head and knocked him down.” He laughs too. “It was pretty funny at the time ‘cause he had a welt on the back of his head for a week so he couldn’t sleep on it, and the guys at the academy teased him mercilessly for it.”

Juvia turns back to Lucy and Natsu with genuine curiosity in her voice. “How did it happen?”

Even for Lucy this is a memory that she’ll be sure to tell her grandchildren about one day. Of all the ways to meet someone, this is not something anyone would recommend. But it does make the story a whole lot more memorable.

Natsu perks up at Juvia’s question. “Oooh, I’ll tell the story!” He sits cross-legged and leans in with gusto. “Gray and I were jogging through the park that day ‘cause we were in training for the fire departments physical exam…”

In Lucy’s mind a vision of that long ago day floats back into her consciousness as Natsu’s voice slowly fades away and she’s transported back in time. It was sunny and comfortably warm that day in July, not too hot like a typical summer day could get. She’d done an interview earlier that morning for a magazine article she needed to write later, but since the rest of her day was open, Lucy decided to relax in the park. It’s something she often did, taking a new novel to read and finding a bench along the walking paths of Magnolia Park. That day passed along quickly unfettered to Lucy as she lost herself in the fictional story, so by the time a soccer ball rolled up and bumped her foot, she hadn’t realized three hours had already gone by.

She’d put her book down on her lap and looked up at the kid’s voices, calling to Lucy to kick their ball back to them. There was a group of children of various ages between 7 and 14 playing soccer in the adjacent open field approximately 50 feet away. It Was perched on a hill with a slight incline of about ten degrees, but sure, why not? It shouldn’t be too difficult to kick the ball up the hill. So, she stood, lining up the shot so it should go in the correct direction.

And it did! The ball headed straight towards the center of the group.

But Lucy didn’t notice the children’s squeals of joy. She only heard the cry of “Watch out!” by someone nearby. She turned to her right in the direction the male voice had come from and saw a black-haired male standing next to and over another male who’s lying on their back in the grass with their palm pressed against their forehead… and her sandal lying next to his arm. Lucy’s eyes widened in realization.

True, the ball had gone towards the kids, but her shoe flew in another direction striking a hot, pink-haired guy in the back of the head hard enough to knock him down. “Oh, no, I am so sorry!” Lucy rushed over to the two men twenty feet away, dropping to her knees. “Are you hurt?!”

The male rolled over and groaned, his eyes still blocked by his hand. “What’s that thing made of wood? It hurts like hell, but I’ll live.” He moved his hand and looked up towards the female voice, squinting as his eyes readjusted to the sunlight. He blinks a couple times and tips his head slightly. “Did I die and you’re an Angel taking me to heaven?”

“Oh, brother…” The black-haired male rolled his eyes at the lame pick-up line. “Idiot.”

Completely flustered, Lucy’s face turned cherry red. It had been a while since a guy had tried to talk to her, and this one was certainly in the top 5 of hottest guys who’ve hit on her before. “N-No, not an angel,” she stammered, “a journalist.” She reached over and helped him to a sitting position. “Maybe I should grab some ice,” she suggested when noticing the angry bump developing on the back of the man’s head.

The man shook his head no. “What you can do is tell me your name.”

“Lucy.” She responded. “And you are?”

“Nice to me you Lucy,” he held out his hand, “I’m Natsu…”

The memory of him flashing his pearly white smile that sent a shiver through her soul, fades away back to the present, and being surrounded once again by their best friends. If someone had asked her if two years later, she’d be back in the same park being proposed to with the same shoe by the guy who’d been hit by said shoe in the head Lucy would’ve said they were in a fairytale. Well, and here she is. She smiles as Natsu reaches the end of the story.

“And that’s when I asked for her number, and we’ve been together ever since.” Natsu proudly proclaims.

“Juvia thinks that’s such a sweet story!”

Levy chuckles. “I remember when she called me that night to tell me about Natsu. She couldn’t stop talking about how hot he was.”

“Hey!”

Lucy squeals and dives to cover Levy’s mouth, but Levy ducks and continues. “She was known for her soccer kick in high school,” she laughs, “but never would’ve guessed she’d catch a guy with it!”

“Ha Ha,” Lucy rolls her eyes feigning that she’s not embarrassed despite the blush in her cheeks. “It’s not like I was trying to, but at least it’ll be a funny story to tell the kids one day.”

Natsu suddenly perks up in confused excitement. Did he hear what he thinks he heard? “Huh, kids?!”

#naluweek2023 #nalu #nalu fan fiction #fairytail

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geraldinosauria · 1 year

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I couldn't sleep for hours yesterday and i really tried to sleep. In those situations my brains get really busy and my imagination becomes super vivid. Thats how i got to this little headcanon/minific whatever you might call it. Enjoy

A rainy day in Sandrock

(Builder is best Friends with Fang in here, i love imagining the time where friends slowly fall in love with each other and even start getting a little touchy while still not really knowing whats going on)

•Builder got woken up by strange but somewhat familiar noises and took a look outside, sun isn't even really up yet so its rather dark but yet its visible that its pouring. The first rain the builder sees in a long time and the first time ever in sandrock.

•Since there is no way going back to sleep they get up, taking a stroll through the town and eventually ending up in front of the clinic, completely soaked. Of course the door is locked and this early in the morning they don't feel comfortable to shout up to Fang to open the door for them, so they decide to throw some pebbles at his window to gain his attention.

•Nothing happens so the Builder decides to sit down on the wooden boxes under the covers next to the clinic, listening to the rain drops hitting the fabric, shivering a little due to the cold rain and the early morning hours not beeing known for beeing very warm

(I also read some time ago that when its raining in a desert the dry ground can't absorb the water. Good thing Sandrock is kind of build on hills so they won't need to swim when they get outside lol)

• Suddenly the door flies open and Fang steps out, wondering a little about the weather but more about who woke him up, when Builder calls his name from under the covers.

•Not wanting to stay in the rain for too long he makes the builder scoot aside a bit so he can climb on the boxes with them, builder explains why they are here and so they listen to the soothing noise of rain together, sitting there in silence for a while, watching the sky becoming brighter as the sun is slowly rising (i imagined the sky beeing not completely cloudy but rather patchy so there are clear spots)

Next stuff is bonus because this up there is romantic enough for my taste but my head likes to go even further, especially when i am sleepy:

•Fang wrappes the builder in his cloak after noticing them shivering (i know they could just could have gone inside but this is sweeter) and to his surprise they move closer to him, resting their head on his shoulder. If he's comfortable enough yet he would wrap his arm around their waist to keep them close an warm, resting his head on top of theirs

#mtas fang #my time at sandrock fang #my time at sandrock #mtas #it looked very adorable in my head #i unfortunately think in pictures so wtf is writing

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out-of-control · 1 year

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FUCKED

words: 1381

warnings: suicidal thoughts, drug use

summary: several instances of jax and jim’s favorite game.

“Tell me something fucked up.”

“What?”

“Tell me something fucked up,” Jim repeats, shoulders hunched, placing one foot in front of the other, avoiding the cracks in the sidewalk. “Anything.”

“Uhh, fuck,” Jax says, screwing his face up. “Work is having me do shit that's not in my fucking job description and then they’re not paying me enough for it." He blows smoke out of the side of his mouth as he walks, looks over at Jim. “That work?”

“That works,” Jim says, trying to keep the relief in his voice to a minimum. Anything to keep his attention directed away from the inside of his own brain.

“Cool, your turn.”

“For what.”

“For you to say something fucked up,” Jax explains patiently.

Jim looks at the cigarette in his hand and turns it over thoughtfully, before providing: “I found a centipede in your shower two days ago.”

Jax makes a face. “Wasn't that the night we…?”

“Yeah."

“Ew," he says, shivering.

"Your turn again," Jim responds, rolling his shoulders and looking up at the sky. Pale gray, like it's toying with the idea of rain but can't commit. "Tell me something fucked up."

Jax obliges, and they keep on walking.

–

Jim pulls up to the apartment building, shifts the Tercel into park. He looks to his right to consider Jax, who’s been uncharacteristically quiet the whole drive. “Tell me something fucked up.”

Jax raises his head, looks over at Jim. He breathes in, then out. “I don't remember my mother's voice,” he says dully, flicking his gaze away from Jim and out through the windshield. “You tell me something fucked up.”

Jim nods solemnly, looking Jax over for a second. “I don’t remember my mother’s voice.”

Jax snaps his head around and squints at him. "Yeah?" he says, guardedly incredulous, like he thinks Jim is making fun of him or something.

“Yeah,” Jim states plainly. “So, solidarity, or whatever.” He turns the key in the ignition, and the car rumbles a small protest before coming to a stop.

Jax blinks at him, brows furrowed. After a pause, he says: "You wanna come in for a drink?"

–

“Tell me something fucked up,” Jax says, sprawled on the couch with his head hanging upside-down off the edge. “Something gross and weird.”

“When boy bees have sex their dicks come off," Jim supplies immediately. "Tell me something fucked up.”

“No shit?” Jax says, eyes widening. “Jesus fuck. Bees are twisted.” “It’s your turn,” Jim reminds him.

“Ah, shit,” Jax says, rolling over onto his stomach and stretching. “Fish piss in the sea.” “Weak,” Jim critiques.

“Whatever. Tell me something fucked up.”

“Horned lizards can shoot blood from their eyes.” “How do you know all this shit?”

“Internet,” Jim says simply. “Tell me something fucked up.”

“Agh,” Jax complains, rubbing the heels of his hands into his eyes. He wracks his brain, trying to dig up any gross facts from his childhood that might have dried into a residue on the inside of his skull. “Flies puke on their food before they eat it.” “Yeah, that’s better.”

Jax's stomach tightens stupidly at Jim's approval, damn it to hell. “You’re so much better at this than I am.”

“Only one way to know for sure,” Jim says simply. “Ask me again.”

–

Jim plucks away at his bass, back stiff against the hard wood of Jax’s bedroom floor. He might be a little too drunk for this, he thinks, and opts for hugging the instrument instead.

“Tell me something fucked up,” Jim inquires of the ensuing silence, eyes cutting from the ceiling to Jax’s form on the bed at his feet.

“Sometimes I want to kill the things that hurt me," Jax murmurs, almost contemplatively, crossing his arms over his chest. He stares up at the ceiling like he can see through it. "Including myself," he adds tiredly. "Tell me something fucked up.”

“I've fucked people for money before and I guess I probably will again.”

Jax raises his eyebrows. "Shit," he mumbles, kind of sounding like swathes of postcoital Jim behavior are slotting into place behind his eyes. Jim's not sure how he feels about that.

"Tell me something fucked up,” Jim tries again.

Jax stretches on the bed, pale torso flexing and piercings glinting. “I think it's hot to get into fights. But especially if I lose. And even if the guy hates me. My friends used to tell me that would get me killed one day." He disgorges it all very matter-of-factly, rubbing one eye with his hand. "Tell me something fucked up.”

Jim hesitates for a beat, before offering out his left arm. “I only gave myself this tattoo because I wanted to hurt myself and it was the only way I could think of that I wouldn't get in trouble for at the time, and now I'm stuck with it.” Jax tilts his head to consider the tattoo, though he's seen it a thousand times before. “I like it," he says quietly, and lets his head fall back onto the mattress. “Tell me something fucked up.”

“My ex-girlfriend's parents spent thousands of dollars on therapy for her and she was still a psychopath. Shows how much shrinks are worth. Tell me something fucked up.” That one sounded like Jax was hurrying through it, like maybe he regretted bringing it up as soon as the word 'ex-girlfriend' had fallen from his lips. Jax would probably say more if Jim asked, but he’s not in the mood to pry today.

“I know this guy who drinks his coffee black,” Jim says, mercifully.

“Ha, ha.”

–

Jim peers up at Jax across the diner table, a small toothy grin curling up his lip. “Hey. Tell me something fucked up.”

“I once got an infected cut that turned my finger green," Jax says breezily, before spearing a forkful of pancakes. Chewing, he continues, "Tell me something fucked up.”

“Ugh, Gross. I got carded for cigarettes this morning.”

“But you look so distinguished and mature!” Jax laughs.

“Tell me something fucked up.”

Jax raps his fork against the plate thoughtfully, swallowing his mouthful of pancake. Finally, he says: “MKUltra, dude.”

“...Good one.”

–

“Tell me something fucked up.”

Jim lets a long exhale out through his nose, keeping his eyes fixed on the ground as he ashes his cigarette. “I wish the crash killed me.”

He can feel Jax go rigid next to him, on the porch steps. Jax lifts his cigarette to his lips, hesitates, then drops it without inhaling.

“Ah, well,” Jax says, staring across the street, “Then we’d never have known each other.”

Then this would all be easier for the both of us, Jim thinks, turning his head slightly to consider him. Instead, he says, "Tell me something fucked up."

–

Jax raps his knuckles on the passenger side door, bobbing his head to an internal beat. They've been driving for about an hour now, on their way south to Asbury Lanes for a show, and he's seriously starting to feel the boredom nipping at his heels.

He considers Jim: collar up, shades down, hands at ten and two. “Tell me something fucked up," he tries.

“Gas is like four dollars per gallon right now." Jim glances over at Jax, behind his sunglasses. "Tell me something fucked up.”

Jax grins at him.

–

“Hey, hey, you’re okay,” Jax rasps, bracing one hand on the mattress and using the other to brush sweaty hair off of Jim’s forehead. Jim groans and twists, pushing his face into the sheets. Jax takes his hand away, puts it in his lap.

“Hey. Tell me something fucked up,” Jax whispers, mainly trying to quell his own anxiety. Jim’s so out of it that it’s starting to scare him.

Jim brings an arm up over his face, burying a fist in his hair as he curls his gangly body up into a ball. “I love you,” he croaks.

Jax stiffens and his stomach roils. He blinks blankly at the sheets for a few seconds, feeling like he’s just had the rug yanked out from under him. Then he swallows and tries to force his heartbeat back to baseline.

You’re on drugs, he thinks dully in Jim’s direction.

He says nothing aloud, just reaches over and drags a blanket over Jim’s curled form.

#backstreet's back alright #words

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patricedumonde · 5 months

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Just curious what is the second version of nutcracker by mariinsky about? Just saw some videos on Instagram and it honestly look like a witchcraft version of the usual nutcracker HAHAH

HA. It actually does. It premiered in 2001, so very new by ballet standards. I guess they just wanted to change things up but I do agree, very very witchy. I don't know but I kind of like it(?)

At least I heavily prefer this reinvention over ABT's lmao.

Here's the short synopsis from the Mariiinsky website:

The world of this Nutcracker was created by the designer Mihail Chemiakin. Chemiakin not only produced the sketches for the costumes and sets, he also conceived the images of the characters, dictating to the choreographer the nature of the movements, and all of the miraculous transformations in this theatrical tale are the fruits of his imagination. In the colourful phantasmagoria of Chemiakin's production, adorned with masks with long noses – neither people nor mice – the dramatism and unease of Tchaikovsky's score is enhanced. In this ballet, inspired by Hoffmann's incredible imagination, there is no room for peaceful domestic comfort or the typical harmony of classical dance – in the pre-festive chaos in the kitchen rats are discovered, tasting the cheeses and sausages that have been prepared for Christmas dinner, while flies and bees swarm around the sweet shop. The designer has presented "the circumstances of enduring, comfortable and 'tasty' bourgeois life" with the meticulousness of an eager documentary-maker – not a single detail of the kitchen, be it the perforated spoons or ladles, wreaths of garlic or ribs hanging among other carcass parts, have escaped the designer's attention. Neither is the audience left bored for a single second – when looking at the touching details of the props, sets and costumes children will be charmed with the readily recognisable everyday items, while adults will smile at their - at times - unexpected use in a children's tale. "The task of the new production of The Nutcracker," Chemiakin says, "was to restore the spirit of Hoffmann to the tale with its elements of grotesque humour, peculiarities and transformations; to combine the graphic elements with Tchaikovsky's musical dramatism. And in a way to revive the original libretto by Petipa, which over the years had become contracted and semi-forgotten. As a rule, the velvety mice in numerous productions have been unable to instil either fear or sympathy in children today. Already in the 1920s the mice had been replaced by rats (in particular, with Fyodor Lopukhov, Hoffmann's Mouse Queen and her son were transformed into rats), as their behaviour in both the tale and the ballet more closely resembles the behaviour of rats, those strange and mysterious creatures. In my production I decided to 'humanise' them. They are a royal family, a rat aristocracy, the military and the common people." Olga Makarova

#patrice answers #russian ballet #mariinsky ballet

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cynicalone94 · 4 months

Text

Bees

Read on AO3 here.

Adam catches up as he finishes locking the cuffs in place and Jay nods in his direction as he pulls their suspect away from the wall.

“Damn bro.” Adam says, slowing to a walk as he continues toward them. “You really gotta save some of these guys for the rest of us.”

“And let them get away?” Jay says, leaning away as a bee starts buzzing around his head.

“Ouch.” Adam says. “And dude, just a bee.”

Jay glares at him but at that moment the bee decides he’s a threat, stinging his neck.

“Shit.” he mutters.

“We’ll get you some ice back at the station.” Adam says, rolling his eyes.

“Call for an ambulance.” Jay snaps, raising his radio. “Hailey, suspect in custody at Shermont and Columbus. Can you meet us?”

“Yeah.” Hailey replies instantly. “I’ll come save you you boys from a quick walk.”

Jay coughs, swallowing hard.

“Hurry.” he gasps and Adam freezes. “Need – cough – my – cough – epi – cough -”

Jay sinks to his knees and it’s enough to snap Adam out of his frozen shock. He races toward his friend, lifting his own radio and glaring at their suspect.

“You run, I will shoot you.” he snaps. “5021 Ida. I need an ambo at Shermont and Columbus forthwith. Officer down, allergic reaction, possible anaphylactic shock.”

He can hear Hailey shouting for Jay to answer her, promising that she’s on her way but his attention is locked on Jay’s face as his friend gasps for air.

He thinks he’s still breathing but only just and if his airway has already swollen this badly he doesn’t want to think about how much worse it will get.

“Jay?” he says, reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder.

Jay shakes his head when Adam tries to lie him down and he just nods.

Jay keeps an Epipen in his truck so that must mean this isn’t his first experience with this. If sitting up is better, he’ll keep him sitting up.

He settles behind him, supporting him in an upright position and hesitantly rubbing his back.

“Hailey will be here soon.” he promises. “Just try to keep breathing. Nice and easy.”

Jay’s fists are clenched tightly at his sides but Adam can hear him struggling through relatively even breaths so he just sits with him, continuing to rub his back.

But the wheezing is still getting worse and Adam finds himself looking around, hoping Hailey is close.

As if hearing his panic, the truck swings around the corner at that moment, screeching to a halt at the curb.

Hailey flies out, racing toward them with something clutched in her right hand.

She doesn’t even look her husband in the eye as she skids to her knees in front of him, flinging the cap off the autoinjector and jamming it into his thigh.

Jay makes a horrible sound as she depresses the plunger but she doesn’t react, holding it in place for another heart beat before removing it and gently rubbing his thigh to help the medication get into his system.

Only then does she look up, cupping his face with one hand.

“You’re okay.” she soothes. “You’re okay, just give the meds a second, okay?”

He nods, his head dropping to her shoulder.

“I know.” she says, fingers tangling in the hair at the nape of his neck. “You can rest. Just keep breathing for me.”

His breathing, which had reduced to pained,whistling inhalations with far too much time between them, starts to ease.

It doesn’t sound good, certainly not the same healthy, strong respirations that had powered him through an impressive foot chase, but he doesn’t sound like he’s about to die right here in front of them.

The three of them sit there for several long minutes, just listening to Jay breathe.

Then he hears another vehicle and looks up, hoping to see the ambulance but its just a pair of patrol officers.

Leaving Hailey to take care of Jay, he gets up and drags the prisoner he’d all but forgotten about over to them.

“Take him back to the twenty first.” he says quietly. “Someone will be there before long.”

“Is he -” one of the officers starts but cuts off as his partner elbows him. “Yes sir.”

They hurry off and he sighs, running his hand through his hair.

“Jay?”

Adam turns back to see Hailey pushing her husband back, trying to look at his face.

“What’s wrong?” Adam asks, hurrying back toward them.

“The epinephrine is wearing off.” she says, sounding scared. “There’s a second injector in the center console of the truck. Can you get it?”

He nods, changing direction and sprinting for the truck.

“5021 Ida. Need an ETA on that bus.”

“Five minutes.”

“Tell them to step on it.” he snaps as he opens the passenger door and dives over the seat to get to the center console. “Epipen just started to wear off. Administering a second one but we need paramedics on hand before that wears off too.”

He grabs the small device and hurries back to Hailey and Jay whose breathing already sounds worse than before the firs injection.

Hailey takes it from him, not hesitating to ram it into Jay’s other leg.

He’s leaned forward, his weight resting entirely on her but his extremities still twitch as the needle enters his body.

The effect is slower this time but his breathing starts to ease again.

“We don’t have long before that one wears off too.” she says, stroking her fingers through Jay’s hair.

“I told them to step on it while I was grabbing the second pen.” Adam tells her. “Any second now.”

The rest of the team shows up but they both ignore them, focused entirely on Jay’s breathing, on praying that he keeps breathing.

The paramedics have to push Adam aside before the pair realizes that the ambulance is here and then they are quick to help lever Jay up onto the stretcher.

An oxygen mask is placed over his face, an IV quickly established and medication pushed.

He’s motionless, both eyes closed and Adam would think he was unconscious were it not for the tight grip that he still has on Hailey’s hand.

She’s managing to stay out of the paramedics’ way while still keeping hold of his hand, stroking his hair and whispering quietly in his ear.

And then the group is in the back of the ambulance and it’s pulling away, leaving Adam alone with the rest of the team.

“What happened?” Voight demands. “Carlton do something?”

“The bee just stung him.” Adam says, staring unseeing past his boss. “He was trying to avoid it and I was making fun of him, I… I didn’t know he was allergic, I swear.”

“Adam.” Voight says, his tone softer. “Making fun of him didn’t make it sting him. What happened next?”

“He was crazy calm at first.” Adam says. “Telling me to call for an ambulance and then radioing Hailey. But by the end of his second message to her he was coughing, struggling to get words out. And then he just went down. And there was nothing I could do but sit there with him, talking to him and encouraging him to keep breathing until she got here.”

“The Epipen wore off?” Kevin asks.

“Yeah.” Adam confirms. “It helped for a minute and then he just went downhill again. We got the second dose in him but… holy shit.”

“He’ll be okay.” Kim tells him. “Hailey’s with him.”

Adam nods, still kind of out of it.

“Kim, why don’t you take Adam to Med with you. Kev, you mind driving Jay’s truck?” Voight says.

The two must agree because soon enough, Kim is leading him away from the scene.

“What about the case?” he mumbles.

“Let’s make sure Halstead is okay first.” Voight says. “Carlton isn’t going anywhere.”

Hailey is prepared to fight anyone who asks her to step out but Ethan doesn’t say anything, just moving around her as needed.

It doesn’t take them long to get the reaction under control and soon Jay is sleeping peacefully. He still has a full oxygen mask over his face but he isn’t fighting for every breath anymore.

“I updated the team.” Will says quietly as he steps back into the room. “Most of them had to head out, get back to the case, but Adam is in the hallway. I think he needs to see him.”

“He can come in.” she says without looking away from her husband’s pale face.

Adam doesn’t stay long, resting his hand briefly on Jay’s chest to feel the steady heart beat and respirations before ducking out of the room.

Another day Hailey might have tried to stop him but she can’t seem to take her eyes off Jay.

“I have to warn you about something.” Will says quietly and she just nods. “Jay has a pretty strong history of biphasic reactions.”

“Of what?” she asks, finally glancing over at him.

“A second reaction, hours after the first with no additional exposure to the allergen.” Will explains. “It’s actually fairly rare but I don’t think Jay’s ever been stung without having one.”

“So he’s going to go through all of this again?” she demands.

“Almost guaranteed.” Will says. “But we’re expecting it. We’re ready for it and we’ll get it under control as quickly as we can.”

“And there’s nothing you can do to prevent it?” she asks.

“Just keep him here under observation for twenty four hours.” he says.

“Well good thing he’s sleeping then.” she says, shaking her head. “Because otherwise he would be demanding to leave already.”

Will huffs a laugh at that and she looks over with a small grin.

“At least we know it’s coming.” he says after a minute. “The first time he got stung they got everything under control and then watched him for about an hour before sending him home. Mom always used to say she had two heart attacks in one day.”

“How old was he?” Hailey asks.

“Three.” Will tells her. “It’s actually one of my earliest memories. Him getting stung and the first reaction is pretty vivid but it’s later that night that really stuck for me.”

She doesn’t say anything and he continues.

“He was sleeping then too.” he says, and she watches him trail his fingers over his brother’s arm. “We got home and he was so tired but he wouldn’t let mom put him to bed, just clung to her so eventually she ended up spending the evening on the couch with him lying on her chest. Around nine or so she took him up to his room and was trying to coax him into bed when he started coughing again. She shouted for my dad and they rushed us into the car and back to the hospital.”

“That sounds terrifying.” Hailey says.

“Yeah.” he agrees. “The time when he was thirteen was a lot better.”

“Why?” she asks.

“Some doctor tried to send us home.” Will tells her. “Kept promising mom that he didn’t need to be observed for the full recommended twenty four hours and that he was sure nothing would happen. But Mama Bear wasn’t having it. Sure enough, two hours later his throat starts closing up again. The poor idiot was so sure she was going to sue him.”

“Not mom’s style.” Jay says slowly without opening his eyes. “Made a... big show... of ... considering it ... though.”

Hailey giggles.

“The more I hear about her the more I wish I’d gotten the chance to meet her.” she says sadly.

Silence falls over the room, all three of them wishing they’d had more time with the Halstead matriarch.

“How do you feel, bud?” Will asks after a moment.

“Tired.” Jay says. “Hate this.”

“Yeah.” Will soothes. “Hate to be that guy but you’ve got the biphasic to look forward to still. Why don’t you try to rest?”

Jay nods, squeezing Hailey’s hand.

“Thanks... for ... coming ... to get me.” he says.

She kisses his forehead.

“Always.” she promises. “Sleep. I’ll be here.”

And with that he slips back into a deep sleep and she sits back.

It’s been a terrifying day and it doesn’t sound like it’s over just yet but she’ll be here and they’ll get through it together.

#febuwhump 2024 #febuwhumpday9 #bees #yeah that's right #Jay Halstead #chicago pd #whump fic

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adobe-outdesign · 2 years

Note

Can you review Cutiefly and Ribombee, if you haven’t already?

It's amazing that Pokemon went so long without giving us a single fly Pokemon, considering "bug" is its own type and the Diptera order is extremely large, and with a ton of variety to boot. And while I certainly hope we continue to get more types of fly Pokemon in the future, Cutiefly was a good pick for the first one. Many people who don't know much about flies think that they're all like the common bluebottles, IE "gross" and black, so it's nice that Pokemon's first fly draws attention to how pleasant they can be.

Anyway, while Cutiefly's pretty straightforward from a lore standpoint, I like the detail about how it becomes confused and swarms people who happen to have flower-shaped auras:

Visually, it's pretty solid; the simple brown and yellow palette works great, the design is simple and free of unnecessary clutter, and it's definitely cute.

However, I will say that in terms of personal preference, it looks a bit too 1:1 with an actual bee fly for me. It might not be noticable if you don't know what species of fly it's based on, but if you do:

The Pokemon has slightly different markings and is obviously stylized, but it's pretty much just a bee fly. While this isn't too big of a problem because it becomes more unique as it evolves, it does leave it feeling a bit too plain to me. Of course, plenty of people like the straightforward 1:1 animal Pokemon, so this is mostly a me thing. Either way, it's a cute little fly, and that's what matters.

Ribombee is a bit weird to me, because I do and don't like it better than Cutiefly. On the one hand, it's a lot less Literally a Real Animal, which I like. But on the other hand, it feels like it becomes less bug-like as it evolves. It still has similar limbs, compound eyes, and the wings, but it's more humanoid in a way that makes it feel more generic, even if it's more fantastical than its pre-evo.

I think part of the issue is the face. Moving the proboscis down onto the scarf isn't bad and is a fun way to play around with the elements, but it leaves it with a very generic, un-insect like mouth. Part of me wonders if it even needed a mouth at all. Just having it be all eyes would honestly be even cuter, and more accurate to many IRL species of flies (if not the bee fly itself). A little patch of fur where the mouth is would also be acceptable.

This one's more 'dex related, but I also think that there was a missed opportunity to touch upon one of the bee flies more interesting traits, that being that they're parasitoids. Ribombee is fairy-type, so touching upon fae lore and having it steal the eggs of other Pokemon and replace them with its own or something would've been an interesting angle, similar to how Beautiful also happens to drink blood.

Also, the way the markings almost-but-not-quite go over the eyes all the way bugs me (pun intended).

So as a whole, this is a charming and appropriately cute little bee fly. However, the first stage suffers from being a bit too similar to the actual animal, while the second looks a bit too generic and not bug-like enough. There's a happy medium in-between these two somewhere, but frankly I'm just happy to finally have a proper fly Pokemon. Now where's my thick-headed fly, Gamefreak?

#cutiefly #ribombee #pokemon #pokemon reviews

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chronicsinkclutcher · 9 months

Note

(It’s time for quirky questions with Julie!) what’s your favorite decade? How to you feel about your birthday? If someone offered to run a presidential campaign for you today would you run?

(It’s time for some questions….)Do you like spicy food? Describe your country in five words or less (not using its name). given the opportunity would you climb a tree today?

(it’s question time with Julie!) Was math created or discovered? butterflies, bumble bees or dragon flies? Is fate a real thing?

(It’s time for art questions with Julie:) Can you draw? Do you have a favorite painting(that you did or someone else) do you prefer digital or traditional art? Do you have a favorite album cover?

Hi favourite J! I have been travelling this week and I am back so let's do a bumper special edition 🥰

My favourite decade is the 90s, grungy fashion was in and I was only a toddler so was unburdened by anxiety and guilt. Good times.

I hate my birthday, I am mopey about it and it makes me NOT FUN to be around. I do however like attention so I guess that's a plus.

I am absolutely in no way fit to lead a country. I am finding cat sitting to be quite a lot of responsibility at the moment. Do normal people want to be president? I feel like they don't??

I love spicy food! It makes me cry but that's alright so do dog adoption videos.

I don't live in the same country I was born in so I am electing to describe the one I live in now. Because it's the one I chose, the one I escaped to. It's contradictory, and complicated. It's full of potential. It's recovering, like me.

I would give tree climbing a go I think, we could all use a little childish sense of adventure occasionally.

Mathematics is our way of describing the natural laws of nature and physics. It is an ongoing and astonishing act of discovery. I don't know why I am sentimental about maths. I am a nerd. I studied chemistry. Sorry 😔

Bumblebees over everything! They are the backbone of so many ecosystems we love bees we need bees we must protect bees 🐝

I don't really believe in fate as something that happens to us. Rather something you look back on and say my whole life led me to this, and it was worth it.

I CANNOT draw at all. I am not even any good at pictionary it's tragic. I don't know much about classical art at all but I appreciate the sense of history it has. The same feeling you have touching the wall of a building that's stood for 1000 years, and will keep standing long after you are gone. On the other hand photorealistic digital art is the coolest thing I think it's so neat!

My favourite album cover is strange trails. It is still top of the list of music inspired tattoo ideas.

Tysm, as always it's been a delight ❤️

#ask

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total-drama-atlas · 1 year

Text

Okay so… the recap is showing the puking and… it’s rainbow. GOOD CHANGE

OKAY IM SO GLAD RIPPER IS GONE

Also it was recently brought to my attention that Terry McGurrin also voiced Jonesy on 6teen so. That’s something ig

Priya is a girlboss actually. I thought at first she would be a pushover but she’s such a girlboss. I feel like I should mention that

PRIYA ACCIDENTALLY HITTING MILLIE WHEN SHE TURNS AROUND IS SO FUNNY BC BRIDGETTE DID THAT IN S1 TOO

hey Julia why exactly do you refuse to ally with Bowie 🤨

i feel like I missed something. tapeworm?? man i am glad i skipped ep8

“A talking bush? That’s amazing!” Zee my beloved

Hold on why does Emma not want to flirt with chase. I thought they were back together. did she come to her senses and dump him

STOP WHY DID MY BOY ZEE TRY TO EAT A BUTTERFLY 💀

WHY IS CHASE SO CONCEITED OMG

“Nice try bush, but im not falling for tha-“ I love zee guys could you tell

“Im totally ideaing! *gasp* I IDEAED” why is he so funny

Zee honey that’s just not how that works…

I AGREE WITH THE NETWORK

We haven’t seen boney island yet, right? That would be fun to have in a challenge or episode

Yeah there’s going to be some sadistic twist

“When I have a good feeling about something, it usually goes great! Or really really bad. It’s about fifty-fifty.” that is so real

I love how sierra and topher were super fans of the show ON the show, and Priya is the child of two super fans. Obv not those two, but the way she has clearly studied the show gives her very sierra vibes. Just not stalkerish

the fact that some of the canoes are blue is fine. But if they were all red and green that would have been so cute. bc the bass and gophers in s1 were red and green. And their canoes in Izzy’s first elimination episode matched. It would’ve been a nice and subtle callback

STOP NIT THE “I have not eaten one vegetable.” WHY WAS THAT SO FUNNY

JULIA IS A GIRLBOSS OMG SLAY

Julia babes you’re also blonde

Chase gives me elevator boy vibes

CHASE STOP TRYING TO TAKE HER WORDS OUT OF CONTEXT SHE ISNT INTO YOU

thanks a lot chase you sank Emma’s boat. jerk

YOU GO GIRLIE

TOTAL DRAMA BEARS MY BELOVEDS

i think glasses bear should come back I missed it

WHY IS THE COLORING DIFFERENT ON THE BEARS THEYRE REDDER WHAT

i love the bears having a funeral. This is the real reason people watch total drama. For the bears

I feel like they’re gonna find out zee is in both alliances. It’s a setup to send him home I think :(( I hope I’m wrong I hope chase gets booted

“I forgot why I came in here” zee is so real guys

Emma has every right to be mad but girl I think chase is for once not being a jerk and there might actually be something

yeah that checks out

Julia they literally screamed “WATERFALL” how did you not notice

“I THINK THE STREAMS BROKEN DOWN” zee my beloved

Millie why would you say that. Of course it is

“Why are you like this?” Chef having grown as a person but still doing the show because he needs a paycheck and his husband really likes doing the show. But also he questions his husband

WHY DOES CHASE HAVE SUCH INTRICATE HIGHLIGHTS guys as much as a hate on chase… I think he really does like Emma

I love how chef really visibly cares about the kids. He’s really a good guy now. He’s grown.

This episode is either building up to zee leaving at the end or. it’s all a trick

“I know I had a reason for coming in here…”

Oh my god chase just broke the confessional

“Chase! Dude! You gotta knock bro!” I can see zee has his priorities straight

It’s called honey mountain. Honestly I should have seen that coming

The only scenario I will like seeing chase get immunity is that while he flies toward the mountain he hits his head really hard on the bell and therefore wins. But also getting a concussion

yk what that’s good too he gets bee stings

BOWIE JUST GO JUST RING IT

“You look like you can’t afford to pay anyone back.” DAMN

what are you doing with your leg I don’t think it’s supposed to bend that way

Oh no zee is about to be found out 😬 sorry pooks

“I didn’t know who to help… but then I remembered. Zee! You have TWO HANDS!”

Man Julia looks awful. Feel kind of bad for her

QUIT STALLING BOWIE OMG

yo that comment about the bots is way too real :/

Hmmm where have I seen this kind of plot armor that Julia’s getting… oh right. Heather

The amount of julia abuse in this ep is unacceptable. #savejulia

why are there seals in Ontario

hey um why was there a closeup on emma and Priya’s asses

Even though I really dislike dramarama, I think it’s sweet how a lot of the chef characterization has transferred over.

zee isn’t really that smart. But I love him anyway

Okay it was really dumb of him but it’s adorable how he’s just like ”guys we can all be friends now 😁😁!”

AWWW COME ON

I CALLED IT I KNEW IT WAS COMING

BUT IM STILL UPSET THAT ZEE IS GOING

I love how of the highlights for zee, he goes flying through an electrical storm (very exciting), drank disgusting cow liquid (funny), and having a brief relationship with a large bird. He doesn’t even mention anything else. That was the most interesting things that happened lmao.

The fourth wall jokes this season are actually pretty well done. The four fingers jokes and the “how did I get in here??”

Good episode overall. Just sad that zee left :/

#total drama #tdi #total drama island #total drama island 2023 #total drama spoilers #td #td spoilers #tdi 2023 #tdi23 #total drama reboot #tw vomit mention

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ameliandil · 9 months

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Image from Hidden Phantom Chapter 4 (Link to chapter 1: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45059404/chapters/113355835)

Image description: Edward is holding on to Danny's elbow. Danny is trembling a bit. The image is from behind them, and they are in black and white. There are news vans and a crowd of reporters in the background and they are yelling phrases written in red like "What was your reaction?" "How did you miss this?" "Did you know all along?" and "What do you say to all American people?" In addition, other words like "mutant", "strange", "Juggernaut", "freakish", "students", and "abominations" are scattered across the image.

This chapter will go up soon, when AO3 stops being so strange. Thank you to my beta reader, J05U_404, who helped a lot with this chapter!

Scene:

Danny swings into the parking lot hard enough that Edward has to hold onto their lunches so they don’t slide across the seat. There are vans already there. An entire swarm of them, like bees in search of a new hive location. Worse, the vans are surrounded by people, all of whom are facing the entrance of the parking lot, cameras at the ready.

Danny mutters something just under Edward’s ability to make out words.

Cold dread spreads through Edward’s gut. That’s a fuckton of news stations. He sees at least six, and as they pull in, lights start flashing.

He glances at Danny. “Sometimes I wish we had a secret entrance,” he says.

Danny nods tersely, then shifts the car into park. There isn’t another lot to park in, and all of the school’s entrances look blocked off. Edward would just about bet that’s the case on the other side too. Danny turns off the car and his breathing turns loud. For a moment, Edward thinks he’s headed into a panic attack, but then he notices there’s a rhythm to it. He’s doing breathing exercises, and it’s incredibly fucked up that he’s having to do it just to get through a crowd.

None of the news outlets present are local. The local one is actually pretty pleasant compared to this.

Edward steps out of his side of the truck and Danny follows momentarily. The distance to the door may as well be a mile. Like flesh flies sweeping over fresh roadkill, the reporters descend, and the tide almost knocks Edward over. He glances at Danny for permission, and just before they hit Danny nods. Edward grabs him around the elbow to brace.

With that, they’re engulfed in dazzling lights. There are so many people speaking they may as well be static. Edward can feel his eardrums trembling inside his skull. He can pick out a few words here and there.

One of the reporters gets close enough that Edward can actually hear what she says. She aims a camera like a cannon at his face.

“Were you aware of the presence of mutants at your school?” She asks.

Edward tightens his hand on the lone backpack strap he’d looped over his shoulder. Runs his thumb over the fine mesh pad. Puts on a careful smile. He isn’t sure if he should answer. This has never happened to him before, but maybe if he gives them something they’ll go away. “No, I was not.”

She brightens, and he has the horrible feeling he’s made a mistake. She turns to Danny, panning with the camera, but asks both of them, “What do you plan to do now that you know about mutants?”

Danny looks ill, eyebrows drawn tight and low. Edward answers for both of them. “We’ll be holding a meeting when the mutants return to decide, but until then we don’t know.”

Another reporter yells, “Did anyone know about mutants?”

Edward thinks that’s an incredibly dumb question. “I don’t know how I would know that,” he barely avoids sniping.

A weak poke to his side pulls Edward’s attention back to his partner. Danny whispers in his ear, “No comment?” It’s just loud enough for Edward to pick up on. Right, they need to get into the building. This is a terrible time of day for an interview.

Edward turns his attention to the reporters and dredges up some courage. “Please direct requests for an interview with the staff to the school email or phone number. School will begin in less than an hour and we need to be able to get ready for classes today.”

The reporters collectively pause for a split second, before one asks for another few statements. Edward puts his foot down and asks them to leave the premises. The clock is ticking down fast, and they’ve lost fifteen minutes to this nightmare.

Reluctantly, the reporters start to pack up. Danny pokes Edward again and after a few moments, Edward walks with him into the building. As the doors close behind them, the worst of the cacophony dies down. A few vans trundle away, though others set up at the far end of the parking lot, setting up cameras on tripods. Edward wonders if they’re trying to get B-roll or if they’re planning to use it to figure out who else they can interrogate.

He officially hates reporters now. Well, dislikes. He reserves hatred for a few specific people who either he wishes were dead or whom he would be indifferent to the death of.

#danny phantom #crossover #dp x xm #dpxxm #hidden phantom #reporters sometimes suck a lot #and Edward and Danny are experiencing exactly why

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luc3 · 2 years

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[The day I disrespected the hawthorn bush.]

I was thinking of trying the cordial recipe reblogged by @hillsarehollow here. So I leave my bed early in the morning, to go for a easy hike and with the idea of gathering some particular plants and hawthorn flowers.

I arrive in front of the hawthorn bush.

I pay my respects, I re-explain who I am, I make my offerings, etc. After a while, I pick a few umbrellas of flowers with the consent of its Spirit.

At the end of the seventh or eighth, I feel that I have to stop, the feeling is very clear, it's almost physical, and at that moment, suddenly the bees that were quietly buzzing around, start to rush towards me, almost aggressive.

I take, in spite of everything, one last flower. It doesn't matter ! I get out of the bush and I thank again by doing a little bow.

I know that a little further, there is another hawthorn and I tell myself that I can continue to pick some flowers on that one too. After all, I always give more than I take...

I leave the hiking trail, I enter the forest. Everything is peaceful, we just hear the birdsong, everything I see is delicate and graceful. Birds. Leaves. Flowers.

I don't realize that I enter slowly but surely in a state of stupor. In the dance.

I find a path I did not know, which I am sure will lead me to this other hawthorn.

And there's this crackle, very slight, very subtle, in the air.

The light no longer shines the same on the leaves, the trees, the flowers. The birds stop singing for a moment and I realize that I have been in a dead silence when they resume their song.

There is also this feeling of not being alone. But it's not a diffuse presence. Everything is presence. Thousands of them everywhere. And at the same time as if all of them were just one body.

There is a feeling of very light, almost graceful and painless confinement. Everything, at the same time, becomes grace. Nature becomes even more beautiful, if it's possible.

And I'm still in this strange state. I pay no attention to anything and try to find the tree but nothing works. I realize that I must go around in circles, I know something is wrong, but I continue to pace the forest.

After a while the path splits in two and for no reason I decide to take the way that climbs the mountainside.

I'm like anesthetized, something in me keeps repeating that there must be what I'm looking for higher, up there, above, further.

And I keep climbing for over an hour. The ground is carpeted with leaves. I slip every two meters, it climbs hard, I have to hold on to everything I find, the wind has veered strangely to the North, I get cold waves in my kidneys, and the path I took is lost in the forest for a long time.

I think there's nothing up there, a stretch of limestone cliff, crevasses concealed by boxwood and juniper, a treacherous scree, a few stunted, windswept trees.

I'm even saying to myself super calmly that I'm going to go over the ridge and go down into the valley on the other side. Where the cliff is even steeper and more dangerous.

I am not equipped, I already have almost no water left.

Throughout the climb I hear a large dog barking below. He doesn't seem aggressive. I think of a sheepdog yelling at a stray sheep. I don't make the connection. You may find it silly, but I'm sure it's Grandma trying something so that I don't completely lose my mind.

I arrive on the side of the cliff, I cling to the rockery, limestone, it crumbles under my fingers, a blazing sun in my back. I realize that I have a swarm of black flies circling around me.

I drink what's left of my water.

I look up, still clinging to the wall, and seeing the sky and the clouds speeding by, gives me unbearable vertigo. I squat against the wall and I finally come back to myself a bit.

I have absolutely no idea how I'm going to get back down.

Ask all the mountain people you want. Climbing is never the problem.

The swarm of black flies followed me for more than two hours.

I gave back the 8th flower to the River Spirit.

#Diary #Hawthorn #Little neighbors

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lordrethandus · 9 months

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Daily Writing Challenge August 2023 Day 1

Beginnings / Endings ( @daily-writing-challenge @kthalentia )

World: Final Fantasy 14

Theme: DIM - Of Molten Stars

K’thalen collapsed onto a wooden stump with a short grunt and a shorter sigh. He had just spent the morning hunting with no luck; most of the traps weren’t even sprung, and the few that were only had bits of fur leftover from the critter’s escape… which means breakfast will have to wait until it’s lunch time. Again. He ran a hand through his hair to steady himself, but it was hard to think on an empty stomach. What he really needed was some venison– but getting close enough to an elk for a clean shot to avoid any woodsin in this accursed forest would be impossible with his companion.

“That’ll be a first.”

“Have you ever been in love? I want to be in love!” Coroh began to orbit him immediately once she started talking again; and K’thalen knew if he tried to move she would just follow him like a duckling. “What do the round-ears do again? What is it called, Thal? Mare-rage?”

“Do ya mean marria-”

“I want to be mare-raged! Am I saying it right? Mare-rage sounds amazing!”

K’thalen pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes as the rambling started. He was a fool to think she was actually asking him how to pronounce marriage. Sometimes he would simply press his hand against her mouth for some peace and quiet, though that only worked half the time. Instead he just pressed his ears against the top of his head and stared off into space, hoping she would run out of batteries and tire herself out. It never happened.

“... I want to have lots of babies!” Coroh chirped, giving K’thalen mental whiplash– he definitely picked the wrong time to tune back in. “I want ten! No, twenty! All with big pretty eyes! Have you ever seen baby Miqo’te, Thal? They’re so cute and soft and playful…!” She vibrated with delight, likely imagining her arms full of the infants. “I want to hug them and kiss them and love them!”

“I pity the fool who tries to settle down with you, lass.” He thought to himself, exhaling slowly. Bringing his canteen back up to his lips, he took another modest swig of his whiskey to help fill his stomach since food wasn’t going in anytime soon, especially with this woman’s squeaky voice scaring off all manner of beastkin within a two malm radius. K’thalen caught something about what her babies would look like somewhere amidst her excitement, but he stopped paying attention again.

She’s lucky she can cook circles around him, otherwise he would have abandoned her in this forest the first time she went to go make water.

Once again he was brought out of his stupor, this time from her leaning up against him. “What do you think my man will look like? Will he have blonde hair? Black? No no, red hair! I really like red hair! Do you think he’ll have big muscles, Thal? Do you think he’ll be nice and sweet and gentle too?!”

“He’ll definitely have muscles if you plan to conceive twenty crotch goblins.” K’thalen tried to gently push her out of his personal space but she was stuck to him like flies on feces. “... and he better be gentle about it too.” Hopefully by the time she was old enough for the birds and the bees talk, someone else– preferably a woman– could explain to her how all that works; he wouldn’t nearly be as elegant with his choice of words if the task was left up to him.

K’thalen looked up to realize the sun had already set. His canteen was now empty and the buzz from his whiskey was wearing off; it was always easier to listen to her prattle while tipsy, but being black out drunk remained his preference. Coroh had to sleep sometime– and when she finally settled in he would be able to tag and bag them some dinner. The thought of a savory elk steak was making his mouth water, and he remained so distracted that he didn’t notice her hopping into his lap until it was too late.

“Aaargh!” I wanna grow up right now! Why is it taking so long?!” The excitement in the girl’s voice had all but evaporated, replaced with impatient longing for adulthood… apparently. “The longer it takes for me to grow, the longer I have to wait for mare-rage! It isn’t fair!” K’thalen could feel the tingling in his toes– his legs were falling asleep with this brat and her loud complaining. He had to get her up and off for the sake of his own sanity. “Can I drink a potion to speed it up?! Thal? Thaaaaal?!”

“Enjoy your youth while you still got it.” Was all he could think as she finally slid from his lap to stomp around him like an angry infant. It was surreal, watching a girl like her yearn to be old; she reminded him of himself, in some ways. It’s strange, as children we long to be adults, and adults would trade it all to get their childhoods back. Most of them would, at least– but not him. Not K’thalen.

“Hey! I’m talking to you, sleepy-bones! Can’t you see I’m having a crisis?!” He was jostled awake by the annoying grip of the girl. It was nightfall and she was still going… “Stop zoning out, this is important stuff we’re discussing! I need answers! Why does growing up take so long, huh Thal?! Why?!”

He kept his mouth clamped shut, as he did for the entire day. He could hear her losing steam in her ramblings. Surely she was at least getting thirsty.

“Hellloooo…?! Eorzea to Thalen, come in…?! Are you ignoring me on purpose?! Come ooooon! Talk to meeee!” The whine in her tone was akin to claws on a chalkboard. Never before has he been so tempted to just… tie her up and leave her at their camp for a few hours. “Hello?! Thaaaal! Stop ignoring meeeeeeyuuuhhh!!!!”

#{ the blackened barrel }#{ the sunlit sonata }#augustday12023 #augustdwc2023 #ijirothehero

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