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fatehbaz · 10 months

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Despite its green image, Ireland has surprisingly little forest. [...] [M]ore than 80% of the island of Ireland was [once] covered in trees. [...] [O]f that 11% of the Republic of Ireland that is [now] forested, the vast majority (9% of the country) is planted with [non-native] spruces like the Sitka spruce [in commercial plantations], a fast growing conifer originally from Alaska which can be harvested after just 15 years. Just 2% of Ireland is covered with native broadleaf trees.

Text by: Martha O’Hagan Luff. “Ireland has lost almost all of its native forests - here’s how to bring them back.” The Conversation. 24 February 2023. [Emphasis added.]

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[I]ndustrial [...] oil palm plantations [...] have proliferated in tropical regions in many parts of the world, often built at the expense of mangrove and humid forest lands, with the aim to transform them from 'worthless swamp' to agro-industrial complexes [...]. Another clear case [...] comes from the southernmost area in the Colombian Pacific [...]. Here, since the early 1980s, the forest has been destroyed and communities displaced to give way to oil palm plantations. Inexistent in the 1970s, by the mid-1990s they had expanded to over 30,000 hectares. The monotony of the plantation - row after row of palm as far as you can see, a green desert of sorts - replaced the diverse, heterogenous and entangled world of forest and communities.

Text by: Arturo Escobar. "Thinking-Feeling with the Earth: Territorial Struggles and the Ontological Dimension of the Epistemologies of the South." Revista de Antropologia Iberoamericana Volume 11 Issue 1. 2016. [Emphasis added.]

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But efforts to increase global tree cover to limit climate change have skewed towards erecting plantations of fast-growing trees [...] [because] planting trees can demonstrate results a lot quicker than natural forest restoration. [...] [But] ill-advised tree planting can unleash invasive species [...]. [In India] [t]o maximize how much timber these forests yielded, British foresters planted pines from Europe and North America in extensive plantations in the Himalayan region [...] and introduced acacia trees from Australia [...]. One of these species, wattle (Acacia mearnsii) [...] was planted in [...] the Western Ghats. This area is what scientists all a biodiversity hotspot – a globally rare ecosystem replete with species. Wattle has since become invasive and taken over much of the region’s mountainous grasslands. Similarly, pine has spread over much of the Himalayas and displaced native oak trees while teak has replaced sal, a native hardwood, in central India. Both oak and sal are valued for [...] fertiliser, medicine and oil. Their loss [...] impoverished many [local and Indigenous people]. [...]

India’s national forest policy [...] aims for trees on 33% of the country’s area. Schemes under this policy include plantations consisting of a single species such as eucalyptus or bamboo which grow fast and can increase tree cover quickly, demonstrating success according to this dubious measure. Sometimes these trees are planted in grasslands and other ecosystems where tree cover is naturally low. [...] The success of forest restoration efforts cannot be measured by tree cover alone. The Indian government’s definition of “forest” still encompasses plantations of a single tree species, orchards and even bamboo, which actually belongs to the grass family. This means that biennial forest surveys cannot quantify how much natural forest has been restored, or convey the consequences of displacing native trees with competitive plantation species or identify if these exotic trees have invaded natural grasslands which have then been falsely recorded as restored forests. [...] Planting trees does not necessarily mean a forest is being restored. And reviving ecosystems in which trees are scarce is important too.

Text by: Dhanapal Govindarajulu. "India was a tree planting laboratory for 200 years - here are the results." The Conversation. 10 August 2023. [Emphasis added.]

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Nations and companies are competing to appropriate the last piece of available “untapped” forest that can provide the most amount of “environmental services.” [...] When British Empire forestry was first established as a disciplinary practice in India, [...] it proscribed private interests and initiated a new system of forest management based on a logic of utilitarian [extraction] [...]. Rather than the actual survival of plants or animals, the goal of this forestry was focused on preventing the exhaustion of resource extraction. [...]

Text by: Daniel Fernandez and Alon Schwabe. "The Offsetted." e-flux Architecture (Positions). November 2013. [Emphasis added.]

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At first glance, the statistics tell a hopeful story: Chile’s forests are expanding. […] On the ground, however, a different scene plays out: monocultures have replaced diverse natural forests [...]. At the crux of these [...] narratives is the definition of a single word: “forest.” [...] Pinochet’s wave of [...] [laws] included Forest Ordinance 701, passed in 1974, which subsidized the expansion of tree plantations [...] and gave the National Forestry Corporation control of Mapuche lands. This law set in motion an enormous expansion in fiber-farms, which are vast expanses of monoculture plantations Pinus radiata and Eucalyptus species grown for paper manufacturing and timber. [T]hese new plantations replaced native forests […]. According to a recent study in Landscape and Urban Planning, timber plantations expanded by a factor of ten from 1975 to 2007, and now occupy 43 percent of the South-central Chilean landscape. [...] While the confusion surrounding the definition of “forest” may appear to be an issue of semantics, Dr. Francis Putz [...] warns otherwise in a recent review published in Biotropica. […] Monoculture plantations are optimized for a single product, whereas native forests offer [...] water regulation, hosting biodiversity, and building soil fertility. [...][A]ccording to Putz, the distinction between plantations and native forests needs to be made clear. “[...] [A]nd the point that plantations are NOT forests needs to be made repeatedly [...]."

Text by: Julian Moll-Rocek. “When forests aren’t really forests: the high cost of Chile’s tree plantations.” Mongabay. 18 August 2014. [Emphasis added.]

#abolition #ecology #imperial #colonial #landscape #haunted #indigenous #multispecies #interspecies #temporality #carceral geography #plantations #ecologies #tidalectics #intimacies of four continents #archipelagic thinking #caribbean

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rjzimmerman · 2 months

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Excerpt from this Op-Ed from the New York Times:

At first glance, Xi Jinping seems to have lost the plot.

China’s president appears to be smothering the entrepreneurial dynamism that allowed his country to crawl out of poverty and become the factory of the world. He has brushed aside Deng Xiaoping’s maxim “To get rich is glorious” in favor of centralized planning and Communist-sounding slogans like “ecological civilization” and “new, quality productive forces,” which have prompted predictions of the end of China’s economic miracle.

But Mr. Xi is, in fact, making a decades-long bet that China can dominate the global transition to green energy, with his one-party state acting as the driving force in a way that free markets cannot or will not. His ultimate goal is not just to address one of humanity’s most urgent problems — climate change — but also to position China as the global savior in the process.

It has already begun. In recent years, the transition away from fossil fuels has become Mr. Xi’s mantra and the common thread in China’s industrial policies. It’s yielding results: China is now the world’s leading manufacturer of climate-friendly technologies, such as solar panels, batteries and electric vehicles. Last year the energy transition was China’s single biggest driver of overall investment and economic growth, making it the first large economy to achieve that.

This raises an important question for the United States and all of humanity: Is Mr. Xi right? Is a state-directed system like China’s better positioned to solve a generational crisis like climate change, or is a decentralized market approach — i.e., the American way — the answer?

How this plays out could have serious implications for American power and influence.

Look at what happened in the early 20th century, when fascism posed a global threat. America entered the fight late, but with its industrial power — the arsenal of democracy — it emerged on top. Whoever unlocks the door inherits the kingdom, and the United States set about building a new architecture of trade and international relations. The era of American dominance began.

Climate change is, similarly, a global problem, one that threatens our species and the world’s biodiversity. Where do Brazil, Pakistan, Indonesia and other large developing nations that are already grappling with the effects of climate change find their solutions? It will be in technologies that offer an affordable path to decarbonization, and so far, it’s China that is providing most of the solar panels, electric cars and more. China’s exports, increasingly led by green technology, are booming, and much of the growth involves exports to developing countries.

From the American neoliberal economic viewpoint, a state-led push like this might seem illegitimate or even unfair. The state, with its subsidies and political directives, is making decisions that are better left to the markets, the thinking goes.

But China’s leaders have their own calculations, which prioritize stability decades from now over shareholder returns today. Chinese history is littered with dynasties that fell because of famines, floods or failures to adapt to new realities. The Chinese Communist Party’s centrally planned system values constant struggle for its own sake, and today’s struggle is against climate change. China received a frightening reminder of this in 2022, when vast areas of the country baked for weeks under a record heat wave that dried up rivers, withered crops and was blamed for several heatstroke deaths.

#China #climate change #renewable energy

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sizzlingsandwichperfection-blog · 11 months

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Hello, acclaimed YA author John Green! I have a question about the coffee. (Coffee is one of my favorite tastes)

As I understand it, you "are" the company inasmuch as you are marketing for it, not like you literally own or run it, is that approximately correct? So I don't know how much executive influence you wield within the corporation, but I'd like to run this by you: Fair Trade coffee is great for uplifting the local economy, but it can still be (and unfortunately, often is) grown unsustainably. I didn't see much in the way of specific environmental claims on Awesome Coffee's site... What do you think about Awesome Coffee sourcing coffee that meets environmental certification reqs, like Shade Grown or Bird-Friendly? Is this something the company might be interested in pursuing?

Thank you for your question.

My official position is temporary unpaid CEO and social media marketing intern of the awesome coffee club. (This means I do very little of the actual work, which is in keeping with both interns and CEOs.)

Coffee supply chains are very complex! And environmental impact is very complex! And it turns out that you can kind of SAY anything on your coffee packaging. You can say it's fair trade without carefully defining that term, or environmentally sustainable or bird friendly without carefully defining that term. There are folks who are trying to establish standards on these fronts, but it varies so much from community to community. Is it better to shade-grow coffee in extant forests, or better to increase yields on land that has been coffee trees for decades? The answer to that question may be different in Indonesia than in Colombia. So what we've tried to do is work with farmers and small co-ops that maintain and own longstanding well-established coffee groves. But just to be clear, no coffee is carbon-neutral or eco-neutral. It's a form of consumption, just like corn and wheat, which are often grown in deforested regions of the U.S. But I think our partners at Sucafina are doing a good job genuinely working to minimize the impact that Awesome Coffee has on the environment, while maximizing the impact it has on the farmers we work with.

#coffee company #everything is more complicated the more you zoom into it

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philosophybits · 8 months

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Against criticism a man can neither protest nor defend himself; he must act in spite of it, and then criticism will gradually yield to him.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Maxims and Reflections

#philosophy #quotes #Johann Wolfgang von Goethe #Maxims and Reflections #criticism #actions #ethics

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pierperian-leisure · 2 months

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Flirting Over Final Projects- College!Harvey x F!Reader

Junior year was a wreck for Harvey.

Between studying for the MCAT, earning clinical hours, and overall trying not to kill his Victorian wannabe roommate Elliot, Harvey was simply trying to stay afloat, there was no room to even think about dating… He simply needed to get through the year, while juggling more proverbial balls than he could count… no sweat. Harvey could feel his breath getting heavy and fast.

A click was heard across the classroom, shaking Harvey out of his anxious spiral. Sneaking into the lecture hall late was the most beautiful girl Harvey had ever seen. Instead of being hard to slow his breaths, they were suddenly taken away at the sight. Her hair was a wild crown around her and a rosy flush spread across her cheeks from rushing into the room, leaving Harvey’s heart in his throat. “Head down, back to your notes, no time for distractions…” the young man chastised himself, staring back down at his notebook, a blush high and unable to be hidden on his cheeks.

Harvey slid down in his chair, trying to focus back on the class starting. Perhaps focusing only on studies would be harder than he had thought.

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Rushing into her first class was not how the fledgling farmer wanted to start the semester. Between working for her grandpa on his farm, prepping to inherit the land one day, and trying to balance an agribusiness degree to heighten that eventual inheritance, the girl had a lot on her plate. After a late night nearly not making it back in time for the mines, the young farmer had overslept her work on the farm for the morning, and was left to rush into the classroom, only able to pray that no one would notice her sneaking in. The genetics class had seemed like a good idea at the time, with the farmer dreaming of how she could possibly maximize her crop yields through cross pollination, but now was just another task for the girl. Especially with this major project coming up, (60% of their grade?? Really?? she thought) the farmer was sweating. She hated the thought of her grade riding on someone else, but hopefully she'd be paired up with someone strong in class.

While she was busy ruminating on who would be the best possible partner, the professor began class by assigning partners for the project. The farmer perked up at her name, pulled from her thoughts, “you’ll be paired with Harvey Becker. Everyone find a time to work on the assignment with your partners.”

The farmer looked around the lecture hall, trying to figure out who that was. It wasn't anyone she knew, but the class roster had more than a few pre-med names she didn't know. Peering around, her eyes eventually caught on a ginger haired boy a few rows over, and he gave a nervous grin. Even if he wasn't any good in the class like she had wanted, the boy was cute in a nerdy way, with glasses a tad too big for his face and green cardigan highlighting around his shoulders. The farmer smiled, realizing she would have a good time regardless flirting with Harvey, if he blushed as easy as it seemed.

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The farmer and Harvey had agreed on a night to knock out the brunt of their project. They would be tracing the genetic mutations of a line of guinea pigs, starting from the very first one ever. The farmer sighed, going to knock on Harvey's dorm door, prepping herself for a long night.

Harvey opened the door on the second knock, seemingly having been waiting for the farmer's arrival. He was dressed in a black ZuZu University shirt and green shorts that emphasized just how tall the young man was. The farmer could feel her cheeks flush taking Harvey in, subtly checking the man out. Harvey pushed his glasses back up his nose, scrubbing the scruff on his cheeks. “Come on in,” Harvey ushered the girl in front of him, leading her into a dorm room filled with books upon books. The only flat surfaces not covered in texts (and a few wine bottles, the farmer noted) were the walls, half of which were plastered with aviation or medical diagrams and the other half in red marked drafts and works of fine art. Harvey stood sheepishly behind her, “Sorry for the mess, Elliot was going to help me clean up, but had to run and ‘chase the muses’ or whatever that means.” The farmer grasped one of the wine bottles, “No need to apologize, I’ve seen worse. You should apologize for drinking two buck chuck though, you know I make this on the farm, right? Artisanal, way better than anything you could get at the grocery store.” Harvey blushed at the comment, “I’ll uh have to remember that, thanks, though if its handmade I doubt I could afford it still…” The farmer shrugged at Harvey, “No way, for you? It would be free.” She turned to hide a wicked glint in her eyes, "I make it a policy to never charge pretty boys." Harvey sputtered, "Anyway," the farmer said, "should we get to work?"

Harvey made a noise of agreement, all he could manage for now, and ushered the farmer to take his desk, choosing to prop his books in his lap on his bed instead. Harvey mentally defended the choice as chivalry, that just so happened to be a good excuse to view the girl in comfort from afar. He was enamored by the way the light made an angelic glow against the farmer's profile, the way her lips pouted slightly and her shoulders held a graceful dip as she searched her book-bag for her laptop and paper.

All too soon she swung back up victorious with the desired items, Harvey averted his head quickly enough to give himself whip lash. The night was only just beginning, yet somehow he knew he was already toast.

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The night wore on, with Punnett Square after Punnett Square of surprisingly intricate guinea pig genetics and mutations. The farmer had taken a brief smug mental note early on that she had lucked out with a smart and cute project partner, a needed win with a cherry on top. For the first hour and a half she had let Harvey leave the way, but figured now they could afford a break for her to tease the boy.

"You know," the farmer drawled, "I bet we would work a lot faster if I were up there with you, that way you could see my work and I could see yours." Harvey glanced up at her, startled white at her words. "Uhhh..." Harvey stuttered, "sure?" He wasn't exactly convinced at the farmer's logic, but anxiously interested where this could go. The farmer gave him a Cheshire cat grin, swaying over to the bed and playfully hopping up beside the red head. "Ok great! Back to work!" she chirped. Harvey gulped, unsure of his choice.

Over the course of the next twenty minutes (the farmer kept having to remind herself to go slow, not to scare him off) she edged closer and closer to Harvey, taking every excuse to lean into his space, touch his arm, and eventually let their legs and sides brush against each other. At this point Harvey had gone permanently beet red, making silly mistakes in his flushed state, and the farmer was beyond please to have him in her grasp. He really was far too cute for his own good.

At the thirty minute mark, the farmer figured she'd take mercy on the man, and make her next move, the suspense looked like it was killing Harvey. "Harvey," the farmer purred, "your glasses are smudged, you should really take them off for a sec," she gently reached up, brushing the stubble on his cheek for only a second before falling away. Harvey looked at the farmer confused, "What do you mean? They seem lean enough," he questioned, taking the glasses off and leaning to grab his cloth on the night stand to wipe them, just in case. The farmer used that moment as her excuse to "fall" into the man, pushing him hard enough onto his back on the bed. Harvey stared up at her, red and sputtering, "Oops," the farmer said, trying to appear innocent, "Here, let me help you."

With that, the farmer swooped and placed a kiss to Harvey's lips. It was chaste a fast, but had Harvey paralyzed. "She was far too pretty to be kissing him, they were supposed to be working!" he thought. The farmer pulled back, unsure of her teasing now that Harvey seemed TOO embarrassed. The farmer gazed down at Harvey, hair forming a curtain around the both of them, as she began to form an apology. The words weren't able to fully form, however, as Harvey rebooted. Still nervous and confused, he mustered the courage to ask "Can you do that again... please?" With his green eyes peering up into hers and sparkling in the lamplight, the farmer let out of a sigh of relief. This wasn't fast enough for Harvey, who had quickly been gaining confidence, and took it upon himself to stretch up and leave a quick kiss at the corner of the farmer's lips. This made the girl grin, grabbing onto the dark fabric of Harvey's shirt bellow her and swooping down to press a kiss to the man's prickly skin.

They really weren't going to finish their project that night, but really, that was ok. There were more important matters to, such as trading soft kisses into the night.

#college au #harvey sdv x reader #harvey sdv #harvey x farmer #female farmer #stardew valley #this is so inspired by that one fanart of harvey in a zuzu city shirt laying back

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economicsresearch · 2 years

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page 538 - Imagine there could be resources that were in abundance?

It would be pretty cool. There would be no profit margin to be had if supply was infinite, no matter the demand.

I wonder how many false shortages there are? Monopolies and market makers in the background limiting supplies to get everyone freaking out, worried that they won't get theirs.

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whompthatsucker1981 · 8 months

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real actual nonhostile question with a preamble: i think a lot of artists consider NN-generated images as an existential threat to their ability to use art as a tool to survive under capitalism, and it's frequently kind of disheartening to think about what this is going to do to artists who rely on commissions / freelance storyboarding / etc. i don't really care whether or not nn-generated images are "true art" because like, that's not really important or worth pursuing as a philosophical question, but i also don't understand how (under capitalism) the rise of it is anything except a bleak portent for the future of artists

thanks for asking! i feel like it's good addressing the idea of the existential threat, the fears and feelings that artists have as to being replaced are real, but personally i am cynical as to the extent that people make it out to be a threat. and also i wanna say my piece in defense of discussions about art and meaning.

the threat of automation, and implementation of technologies that make certain jobs obsolete is not something new at all in labor history and in art labor history. industrial printing, stock photography, art assets, cgi, digital art programs, etc, are all technologies that have cut down on the number of art jobs that weren't something you could cut corners and labor off at one point. so why do neural networks feel like more of a threat? one thing is that they do what the metaphorical "make an image" button that has been used countless times in arguments on digital art programs does, so if the fake button that was made up to win an argument on the validity of digital art exists, then what will become of digital art? so people panic.

but i think that we need to be realistic as to what neural net image generation does. no matter how insanely huge the data pool they pull from is, the medium is, in the simplest terms, limited as to the arrangement of pixels that are statistically likely to be together given certain keywords, and we only recognize the output as symbols because of pattern recognition. a neural net doesn't know about gestalt, visual appeal, continuity, form, composition, etc. there are whole areas of the art industry that ai art serves especially badly, like sequential arts, scientific illustration, drafting, graphic design, etc. and regardless, neural nets are tools. they need human oversight to work, and to deal with the products generated. and because of the medium's limitations and inherent jankiness, it's less work to hire a human professional to just do a full job than to try and wrangle a neural net.

as to the areas of the art industry that are at risk of losing job opportunities to ai like freelance illustration and concept art, they are seen as replaceable to an industry that already overworks, underpays, and treats them as disposable. with or without ai, artists work in precarized conditions without protections of organized labor, even moreso in case of freelancers. the fault is not of ai in itself, but in how it's yielded as a tool by capital to threaten workers. the current entertainment industry strikes are in part because of this, and if the new wga contract says anything, it's that a favorable outcome is possible. pressure capital to let go of the tools and question everyone who proposes increased copyright enforcement as the solution. intellectual property serves capital and not the working artist.

however, automation and ai implementation is not unique to the art industry. service jobs, manufacturing workers and many others are also at risk at losing out jobs to further automation due to capital's interest in maximizing profits at the cost of human lives, but you don't see as much online outrage because they are seen as unskilled and uncreative. the artist is seen as having a prestige position in society, if creativity is what makes us human, the artist symbolizes this belief - so if automation comes for the artist then people feel like all is lost. but art is an industry like any other and artists are not of more intrinsic value than any manual laborer. the prestige position of artist also makes artists act against class interest by cooperating with corporations and promoting ip law (which is a bad thing. take the shitshow of the music industry for example), and artists feel owed upward social mobility for the perceived merits of creativity and artistic genius.

as an artist and a marxist i say we need to exercise thinking about art, meaning and the role of the artist. the average prompt writer churning out big titty thomas kinkade paintings posting on twitter on how human made art will become obsolete doesnt know how to think about art. art isn't about making pretty pictures, but is about communication. the average fanartist underselling their work doesn't know that either. discussions on art and meaning may look circular and frustrating if you come in bad faith, but it's what exercises critical thinking and nuance.

#gonna start tagging shit as #ai art discourse #bc lmao stiff just doesnt stop coming

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probablyasocialecologist · 9 months

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Articles, reports, and studies about agriculture are likely to contain some version of the following sentiment: “The population is expected to grow to almost 10 billion people by 2050. We must double food production in order to meet demand without hiking up prices. How are we going to produce enough food to feed all of these people without destroying the planet?” Increasing food production to meet the demands of a growing population is presented as the ultimate conundrum. Proposed solutions are predominantly centered on increased reliance on technologies to maximize yields and feed ‘all of these hungry people’ as the population grows, accelerating at a seemingly unstoppable rate. Whatever new technologies or techniques are introduced, they are, first and foremost, measured along the metric of increasing yield. This narrative isn’t just misguided — it depoliticizes the problem, shifting blame in a dangerous way. The reality is that we have enough food on the planet to feed every human being a calorically complete and healthy diet. Contrary to popular belief, hunger is most often caused not by a lack of food but by a lack of access. With the amount of food we produce today, we could feed the highest population prediction of 10 billion people by 2050 — today. This has much more to do with economic inequality than anything to do with population. The people who cannot afford food are most often the people involved in growing it. The vast majority of the world’s impoverished people, most of whom live in rural areas, are involved in agriculture. This seems counterintuitive, but many farmers worldwide are net food buyers, meaning they do not subsist on the food they grow, they sell their crops and use that money to buy food for their families. When prices for crops are too low to offset input prices, when farmers face barriers to accessing markets or credit, or they are forced into exploitative contracts or other arrangements, farmers do not have adequate funds to purchase food for themselves and their families. This is the result of the long process of industrialization that has displaced millions of rural people and removed them from their traditional agricultural practices, replacing polycultures with monocultures. Perhaps the other most damning piece of evidence to counter the narrative that we must ramp up production to end hunger is that some cities have already ended it — without increasing yield. Belo Horizonte, one of the largest cities in Brazil, managed to virtually eliminate hunger through a network of policies addressing different facets of the issue. They expanded school meal programs; partnered with local small farmers to deliver produce to underserved parts of the city at fixed prices for staples; created subsidized restaurants where people could eat affordable, dignified meals, and a host of other policies. It never took more than 2 percent of their annual budget, and the whole transition took less than 10 years. It didn’t require corporations ‘innovating’ or developing expensive technologies. It required political will, the strengthening of governance systems, declaring food as a right of citizenship, and correcting for hunger as a market failure. We are choosing not to end hunger. Presenting it otherwise obscures the fact that it is, at its core, a matter of political will — not a matter of ability.

#food #farming #hunger #agriculture

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asakiooi · 8 months

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The Flower that Walked Alongside the Star

You decide on a whim during the night to make a trip to the forest in order to make up for your lack of summer forages.

It was already dark out by the time you walked onto the path that connected your farm to Marnies Ranch. It was your unfortunate luck that your daily visits to the mine busied you away from your duties in the forest, and you neglected to remember that you were short on the summer forageables. The lack of grapes from your fridge reminded you so.

So, out of stubbornness for wasting the day away in the mines, you chose to spend the night out collecting what you could in the forest before the crows could take its yield.

With your satchel by your side you trudged along the dirt path directly leading you into Cindersap forest. The weeds moved swiftly to the soft melodies of the wind, giving a small whish as you walked passed them. The trees stood still in the night, the summer air still stuffy despite the blue moon in the sky.

You took a deep breath in natures pathway, tonight was like any other. And yet, it seemed like there was something to anticipate for in your journey for a few berries and sweet peas.

You felt something in you stir as you walked. An urge to look up over the cliff to your right had overtaken your instincts. Your eyes crossed that certain path that would have taken you to his tower.

You knew better that it was simply your own feelings that instinctively made your head turn, but you still couldn’t explain that burning sensation in your chest despite being sure of them.

Still, you shook your head and continued walking down the path. The trees grew denser now, your footsteps made a crunchy sound over the small grass blades. Now, you were deep into the forest away from everyone in town.

The moon still gave light to your surroundings, that, you were grateful for. If you had came here during your early spring days there would have been no doubt that you would have been calling for help now. Now that you were accustomed to the forests strange mazes it was simply like any other walk you had previously taken here.

You give your arm a small crank up with a hefty huff to revitalize your energy. You give yourself a small boost of enthusiasm then set off in different directions to maximize your outputs for the day.

The birds chirped softly into the night. You were sure an owl hooted with the moonlight. A snag of twigs stuck somewhere on your hair. But you made sure to set your pace in the forest with care.

A few grape vines here and there, sweet peas hidden near the trees, and spice berries infiltrating your sense of smell to your luck. All was well and you were fortunate enough to find some common mushrooms as well. Good for thick soups, you thought.

Finally with a crack of your back from exhaustion, you contently rub your neck and turn around. Yards away from the forests exit, you take your time to gather yourself steady before your scheduled sleepiness could take over.

As you walk closer to the exit you feel a sudden shift of energies drawing you back. Your feet stops in its movement.

It was not fear, nor was it dread. Instead you were driven by sudden curiosity. Carefully, you turn your head in the direction of the mystery that had captured you so.

There stood a figure almost blending in with the darkness of the trees, yet illuminated by the soft blue moonlight. Your eyes shifted to his unique purple hair. Oh, you thought, it’s Magnus. But what was he doing here in the night?

You unknowingly took a step forward and his face snapped to your direction.

“You…? … What are you doing here?” He said with a strict tone.

Even from this distance you could tell he was narrowing his eyes at you. But you could also tell it was not hostile.

Magnus walks towards you in a swift motion. His eyes gleamed with multiple colors, you were enchanted by them. Quickly as you examined him, quickly he made his way in front of you.

Standing almost closely to your breath, Magnus speaks again.

“It’s late now. Just what do you think you’re doing outside here this hour?”

You contemplated on giving him an honest answer and potentially getting a lecture. You also contemplated on asking him the same question. However, it seemed like the both of you were too haggard to even start a long conversation now. Much less even you teasing him.

Instead you gave him sorry excuse, a villager wanting a spice berry for tomorrow’s dinner. You even made quite the dramatic inclusion of Clint’s name in the request. You silently apologized to him, in your mind.

Magnus stayed silent. Then he sighed. He put his hand on his temple then lowered it. His facial expression was stoic, yet his brows furrowed.

“You should not put yourself in harms way just for someone’s appetite. You have grown too-…”

Magnus stopped for a moment. You tilted your head slightly in concern.

“… No. Never mind.”

He sighed and looked like he wanted to say something more, a deep feeling in you wanted to probe him. Magnus moved to your right and began walking past.

“Come. I’ll walk back with you until we’re out of the forest.” He said to you without looking back.

You wonder what he was going to say back there, but with a quick dismissal on the thought you clutch onto your bag and jog forward before he can completely disappear.

Your body catches up with his, quickly enough that you were able to match his pace. Now you were walking besides him along the dirt path you’ve always walked on. You’ve never done this with him before. Even though the both of you were friends, which was a title you were pushing for, the most you ever did was initiate conversations with him at his tower.

Your thoughts swirled to shy yet bold thoughts. Heat began to grow on your cheeks and ears. You wanted to say something, but what?

“Take a notice on how the energies stir tonight. The stars, did you notice them?”

Your attention shifted to him quickly. Magnus’ stoic gaze stood upon on you. His eyes silently shimmered at finally catching your attention, if he meant for it to be subtle, then he failed. He awaited for your response and you flusteredly shook your head ‘no’. Your embarrassed reaction made your head turn straight ahead. Magnus chuckled and hummed in response to your reaction.

You were taken aback by this.

It was weird. If this was the Magnus you met at the tower on that day he made you drink mud and moss, he would have definitely not laughed at you just now. When you look back again his eyes now face forward, much to your disappointment.

“I see. Then why not take a moment to now? I’m sure familiarizing yourself with it now will help in your studies greatly, seeing as you’ve taken a large interest in this area.” He said to you as if nothing had happened just now.

He stopped walking and turned his body towards you. Magnus stretched his left hand outwards and you could see the faint magic that resembled the stars swirling about his fingers.

“This is a result of the summer nights energies. This season is perfect for one’s hold on it. Though during the day it remains strong, the nights are just as powerful if one is to manage their energies correctly.” He explains with detail.

The magic fades from his fingers and he lowers his hand. Just like a bird resting its wings, his hand completely disappears within his cloak once more. Magnus raises his head and looks up at the sky. You follow in suit.

Your eyes widened in awe of the world. The stars, they shined brightly ever more than you have realized. The night sky reflected in different shades of colors. Back at the city, you would have never taken your time to admire sights like these. After all, they were always plagued with the consequences of smoke and gas.

But here in the valley, unfettered by skyscrapers and busy streets, you could actually see the night sky prominent with the stars that surrounded your world.

Tonight however, it fared better than ever. A sense of nostalgia bursts within you, despite never having seen something like this. It made you confused, and perhaps a bit overwhelmed.

“Do not be afraid. The sky energies tonight dance with the stars, and in result have taken the shade of many colors that one barely lives to see.”

Magnus’ voice brings you back down to earth. When you finally bring your head back down Magnus is already again staring at you. His eyes were strangely glossy, as if he had taken the energies of the stars himself through his eyes.

“The stars, while a productive subject in one’s studies and curiosity to learn even more about, can be simply enjoyed on nights like these, no?”

The wind runs past your face. A shiver erupts from your body and you bring both of your arms together to warm yourself. Magnus then transforms his face in concern.

“Ah, are you cold? Hmm. Perhaps not tonight then. Do not worry. Nights like these are common in summer. Instead, we’ll continue as we have. Come, you must get home to warm yourself up properly.” He smiles at you softly and waits for you to compose yourself before walking again.

Magnus’ smile was rare. In beginning you wondered if he even smiled at all. It was something you rarely saw. Whenever he did smile, however, you took the time to memorize the way the corners of his mouth would crinkle.

You nod and sheepishly smile back at him, walking alongside each other once more.

The two of you eventually made it out of the trenches of the forest. Magnus’ tower was just up ahead and he was about to part for the night. In some way, you selfishly wanted him to stay next to you for a little while longer.

Walking up together on the path and finally at the crossroad, Magnus speaks up once more.

“… I never did thank you properly for dancing with me at the flower festival. I’ve… never thought in my entire life that I would participate in such affairs. Yet, you proved me wrong.”

You could see tints of flush on Magnus’ face.

“… Thank you for that. I truly appreciate it. Alongside everything you’ve done for me so far. I know I’m not the easiest person to befriend but… I’m glad you chose me as someone worth talking to.”

Magnus smiles softly at you again. This time, the corners of his mouth reach closer to his eyes.

You didn’t know if you smiled or not, what you could tell however was that you could no longer waver in your feelings anymore. Whatever Magnus saw on your face right now, would have to be saved for later, you supposed.

But before you could say anything, Magnus cleared his throat and averted his eyes, though the flush stayed on his cheeks evidenced by the moonlight shining on his form. It brings clarity to your mind.

“You’ve done well these past few weeks on your studies in the arcane. Like the buds you grow on your farm, you are blooming greatly as I have predicted. Your dedication is admirable, continue to learn something new everyday. Goodnight.”

Magnus steps to the side and begins to walk the path towards his home.

“…I hope to see you again in my tower soon.”

And his form begins to shrink as he walks further and further away. You already miss the feeling of his presence besides you.

The motions of your body move you towards the path between Marnies ranch and your land. The late night calls for your rest and warmth. Your home wasn’t too far though, so you decided to take your time to admire the sights, as Magnus had told you so.

Your eyes fall on the stars once more. For some reason now, they seemed a bit dim to you. Yes, it was colorful and beautiful.

… But nothing could compare to the stars you saw in Magnus when you were in the forest together.

#sdv wizard #rasmodius #sve wizard #sve magnus #stardew wizard #stardew valley #rasmodius x reader #m. rasmodius #stardew rasmodius #magnus rasmodius #again based on RRRR mod #rrrr #Romanceable Rasmodius redux revamped

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