#(left is in direct sunlight. right is indirect.)

[talltarakona]

Day 27: Reflection

#pathologic #pathologic fest #мор утопия #polyhedron #pathologic 2 #pathologic stairways #this is referenced from one of my own screenshots #they really do actually line up like this in game #I was absolutely delighted when I first found it #things that observe one another #unfinished projects gazing at what is considered ‘better’ #(also if anyone is curious about the level of saturation in the last 2 pics) #(left is in direct sunlight. right is indirect.) #(I think I prefer who extremely purple the left is but the grey feeling on the right was nice. I didn’t want to discard it)

[mythrilpencil]

Stellar Acclimation—Chapter 2: Nicked

It’s still daylight when Scout wakes up again. Still daylight or day again. She can’t quite tell. The fabric outside the window is still down, blocking any direct sunlight aside from a few sneaky rays that peek through when the wind outside nudges the fabric, so the shack is mostly illuminated by blue-tinted indirect light and by Scout herself. 

And by some sort of tiny screen in the corner?

And there’s some sort of rumbling filling the room. Not quite tuneless, but Scout can’t put a finger on what notes the rumbling is supposed to emulate. 

Scout bubbles with curiosity and—slowly, so as to not make herself any dizzier than her diffuse plasma already does—manages to turn her head so that she can see the corner of the shack more. There’s someone at the work table. But the world doesn’t want to come into focus yet so she can’t quite tell who. So after a moment she makes herself mumble, “Hello…?”

The person at the work table—oh, it’s Semyon—snaps his head up from whatever screen he’s been looking at and looks over his shoulder at her. The rumbling stops mid-measure. “Oh! You’re awake!” he smiles—that’s a smile, right?—as he sets down whatever he’s been holding and walks over to her. He adjusts the red-lenses goggles sitting atop his forehead and kindly asks as he sits down on the undersized-for-him stool near Scout’s bed, “Did you sleep well?”

Scout fizzes blearily and rolls her head back to where it was. As close to a shrug as she can manage currently. “Eh…I slept…” She looks back at him and wonders, “What was that rumblin’, though?”

Semyon blinks, then scratches the back of his neck as his dust-colored skin gains a touch of red. “Oh, sorry, that was just me,” he laughs awkwardly, “I-I was just humming. I didn’t wake you up, did I?”

“Nah…didn’t wake me up.”

Semyon puffs a bit of air in a way that makes him rumble again. “Phew. Got a bit worried there for a sec.”

Scout studies him for a moment as best she can, but gets distracted when a shadow crosses the fabric-blinded window. She half-attempts to prop herself up, but her right arm is weak and protests the effort as her left shoulder reminds her that it’s plain not there anymore. So instead she sparks a huff and mutters, “Oi. Sem. Can you maybe…?”

“You want to sit up?”

“Yeah.”

Helpfully, Semyon scoots forward a bit and gently levers Scout up to a siting position, keeping a broad hand on her lower back just in case she tips or something. Fortunately she doesn’t feel like tipping as much as part of her worries, but she still gets light-headed enough from the movement that she slumps.

“That good?” Semyon asks once she’s in a stable slouch.

Scout manages a hint of a nod and a bubble, “Yep…”

Semyon nods as if that’s a good enough answer, but his hand still hovers nearby, resting on the red bedsheet but ready to move if needed. Jumpy, isn’t he? His eyes are darting all over her as if checking every second for something to happen.

Although she had been distracted by a shadow that’s no longer there, now that she’s sitting up, Scout is distracted by her own asymmetry again. She expects two hands to be flopped wearily in her lap but only has one. Her orange plasma is dimmed with fatigue but churns with brighter spots as she makes herself think and focus. The orange contrasts like night and day with the faintly luminescent bandaging wrapped around her. She’s not quite sure what possesses her to hover her remaining hand over the bandaging, up her side and to what’s left of her shoulder. Maybe it’ll jog a memory?

Nope. The only thing the motion jogs is an achy pulse of feedback…and something sticking out of the bandaging at her shoulder. “The heck…?” she mumbles, looking down at the peculiar plastic-like tube sticking out from between layers of bandaging, held in place by more tape-like material. She lightly holds her shoulder, fingers straddling the tube, and looks up at Semyon to ask, “Sem, what’s this?”

“An IV,” he replies simply.

“I-V-what?”

Semyon chuckles a bit as he shakes his head and clarifies, “Just IV. Short for an intravenous drip. See?” He traces the tube’s path as it leads up from Scout’s shoulder to some sort of clear bag hanging from a metal stand. “We had to hook you up to this to keep you from…Uh…whatever the Novakid equivalent of starving is, I guess,” he says, his smile tilting awkwardly as he scratches the back of his head again. His scratching quickens for a short moment as he tilts his head to work on what must be an intense itch, then he admits with another awkward laugh, “It did take a bit of finagling, though. Since you, uh, don’t have veins or anything. So if it’s uncomfortable or anything…”

“Nah, it’s ok,” Scout assures him, still looking at the odd tube and the weave of bandaging. 

After a moment of silence and after a breeze disturbs the cloth outside just enough to distract Scout again, Semyon notes, “I…have to admit, I’ve never actually met a Novakid before.”

Scout turns back to him with a pop. “Huh?”

He’s tilting his head and studying her face when she turns around and the world stops briefly spinning from the motion. His thick eyebrows, that almost meld into the rest of the mauve curls covering his head, furrow a bit as he continues, “I don’t think I’ve even seen one before you came. Sure, I’ve heard about some of the different species around the universe, but a Novakid? You must be pretty rare, right?”

Scout shrugs her good shoulder. “How should I know? I don’t even know what y’all are.”

Semyon blinks at that. “Seriously? You don’t—Nevermind. You don’t have to answer that. I’m just an Apex,” he then states with a light shrug of his own, “Bronzemarch is a Glitch.”

“Glitch?” Scout bubbles confusedly, “Like…a computer glitch or something?”

A deep laugh bounces Semyon’s shoulders and makes him shift on the stool enough to make the wood complain. “Kind of?” he eventually says between laughs, “You’ll have to get him to explain it. I’m learning medicine, not computers. Or machines.”

Funny guy. His face almost completely contorts when he laughs, like it all gets pinched to once side and squished from both directions; even his lips pull back, exposing his fangs but not in a threatening way. And even when his laughing calms down, his expression is still a bit squished with that amusement. Even when he swipes a hand under his broad nose like that’ll return his face to normal. 

After he finally reins his rumbling in, he looks at Scout curiously again, eyes bright. “So tell me,” he prods, scooting his stool closer to the bed and leaning forward a few eager inches, “I realize you seem to have lost at least some of your memory, but do you know what this part of you is?” He gestures to Scout’s face, making her back her head up with a fizzle.

“Y…you mean my brand?”

“Yeah, that! I’ve never seen anything like it. The way Bronzemarch talked about it, it seems pretty integral to you?”

Scout stares at him while she tries to parse what he’s talking about. His eagerness is making his volume increase ever so slightly, and combined with his intensely friendly expression and the dizziness from sitting up for this long, it’s all becoming a bit much for her to process. He brand is starting to ache. “I mean…I reckon so?” she eventually mumbles. She starts to rub her face, but then flinches when her finger catches on a nick and sharp pain shoots from her brand inward. 

Semyon’s enthusiasm shifts instantly to concern, and he hovers a hand near Scout when she curls over on herself with a spark and a groan, hand over her aching brand. “Whoa, careful! Did you hurt yourself?” he frets.

Scout can barely register his rumbling voice through her own churning as the pain ebbs. Two more nicks in her brand ache from direct contact with her own hand. Since when did she have nicks in her brand?

“How’d I…How’d my brand get nicked…?” she eventually manages.

“I have no idea. It was like that when we found you yesterday,” he admits softly, almost apologetically. Gently he pushes her arm down and her hand away from her face as he advises, “I wouldn’t suggest touching it, though. Looks painful.”

Scout just fizzles dully as she lets her hand flop back into her lap. Any energy she had is drained for the moment as the pain slowly melts away like snow. So she just remains curled over in a loose ball.

She’s faintly aware of Semyon’s hand hovering over her back uncertainly for several moments. But eventually he breaks the silence by asking, “So…do you want to go back to sleep or do you want something to eat?”

Despite the dizzying churning in her thin plasma from the motion, Scout turns her head a bit to peek up at Semyon from under her shoulder. “…Food sounds good,” she mumbles, “Whatcha got?”

Semyon stands up from his stool and walks to a cabinet on the far wall. The height the cabinet sits at looks like it’s meant to be over the head of someone significantly shorter than Semyon; despite being attached to one of the ceiling beams, Semyon opens the cabinet and reaches into the top shelf just fine. He pauses there for a second before he offers, “Well, Riku made some sticky rice the other day; still got some left over. Want some of that?” He glances at her for a second, but then his face contorts slightly as if struck from one side as he looks back at the bowl he’s grabbing and mutters, “Can you even eat rice?”

Scout bubbles as much of a giggle as she can manage. “I ain’t picky.”

~~~~~

<< Previous || Next >>

#starbound fanfic #starbound #starbound novakid #fanfic #I Was The Sun

[whentherewerebicycles]

time for a HOUSE UPDATE!! sorry this is of interest to absolutely no one but me but I am aggressively nesting and must narrate the process (story of my life).

well I absolutely love my place and literally the only thing I would change about it is the four-foot 1970s-style overhang that juts out over the giant picture window in the living room, which means I only get bright indirect light and never direct light indoors even during the day. but honestly it’s livable and I imagine that soon there will be very little sunlight to speak of so it probably won’t matter all that much.

here’s what’s left in each room:

LIVING ROOM

I swatched three other colors on posterboard and will hang them up to look at throughout the week (including when the rain starts and I get my first taste of PNW winter). I would like to re-paint that room this weekend or next.

I need a TV console but they’re so expensive. I think I’ll keep putting it off a while longer.

two of the gallery wall pieces aren’t quite right but I’m going to wait till I repaint to fix

I could do something better with that plant corner but that feels like a winter project

the blinds need to be restrung but I might ask my parents to help me with that in November. ditto with installing the curtain rod.

everything else is perfect! the new recliner maybe isn’t the best fit in the space but omg it’s soooooo comfy and nice for reading or watching. and the cozy levels of the sectional area are absolutely off the charts omg the extra pillows & oversized throw I bought this weekend catapulted that part of the room to a new level. sooooooo good and so fun as a space for entertaining.

KITCHEN

all good for now. would love to put up a backsplash at some point (the whole area around the sink is just blah—too many shades of white and off-white) but that might be like, a year 2 project. it’s functional! switching up the orientation of the kitchen table + adding a plant cart made such a difference in that space. it’s way cozier!

HALF BATH & LAUNDRY ROOM

now these rooms are both going to be top candidates for a winter renovation project. I think they will be fun rooms to collect lots of Pinterest inspiration for—they’re small rooms so I feel like I can do something bold and fun in there with color and/or patterns. but for now they are functional and that’s all they need to be!

in the short term though I need to declutter the laundry room (might tackle that today)

DAYROOM/OFFICE

no idea why the paint is photographing like that please trust me it is still the most beautiful color imaginable

I still need to fix the standing desk but will probably give that task to my dad

I need to declutter and organize the big closet (currently my junk space). I bought a nicer dresser for my bedroom and I think I’m going to move the old dresser into the closet to use as an organized storage space. this will be a good weekend project—maybe even this weekend if I don’t paint.

I want to eventually transform this room into my cozy winter writing space. my goal is to figure out a good way to slightly partition off the room so that my office/work desk area feels visually separated from the couch area without making the room feel too cramped or segmented. right now I’m using that plant cart but I’m thinking I’ll eventually get a long low bookshelf (maybe waist-high) to put there so I can put a row of plants along the top and have book storage space on the bottom. I may also experiment with moving the tiger rug up here and getting a diff rug that’s a better match for the kitchen. tbd!!

I’m also going to hang the whiteboard, move Pip’s bed over to that corner so it’s hidden behind the partition, get rid of the IKEA chair in the far corner, move in a small little coffee table in front of the sofa, and get some throw pillows and blankets that actually work in that room. I may also put up curtains to pull that window area together a bit more.

I should really get a pullout couch or comfy futon for guests instead of the current beat-up sofa but I’m loath to spend lots of money on that room when I think that might be the nursery (or foster kid bedroom) within the next couple years depending on how things go. anyway it’s fine for now!

OH and crucially I gotta figure out the walls. I think instead of a gallery wall I may do shelves with leaning framed art + small objects like I had in my old living room. but first I have to figure out how the rest of the room will be arranged so I know what to center the shelves on. I think getting stuff on the walls will make this space feel more like an actual room and not just the place where I cram stuff that doesn’t have a home yet.

LITTLE LIBRARY

I adore this little room that is all lol

I need to finish scraping paint off the ceiling (it’s not hard it just takes some elbow grease)

I may want to get a little side table for my squirrel lamp + a little plant to go under the Rohan poster.

I want to get a small round rug but it’s not urgent! I also kinda have to decide if I want this to be a reading nook with a beanbag or small cozy chair or if I just want it to be a nice-looking open storage area.

oh and I need to organize my books at some point lol I just threw them on the shelves so I could get rid of the boxes

MY BEDROOM

this will be a winter project… it’s functional for now but it’s very bare bones. I am leaning towards doing a rich dark teal accent wall behind the bed and leaving the rest of the room white OR maybe doing a terracotta pink accent wall but we’ll see—I reallyyyyyyy don’t want to paint right now lol

I have two nightstands and a dresser coming this week so that should be a big upgrade to that room visually

I am going to buy a cheap new headboard to replace my cheap old headboard

for art… I think I may want to do a small gallery wall of fandom stuff (My Guys!) over the dresser in this little recessed area of the room—it’s visible from the bed but not from the hall so I think that’s a good compromise on Decorating Like An Adult and following my heart’s desire to plaster images of My Guys everywhere aha. for the rest of the room I think I need to do more Pinterest browsing for inspiration… maybe some bigger art pieces or maybe some shelves with plants or maybe something else who can say!! the space is perfectly usable right now and I can slowly acquire things & ideas to improve it.

[rametarin]

True leadership is agnostic.

Just letting my mind wander on the subject of the role of government and authority.

There’s nothing written in the stars that says any particular kind of government or institution has to be shaped a certain way to function or be moral. Outliers can exist that work, if they have the right people.

The problem is that certain systems and setups with government and economics lend themselves more towards corruption, in their environment and times. The same setup for one culture and group might not be as successful as another, and there are a million and one unknown reasons, large and small, direct and indirect, that might happen.

No matter what scenario, however, you’re limited by your ultimately known levels of sciences, interdisciplinary specialties, markets to properly exploit, utilize and employ them, and your access to material resources to properly utilize them.

What is ‘society’ for? Essentially, convenience. A single human on their own doesn’t need it, provided they have enough easy access to their needs from the environment and no expectations for an easy life, or a comfortable death spiral towards an inevitable aging end. But that’s the trick, isn’t it. How do you feed yourself, acquire the resources and knowledge and culture to know how to get the right tools to protect and provide for yourself, without knowledge of the ages and other people?

This consensus of convenience to not expire is about the only real reason humans confederate or federalize for an easy truce. In theory, a properly empowered person that doesn’t need an army of people to live a life full of modern conveniences, is a person that doesn’t need to exist on property ultimately owned by an institution or social structure. They can fuck off and go wherever they want.

But in real life, a human being is a short lived, naked, squishy pink thing limited by their own mortality, vulnerability and near trapped living on the 2d plane of an entire planet full of hostile beasts, effectively blind without technology or artificial light half the time, and still dependent on scarce food to survive.

But suppose you accommodated these vulnerabilities in the name of liberal self-empowerment. Suppose you advanced mathematics and material science to such a degree where you have a machine that could absorb rocks and sunlight and turn any concentration of any mineral into clothes, structure for fabricated tools, or complex mechanical or electronic parts, from simple dirt. Suppose you knew the blueprint of every single allele, gene and protein in the body, had the means to use AI to study and derive all new information from every single mutation as it occurs in a genome in real time, and accommodate for it with synthetic medicine to repair or recover.

That effectively, every chemical need of a human body could be solved for the equivalent of the cost of buying a wash rag and soap, without involving a medical establishment or the government for permission from this amazing techology. No mysteries of any organ or cell cluster left. The road map for what they are, their common parlance names and how to manipulate them for optimal health was solved.

And for that matter, the dross of an entire system and establishment’s monopoly removed from it, as well. The way you no longer even need a true doctor’s visit to buy pregnacy tests or birth control. If those products and services came out today, insurance companies and the government would want a complete monopoly on those where you’re required to get them through official channels, not from the corner store on your own dime, and then raise the price internally so each product was extremely artificially expensive.

If that predatory system of government and government-anointed corporatism was removed from the equation, suddenly the medical industry makes substantially less money than the great big gorging mainline arterial feed to the public’s money, either directly from gouging consumers or from the government, just to necessitate insurance, which just necessitates government mandated control over it. This system that is set up is done so, specifically to monopolize people’s access to healthcare and require they buy into a system and live in accordance to those institutional mandates in order to reap the benefits, or pay obscene robbery fees. And then be told, “Well look at how greedy capitalism is. You should totally socialize medicine the rest of the way to fix it. :^)”

Because objectively speaking, we’re just a few surgical amodeuses away from having AI and machines that do even complex and sophisticated surgery for a pittance of a price, extremely intelligent fabricators that can make any imaginable medicine and go through the phases of testing in a matter of hours, and lab equipment that’s so flexible and cheap that by all rights the only thing preventing end users from owning them at home would be artificial corporate monopoly under the bogus line of, “public safety.” Not even from patent trolling, just compromising regulation and legislation to protect the financial interests and monopoly of providers of certain products and services.

But suppose you could cut this dross out and every imagined, finite, perceptible biological problem could be analyzed, quantified and handled today the way the common person handles influenza or a cold. You would still need medical doctors to service the population, no doubt, but the necessity of enormous hospitals as institutions would go away. You would not need any sort of representative or governing body to provide your healthcare for you; at that level of knowledge and self-determinism and resources, monitoring yourself for cancers would be like checking yourself for ticks. No part of your anatomy or mortal frailty would be beyond your ability to do something about, and thus, control and liberation over your own physical autonomy would be achieved. That handles healthcare.

Then we get to the subject of an individual needing to acquire a certain quota of food per day of their lives, in cycle. The Daily Bread, as they say.

In the past, this has meant you either dedicated yourself to the life of property owning for susstenance farming, or you lived off of a dedicated section of your society that handled that and just interacted with the market. You could have a life where you owned land and worked it to provide food, or you just purchased from market and weren’t obligated to have anything, but seldom both.

Making food is a very stressful process that requires a great deal of open space and materials. At least, the conventional ways we’ve been doing it. And in cities, realestate is at a premium, due to the necessity of space. You need to be blessed regionally with good, arable space and land to stick your crops in and rotate it, as crops deplete minerals in the soil and drain it of life over time. And if you aren’t, you don’t get good food. Not having the resources laying around means you either pay to import the food, you pay to import the soil, or you pay ludicrous amounts for the scarce land that by nature isolates you, because no one can afford to be that far from the ease of civilization for long without compromise.

But suppose we developed our knowledge to where self-sufficiency was possible without this entire system. All it’d take is cultivating a source of decomposers to make fertilizer (worm caps) and micro gardens. Aeroponics, vertical farms, hydroponics. It’d mean that conceivably, with the right access to proper low tech machines and AI, you could provide enough food for yourself with a minimum amount of sunlight.

Now imagine we plan cities this way. Condos, for example, designed to let in enough light on one side of the condo to sustain the needs of a self-sufficiency garden. Or, compensate those that don’t live in properly sunned places by giving them access to the energy to use grow lights. Suddenly you have a democratized and individualized source of agrarian sufficiency, not dependent on natural abundance of resources and real estate. The extreme burden of feeding entire cities from a countryside is vastly reduced, individuals become able to sustain themselves through environment controlled greenhouses in their own homes optionally nannied by machines, you do away with the problem of prison cell sized apartment complexes that herd people living too concentrated together.

In fact, if we considered farming to be a kind of human right and demanded places where regulated housing was the norm to accommodate for the option of farming practices, we would remove the necessity of people to either pay exorbitant fees for food, or starve, and the possibility that military raids could starve out cities entirely. Refining farming practices, from creation and maintenance of soil, heirloom seed and land rights, would mean whether someone chooses to buy food and use the rest of the space as luxury or use the extra space for production, property ownership in cities would be large amounts of land, as a norm.

Whereas by contrast, self-sufficiency outside of a city is much easier. Especially if, with the right materials, you could either purchase (YAY CAPITALISM) or manufacture solar cells, or micro geothermal on your own property. And with the same knowledge that makes vertical farming, aeroponics and hydroponics possible inside of a city, with the benefits of more land and space and air in more suburban or rural areas, you could even cut down on exactly how much land you need for the same one-person susstenance farming you do, with minimal wasted water and minimal fertilizer pollution or wasted soil.

Suddenly when the science and knowledge and technology is there, and the resources, and the mechanical means to operate them are privately owned by individuals and sold by other private enterprises, it becomes possible to free governments from the necessity of nationalizing food production or providing it. They can merely assume their role as quality control and regulation of that which is sold to others on the markets and acquire taxed shares that way, minimizing paperwork, labor and management of human resources for all. Each individual person on average becoming capable of providing for themselves, in a pinch, for dynamic and changing markets when needed. Ways to cut and mitigate shortages.

Electrical power?

While safety and regulatory bodies that answer to the government are a given, there’s no reason why privately owned and registered power companies that offer everything from installed solar and wind turbines, to nuclear reactors, couldn’t be possible. And in fact, there’s no reason why individual people with the proper qualifications couldn’t possess and start their own. Clearly, not everybody can own a coal mine, or an oil field. But millions of geothermal vents using heat from the depths of the earth to turn water to steam and back again to power generators means millions of tons of coal left unburnt or thousands of acres of solar panels per day that are needed less, as they meet an individual’s requirements and all the surplus they could need.

In short, there really shouldn’t BE any monopolized service that the government necessitates itself to provide for you in return for a hefty premium of your money. I’m not saying it should charge society to provide it for free, I’m saying that the necessity for it to provide shouldn’t be a thing; with the right level of access to the market and the ability to publish and print the knowledge, access to the internet, everything from medicine, to access to electrical power, to a million labor saving devices, their manufacturing and engineering and your ability to feed yourself, should all be things you can reasonably and reliably DO on the small scale, allowing yourself to not NEED an enormous, active society, nor the social contracts required by them in the form of taxation or forced participation.

This isn’t to say I’m against nationalism. I am, actually, a big proponent of nationalism. And borders, for purposes of law. But exactly how much control and compromise those governments and nations get to exert over our personal lives and decisions and ability to associate, not so big a fan.

The government’s role, when we do it properly, should be simple oversight of the bureaucracy to judiciously govern it in accordance to the principles of liberalism. The true, best role of government is not to manage people, but enable them to create and construct and govern themselves with a minimum of intrusion and maximum effectiveness. Regulation based on what is most sensible and least invasive.

And for that matter, it should only count for property inhabited and voluntary association in the form of citizenship. I disagree, vehemently, with the Sovereign Citizen concept. Absolutely abhor it. You do not get to enjoy the conveniences of a nation by living in it without registering to be part of it, nor do you get to engage in commerce or wealth building without participating in the one everybody else is engaging in. That’s just regional parasitism.

With this in mind, clearly for the purposes of provisions and liberty, some forms of government and society are more adequate than others. In short, governments that try to combine society with culture and institution and economy just become big lumbering authoritarian shitboxes that believe it’s in the group and the nation’s best interests if you live according to what it thinks is best for you, and what it thinks is best for you is what would be most convenient to its growth and power. This is unacceptable to me. That’s not about liberty or prosperity, that’s about controlling your neighbor and managing them into a cell.

Socialism in my eyes tries to get around the whole, “directly commanding people” problem by instituting itself as the provider of your rights and then monopolizing access and management and provision of them. Regulation to a socialist is simply pretending you aren’t wearing a leash, when in fact, it’s just a leash by proxy. It still belives itself the rightful owner of the air that you breathe, and you’ve been complimentarily taxed to afford it. You need air to breathe, you’re materially unlikely to be able to provide your own air, so they think they have you there; “air is a human right, we need all your money so you can breathe, therefore, you owe us labor and submission as per the social contract.”

Communism in concept and practice is just absolutely ridiculous and antithetical to sense and reality that I have absolutely zero respect for it. Many of the supposed merits are just window dressing and this entire idea can only exist on paper, because it has so much baggage tied to it relating to crackpot theories on human nature, psychology and pseudo-intellectualism on “the inevitable progression of the humanities” that it makes my blood boil. A million babbling bullshit artists trying to justify a secular religious view and communually deciding to listen and believe in an asshole. It cultivates a specific variety of person that sincerely believes you can be a conniving, parasitic used car salesman/mob hatchetman and be an emphatic individual because you like the IDEA of people and structures which allegedly are meant to service the idea of the public, while in practice being completely ineffectual to them. And overall only seems suited as the Rock Candy Mountain dreams of narcotics addicted hobos that want to sell participation in a perfect society where the hobo doesn’t have to work, to people that would be forced to work.

Anarchy and hard anarcho-capitalism are just sad, dystopian states where regulation is corporate and enforced by Pinkertons and rapidly devolves into the only people that have the means or care to exert control over it are nepotistic gangland feudal families that inevitably become warring states on the micro and macro scale of organization. Inevitably, you will statistically get people that see no harm in shooting you in the head and stealing your stuff because you’re less important than they are in their minds, whether it’s because they don’t care about anyone, only care about their bloodline, only care about their social family, only care about their race, or only care about their spirituality. Organization on the basis of population that seeks to subdue and destroy other populations is the bane of anarchism.

For my money, if we are to have a government and society at all, I prefer it to be one of minimalism. Secular modernity operated and regulated under a liberal legal framework that allows for the participation but does not entrench the values of people. Whatever culture or community they envision for themselves, whatever associations of family. This makes no assumptions about what the human groups are or aren’t composed of, it only accommodates them.

If, technologically, scientifically, we could have all the benefits of modern society that the individual could near effortlessly provide for themselves, we should have the option and not be pigeonholed into a centralized system where resources are provided via a monopoly.

Militarily, I am wholeheartedly in favor of a nationalized military force. And in my eyes, national property is part of the nation but owned by the states, with a minimum of federal criteria the states must follow. A military should reflect the population that inhabits the country and its people, with the knowledge that if that military ever starts being turned on unorganized people to proactively impose force on them, on behalf of the government or its own power, that military becomes illegitimate. Militaries should be subserviant to the government and general public. I’ll never dispute or feel bad about a bill from Uncle Sam when it comes to the price of missiles or engineering.

Private property is absolutely amazing and good and wonderful and a human right. And in an ideal universe, you would not have to pay property tax to own land. Ideally, the family homestead should be owned by a person forever. Sadly, we do not live in a world where others will respect this; nothing is sacred in a secular, material universe with entropy. People will game the system to snatch up all the land either personally or in the name of an organization, or even a vague and abstract ideal, one way or another.

So in my eyes, the only proper way to handle property ownership is to scale taxation based on amount of it owned, based on region, with a bias towards those that have no property at all to incentivize ownership of it and participation in civil society as a land owner, steward and landlord. The more people with their own legal nirvanha, the more engaged the citizenry and more self-sufficient the society, able to handle their own needs and take the load of management and control off the government, back into the individuals’ hands, not some vague body of them.  Regulation shouldn’t be there to punish small business or browbeat them into participation and encourage them to be corporate to function at all; Government should prize small business as vital parts of society that can operate and change in ways that large businesses cannot. If you are a nuclear family of 2-8, you shouldn’t have to pay a tax to own so much land, merely have it on legal record that you own the deed to the land, signed certified and acknowledged by the government.

If done properly, the consequences of a less regulated market would be mitigated by knowledge of best practices and a strong legal system and framework. It shouldn’t matter if Potato Crunchies (made up company) goes under; those 80,000 people can re-employ and re-train quickly and new businesses can emerge. No company should ever be so essential that it’s too big to fail, and the proper way to prevent that isn’t nationalizing a resource, it’s by enabling many independent hands to be able to operate equally on it and compete to provide the best possible product. Failure of this is simply failure of knowledge of the subject matter.

And for fucks sake, this government/university bedroom partnership needs to STOP. Universities either need to become more democratic and the communities need to be able to hire/fire teachers based on their subjects and curriculum and education outcomes, or they need to disentangle with the government and stop allowing colleges and universities to keep raising prices, necessitating tuition hikes, necessitating government loans for college, which necessitate tuition hikes, etc. Colleges and universities have too much power and it is a manipulation of a socialized system by necessity simply to exploit federalism, which they then wave the, “don’t blame me, blame capitalism” fan.

Certification should be handled by private industry and the government, and not necessitate the institutional bodies of education in order to validate or certify that an individual can operate in their suggested task. That necessitates 1-10 years of education, no matter how much it costs, and allows the higher educational institution to shape tuition and curriculum as a kind of purity test based on social and cultural values. Mandating you need certain numbers of credits in things you are not interested in, is robbery. Education in unrelated fields should not be mandatory for certification in an occupation. And colleges definitely are padding out curriculum specifically to pay tenured professors and cliques in their own psycho-social interests and ambitions. This needs to stop.

 Anything less than this is simply trying to treat an individual as a pawn in someone elses idea of how you should live, whom you should live for, and whom gets to dictate or regulate over your life.

[theomnicode]

Chapter 169 cover page symbolism:

Saitama's shadow greatly resembles a Torii gate.

A torii (Japanese: 鳥居, [to.ɾi.i]) is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred.

Which is good bit of foreshadowing for the divine power we'll be dabbling with from now on. Transition from the mundate to the sacred indeed.

But the one pole behind is a bit more worrying.

It honestly looks like a cross, like crucifixion.

Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross or beam and left to hang until eventual death from exhaustion and asphyxiation.[1][2][3][4] It was used as a punishment by the Romans,[1] among others. Crucifixion has been used in parts of the world as recently as the twentieth century.[5] The crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth is central to Christianity,[1] and the cross (sometimes depicting Jesus nailed to it) is the main religious symbol for many Christian churches

Not as a direct reference to christianity, but as a symbol. For a victim being crucified.

Which would be apt, considering what is probably happening in this chapter and from hence forth onward. If Genos is going to continue with the manipulation I think he's doing, he's going to get crucified for it, hard. But he's still a victim to divine power influence, just like Garou. But people in universe and us readers won't know, so we'll damn him for his actions.

Same goes for Saitama, because Genos doing that to him and betraying his trust, is like a capital punishment. He does not trust or let people close easily, so the betrayal of trust would be the worst thing to ever happen to him. Or maybe, Saitama too will be crucified for his actions in the future that he has yet done, when he almost blew up the planet. Even if he has not done it, the knowledge can still be used against him. And the one who has knowledge is Genos who wasn't morally even bothered by anything that happened in future either. I smell blackmailing up in the air. If Genos tells anybody, Saitama can be crucified for the actions of the future too and will be seen as a threat.

Chapter title, daybreak symbolism

Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the appearance of indirect sunlight being scattered in Earth's atmosphere, when the centre of the Sun's disc has reached 18° below the observer's horizon.[1] This morning twilight period will last until sunrise (when the Sun's upper limb breaks the horizon), when direct sunlight outshines the diffused light.

We're not out of the twilight zone yet, we only just entered it. And it will last until the actual sunrise happens. The symbolic rise of Saitama's divine power that he embodies, the Sun.

(For most accurate symbolism I'd need to take a look at the kanji in the title but I'm not versed in japanese)

The symbol of a bloodied heart being ripped out from someone's chest and leaving a hole behind.

Already did this piece of symbolism here.

Pastel colours:

Pastel colours are usually shades of colours. Only some white is added to a tone. Adding white not only raises the value but also changes the psychology. They are generally considered delicate, feminine and clean. The word (pastel) in the field of colours is generally used when talking about paintings and usually implies a soft matte finish and pale colours (lighter, less saturated). Well, in any design, it is intended to convey meaning, and obviously, that impacts people’s thinking and psychology. The reason why marketing always plays with colours, because it wants to play with feelings and thoughts of its consumers. So choosing the right colour for each case is very important.

Colour always has a vibration, like music. Experiencing colour is an objective and subjective experience. Pastel colours evoke openness and relaxation. Well, these shades are considered soothing and sometimes even equate with sanity. Pastel colours represent neutrality, and they are peaceful and soft. The white colour used to achieve pastel represents clarity, innocence, cleanliness, spirituality, purity, hope, expansiveness and openness. It can also be sterile and detach.

A psychological way to evoke feelings of openess and relaxation and impact people's 's thinking. When you see pastel colours, you think about soft and openess and peaceful thoughts.

But just like Genos is in this chapter, it'll be sterile and detached from any softness when he evokes those feelings psychologically to play with Saitama's feelings.

And we too, are being played like fiddle when the cover art evokes same feeling of hopefulness with the sunrise in the horizon for new tomorrow and pastel colours, but we're only within a twilight zone where a heart will be ripped out from one individual in brutal fashion and crucifying the victim when lulled into false sense of hopefullness via psychological means.

#opm #one punch man #opm spoilers #saitama #genos #chapter 169 #symbolism #cover art #opm manga panels

[taimio]

Grow Dock Plant At Home In 7 Simple Steps

Welcome gardeners and plant-lovers, have you ever wondered if dock plants could be grown at home? This unique plant has many beneficial properties that make it an ideal addition to your plant family. Dock has been used for centuries as a medicinal herb and is known for its many positive health benefits. What’s more, with a little patience and know-how, it’s completely possible to grow this plant in your own home. Here, we’ll dive into the basics of dock growing and provide you with seven simple steps for cultivating and growing dock plants right in your own garden. So, get ready to learn how to grow dock at home, and you may just find you have a surprisingly amazing new addition to your plant family. Grow Dock Plant at Home in 7 Simple Steps body { font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 20px; } h2 { color: #333; } h3 { color: #666; } p { margin: 10px 0; line-height: 1.6; } ul { margin: 10px 0; padding-left: 20px; } li { margin-bottom: 5px; line-height: 1.4; }

Grow Dock Plant at Home in 7 Simple Steps

Are you looking to add a touch of greenery to your indoor space? Dock plants are not only aesthetically pleasing, but they also offer numerous health benefits. They are known for their air-purifying properties and ability to reduce stress. Plus, they are incredibly easy to grow and maintain, making them an ideal choice for both seasoned and novice plant enthusiasts. In this article, we will guide you through the process of growing dock plants at home in just seven simple steps!

Step 1: Choose the Right Spot

Dock plants thrive in bright, indirect light, so it's essential to choose a suitable spot in your home. Consider placing your plant near a window that receives plenty of sunlight throughout the day. However, be cautious of exposing the plant to direct sunlight, as it may scorch the leaves.

Step 2: Select the Ideal Container

When it comes to selecting a container for your dock plant, opt for one that has drainage holes at the bottom. This will prevent overwatering and ensure the plant's roots stay healthy. Additionally, choose a pot that allows for some growth, as dock plants tend to flourish and spread quickly.

Step 3: Choose the Right Soil

Dock plants prefer well-draining soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH. You can easily find suitable potting mixes for indoor plants at your local garden center. Avoid using heavy garden soil, as it may retain excess moisture and lead to root rot.

Step 4: Plant Your Dock

Fill your chosen container with the potting mix, leaving a few inches of space at the top. Gently remove your dock plant from its nursery pot and place it in the center of the container. Add more soil around the plant, ensuring it is firmly planted. Water the plant thoroughly but avoid overwatering, as it can cause the roots to rot.

Step 5: Provide Adequate Water and Humidity

Water your dock plant when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch. Remember to water thoroughly and allow any excess water to drain out of the pot. Dock plants appreciate higher humidity levels, so consider misting their leaves occasionally or placing a tray of water near the plant to increase humidity.

Step 6: Maintain the Plant

Keep an eye on your dock plant and adjust watering as needed. If the leaves start to droop or turn yellow, it might be a sign of overwatering. On the other hand, if the edges of the leaves appear brown and dry, your plant may need more water. Additionally, prune any dead or yellowing leaves to promote healthy growth.

Step 7: Enjoy Your Thriving Dock Plant!

With proper care and attention, your dock plant will flourish and bring a touch of nature to your home. Not only will it enhance the overall aesthetics of your space, but it will also contribute to cleaner air and a more relaxed environment. Take the time to appreciate your plant's growth and enjoy the benefits it offers.

In Conclusion

Growing dock plants at home is an excellent way to bring nature indoors while reaping the rewards of their air-purifying qualities. By following these seven simple steps, you can successfully cultivate a thriving dock plant that will add beauty and health benefits to your living space. Remember to provide the right light, soil, water, and humidity, and maintain your plant with care. Soon enough, you'll be basking in the joy of a flourishing dock plant and enjoying the serene ambiance it creates.

Learn more about gardening with Taim.io!

#gardening

[tooplantnet]

How to Care for Chinese Evergreen?

The Chinese Evergreen plant or Aglaonema Commutatum, belongs to Southeast Asia. Where the Chinese Evergreen grew in the sun in the shade of large tropical trees. But this beautiful plant was taken to England in 1800 and quickly became one of the most popular houseplants. Its small size and easy maintenance method make Aglaonema a very good choice for beginners.

Chinese Evergreen requires almost no special care! Just a little light and water is enough for this popular plant. Just pay a little attention to it and take the time for it, it will quickly give glory and beauty to your eyes with its beautiful silver leaves. You should know that it is known as luck-bringing! It is believed that this plant brings good luck to its owner. The nickname of the Aglaonema Commutatum is luck-bringing.

If you are a beginner in caring for plants, it is best to start with this houseplant. Because Chinese Evergreen is easy to maintain, it is one of the best houseplants for beginners.

Care for Chinese Evergreen

The best methods of how to care for Chinese Evergreen include as follows:

What light is best for Chinese Evergreen?

This plant needs full but indirect light. Be careful never to expose this plant to direct sunlight as it may burn the leaves. Don’t worry if your home or office doesn’t get a lot of light, the thing that makes Aglaonema house plant so much easier to maintain is that it lasts well in high, medium and even low light. Of course, as long as the light shines on it indirectly!

So with any amount of incoming light in your home, you can be a good host for Chinese Evergreens. You can place it near a skylight covered with a thin curtain. A curtain-like filter is not necessary for places that are very sunny. Rotate it regularly so that all parts of it grow evenly after receiving the same amount of light.

So Chinese Evergreen lasts very little in the light. But it is better to expose it to indirect but sufficient sunlight. Chinese Evergreen is one of the shade-tolerant plants.

So, as shown above, light plays a significant role to care for Chinese Evergreen.

How often should you water a Chinese Evergreen?

In the rest, concerning the tips of caring for a Chinese Evergreen, it is better to know that water the plant when the soil surface is a few centimeters dry. Therefore, watering is another important aspect in order to care for Chinese Evergreen. If the plant is left in wet soil for a long time, its leaves will turn yellow and begin to fall off. Excessively wet soil will eventually cause root rot. Watering the Chinese Evergreen once or twice a week is sufficient. Do not forget to reduce watering in winter.

If the plant withers slightly, you probably do not have the right watering pattern. In this case, be sure to check the soil regularly and if it dries, water it immediately. In general, the more a plant is exposed to sunlight, the more water it needs, and vice versa.

Do not forget that because Aglaonema belongs to the tropics, it is very interested in moisture. So if you have a dry environment, you should increase the humidity,

What is the best soil for a Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema)?

The soil of this plant must have high drainage to be able to remove excess water from the pot. A mixture of leaf soil, sand, peat moss, garden soil or a mixture of peat moss and perlite or leaf soil alone can be a good substrate for the growth of this plant (generally likes leaf-rich and acidic soil).

What is the best fertilizer for a Chinese Evergreen?

Although Aglaonema Commutatum (Chinese Evergreen) do not require special reinforcement. But we recommend adding fertilizer once or twice a year to improve the quality of growth. Use multi-purpose fertilizer for houseplants. Spring and summer are good times to fertilize Chinese Evergreen indoor plants.

How to Make Chinese Evergreen Fuller?

To make Chinese Evergreen fuller indoor plant, you can prune the newly sprouted leaves from the plant. To do this, firmly hold the stem on which the young leaf is located and gently separate the leaf from the base. By doing this, you should be able to remove all the leaves from the plant and the plant will start to grow bigger and stronger from the pruned part. It is best to never use scissors or a knife.

Chinese Evergreen Toxicity: Is Chinese Evergreen poisonous to humans and pets?

In order to care for Chinese Evergreen, toxicity is considered to be a major issue because it directly relates to your health especially children and pets. Chinese Evergreen is slightly poisonous. So keep it out of the reach of your child or pets so they do not want to eat it.

#houseplants #houseplant #houseplantcare #houseplant_care #careforhouseplants #care_for_houseplant #care_for_houseplants #care_of_houseplant #take_care_of_houseplants #takecareofhouseplants #plants #plant #Chinese_Evergreen #caring_for_Chinese_Evergreen #care_for_Chinese_Evergreen #take_care_of_Chinese_Evergreen #Aglaonema_Commutatum #care_for_Aglaonema_Commutatum

[potsplant]

How To Take Care Of Spiral Lucky Bamboo Plant

Introduction

The best way to create a natural environment at your place is with indoor plants especially spiral lucky bamboo plants.

People often use the spiral lucky bamboo plant to decorate their homes/offices. It comes in various shapes. Most commonly people plant two-layer, three-layer, and seven-layer spiral bamboos in their homes/offices.

Spiral lucky is not a real bamboo. It just looks like bamboo. It is more used as an indoor plant than in fields. It requires indirect sunlight to grow. The soil must be moist and water- chlorine-free. Every week, the water of the plant must be changed.

How To Train A Bamboo Stalk To Be Spiral?

For decoration and style purposes some people like to have spiral bamboo plants in their houses. There is also a trick to change a normal lucky bamboo plant into a spiral lucky bamboo plant.

Follow The Procedure Below: –

Train your Lucky Bamboo Plant

The spiral look of the bamboo plant gives it an aesthetic look. You can put it into a vase with water and some pebbles in it to give a complete look. The tops of the bamboo plant grow in the direction of the light. You can use a copper wire to create a pattern on a lucky bamboo plant. You just have to wrap the copper wire around the lucky bamboo plant in your desired shape.

Then you need to place the spiraled lucky bamboo plant near the window. So that your plant would get sunlight. Make sure that excessive sunlight is bad for your plants’ growth. Then, from time to time rotate the plant a little bit. So that every curve could get enough light to bend. This process requires lots of time and patience. But the results will never put you down. If you don’t want to put so much effort, you can directly buy spiral lucky bamboo sticks online.

Unhealthy Lucky Bamboo Plant You can check if it is healthy or not. If the root of the plant is brown, the water smells a lot and the leaves of the plants are either Yellow or brown then that plant is not healthy.

How To Care For A Spiral Lucky Bamboo Plant?

Spiral lucky bamboo plants are indoor plants that’s why they need little care and maintenance. But there are few things to take into consideration while taking care for this plant.

Harmful for animals Spiral lucky bamboo plants are beneficial for you but it can harm animals. Especially if you have a dog or cat, this plant can be toxic for them. So make sure that your plant is kept away from the reach of your pet.

With time some of the leaves may get dry or become yellow so remove them. It may outgrow in a container. So, you need to change the container in that case.

Light Conditions The spiral lucky bamboo plant needs a low level of light as it cannot handle direct sunlight so it would be best if you place your bamboo plant near the window or in the balcony with other plants. Remember to rotate the plant once in a while so that the plant gets will get exposure to Sunlight from all sides.

Water The water would act as a nutritious source to spiral lucky bamboo plants so it is necessary to provide filtered water to the plant as tap water would harm the plant because of the high chlorine level. Some people change the water from the plant some people like to change the water every day for 4 to 6 weeks. The best way to water the plant would be if the water stinks, then it must be changed.

Pot size There are various containers and types of plants people used to put their parallel lucky plants. You can use a plastic multi-color plant pot. As they are lightweight and use less water. The plastic material gives it a long shelf life.

If you are using a glass vase or any dip bowl, make sure that there is 1 inch of space left for the roots to grow.

You can put 3 inches of water in the pot or glass vase so that your plant would not die.

Fertilizers The growth cycle of bamboo plants depends on using the right fertilizer at right time. The best time to fertilize the bamboo plant is when it shows fruition. First, the bamboo plant grows in summers and then in spring. You can use lucky bamboo plant fertilizer for better results. It is a hydroponic fertilizer for the faster growth of the plant. Just add a few drops in the pouring water and pour it into the plant. (5 to 10 drops for 100-250ml pot, 10 to 20 drops for 500ml to 1-liter pot) It is an Eco- Friendly product so you don’t need to worry about any chemicals in fertilizers. The only caution is to put it in an air-tight container in a cool and dry place. It is best for six months from the date of packing.

Trimming Just like humans, Plants also need grooming. It is done by trimming the unnecessary part of the plant. Also, after trimming, the plants would absorb nutrients from the soil, water, and sunlight well. The bonsai scissors are best to trim spiral lucky bamboo sticks. This scissor is made of stainless steel with a plastic handle. It comes in a tiny size which makes it quite handy.

Placement The placement of the spiral lucky bamboo is as important as other things.

The southeast direction is considered best to keep the spiral lucky bamboo plant. As it will attract wealth. If you are facing financial difficulties then, this direction is best for you.

You can place the bamboo plant at the center of the dining table. This will attract positive energy and abundance in your life.

You can also place your bamboo plant in the bedroom as well. As it will add eye-soothing greenery into your room.

It can be placed at the entrance of your house entrance. This will bring good vibes, growth, and harmony to your family.

Why Spiral Lucky Bamboo Plants Are Lucky?

Spiral lucky bamboo/dancing sticks bring luck in life. Bamboo plants bring auspiciousness to one’s life. According to Chinese traditions number of stalks has a different significance.

Two stalks symbolize love and luck.

Three stalks symbolize happiness, longevity, and wealth

Five stalks symbolize physical, mental, emotional, intuitive, and spiritual health.

Six stalks bring prosperity. In the Chinese language, six sounds like luck.

Seven stalks represent good health.

Eight Stalks represent growth/ fertility.

Nine symbolizes luck

Ten stalks mean bestowing good wishes to the sender.

Twenty-One stalks are given as a powerful blessing for wealth.

Why Spiral Lucky Bamboo Plants Are Unlucky?

Four stalks are never given as a gift to anyone. According to the Chinese language, the word four sounds similar to death. Giving this means gifting a death wish.

Why Spiral Lucky Bamboo Sticks Are Tied Together?

Spiral lucky bamboo sticks are tied together to bring fortune and prosperity in life. The more sticks you add, the more meaning it adds. People often choose the number of stalks according to their needs, wishes, and goals. For example, if you want balance and happiness in your relationship then you can tie two stalks of spiral bamboo sticks. The spiral bamboo stalks are often tied with golden and red ribbons. So that the bamboo stalks would get enough stability.

Why Do Spiral Lucky Bamboo Plants Turn Yellow?

Many reasons can lead to yellow leaves of the spiral bamboo lucky plant.

Bad weather – Extreme weather is bad for the plant. This plant is sensitive. The harsh rays of the sunlight can make the plant dry. Because of this, the plants’ leaves can turn either yellow or brown. Extreme cold and windy weather are also not good for the plant. As the plant leaves can die.

Pro tip– You can put the spiral lucky plant near the open window. This will save it from harsh weather.

Fewer nutrients in the soil– The soil is a portion of food for the plant. If soil does not give proper nutrients, then the plants’ leaves can turn yellow.

Water– If you don’t change the water frequently, if you use tap water which is extremely salty and high in chlorine then this will result in yellow leaves.

Lack of Fertilizers– The fertilizers are necessary to maintain the richness of the soil. If you don’t use the right fertilizers for your plant, then it can also lead to yellow leaves.

The spiral lucky bamboo plant is a perfect gift that you can give yourself and your loved ones. You can also gift this plant to new wedding couples, new house owners, and for corporate gifting. This plant will only bring positivity wherever you keep it. At last, the spiral lucky bamboo stick is an eco-friendly décor product that will create an elegant and fresh look in your home/office.

Frequently Asked Questions.

What Are The Benefits Of A Spiral Lucky Bamboo Plant?

Bamboo plants are also called water lily-type plants.

It brings positivity, fortune, and prosperity wherever kept.

It acts as a natural air purifier.

If it is placed in the east direction, it will bring good health to the family. If it is placed in the southeast direction, it will attract money and wealth.

It requires little maintenance, light sunlight, filtered water, and a good fertilizer.

It has nutritious element properties like amino acids, fiber, magnesium, iron, etc.

It is an eco-friendly plant that can be used for home office/décor.

Why Spiral Lucky Bamboo Stalk/ Stem Is Turning White?

The spiral lucky bamboo stem is quite delicate in comparison to other plant stems. It requires good care to grow. If your plant got in touch with bad weather, poor soil, adulterated water, then there are chances the stem will turn white.

What Are The Common Shapes Of The Spiral Lucky Bamboo Plant?

Two-layer – lucky bamboo plant This plant needs little exposure to the sun. Most often it is kept in a glass vase with water and pebbles. But it can also be potted in the soil.

Three-layer lucky bamboo plant This is commonly found in Indian households. It requires little maintenance. It can also handle harsh weather conditions very well.

Seven-layer lucky bamboo plant You can use this plant as a gift to your family. It can grow easily. It can bring good luck and serenity to your homes/offices. Use filtered water and change the water once a week. So that the roots won’t decay.

How To Keep Your Spiral Lucky Bamboo Plant Diseases And Pests Free?

The spiral lucky bamboo gets affected by mealybugs and fungal infections. Mealybugs are small white insects that create a grey fuzz over the bamboo plant. You can use neem oil and rubbing alcohol to remove the fungus.

If you see brown spots in the spiral bamboo plant, it means that your plant has absorbed too much chlorine water and excessive sunlight. You can sprinkle the leaves with water to keep them moist. Change the water once in a while. Filtered water is highly recommended.

According to Vaastu Shastra, the spiral lucky bamboo leaves must be green. Then only the plant is auspicious. So, yellow leaves mean the plant is ill. So, remove yellow leaves whenever you find them. 

Sometimes, spiders make a web over the bamboo plant and leave black/ brown spots. If this happens, rinse the bamboo plant with cold water. You can spray soap water and use neem oil to treat the affected area of the bamboo plant.

You Can also Buy From Amazon

#Spiral Bamboo Sticks

[gretavandutchy]

blue hour | one

{sam kiszka x fem!reader} blue hour is the short period of time before sunrise or after sunset when the sun is just below the horizon. indirect sunlight is evenly diffused and takes on a blue shade.

summary: traveling the world as greta van fleet’s touring photographer seemed like a dream come true, but as the days pass you worry it may just be your worst nightmare. work is rapidly merging with pleasure, and as feelings change you’re left to wonder: does what happens on tour really stay on tour?

word count: 4.9k

warnings: language, that's about it. this is a lot of background sorry

"Easy there, killer."

You barrelled past Kyle, your loving boyfriend who stood in the doorway to the ensuite bathroom with an amused grin on his lips. Toothbrush dangling from your lips, you rushed around your shared bedroom in search of the specific pair of ankle boots you'd mentally planned to wear that day. Of course, because nothing wanted to go right that morning, you tripped over the left one and subsequently knocked your toothbrush from your mouth and straight onto your blouse.

With your throbbing foot clutched in one hand, you cursed loudly, "Son of a bitch!" Kyle was laughing heartily, paying no mind to the scowl you sent in his direction as you hopped around on one foot and narrowly avoided stepping on your toothbrush that now laid on the floor.

This was easily the biggest day of your career so far. For months you'd been looking forward to it with stars in your eyes and butterflies in your stomach, butterflies that were quickly being chased away by raging hornets as the minutes ticked by rapidly. Never before had you been late to work, and leave it to you to be late for the first time on what was essentially your big break.

It was hard work trying to break into the photography industry, and even harder trying to do it with no degree under your belt. All you had was what professionals called a hobby, a portfolio of freelance work, and no technical merit to back it all up. It was a miracle you'd even managed to snag your internship before one of the university students had snatched it, and the later you ran the more you dreaded ruining everything.

The people at The Heat weren't exactly the hardest, nor the most critical in the industry, but they were professionals. They determined whether you got to work (for free) for another day, and whether or not you'd have to start all over with your dreams of being a photographer in the music industry. Essentially, they were the people who stood between you and your future, and you were determined to make the best impression on them.

And being late on the day the biggest band they'd worked with to date was scheduled to arrive? Well, that was definitely not a good impression. You were lucky they were even allowing you in the studio, let alone giving you the chance to work some of the shoot yourself.

Greta Van Fleet was notorious for being late to everything, and all you could hope for at that point was that they would arrive later than you.

Abandoning your toothbrush and swallowing the glob of toothpaste still swishing around your mouth, you ripped open the stained blouse and began digging through your closet in a frenzy. You'd meticulously planned out your outfit for the special day for weeks, and now that the blouse you'd planned it around entirely was ruined you were scrambling. Maybe it was a ridiculous thing to be concerned about, but you were.

You ached to make the best impression possible. Looking your best helped you feel your best, giving you the confidence to hide just how anxious and frazzled you really were just beneath the surface, and now it was ruined. "God," you cried, tearing hangers across the rack angrily, "I have nothing to wear!"

Kyle wrapped his arms around your middle, dragging you away from the closet as you grew increasingly flustered, and fixed you with a stern, yet compassionate stare. With all the sweetness you'd known him to contain over the years, he instructed, "Go pick up your toothbrush and finish your hair, okay? I'll pick something out and make your coffee."

The part of you that was crazy with anxiety wanted to argue, but you knew that doing so would only serve to make things worse. With a pout, you nodded, "Just, please don't pick a white shirt. I'll probably spill coffee on myself if you do."

His blue eyes sparkled with amusement as he chuckled, pressing a kiss to your temple before releasing you from his hold. "You got it, dude." he joked, shooting finger guns and everything to at least draw a half-hearted giggle from you. As you made your way back toward the bathroom hurriedly he called, "Pick up your toothbrush!"

Sometimes, you really wondered where you'd be without him. For all of your crazy, for all of your brainlessness, for all of your mess--he was the rock that kept you from getting too swept up in it all. Each time you felt like a chicken with its head cut off, running around in a blind frenzy to try and right yourself, he was always right there to pull the wool from your eyes and get you back on track.

If he weren't there to stop you, you'd have probably gone to work naked by now. In fact, on your first day of the internship he'd had to remind you to put shoes on before you left. You'd been nearly to the elevator by the time he caught up to you, the exact boots you'd been planning to wear in his hands and a packed lunch tucked under his arm.

He really was the greatest boyfriend you could hope for. Kyle had been by your side since you were fifteen years old, the first boy you'd ever taken any interest in, and you liked to think that he was your soulmate. Getting it right on the first try, it was a nice sentiment to believe that he was the one you were meant to spend your life with--and you fully intended to do so.

Seven years later, at twenty-two going on twenty-three, he was still right by your side. The two of you had moved into a cozy little apartment following his graduation from college, and with you scoring the internship, the roles had reversed. For four years you'd been the one to care for him, taking charge financially to ease the burden of trying to support himself through school and fund a relationship, and now he was the one caring for you.

Sweetly, lovingly, Kyle had been the one to tell you to quit your job in favor of the internship. It had been a hard choice for you to make, considering you only got a small monthly stipend for the internship which was barely enough to cover the costs of working, let alone anything else. But, knowing you had his endless support and encouragement, you'd made the choice and it seemed to be paying off.

As long as you beat the band to the studio, it would continue to pay off.

"Babe, it's five til eight!" Kyle called out, and you gave up on your hair with another burst of hornets buzzing around your gut. Taming it as best as you could, foregoing the more sophisticated style you'd planned on, you raced back into the bedroom and blindly put on the black blouse he'd set out for you.

He was waiting by the door for you when you hopped down the hallway, zipping up the boot on your opposite foot and trying to fasten the last button of the blouse at the same time. Holding out your coffee, he stuck his cheek out too so that you could press a clumsy kiss to it before throwing open the door. "Thank you, love you, I'd be a mess without you!" you shouted, and as the door slammed shut behind you, you could hear him laughing.

From there, it was a race against traffic. Which, of course, was unusually thick on a Saturday morning at eight o'clock. Your life really was one long series of unfortunate events, one tiny pebble creating an avalanche of fuckery just to make life that much harder for you.

By the time you sprinted into The Heat's little building, you were fifteen minutes late and panting. Your coffee sloshed over your fingers as you jogged through the lobby and into the elevator, shouting, "Hold the doors, please!"

By the grace of whatever higher power that may be, a hand shot out to stop the doors from closing just in time for you to slide in with your fingers in your mouth to suck off the coffee. It was that or wiping it on your pants, and you figured wiping spit on them was less likely to stain. "Running late?" your savior asked, and you barked a laugh as you popped your fingers out of your mouth and licked away the drop of brown liquid making its way down your thermos.

With wide eyes, you scoffed, "What gave me away?"

"Just a lucky guess." he chuckled, "Uh, what floor?"

Blinking, you let out a sheepish chuckle as you realized you'd never pressed the button. "Oh," you breathed, eyes flickering to the little panel of six buttons, "I'm going to six too, actually..."

It was only then that you looked at the man who'd at least stopped one thing from going wrong for you, and your mouth ran dry as you realized you were wiping your spit on your pants in front of one-fourth of Greta Van Fleet. Daniel Wagner's lips were stretched in an amused smile, brown eyes flickering from the slightly star-struck expression on your face to the coffee that sloshed over your other hand when you jumped in shock.

Maybe your name should have been Murphy, short for Murphy's Law. Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong, was basically your life's motto at this point. The hornets in your belly buzzed a little more angrily.

Your nose scrunched in frustration as you glared at your thermos, finally noticing the fact that the lid was not screwed on right. "By any chance," you sniffed, looking to Danny hopefully, "are you the first to arrive?"

He laughed, lifting his hand to reveal a McDonald's bag that he quickly opened to dig through. Brandishing a napkin that he held out to you kindly, he replied, "No, but you did beat Josh, so hopefully that counts for something?"

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open on the sixth floor, just in time for your boss to come barreling out of her office snarling, "Has anybody seen (Y/N)?" You winced, and Danny sucked in a breath with a sheepish smile of sympathy.

"I'm here!" you called out, timidly making your way toward the plump woman who was red in the face. Her eyes were alight with fury as she watched you step out of the elevator with Danny, and you tried not to give yourself away as you lied, "I had... car trouble. I'm really sorry."

The vein that throbbed in her temple made you cringe, your heart dropping through the floor as you anxiously awaited being sent away. Just as you'd expected, you were going to lose your internship because you were too scatterbrained to set your alarm right. But, the other shoe never dropped.

Dorothy, your boss, softened her glare as she stared over your shoulder and Danny spoke, "It's partially my fault, actually. I got a little lost when the cab dropped me off, and I stopped her to ask for directions. I guess I was lucky I managed to find someone going to the same place."

As the crisis was averted, Danny singlehandedly saving your career from imploding entirely, you resigned to the fact that you now owed him your life. Or, at the very least, a really nice dinner. He smirked as you mouthed a silent thank you to him over Dorothy's shoulder, clasping your hands in gratitude as you followed her over to the set.

The Heat was a local radio station that had recently been expanded to offer a small e-magazine. Only two years old, the digital magazine was just barely getting off the ground, and managing to score a big-ticket name like Greta Van Fleet was an amazing opportunity to grow. You weren't entirely sure how Dorothy had managed it, but you were beyond grateful that she had.

Photographing musicians, specifically bands, was your biggest aspiration. You'd dreamed for years of working in the industry, having grown up surrounded by music. Your father had worked for a different radio station throughout your entire childhood, a slightly bigger rock station called Brimstone Fire, and you'd been fascinated by it.

For a while you'd imagined following in his footsteps, finding comfort in the music and charming the musicians that allowed you to meet them, but then your mother had introduced you to photography. She'd been a freelance photographer for events like weddings and the like, but every now and then she'd come in and photograph the bands whenever your father gained you all access to their local shows. That was when you fell in love.

Looking at the pictures she took of the musicians on stage, capturing their passion and dedication to their craft, it was like finding your calling. You dreamed of capturing the very essence of live music like she had, and The Heat was a good stepping stone to get your foot in the door. It was a far cry from making it, considering how small of a business it was and the fact that the artists it scored were even smaller, but it was something.

And getting to photograph Greta Van Fleet? Well, that was a dream in and of itself.

The shoot was a posed, set studio ordeal but it was the closest you'd ever gotten to where you aspired to be. Photos like these, photos of a band that was breaking barriers and climbing to the top at rocket speeds, they were like gold for your portfolio. Even if your shots never saw the light of day in the article, they'd be the star of your personal accomplishments.

Josh Kiszka arrived in a whirlwind of apologies and smiles, though he offered no excuse for his tardiness, and from there the day really began. It was a little surreal seeing them all in real life, experiencing the energy the band radiated. For years you'd watched their little band grow and evolve, always behind a screen, and sometimes it was hard to remember that they were real.

So, maybe you were also hoping to make a good impression because you were a bit of a fan. Truthfully, a lot of your excitement to work with them was less to do with the opportunities it provided you, but more to do with your fondness for them. Their music meant a lot to you, and in turn, so did they.

You tried your hardest to keep your excitement to yourself as the day kicked off, and the work began. The band was swept away with hair and makeup to be done up for the shoot, and you were dragged away by Dorothy to discuss the set and run over ideas for how things would go. In reality, she did most of the talking, but you were eager to learn.

Despite her attitude over your late arrival, Dorothy was actually a very kind and loving woman. She was a very talented photographer, working well under her paygrade with something as low budget as The Heat, and in some ways, she reminded you a lot of your mother. They had the same charisma, the same eye for the perfect frame, and the same passion for photography.

She ran the individual shoots herself, and you watched on with greedy eyes and a beaming smile. It was inspiring watching her direct the guys on how to pose, sometimes giving up on verbal cues to physically move them and earning cheeky jokes from Josh which made everyone laugh. By the time his portion had ended, he claimed she owed him a hundred dollars for copping a feel.

Jake and Sam's sessions went more smoothly, both of them rather comfortable in front of the camera and even earning praise from Dorothy when they moved into the perfect pose without any direction. Rather quickly it seemed they connected on the same wavelength, shot after shot being taken in rapid succession with no words spoken other than loud praise from your boss. The energy on set was electric, and you were buzzing.

After Danny finished his shoot, with a bit more direction due to his more timid nature in front of the camera, everyone was sent to lunch. The call surprised you, not having realized just how much of the day had already passed, but then your stomach growled. In the panic of your late start, you'd completely forgotten about breakfast.

Just as you gathered your things and began to make your way to the elevator, you were stopped by Danny's voice. "(Y/N), wait!" he called for your attention, and you turned with wide eyes to see the entire band walking toward you, "Are you going anywhere to eat?"

"Uh, I hadn't really thought of a place yet, why?" you asked, clutching the strap of your bag a little tighter to your side. If you were honest, eating hadn't even crossed your mind. You'd been planning on sitting in your car for the hour-long break and complaining to Kyle over the phone about the chaos of your morning.

That didn't seem like pertinent information, though, and you didn't need to embarrass yourself further by telling the whole band you were a hot mess. Plus, getting lunch with Greta Van Fleet seemed like a way better time than wallowing in self-pity. "We don't really know our way around, so we were hoping you could point out a good place to go that's close by?" Sam Kiszka interjected, speaking before Danny had the chance.

"Oh, right!" you nodded, smiling even though your skin felt hot as a new flame of embarrassment ignited in the pit of your stomach. Of course, they just wanted directions! Why the hell would they want to get lunch with you? They didn't know you.

The four men followed you onto the elevator like lemmings, Jake and Josh immersed in their own conversation that you were vaguely paying attention to. Your lips twitched as you heard Josh mention their hunt for a new tour photographer, the innate urge to pitch yourself rearing up before you forced it back down. After the morning you'd had, the last thing you needed was to embarrass yourself further by interjecting on business that had nothing to do with you.

As the doors finally slid open on the ground floor, you rambled off a list of options that were close by, "There's a sandwich shop next door, but it's kind of... weird. Um, oh! There's a McDonald's, a Wendy's, and a Taco Bell down the street, too. If you want something nicer there's an Olive Garden two blocks over, but anything else is kind of far considering time. There's also a pastry shop three buildings down, that's where I usually go--"

"Great!" Sam finally interjected, ceasing your chatter abruptly as he clapped a hand on your shoulder, "Let's go there."

You weren't entirely sure whether the flush of heat that ran over your face was from the slight embarrassment of rambling, or the fact that Sam's hand was on you. Or, maybe it was the sudden realization that they were inviting you to go with them. Most likely it was a combination of all three, and you tried not to show just how flustered you were when you stepped out from under his hand and made your way toward the doors.

Sweet Affairs was a small, local business that you'd been going to since you were a little kid. The owner, Marjorie Kent, was a family friend and despite the fact that she was pushing eighty years old she still made a point to be in the shop every single day. Sometimes you swore she had more energy than you, constantly buzzing around the tiny shop at breakneck speeds with a smile on her face and an aura of love.

As expected, she was behind the counter with a wrinkled smile that stretched impossibly wider at the sight of you stepping through the door. It was a warm smile you couldn't help but return, your own lips parting cheerfully as you greeted, "Margie! I was hoping you'd be in!"

"Where the hell else would I be, squirt?" she retorted with her usual level of sass. It wasn't until the chatter of the guys funneled in behind you, and her eyes sparkled with mischief that you realized that perhaps it was a mistake to bring them to that establishment. "My, my, who are these fine fellas? Should I tell Kyle to be worried next time I see him?"

Your face ignited with blistering heat, an indignant splutter escaping your lips in a flurry of jumbled words, "Marjorie, no! These are--that's not--I'm working!"

Sam, following his trend of interjecting, spoke up, "Who's Kyle?" Faintly, you could hear Josh joking that he liked Marjorie, mentioning her apparent taste in men following her not-so-subtle compliment.

Marjorie huffed, waving her hand. "Oh, don't go getting your panties in a twist. I know you're a good girl, (Y/N)." she brushed off your words, before smiling sweetly at Sam, "Kyle is her boyfriend. Though, I gotta say, if my husband were still alive and I was working with the likes of you I'd be well tempted. Don't bother with this one, though."

By the time you sat at your usual table in the corner with your croissant, the same thing you'd been ordering for years, you were wishing the ground would split open and swallow you up. Ms. Kent had charmed the pants off of the guys, and around the time she'd begun recounting embarrassing tales from your childhood you finally scurried away. You'd tried to distract yourself with your phone, but it had been no use. Each time another peel of laughter sounded, your eyes would inevitably flicker to the group still standing at the counter only to find them already staring back at you.

You were pouting in full force when Sam made his way to the table, Danny following shortly after while the other two were left at the counter still laughing away with Marjorie. "I like her," he stated bluntly, cackling an authentic stoner's laugh when you scowled, "I feel like I just heard your life's story, (Y/N)."

"I don't even want to know what she told you." you grumbled, holding up your hand to cover your mouth in an attempt to keep from spraying crumbs everywhere. Swallowing, you sighed, "Marjorie is basically my grandma. But, like, a vulgar one who likes to gossip."

And, she was. Marjorie was the closest thing to a grandparent you'd ever had, and before her husband had died he'd been like a pseudo-grandfather. You'd never been very close with your biological grandparents, due to relationship issues between them and your parents, and it had been nice to find that sort of bond in the Kents. You loved her to bits, even if she liked to expose all of your secrets to anybody who would listen.

Danny's smile was kind as he hummed, "Those are the best ones, honestly. Thank you for bringing us here."

"She said you wanted to photograph live musicians?" Sam suddenly questioned, just as Josh and Jake finally filled the two remaining seats with faint chuckles still spilling from their lips. "Said your mom used to photograph bands as a hobby or something like that."

You nodded, stuffing the last bit of your croissant into your mouth and holding up a finger as a signal to give you a second. Chewing hurriedly, you opened your Instagram and slid your phone over the table before garbling, "Yeah--shit."

The croissant grated all the way down your throat as you swallowed too soon, earning a wince from yourself and another round of laughter from the men who watched you choke on it. Sam took the initiative to begin scrolling through your feed, his eyebrows lifting in appreciation whilst the other three craned their necks to look too. "These are really good." he praised, "Did you take all of these?"

"Only some," you admitted, scrolling through a few sets of photos of acoustic gigs you'd photographed. Most were done as a hobby, but a few were shots you'd taken for The Heat that had never made it into the articles they were taken for. Scrolling further, toward the bigger musicians, you explained, "My mother took these. My dad used to work for a radio station and would get free tickets and passes to all sorts of gigs, and my mom always photographed them for fun. I wish I could be that good."

For a while they scrolled in near silence, looking through your entire feed with occasional murmurs when they recognized someone or simply appreciated a good photo. You tried not to get flustered when they lingered on photographs of yourself, unsure as to how to react. The further they scrolled, the cringier the photos got, and when Josh gasped over a shitty selfie from when you were fourteen you were quick to snatch your phone back.

Josh pouted slightly over you ending the fun of teasing you, but he was sincere as he complimented, "You're very talented, (Y/N). I don't doubt that you'll be as good as your mother, maybe even better. It's just a matter of getting the opportunity to try."

Smiling, your belly twisted with butterflies as you thanked him, "Thanks, that means a lot. Especially from you guys, I've been a fan for a while."

You were on cloud nine by the time you made it home from work that day. Despite the shitty start to the day, things had been as close to perfect as you could have ever hoped for. You'd had lunch with your favorite band, and bonded with them on a weirdly personal level that you never would have expected in your wildest dreams.

In fact, you all had been late returning from lunch because you'd gotten so caught up in each other. You'd told them stories about your childhood, sharing your experiences of growing up at the radio station and being exposed to live music from a very young age. In turn, they'd shared their own experiences of going from playing pool halls and biker bars to selling out arenas and stadiums everywhere they went.

A part of you would have almost called them friends, though you were more than sure you'd never talk to them again. And, at the end of the day, you were mostly okay with that. You'd met them, and gotten to know them, and worked with them so seamlessly and effortlessly it felt like a dream. That was enough for you, really.

Dorothy had been very impressed with you after you'd finished the group photoshoot. She'd praised you endlessly for your effort, and gushed over the connection you'd seemed to form with them that allowed everything to flow with little to no direction whatsoever. Her words were still echoing through your head as you closed the apartment door behind you, her smiling face telling you, "You keep this up and you'll be on to bigger and better things in no time!"

Kyle's head popped up over the back of the sofa as you dropped your keys on the counter and kicked off your shoes with a dreamy smile and a sigh. One eyebrow raised, he asked, "I take it things went well?"

"Even better," you grinned, wiggling a little in excitement as you gushed, "things were perfect!"

Your boyfriend matched your grin, opening his arms as you all but leaped onto the couch and threw yourself onto him. "That's amazing, babe! I knew you'd kill it, you always do." he praised, hugging you so tightly that you heaved a groan and kissing the top of your head, "Tell me all about it."

He didn't have to tell you twice. Eagerly, you recounted the day in great detail. From the encounter with Danny in the elevator during which you'd been sucking coffee off of your fingers, all the way to the bittersweet goodbye where you hugged them all and exchanged false promises to keep in touch. False or not, they made you happy and you were unable to keep a smile from your face throughout the entire retelling.

Kyle listened intently, nodding along and smiling in all the places he should, and you felt so full of joy as he continued to sing your praises throughout the entire evening. He made you dinner, and cracked open your favorite wine, and even gave you a foot rub when you offhandedly complained that you needed new boots. Truly, he was the greatest boyfriend you could have asked for.

As you plugged in your phone that night before bed, your eyes widened when you noticed a notification that the guys had all followed you on Instagram. Sam had spammed your feed with likes, and Josh had gone back to that shitty selfie and liked it just to spite you. But, what really got your heart racing, was the photo they'd put on the band account's story. It was one of the group shots you'd taken, and you were tagged--slowly, your follower count began to tick upward.

Clicking the screen off with a little squeal, you cuddled up to Kyle and sighed. Even if you never saw them, or spoke to them again, that day had been more than enough. Things could only go up from there.

TAGLIST! @caravelstan @tripthelight-fanfic @barbariansgvf @brokenbellz @sing-against-the-sky @stardustdanny @dannythedog if you would like to be added, send an ask! (please specify if you're exclusive to the fic, or want my permanent taglist)

#sam kiszka #sam kiszka imagine #sam kiszka series #sam kiszka fic #sam kiszka fanfic #sam kiszka x reader #sam kiszka x you #sam kiszka au #sam kiszka one shot #sam kiszka fluff #sam kiszka angst #sam kiszka smut #sam kiszka blurb

[softcallofdutyimagines]

Hey Sarah! Sorry if I disturbed you right there, but, can you make a little headcanon of the reader's lifestyle while living with Vampire!Makarov, please? <3

Aaaaa I love vampire Makarov !!! 🥺🥺🥺💖💖 But yes, I can do that!

Vampire Makarov still has all the money and influence of regular Makarov, so he probably has a house that nice and secluded

It might be a bit cliche to live in a dark and dingy place as a vampire, but he needs somewhere pretty shady to keep direct sunlight out

However, he can tolerate indirect sunlight fine enough, so at least you don't have to feel like you're living in a dungeon

If he was able to find someone to love him (like he did with you!), then I think you'd be pretty well provided for

You can honestly live wherever you want (as long as it's away from anywhere busy), so small house, big house, the choice is yours!

Vampires are naturally possessive and aggressive, so you can expect him to be tender with you, but he's extremely over protective

He likes to be home with you wherever he can, mostly because he doesn't trust any guards he could possibly hire to protect you

Makarov is a man with a lot of enemies, especially as a vampire

I feel like he'd kind of be like a big dog, like he's scary, but he likes to be near you and sometimes even cuddle

Although he doesn't produce body heat, that doesn't stop him from trying to stay as physically close to you as he can

He also has a bit of a hightened sense of sensuality thanks to his vampire senses

He'd never bite you (without your permission 😏), but he likes to kiss your neck and cheek a lot

He also enjoys anything you like to do to make yourself smell nice

The natural scent of you already smells really great to him, but any added sweet fragrance is the cherry on top 👌🏻

Makarov is an older vampire tbh, so he has a few old fashioned mannerisms left over

Mostly just polite manners and such, but he does enjoy surrounding himself with old world things and clothes

He has a collection of original records and he teaches you how to ballroom dance

Don't be afraid of any lifts or anything like that!

He's very careful and also super strong, so you're practically weightless to him

#sjsjsjsjsj I LOVE THIS TROPE #call of duty #modern warfare #vladimir makarov x reader #vampire!makarov

[vocalyunho]

DOMESTIC BLISS.

pairing — Yunho x reader (fem).

genre — fluff, smut, established relationship.

word count — 1.3k

warnings & tags — indirect hand kink (what a surprise), finger sucking, clit play, Yunho calls reader a ‘good girl’ once, slight hair pulling, slight spanking, cum/arousal eating.

synopsis — a warm afternoon, a comfy bed and Yunho is your domestic bliss.

The sunlight reached the room in rays brighter than any other afternoon and the -mostly- white room took the hue of brown that coffee takes when you add milk to it. 

You groaned at a particular ray that broke through the curtains and reached your face, blocking your view completely, and tried to hide from it by getting closer to Yunho’s body who’s currently receiving all sun’s warmth on his back, from the same window that’s behind him. 

He stretched his left arm, making you rest your head on it instead of the pillow, and nuzzled your face in the crook of his neck. This warmth, the one his body radiates, is different from the one the sun gives you. This warmth, along with the faded scent of his cologne, feels more like home. 

You moved your leg on top of his own to make the position even more comfortable for you, and his free hand found your back in an instant. He rubbed it up and down, humming in an unknown melody in his mind until his fingers trailed downwards and to the dimples on your back, and stayed there. 

You pecked the side of his neck softly and now it was your turn to caress his back. You went upwards and as your fingers found their way down, you felt the scratches on it. You picked a random one and followed the line it created on his back and, even if he didn’t say anything, you still felt bad for being the reason behind them. Well, you weren’t exactly the reason, his thrusts the previous night were. The angry red colour they had, yesterday, must have faded for the marks to be left and be threateningly visible. 

Yunho started drawing messy circles on your lower back, which tickled a little, but soon they turned comforting “mmm”. It sounded almost like a purr as you gave in in the little movements of his fingers and took your mind off the scratches.

“god, how did I get so lucky?”, Yunho muttered in a sleepy voice, yet you hadn’t been sleeping.

“shut up”, you breathed out sharply, slightly chuckling at his words.

The hand on your back slid to your ass fast and Yunho flattened his fingers, grabbing one cheek tightly “no!”, a slap landed on it.

“shh”, you fake cried, “baby it hurts”

He moved his head back to take a look at your face “I know it doesn’t”. He rolled his eyes dramatically as the hand that was under your head, went to your hair and got tangled in between the roots.

“it does because yesterday you were...rough”, you pouted looking up at him. 

“was I?”, he pouted back and his hand, from your ass, went to your side which he squeezed tightly.

“mhm”

“and you didn’t like it huh?”

You felt his fingertips moving and going to caress the tummy skin that was exposed due to your t-shirt being pushed up from the way you were lying down.

“I never said that”

“so you liked it?”, he swirled the little yellow bow on the front of your panties, around his finger and you slightly slid your hips back, just enough to leave him room to move freely.

“yeah”

Your bare legs on the duvet, cooled you down but the hand on your underwear got you uncontrollably hot, out of nowhere. Your lips ghosted over his until you simply connected them and his left hand that was still tangled in your hair, massaged your scalp softly. Your lips accompanied each other’s for a while in a slow kiss, tongues making it more passionate than you thought it’d be, and as your noses were cutely brushing against one another and your bottom lip was purposely getting pulled by his teeth, his hand creeped up your body until he broke the kiss and suddenly brought two digits in front of your mouth. 

The confused expression on your face when you opened your eyes, made him chuckle but that didn’t stop him from caressing the now swollen lips. The wetness on them was appreciable but the spark in his eyes as he stared at them, was more noticable. He suddenly tapped them softly, “open up”, he whispered.

The fingers slipped in easily. He let them rest inside your mouth and as you slightly sucked on them, you wondered why he did that. 

Yunho enjoyed the view, his cheek was resting on the pillow and his eyes were locked on the plump red skin around his fingers and when he felt them being coated with saliva enough, he pulled them out slowly. You stared up at him in question, until you felt the fabric of your panties being pulled and Yunho’s hand cupping the entirety of your heat. You exhaled loudly, glancing down until a sudden tug on the back of your head made you look at him again. 

“eyes on me, baby”.

He pecked your lips and booped your nose with his and then...you felt it. The wet digits found your clit in zero time and started massaging it so slowly and so carefully that your lips fell agape. The contrast between your body’s warmth and his fingers’ wetness made the sense more intense and your breath now trembled.

“Yunho-”

“that’s it, right there... my favourite sound”, he disclosed.

And as if he needed to hear more of it, he pressed on the bud and started drawing invisible circles a little faster. 

The agape lips got accompanied by raised brows and glossy eyes. Your eyelids fluttered on their own, a couple times, before they fell shut. Yunho kissed your forehead and you moaned when you felt your silky core convulsing around thin air. 

He didn’t have to be inside you, he didn’t have to finger you...two digits against the bundle of nerves were enough to make you lose it. The sensitivity grew as he pressed more and more on it and your breaths got heavier each second.

“ffuck”

“good girls don’t cuss”, he commented under his breath and the next moment everything stopped and the only thing you felt was a hard slap against your clit.

“fuu- YUNHO!”

Your legs tensed and stretched and so did your neck which he brought back down with a single tug on your hair. His forehead rested against yours, your noses touched and your exhales fanned his lips.

“yeah, baby?”

“g-gonna come”

“now?”

“soon-”

“does that feel better?”

Yunho turned the circular motions into up-and-down ones and your moans turned into loud cries of pleasure. The wetness could be heard clearer now, as it got smeared easier, and your hand found his wrist and held on it weakly. 

“y-yeah ohmygoddd”, your body trembled and your eyes rolled back. The bubble of electricity inside you was on the verge of blowing and the increase of pace only brought you closer.

And when Yunho offered one last slap and a soft pinch outside the folds of the swollen bud, that’s when you completely lost it. Your high came in the form of an intense tingling feeling that travelled throughout your entire body. Your head throbbed uncontrollably and Yunho stopped only when the sensitivity took over and you pressed your legs together.

You fell on your back instantly, limbs sprawled and chest heaving, and Yunho did the same. You closed your eyes trying to collect yourself and felt Yunho shifting beside you until a low call of your name made you look at his direction. Your eyes turned into cute crescents as you offered a thankful smile and as much as he wanted to return it, he had to do something else first. The wet digits got in his mouth slowly and stayed there until no drop of your silk was on them anymore. It didn’t take you long to get out of the previous dazed phase and bite on your lower lip and neither did for him to get on top of you and kiss you, sharing your taste.

#in case someone didn’t see me previous post...i was supposed to post this on Sunday but i posted it earlier #don’t forget to leave some feedback if you want to ;) #atzinc #yunho fluff #yunho smut #ateez fluff #ateez smut #yunho x reader #ateez scenarios #kpop scenarios

[icancdramahanfu]

Staring at swatches and deciding on final fabric.

After ordering my fabric swatches, I went ahead and waited for them to determine which ones gave me the 1.) best Shen Qingqiu vibes and 2.) felt good in my hands.  I forgot to mention in the previous post, but the white bamboo jersey fabric I ordered was for the zhong yi layer for this outfit.  I chose that because I wanted a natural fiber that would breathe and be machine washable and whatnot.  And so soft and comfortable.  I have a bamboo jersey dress shirt which I love, and it also makes for nice tight sleeves with that little bit of stretch.  This will come into play when I make the very tight sleeves for this top, which go all the way past the wrist.

To best show you what the fabric swatches look like, I took a photo of them in direct sunlight and then illuminated by indirect natural light.  And yes, my cat always needs to know what I’m up to.

You can’t quite read the labels, but from left to right there is the twill organza, 3 different silk shantung and then the silk crepe de chine (they did not have a swatch of ivory).

Here are the swatches with indirect natural light.

First, off the left most swatch is the twill organza which is sooooo thin and lightly woven that you can see right through it.  It is also very stiff and the only reason I ordered this swatch was due to the color and the thought I might be able to get away with it.  It is a hard no.  Note to self, don’t even bother with organza in the future.

The three in the middle are all silk shantung; iridescent blue green, waterfall iridescent green blue and then mint.  As soon as I saw these, I knew my winner was number two, the iridescent green blue.  The mint is too pale and has more of a yellow undertone than blue.  Since Shen Qingqiu’s color scheme is translated as teal, we know it leans more to blue than yellow.  However, the blue green is far too dark and has a strong emerald tone.  If you were going for the Korean artwork for him, I could see using it, but I’m not.

I also want to note that these silks feel great - they are lightweight but have a crispness to them - sort of like cotton which makes me think they will sew rather easily and ironing will really help with pressing seams and giving it real structure.

Therefore, my winner for the zhiju layer was the waterfall iridescent green blue silk shantung. Here is the original info for reference.

With only one crepe de chine sample, I could only feel it for a good idea.  It is light enough and the dewkist color was too yellow and too dark to consider for the beizi jacket.

I thought about ordering more of the silk shantung but then felt it might be too stiff for the outermost layer.  The jacket has a very fluid look to it and I don’t want it to be too stiff. 

I compared some of the lighter colors including the white, ivory, antique white, whisper white, cream and tapioca.  The antique white really seemed to be the best fit matching the warmer tone of the original artwork, it has just a slight bit of yellow.

The last thing I needed was some gold piping for the border of the jacket and the edge of the sleeves.  I pulled out my WKX jacket and quickly measured the sleeves and edge.  It was just short of 200″, at 192″ and I decided on 6 yards of gold ribbon, also in the antique gold.

With that I put in all of my amounts and then dryly laughed at the cost.  Unlike my previous project, where I ordered the fabric direct from China, these are all available domestically, and with a wide range of colors for each fabric type AND are able to be reordered due to the supplier constantly producing these for Mood.

It really didn’t make sense to try to order this silk from the supplier that I’ve previously bought from, b/c once you add in shipping and time, this particular fabric is the same cost and I can’t get a swatch easily.

With that now ordered, I have some time to figure out what I want to do for the patterns and if there is something I’d like to alter from my existing patterns.  I get the feeling that the zhong yi and the zhiju are both a little bit more ‘tight fitting’ or slender than my WKX ones.  The only garment that really emphasizes the light, airy and elegant feel is the jacket.  The teal zhiju isn’t too wide at the sleeves and the zhong yi is skin tight all the way past the wrist.

The illustration also gives a feeling that it isn’t too opaque either.  I found this additional artwork associated with the Vietnamese releases which really seems to show that the beizi jacket is much looser and has less structure than the zhiju.

The one detail that I just couldn’t match is the teal fabric’s bamboo pattern.  I had to decide if I wanted to do a pattern match or color match and I will always go with color over pattern.  This is what I did with the WKX outfit.  I found a blue that most well matched it and with a plant pattern but couldn’t find grass and had to go with bamboo (which is technically a grass, being a member of the Poaceae).

The only think would to purchase the same fabric here:

but to get it in the green.  Which holy crap, that green is far too bright!  The dusty blue was perfect for WKX, but that bright spring green with a strong yellow tone.  No way.

I have been playing with the idea of doing a Spoonflower print in a thin fabric and then using it as an overlay.  I’ll see how I feel about that.  I need to put things together first. My next post will likely focus on the zhong yi layer and how I will modify the current pattern.  I will need to draft some super tight sleeves.

#svsss clothing #shen qingqiu #shen qingqiu outfit #hanfu #hanfu pattern #hanfu pattern drafting #mens hanfu #stylized hanfu

[tsuumu]

beautiful stranger.

oikawa x reader

a short piece in which oikawa tooru approaches you on a idyllic evening. it’s a little awkward though, since you’re trying to die.

word count: 3.3k

tw: indirect and direct implications of suicide.

your warm hands stay gripped onto the metal rails in front of you, applying enough force to watch your knuckles turn white. you find yourself doing it over and over until your fingers numb from the continued pressure. alone, you’re mulling over mundane affairs. you’d rather not be thinking about them but find this loop all too easy to fall into.

the shadow of the railing casts over a large canal, its water sifting freely, far beneath you. it laps over itself, slithers of fish break the transparent surface as they swim. some of their scales rise to kiss the sunlight in opaque relfections.

thin layers of petals scatter the ground beneath your feet that have slipped from overhead trees and continue to flutter down freely. glowers of dying sunlight seep through the shapes of them as they fall.

in this moment, autumn is alive.

it’s really lovely right now.

you’re here, all caught up in chasing that feeling of peace. safety in an open space. you have to cope with that fact that tranquility never comes easily for you.

there’s nothing that should be leaving you as deeply unsettled as you are. you’ve learnt to largely ignore feeling so overwhelmed, though it stirs and resurfaces times you wish it wouldn’t.

what’s bugging you is that you can’t quite get a grasp on your own life.

for starters, everything lacks coherent meaning. to you, there’s something constantly missing every single day. nothing purchasable, nothing attainable through hard-work and any level of perseverance. truly, it affects you so much so that even just standing here, feet glued to the very spot that is undeniably ‘lovely’, brings you nothing but unimaginable sadness.

earlier, you brushed it away as an off day but you know that’s not true. you’ve been feeling like this all the time.

it is, therefore, not at all abnormal to wonder: can a person have such thing as an off life?

you really don’t like to think about things like this too much. once you begin to muse over deep naysay you find yourself snowballing.

solutions are painfully unobtainable and it’s generally as productive as chasing pavements.

do i really enjoy being alone? or am i obsessed with the sensation loneliness brings?

“you know, if you stare long enough, you might end up wanting to jump in.”

at once, your vision snaps up, taken aback by the additional voice. you hadn’t realised that during your mindless lamenting, another person had quietly joined you by the evening canal-side.

fair skinned, dark eyed, chocolate curls brushed neatly over his features and cowlicks that bob against the light gusts of wind.

a boy offers you a smile, before shifting his feet towards the empty space to your left. you can’t seem to process him, staring at the empty spot he’d been in seconds earlier.

you’re not supposed to be here right now.

“i was totally kidding by the way.” he adds. “that was really dark, sorry.”

you’re silent in return, eyes casting back onto the running stream. the water is shallow and the fall long, so jumping in would certainly prove fatal. you know all of this too well. it’d disturb the fish who are just here to live, though, it’ll only be for a moment. they won’t know any better.

you don’t really know what to say. it’s troubling that he’s here and hearing it out loud disturbs you, like a direct call out. at no point were you prepared for any kind of conversation prior.

the two of you stand there in complete silence. it’s not particularly awkward, you just don’t know why he’s approached you so easily, talking to you like he’s known you well enough to make outlandish jokes.

asking directly for his intentions seems rude, so you’ll put up with it until he leaves.

“do you always come here?” the stranger pipes up once more, though his focus doesn’t leave the water. you breathe in deeply.

“sometimes.”

“oh, i see.”

his palms lay flat and he pushes gently off of the rails, only to fall back onto them with all his weight. he does it again, repeating the process over and over at a steady pace. you stay hunched over, keeping your distance. he doesn’t seem to mind in the slightest though, clearly absorbed in his surroundings.

“it’s like a set out of a movie, this place. seems like somewhere i’d ask my girlfriend to marry me.”

your tongue rolls around in your mouth.

yes. you think. his girlfriend would most likely be thrilled-over the top-squealing if he did. that’s entirely his business.

you really don’t care to hear of other people’s romantic endeavours.

is it out of jealousy? you don’t know. maybe.

this conversation is meaningless. you wish he’d go away sooner so you could have this time to yourself.

also, jealousy is an ugly word. you hate it.

he stops his movement with a exhale of air, tilting his head back to blink up at the warm sky. the last touches daylight mingle with the oncoming darkness, creating a deep tinge of orangey-yellow.

“when’s your birthday?”

‎a petal lands on the bridge of your hand, sticking to your skin.

“do you want my social security number?” you deject.

“what? no!”

“are you sure? really, i’ll give it to you.”

“no!”

“then why are you asking for my personal information?”

‎

he falls silent for a moment, before mumbling out a small: “just wondering.”

a tinge of guilt creeps over you at his apologetic tone. you admit, your answers thus far must make you seem like a completely unapproachable asswipe. you’re not at all. you just aren’t all that sure how to make small talk with strangers when you’re trying to part with the world by dinner time.

it feels like an unexpected guest at your very lonesome party.

“it’s (insert birth month).” you fold.

he purses his lips, face contorting a little.

“i see.”

he doesn’t continue down that path after your response. the both of you return to a mutual silence, staring into the portrait scenery ahead. the stream fills the soundscape pleasantly. fallen leaves have gathered at the base of your shoes, brushing over the tip gently with the turn of the wind. you observe them quietly.

“can i ask you another question?”

he seems a tad more timid now.

he definitely thinks you’re the type to blow up and give him an earful about minding his own business, doesn’t he?

you’d never raise your voice. in general, but also because it’d break the comfort of the scenery the world has so generously given you.

“sure.”

“do you believe in soulmates?”

‎the question is a little random but not impossible to answer by any means.

“no.”

“what?”

“i said not really.”

“you said no.”

“that’s the same thing.”

“...fair enough.”

‎he exhales out, sounding a little disheartened by your curt response. perhaps to him, you were a tough nut to crack; an ambiguity for him to understand. were all people like that? you weren’t playing hard to get, in fact, you’d answered every single enquiry he has had to offer. his efforts are amusing, though.

you raise a brow at him.

“i’m sorry, was that the wrong answer?”

for a moment, he doesn’t reply, stuffing his hands into his pockets, gazing down at the head of his shoe. pivoting his ankle, he draws small circles with the tip of his foot into the ground, into the dead leaves.

“not at all.”

“your expression says otherwise.”

“um, it was just a bit bleak, i guess.”

you let your arms droop way over the railing, fingers wading through the autumn air. you’d never really taken the concepts of soulmates to heart. it was romantic bullshit put out by somebody looking for a fantasy to indulge in. out of seven billion people, there could hardly be a singular person made for you. people aren’t born for other people. if that were the case, it wouldn’t be a rose-tinted fantasy. it would be suffocating. where’s the freedom in love?

“most people always answer like you these days anyway.”

“oh, sorry.”

he looks up at you, tilting his head.

“no, don’t be.”

back to a default mute, left with nothing but the faint chitter of overhead swallows and the odd rumble of cars passing by.

“tooru.” he states, after a while.

“what?”

“tooru. my name is tooru.”

“oh, okay.”

“oikawa tooru.”

‎your fingertips have become flushed. maybe you’d pressed a little too hard on that cold surface earlier. now that all your blood has come rushing back, the tingling sensation feels foreign.

his name slips of the tongue rather easily, don’t you think?

“nice to meet you, oikawa tooru.”

“it is nice, isn’t it?”

for the first time, your gazes meet properly and you offer him a crooked smile.

“i suppose so.”

off the side of the canal, almost right under the bridge, a small cluster of ducks have gathered. adult ducks tend to be considerably larger than its offspring —as is factual with any animal— so it’s easy for you to tell that there’s only one parent there, along with three of its ducklings.

people like to come to the canal to feed the ducks bread, though you’d heard somewhere that it’s actually quite bad for them.

you wonder. do ducks care particularly if one of its ducklings die? will it do something with the body, cry out, hurt?

or is grief exceptionally human?

“i don’t actually have a girlfriend, by the way.”

he sifts out his phone, tapping the screen and sliding it open. you watch him turn it to its side, before leaning over to take a picture of the depths below. you just watch.

“oh, okay.”

he doesn’t elaborate, focused intently on his current task. your attention returns to the shape of the birds, bobbing up and down rhythmically.

there’s only so much you can say about the canal. yeah, it’s beautiful. you don’t have the right vocabulary to describe the way it makes you feel. honestly, it feels abysmal to even try. you’re convinced though, that you’re in love with the way the water moves. you’ve always appriciated it whenever you walk past, told yourself jokingly that you could die there if you had to.

funny, that.

beautiful things tend to hurt in an unbearably amplified manner.

“say, tooru?”

“yeah?”

“if i climbed over the railing right now, would you stop me?”

you’re both fixated on the paddling now. his phone is back in his pocket, elbows propped up. he hums, taking his time to think over your question.

“most likely.”

your fingers meet one another and the tingling spreads to your palms.

“i’m thinking of jumping, actually.”

“oh.”

“yeah.”

“my joke earlier...”

“yeah.”

his fingers drum rhythmically on the slender poles under the rail top.

“then i’d jump right in with you.”

the corners of his mouth tug slightly at your perplexity, supressing a chortle. he’s not laughing at you, though. it’s more a gesture of understanding. this tooru doesn’t know you at all, yet he gets it. he gets it all too well.

you get that he gets it.

tooru clears his throat. “bad day?”

“that’s an understatement.”

“well, you’re not a bad person for feeling the way you do.”

by now, the ducks have swam away, you can make out the general shape of them, melding into the distant, mute colours of the bankside. the sky look minutes away from being set alight. time has never been your friend, you see.

“i feel crazy for trying.” you’re rather blunt about it.

“fair enough.”

“…is that all?”

“well, do you want me to tell you that you’re not crazy?”

you lull into silence.

“i don’t know.”

with that, you shift to angle yourself so that he’s in your immediate peripheral, the thought of gawking at him seems ridiculous but you want to look at him. you find it hard to do it up front for some reason.

“i’m no suicide expert, but it’d probably be lonely doing something like that by yourself. wouldn’t it be comforting to know someone’s falling with you?”

your fingers run absently across the jagged surface of the rails, the old paint has been chipped away at, after all its years of protecting. in all it’s history, had anyone else hitched themselves over this very rail?

were they asking for the same answers as you?

god. that’s awful. you don’t want to think about that.

you catch each others’ eyes for a second but you resign quickly, focusing as hard as you can on the flecks of black on your thumb.

“that would be selfish of me.”

“not if i’m offering.”

you scramble to look anywhere else, abruptly turning. you’re facing away from the canal, stomach fluttering a little as you fall onto the rail’s length.

in all your time by yourself, you’d never been given an irrefutable reason to ‘be’. it’d always been a live-for-the-day type of experience. if a day is good, you’re utterly blissed out by it, totally in love with life. if it’s bad, you have little reason to go on. nothing particularly interests you enough to dedicate your days persuing it. fame seems tedious, looks are temporary, a six figure career sounds like emotional jail-time, or a slow, schedule-filled trek to death. whichever description sounds more sufferable.

you see, in essence, we all get off at the same bus stop. some journeys are simply shorter than others.

“you’re guilt-tripping me out of it.”

“i’m not!”

you’ve never stopped to ask yourself what it is you want.

death interests you, you suppose. though, you don’t see the reason to wait around and pretend to ignore it until one day it drags you kicking and screaming.

“oikawa tooru, don’t you have better things to be doing than offering to jump off bridges with strangers?”

that coy smile tugs at his lips once more. nothing you say seems to phase him. it’s like he knows you. he’s thinking: yeah, this isn’t anything out of the ordinary for them.

“should i? you look at that water like it’s someone you hate. or love. maybe both. i got curious.”

“curious?”

“yes. and quite frankly, you’ve left me curious. practically starving. you haven’t even told me your name.”

“my name doesn’t matter.”

“boo. that’s not true at all.”

his tongue pokes out, tugging at the corner of his eye. you shake your head, genuinely unable to hide your amusement, turning to him properly this time.

and really, it’s like the canal side and oikawa tooru were made from the same stardust. he blends right into the picture, as effortlessly pretty as the rest of it.

the strands of hair out of place, a little disheveled from the breeze. the scarf buried into his nose, glasses a little misty from the heat of his own breath but when they clear, you see his eyes all too well.

you’d like to tuck those strands into place, they’re bothering you just a little.

“(y/n).”

your brows furrow a little.

really, this could all very well be some sort of fantastical dream. as nice as it all is, it feels painfully unreal. boys don’t look like that on autumn evenings or offer to die with you.

that’s it.

tooru must be a figment of your imagination.

no. wrong. not a dream.

this is a corner of your mind you haven’t ventured into yet, psychologically, some kind of safety net. a sliced off piece of reality you’ve come to hide in because you’ve utterly lost your mind. he is nothing but a part of you that makes you feel at ease as you come to terms with your self-destruction.

god, that bothers you more. you are crazy.

your hand extends, reaches out all on its own.

you just want to know if he’s real.

oikawa tooru glances down for a moment, he’s probably wondering about you, what’s left you in such a state. though, he’s happy to slide his palm against yours, latching onto it. he shakes once, twice. a little more. tightens his hold a bit.

the weight of his fingers as they brush lightly against your palm is fantastical. he’s so warm. you can feel it spread through you from the pads of your fingers.

he’s very real.

tooru has rather pretty hands.

the contact makes you feel kind of delirious, a produce of being utterly touch-starved. just a simple touch. you’re embarrassed to say it but it takes everything inside of you not to start weeping or hold on frantically in case he does disappear, do something bizzare that’ll scare him away forever.

hey, tooru. are you made of honey?

“well, (y/n), i’m offering you my life right now.”

the sun has set foot on the horizon, plunging in ever so slightly. as a child, the thought of night scared you, feeling largely betrayed by the sun’s farewell. now, it’s a unique kind of comfort to see the moon. it’s as lonely as those who lay their eyes upon it.

“i don’t want it.”

his fingers slip downwards against the dips of your palm.

“you don’t?”

“no, i mean... i don’t want death. not right now..”

you don’t even want to think about it anymore. funny, how things like that work. you were so sure of it. today was the day. your dark rendezvous. weren’t you itching for it?

this bastard.

this man you’ve never met. he clasps onto your hand once and suddenly he stops your nauseating rollercoaster of thoughts and leaves you wondering if, actually, you’d like to see the canal-side again tomorrow, or in fifty years.

who are you really, oikawa tooru?

“no?”

“yeah.”

“then what do you want to do?”

“stay right here, i think.”

your fingers curl, maintaining your hold on him. you should be shy or awkward about this whole ordeal but so you’re desperate for that warmth to continue.

you both stand there, facing one another, hands extended. it’s a little robotic looking. you’re pretty stiff but very sure this is what feels right.

to you, existence is based solely on feeling your way through stages of life. that sickeningly sweet innocence of youth. childhood memories that to you, are dwindled husks of gold, valuable in some aspects but almost meaningless in others. to laugh or to cry allows an individual to create a deep-set connection to the environment around them. it is no longer passing scenery but a moment in your life you once lived through.

that’s beautiful, isn’t it?

unfortunately, emotion provides both a living fantasy and the potential for agony. life is not sweet, nor innocent. it is what you make of it.

it is what your mind is forced to make of it.

and as much as one wishes they were as coddled and loved as they were children, life beyond those years is lonely, difficult and more than you were ever capable of.

were you weak? perhaps.

but maybe people aren’t built for life. we’re all weak.

and realistically, if you are unable to clamber over one obstacle after another -established by those before you- you’re doomed to fall behind.

that will hurt. you will hurt unforgivably because self-worth is no longer a beautiful gift of internal discovery and love but another way to be measured and downsized externally. a practice that leads to hatred. a desire to die.

that’s really where it all began for you. a romantic, a poet at heart, living inside your own, kinder world. that is until reality knocked on your door, invited itself in, just to set the entire thing on fire and leave you as vulnerable as the day you were born.

you aren’t allowed to hide. it comes looking for you eventually.

your stance on life hasn’t changed, afterall, you’ve spent nights mourning over how much it can hurt to live. to fall asleep exhausted with yourself, only to wake up and do it all over again. what you do know, however, is that droning, lonely feeling isn’t there right now. that ongoing, battering ruckus inside your head has ceased. tooru, the strange magician, has left you thoughtless and a little dumb.

you like being this stupid. for once, there’s nothing intrusive prodding the inside of your head.

it’s frightfully quiet, actually. you don’t know what you’re feeling right now. how much time has passed since he’d made that awful joke?

his gaze is on your lingering contact, before lightly pulling you closer, twisting his wrist down so you’re holding hands. your gaze moves to the bankside. you feel comforted. maybe it isn’t death, maybe all you want is a hand to hold.

probably not. that is a stupid, sappy thought. you’re still fanatic about ending your life.

you were so close to doing it, without even really understanding what you were doing. the canal scenery is overpowering, numbing, if you will. without oikawa tooru, you may well have kissed those fishs’ fluorescent scales with your own two lips, as cold as ice with some unfortunate early-morning runner discovering you by twilight.

“we can do that.” he hesitates. “if i’m honest, i would have been pretty scared to jump.”

“yet you still offered?”

tooru hums merrily in confirmation.

“why?”

“because you’re cute.”

you can’t believe your own ears.

“what? seriously?”

“yeah. originally, i wanted your number but things took a small turn.”

you burst out in gutteral laughter, free hand back onto the railing for support. for a moment, you look at him, shaking your head in utter amazement.

“you’re a piece of work, tooru, you know?”

“yeah, i know.”

he smiles back at you. the shadows cast by the setting sun only make him all the more enigmatic.

now that you think about it, you can’t figure this guy out at all. it’s like staring at a wordless piece of paper and trying to find something legible.

“how do you know i won’t come back and repeat all of this tomorrow?”

tooru tilts his head ever so slightly, observing you. his eyes flutter down to your lips, speaking like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

“because you told me your name.”

“what does that have to do with anything?”

“well, now that i know that, you’re no longer just a beautiful stranger.”

you understood now. he hadn’t just offered you his life, he’d offered you him. by living on, you’d accepted graciously. he knows that if you visit the canal side again, you’ll only remember this moment.

a bad moment that he, in all his glory, turned into a good one. the day you two first met.

oh, clever boy. he saved you.

though you must say, oikawa tooru, you’re very much mistaken.

you are the beautiful stranger.

a tear runs down your cheek, a little warmer than you could’ve expected.

one turns into two, slipping more and more. eventually, you’re standing over the canal, hand in hand with oikawa tooru, sobbing quietly as the water runs peacefully below the both of you.

#haikyuu headcanons #haikyuu fic #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu imagines #oikawa x reader #oikawa scenarios #oikawa fic #i love oikawa

[morievna]

About Ugetsu booklet

Hello,

I am alive~~ I am sorry that i haven’t been writing lately T_T I was feeling a bit down recently and it was hard for me to motivate myself to do it. But I am better now, so I here I am ^^

So I wanted to write about Ugetsu extra booklet, because I loved it very much. It was almost everything I hoped it to be. I really appreciate that Kizu Natsuki dedicated it to him and it really feels like was done thoughtfully with care for his development. Even if there is not much words, it is very apparent that Ugetsu is undergoing change and how whats happened in original story contributed to it.

(Here are links [raw] [trans] in the case you didn’t read it before, I will use my scans though)

To put my feeling shortly:

Obviously i would like it to be longer and get more time for character development and some background informations like how Ugetsu ended up in New York. But well, still what we got was really great – i liked how Gusari showed us a bit of Ugetsu’s new everyday life and how she woven symbolism into it.

Honestly I thought that Ugetsu will be in London since Akihiko’s dad is there. I mean it would be cool if these two will meet at some point since both of them had chosen music over loved ones. But New York is good choice too. In New York you can be new man~

What I liked about this booklet so much is that its main theme was transformation – but at the same time that it is not the final step, but rather somewhere in the middle. Which is understandable – trying to change yourself to your better version is not something simple and taking baby steps is okay. After all breakup with Akihiko changed everything for Ugetsu, so rebuilding his life is not something done easily.

Also it is reinforced by symbolism – butterfly obviously stands for transformation, but here it was referenced pupa state and not again final stadium. Besides, I liked that teapot on the first page – I wrote about over year ago meta about Ugetsu mugs broken mugs and kintsugi – which in short symbolize transformation too – and kintsugi is used primarily in tea ceremonies. It is nice how all is linked together.

In lots of stories character development starts with journey and leaving home – to point out leaving behind the comfort zone and trying to find own way to be yourself. Usually it is by figuring out middle way between two opposites  - which in this case are music and everyday stuff + personal life.

Before that booklet we only have seen Ugetsu mostly in his basement, which showed his isolation from rest of the world. It was described as cocoon where he and Akihiko were feeling safe when things were good between them, but later it was more coded like mental headspace where you feel trapped and with no hope (sunlight). So I am happy he is no longer here too^^

What’s more there was so much mess in basement after Akihiko has left, which indicated that Ugetsu doesn’t care and didn’t bother cleaning  since he was always focused on music only and felt no need to take care of that. Now this apartment is much better state, which shows that he had to change that attitude and that he doesn’t rely on anyone on this anymore. Though it is a bit funny that there is even one whole page dedicated to him just doing laundry xD

Similar case is with socializing – even though he is complaining, for him replying to text so fast is rather big step xD

But even so there is still air of loneliness around him.

Empty chairs is rather common symbol for solitude. We also don’t see Ugetsu face as he is looking outside. After all feeling trapped it is not something reserved for basement and still he is very isolated from rest of world and texting is his only way for communication with others as we see. Besides, furniture is still minimalist and lifeless as it was in basement – that’s why I think it is temporary place and not true home for Ugetsu. Like I mentioned earlier it is not a final, just a step in right direction.

Another thing that caught my attention was that briefly we see almost all other characters and how there are shown different ways of love though them:

friendship/platonic – Uenoyama and Hiiragi

romantic – Haruki and Akihiko

familial – Mafuyu and his mother (Kedama counts too as he is gift from her)

It is all what Ugetsu is currently missing.

We also know very little about his parents – it seems that they provide him money to live in comfort but there is not much else. Even in his short flashback as kid he is not really his “grandpa” but some random old man. It is also important that his parents have jobs so far removed from music – politic and diplomacy. It is just speculation here but I wont be surprised that they weren’t happy with choice but accepted it because he is genius at that. Or they are just busy and tried compensate it with sending money. But still main takeaway is that they are not present in his life.

Although we got bonding between Mafuyu and Ugetsu imo it is closer to beginning of friendship than proper one. In addition, the fact that Ugetsu lives now far away from everything he know – it still gives that air of isolation even though is no longer in basement.

After all– all these kind of love were granted to him from Akihiko, so no wonder there is so much hole after breakup – he just lost so much in that moment, and music is something that not always can compensate for that.

Honestly i hoped for some Akigetsu crumbs like some flashback or showing that they are somehow still connected to each other in soulmates way or that they keep in touch in some indirect way. And... i got everything which surprised me^^’

Okay, so let’s dig into it

matching symbolism – Aki with dragonfly (self realization and change) and now Ugetsu with butterfly(transformation). It is so cool I love things like that^^

piercing – it is quite peculiar how first we got dialogue about missing Akihiko’s piercing and later we got Ugetsu with new one. Ofc it is not like I am saying that is the same one, but still that choice is imo to show connection between them

Choice of flashback is interesting too  - after all, one scene when they had heart to heart scene without words and another is horny one xD  again it is different sides of love –  in this case physical and emotional feelings  as these were equally important in their relationship.

also it seems that both of them are keeping check on each other? It looks like Ugetsu knows that Aki returned to playing violin seriously. And that Aki sends him congratulation message –   imo it shows that there is no longer bad feelings and regret between them, but maybe start for something new.

I really like his expression as he read Aki’s text - a mix of wistful and melancholic, but still he started smiling a bit later.

So what comes next?

Like I mentioned it looks like middle step in his character development - even his monologue at the end stated that we have to wait to see ^^ Imo that after Hiiragi arc will ended, we will see him again in main storyline – but judging of pacing it rather will be in second half of 2021 or 2022 *sigh*

I mean – it is just my hunch but imo Ugetsu alongside with Mafuyu and Hiiragi seem to be Gusari’s favorite characters, so I don’t think she will abandon him like that^^ No to mention that he is in character list for volume 6 – when you know  - he wasn’t present at all or even mentioned once in the story xD

As for exactly his story will goo – it is kinda hard to tell now – I think that for sure his relationship with Aki will be rebuild in one way or another and we will get more interaction between Ugetsu and Mafuyu. It would be cool if he also get to know rest of teenagers – imo there would be a lot of banter xD

Anyway, I think Ugetsu will get everything he is missing now – all different kind of relationship with others - maybe in a bit of “found family” sort of way. Though chasing the music the most is what he wants, but still he needs other people in his life as he always looks so lonely. And ultimately imo meeting and connecting to others is something that actually helps to be better person. So still I hope we will get next part of his development and then happy ending. Like I mentioned in some of my previous essays – imo Gusari loves happy endings and despite all the angst we will get one for all characters one day.

As always thanks for reading <3

#murata ugetsu #ugetsu murata #kizu natsuki #given #given manga #given meta

[sophiearchitecture-uog]

15/01 progress update

Been experimenting with the models today, pursuing the Kintsugi idea from last week

First started on Autocad, where i've been trying to map every single room in a more accurate way. Left shows having a fairly generic large window facing outwards, away from the building, while the right shows windows more similar to medieval castles and the Jewish Museum by Daniel Libeskind

While routing around for possible ideas for how to actually form the kintsugi cracks on the front facade, I found these old photos of bouncing natural light off of my Indirect Sunlight Model, which, while the first use went as far as a brick on a starting line, I think these could be suitably re-used to become the facade cracks.

Here in sketchup I've modeled several different versions, I think the theme of MK4 is probably the best for the minute and it holds the most promise, staying too truthful to the Jewish museum in MK2 or to kintsugi in MK1 would not be respectful to the promise of the idea.

Here i've mapped it onto my facade model, while I think this is headed in the right direction, I think being more faithful to the photos from the Indirect Sunlight Model would be my best bet moving forward.

I've already used this model to dictate the stairway shapes, why not use it again to do this part of the building too?

#taixuantheatre #太玄剧场

[ivyorion]

fishblr, I need some advice please!

as spring has arrived, the sun now shines right through my living room window with about 6hrs of indirect light for the tank and 2hrs direct sunlight.

I noticed an algae bloom and so I left my tank light off for a few days, letting the tank run only on natural light, and it's going so well. my Betta has only ever made bubble nests when the tank has had the light off for a few days, never when the light is on. he seems to prefer it that way.

Is it okay to do that? Or do I need to leave the tank light on anyways? Would it be better if I blocked out the natural light? Any advice welcome xxx

#fishblr #aquarium #betta fish #betta splendens #bettablr