#Mulberry Heights

[propertiesupdates]

Mulberry Heights offers the most open and refined lifestyle that one can wish for. At Mulberry Heights, we have created a luxurious haven giving you the choice of 2, 3 and 4 BHK apartments, bedecked with the most modern and handpicked features. Spread over an area of 21.45 acres, comprising enigmatic towers with state-of-the-art facilities and amenities that meet global standards, Mulberry Heights presents the perfect picture of your life amidst a vast green landscape, with 80% open spaces, this Golf view facing project has everything that a holistic lifestyle requires. For more information please call: 8448857360

#Rishita Mulberry Heights Lucknow #Rishita Mulberry Heights #Rishita Mulberry Heights Price

[ocinfraventures]

Rishita Mulberry Heights Lucknow: A Luxurious Living Experience from Rishita Developers

Rishita Mulberry Heights is a prominent residential project developed by Rishita Developers, a leading real estate company in India. Rishita Developers has established a strong presence in the real estate market, known for its commitment to quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction. In this blog, we will tell you the details of Rishita Mulberry Heights and explore the background and achievements of Rishita Developers.

Who are Rishita Developers?

Rishita Developers is a renowned real estate developer with a focus on delivering exceptional residential and commercial projects. The company was founded with the vision of creating sustainable and contemporary living spaces that meet the evolving needs of modern-day residents. Rishita Developers has garnered a reputation for its ethical practices, quality construction, and timely project delivery.

Rishita Mulberry Heights Concept and Location

Rishita Mulberry Heights is an exquisite residential project located in Sushant Golf City, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. Nestled amidst lush green surroundings, this project offers a serene and tranquil living experience. The location of Rishita Mulberry Heights provides easy connectivity to major roadways, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, shopping centers, and entertainment zones, ensuring convenience for the residents.

Key Features and Amenities

Rishita Mulberry Heights is designed to provide residents with a host of features and amenities that cater to their diverse needs and preferences. Here are some notable highlights:

Residential Options: The project offers a range of residential options, including spacious apartments and luxurious penthouses, designed to accommodate the varying requirements of individuals and families.

Contemporary Design: Rishita Mulberry Heights showcases contemporary architecture and modern design elements that combine aesthetics with functionality. The apartments are thoughtfully planned to maximise space utilisation and provide a comfortable living environment.

Open Green Spaces: The project emphasises the importance of green spaces and nature. Rishita Mulberry Heights incorporates landscaped gardens, parks, and open spaces, creating a refreshing and eco-friendly ambiance for residents to unwind and rejuvenate.

Recreational Facilities: The project boasts an array of recreational amenities, including a clubhouse, swimming pool, gymnasium, indoor and outdoor sports facilities, jogging tracks, and children's play areas, ensuring residents have ample opportunities for leisure and fitness activities.

Security and Safety: Rishita Developers prioritises the safety and security of its residents. Rishita Mulberry Heights is equipped with advanced security systems, 24/7 CCTV surveillance, gated entry, and well-trained security personnel to provide a secure living environment.

Infrastructure and Connectivity: The project features well-planned infrastructure, including wide internal roads, efficient drainage systems, and underground utilities. Additionally, it enjoys excellent connectivity to major transportation hubs and key areas of the city.

Quality Construction and Commitment to Excellence

Rishita Developers is renowned for its unwavering commitment to delivering projects of exceptional quality. Rishita Mulberry Heights is a testament to the company's focus on meticulous construction, utilising high-quality materials and advanced construction techniques. The apartments are designed to be structurally sound, aesthetically pleasing, and built to withstand the test of time.

They recognize the importance of sustainable development and integrate eco-friendly practices in its projects. Rishita Mulberry Heights incorporates features such as rainwater harvesting, solar panels for common areas, energy-efficient fixtures, and proper waste management systems to promote sustainable living and reduce the ecological footprint.

Customer Satisfaction is necessary for them

Rishita Developers places great emphasis on customer satisfaction and transparency in all its dealings. The company ensures clear documentation, adheres to project timelines, and maintains open communication channels with customers. Rishita Developers aims to exceed customer expectations by delivering projects that not only meet but surpass their requirements, fostering long-term relationships based on trust and satisfaction.

To conclude, Rishita Mulberry Heights exemplifies the expertise, innovation, and customer-centric approach of Rishita Developers. With its exceptional features, contemporary design, and focus on sustainability, Rishita Mulberry Heights offers residents a luxurious and fulfilling living experience. As Rishita Developers continues to make significant contributions to the real estate industry, it continues to shape the landscape of Lucknow and redefine the standards of modern living.

About OC Infraventures

OC Infraventures & Constructions Pvt Ltd, founded in 2015, is a leading real estate firm that serves thousands of clients and handles multimillion-dollar transactions. They take pride in our unwavering commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction at OC Infraventures & Constructions. Their knowledgeable and experienced team brings a wealth of real estate expertise and knowledge to the table, allowing them to provide clients with comprehensive and personalised services.

Their track record of over 3000 satisfied customers attests to their success. They have established a reputation for professionalism, integrity, and transparency in their dealings, allowing them to establish long-term trusting relationships with their clients. Their commitment to providing outstanding customer service, combined with our ability to adapt to changing market dynamics, has been critical to our growth and success.

#Rishita Mulberry Heights #Rishita Mulberry Heights Lucknow #Real Estate Company #OC infraventures

[aryanreality]

Buy Residential Luxury Apartments or Property in Gurgaon. Aryan Realty

Looking for a residential apartment or property in Gurgaon? We have a wide range of options available to choose from. Find your perfect home today!

The Aryan Realty Infratech team has great experience and is best at providing desirable living spaces in adequate regions of Gurgaon at the most reasonable prices & favorable deals. To get more details just contact us.

#SMART WORLD 113 #SIGNATURE GLOBAL PARK #M3M NATURA #M3M IKONIC #ASHIANA MULBERRY #M3M HEIGHTS

[prinzgnomeovonchaos]

I can't believe my cucumbers somehow managed to cling to their supports through yesterday's storm but one tree got completely uprooted and another one just split down the middle... My nextdoor neighbor had bad enough luck that one of his trees fell onto his house 😬

#if we replant we'll have to choose some sturdier trees with a lower height... these storms are only getting worse #ohhhh we could plant a mulberry tree!!! #if we keep it shortish it should be plenty sturdy AND i get mullberries :D

[toadstoolgardens]

🌿Inviting Birds Into Your Garden🐦

Birds are essential to a healthy ecosystem, but not everyone takes kindly to them in their gardens. Birds love to eat berries, peck holes in fruits, and scratch up seedlings, but in the permaculture garden we strive to partner with nature to meet the needs of wildlife AND ourselves. Growing food for ourselves at the expense of wildlife has resulted, in part, in the current global food system that doesn't value the humans involved or the ecosystem.

"By attracting birds, small animals, and insects to our yards, we not only increase biodiversity but make our gardens more balanced, disease free, and productive as well." -Toby Hemenway, Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Small-Scale Permaculture

Benefits of a Bird-Friendly Garden

Birds are beautiful! Watching them enjoy your gardens and learning bird language is rewarding and entertaining

Birds keep insect problems in check

Birds loosen the soil as they forage and scratch

Birds provide natural fertilizer

The Combination that Works

"Creating a garden that your winged friends want to call home is easy. You'll need to provide food, water, and shelter. Any of these elements will bring birds to your garden for a visit. But providing all three will make them more inclined to take up residence." -Kris Bordessa, Attainable Sustainable: The Lost Art of Self-Reliant Living

Keep in mind that birds have different needs! Not all birds eat the same things and their nesting habits vary. So the real key is diversity! Plant a variety of plant types, textures, heights, and seasons of value.

Food

Birds have a varied diet of fruit/berries, insects, and nuts/seeds. Some have more specific diets than others. Some forage for food on the ground and some hunt above ground.

Year-Round Bird Food Sources

Evergreen trees - Provide shelter, protection, and sap for food

Flowers, tall grasses, and herbs - Provide cover for ground feeders, seeds, nectar, and insects to forage

Fruits (late spring through summer) - Blueberries, brambles like blackberries or raspberries, cherries, elderberries, mulberries, serviceberries, and wild plum. Birds LOVE mulberries especially and having them available will help deter birds from your other crops

Fruits (fall) - Aronia berries, dogwood, sea buckthorn, buffaloberry. In fall birds need to build up fat reserves to survive winter, give them a fall buffet!

Fruits (winter) - These are fruits that cling to branches over winter. Crabapple, hardy kiwi, hawthorn, highbush cranberry, medlar, sumac

Nectar-producing plants for hummingbirds - Bee balm, lupine, sage, maple trees, black locust trees

Nuts - Butternut, chestnut, hazelnut, pickory, piñon, walnut. Offer protection, good nesting sites, and insects to forage

Choose plants native to your area!

2. Water

Birds love natural moving water like streams or ponds. Replicate this with a 2 inch deep bird bath with a fountain! Place your bird bath near a shrub so they have perches and an escape route nearby.

3. Shelter & Protection

Birds need shelter from the elements and protection from predators along with their food and water sources.

Tall grass, dense shrubs, tree canopy, and thorny plants act as a save haven. Birds also nest at different heights, so offer a variety of trees and shrubs for them to settle in.

More plant ideas that provide nesting sites, shelter, and protection:

Apple

Persimmon

Rose

Serviceberry

"Without animals, nature just limps along." -Toby Hemenway

Source

#permaculture #permaculture gardening #food forest #birds #gardening #birds in the garden #cottagecore #solarpunk #ecosystem

[spoiledleaff]

✿ been thinking about mountain and his flower nicknames he gives everyone… my love for victorian flower language haunts me. anyways, buckle up. it’s another leaf hyperfixation :)

aether: “my little jonquil” which means ‘i desire a return of affection’, because mountain thinks that aether doesn’t bother him nearly enough or as much as the rest of the ghouls do and he wants to be bothered, damnit! also, the yellow hues complement aether’s eyes nicely, mountain thinks.

rain: “my little blue bell” (‘i will be constant’ in flower language), because mountain wants rain to know that even though he is one of the younger ghouls, their little pack would simply not be the same without him, no matter what his insecurities and awkwardness might try to tell him. this name in particular never fails to leave rain a perfectly blushing mess. also, the bulbs of this flower reminds mountain of rain’s nose.

swiss: “my sweet geranium” and “my little ivy” for geranium ivy. mountain likes to divide this nickname up, but make no mistake! it’s in reference to the same flower (meaning ‘your hand for the next dance’), and it references both swiss and mountain’s places next to each on stage and their sometimes shared shenanigans. also, the shape of this flower’s petals reminds mountain of swiss’ vape, as the slight curve and stretch of the petals remind mountain of how the fumes from swiss’ vape somehow always find him; always reaching for mountain’s lungs.

dewdrop: this one was a bit tricky, as mountain has tried numerous names in the past that dewdrop has immediately shut down, the dastardly fire ghoul somehow knowing a good deal of flower language, and the embarrassing softness behind mountain’s nicknames (perhaps from his time as a water ghoul? did he once have an interest in these things?). but, regardless, mountain has found two names that he’s been allowed to use repeatedly. “my scorched mulberry” (‘scorched’ is intended to take the place of ‘black’, so a black mulberry which means ‘i will not survive you’) and “my dear mignonette” (this one means ‘your qualities surpass your charms’), amongst some other names that dewdrop allows like “fire lily”. although that one doesn’t have much meaning besides the obvious. also, both the reaching structures of mulberry flowers and mignonette stalks remind mountain of dewdrop; always reaching towards the sun. whatever that might mean.

cirrus: “my sweet heliotrope” (meaning ‘devotion’) because no matter the height difference, mountain will always be there to willingly drop to his knees and worship the earth with which cirrus simply breathes. just as she deserves. also, the sometimes complicated scent of the heliotrope flower reminds mountain of cirrus’ own scent; complex with floral smells, but also balsamic with sweet notes.

cumulus: a personal favorite nickname of mountain’s, he adores calling her “my lovely, lovely juniper” (meaning ‘asylum; shelter’ in flower language), and it’s in reference to how much of a motherly figure/safe space cumulus is — not only for mountain — but for the rest of their polycule as well. also, the soft blue/white colors of the juniper flower reminds mountain of how cumulus’ hair shimmers underneath the moonlight.

sunshine: mountain likes to alternate between “my sweet cedar” and “my darling little maiden’s blush” (meaning ‘i live for thee’ and ‘if you do love me, you shall find me out’, respectively)the last one is certainly a mouthful, and mountain typically saves it for some very special occasions. both nicknames are in reference to their elements connections, and how the earth quite literally needs the sun in order to victoriously flourish and thrive. also, the way sunshine’s hair is so curly and vibrant in color reminds mountain of the intricate curves and structure of the maiden’s blush rose. how sweet.

copia: mountain called him “my sweet cypress” (meaning ‘mourning’, and ‘despair’) when they first met, and it’s in reference to when his brothers had been killed. now, he calls copia “my little locust” (meaning ‘affection beyond the grave’) not just for his lost brothers, but to remind copia of his forever place in the ghoul polycule. also, the fact that the tree is called a black locust, and yet it blooms a white flower reminds mountain of him. specifically his papal paint.

#mountain’s flower petnames have me DYING #because of course you have more obvious ones based on appearance and favorites and whatever #BUT THEN YOU HAVE THE ONES WITH FEELING #anyways I’m totally normal about this #also oopsie #ghost lore in the dew section haha!! #mountain ghoul #ghost bc #dewdrop ghoul #ghost band #ghost #rain ghoul #aether ghoul #swiss ghoul #sunshine ghoulette #cirrus ghoulette #cumulus ghoulette #copia #shitghosting #ghost hc #ghoul hc #might do more with era iii? #this was fun :) #flower language #spoiled seeds

[randomfoggytiger]

Kibbe Body Types, Part 2: David Duchovny

Gillian Anderson's Kibbe analysis here; beginner's guide here.

Okay.

So.

We're going to have to do this analysis a little differently.

David Kibbe has a thorough quiz to type your body correctly... if you're a woman. So... I'm going to have to go around the mulberry bush a bit to arrive at David Duchovny's Kibbe Type.

...Why don't you tag along with me? We'll find out together.

(Spoiler: I already know his Type.)

KIBBE BODY TYPES-- BUT FOR MEN

(**Note**: You can skip this section if extra reading isn't your thing.)

Kibbe identifies female bodies through their height, their hips, their chest, their waist, and their shoulders. However, male bodies are a whole different ballgame: width is the key measure-- of greater importance even than height-- as well as the softness or "fleshiness" of the frame.

THANKFULLY, Aly Art's got my back with this video.

Now: we must identify the yin-- soft, delicate, short, light-- qualities and separate them from the yang-- strong, tall, lean, vertical, angular, sharp-- qualities. Everybody has a blend of those two traits slapped on their skeletons; but Kibbe tried (tries) to keep it as simple as possible.

There are five basic body types; and those five types are divided into yang (sharp) and yin (soft) variants.

Dramatics-- 100% yang energy: tall, lean, strong, hard. They look angular and heavy. Typically have smaller eyes, prominent nose and chin, and thin lips.

Benedict Cumberbatch, Sean Connery, Charlton Heston, Ricardo Montalban, Errol Flyn, Daniel Craig

Soft Dramatics-- predominant yang energy with some yin added: softness and fleshiness added to their sharp, angular frame.

Dean Martin, Christian Bale, Matthew McConoughy, John Travolta, Nicholas Cage, Clark Gable

Flamboyant Naturals-- strong and hard, but with wide, blunted edges. They appear sporty or athletic: moderate to tall height, wider shoulders, and slimmer waists and hips.

Calvin Klein, Dick Van Dyke, Harrison Ford, Clint Eastwood, Tom Selleck (maybe), Michael Landon (maybe), Joe Biden  

Soft Naturals-- like the FNs, they are wide, and blunted; but their width is softened by added fleshiness, appearing slightly less tall, less dense and more delicate. They sport plusher, softer cheeks, lips, torso, and thighs; and often appear "cuter" than FNs, Ds, and SDs.

Alan Alda, OJ Simpson, John Wayne, Robert Redford, Robert Conrad, Bing Crosby, Tom Cruise, George Clooney, Gene Kelly, Brad Pit, Gene Hackman

Dramatic Classics-- is an even, "average" mixture of yin and yang elements with a slightly more dominant yang presence. They have a very blended bone structure with tauter cheeks and more predominant facial features.

Carey Grant, John Ham

Soft Classics-- is an even, "average" mixture of yin and yang elements with a slightly more delicate yin presence. They have a very blended bone structure with softer lips and fleshier cheeks.

John Slattery, John Glenn, Gregory Peck, Bryant Gumbel

Romantics-- is 100% yin: smaller, shorter, softer, more delicate. No sharp angles. They appear gentler, less harsh, less "brutally" masculine than their Dramatic and Natural counterparts.

Colin Firth, Leonardo DiCaprio, Elijah Wood, Simon Baker, Richard Gere, Michael Jackson, Omar Shereef, Billy Dee Williams, Elvis Presley

Theatrical Romantics-- is 100% yin with a taut touch of yang to their features: narrow, delicate bones instead of fully-rounded, softly-widened angles.

David Kibbe, Orlando Bloom, Prince, Johnny Depp

Flamboyant Gamines-- an uneven mixture of yin and yang elements, with more pronounced yang in their angularity and sharpness. They have small, rectangular muscularity: angular facial bones, smaller shoulders and torso, some tautness to their physique.

Jimmy Kimmel, Frank Sinatra, Neil Patrick Harris

Soft Gamines-- an uneven mixture of yin and yang elements, with more pronounced yin in their rounded curves and softness. They appear the most "cute" of the types: an even smaller Gamine, with softer cheeks, softer noses, softer lips, bigger eyes, smaller hands, etc.

Fred Astaire, Robert Downy Jr. 

THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE MONOTONE

David's frame is dominated by prominent, long vertical lines-- dare I say, blunt edges?-- and shoulders that appear-- or are?-- wider because of his narrow waist and hips.

Using this previous post as a rough guide to map out his features, DD has pronounced yin-- softer cheeks, rounder nose, softened jawbone, softer flesh over his muscles-- but not enough to cover or dominate the long, strong bones in his frame and overall musculature.

I have my suspicions, and they swing Soft Natural (not enough T-bone shoulder to fit Flamboyant Theatrical); but let's put this theory to the test.

COMPARISON IS OUR REPRIEVE AND JOY

But you ask: how are we going to type the Man, the Myth, the Monotone without a handy dandy reference guide?

Easy peasy. We compare him to other body types and notate the differences.

David and Gamines

We're eliminating Gamines first because their shorter lines, shorter stature, and more angular or rounded bodies are in direct opposition to his longer, denser lines.

Compared to DD's wider shoulders, denser frame, and squarer facial features, Jimmy Kimmel and Lucy Liu (and TR Gillian Anderson) appear more "weightless", narrower, and more angular.

Soft Gamine Winona Ryder and Halle Berry appear weightless as well; but their angular features are tempered by a layer of softness that corresponds with the fleshiness of David's face, too.

David and Romantics

We have a look-a-like for this section: Richard Gere, a pure Romantic.

Compared to DD's wide shoulders, slim torso and hips, and more defined musculature (even at his skinniest), Richard is composed of rounded curves, more delicate facial and skeletal bones, and a soft layer of flesh over his torso, arms, thighs, and legs. Even at Richard's fittest, there was still a softness present in his body that could not be chiseled away or hidden.

The two Romantic Type women below-- Drew Barrymore, pure Romantic; Gillian Anderson, Theatrical Romantic-- again highlight the density of David's structure, bringing out a "heavier" presence than the Gamines had previously.

David and Classics

Is David a Classic Type? Frankly, no-- his bones are too long and dense to be moderate and balanced; and he, even more frankly, looks terrible in very quaffed, groomed, and buttoned-up outfits.

Compared to DD's length and width, Dramatic Classics appear more proportionate, their touch of sharpness blending in with-- not rivalling-- the balance of their frames. DC Carey Grant's more balanced edges bring out the angles in DD's face, more so than the Gamines or Romantics did.

By contrast, Soft Classics' proportionate frames contain a touch of softness-- Meryl Streep's yin calls forth David's, appearing more rounded instead of angular or blunt.

David and Dramatics

Compared to David, Dramatics' structure is more elongated, narrow, and angular. Dramatic Benedict Cumberbatch has sharper, more prominent features, less width across his shoulders and torso, and barely any yin to speak of in his face.

(I also suspicion Tea Leoni as a Dramatic; so sneaked her in here.)

Soft Dramatics have the elongated sharpness of the Dramatics with a soft, fleshy padding over the tautness of their features. Compared to SD Christian Bale's sharpness-in-spite-of-his-softness, DD's softer, blunter edges become more obvious.

David and Naturals

And last but not least, we reach the native soil of David Duchovny's body type.

Flamboyant Naturals are a close but not perfect match-- their elongated, blunt width not only matches but exceeds DD's shoulders, torso, arms, legs, and facial features. FN Harrison Ford looks denser, more muscular, and even more athletic when compared to his softer brother from a different mother.

Soft Naturals: finally, David is home! Soft Naturals have the width and length of the FNs Types softened and slightly moderated by an added, pronounced yin quality. Their face, lips, arms, torso, and slim waist appear less blunt (if no less wide); and the dense musculature of their frame is less noticeable in comparison.

LINES, SILHOUETTES, AND OTHER FASHION ADVICE

Now that David's found his SN kind, I shall pack him up a little box lunch of good wardrobe advice to take with him. ...Or that was the theory, except it is notoriously hard to get my hands on Kibbe Body Type advice for men.

I shall do my best to transcribe and transform Aly Art's excerpts (here) from David Kibbe's Metamorphosis book:

"Soft Natural: it is the overall combination of the very soft yin with the yang undercurrent. Slightly soft and fleshy body type on an angular frame combined with an appealing, innocent essence.

Height: moderate.... Bone structure: slightly angular bones, slightly broad shoulders, moderate to slightly short limbs, slightly leggy look also possible. Blunt or small and irregular facial contours-- nose, cheekbones, and jawline. Hands and feet are moderate and fleshy, or slightly small and wide. Body type: slightly soft..... Facial features: full and rounded. Round eyes, round eyes, full lips, soft cheeks. Nose tends small and wide; or slightly irregular, blunt or wide. If overweight, the body tends to become extremely soft and fleshy, with the waist thickening. The upper hips, arms, and thighs tend to collect excess weight most rapidly.

"Physically, you are basically angular in bone structure-- although this is softened by a fleshy body type and full facial features.... To disperse your soft yin undercurrent..., we want to develop an appearance that could best be described as fresh and sensual....

"Shape: Asymmetric and irregular curves-- elongated ovals, wide circles, ellipticals, and so on. Relaxed geometrics with rounded edges, easy swirls. You might not look as good in sharp geometrics; in wide, chunky, and boxy shapes; in plain, symmetrical shapes; in overly ornate shapes.

"Line and silhouette: unconstructed silhouette with shaping, particularly at waist. Relaxed lines with subtle drape and flow, particularly bias cuts.

You might not look as good in wide, shapeless silhouettes; in sharp, severe silhouettes; in symmetrical silhouettes; in fitted silhouettes.

"Details: details should be loose, relaxed, delicate, slightly intricate, and very creative. Any detail that suggests a bit of antique or the earth is excellent. Shoulders should not be sharp or stiff. Necklines should be loose and soft, not closed, restricted, or fussy. Simple draped necklines; soft cowls; soft notched collars; clean lapels; shawl collars; and so on. Waist should be defined, although loosely: there can be a slightly blousy effect with the top draped over the waistline, or a slightly dropped waist as long as the silhouette is fluid. Gathers and falls should be deep, full, and soft; sleeves can be full and flowing, or gently tapered at the wrist with minimum detail.

"Trim should be delicate and antique, shearing applique, and so on. You might not look as good in sharply tailored detail, in no detail, in overly fitted and fussy detail, in animated, perky detail."

Conclusion

David Duchovny's gonna do and wear what he's gonna do and wear. And that's just fine~.

That and I FINISHED MY 3 DAY+ KIBBE PROJECT DESPITE MANY, MANY HICCUPS ALONG THE WAY!!!!

Thanks for reading~

And take care of yourselves.

Enjoy!

#txf #but not #Kibbe Body Types #Part 2 #David Duchovny #DD #randomfashiontiger #fashion #what is this fashion arc #I had questions and I wanted ANSWERS #sometimes it's as simple as that #felt like switching up the ending #it might just stick too

[lord-of-the-olympians]

Chiron is sending a bunch of us on a mission to help clean up the war aftermath in European countries. We're currently boarding a plane to Britain. I'm a little nervous, though, because we got a Hades kid going with us. He's currently freaking out about having to go on a plane because he's scared of heights. Luckily, Simon is attempting to calm him down, so hopefully he doesn't mess up our flight.

- Jack

It's nice being able to leave camp for once. Chiron and Mr. D never let me go on quests, so I'm glad I get to come along, even if this isn't a "real" quest. It was weird, though, something about the way Chiron and Mr. D were talking to us before we left seemed off. Maybe they're just nervous about us going to a different continent, especially after what those 3 Big Three kids tried to do... although I can understand why they did that...

- Roger

──────────⋆⋅☆⋅⋆───────────

Characters who are open to asks

Jack

Roger

Simon

Wilfred

(Characters not mentioned/drawn, but they are also there, I was just too lazy to draw them too)

Maurice

Robert

Bill

Stanley (yeah, I'm adding him, idc if he was only mentioned twice 🙄)

Mulberry

Percival

#lord of the flies #lord of the flies au #lotf fandom #lotf #lotf au #pjo hoo toa #percy jackon and the olympians #pjo au #lord of the Olympians

[eggtrolls]

park stuff calendar:

March 9th: cancel pine bark order from Home Depot ASAP

March 10th - CANCELLED: weekly maintenance at horribly degraded wetland (HDW); bring sharps container for needles

March 11th - email boat club people about boat-based trash removal in the future and logistics for non-members

March 12th - 9:30 meeting with J.S.#3 about seed project and possible mugwort eradication March 12th - get 2023 budget from C.W. March 12th - community board parks subcommittee meeting at 6, take notes; follow-up item: confirm the deadline for bringing up Earth Day Festival as item at April meeting (3rd Thursday of every month) March 14th - HDW clean up with J.S.#3 and his dyke assistant March 14th - remove the wineberry in daffodil patch by the stairs March 14th - Earth Day Festival committee meeting at 6:30

March 15th - text JLS about adding earth day event to Parks calendar (confirm with Fucking Chris about when this should happen) March 15th - PFP GRANT IS DUE March 15th - unpack Home Depot deliveries and repot AWC cohort 1 seedlings

March 16th - riverside clean-up with boat club people March 16th - walk-through with J.S.#2 at the restoration creek project March 16th - remove Atlantic white cedar seeds from fridge and plant (3:2:1.5 peat:vermiculite:perlite with the slow-release fertilizer (it's in the foyer closet on the shelf and smells weird) + transplant cohort 1 (measure and record heights), same mix [source, Derby et al. (2004)]

March 17th - weekly maintenance at HDW

March 18th - text J.L.S. about getting parks committee chair email; soft pitch my concerns about park land use to her + include Patch article from 2021 March 18th - ask J.S.#2 about Army Corp of Engineers survey results (from 2023?)

March 20th - Riverkeeper orientation at 5:30 March 20th - deadline to email chair of community board parks committee to add what I think is illegal land use to the next board meeting agenda (incorporate lack of public feedback & Army Corps of Engineers report on sea level rise)

[March 21-March 26 - vacation; no weekly maintenance at HDW; morning pruning of wineberry at Shittier Park (bring bags for removal and double-glove) or follow-up on mulberry tree pruning

March 22nd: pick up seed mix from Autistic Seth or designate one of the SC to do it]

March 27th - watch Riverkeeper Sweep orientation recording on zoom & email Frances March 27th - repot Ursa Major & Ursa Minor March 27th - bother Dan (ICC) about boat plantings; bother Jana about beach plum locations March 27th - email Compost Lady from RSC March 28th - call with JS#1 at 9 am about wetland meeting; discuss the seed-sowing project for EDF March 28th - email JS#1 the seed invoice and species list from Autistic Seth March 28th - steering committee meeting at 6:30

March 29th - call with Rachel from comedically evil non-profit at 5:30 March 29th - return of J.S.#3 and his dyke assistant Paloma to HDW

March 30th - weekly maintenance at HDW

March 31st - community gardening day with the slightly cult-y Orthodox Jewish community group (to do: reach out to other group members to see if anyone wants to join in; double check that email didn't bounce back or if there's a better email)

April 7th - weekly maintenance in park

April 9th - community board meeting at 6:30 April 9th - email Bennett Park people

April 11th - sculpture reception, 9 am April 11th - private call with commissioners 1&2, 2pm April 11th - email CB committee head April 11th - email state senator's office

April 14th - weekly maintenance at HDW

April 15th - call with CB committee head, 6pm RESCHEDULED

April 18th - update on AWC cohort status April 18th - call with CB committee head and Evil Ryan, 3 pm RESCHEDULED

April 19th - pick up giant map from Staples

April 20th (ugh) - Earth Day Festival (HAT AND SUNSCREEN AND WATER BOTTLE) + make @roycohn attend under pain of death; wake up 7 am

April 21st - weekly maintenance at HDW or help B.S. with her site plantings in Bronx

April 22nd - actually Earth Day. also Pesach April 22nd - email compost lady

April 25th - steering committee meeting and EDF post-mortem

April 27th - tentative date for visiting compost site at RPC

April 28th - monthly check for cohort 1 heights

May 4th - Riversweep with boat club people

May 25th - clean up in Rockaway

general to-do list w/o fixed date:

talk to Unfriendly Caitlin or B.S. about the Japanese pagoda trees in Shittier Park and a possible transplant

ask Beth about making flyer for EDF (English and Spanish)

ask Unfriendly Caitlin about info on native bees that hibernate in grasses during the winter; ask Fucking C for the marsh groundskeeper guy's contact info to discuss future grass clearing and ideally make them stop it.

talk to bagel place guy and trump supporter Tom about donations and whatnot

email J.S.#2 about setting up private event for plant dividing in April (post-EDF)

email A (she/they) at RPC about compost visit on 4/27

email J.S#1 about plans for mugwort removal on Earth Day, signage, using the seed mix as cover crop, and beyond

email NutraSweet about discussion of mugwort with J.S.#3

email New York Metropolitan Flora survey about incidence of river cane

urban ecologist program at NYBG

get actual sharps containers for EDF clean-up at work (possibly boat club people have extras we can use either way I'm not paying for this shit)

ask super for my spare hand pruners back

place order from Prairie Moon once AWC cohort 2 starts sprouting

email A.R. (nursery) about group volunteering in exchange for a bunch of plants (deadline [self-imposed] is March 15th)

email J.S.#1 about wetland management goals based on call with S.H.

email J.S.#1 about DEC tidal wetlands permit

follow-up email to J.S.#3 about seed project + email fucking Seth if he doesn't get back to me about the mix

identify actual trail edges that can be cleared and planted + look up if hand rake would be useful

email N.H. at BRA about testing soil samples and if there's a cost/limit (update: NONE; ask NutraSweet to drop off in her car);- discuss results with J.S.#2 and how to incorporate into wetland management plan with J.S.#1

follow up with J.S.#2 about clearing the canal, which I hate

ask M.S. or R.K. about landscape architect stuff re: boardwalk design for wetland management plan

text B.S. about tree delivery from JBHS nursery

start looking for other grants once PFP is submitted

look into seed collection techniques and seed-sharing resources in mid-Atlantic/New England

--- Cohort 1 notes: on 3/15/24, 4 of the Cohort 1 AWC seedlings were planted in 3 pots: Gemini (two together), Atlas, and Pipsqueak in the Derby (2004) medium with a sprinkle of Osmocote + original medium from cones. Heights were 14.5 cm & 6 cm (Gemini), 12 cm (Atlas), and 10 cm (Pipsqueak). Pending them not dying immediately and/or showing signs of significant growth, the remaining seedlings will be repotted. Target height prior to planting is 36 cm. Repotting showed a shallower root system than expected, needs a wider container than cone or should be replanted sooner.

3/17/24 update: might be a coincidence but Pipsqueak and Atlas are already showing new growth (crown and branches, respectively). no changes from Gemini. among the un-repotted, Ursa Minor has some browning at the crown - might need to transplant soon than later, or perhaps burning from too much sun? will rotate and see if this improves. unsure how I will separate Gemini/Ursa Major and Minor when the time comes :/

3/20/24 - separated Gemini into two pots due to lack of immediate growth/improvement shown in Atlas and Pipsqueak. Concern about browning on Ursa Minor, may attempt to divide soon. Potted Hajime and Tagalong to use up the extra medium.

3/28/24 - Potted Ursa Minor and Ursa Major (without Osmocote). Atlas and Pipsqueak continue to show the most improvement. Tagalong has started to show some new growth; less from Hajime. Gemini 1 has started showing new radial growth with a hint of crown growth from Gemini 2. Added layer of compost to all C1 after morning watering

Heights updates:

Pipsqueak - 12.5 cm

Atlas - 13.0 cm

Gemini 1 - 14.5 cm

Gemini 2 - ~6 cm (note: crown is bent)

Hajime - 13.8 cm

Tagalong - 11.0 cm

Ursa Minor - 6.7 cm (note: browning on crown might affect future vertical growth)

Ursa Major - 18.3 cm

4/9/24 - noticed some burning on Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, likely due to the shitty addition of Osmocote. stirred soil and repotted. likely that Ursa Minor is not going to make it.

Cohort 2 notes: on 3/17/24, 105 seeds were planted for Cohort 2 in the Derby (2004) medium with the Osmocote. seeds were floated (77 floated, 28 didn't float) and grouped by float status, divided into 28 cones (on average 4 seeds to each cone), planted, and additional medium spread on top ~1/4 cm. some of the original medium from Cohort 1 was used in cones where Derby medium was insufficient. all cones were watered at approximately 12:00 with 2 tsp of distilled water.

3/20/24 - no growth so far. continuing with 2 tsp water daily (morning). May try dividing into 1 tsp morning, 1 tsp evening.

3/28/24 - no growth so far. continuing with 2 tsp water daily (morning). will switch to divided watering for a sample after 30 days.

4/11/24 - FIRST SEEDLING OF COHORT 2 UP

4/18/24 - cohort 2 notes: one seedling still in cap, one with two leaves out and third budding (both in row 4FR). I didn't record the time for the first seedlings of cohort 1 to come up so this is a total craps shoot. switched back to 1 tsp of water (mornings) because of concerns of overwatering leading to bugs.

#dispatches from the park #I hate spring I love spring I HATE spring please pray for me #will update as necessary

[canon-vi]

It's a pity that in E.L.A. Reaper doesn't have wings... Or does he have them? The original can remove them—

I did her for 6 hours, oh my God

--------------------------🦊----------------------------

Name: Shelki (I was inspired by mulberries [shelkovitsa] when I did her hair)

Age: 12-13

Height: 156

Birthday: 24.05(May 24)

--------------------------🦊----------------------------

• Formidable and fearless... Well, she really tries to be like that—

• father's daughter

• instead of pupils - a dim white light

• says hello to almost every adult, it’s just a habit, she doesn’t say hello except when there are a lot of people, or when she’s talking to someone

• poor vision (moderate myopia, -3.5), wears glasses only when necessary

• can see ghosts, and due to poor eyesight sometimes confuses them with ordinary people and walks around or says hello

• she likes to braid hair, both her own and others’, most often braiding Reaper’s hair

• she loves scythes

--------------------------🦊----------------------------

Geno:

Mom is very caring and beautiful... I’m sure that’s true, it’s just hard for me to see her

Reaper:

Dad is the best! When I grow up, I want to be like him!

Goth:

She can be so angry sometimes, even though I didn’t do anything... Honestly—

(she definitely did something)

Dream:

I heard about him on TV, he seems to be Alina’s father, well, it doesn’t matter to me, why would I know some old man?

Ink:

Everyone says that she is beautiful and that I will definitely have to see her live... Are they idiots?

Hope:

She is very kind, Drop, Goth, Pallete, mom, dad, everyone! Everyone says that she is very kind, I would like to meet her, but I’m unlikely to be able to get to her myself... I’ll ask Drop to take me to her!

Lux:

And again beauty... Why is it so important to everyone how and who looks? Why does no one care what kind of person is inside? ... Okay, she does charity work and loves animals, she can be forgiven—

Pallete:

Drop's older brother and sister's ex-boyfriend? Well, they kind of broke up, right? I often meet him because of Drop, I think he’s a good big brother!

Drop:

She can always cry calmly in front of me, I won’t see it anyway! But it really seems to me that she still almost always holds back so as not to cry, good job, bestie!

Cross:

I rarely eat his baked goods, but they will always be my favorite!

Passivemare:

I almost bumped into him several times and said hello... Hmm, he was always there for Lux... Maybe he's her guardian angel? ... And then I’m Drop’s guardian angel!

Goopmare:

Everyone says that he is bad and scary, but as for me, there is no one worse than an evil mother

Killer:

I don't know what to think about her, I don't know her, all I know is that she's Merciful's mom

Angst: ( dead )

I saw the outline of someone next to Drop... Was he trying to take my place as a guardian angel?! >:0

Angst: ( alive )

I don't know him

Crescent:

He's a priest... That's it

Merciless:

Merciful is very good! He's fun to play with and reads to me! Drop chose a good husband, but I still think that he is too old for her... Merci and I will find a suitable husband for Drop!

Bad Guys:

( bed gays )

They are bad..?

BONUS:

Callisto:

I sometimes confuse him with Pallete... Well, they are similar!

Taisiya:

I don't think I'll see her, she's either in the forest or locked in her room with that ghost that was always with Lux

Ayame:

She dislikes Merciful and Artemis so much that even I can notice it... I still can’t understand why?

Artemis:

Berry like me! She, like Merciful, is very good! Is everyone in their family like this?

Kira:

Judging by what Ati says, she is very religious and is in church all the time

Vivi:

Is she leaving the room? I don't believe-

--------------------------🦊----------------------------

--------------------------🦊----------------------------

E. L. A. by @anotherrosesthatfell

E. L. A. Artemis by @abloomingsunflower / @itzcherrybonbon

Edited:

[ vision -3.5 ]

#evil lux au #protect and cherish [e.l.a] merciless propaganda

[brimstone-cowboy]

Tagged by @evenom for oc interview

I’m tagging @aurpiment @spacepunksupreme @calico-honey @fightthesun and anyone else who wants to participate

Name: Danielle Hansen

Nickname: Danny

Gender: Butch straying towards crossdresser

Star sign: Leo

Height: 5’7 and 5’8 in boots

Orientation: Stone butch lesbian

Nationality/Ethnicity: White European descent American original from Idaho but moves around a lot in her life

Fave fruit: Loves a mulberry, loves a hedge fruit

Fave season: Autumn or Winter she likes layers

Fave flower: Bird’s foot trefoil

Fave scent: cigarette smoke in cold air

Coffee, tea, or HC: Coffee with milk but never sugar

Average hours of sleep: Oughhh bad, not good

Dog or cat person: Wouldn’t pick one over the other but loves the big dog her foster family has

Dream trip: She’s done a bit of travelling from Idaho to California and then to the Midwest but maybe somewhere like Yellowstone or more generally they’d love to go on a big road trip around the country on their bike

Favorite fictional character: Hawkeye Pierce :)

Number of blankets they sleep with: Runs very warm so usually just a good duvet and maybe one quilt when she moves to the Midwest

Random fact: Vaguely into sadism but a little shy

#ocs #oc #tag game

[ocinfraventures]

Migsun janpath - OC Infraventures

Migsun Janpath, developed by OC Infraventures, is a prestigious real estate project that promises an exceptional blend of modern living and affordability. Located in the prime location of Lucknow, Migsun Janpath offers a unique opportunity for individuals and families to own their dream homes.

Visit - https://ocinfraventures.com/property/migsun-janpath/

#migsun janpath #oc infraventures #rishita mulberry heights

[aryanreality]

M3M Heights in Sector-65 Gurgaon, Gurgaon by M3M India is a residential project » . The project offers an Apartment with the perfect combination of contemporary architecture and features to provide a comfortable living. M3M Heights offers facilities such as Gymnasium and Lift. It also has amenities like a Badminton court, Basketball court, Jogging track, Lawn tennis court, and Swimming pool. The project has indoor activities such as a Pool table and Squash court. It also offers services like Garbage disposal, Parking and a Library. Check out to know more: M3M Heights Gurgaon »

Also Check out this:

M3M Ikonic Sector 68 Gurgaon.

Ashiana Mulberry Sector 2 Gurgaon

#M3M Heights #M3M Ikonic #M3M Ikonic Sector 68 Gurgao #M3M Ikonic GurgaoN #Ashiana Mulberry Sector 2 Gurgaon #Ashiana Mulberry Gurgaon #Ashiana Mulberry #M3M Heights Gurgaon

[mangoisms]

like the part of the song where it falls ━ miyuki kazuya

━ part six: dogfish / read part five

━ wc: 7k

━ warnings: none

━ masterpost

━ a/n: hi! this is the final part of this fic, thank you all for reading! i hope you enjoy <3

(21:31) Have an obligation with the team on saturday (21:31) fun! what kind? (21:31) Party at one of the guys’ house (21:31) Though it’s more of a gathering than a party which is a relief (21:32) It’s just that the guys have been bothering me to meet you (21:32) LOL (21:32) oh shit wait you’re being serious???????

“Is this really a good idea?”

“What are you so worried about?”

“It’s your team,” you stress, your eyes taking in the sprawling properties of Del Mar Heights. A neighbor to Carmel Valley, houses here are not houses, but mansions instead, perched on sloping ridges that overlook the ocean and the rest of San Diego. 

“Yeah,” he says. “You managed to become friends with me. So, you’ll have no problem with them.”

“Not what I meant… please tell me you aren’t getting a house here.”

You had to go through a gate to get here. A gate. Seriously. Your finances are in a better state now with your pay raise but it wasn’t too long ago you were struggling to buy fresh produce. 

“No way. Too stuffy.”

“Nice views of the ocean, though.”

“You and the water,” he says, shaking his head. Fond. 

You look away, glancing at your reflection in the window. The sun is starting to set. Today’s endeavor isn’t a party but you were instructed to dress a little more formally than usual. Kazuya looks heartachingly gorgeous in a deep blue long-sleeved button-up and jeans. 

You’re in your nicer stuff, too, in a warm ivory satin midi dress with a front tie at the bust and short fluttery sleeves. You traded your Docs for champagne velvet platform ankle-strap heels with bows. 

But just because you’re wearing lighter colors than usual doesn’t mean you’re trading in your standard dark lip look. Today’s lipstick is mulberry, with a glassy finish to it. Your nails are freshly painted a matching shade, dark enough to look black. 

You look… nice, Kazuya had said when he picked you up. 

Your heart had leapfrogged to your chest and you stammered out that he did, too, and barely managed to stop yourself from saying that he always looks nice. Gorgeous, really. Just unbearably gorgeous. So gorgeous, it should be illegal. 

Ugh.

Your sister’s advice from last week is still bouncing around inside your head. 

You don’t think she’s wrong. Not at all. But the days wear on. Your guilt increases. It’s wrong, maybe. Selfish, to just think about yourself. 

Like she said. 

What about him?

You aren’t kidding yourself. This is both the easiest and hardest decision you could ever make. 

All that you could want is sitting to your left, humming along to the radio idly, fingers tapping on the leather of the steering wheel. 

You don’t have time to think about it any longer as you come upon a busy section of the street, tons of cars parked in the driveway of a mansion and on the street. All of them are luxurious sports cars. Kazuya’s Audi is probably the least expensive here. 

He expertly parallel parks between a Maserati and an Aston Martin across the street from the mansion, which is two stories, done in the typical Spanish revival style of California. Low, pitched roofs covered in red tiles, adobe exterior walls, numerous oversized windows, carved entry doors, multiple balconies, and high arches. 

The inside is just as nice. Mosaic tiles, wood beams, arched doorways, and stucco walls. 

It is also busy. Very busy.

“How many people are on this team?” you whisper desperately as the two of you shuffle inside unnoticed (for a short period of time, you’re certain). 

“Gonzales probably invited some of the staff, too. But generally, this is how many we start out with. Spring training decides who ends up on the starting roster. Oh, look. There’s Wendy.”

“Tee, it’s good to see you,” she says, giving you a warm smile. 

“It’s good to see you, too.” More than good. You’re so glad she’s here. You aren’t sure if you can shadow Kazuya all night. Not with the eyes that are noticing you, no doubt dying for a piece of him. You at least have someone to fall back on if he gets pulled away. 

Though, truthfully, some part of you doesn’t want that to happen. Wants to keep him here with you. But you don’t get to do that.

“Kazuya!”

A tall, stocky older man shoulders his way through the people, grinning widely. Wendy moves out of the way. 

You know who this is — Raul Gonzales, the Padres’ star pitcher. Also one of the oldest among them, at thirty-nine. A true veteran of the game. He and Kazuya and a handful of the other pitchers helped take the Padres all the way through the playoffs to the World Series. There’s plenty of talk in the press about their battery, so you aren’t that surprised to hear him calling Kazuya by his first name. 

A heavy hand claps his shoulder. “It’s good to see you. You should answer your phone more often.”

“I’m busy.”

“Ha! I bet you are! With this little lady, I’m sure.”

“You —”

“As friends.” Gonzales holds up his hands, smirking. “Relax, man. Hey,” he turns to you, offering a big hand, smile lines deepening in russet skin, “it’s nice to finally meet you. We’ve heard a lot.”

“It’s nice to meet you, too. You have a beautiful home.”

His grin widens. “Thanks. Interior design is an offseason passion. My wife, Sandra, is around here somewhere. She’s in a blue dress. If I’m not around, you can ask her if you need anything.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“Yes, very kind, but we’ll be together most of the night,” Kazuya says. “Don’t want to leave her to the sharks.”

“No, I don’t imagine you do. Come on. Most of us are out back.”

“What do you mean, leave me to the sharks?” you whisper as the two of you follow him. Your voices are easily drowned out by the chatter and the Spanish music playing. 

He shoots you a wry look. “Like I said. You’re friends with me. Plus, with everything going on in the press… people areinterested in you, tomcat. But as you can tell… a lot of them think we’re together.”

“Oh.”

He misunderstands the smallness in your voice, shaking his head. “I told Raul to spread it around that we aren’t. But, well. You know how this stuff is.”

“Right. Yeah.”

The backyard is humongous, with a large pool on one end, then a grassy area beside it. The grill is going in the outdoor kitchen, several people manning it, with a large fire pit near it, helping to fight off the January chill. 

It’s a whirlwind of introductions from there. Lots of questions about you and Kazuya (that is, how you ‘deal with him,’ which quickly gets old), lots of questions about your head, whether you really are okay (you are, for the most part; remains to be seen whether you’ll suffer the effects as you get older), and then a few jokes about your relationship, too. Raul, despite his earlier tease, shuts them down. He’s one of the oldest on the team and he’s been on it for the past decade. You can tell his words hold weight. 

“Kind of your worst nightmare as a catcher,” Kazuya whispers to you in a brief moment of reprieve, a steadying hand on your back, trying to ease the tension in you. “To be significantly younger than him, for one, and for him to be seen as something like a captain. A real veteran.”

“But you two did it, didn’t you?”

“Yeah. Guess you can teach an old dog new tricks.”

You exhale a quiet laugh, shaking your head. 

He surveys the scene in front of you. The sun has set but the lights are on outside, the fire pit keeping you warm, the smoky scent of burning firewood pleasant. There’s food, too. Burgers, hot dogs, steak. He has a bottle of beer in his hand but hasn’t drank one sip of it. You stick with water. 

“You wanna step inside?” he asks, hand sliding to your shoulder blades. “Just take a sec. I can hold these guys off.”

Insane to realize that you are the hot commodity tonight, not him. 

“Yeah,” you sigh. “Thank you.”

“Don’t be there too long, though. I can be chivalrous for only so long.”

You smile. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

The look in his eyes is warm and so is the feeling in your chest. Heat from the fire whips at you. 

You turn. 

Most of the people have moved outside by now. A few younger kids play in the living room, with the older ones sprawled out on the cushioned sofa on their phones, earbuds in, a few of them dozing; the eighty-inch flat screen TV plays some movie you don’t recognize. 

Little footsteps reach your ears. 

“Excuse me?”

You turn forward, blink as you find air, then lower your eyes, where a little girl, no older than seven, stands. 

You soften quickly. “Yes?”

She lifts a plate with a thin slice of steak on it towards you. “Can you cut this please?”

“Well, sure.” 

You take the plate and she tugs you by hand around the couch, to the low coffee table where a few other plates are sitting. 

You kneel, careful of your dress, and start cutting it into smaller pieces. 

“Thank you,” she says. “Dad said to have Mom do it, since I don’t know how to use the big knives. But then Mom said she’s busy, so I should ask him. And I can’t ask my big brother because —” she nods to one of the sleeping teenagers. 

You smile. “I see your predicament. What’s your name?”

“Penelope. What’s yours?”

You tell her. “But you can call me Tee. Most people do.”

“Why?”

“Well, y’see, I run this show on the radio. Me and my friend, Jerry. You know Tom and Jerry?”

“Oh! You’re Tom.”

“Yep. Or Tee. And Jerry is Mouser.”

“Mouser?” she asks, wrinkling her nose with an incredulous smile on her mouth. 

“Tom’s the cat and Jerry’s the mouse.”

“So, shouldn’t you be called something else?”

“Well, one of my friends calls me tomcat.”

“Is it Miyuki?”

You blink, surprised. “Yes, it is.”

She nods. “That’s good. It’s better like that. That way you’re the cat and your other friend is the mouse.”

You smile. “I agree.”

She springs up from the fluffy carpet under the coffee table suddenly. “Wait here. Please.”

You let her do her thing, glancing down at your work to finish cutting it up into pieces suitable for her. 

Penelope returns a minute later with a Capri-Sun. “Can you open this, too, please? I can never get the straw in.”

“Sure thing. Is this okay?” You nod to the plate. 

She nods. “Yes. Thank you.”

“No problem.” You take the Capri-Sun, pulling the straw loose, pulling off the wrapper, then poking it into the hole. 

Penelope watches you. “I like your nails. And your lipstick.”

You smile. “Thank you. I like your shoes.”

“They light up.” 

She stomps one for demonstration. You ooh accordingly. 

You linger there, more relaxed now than you’ve felt for most of the evening. 

But, just to take the edge off a little further, you’ll try to find someplace else. A little more quiet, you think. 

“You know your way around here?” you ask. 

Penelope nods matter-of-factly. “The kitchen and movie theater is that way. The bathroom is this way.”

Jeez. Movie theater?

You shake your head a little. “I’ll be in the kitchen, then, if you need anything else. And don’t worry about it, either, alright?”

She nods. “‘Kay. Thanks.”

“Sure.”

You stand, smoothing down your dress, and head to where she said the kitchen was — to your right. Down a hall, where you pass a large and ornately decorated dining room, then you come upon the equally large kitchen. Really a beautiful piece of interior design. You’d want Raul to be your designer if you had the money to afford anything other than your little apartment. 

You pause in front of the empty kitchen, looking down the rest of the hall hesitantly before deciding you are curious about this home theater Raul has. 

You find it easily, a little sign above the door signaling it, and poke your head in. You are being very nosy, you know, sticking your nose into places you are probably not allowed but — home theater, man. Home theater. 

You find a light switch — it’s actually a touchscreen display embedded in the wall and a clumsy fumble of your fingers somehow manages to turn the lights on — which illuminates a large room. Bigger than your own bedroom, if you think about it. Large white screen at one end, with a few rows of plush loveseats facing it. You spy a popcorn maker and oodles of candy stocked on shelves in the wall. Even a… is that an Icee machine?

“If you want to hide in here for the rest of the night, I don’t mind.”

“Holy shit!”

You whirl around, a hand flying to your chest, but it’s just Raul, looking torn between guilt and amusement as he holds up his hands in a placating motion. 

“Sorry, sorry, I thought you heard me.”

“No — um, I should be apologizing, I was… snooping —”

He snorts, waving a hand. “Snooping. Don’t worry about it, kid. If Kazuya trusts you, I trust you. Snoop all you like. Well. Within reason.”

You laugh. “Still. I shouldn’t have —” you gesture to the theater, stepping away from the door. “It’s, um, really cool, though.”

“Kinda obnoxious, though, isn’t it?” he asks, chuckling and leaning in to look. “It’s mostly for the kids. Sandra and I still like going out to the movie theaters.”

“I would think you run less of a bill here.”

“True. But I also appreciate how movie theaters let total strangers come together to watch something. Something about collective action, don’t you think?”

“That… Yeah. Yeah. I agree. Like with concerts.”

Raul nods quickly. “Exactly. It’s nice. The kids just think it’s cheesy.”

You chuckle. “They’ll come around to it when they get older.”

“That’s what Sandra says, too.” He leans in to turn off the light and close the door. “So, I’m guessing you came in to escape.”

“Just a small break.”

The two of you start for the kitchen. Raul nods. “I get it. Kazuya had a penchant for doing that, too, when he first got traded. He still does it sometimes these days.”

“Sounds like Kazuya,” you chuckle. 

“He likes his space. Solitude. So, I was pretty surprised to keep hearing he was out and about this offseason.”

You wince. “I, uh, commandeered probably too much of his time.”

“I don’t know,” Raul says, stepping into the kitchen while you pause at the counter. “He probably wouldn’t agree with you. And I’m not sure I do, either. It’s good to see him getting out.”

He opens one of those fancy wine refrigerators under the island. “I try to convince him to hang out with me or Sandra, even if it’s just errands or something. Just to get him out. He’s much more willing with you, which is better. You’re a good influence on him.”

Something about that makes your heart ache. You try to brush it off. 

“Wine?” he asks, two glasses now in hand, along with a wine bottle. Something French. A rosé. 

“Just a little. Thanks.”

“Sure. It’s much preferable to beer, but some of the guys can be weird about it.” He rolls his eyes as he says that. 

You laugh. 

“Anyway, I just came in to check on you. Doing my host-ly duties. Plus Kazuya was a bit worried.”

“About —?”

“Who else?”

He passes you the glass and you take a sip. 

“Everything’s fine,” you say. It really is. You should be ready to head out soon. But you’re curious about something. 

“You know… I hadn’t realized you two were so close. I mean, they talk about it in the press but…” This is something different. 

“He’s a good kid. Spent a lot of time with us when he moved.”

“He never mentioned it.”

“I wouldn’t expect him to. It’s a casual thing. Meaningful but casual.” 

“That’s nice. I was worried he'd been alone this whole time.”

“We do what we can. Seems like you cracked the code, though.”

You smile and shrug. “All it takes is a baseball to the face.”

He laughs. “You’re funny. I can see why he likes you.”

“Huh?”

Raul raises a brow. “As a friend, kid.”

“Right.” 

An awkward silence takes hold. He takes a pointed sip of his wine. 

 You groan. “No, I just completely revealed myself, didn’t I?”

“Not now. Anyone with a pair of eyes can see it. But yes. It was an official confirmation.”

“So embarrassing,” you whisper. 

“I think it’s nice. The only thing I’m wondering is — why aren’t you two together?”

You smile tiredly. “You aren’t the first person to ask that question.”

He shakes his head. “I ask out of his interest. To protect him. You seem like a nice person but… Kazuya so rarely allows himself to feel these things. To let people in like that. I don’t want to see him get hurt.”

“I don’t want to hurt him.”

“I can tell. And truthfully, you do seem like a good person. You do. But sooner or later, we’re going to be packing in it to go to Arizona for spring training. And from there, it’s six months of baseball. Do you really want to wait that long?”

“I mean, I don’t… I wasn’t…”

“You should. They said that hit you got was real serious. Serious enough to kill you, if things had gone differently. Regrets are inevitable but is this one you want to keep, if you can do something about it?”

You don’t say anything, staring down at your wine glass, where your lipstick has left a mulberry mark on the rim. 

“That’s all I ask,” he says gently. “Just don’t hurt him. Please.”

“Hey, tomcat! There you are… Was worried you got lost in this place — oh, hey, Raul.”

“Oh, hey, Raul. So disrespectful of your elders.”

Kazuya laughs and you find yourself relaxing at the sound of it. 

“Not my fault I prefer to see her face over yours,” he says, smirking. 

Raul rolls his eyes and you smile, ducking your head as your face warms. 

“You two coming in here to sneak in the good stuff?” Kazuya asks next. “Seriously. This beer sucks. I mean, all beer sucks, but this one sucks extra.”

Raul laughs. 

“Shouldn’t have let yourself be peer pressured into it,” you say, scooting him your wine glass. “Finish it off. I’m good.”

“I’ll be outside,” Raul chuckles, picking up his wine glass. “Help yourselves. There are some wine coolers in the fridge.”

He steps out. Kazuya finishes your wine, then puts the glass in the sink, starting to wash it; now that you know he and Raul were closer than initially conveyed, you can see the ease with which he moves here. 

“So, what happened?” he asks.

“Well… I met one of the kids. Penelope. Nice girl.”

“Funny kid.”

You chuckle, only imagining what his and her interactions must be like. He isn’t… terrible with kids. You imagine with his profession, he can’t be. A tad awkward with the little ones but better with the older ones. 

“What else?”

At the sink, he sponges the inside of the glass, the soft side of the sponge squeaking a little against the glass; soapy bubbles spill over from his palm. 

You cross your arms as you lean back against the counter, giving him a bashful smile that makes him raise an eyebrow. 

“I snooped.”

“Can’t take you anywhere, can I.” 

You pout until he chuckles. “Alright, fine. What’d you snoop on?”

“The home theater.”

Kazuya starts laughing. 

“It’s crazy. I mean… What?”

“I know,” he laughs. “It’s ridiculous, right?”

“It’s… an interesting choice. Although I don’t know if I can judge. If I had the opportunity for, like, a free room…”

“You’d want a studio?”

“What? No, I’d make Batman and Robin a bedroom.”

He laughs, shutting off the water, setting the wine on a drying mat, and grabbing a dish towel to dry his hands. 

“Raul’s nice,” you say. 

“He’s not half bad.”

You smile and roll your eyes good-naturedly.

“He has a habit of making people introspective,” he adds. “He just can’t help himself. But I guess old people are just like that.”

“Old people. Please. He’s only thirty-nine. Besides… it’s not so bad.”

“No? Well, it did look like you two were having a pretty serious conversation,” he says casually, turning to lean against the counter beside you. The heat of his body is palpable in the few inches between your bodies. 

Serious is an understatement.

You’re still thinking about it. 

About everything you’ve been told.

By your sister, by Hector, by Raul. 

A few things stand out.

One. He deserves to know. By this point, it isn’t going to blow over, not since you know how he feels, too. There is a hole in your heart that he carved out and no one but him can fill it.

Two. He deserves to know now because in a little over a month from now, he will be heading to Arizona, not to return until March thirtieth. 

Three. You have the opportunity. The chance. Right in front of you. Why not take it? 

Maybe this will end in heartbreak. Maybe you’ll walk away with that hole in your heart and it’ll never be filled, not by anyone, not by him. But you said it before.

You can’t live your life closed off to protect yourself. And you can’t close off now, realizing how much he means to you. Scared at how much he means to you. But also in the position where you know you likely mean as much to him. 

Enough for him to say something.

“I was given the shovel talk,” you say at last. He let you stew in your silence for a minute. Maybe he can tell. 

He grimaces. “Sorry. He doesn’t — they don’t —”

“No, no… it’s okay. I’m glad you have people looking out for you like that.”

“Yeah, but you’re not…” he struggles for a second, lips pursing, a wrinkle appearing between his brows. “One. They worry too much. And two… you aren’t going to do that.”

But you did. But you will. But just because it might hurt right now, to know you didn’t say anything, doesn’t mean the rest of it will hurt, too.

It swells inside you with a hurricane force. You want to spill it all, tell him everything. 

“Can we talk? Somewhere… private? Please?” You’re this side of desperate.

He can tell, a little alarmed, a little… scared?

It flabbergasts you as he nods quickly and takes you by the hand. You can’t even enjoy the feel of his hand in yours because of the confusion.

It hits you quickly, though, as you climb the stairs to the second floor.

How must it sound — for you to mention your shovel talk, then for him to say he believes you won’t hurt him, and for you to ask to talk. Quite urgently. 

Does he think you want to go back on your agreement to be friends?

This is… it’s not that. It is, in a way, because you hope you can be more than friends but the core of you, that stays the same. 

He is one of your best friends. 

You’ll always want that. 

You don’t say anything until you find the both of you inside one of the many guest rooms — a spacious thing, with a four-poster King-sized bed not unlike his own, with a large set of windows that overlook the backyard and the ocean. 

“I still want to be friends,” you say as soon as the door shuts behind him. 

He turns, blinking at you.

“I mean… you don’t have to worry about that. But the truth is, I’ve made a mistake. Not about being friends with you after… after. You know. But more in that… I didn’t say anything when I should’ve.”

He tenses, saying your name.

“It’s true,” you say, words forming faster than you can say them. “It’s not just you, it was never just you because I… I really like you. I have for a while, I think.”

Miyuki Kazuya, you think, is speechless. His eyes are wide, too, looking at you like…

You look away. Keep talking. You can’t stop. You have to explain. He has to know why.

“You just caught me off-guard. You’ve never… I didn’t expect that to happen. Not from you and it’s not bad, it wasn’t, it still remains… one of the nicest moments I’ve ever had but I was… stupid. I didn’t say anything when I should’ve and then the time kept passing and I kept thinking you didn’t deserve for my words to just be some kind of afterthought when they should’ve been spoken there.

“But then I realized that kind of thinking was useless. The time keeps passing. It always will and for me, it hasn’t changed anything. My feelings are still as they are, maybe stronger, after everything. I was just so…” you slide a hand down your face, smiling faintly. “Surprised. I mean, in what universe…”

“In this one,” Kazuya says, looking determined then, a ferocious kind of passion you’ve only seen in clips of him playing, but never directed at you. As though you are something he is passionate about.

But you should know better. You are passionate about him. You know, then, that he is passionate about you, too.

Two-way street. 

What a stunning kind of absolute. 

It’s the kind that makes you want to reach for him, pull him into your arms. 

He takes a step toward you. Your heart speeds up.

He says your name. “It’s this universe. This one. And if my multiversal selves have any kind of common sense, they’d find you, too.”

“Kazuya…”

Another step. His face is a shade hesitant now. Uncertain. It makes him younger.

“Do you… You mean that.”

“Every word,” you whisper. “I understand if you’re… upset I held back this long.”

“I had a feeling,” he murmurs. “That you were feeling it, too. It… it gave me hope. I would’ve waited.” 

“You don’t need to.”

His hands cup your face. The brush of his warm calloused hands against the softness of your face is dizzying. The look in his eyes is tender. You feel like you might buckle from the weight of it.

“Can I ask you something else?”

A nod.

“Can I kiss you?”

“Yes,” you whisper, and in the next moment, his lips are on yours. 

You turn into a puddle of goo in his hands, everything inside you shivering at the touch of his lips to yours, so warm and so soft. 

The first press is exploratory. A discovery in the making. 

Everything after that is so much more certain. A promise, a vow. 

His hands leave your face, one coming to your waist, the other sliding around to the back of your neck, keeping you there as he kisses you, pressing, insistent. Like he’s trying to take in as much of you as you can. 

You shiver, sliding your arms around his neck, one of your hands finding its place in his hair. Silky soft strands glide through your fingers. He tugs you closer. Closer and closer until there is no space between you, until your very atoms might be intermingling, too. 

The heat of him bleeds into you. The smell of his shampoo overwhelming. 

The fact that you’re here, that this is him. 

Your lips part. He shivers this time. 

A sound. 

“Miyuki, you can’t just hide — Jesus Christ!”

The two of you wrench apart, heads snapping to the source of the voice. 

Wendy stands in the doorway, her eyes wide. The shock leaves her quickly. “Oh my god, look at the state of you two! Stay here. Do not go back out. I’ll be back.” 

The door shuts before you two can say anything else. 

Look at the state of — you two can’t look that bad. You didn’t do much. Your hands did find their way to his hair but that’s —

You look at each other at the same time. 

“Oh, god,” you say. 

His lips are tinted mulberry, more smeared around his mouth. 

Kazuya starts laughing. “You, too!”

You join his laughter, listing into him. His body shakes with it. 

You laugh and laugh and laugh, arms wrapped around one another, and it’s like a puzzle piece sliding into place, the last one of the set, a masterpiece before your eyes. 

Considering you know a thing or two about puzzles… you know what you’re talking about. 

[Night Owl Transcript — 20:15 — 1/16/2023]

[Metric’s “Eclipse (All Yours)” plays] Tear me down, they can't take you out of my thoughts Under every scar, there’s a battle I’ve lost Will they stop when they see us again? I can’t stop, now I know who I am

Now I’m all yours, I’m not afraid And you're all mine, say what they may And all your love, I’ll take to the grave And all my life starts

[Off-air recording starts] Mouser: I guess that explains that? Tee: I love you, Mouser.  Mouser: [Laughing] I love you, too, Tee.

“Oh, but we have to get on Batman! Batman and Robin would want me to!”

Kazuya hoists the backpack with your belongings on his back, eyeing you. 

“You know, if they could talk, I don’t think that’s what they would say.”

Pop music plays faintly from the speakers. A Bastille song, you think. Dominating over it is the sound of thrilled screams and the mechanical rapid fire click of rollercoasters. 

Despite being late January — exactly three months since your concussion — Valencia, California is unusually warm, the sun shining down on you, a cooler breeze accompanying it. Nothing uncomfortable, though. You whipped out your jean shorts for it, along with a black t-shirt with the Batman symbol on the breast. Your crew socks match. You’re just wearing a pair of comfortable sneakers, though. No Docs. That’d probably kill your feet, with all the walking you’re going to do today. It’s finished with your usual black cherry lip lacquer. You’ve gotten several compliments on your outfit. You’re pleased. 

Six Flags Magic Mountain is busy but not as busy as it gets during the height of the summer. The warm temperatures teased out a few more people but it’s still an awkward time of the year and an awkward time of the week — a Wednesday. 

Not that it matters much to you. Kazuya bought both of you the FLASH Pass add-ons for your already-expensive tickets, that way you don’t have to wait in line for too long. You can’t say you disagree. Lines can be two hours long or more sometimes. It would be disappointing to walk away having only ridden, like, five rides because of that. 

No, the only way you’re walking out with such a low number is if your head starts bothering you. 

Which, several hours into this trip, a couple rides under your belt, is fine. 

Even Kazuya is a good sport about all of it. He resolutely refuses to open his eyes on any of the rides, as well as let go and generally make any noise, but that’s fine. You can tell he’s actually having some fun, even with that. 

“No,” you say, taking his hand and starting for Batman: the Ride. “They would say, like, thank you for everything you have done for us, Tee, we love you. And then they would say that.”

“Well, let’s still not pretend like going on Batman isn’t this trip’s primary purpose.”

“True!”

Valencia is only a three hour drive from San Diego. Well. Four with traffic. 

Still, you’d decided it would be best to spend the night here instead of making yourselves brave the drive back. 

Everything is perfect, regardless. He’ll be leaving soon, but you aren’t so worried about it anymore, now that you’ve talked and settled everything. Peoria is only about five and a half hours from San Diego. You don’t mind making the drive for a weekend trip or something. Plus, they have a Waffle House there, and you’ve always wanted to go. 

“So, you’re going for Waffle House. Not for me. You know. Your boyfriend,” Kazuya had said when you mentioned that. 

You’d just laughed and said, “I can go for both things! They are not mutually exclusive.”

And despite his blustering, he would never say no to you visiting him during the time that he’ll be gone, so, it’s settled. You’ll visit for Waffle House and your boyfriend. 

Even now, a few weeks after that night at the house, thinking that way about him sends a pleasant zing up your spine. Your hand tightens on his before you let go so you can hook your arm in his, sides pressed together. 

You lean your head on his shoulder, head tilted up with a smile as you pass the archway with DC UNIVERSE written at the top, marking your entrance into this themed sector of the park with all the superhero rides. 

You explore the themed buildings a bit, finding a statue of Batman at one point, which you need a picture with. 

“Hey, we passed a Wonder Woman one. You didn’t want to take one with her, too?”

“It would be a disservice to stand next to her with my Batman merch,” you say. “Make sure you get my socks, please!”

He backs up accordingly. “I thought Batman and Wonder Woman were friends.”

“As much as anyone can be friends with Batman,” you snort, then beam as he lifts his phone. 

“Batman and I have that in common,” he says. 

You laugh. 

“Don’t laugh!”

He pouts about it all the way to the entrance to the ride, which is an archway that says Gotham City Park. It should really be Robinson Park, if they wanted to be accurate, but you guess the notoriety of Gotham City needs to be emphasized more. The wall near it has a carved stone Batman emblem, with THE RIDE underneath. You make him take another picture of you in front of it, then enter the queue. 

“You know, it has me thinking,” he says. 

The queue is outside, snaking through a park. Since you’re in the FLASH pass line, you easily bypass the long lines of people. Soon enough, the queue enters into a fake sewer tunnel. 

“What has you thinking?”

You run into a small line near the stairs. Voices echo, bouncing off the cement walls. No one notices you two. Kazuya is ‘incognito’ with a black ballcap with the Wonder Woman logo on it. You bought it for him when you got here and he faithfully exchanged his Padres cap for it. 

Funnily enough, by the point you two realized you were not just going to be friends, the press had started to let go of those dating rumors, turning their eyes onto something else. 

It gave you some peace but it also meant you two had to be careful how you acted when going out. And that got tiring pretty quickly. 

Tomorrow, they’re planning on releasing a statement breaking the news about your relationship. So, today, you get to be as affectionate as you’d like. Any questions would soon be answered. 

“So… for you and Jerry, you say he’s the Donna Troy to your Dick Grayson.”

“Yeeees?”

He looks a tad petulant as he asks, “Well, what about us?”

You smile. “That’s easy. You’re the Lois Lane to my Clark Kent.”

“What about Batman and Catwoman? Talia?” He stresses the last name knowing how much you like her, and her and Bruce’s dynamic. 

“Bruce and Talia are more like a divorced couple. And Bruce and Selina aren’t much better.” You pat his shoulder. “Batman has no healthy romantic relationships. No healthy relationships, period, to be honest. That’s just how he is.”

Kazuya thinks about this for a second. “You know… yeah. Yeah. That’s fair. Why am I Lois Lane, though?”

“Do you really consider yourself Clark Kent?”

He laughs. “Fair enough, tomcat.”

[Night Owl Transcript — 20:04 — 1/27/2023]

Tee: Wheeew, the switchboard is going crazy. Guys, take a chill pill. Now, instead of hundreds of you asking questions about my love life, why don’t we focus on the fact that it’s romanticize-your-life Friday? Everyone, have a great evening. Let the romanticizing commence. 

[Florence + the Machine’s “Dog Days Are Over” plays] And I never wanted anything from you Except everything you had and what was left after that too, oh Happiness hit her like a bullet in the back Struck from a great height by someone who should know better than that

The dog days are over The dog days are done Can you hear the horses? 'Cause here they come

“You want to blindfold me? I’m not against the idea but we’ve barely gotten to third base. I feel like we should wait a little longer before we start exploring that stuff…”

The tips of his ears turn red. He pinches your cheek. “That’s not what this is for.”

“Okay, so, what is it for?”

“It’s a surprise.”

Well, you could’ve guessed that, considering you’re sitting in his car in front of your apartment and not, you know, in the bedroom. You’d just wanted to give him a little bit of hell. 

“Is this a Valentine's thing?” you ask as he wraps the blindfold over your eyes. 

Kazuya pauses. 

You grin. “You just realized it’s in three days, didn’t you?”

He coughs. “In Japan, men don’t do anything for Valentine’s. The women do. White Day, March fourteenth, is our time. So.”

“Well, we don’t have to do anything regardless. I know you’re leaving the day after.”

“No, it’s fine. This is… Yeah. Guess it’s a gift. Sort of.”

“Sort of. How romantic.”

He pinches your side. You laugh. 

“Brat,” he mutters, pressing a fleeting kiss to your mouth. 

Your hands come up to his shoulders. 

“Hm,” he says as he pulls away. “You know… maybe —”

“Don’t start. It’s too late for that. Show me the surprise.”

“Later?”

“Focus, Lane.”

“I’m very focused, Kent.”

You grin, grab his hand to press a kiss there, then sit back in your seat. 

“Let’s see what this is all about, then.”

“Right.”

A nervous kind of energy fills the car. You hear him shift back into drive, then you’re back on the road. One of your playlists you shared with him plays from the speakers. You hum along to it, tapping the beat on your thigh. 

You drive for some time. Twenty to twenty-five minutes. But eventually, he’s pulling the car into park, shutting it off, and telling you to wait. 

His door opens and closes. A second later, yours opens. 

You take his hand, carefully pulling yourself out of the car. Hard ground meets your Docs. He tugs you further away, then shuts the passenger door. A cool breeze skitters across your skin. A car passes somewhere behind you. You sniff the air. It smells like —

Fingers tug at the knot at the back of your head. The blindfold loosens. 

You blink the blurriness out of your eyes. The pink and orange sky greets you, the sun starting to set. In front of you is a two-story condo. The exterior is painted a soft shade of blue. More homes sit on either side.

He pulls you up the set of stairs that lead to a tiny porch, fishing out a key from his pocket. 

“Wait… is this yours?”

You knew he’d been house-hunting. He never said much about it, other than that he was still considering his options. 

The inside is open and spacious. A set of stairs lead up to the second floor. Everything looks new. 

“Needed to get a place eventually,” he says. “But, yeah. Had it furnished. Needs decorations, though, for the walls and stuff. Thought you could help with that…”

You smile, knowing he’s talking about the puzzles. “Of course.”

It’s a three bedroom, three bath. He doesn’t lead you upstairs, but further in. 

A dining room is set off beside the kitchen, which shares an open plan with the living room in front of it. A bay window sits near the dining room. A sliding glass door leads outside, to a —

The door opens. The saltiness of the ocean hits you immediately. 

You follow him out, shoes thumping against the wooden deck, which has an outdoor grilling area, a table, and then a pool. 

It overlooks South Mission Beach. Just sprawling sandy beaches and foamy tides, waves crashing against the shoreline. 

“Kazuya?”

You aren’t sure. Did he really…

He shrugs, smiling a little. “You said beachfront properties were the best, especially if they had a pool deck, since the ocean was cold most of the year. And if anything, you get nice sunsets. I thought about it for a while and I think you were right.”

So it isn’t a coincidence the sun is starting its descent right this moment. 

“Kazuya…”

His arms come around you, pulling you into his chest. “You can stay here while I’m gone. Enjoy this stuff since I won’t be here to. I’m not asking you to move in yet but… it’s yours, too.”

You duck your head, hiding your smile in his collar. “But do you like it?”

He rests his chin on your head, hand stroking up and down your back. 

He says your name, syllables wrapped in warmth. “Truthfully, at the risk of sounding cheesy, as long as you’re here, anywhere is fine. I would even be okay with your crappy little apartment.”

You laugh.  

“But I don’t know…” he presses his lips to your head. “Maybe next year, Batman and Robin will get to see their home.”

You smile. The two of you are swaying a little. Back and forth. Back and forth. You can hear the waves from here. 

“Hopeful for the future?”

“You already know the answer to that.”

Yeah. 

You do. 

[Hozier’s “All Things End” plays] And all things end All that we intend is built on sand Slips right through our hands And just knowing That everything will end Won't change our plans When we begin again

Dogfish ━ Mary Oliver

Some kind of relaxed and beautiful thing kept flickering in with the tide and looking around. Black as a fisherman’s boot, with a white belly.

If you asked for a picture I would have to draw a smile under the perfectly round eyes and above the chin, which was rough as a thousand sharpened nails.

And you know what a smile means, don’t you?

I wanted the past to go away, I wanted to leave it, like another country; I wanted my life to close, and open like a hinge, like a wing, like the part of the song     where it falls down over the rocks: an explosion, a discovery;     I wanted to hurry into the work of my life; I wanted to know, whoever I was, I was

alive for a little while.

It was evening, and no longer summer. Three small fish, I don’t know what they were, huddled in the highest ripples as it came swimming in again, effortless, the whole body one gesture, one black sleeve that could fit easily around the bodies of three small fish.

Also I wanted to be able to love. And we all know how that one goes, don’t we?

Slowly

the dogfish tore open the soft basins of water.

You don’t want to hear the story of my life, and anyway I don’t want to tell it, I want to listen

to the enormous waterfalls of the sun.

And anyway it’s the same old story-- a few people just trying, one way or another, to survive.

Mostly, I want to be kind. And nobody, of course, is kind, or mean, for a simple reason.

And nobody gets out of it, having to swim through the fires to stay in this world.

And look! look! look! I think those little fish better wake up and dash themselves away from the hopeless future that is bulging toward them.

And probably, if they don’t waste time looking for an easier world,

they can do it.

#daiya no ace #ace of diamond #miyuki kazuya #miyuki kazuya x reader #daiya no ace x reader #ace of diamond x reader #moss writes

[sifofasgard]

An interview with Vngel

NICKNAME:

Vngel: Angel but spelled with a V instead of an A since my real name starts with a V. Someone pointed out that would be a funny way to spell it and I agreed. Some people have started calling me V because of that which I actually hate. Please do not call me V. Interviewer: What is your real name? Vngel: Guess. Interviewer: It would be faster if yo- Vngel: But not as much fun. Interviewer: You're not going to tell me are you? Vngel: Nope Interviewer: Right moving on.

GENDER:

Female

STAR SIGN:

Haven't a clue. Wasn't aware it was a thing till like three years ago. That goes on birth months right? So whatever it is for August.

HEIGHT:

5'2"

ORIENTATION:

Straight? I think. I dunno. Never gave it much thought. I guess if we get along and the vibes are good and all that then that's all that matters.

NATIONALITY / ETHNICITY:

American. Born right here in Night City. Same as my parents.

FAVE FRUIT:

Oh man I gotta pick one? Guess I'll just be real simple and lame and say strawberry. Haven't had any since I was a child. Should try to get some sometime.

FAVE SEASON:

Spring. It's perfect light wise as it doesn't stay dark or light too long, it's the right temperature most of the time and everything just seems to come back to life. The colors are just my thing as well.

FAVE FLOWER:

Don't have one. I do prefer very colorful ones though.

FAVE SCENT:

Unicorn fart*. Yeah yeah unicorns aren't real but it's what I call it. I have a bunch of candles with this scent. No clue what it actually is other then a combination of things and I don't really care. It's really sweet and I only burn these candles on special occasions since I don't have many or know where to get more. Interviewer: Wait if you don't know where to get them then how did you acquire them in the first place? Vngel: Found them. Interviewer: You found a bunch of candles with an unknown scent? Vngel: Yup. Interviewer: And you just decided to take it with you despite not being able to identify the smell? Vngel: Would have been a waste to leave them there. Interviewer: That's not what I meant, you know what never mind, moving on.

COFFEE, TEA, HOT CHOCOLATE:

Hot chocolate all the way.

AVERAGE HOURS OF SLEEP:

Six-ish hours I'd say. Odd question by the way.

DOG OR CAT PERSON:

How do you go from favorite things to sleep to dogs or cats? Doesn't matter I suppose. I actually don't know. I never had a dog or a cat or even interacted with either.

DREAM TRIP:

Hmm...somewhere with snow and mountains. I'd like to try snowboarding or skiing sometime. Yeah go to one of those fancy ski resorts and give it a go. That's the only way you could willingly get me to go somewhere cold.

FAVE FICTIONAL CHARACTER:

You know those old comic books? The marvel ones that had their own whole universe? One of the characters from those comics is Jessica Jones. She's strong and doesn't take any shit from anyone. Love her sarcasm. So I would say she's the closest thing I have to a favorite.

NUMBER OF BLANKETS YOU SLEEP WITH:

One but I do have different ones to switch out. Thick ones for cold weather and thinner ones for warm weather and some in-betweens.

RANDOM FACT:

You are about 1cm taller in the morning when you first get up than when you go to bed. This is because during the day the soft cartilage between your bones gets squashed and compressed.

This was fun! Thank you @dreamskug for tagging me!

I don't really know who hasn't done this yet so consider yourself tagged if you haven't done it yet and want to!

*the unicorn fart is actually a combination scent consisting of raspberries, blueberries, mulberry, elderberries and some drops of lime, caramel and vanilla. It's a scent I use for one of my own candles that smells very sweet and what I would imagine a unicorn fart to smell like XD

#cyberpunk 2077 #Vngel #oc: Vngel

[cypriathus]

Here is one of my anti-hero OCs!

POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNING: There are a couple of brief mentions of cannibalism. It should also be noted out that there is a brief mention of genitalia.

Khalemonszur Ibulofeja is a 6075-year-old redeemed gluttony sinner who’s transformed into a glutton demon, acting as a butler of Ozhibela and an anti-hero assassin for the Gloomy Meadowlark Syndicate (GMS). She’s an aloof and respectful person who strongly believes in the concept of stoicism, practising courage, wisdom, and justice on a daily basis. The only stoic virtue she struggles with is temperance due to her gluttonous appetite and overindulgence in human organs. She has extreme street and intellectual knowledge, and a willingness to obey the orders of individuals she views as honourable and reliable. When punishing irredeemable people and those who wrongfully provoke her wrath, she's an emotionless sadist that keeps an eerily calm look. She holds a violent disdain towards wickedness and those who abuse their position in society, and isn’t friendly to people who betray her trust. She’s taciturn, vehemently independent, passionate about her magical and medical studies, and proud of her current life. She possesses a great deal of conscientiousness and emotional intuition, and shows no fear in the utilisation of deceitful tactics to achieve her goals. It’s difficult for people to socially interact with Khalemonszur because of her treacherous and capricious nature when it comes to strangers.

As her human self, her height is 5’ 4” (162.56 cm) and her body type is an inverted triangle ectomorph with shapely legs, upper arms that carry some of her weight, prominent hips, and a castrated penis. Through alchemical experimentation, she managed to create a more feminine body with rounder breasts and a softer face. She has shimmering umber skin with pinkish stretch marks that are located on her legs, upper arms, and hips. She has acrofacial and focal vitiligo as well as permanent henna rose and lily tattoos on her hands and forearms. Khalemonszur’s eyes are a yellowish-grey, and she wears her wavy hair in a long braid that’s adorned with golden ribbons. She dons rose quartz crescent-shaped earrings and a shawl with dark purple tassels and an alternating pattern of carnelian, agate, lapis lazuli, silver, and gold beads. She wears a niqab of deep sea green, a bronze Roman lorica segmentata, chestnut rose Turkish salvar, and a pair of moose hide moccasins with beaver fur trim. She also wears a black string necklace with a large andradite magatama bead, a silver dome ring on left index finger, a light brown tunic, and an Aurelius robe of purplish-black.

She carries around a massive traveller’s backpack that contains a wide variety of souvenirs from many parts of the world. It also holds camping materials, some books, a black magic grimoire that has rotting crocodile skin, a white magic grimoire that has gold plating and pearlescent sheepskin, a few containers of alchemical substances, and surgical materials. A small selection of bottled potions, some oil lamps, and a few heads of slain beasts are tied to the backpack, giving it a menacing and sophisticated look. She has a silver calvary lance and an indestructible, triple-stringed bow with two mulberry wood quivers full of an inexhaustible number of poison-tipped arrows. The bow gives the wielder self-confidence and it’s endowed with great energy, having the strength of one hundred thousand bows. Those who try to destroy the silky strings of the bow will be incapacitated due to the blinding flash of light that it produces when such an event occurs.

As her demonic self, she’s a 14’ 9” (449.58) greenish-purple mantis with a bronze sheen and spiky, disc-shaped frills of a pale cream to gold to caramel gradient. She has an open chest cavity in the shape of an upside-down triangle, revealing an adamantine ribcage, sapphire lungs, copper veins, an amethyst heart, and jade green insides. Her mantis head has two straightened horns of bright silver, glossy pinkish-brown eyes, and spike-covered umber human arms that act as mandibles. The mantis wings are replaced with that of a violet-backed starling, and the insectoid middle legs and hindlegs are grotesquely reptilian with slender, yet sturdy toes and bronze claws.

Khalemonszur has mastery over medicine, surgery, alchemy, black and white magic, magical performances, and pranks, and induces debauchery, dishonesty, fraudulent business transactions, lying, hatred, and bodily injuries. She can summon simooms and transform into jackals, ostriches, hyenas, wild dogs, goats, dust devils, fiery tornadoes, and gluttonous beasts. She became immortal after consuming the philosopher’s stone in a powder form and possesses absolute knowledge on psychology and all of human history. Her precognition doesn’t allow her to view future events clearly as she’s only given parts of them and are told in a cryptic manner. She’s an enhanced level lightning bruiser that can turn invisible, levitate light and heavy objects, and mimic smoke and plasma. She can grant wishes based on a person’s true intentions and deepest desires, understand all human languages, and seal evil individuals in oil lamps. She’s capable of suppressing her bodily and spiritual pain, and using sand dunes and ruined buildings to teleport across the multiverse. In Khalemonszur’s demonic form, she has enhanced agility, balance, bite, dexterity, leap, and senses, predator instincts, and the ability to reduce or increase her size.

FAMILY:

Nihmuzotawe Ayrenophius (lover)

ALIASES/NICKNAMES:

Khalemonus (by most people)

Graceful Madame (by Abednogius)

Miss Ibulofeja (by Ozhibela)

Khalebo (by Piraszomen and Thusablopi)

Lady In Genie’s Cloth (by Galephominus)

Crusher of Futile Souls (by Admokyrenius)

Habibat albi (“my beloved heart” in Arabic) (by Nihmuzotawe)

Ya sanadi (“my backbone” in Arabic) (by Nihmuzotawe)

Amoori (“moon” in Arabic) (by Nihmuzotawe)

My loneliest aspiration (by Izensporudha)

The Stygian Vivisectionist (by Ziemowuta and Dobunega)

An alchemist’s transexual horror (by the Dobhavulen siblings)

FUN FACTS/EXTRA INFORMATION:

She’s transgender

As an Æylphitus, the different parts of his name have special meanings: Khalemonszur means “covenant of recompense or peace in chains” and Ibulofeja means “father of health”.

She initially died near the fall of Mesopotamia and was sent to the Circle of Overconsumption in Nifjazroghetus due to her cannibalistic nature. Surprisingly enough, she wasn’t fazed by the punishments that gluttons like herself received, so the nobles and royalty decided to redeem her. They didn’t see the point in wasting time on her, so they made her one of the Lorvaztekiphus and allowed her to go back to the surface.

She assassinates amoral supernatural beings and political leaders

She smells like burnt sulphur to those she intends to kill

Her lips are laced with a burning poison

She rarely seals evil individuals in her oil lamps as she finds more enjoyment in killing them

Shtoparvuzke gives her the mortals and Æylphitus he killed, so she can experiment on them and play around with their bodily boundaries.

Despite being a polytheist, she never talks about her religious beliefs as it serves no point in her anti-hero work and studies on alchemy and medical practices.

Besides being an alchemist, she’s one of the cunning folk as she likes to use her black and white magic skills to entertain people.

Ozhibela is one of her closest friends

She’s in possession of a bismuth hair comb that’s tipped with golden rosettes, which was an unexpected gift from Nihmuzotawe.

Her secret bodily weakness or physical Achilles’ heel is her right hand

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