#chipmunks of ash forest

[arkstilldrifting]

To become human

– Human lives are short and sadly. Our fate is to watch how them breaking off and disappearing, like sparkles flying into the night sky, and regret about things we can’t change... – says the Senior Priest. Young D looks at him with a mixture of disgust and regret.

Others listen him with an absurd respect similar to faith, blind and naive, which humans present them on a platter, full of sweets and the best fabrics that can be woven, ornaments and oils…

D doesn't believe in it. Not in the Priest, not in those others, not in their great power – it doesn’t exists. There are only beautiful faces, pale skin, gentle voices and lie, lie, lie... Dirty, stupid, self-confident lie that are bound to come out one day.

“You are still young and naive, – those who are already over forty tell him, – You will understand all later, when you grow up.”

Humans don't lie, and that's why D likes them much more. He escapes to their town, throwing a hood over his face, and pretends that he isn't different from them. Humans talk to him about things they saw, heard, met, bring animals caught somewhere in the mountains and forests and smile. Humans like D, but they like him differently than his relatives.

Humans call him to dance, humans burn fires for him and fry goodies on them. Humans give him wreaths and pour drinks into the cup, which they drink themselves. Humans laugh with him and sing songs.

D loves humans and hates liars who think they understand something about regrets. D always isn’t at home, and those who call him friend, son, brother are angry... D doesn’t regret about it.

And then his people disappearing at the fire of human’s hatred. Houses are burning, and those who really couldn’t change anything, but until the last believed in their divine essence, are dying one by one. D is looking, looking, looking at this…

The flame doesn’t touch him. Ashes fall on dark hair, the screams subside, and the eyes, wide open in horror, do not fill with tears.

“What a weird ending”, – D thinks softly.

“What a wrong ending”.

One of the killers turns around and D rushes away.

“They didn't deserve this, even if they were liars!!!”

But humans don't care. They don't care at all. Indifferent cruel monsters.

*** Wild cats have warm sides, and snakes are great healers. Bird feathers are beautiful in hair, and chipmunks are generous with nuts. Animals love D, and D loves animals very much, but it's so hard to talk to them for a long time…

They look like children, even if they are already adults.

Somewhere very close to the forest stands a small village. Humans believe that D is a deity who lives in the forest and heals their diseases. Humans pray to him, begging for his salvation. D comes and brings medicines without any magic in it.

Humans are also like children, but at least they grow up.

The boy who looks at him so attentively, that he seems to have already learned almost everything, will be a worthy successor for him. D didn't promise miracles to anyone, he'll leave here as soon as his successor grows up. Even if he would like to stay, the road doesn’t wait.

Wild cats are good hunters, and snakes bite those who step on them. They don't care is these humans important to D or not – he will forgive them any mistakes, and they know it. They can't choose, they just do what they want.

Animals are too much like children to ask them about consciousness.

Animals are too much like children to stay anywhere for long.

*** Day by day, year by year, D wanders from village to village, city to city, country to country. He can’t stay anywhere for a long time – those who are dear to him can’t endure too long. They have nowhere to stay to be safe... D dreams about the home where he can stay with those he cares about. The friend rescues him.

– Ships are getting better and better every year, you know? – he asks one day.

– Really? And what do you like now? – D answers.

– I have one, completely intact. I took it from the shipyard. Can I gift it you?

So the Ark was born. Mutual assistance, sincerity and care – this is what this house should have been and became. There is no place for humans.

D loves this house, but there are still children living in it. Is that why he's so drawn to humans?

Humanity is hurts D. Kills his animals, plucks every flower it sees... rejects D, humiliates him and slaps him. But, nevertheless, he continues to strive for those who are cruel to him, because among them there are those who give him words, thoughts and honesty. Smart, mature, kind humans.

But recognizing he’s nature, they also turn away. And those who don't... will die one day anyway.

D regretting about them in the way that none of his dead kind could.

*** The human gave D the son. His animals love the boy so much that they pamper him with all their might. The boy is in poor health because he was born prematurely, but it was possible to save him – so D saved.

“He will bear my name before find his own”.

The boy grows up, and D looks at him and thinks that one day he will need to tell him the story that he doesn’t even want to remember. The boy laughs and strokes the grass, talking to it, smiles at the wind and sees life in everything. D looks at him and sees a miracle that he didn’t seen in any of those liars who have sunk into oblivion. A miracle that even D doesn’t have.

The boy becomes the young man, the young man opens the pet shop to help the meetings he believes are destined to happen happen. D helped him, smiling, and waved goodbye – “Good luck, be happy”.

D knows they won't see each other again.

D lied, saying “see you later”.

D doesn't regret about it.

*** D's father hates humans. He calls them scum and fools, wishing to die out with disgust, sells animals to them, ruthlessly allowing them to kill their owners, indifferently passes by those who are crying, not throwing a glance in their direction. D doesn't know why – D likes humans. Smart, funny, generous... They give him jewelry and share their food in exchange for D sharing his.

After all, humans have textbooks.

– It’s foolish to hate, Father! – calls to parent's heart D. – They're different…

The father stubbornly shakes his head, waving D’s words away. He has reasons to hate.

*** Sciences is taught in human universities. Different, starting with accurate and ending with those that trying to understand humans's souls. D dreams that one day he will be able to know it all.

Writing work for a professor is almost ridiculous. True, that says a lot about the professor, but D doesn't care. The main thing is that he can learn so much, how he wants.

D is in love with the human. In love to the point of madness, to the point of being ready to throw the whole world at his feet, to despair and desire to please at any cost. The human also loves D.

“Human lives are short, – the cursed echo of a time long dead reverberates through his head. – Our fate is to watch how them breaking off and disappearing…”

– I want to be with you always!

– I love you too, D.

Father will never accept that D is so attached to the human.

“I wish it would be possible to make sure that you never die, just like me! Then we will never loose each other”, – D dreams, cuddling up to his beloved’s chest and listening to his heartbeat. His love gently caresses his head with a warm, wide palm.

Father said that people will never accept D’s nature.

“But maybe it’s I should became the human for you?”

D doesn't care if it's a betrayal.

*** Father watches with regret as D packs up.

– Are you sure of your decision?

– Yes.

– Even if you don't meet again?

– Yes.

– Why?

– I love him.

Without interfering, without saying "You aren’t dare," the older D shakes his head.

– Your son stays with me. Count D no belong next to human. They don’t and won’t be forgiven for what they have done.

The younger D freezes for a second.

...ashes fall on dark hair, the screams subside, and the eyes, wide open in horror, do not fill with tears...

– Well, then, so be it. I'll still stick with mine.

D’s father arguments won’t work.

*** Bullet after bullet scorches his shoulder – well, compared to what D has inside, this is literally nothing. With absolutely silence in head, with whole world focused at one point – eyes to eyes, smile, laugh, hope to the end that He’ll notice and understand, appreciate, stay, and D will can drown in the warmth of His hands again...

...but with bullet in the head human can’t stay alive.

#pet shop of horrors #petshop of horrors fanfiction #count d #papa d #d the second

[portlandhabitatwatch]

Vine maple is a true maple that grows quite differently from Willamette Valley’s other native Acer, the bigleaf maple. True to its name, vine maple grows in a vine-like pattern, sending stems out horizontally, seeking out breaks in the overstory where the sun comes through. But only when growing in shade. When it grows in the sun, vine maple’s multiple stems grow vertically, forming a V-shaped silhouette. You have likely seen this large shrub in many Portland-Vancouver gardens, planted for its characteristic maple foliage, vibrant fall color, and elegant, silvery bark.

Vine maple offers multiple benefits to the various ecosystems it grows in. It re-establishes quickly after wildfires, creating shade for ground cover plants such as sword ferns. As well as needed cover and food for squirrels, chipmunks, black-tailed deer, elk, and mountain beavers. Numerous bird species rely on vine maples for food and nest-building material, including two species of water birds, nine species of upland birds, and six species of songbirds. Add to that the ten confirmed species (including the banded woolybear) and forty suspected species of butterflies and moths that use vine maples as a host plant. Altogether, you can see that vine maple facilitates essential habitat from the forested mountains down to the wetlands and grasslands of our valley.

You can grow vine maple in full shade to full sun and in moist to seasonally wet soils. Consider planting vine maple as a border to a pollinator meadow, in or around a rain garden, bordering a flood zone, or pretty much anywhere that gets enough moisture. Vine maples grow well with Douglas-firs, western hemlocks, Oregon ash, oceanspray, baldhip rose, and pacific waterleaf. As always, do not spray pesticides on or near your vine maple; doing so may harm or kill the shrub and the insects, birds, and mammals that rely on it.

For more like this go to portlandhabitatwatch.com

#maple #shrubs #trees #nature #environment #garden #gardeningwithnatives #ecosytem

[lovelyllamasblog]

Disney Palace Pets: Pet Breeds

(This is purely for fun. I had nothing better to do. Don't judge me. These are also purely my headcanons.)

Snow White

Berry: Dwarf Hotot Rabbit Sweetie: Deutches Classic Pony (German Classic Pony) Muffin: Poodle Honeycake: German Rex Thistleblossom: European Hedgehog Madame Hamilot: White Winter Dwarf Hamster

Cinderella

Pumpkin: Poodle Bibbidy: French Saddle Pony Slipper: Persian Brie: Fancy Mouse Midnight: European Wildcat Le Grande: Corgi

Aurora

Dreamy: Birman Bloom: Poney Landais Nuzzles: Red Fox Fern: Long-eared Owl Macaron: English Cocker Spaniel Ash: European Dragon Chipper: Siberian Chipmunk

Ariel

Treasure: Norwegian Forest Cat Seashell: Danish Sport Pony Matey: Faroese Sheepdog Sandy Pearl: Hooded Seal Otto: Eurasian Otter Waddles: Atlantic Puffin

Belle

Teacup: King Charles Spaniel Petit: Auvergne Horse Rouge: Chartreux Booksy: Lop Eared Rabbit Page: Rambouillet Sheep Lacy: Poodle

Jasmine

Sultan: Belgian Tiger Lapis: Arabian Horse Taj: Asian Elephant Nyle: Capuchin Monkey Stripes: Plains Zebra Nola: Nile Hippo Sandstorm: Asiatic Cheetah

Pocahontas

Windflower: North American Raccoon Pounce: Bobcat River: Grey Wolf Brook: The Pony of the Americas

Mulan

Blossom: Great Panda Lychee: Guoxia Plumdrop: Siamese Snowpaws: Snow Leopard Alora: Javan Rhino Chai: Red Panda

Tiana

Lily: Ragdoll Bayou: American Shetland Pony Birdadette: Song Sparrow Olive: Boston Terrier

Rapunzel

Blondie: Deutsche Reitpony (German Riding Pony) Summer: German Longhair Cat Meadow: Skunk Daisy: Maltese Gleam: European Fallow Deer Sundrop: Peacock Truffles: Angeln Saddleback Pig Cubbie: Eurasian Brown Bear

#my posts #disney #disney princesses #palace pets #snow white #cinderella #aurora #belle #ariel #jasmine #pocahontas #mulan #tiana #rapunzel #disney palace pets

[bedalart]

Chipmunk Challenge: Day 3 - The Homebody 

Chipmunk Challenge 

 The goal is to make a chipmunk a day (or more) until I am able to fill a large spread. I thought I would share in the fun by also posting a chipmunk a day online before showing the final result in a week or two. The final spread will consist of at least a dozen chipmunks that are inspired by all shapes and sizes.

#digital art #Character Design #theadventuresofkeeli #artists on tumblr #Artists of Tumblr #the adventures of keeli #chipmunks of ash forest #chipmunk character #original character #creature design

[moths-wc-aus]

my personal prefix list

A

Acanthus, Aconite, Acorn, Adder, Agate, Albatross, Alder, Algae, Alligator, Allium, Aloe, Alpine, Alyssum, Amaranth, Amaryllis, Amber, Anemone, Ant, Apple, Ash, Ashen, Asp, Aspen, Asphodel, Aster, Atlas, Auburn, Avocet, Azalea, Azure

B

Badger, Barberry, Bark, Barley, Basil, Bass, Bat, Bay, Bayberry, Beach, Bean, Bear, Beaver, Bee, Beech, Beetle, Berry, Betony, Billow, Birch, Bird, Bittern, Black, Blackberry, Blackbird, Blaze, Blazing, Bliss, Blister, Blizzard, Bloom, Blooming, Blossom, Blotch, Blotched, Blue, Bluebell, Blueberry, Bluebird, Boar, Bog, Bolt, Bone, Borage, Boulder, Bounce, Bowfin, Bracken, Bramble, Branch, Brass, Brave, Bream, Breeze, Briar, Bright, Brindle, Bristle, Broken, Bronze, Brook, Broom, Brown, Brush, Bubble, Buck, Bug, Bull, Bullfrog, Bumble, Burdock, Burn, Burnet, Burning, Burnt, Burr, Bush, Buttercup, Butterfly, Buzz, Buzzard

C

Calm, Canary, Cardinal, Carp, Cave, Cavern, Cedar, Chaffinch, Char, Charred, Chasing, Cherry, Chervil, Chestnut, Chick, Chickadee, Chicken, Chipmunk, Chirp, Chive, Chrysalis, Cicada, Cinder, Cinnamon, Clay, Clear, Cliff, Cloud, Clouded, Cloudy, Clover, Coal, Cobalt, Cobweb, Cold, Comet, Comfrey, Condor, Conifer, Copper, Cormorant, Cornflower, Corvid, Cotton, Cougar, Cove, Cow, Coyote, Crab, Crane, Crawfish, Crayfish, Cream, Creek, Creeping, Cricket, Crimson, Crocodile, Crooked, Crouch, Crow, Cuckoo, Curlew, Cygnet, Cypress

D

Daffodil, Daisy, Dancing, Dandelion, Dapple, Dappled, Dark, Dawn, Day, Dazzle, Deer, Dew, Doe, Dog, Dove, Dream, Drift, Drifting, Drizzle, Duck, Dune, Dusk, Dust, Dusty

E

Eagle, Ebony, Echo, Eddy, Eel, Egg, Egret, Eider, Elder, Elk, Elm, Ember, Ermine, Evening, Eventide, Ewe

F

Faith, Falcon, Fallen, Falling, Fallow, Fawn, Feather, Fen, Fennel,  Fern, Ferret, Fidget, Field, Fin, Finch, Fire, Firefly, Fish, Flake, Flame, Flare, Flash, Flax, Flea, Fleet, Flicker, Flight, Flint, Flood, Flounder, Flower, Flurry, Flutter, Fly, Flying, Foam, Fog, Forest, Fox, Foxglove, Freckle, Freckled, Freezing, Fritillary, Frog, Frost, Frozen, Fruit

G

Gale, Gardenia, Garlic, Garter, Gator, Gentle, Ginger, Glade, Gleaming, Glimmer, Glowing, Gloom, Goat, Golden, Goldfish, Goose, Gopher, Gorge, Gorse, Gosling, Grass, Gravel, Green, Grey, Grouse, Grove, Gull, Guppy, Gust

H

Hackberry, Haddock, Hail, Half, Hare, Harrier, Haven, Hawk, Hawthorn, Hay, Haze, Hazel, Heath, Heather, Heavy, Hedge, Hemlock, Hen, Heron, Herring, Hickory, Hidden, Hill, Hive, Hollow, Holly, Honey, Hop, Hope, Horizon, Hornet, Hound, Hush, Hyacinth, Hyssop

I

Ibis, Ice, Icy, Indigo, Iris, Ivory, Ivy

J

Jackdaw, Jagged, Jaguar, Jasmine, Jay, Jump, Jumping, Juniper

K

Kelp, Kestrel, Kindle, Kink, Kite, Knotweed, Koi

L

Lake, Lamb, Larch, Lark, Larkspur, Laurel, Lavender, Leaf, Leaping, Leech, Leek, Lemming, Leopard, Lichen, Light, Lightning, Lily, Lion, Linden, Little, Lizard, Lobelia, Locust, Long, Loon, Lost, Lotus, Loud, Lupine, Lynx

M

Mackerel, Magnolia, Magpie,  Mallard, Mallow, Mantis, Maple, Marble, Marbled, Marigold, Marmot, Marrow, Marsh, Marten, Mayflower, Meadow, Mellow, Merlin, Midge, Milkweed, Mink, Minnow, Mint, Mire, Mist, Mistle, Misty, Mole, Monarch, Moon, Moor, Moorhen, Moose, Morning, Mosquito, Moss, Mossy, Moth, Mottle, Mottled, Mountain, Mouse, Mud, Muddy, Mulberry, Mumble, Murky, Mushroom, Myrtle

N

Needle, Nettle, Newt, Night, Nut, Nuthatch

O

Oak, Oat, Ocean, Oleander, Olive, Orchid, Oriole, Osprey, Otter, Owl, Oyster

P

Pale, Pansy, Panther, Parsley, Parsnip, Partridge, Passerine, Patch, Pea, Peach, Pear, Pearl, Pebble, Peeper, Pelican, Peony, Pepper, Perch, Peregrine, Periwinkle, Petal, Petrel, Petunia, Pheasant, Pickerel, Pigeon, Pike, Pine, Pink, Pipit, Pitch, Plover, Plum, Poison, Pollen, Pond, Pool, Poplar, Poppy, Possom, Posy, Pounce, Prickle, Primrose, Puddle, Puffin, Pumpkin, Purple

Q

Quail, Quick, Quiet

R

Rabbit, Raccoon, Ragged, Ragweed, Rain, Raining, Ram, Raspberry, Rat, Raven, Red, Reed, Ribbon, Ridge, Ripple, Rising, River, Robin, Rock, Rocky, Rook, Rooster, Root, Rose, Rosemary, Rowan, Rubble, Rue, Rumble, Running, Rush, Rushing, Russet, Rust, Rusty, Rye

S

Sable, Sage, Salamander, Salmon, Salvia, Sand, Sandwort, Sandy, Sap, Scarlet, Scorch, Scorched, Scorching, Scratch, Screech, Sea, Seal, Sedge, Seed, Senna, Serval, Shade, Shadow, Shale, Sharp, Shatter, Sheep, Shell, Shimmer, Shining, Shiver, Shore, Shrew, Shrike, Shrub, Shy, Silent, Silk, Silver, Singe, Singing, Skip, Skunk, Sky, Slate, Sleek, Sleeping, Sleepy, Sleet, Slight, Slip, Sloe, Slug, Sly, Small, Smoke, Smudge, Snag, Snail, Snake, Snap, Sneeze, Snow, Snowy, Soaring, Soft, Song, Soot, Sorrel, Spark, Sparrow, Speckle, Speckled, Spider, Splash, Splinter, Splotch, Spot, Spotted, Spring, Spruce, Squirrel, Stag, Starling, Stem, Stoat, Stone, Stork, Storm, Stormy, Strawberry, Stream, Strike, Striped, Sugar, Sun, Sunflower, Sunny, Swallow, Swamp, Swan, Sweet, Swift, Swirl, Sycamore

T

Tabby, Tall,  Talon, Tanager, Tangle, Tansy, Tawny, Teasel, Tempest, Tern, Thicket, Thistle, Thorn, Thrush, Thunder, Thyme, Tide, Tiger, Timber, Tiny, Toad, Topple, Torrent, Tortoise, Tree, Trout, Tulip, Tumble, Turkey, Turtle, Twig, Twilight, Twist, Twisted, Twitch

U

Umber, Ursinia

V

Valley, Velvet, Venom, Vervain, Vetch, Vine, Violet, Viper, Vixen, Vole, Vulture

W

Walnut, Wandering, Warble, Warbler, Wasp, Weasel, Web, Weed, Wet, Whirl, Whisker, Whisper, Whispering, Whistle, White, Whorl, Wild, Willow, Wind, Windy, Wish, Wisp, Wolf, Wood, Wool, Wooly, Worm, Wren

Y

Yarrow, Yellow, Yew

#warriors #warrior cats #mod ramblings #warriors prefixes #warrior names #name help #my resources

[wildshapedruid]

can I share some fun tree facts that I hyperfocused on? 🥺

"Giant sequoias are in many ways adapted to forest fires. Their bark is unusually fire resistant, and their cones will normally open immediately after a fire. Giant sequoias are a pioneer species, and are having difficulty reproducing in their original habitat (and very rarely reproduce in cultivation) due to the seeds only being able to grow successfully in full sun and in mineral-rich soils, free from competing vegetation. Although the seeds can germinate in moist needle humus in the spring, these seedlings will die as the duff dries in the summer. They therefore require periodic wildfire to clear competing vegetation and soil humus before successful regeneration can occur. Without fire, shade-loving species will crowd out young sequoia seedlings, and sequoia seeds will not germinate. When fully grown, these trees typically require large amounts of water and are therefore often concentrated near streams. Squirrels, chipmunks, finches and sparrows consume the freshly sprouted seedlings, preventing their growth.

Fires also bring hot air high into the canopy via convection, which in turn dries and opens the cones. The subsequent release of large quantities of seeds coincides with the optimal postfire seedbed conditions. Loose ground ash may also act as a cover to protect the fallen seeds from ultraviolet radiation damage. Due to fire suppression efforts and livestock grazing during the early and mid-20th century, low-intensity fires no longer occurred naturally in many groves, and still do not occur in some groves today. The suppression of fires leads to ground fuel build-up and the dense growth of fire-sensitive white fir, which increases the risk of more intense fires that can use the firs as ladders to threaten mature giant sequoia crowns. Natural fires may also be important in keeping carpenter ants in check. In 1970, the National Park Service began controlled burns of its groves to correct these problems. Current policies also allow natural fires to burn. One of these untamed burns severely damaged the second-largest tree in the world, the Washington tree, in September 2003, 45 days after the fire started. This damage made it unable to withstand the snowstorm of January 2005, leading to the collapse of over half the trunk.

In addition to fire, two animal agents also assist giant sequoia seed release. The more significant of the two is a longhorn beetle (Phymatodes nitidus) that lays eggs on the cones, into which the larvae then bore holes. Reduction of the vascular water supply to the cone scales allows the cones to dry and open for the seeds to fall. Cones damaged by the beetles during the summer will slowly open over the next several months. Some research indicates many cones, particularly higher in the crowns, may need to be partially dried by beetle damage before fire can fully open them. The other agent is the Douglas squirrel (Tamiasciurus douglasi) that gnaws on the fleshy green scales of younger cones. The squirrels are active year-round, and some seeds are dislodged and dropped as the cone is eaten."

[oss-crime]

Chapter 2-Project “Ma” –Eve–; Scene 4

Original Sin Story: Crime, pages 37-48

Seth’s wound wasn’t too bad, but for safety’s sake he wound up receiving treatment at a hospital in the Twelve Royal Capitals.

He got on one of the huge automated carriages of the security force and went back with the soldier driving it.

Adam wound up staying in the village of Nemu for a time along with his bodyguard, Gammon.

Naturally their goal was to search for the “Witch of the Forest”.

And Eve…she served as their guide when the two headed out to the Forest of Held, as well as their driver for the carriage.

The fee they paid her for this service had far greater profit to her than her income selling ingredients from the forest, so she had no reason to refuse.

Eve knew of several of the villages where the people of the forest lived, and so she first took the two of them to those.

And then they tried going around to the places where the witch was rumored to be, or just moved through aimlessly.

But the days passed without achieving any particular result.

.

That day as well the three of them had been advancing along a forest path with the automated carriage.

The sky was overcast with thick clouds. When Eve suggested that it might rain, Adam replied that they perhaps ought to end things early today.

“That aside, you’re quite skilled with driving the automated carriage, Eve,” Adam complimented. “You must be, to move so smoothly through such narrow pathways.”

“It’s no big deal if you’re used to it. But as you’d expect you can’t get to the deeper parts of the forest with a carriage.”

“Still, people would seldom be going in such places. So they’re not likely to be targets of the tribesmen, and thus there’s a low chance of the witch showing up there.”

Putting together the information that Adam and Gammon had been able to obtain up until now, the Witch of the Forest would apparently make her appearances in public to rescue people attacked by the white army.

But strangely, none of the people who had been rescued by her could remember what this witch looked like.

“She has green hair, is a woman, fires lightning from a blue spoon…And that’s all they can remember, oddly enough.”

“They’re all probably in a state of shock from being attacked by the white army, so that’s understandable isn’t it?”

“I wonder. Maybe…this witch can use a spell that manipulates people’s minds.”

Upon hearing that, Eve’s eyes widened for a moment. Then she quickly chuckled. “That’d be pretty convenient, if there really were such a spell. I’d control all the big-wigs into making me the queen.”

“Haha, I guess so. You could have all the wealth and influence you want…Have you ever heard of such a thing?”

“I’ve been raised in a village of sorcerers for over twenty years, but not once, no. Do you know of anything, Adam? You’re seem pretty well educated.”

“I’ve hardly done any studies on magic.”

“Huh…That’s a bit surprising. Don’t you have all this magical potential?”

“I only learned that relatively recently.”

As the two of them talked, Gammon simply looked around at their surroundings without showing the least amount of interest in their conversation.

Over these past few days Eve had been able to learn quite well that taken favorably he was a man who was very dedicated to his work, but taken unfavorably he was a very strait-laced person with little flexibility.

Adam was also a bit too serious, but he at least was easy to get along with.

Among the people who had come over from the capital there were some every now and then who would look down upon a country bumpkin like Eve. But Adam never showed any sign of such behavior.

From what she’d heard, while he was currently living in the Twelve Royal Capitals, originally he had been raised on the coast west from there.

“Just like you…I was an orphan.”

Apparently when he was a child he had been able to make a living and fend off starvation by hunting fish in the sea.

“One day a man suddenly appeared before me. He took me back to his home in the royal capital, and adopted me as his son. Even now I’m not sure why he did that. After that I received an education as a student under my adoptive father—Horus Solntse.”

“Did you…not have any parental figures until then?”

At Eve’s question, Adam responded without hesitation, “I did have a mother. …Though she was a whale.”

“Eh?”

“Ever since I can remember, that white whale had always been by my side. She watched over me…Or so I always thought. Though she never did anything to actually help me, ha ha.”

“…”

“Do you think my story is strange?”

“Mm, nooo…” Eve shook her head, and then replied earnestly, “I’m positive that whale must have been the manifestation of a spirit.”

“A spirit?”

“There are a lot of them in this forest; spirits that take the form of animals. Robins, chipmunks…I can’t talk to them, but I know of them.”

“I see…”

Adam listened in to Eve’s story, offering neither affirmations or denial.

“I too…had times when I was a child where I felt unbearably lonely. My adoptive mother and father were very kind people. But of course they weren’t my real parents…I couldn’t stand that.”

“…I understand that feeling.”

“In the middle of the night I ran out of the village and into the forest. But it was pitch-black, and I couldn’t tell my left from my right…I sat down alone and started crying. And then…it appeared.”

Eve’s shoulders faintly shook.

A drop of water fell from the sky and hit her face.

It had started to rain. There was no roof on this carriage.

Eve stopped the carriage under the shade of a large tree to keep from getting soaked.

“It?” Adam asked.

“A bear. A frightening bear…Here, look.”

Eve suddenly rolled up her skirt.

Adam unthinkingly moved to avert his eyes at catching sight of her bare skin.

But when he noticed the large scar on her thigh, he regained his composure.

“It bit you?”

“Because it was hungry. A little bit longer and I would have ended my life inside that bear’s stomach. But at that moment—the animals of the forest all attacked the bear at once. And they saved me.”

“And so they…were spirits of the forest.”

“I never saw a bear in this forest again. The spirits might have gotten rid of them, or else directed me so that I never got close to one…In any case, the spirits are my friends, and I owe them my life.”

Eve had never really told that story to anyone.

That was because anyone who didn’t know much about the forest in particular would likely think it was just a silly tall tale.

But in that drizzling rain Adam listened to her speak with a serious countenance. Conversely, Eve started to regret having told him.

Thinking on his goals…It would be only natural for him to start to hold some doubts towards Eve, upon hearing that story.

“Eve. So you really are—"

Before Adam could continue speaking, they could suddenly hear a loud explosion from far off.

“--!?”

They all turned over there at once.

…There was smoke coming from the direction of Nemu village.

“—What’s happened!?” Gammon shouted as he whipped out the sword at his hip.

What came to Eve’s mind was the white army.

They had never once attacked the village directly…And yet, she couldn’t think of anything else it could be.

As though in support of that, several tribesmen wielding weapons appeared from the shadows of the trees and circled the carriage.

“Oh, we’re not letting you get back to the village,” said a woman standing in the center of the tribesmen, glowering at Eve and the others.

Gammon had swiftly leapt down from the carriage, and shifted his piercing gaze to the woman.

“You must be the commander of the white army…The ‘White Fiend of Jakoku’.”

“Oh my. How impressive, that you know of my illustrious title…Your henchmen serve you well, it seems.” Gammon asked her if she had come here as payback for what happened on the plains, but Raisa shook her head. “Though there is a little of that, yes. This is more—a test.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I…Or rather, all of us, are planning to let loose much bigger fireworks after this.”

Giving no indication that she would explain any further, Raisa and her cohorts started to steadily draw closer to the carriage, weapons at the ready.

“You louts, tread cautiously! This military bastard looks pretty tough. Not to mention—” Raisa glared at Eve. “—He’s traveling with the ‘Witch of the Forest’, too.”

As though in response to those words, Eve got down from the carriage and stood next to Gammon.

“…You seem to be under a misunderstanding. I’m not a witch.”

Eve maintained a calm demeanor, but in response to that Raisa laid bare her anger.

“Don’t bullshit me! Countless of my people have been reduced to ashes by you!”

The moment she spoke, Raisa ran towards Eve.

Pale fire curled around the long and thin weapon she held in both hands.

These flames were not put out by the rain; they were likely some type of magic, or else produced by a unique power she had.

“…”

Eve glanced briefly at Adam, still inside the carriage.

He looked like he had something he wanted to say to Eve.

She didn’t have time to hesitate now.

First…she would need to do something about the enemy in front of her.

And she was worried about the village, too.

--Eve took out the spoon she’d kept hidden on her person.

A blue spoon. The item that was publicly referred to as the wand of the Witch of the Forest. For Eve it was a memento that she’d received from her adoptive mother.

She turned it toward Raisa, who was still heading towards her.

And then—expressionlessly, and concisely, she chanted a short spell phrase.

“Medvedi ubit!”

And it was all over.

It was a lightning spell she had been taught by her adoptive father.

A large bolt of lightning shot from the spoon, and then Raisa and her underlings in their entirety were swallowed up in a flash of light.

.

--The lightning strike that had engulfed the area had no effect on the trees of the forest or the animals.

It was the same with Adam and Gammon who were nearby Eve.

The lightning spell could only burn up that which it had been fired at. And after the flash of light went away, all of the tribesmen that had been surrounding the carriage had been reduced to charred corpses.

…No, there was one exception.

Raisa must have taken the direct brunt of the lightning, and yet despite her body having sustained massive burns she was still clinging to life.

“Wow…I’m surprised. That’s the first time anyone’s taken that shot and lived.” Eve looked down on Raisa with a cold expression.

“Y…you bitch…”

Gammon pressed down on Raisa’s body as she tried to crawl into the forest to escape.

“What an unexpected bounty, to be able to capture the head of the white army. For now let’s get her to the village—”

As he turned his face to the village, Gammon stopped speaking.

There was still smoke rising from that direction.

Eve quickly got back into the carriage and put her hand on the control crystal.

But Adam gripped her thin arm.

“The village will be dangerous. The bulk of the white army is probably attacking it now.”

“That’s why we have to go help my father and the others!”

Gammon tossed something at the carriage as it started to move.

Adam caught the weapon.

“This is…”

It was the peculiarly shaped sword that Raisa had been carrying.

“Take it! It should serve as some protection,” Gammon shouted to Adam. “I can’t let Raisa get away. You’ll have to go on your own!”

His words were in a sense an abandonment of his responsibilities as bodyguard, but under the circumstances he must have judged there was nothing more he could do.

Or maybe he was dazzled by the potential for glory that had fallen before him.

Eve didn’t care which it was.

Whatever the case, she was focused on the situation in the village now.

Though I can’t imagine my father would be done in by the white army so easily…

The residents of the village of Nemu were a band of once famous sorcerers.

Even so, Eve couldn’t help the unease in her chest.

The carriage started to race, Adam sitting beside her.

And in this way they advanced at full speed along the forest path, headed for the village.

<<prev------directory------next>>

[my-brothers-corrupted]

The forest does not sing differently without Anti in it.

The birds flutter in their patterned dance through the trees the same as they always have. Plants push out of earth that has not changed but for a little extra ash. The chipmunks patter across the roots of the trees and sometimes, if he stands still enough, will go racing over the torn holes of his sneakers and dart into the underbrush again.

The only thing that has changed is the way Jackie feels.

He's on a run and no one told him whether or not he could go. He just went. When he gets home again, all anybody will do is smile and say hi. It's six in the morning and he was not awakened by yelling or crying. He just wanted to get up and feel the sunrise on his neck.

The forest does not sing differently, just Jackie's heart.

He's got you in his sweatshirt pocket most likely for safety measures, and after a while, it becomes clear why.

He's climbing up the side of Dark's house again, just like the first time he snuck in to get JJ. This time, there's a lot less timidity in him, less strain in his hands, and he leaps up like he's a winged thing, finds that window in the side of the house, and -

"You did not come back to see me," comes a dry voice from above him. "You did not do that while Dark is still trying to figure out whether they should seduce or destroy all five of you."

"What if I did?"

"For fuck's sake."

"What? I need some advice," Jackie laughs, clambering up through Host's window. With bandages around his face, Host still manages to make an expression like he's rolling his eyes - and yet there's an amused curve to his pale mouth.

"Knew you'd let me in," teases Jackie.

Host sits back down at his writing desk.

"Wouldn't be very entertaining if I refused you, would it?"

[pureamericanism]

In Praise of Johnny Appleseed

by Vachel Lindsay

In the days of President Washington, The glory of the nations, Dust and ashes, Snow and sleet, And hay and oats and wheat, Blew west, Crossed the Appalachians, Found the glades of rotting leaves, the soft deer-pastures, In the forest. Colts jumped the fence, Snorting, ramping, snapping, sniffing, With gastronomic calculations, Crossed the Appalachians, The east walls of our citadel, And turned to gold-horned unicorns, Feasting in the dim, volunteer farms of the forest. Stripedest, kickingest kittens escaped, Caterwauling “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” Renounced their poor relations, Crossed the Appalachians, And turned to tiny tigers In the humorous forest. Chickens escaped From farmyard congregations, Crossed the Appalachians, And turned to amber trumpets On the ramparts of our Hoosiers’ nest and citadel, Millennial heralds Of the foggy mazy forest. Pigs broke loose, scrambled west, Scorned their loathsome stations, Crossed the Appalachians, Turned to roaming, foaming wild boars Of the forest. The smallest, blindest puppies toddled west While their eyes were coming open, And, with misty observations, Crossed the Appalachians, Barked, barked, barked At the glow-worms and the marsh lights and the lightning-bugs, And turned to ravening wolves Of the forest. Crazy parrots and canaries flew west, Drunk on May-time revelations, Crossed the Appalachians, And turned to delirious, flower-dressed fairies Of the lazy forest. Haughtiest swans and peacocks swept west, And, despite soft derivations, Crossed the Appalachians, And turned to blazing warrior souls Of the forest, Singing the ways Of the Ancient of Days.

And the “Old Continentals In their ragged regimentals,” With bard’s imaginations, Crossed the Appalachians. And A boy Blew west, And with prayers and incantations, And with “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” Crossed the Appalachians, And was “young John Chapman,” Then “Johnny Appleseed, Johnny Appleseed,” Chief of the fastnesses, dappled and vast, In a pack on his back, In a deer-hide sack, The beautiful orchards of the past, The ghosts of all the forests and the groves– In that pack on his back, In that talisman sack, To-morrow’s peaches, pears and cherries, To-morrow’s grapes and red raspberries, Seeds and tree-souls, precious things, Feathered with microscopic wings, All the outdoors the child heart knows, And the apple, green, red, and white, Sun of his day and his night– The apple allied to the thorn, Child of the rose. Porches untrod of forest houses All before him, all day long, “Yankee Doodle” his marching song; And the evening breeze Joined his psalms of praise As he sang the ways Of the Ancient of Days.

Leaving behind august Virginia, Proud Massachusetts, and proud Maine, Planting the trees that would march and train On, in his name to the great Pacific, Like Birnam wood to Dunsinane, Johnny Appleseed swept on, Every shackle gone, Loving every sloshy brake, Loving every skunk and snake, Loving every leathery weed, Johnny Appleseed, Johnny Appleseed, Master and ruler of the unicorn-ramping forest, The tiger-mewing forest, The rooster-trumpeting, boar-foaming, wolf-ravening forest, The spirit-haunted, fairy-enchanted forest, Stupendous and endless, Searching its perilous ways In the name of the Ancient of Days.

Hear him asking his friends the eagles To guard each planted seed and seedling. While the late snow blew from bleak Lake Erie, Scourging rock and river and reed, For Jonathan Chapman, Johnny Appleseed, Johnny Appleseed, As though his heart were a wind-blown wheat-sheaf, As though his heart were a new-built nest, As though their heaven house were his breast, In swept the snow-birds singing glory. And I hear his bird heart beat its story, Hear yet how the ghost of the forest shivers, Hear yet the cry of the gray, old orchards, Dim and decaying by the rivers, And the timid wings of the bird-ghosts beating. By the hour of dawn he was proud and stark, Went forth to live on roots and bark, Sleep in the trees, while the years howled by– Calling the catamounts by name, And buffalo bulls no hand could tame, Slaying never a living creature, Joining the birds in every game, With the gorgeous turkey gobblers mocking, With the lean-necked eagles boxing and shouting; Sticking their feathers in his hair,– Turkey feathers, Eagle feathers,– Trading hearts with all beasts and weathers He swept on, winged and wonder-crested, Bare-armed, barefooted, and bare-breasted.

The maples, shedding their spinning seeds, Called to his appleseeds in the ground, Vast chestnut-trees, with their butterfly nations, Called to his seeds without a sound. And the chipmunk turned a “summer-set,” And the foxes danced the Virginia reel; Hawthorne and crab-thorn bent, rain-wet, And dropped their flowers in his night-black hair; And the soft fawns stopped for his perorations; And his black eyes shone through the forest-gleam, And he plunged young hands into new-turned earth, And prayed dear orchard boughs into birth; And he ran with the rabbit and slept with the stream, And he ran with the rabbit and slept with the stream, And he ran with the rabbit and slept with the stream. In the days of President Washington.

(Hear the hoof-beats of deer in the snow. And see, by their track, bleeding footprints we know. See conventions of deer go by; The bucks toss their horns, the fuzzy fawns fly. Faint hoof-beats of fawns long gone From respectable pasture, and park and lawn, And heartbeats of fawns That are coming again When the forest, once more, Is the master of men.)

Long, long after, When settlers put up beam and rafter, They asked of the birds: “Who gave this fruit? Who watched this fence till the seeds took root? Who gave these boughs?” They asked the sky, And there was no reply. But the robin might have said, “To the farthest West he has followed the sun, His life and his empire just begun.” Self-scourged, like a monk, with a throne for wages, Stripped like the iron-souled Hindu sages, Draped like a statue, in strings like a scarecrow, His helmet-hat an old tin pan, But worn in the love of the heart of man, More sane than the helm of Tamerlane, Hairy Ainu, wild man of Borneo, Robinson Crusoe–Johnny Appleseed; And the robin might have said, “Sowing, he goes to the far, new West, With the apple, the sun of his burning breast– The apple allied to the thorn, Child of the rose.”

Washington buried in Virginia, Jackson buried in Tennessee, Young Lincoln, brooding in Illinois, And Johnny Appleseed, priestly and free, Knotted and gnarled, past seventy years, Still planted on in the woods alone. Ohio and young Indiana– These were his wide altar-stone, Where still he burnt out flesh and bone. At last his own trees overtook him, at last his own trees hurried past him. Many cats were tame again, Many ponies tame again, Many pigs were tame again, Many canaries tame again; And the real frontier was his sun-burnt breast. From the fiery core of that apple, the earth, Sprang apple-amaranths divine. Love’s orchards climbed to the heavens of the West, And snowed the earthly sod with flowers. Farm hands from the terraces of the blest Danced on the mists with their ladies fine; And Johnny Appleseed laughed with his dreams, And swam once more the ice-cold streams. And the doves of the spirit swept through the hours, With doom-calls, love-calls, death-calls, dream-calls; And so once more his youth began, Johnny Appleseed.

Then The sun was his turned-up broken barrel, Out of which his juicy apples rolled, Thumping across the gold, An angel in each apple that touched the forest mold, Each red, rich, round, and bouncing moon That touched the forest mold. He saw the fruits unfold, And all our expectations in one wild-flower-written dream, Confusion and death sweetness, and a thicket of crab-thorns, Heart of a hundred midnights, heart of the merciful morns. Heaven’s boughs bent down with their alchemy, Perfumed airs, and thoughts of wonder. And the dew on the grass and his own cold tears Were one in brooding mystery, Though death’s loud thunder came upon him, Though death’s loud thunder struck him down– The boughs and the proud thoughts swept through the thunder, The vista of ten thousand years, flower-lighted and complete. Hear the lazy weeds murmuring, bays and rivers whispering, Listen to the eagles, screaming, calling, “Johnny Appleseed, Johnny Appleseed,” There by the doors of old Fort Wayne.

In the four-poster bed Johnny Appleseed built, Autumn rains were the curtains, autumn leaves were the quilt. He laid him down sweetly, and slept through the night, There by the doors of old Fort Wayne.

#america #American poetry #Johnny Appleseed #vachel lindsay #poetry #indiana

[realtalkingpoints]

Read these paragraphs I clipped from the Wikipedia page on Giant Sequoias and their adaptation to natural wildfires.  And then I’ll explain why it’s relevant to today’s news cycle...

From Wikipedia:

Giant sequoias are in many ways adapted to forest fires. Their bark is unusually fire resistant, and their cones will normally open immediately after a fire.[20] The giant sequoias are having difficulty reproducing in their original habitat (and very rarely reproduce in cultivation) due to the seeds only being able to grow successfully in full sun and in mineral-rich soils, free from competing vegetation. Although the seeds can germinate in moist needle humus in the spring, these seedlings will die as the duff dries in the summer. They therefore require periodic wildfire to clear competing vegetation and soil humus before successful regeneration can occur. Without fire, shade-loving species will crowd out young sequoia seedlings, and sequoia seeds will not germinate. When fully grown, these trees typically require large amounts of water and are therefore often concentrated near streams.[citation needed] Squirrels, chipmunks, finches and sparrows consume the freshly sprouted seedlings, preventing their growth.[21]

Fires also bring hot air high into the canopy via convection, which in turn dries and opens the cones. The subsequent release of large quantities of seeds coincides with the optimal postfire seedbed conditions. Loose ground ash may also act as a cover to protect the fallen seeds from ultraviolet radiation damage. Due to fire suppression efforts and livestock grazing during the early and mid-20th century, low-intensity fires no longer occurred naturally in many groves, and still do not occur in some groves today. The suppression of fires leads to ground fuel build-up and the dense growth of fire-sensitive white fir, which increases the risk of more intense fires that can use the firs as ladders to threaten mature giant sequoia crowns. Natural fires may also be important in keeping carpenter ants in check.[22] In 1970, the National Park Service began controlled burns of its groves to correct these problems. Current policies also allow natural fires to burn. One of these untamed burns severely damaged the second-largest tree in the world, the Washington tree, in September 2003, 45 days after the fire started. This damage made it unable to withstand the snowstorm of January 2005, leading to the collapse of over half the trunk.

Basically, what this says is that the Giant Sequoias benefit from frequent wildfires in many ways, including pine cones being opened from the heat to aid in reproduction.  It says fires also control ground vegetation and dead limb debris so that young sprouts don’t compete with other low plants for sun and nutrients.  And for the record, I believe that there are many species of trees and plants that use fires to reproduce and refresh their populations, but the Sequoias are one example that most everyone is familiar with, and one we consider a national treasure of sorts.

Found elsewhere on the same page, is discussion that Sequoias and Sequoia forests have populated North America at least as far back as the last ice age (I’ll say 15,000 years although the climate change mob wants to re-write all those dates to suit their arguments) but fossil specimens of Giant Sequoia have been found to date back 10′s of millions of years.  

I think a conclusion we can draw from this, is that wild fires have likely been burning and refreshing forests for 10′s of thousands or even 10′s of millions of years.  Those fires would do the ground clearing or ‘forest maintenance’ that we are hearing about in the news today.  When the ground tinder gets burned up every few years, the fires that sweep the area are smaller and may never turn into the raging infernos we see on the news today.  But our society requires that we put out these fires as soon as they ignite, so the ground tinder builds up and waits to fuel the inevitable sweeping inferno that results.  

The real problem however, is that we cannot just let the natural fires take their course because we have build neighborhoods in and around those forests.   Sad but true. 

Link to the wikipedia page ---->   (sequoia page)

[tripodsandturbulence]

August 2020

We took a mid-August trip to Kananaskis, our first and only camping trip this year. We went during the week to avoid the crowds that have plagued all of Alberta’s parks this summer. 

We arrived late Sunday afternoon and it was mind-boggling how busy it was. Every lake and every trailhead had vehicles parked long the roads and in ditches for long stretches. We made a quick stop at the visitors centre to get some hiking advice before heading to our campsite.

The next morning we got up early and arrived at the trailhead for the Picklejar Lakes by 8:30. This was a long hike, but it was nice; filled with meadows along the way and ending at a series of small alpine lakes. We had lunch at the 3rd lake and later watched Pikas running around the boulders at the first lake. By the time left the lakes were packed with people and we were very grateful we had started early.

The next day we decided to do a road trip up Highway 40 through Kananaskis, over to Canmore, and back south on the dirt highway via Spray Lakes. We left camp as soon as we got up and had breakfast river side at a small pullout. Then we got going, stopping at every pull out along the way, exploring it all. We hung out with pikas, chipmunks, and golden-mantled ground squirrels in rock fields; we took our chairs to sit in an ice cold stream tucked in the forest with no one around; we visited raging turquoise rivers, inky black lakes, and mountain lookouts; and we had dinner at one of our favourite little spots on the back side of a small lake. We didn't get back to camp until dark, just enough time to have a fire and some wine before bed.

Day 3 we decided to hike around the North half of Upper Kananaskis Lake. This turned out tome a really beautiful hike. The first third was lakeside with stunning views of the lake and surrounding mountains; the second section we picked our way across an immense boulder field, through non stop rocks covered in stunning colours of lichens; and the last third was through a gorgeous mossy forest filled with big trees and sunlight. It was a much prettier and more varied hike than we had anticipated, always a nice surprise.

In the evening we decided to drive out to a picnic spot along. river we had found the day before. As we left camp we noticed strange coloured clouds forming, and once we got to the highway the sky was filled with a deep purple rain cloud, with orange edges all around. We were confused by the colours as you only see this with forest fires. As we got out to take pictures the cloud started raining a little. But it was not raining water droplets rather it was ash floating down from the sky. We didn't realize there were forest fires just across the border in B.C., as we hadn't read the news in a few days.

We decided to head home a day early so Jeremy could get prepped for school and on Wednesday night we picked up everything except our tent and sleeping bags. First thing Thursday morning we packed up the tent and headed out to  have breakfast at another spot riverside. After breakfast we headed to the Ptarmigan Cirque trailhead. This is a short and fairly manageable hike to a  gorgeous cirque, making it extremely popular. Once again we timed it right and managed to get to the top and loop through the cirque just as the crowds started to arrive and we were beginning the descent back down the trail. This turned out to be my favourite hike of our trip, simply for the scenic meadows at the top. I felt sad to be finished this hike, as that meant it was now time for the long car ride home, and an end to our summer vacations.

It has been such a weird year, and in a way has felt like a disappointing summer. But I am happy to live in such a beautiful place with lots of outdoor opportunities close by (ish).

#Alberta #Kananaskis #rockymountains #canadarockies #hiking #mountains #mountainviews #camping #roadtripcanada

[chain-unchained]

August 15

The Luau had truly marked the midway point for the summer season, with temperatures steadily decreasing since then. It was still uncomfortably hot with all the humidity, but at least no one felt like they were melting if they stepped outside. Even more than that, it seemed like a sort of sleepy lull had befallen the townsfolk; everything was just… chilled out and mellow, almost as if they were enjoying an extended food coma from all of the food they’d eaten that day on the beach.

But today, that peaceful tranquility for Ashe was just nowhere to be found. It was as though every malevolent spirit was in a bad mood and took it all out on him, cursing him with what could only be described as awful luck. It started as soon as he’d woken up, with him catching his foot on his blanket when he’d gotten out of bed—not only did he end up faceplanting on the floor, the blanket snagged on an exposed nail in the bed frame and got a huge tear ripped into it. Then when he was about to have breakfast, he dropped the bowl he was getting out from the cupboards, and it predictably shattered upon impact with the floor.

It didn’t stop there; as he’d been picking up the pieces of broken porcelain, he managed to cut his finger on one, and Blue chose that moment to vomit up a massive, disgusting hairball right in the middle of the living room floor, before casually trotting out the dog-door to enjoy the morning sunlight outside. Ashe had sincerely hoped that the bad luck was just isolated to inside the house, but no, he couldn’t have been more wrong.

Just as he’d finished cleaning up Blue’s mess, he could hear his sweet little cat yowling and making quite the racket outside; alarmed by the sounds he’d never heard coming from the kitty, Ashe threw open the door with more force than intended, and he could only watch as the door fell forward out of the frame and hit the porch with a mighty thud. The sound made Blue—and the skunk that he had been scrapping with—jump from fright, with the skunk skittering away into the surrounding forest. Thankfully, it didn’t seem like Blue had gotten hurt or sprayed, but Ashe’s heart sank when he realized that the skunk had gone to town on his melon patch, the one crop he was really banking on to make some serious G that season. Picking up the door and resting it against the exterior of the house for the time being, Ashe hastily traipsed down the porch steps to make sure Blue was really alright—and in his second fall of the day, he caught his foot on his baggy pj bottoms and faceplanted again in the dirt at the bottom of the steps.

“…. It’s going to be a really long day…” He mumbled, just lying there for a moment as he let out a long breath and as Blue came over to make sure his human was alright.

Things just kept snowballing from there. A falling tree narrowly avoided hitting the chicken coop, instead taking out the fence that Ashe had painstakingly built up around it to give the hens some grazing room. When he went to fix the fence, the head of his hammer fell off and landed on his foot. His watering can sprung a giant leak, making it twice as hard to water the crops.

“Having a bad morning, farmer?” Percy called with a smirk, leaning on the fence dividing their parcels of land as he watched Ashe struggle with the morning tasks. “Goodness, I certainly wouldn’t want to be in your shoes right now. You know, now would be a good time to call it quits~”

It was the last thing that Ashe wanted to hear. “I am not giving up!” He snapped, visibly fuming as he limped over to the well to fill his watering can for the tenth time. “Maybe you would give up, but I’m tougher than that.”

“Goodness, it was only a suggestion.” Percy rested his chin in his hand and clucked his tongue derisively. “No need to get nasty, I was merely making conversation… I will admit though, I haven’t the faintest idea why you’ve held out this long. You never struck me as a prideful person.”

“It’s not pride.” Ashe marched up to where Percy was leaning against the fence and glared up at him. “Debts are supposed to be forgiven when people die. I won’t let Joja take anything else from me.”

“…. Well, it’s not exactly up to you now is it.” Percy felt maybe just the smallest twinge of sympathy. Joja certainly had a knack for ruining lives. “We’ll just have to see how you fare at the end of the wager.”

His frame visibly trembling, Ashe turned sharply on his heel. “Just you watch. I’m going to win and send you and Morris packing.” He promised, marching back towards his thirsty crops and wincing every step of the way as his foot throbbed. He was already in a poor mood thanks to the cascade of unlucky events, but the conversation with Percy just soured it even more.

  Shane’s head throbbed painfully with each beat of his heart, a reminder to him of his grand fuck-up the day before. Morris had made his displeasure about Shane getting Fridays off known, and made up a bullshit alternative schedule that had him coming in on the weekends when it was rainy. That wasn’t so bad during the summer, when rainy days were scarce, but he knew why Morris had picked such obscure conditions for him to come in: the weekends were his time off, and making him trudge through the rain on his days off was just exquisite torture. Needless to say, the day before had been thunderstorm central.

To top it off, a tour bus had stopped in town on its way to Zuzu City and flooded Joja Mart with obnoxious tourists, most of whom were waving around expired 80% off coupons at Shane as though they’d expected him to honor them—when he wasn’t even manning a register. It was all just too much for him on a day that was already crummy enough to begin with, and he left work with a six pack tucked under his jacket, going through the entire thing while he sat in his dark room and watched reruns of Jimmy Kimmel.  

He was pissed off and ashamed of himself for relapsing like that. There was no excuse for it, it wasn’t like bad days were never going to happen once he quit drinking.  And because of it, he missed out on reading Jas her bedtime story, something he had really come to look forward to and enjoy since becoming sober. It just made him feel like more of a failure than he already did. And then on top of all of that, he’d gotten next to no sleep thanks to an annoying cough…

Unable to face his family, Shane left the ranch early and went to his quiet place at the pond to just… sit and think. It gave him a sense of serenity and peace to be there, even with the negative associations he had to the Cindersap forest itself. There was just something deeply calming and cleansing about listening to the gentle lapping of the water, the sound of the wind brushing through the trees, the chitter-chatter of the squirrels and chipmunks as they bustled to and fro… it almost reminded him of the feeling he got whenever Ashe was around.

“…. Dammit, Marnie…” Letting out the breath he had been holding in a long exhale, Shane couldn’t help himself from trying to hold that conversation against his aunt. “Why’d you have to put that idea in my head…?”

Twice now since she’d mentioned telling Ashe how he felt, Shane had dreamed of the farmer. Not the lustful sort of dreams that young folks had when they had someone they fancied, thank Yoba for that—although to be honest, he wasn’t sure if he would rather have had those dreams instead of the mushy, gushy, romantic sort that he actually did. Dreams of long walks down the beach hand in hand and nights spent watching the stars together. It was embarrassing, and he had this irrational fear that Ashe would somehow read his mind and find out that he’d been having them and get creeped out.

For a long while, Shane sat at the end of the pier, lost in his thoughts as he stared out at the calm surface of the pond. He wasn’t the least bit surprised when he heard the familiar tmp-tmp of Ashe’s boots against the wood several hours later. It was like he said that one night, Ashe had a real knack for showing up when he was in a bad mood. He was surprised when Ashe forwent any sort of greeting and just sort of plopped down beside him, casting his fishing pole out into the water without a word. “…Hey dweeb.”

“Hey dork.” Ashe responded without missing a beat.

“Heh. Takes one to know one, ya dingus.” Shane caught the look on his friend’s face. “… You having a bad day too?”

“Mmhm...” After several moments, Ashe realized that he might have just rudely barged in on Shane’s quiet time. “Um… sorry if I interrupted your peace and quiet. I can leave if you want.”

The apology drew a quiet snort from Shane. “Since when did you start apologizing for that? And it’s fine anyway.” Looking away from Ashe, he fell quiet for a minute, before finally admitting in a quiet voice, “I fucked up, Ashe. I got completely trashed last night…” He couldn’t hide the frustration in his voice; it sucked, and it sucked even more that he was saying it to one of the people he didn’t want to let down. With a cough he masked as him clearing his throat, he continued derisively, “I was doing pretty damn good, but I just had to go and screw it up… Yoba, I hate myself sometimes.”

“Don’t say that!” Ashe practically shouted, whipping to the side to look at Shane with an expression of exasperation. “You won’t get better until you love yourself, because otherwise you won’t think that you’re worth the effort.”

Shane hadn’t expected such an explosive reaction to the comment. If he hadn’t figured out that Ashe had been having a rough day before, he would have figured it out now. “I only said sometimes. Calm down…”

“Nnno.” Ashe huffed, shifting closer and wagging his index finger in indignation. “In fact, I want to hear you say you love yourself.” It was a demand that caught Shane even more off-guard, especially with just how outrageous it seemed to him; silence fell between the two as they just stared at each other. “…. I’m serious, Shane.”

“I know, and I can’t decide how I should feel about that.” Shane turned away from his friend and coughed again. “Either way, I’m not saying that.”

“Say it.” Ashe insisted emphatically as he puffed out his cheeks. “Say, ‘I love myself’.”

“Fuck off, Ashe. I’m not saying—”

Shane felt Ashe’s presence closer than it had ever been before, with Ashe’s face mere inches away from his own as he gave him a look. “Shaaaane…”

Considering all the confusing feelings he’d been ruminating on before Ashe showed up that day, having him be that close made Shane’s heart skip a beat inside his chest. Unable to withstand his friend’s unrelenting assault, he looked away with a defeated scowl. “…. I love myself.” He mumbled.

“’I’m only human’.” Ashe pressed him to repeat.

“I’m only human.”

“’I’m worth the effort’.”

“… I’m worth the effort.”

Satisfied, Ashe finally sat back, and Shane was able to let out the long breath he’d been holding. “Sorry, but hearing you say that you hate yourself is just… frustrating. There’s so much good about you that you don’t see.”

“Alright, Mr. Psychologist.” Shane leaned forward to rest his arms against his knees. “…. What exactly do you think is so good about me, anyway?”

“Are you kidding?” Ashe looked to him again, his eyes sparkling as his mind filled with what he admired about his friend. “You’re hardworking, you’re great with animals, you have this big huge heart that has so much love for Jas and Marnie and chickens and pepper poppers and pizza—”

“Okay, I get it—”

“—you never quit even when you’re fed up, you’re strong, you’re dedicated—”

“Ashe, you can stop now—”

“—you know so much about chickens, you’re funny, you’re kind, you’re handsome—” This time Ashe stopped himself, his face turning a brilliant crimson as he realized what had just slipped out; Shane had undeniably heard it too, as his own face became tinted red. They stared at each other for a moment before looking away, with both of them clearing their throats awkwardly. “Um… so, that’s… just some of the things that are great about you…”

Silence fell between them again. “… Thanks, Ashe.” Shane managed to utter, the corners of his mouth turning up just a little. “I don’t know how you do it, but you always manage to keep me from spiraling back down into that dark abyss. I really appreciate you…” This time it was him who had a slip of the tongue. “You doing that for me.” He quickly corrected as he cleared his throat again.

“Y-You don’t have to thank me for that…” Ashe hunched his shoulders a little as a shy smile came onto his face; hearing that from Shane made him really happy, even with the correction. “It’s what friends do.”

The tip of his fishing pole dipped down as he felt a tug on the line. “Oh!” Hastily he began to reel, sitting up a bit straighter as Shane watched. “Yay, I thought I was never going to get a bite. Maybe my luck’s finally turning around~”

“Is that why your day’s been shit?” Shane asked, resting his chin in his hand. “Bad luck?”

“Yeah. Today’s been really rough because of it—” As he spoke, the fish on the other end of the line was fighting tooth and nail, causing the pole to bend sharply. And as if to prove the point, the line abruptly snapped, causing the pole to whip back and smack Ashe square in the face with a sound that made Shane wince. “….”

“That… looked like it hurt.” Shane actually felt bad for him. “Shit, are you bleeding? Here, let go of the pole for a second.” Concerned, he took hold of Ashe’s hands to pry the pole out of them so he could get a look at his face, completely forgetting the tension that had been between the two of them a few moments prior. “Yeesh, yeah, looks like it cut the bridge of your nose… you really weren’t kidding about your luck, were you?”

“No….” Ashe felt a lump form in his throat as a thin trail of blood ran down from the small gash one of the guide rings on the pole had given him. He’d finally hit his breaking point. “No, I wasn’t…. everything I’ve tried today has gone wrong…”

“Ashe?” Shane heard the crumbling in his friend’s voice; before his eyes, the happy, bubbly, always sunny farmboy buried his face in his hands and hunched over, his shoulders heaving with silent sobs. “Whoa—h-hey, it’s gonna be okay. It’s just some bad luck. It’ll pass.”

Seeing Ashe break down like that actually hurt Shane’s crusty old heart. As much as he wanted to give him the same sort of comfort that Ashe had given to him when he was at his lowest, that just wasn’t something that came naturally to him. It was all he could do to pat his friend’s shoulder, and he hated that he couldn’t do more; the only other thing he could think to do was hug him, but… he wasn’t sure if that would be the right thing to do, for either of them.  

“I-I know…” Ashe felt stupid for crying over something so trivial, but he really couldn’t help it. It had all just gotten to him, especially since he’d gotten his hopes up that his luck was getting better. “I-I’m just being stupid…. I-I’m s-sorry…”

“Whoa, hey, you knock that crap off.” Shane was having none of that; if he wasn’t allowed to self-deprecate, then neither was Ashe. “Aren’t you the one always going on about how you can’t help how you feel? You don’t get to pick and choose what applies to me and what doesn’t apply to you, buddy. It either applies to us both, or neither, so you don’t get to say that about yourself. Say it with me now: ‘I love myself, and I’m only human’.”

“….” Ashe sniffled, peeking out from between his fingers with a tearful half-laugh; he’d gotten played at his own game. “I love myself… a-and I’m only human.” He repeated obediently, before he let himself fall backwards to lie back on the pier. “… Is this kind of how you used to feel…?”

“What, like everything you try to do is going to go wrong so why even bother? Yeah, that’s pretty much on point.” Shane leaned back against his hands, looking up at the crystal clear sky with Ashe as a gentle breeze brushed past them. “After awhile, you learn to stay in a shell… but… you showed me that things don’t have to stay that way if I don’t let them. That if I work hard enough, things will pass and get better. And that’s the truth for anyone, not just me. So cry if you need to cry. Get it all out of your system, so you can pick yourself back up and smile that dumb smile of yours again.”

“…. Hehe…” Just hearing that was enough to bring Ashe’s smile back. “I never thought I’d hear that kind of stuff coming from you~ That’s much nicer to hear than the stuff you used to say.”

“I’m pretty sure your blind optimism started rubbing off on me. I feel like such a tool saying cheesy shit like that.” The scratchiness in Shane’s throat made it almost impossible to finish what he was saying, feeling like he’d swallowed a load of pine needles that were all jabbing him in the back of it. The sensation made him sputter into a series of coughs, hastily covering his mouth and nose with the collar of his jacket as he turned away from Ashe to try and mask it.

“Shane?” Alarmed, Ashe quickly sat back up. “Are you okay?”

“F-Fine—” Shane held his hand up in an attempt to assure Ashe he was okay. “I-I’m f-fine—J-Just got a tickle i-in my throat--”

As if the coughing wasn’t bad enough, as if the scratchy, prickly throat wasn’t enough, a wave of dizziness slammed into him like a semi-truck out of nowhere, sending the world around him swaying from side to side. “Sh-shit…” He might have overdone it by coming out there for so long that day, especially under the blazing sun with nothing to drink.

More than a little worried, Ashe shifted closer, patting Shane’s back as his brows knitted together. “You don’t sound fine… Yoba, that cough sounds just awful.”

“I-I told you, I’m f-fine.” Shane tried to clear his throat to make the coughing stop, which didn’t actually do anything. Feeling something cool brush against his forehead, he realized that Ashe was trying to see if he had a fever, and instinctively knocked his hand away. “Q-Quit it, Ashe, I don’t like my f-face being touched.”

“You’re sick.”

Well, shit. “I-I am not. I don’t g-get… sick…” Trying to play it off, Shane’s attempt at deflection died in his throat as he saw the look on Ashe’s face. Why did the kid look like the world was ending? “D-Don’t give me that look. It’s… probably just a cold, it’s not a big deal.”

“It can turn into a big deal if you don’t take it seriously!” Ashe’s voice was oddly high pitched from his worry and panic. “You need to go back home and rest, right now!”

Maybe he was overreacting. In the back of his head, he knew he probably was. But he was terrified of losing someone precious to him again. “Come on. You’re going to go back home and get right back into bed.”

Shane suddenly found himself being literally pushed along back towards Marnie’s ranch, with the surprisingly strong Ashe behind him, his hands planted on the back of Shane’s shoulders to force him along whether he liked it or not. “Okay, you are seriously overreacting right now.” He said, trying not to prove his friend right by having another coughing fit; if anything, the kid was making him worse by stressing him out like this. “I told you, it’s probably just a weak-ass cold. Why are you making such a big deal about this?”

To his surprise, Ashe stopped pushing, making him feel just the tiniest bit bad for snapping at him like that. “…Because… because my mom thought what she had was ‘just a cold’. Because she didn’t think it was worth it to take care of herself.” His fingers tightly curled around fistfuls of the back of Shane’s jacket as he spoke, his voice much quieter than it usually was. “If… if I had just pushed her to rest, then she wouldn’t have… th-that’s why I can’t let it happen again…”

“…” Now Shane really felt like an asshole, even though it wasn’t his fault. He… really had no idea what Ashe had been through, because Ashe never talked about himself like that. But now he knew why Ashe was acting so over the top; he was gripped by an irrational fear of watching that tragedy play out before his eyes once more. With that knowledge, Shane knew that there was only one way to assuage that fear. “Alright, alright… You win. I’ll take it easy today. So you don’t have to get so worked up over me.”

“…. Promise…?” Ashe’s voice had grown even quieter, his grip on Shane’s jacket loosening.

Shane turned around to look at his friend, who for a moment looked so small, and so… sad. “I promise.” He assured, patting the top of his head reassuringly like he would have to Jas. But the feeling he got when he did it was… different than it was with his goddaughter. “… Well, don’t just stand there. You gonna make sure I actually get my ass in bed, or what?”

The question worked as intended, getting a little half-laugh out of Ashe as he lifted his head and dried his misty eyes on the backs of his hands. “I’ll tie you to the bedposts if I have to.”

“Well aren’t you fucking kinky.” Shane snickered a little. Ashe didn’t seem to get why it was funny to him, instead just giving Shane another light push to get him moving again.

As it turned out, Shane wasn’t the only one in the household with a cold. When the pair stepped into the shop, they could hear the sound of Jas coughing all the way from her room. “Ah, dammit…” Shane muttered, rubbing his face slowly as he let out a sigh. “That’s my fault for getting my germs all over the place.”

“Oh, there you are Shane.” Marnie heard his voice as she came into the shop area, sounding quite congested and stuffed up as she covered her mouth and nose with a kerchief. “Hello, Ashe. Sorry, but I’m closing up shop early today.”

“You too, Marnie?” Ashe’s anxiety cranked all the way up to 11 as he looked between her and Shane. Even though it was such a minor thing, it felt like he was living a nightmare right now.

Marnie laughed a laugh that turned into a gross-sounding cough. “Well, at least I know where we got it from.” She joked, seemingly to be taking it in stride.

“Shit, I’m sorry.” Shane apologized. “That fucking group of tourists probably dragged it in with them, and then I dragged it back with my sorry ass…”

“There’s no need to apologize.” Marnie waved her hand airily. “It happens. I’ll get some soup on for all of us—”

“Ohh no, you’re not doing anything but resting.” Ashe interrupted stubbornly, much to her surprise. “You get yourself to bed. I’ll take care of making something for you all to eat, so you just focus on getting better.”

Puzzled by how adamant Ashe was, Marnie looked to Shane, who shrugged his shoulders. “Better just go along with what he says.” He advised with a half-grin. “Otherwise he’ll never let us hear the end of it.”

“… Well, alright then.” Marnie laugh-coughed again. “I won’t turn down a bit of help. Thank you, Ashe.”

Hearing that did much to put Ashe’s mind at ease. “You don’t have to thank me, I haven’t done anything. Go on and rest up, okay? Both of you. I’ll run home and get some food made for you.”

“Would you mind flipping the OPEN sign to closed on your way out?” Marnie asked, to which Ashe nodded enthusiastically. “Thank you, sweetie. I appreciate it.” She couldn’t quite remember the last time she’d taken a sick day, but she could feel it in her bones that she very much needed it.

Shane watched Ashe traipse out the door, feeling just a little bit of concern as he remembered that Ashe was having a really unlucky day. ‘Hope he doesn’t burn himself trying to cook.’He thought to himself, as he and Marnie both headed into their rooms. Changing out of his clothes into his stretchy, breathable shorts and a tank top to sleep in, his mind filled with all sorts of scenarios that his friend could be getting himself into—burning himself, burning the food, burning his house down, cutting himself while trying to prepare the ingredients, tripping as he carried the hot food, running into the table…

‘No, enough of that.’ He chastised himself as he got comfortable in his bed; he’d closed the blinds on his window and turned the TV on for some quiet background noise, so his room was warm and dark. He could feel his eyelids starting to grow heavy, having been more exhausted than he’d first thought he was. ‘Ashe is an adult, he can handle himself… still, though…’ He didn’t get to finish that train of thought; unable to keep his eyes open any longer, he fell into a heavy, dreamless sleep.

 It felt like he’d only just closed his eyes for a second before he felt a gentle hand shaking him from his sleep. “Shane…?” Ashe’s soft voice echoed in his drowsy brain, as he forced his heavy eyes open. “Sorry for waking you up… I brought some soup for you.”

“Ugh… alright, gimme a sec…” With a groan, Shane blindly fumbled for the light switch above his bedside table; he must have been asleep for at least a few hours, as the sunlight that had been peeking through the blinds was all but gone now. He felt considerably worse now, as though lying in bed had given all of the viruses inside his body the opportunity to come together in his muscles and in his head. It took a few seconds, but eventually his fingers found the switch and flicked on it, nearly blinding him as his messy room filled with artificial light. “I dunno how much I’ll be able to eat… uh…”

As he had been speaking, he’d pushed himself to sit up and look at Ashe, who was wearing one of those surgical masks that doctors often wore, and who had for some reason changed his T-shirt for a long sleeved one even though it was still warm outside. “That’s okay.” He said with a smile, holding a tray with a bowl of pale broth and a cup of fresh orange juice in his hands. “You just need to get something in your stomach.”

“Did you go and see Harvey or something?” Shane asked with a raised brow, as Ashe set the tray across his lap.

“Mmhm.” Ashe nodded his head, unconsciously tugging his right sleeve down to cover his hand just a bit more. “I just wanted to play it safe, you know?”

“Yeah, that’s probably smart…” Clearing his scratchy throat, Shane turned his attention to the food before him; he was glad at least that the soup was something plain, since it would be easy on his queasy stomach. It looked like it was also loaded with bits of chopped herbs. “… Kinda went crazy on the herbage, though.”

Ashe puffed his chest out proudly. “Yup. It’s another one of my mom’s recipes. She used to make it when I’d get sick. It’ll bust down a cold in no time, especially when you have orange juice to go along with it.”

“I see…” Shane thought back to the Luau, when he’d complimented his mother’s stuffed tomato recipe. ‘I guess this is his way of keeping her memory close.’ He thought to himself. “In that case, I guess it’d be rude to not eat it.”

Even though he really wasn’t hungry, he picked up the spoon and dipped it into the broth. He was mostly doing it to put Ashe’s mind at ease, since he really doubted that a soup and drink could clear up a cold quickly. To his surprise, the soup had a very light flavor; it wasn’t bland, but it wasn’t extremely salty either, which was good since if it had more punch to it he wouldn’t be able to eat much of it. “This fresh squeezed?” He asked, referring to the juice as he picked up the glass to take a sip.

“Yup~ Fresh from my orange grove.” Ashe sat back on his legs, resting his hands in his lap as he watched Shane sip away on the soup and juice. “Today was actually the first time I’ve gotten a harvest from it, so I’m happy.”

“That so?” Shane took another drink. “Those are some quality oranges you’re growing…. You’ve got some real talent for farming. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’d grown up on a farm or something… Uh, you didn’t, did you?”

It was a question that caught Ashe unawares. “Ah… no. I actually grew up in the city. Not Zuzu,” he clarified, seeing the way Shane’s brows went up. “The Capitol. Well, the outskirts of the Capitol. We weren’t nearly rich enough to live in the city proper.” He looked down to his hands and gingerly picked at some fluff on his overalls. “… Maybe we would have had the money for it if Joja didn’t trick my mom into taking on grandpa’s debt.”

He didn’t know why he was saying all of this now. Ever since he’d come to the valley, Ashe had kept his mouth shut tight about his life before the move. He’d wanted so badly to just… put it all behind him, to move on and try to pick up the pieces of his life. But there was no escaping Joja no matter where he went, serving as a constant reminder to what he’d lost and could still lose. It was all something he wanted to keep to himself. But, he found himself able to open up to Shane… much like Shane had been able to open up to him. “… Sorry, I didn’t… mean to bring down the mood like that.” He mumbled in apology, after several seconds of silence between them.

“What are you apologizing for?” Shane glanced over to him as he took another spoonful of soup. “… If you need to talk about it, then talk about it. I’ll listen.”

Ashe jerked his head up to look at Shane, his eyes widening in surprise at the offer. “…. No, it’s okay…” He murmured. “I’m pretty sure I’d cry if I did, and nobody wants to deal with that. Thank you, though. It makes me happy that you care that much—OW!” The yelp escaped him unchecked, as a sharp pain shot up his right wrist from the way he’d been picking at the fluff.

It was sudden and abrupt enough to make Shane jump a little. “What was that?” He asked with raised brows. As Ashe fumbled around for an explanation, his eyes spotted what looked like thick bandages peeking out from under Ashe’s right sleeve. “Did you hurt yourself?”

“N-No, not at all!” Ashe insisted with a laugh, quickly trying to move his hand behind his back—but Shane was one step ahead of him, reaching out to grab onto his sleeve and yank his arm close to see for himself. “O-ow--!”

Unceremoniously, Shane shoved the sleeve up to Ashe’s elbow, revealing the splint that the farmer had been trying to hide. “Yeah, like you expect me to believe that.” He snorted, giving Ashe a pointed look. “What did you do?”

“I… might have fallen off the ladder when I was picking the oranges…” Ashe mumbled meekly, hunching his shoulders as Shane took his wrist in his hands to study it. “… Harvey said my wrist is probably broken, but he didn’t have any casting materials on hand…”

Shane’s eyebrows practically flew off of his face. “You idiot!” He chided, actually somewhat angry with Ashe for being so reckless and so stupid. “A break is serious! Fuck’s sake, why would you keep using it like nothing’s wrong? What would you do if something happened and you couldn’t use your hand anymore?”

“Shane--?” This time it was Ashe who was caught off-guard by Shane’s over the top reaction. “I—I’m sorry… I just wanted to do this for you guys…”

“….” With a sigh, Shane carefully tugged Ashe’s sleeve back down. It took him a moment, but he realized that he’d done exactly what Ashe had done with him earlier. He remembered what it had been like for him, a rising varsity gridball player, to lose everything because of an injury he could have prevented, and the thought of Ashe suffering that same fate made him lash out when he shouldn’t have. “No, I’m the one who should apologize.” He admitted with another sigh as he rubbed the back of his neck.  “I overreacted, and I shouldn’t have… But you really need to give that arm a break, especially until Harvey can get it in a cast. Promise me that you’ll at least put it in a sling until then.”

Blinking his eyes several times, Ashe realized that Shane was actually worried about him. “…. I promise.” He agreed with a meek smile. Shane was starting to get really good at turning his own tactics against him.

“Good boy.” Shane ate a few more spoonfuls of the broth and managed to drink the rest of the juice, before he called it quits; if he had any more, he was fairly certain he would end up heaving it all over the floor. “Thanks for taking care of us all tonight.” He thanked, as Ashe managed to pick up the tray with his left hand only. “Now you go home and take it easy yourself. Alright? I’m serious.”

“I will, I will.” Ashe assured him sheepishly. “Do you need anything before I go?”

“Nah, I’m fi—” Shane stopped mid-sentence, as his head throbbed painfully. “… Actually, would you mind grabbing some Tylenol from the medicine cabinet in the kitchen?”

“Of course.” With a little difficulty since he was trying not to use his injured hand, Ashe managed to get to his feet and take the tray out of the room with him. He’d already brought soup and juice to Jas and Marnie, so this was the only thing he had left to do before he headed home. “Right, medicine cabinet… medicine cabinet, medicine cabinet, medicine cabinet…”

By the time he found the Tylenol and gone back to Shane’s room, the man was already fast asleep, one arm tucked under his head as he quietly snored away. “….” Quietly so as not to disturb his rest this time, Ashe just set a few tablets and a glass of water on the bedside table in case he woke up later.

It was strange to see Shane’s face so peaceful; usually, he had this sort of permanent scowl on his face, except for when he was smiling or laughing of course. Seeing that his cheeks were still flushed somewhat, Ashe knelt down beside the bed again and gently brushed his knuckles against Shane’s face to feel his temperature. ‘He’s so warm… Yoba, he must feel awful…’

His heart started to beat a little bit faster inside his chest as he slowly pulled his hand back. He didn’t know why it was doing that, why it felt like there were little butterflies in his stomach as he watched his friend sleep. ‘…. No… no, stop it! You’re being such a creep right now!’ He gave himself a swift mental kick, finally making himself tear his eyes away from Shane as he got back to his feet. He had a feeling that, if he stayed there any longer, he might end up doing something really stupid…

“…. I hope you feel better in the morning…” He murmured, even though he knew that Shane couldn’t hear him. He made sure to turn the light off before he let himself out, ever so slightly shaken by the feelings that had come over him in that brief moment before he came to his senses. He just hoped that it was because he had such an off day, and not because he was some creep who watched people sleep…

  The sound of a hammer on wood roused Ashe from his sleep the next morning; still half-asleep, he poked his head out from under the sheet he’d gotten himself tangled up in overnight, looking around blearily in search of the sound’s source. After his brain had a few moments to wake up and get working, he realized that the hammering was coming from outside the house—it actually sounded like it was focused on the front door itself. “What in the…?” He mumbled, stifling a yawn as he pushed himself to sit up and wincing a little as his broken wrist throbbed painfully. He’d done as Shane had told him to and put it in a sling, but that didn’t stop his sleeping self from lying on it for most of the night.

Outside the house, Shane carefully nailed in the last few nails to secure Ashe’s door back in place. “Finally…” It was definitely no Robin-quality patch job, but the door was back in its frame at least. For a guy with minimal carpentry experience, he felt pretty damn accomplished.

Almost as if on cue, the door opened, and a disheveled Ashe poked his head out to see what was going on. “Well look who decided to finally get out of bed.” Shane commented, raising his hand in greeting. “About time, ya lazy bones.”

“Shane?” Ashe rubbed the sleep from his eyes, thoroughly confused. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you still be resting?”

“Nope.” Shane grabbed the toolbox at his feet and moved it out of the way. “That soup and the juice sent my cold packing. Same with Marnie and Jas. I actually came over to bring you some cookies that we made to thank you, but you were still asleep, and I saw that your door was busted, so I figured the least I could do was try and fix it for you. Not bad, huh?”

“….” It was clear that Ashe was still in the middle of waking up, as he just stood there blinking for several seconds. “You… fixed my door?” He repeated, stepping out onto the porch to see for himself. “Yeah, it looks really good. Better than what I could have done…” He looked to Shane in thankful confusion. “You didn’t have to do that.”

Shane snorted. “Yeah, I know.” He answered with a grin. “I wanted to, though. I woke up feeling a hell of a lot better than I did the other day.”

“Really?” Hearing that put a smile onto Ashe’s face. “I’m glad. See, I told you my mom’s recipe would do the trick~”

“Consider me a believer.” Shane was relieved to see that smile again; he’d missed it more than he’d realized. “How’s your wrist, by the way?”

“Ah—” Ashe looked down to his slinged arm. “It… still hurts a little.” He admitted. “I probably slept on it for most of the night. Harvey said he would call when he got the stuff to make casts with, so hopefully it won’t be too long…” Looking out to his farm, he realized that the sun was quite high in the sky. “Um… what time is it?”

“Well, it was just about 8 when I left the ranch to fix your door.” Shane checked the watch on his wrist. “And it’s just now hit 8:30, so I gotta get moving before I’m late for work.”

“8… 8:30….” Ashe stood there for a moment. “…. AAAAAH! I SLEPT SO LATE!” He suddenly burst out, looking completely panicked as the realization hit him. “I’m never going to finish everything before the day’s over!” He was so caught up in the panic of running late that he gave Shane a hasty hug as a thank-you. “Thanks for fixing the door Shane! Have a good day at work! See you later!”

He bolted back into the house to change, leaving Shane just standing there, listening to the sounds of him crashing around frantically.

‘Th-that was close…’ Shane thought, covering his mouth with his hand as he briskly headed off for work. If Ashe had hugged him for any longer, he might have actually been tempted to do something…  

#sdv #sdv shane #sdv farmer #sdv fanfic #sdv fanfiction #stardew valley #stardew valley shane #stardew shane #stardew farmer #stardew valley farmer #stardew fanfic #stardew fanfiction

[katelynswarrentechblog-blog]

Game Jam

During the Game jam last week I worked mostly on the story and character design I worked for about a day on the story and characters before I realized we needed dialogue and started to write some dialogue out for a few of the characters here is the story I came up with for our game called fireline.

What went right: everything came to me really quickly and easily I didn't really struggle with what was needed from me I actually finished all my work early. I had the story done within day one and cleaned it up on day two by day three I wrote out some dialogue and then I was done I asked around to see if anyone needed anything else from me and they didn't so I started to work on my own project.

What went wrong: When we first started I didn't feel like I had much of a vote or a say in what we were building. All knew was that I was forced to be on a team and had to do as I was told. I didn't put up much fight because I didn't know any better I figured the second years knew what they were doing and that it would be fine all. once we figured out what we were building none of the designers knew what we were supposed to be doing we sat around a socialized until Mr.Compton came over and asked what are you guys working on and we told him we don't know eventually we figured it out and got work done

There was an old story told long ago when a kind tortoise challenged an arrogant hare to race but on that day, something horrible happened.

Everyone gathered that day to watch the race. All the woodland animals were cheering and having a great time. A deer walked up to the racers with a flag “3...2...1...GO!” the hare bound off leaving a dust cloud. The crowd cheered and screamed with joy but as the dust faded they stopped the tortoise was still there moving slowly step by step. They all laughed at him as he slowly made his way through the course. Suddenly there was a loud crash and crackling the tortoise turns to see a giant fire speeding toward them the woodland animals scatter in fear and the tortoise starts to run his legs moving like they never did before his small heart pounding through his shell. The tortoise came along a little creature from the race begging for help. The tortoise took a moment to decide and thought that he should not stoop to their level and helped the little guy out. From there he knew what he had to do;

he needed to save all the animals in the forest. He set about rescuing the animals in the forest, complaining the whole time among the way. As he found the last one and ran for the fireline, he spotted the Hare nearby. The Hare took his attention off the fire and noticed the injured animals. He remarked “HA. If I was in there I would have saved them twice as fa-” His sentence was cut short however as a burning tree falls onto the Hare, extinguishing his life. The tortoise kept moving and made it past the fir line. The forest creatures cheered for their rescuer, as their home burnt to ash in the distance.

The dialogue took me a little longer to make because I needed to figure out I needed to think about the animals would talk or interact with one another

Albert The Tortoise:

“Thank god for this fire now I don't have to do that pesky race.”

“Freaking woodland creatures can't even take care of themselves.”

“Why do I have to do everything myself around here?”

“They used to say oh look at the slow tortoise and now its help us Albert help”

“You guys could lose some weight”

“I swear if I see one more burning tree fall”

“Wonderful weather we’re having”

“Another one?”

Creatures:

-Mice: Redgie, Jerry

-Squirrels: Chuckles, Nutts,

-Chipmunks: Avery, Samuel, Thompson

-Raccoons: Racket, Chip

-Ducks: Ronald,

-Owls: Charles,

-Frogs: Franklyn

-Foxes: Psy, Ryan

-Hedgehogs: Shadow, Sean, Pine

Hare:

“Hey Al what's going on in there”

“Ready to lose slowpoke?”

“I didn’t sign up for this!”

“I’m out of here!”

“HA. If I was in there I would have saved them twice as Fa-”(dies to a tree)

In the end, I got a lot of work done and learned that sometimes I need to take leadership even if I don’t think I can next time I have a problem I need to seek someone out to help me solve it rather than just sit in it.

[pcttrailsidereader]

Forests Forever

J. Kevin Mann (See Kevin’s website at:  http://www.mindfultrek.com/) completed his hike from Crater Lake to the Columbia near the end of July.  Kevin has a wonderful photographic eye and his images are outstanding . . . well worth a special look.  We will continue to post more of his images in the weeks to come.

Due to the fires, trail closure, and smoke in southern Oregon, after finishing the Sierras, I decided to get back on trail at Crater Lake, temporarily skipping ahead of Dunsmuir, where I would have restarted to continue my 2018 hike with an unbroken foot path.  Christine, my wife, volunteered to drive me up to Crater Lake; we enjoyed the drive together, and I felt some relief as well as we sped by Dunsmuir where the thermometer was pegged at 104 degrees in the early afternoon.   Christine dropped me off at the campground and I stayed overnight at Mazama Village, at the base of the crater that forms Crater Lake. Getting back on trail after a break is always an adjustment, and I was feeling a little sluggish climbing out of Mazama Village up to the rim of Crater Lake.  On the way up I surprised a small bear who climbed a tree while barking at me, which woke me up a bit. 

The trail along the rim of Crater Lake goes from one dramatic viewpoint to the next, giving hikers stunning views of some of the bluest water in the world.  As you will see in the photos, there was a slight haze from ongoing Oregon fires, but it was still spectacular.

This section of the trail [between Crater Lake and the Washington border] is punctuated by relatively frequent lake-side resorts, giving opportunities for resupply stops as well as an occasional cooked meal.  The trail is also mostly "fast trail" through forests, trending up or down but usually not too rocky or steep.  As a result, my mileage was higher than usual, averaging 25 miles per day, even with resupply stops.  I visited Shelter Cove, Elk Lake, Big Lake Youth Camp, Ollalie Lake, and Timberline Lodge, which is on the shoulder of Mount Hood, rather than at a lake.

Since I skipped ahead of the fires, I also skipped ahead of the "bubble" of thru-hikers, seeing as few as one other northbound thru-hiker in a day, and never more than a handful.  This made for a more-than-usually meditative hiking experience.  The PCT in northern Oregon passes through some interesting mountains, especially the Obsidian and Shale limited entry areas, and the Three Sisters and Mount Hood wilderness areas, which showcase their respective mountains.  At the same time, the primary view, for hour after hour of hiking, is simply forest, which looks very similar for hundreds of miles.  Hiking along, there is the rapid but barely perceptible rhythm of your heartbeat, the much slower rhythm of breath, and interposed between these the rhythm of your steps.  It's sometimes an experience of walking meditation, and at other times I plug in my earbuds and listen to an audiobook, podcast, or music. 

The biggest surprise for me in this section came in walking through forested areas that had burned just last year.  A hot forest fire kills everything in it's path, with temperatures reaching at least into hundreds of degrees.  After the spring melt, some scattered grass germinates, but the ground is otherwise completely barren.  The forest is silent without insects, birds, deer, or even chipmunks.  When you approach a small stream, you can often begin to hear the water a long way off, and the contrast of the life-giving stream and the desolate landscape has a discordant quality.  The trail dust is mixed with ash, and your legs get even more black than usual as it sticks to your skin. Even the air remains tinged with the smell of smoke, which will take another season to clear completely.  Hiking through miles of these fresh burns was fascinating and wonderful, although it was also enough for one season for me.

#Crater Lake #burned forests #fire #resorts #Oregon #Shelter Cove #Elk Lake #Ollalie Lake

[bedalart]

Chipmunk Challenge: Day 8 - Punk Chipmunk

Chipmunk Challenge

The goal is to make a chipmunk a day (or more) until I am able to fill a large spread. I thought I would share in the fun by also posting a chipmunk a day online before showing the final result in a week or two. The final spread will consist of at least a dozen chipmunks that are inspired by all shapes and sizes.

#digital art #Character Design #theadventuresofkeeli #the adventures of keeli #artists on tumblr #Artists of Tumblr #chipmunks of ash forest

[foxglove-the-never-fairy]

Fairy Names

Fly with you! Do you have a fairy character you wish you could name? Maybe you’re writing a Disney Fairy fanfic and need names? Maybe you miss the name generator from Pixie Hollow online. Or maybe you just want some names.

Well you’re in luck. I’ve pulled all the names available from “Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue” in the create-a-fairy section of the game. I’m pretty sure these were the exact names available on Pixie Hollow online as well since players were able to upload their fairies into the game.

Now I did get rid of names that are already in use from canon characters (that includes characters from The Never Girls series) and I got rid of repeat names with different spellings and only picked one(like Ashleigh and Ashley). They are arranged in alphabetical order from first name, middle name, and last name.

I hope you enjoy!!!!!!!

~🧚🏻‍♀️🔥 Foxglove

(First)

Abigail

Acorn

Alexa

Alexia

Ali

Alina

Amber

Amethyst

Amy

Anastasia

Apricot

April

Aria

Arianna

Ash

Ashley

Autumn

Barbara

Bayberry

Bellflower

Bethany

Betsy

Bim

Bonnie

Breezy

Buttercup

Camellia

Camille

Carnation

Carrie

Carrot

Cecile

Celeste

Charity

Charlotte

Chestnut

Chickadee

Chipmunk

Chocolate

Cinnamon

Clover

Cobweb

Coconut

Coriander

Cornflower

Crabapple

Cranberry

Cricket

Crystal

Cupcake

Cypress

Daffodil

Dahlia

Dandelion

Daphne

Dawn

Daybreak

Daylily

Dew

Dewdrop

Ebony

Echo

Ella

Elma

Elva

Emerald

Emily

Emma

Eve

Faith

Fantasia

Fauna

Fiery

Flax

Flix

Flora

Foxglove

Frances

Gardenia

Ginkgo

Gloria

Gloriosa

Happy

Harmony

Hazel

Heather

Heidi

Helen

Hickory

Holly

Honey

Hope

Hurricane

Hyacinth

Indigo

Infinity

Iris

Isabelle

Jade

Jamie

Jayla

Jeanie

Jenny

Jessamine

Jillian

Joy

Julie

Juniper

Karina

Karma

Kate

Kelly

Kenzie

Kiki

Kiwi

Kobi

Koko

Kylee

Kyra

Labyrinth

Lala

Lark

Laurel

Lauren

Lavender

Layla

Lemony

Lenora

Libby

Lila

Lilac

Liri

Lizzy

Lorella

Lori

Lucia

Lucky

Lucy

Lulu

Lynn

Maddie

Magenta

Magpie

Mahogany

Margo

Marigold

May

Melanie

Melody

Mia

Milkweed

Minerva

Miranda

Misty

Moptop

Mudpie

Mulberry

Muriel

Nectarine

Newt

Nightfall

Nightshade

Nissa

Nutmeg

Octavia

Olive

Olivia

Onyx

Opal

Orchid

Oregano

Oriole

Pandora

Paprika

Parsley

Patchwork

Peachy

Peanut

Pearl

Pecan

Penelope

Persimmon

Petunia

Pineapple

Pistachio

Pluma

Poplar

Posy

Primrose

Prinna

Prudence

Pumpkin

Quicksilver

Quinn

Rachel

Raven

Rhodie

Rhonda

Rhubarb

Rill

River

Robin

Rosa

Rose

Rosemary

Ruby

Saffron

Sahara

Sally

Sapphire

Sarah

Sassafras

Savannah

Seaweed

Serendipity

Shanna

Sienna

Silver

Skyler

Sneezy

Snowflake

Sophie

Sprinkles

Stargazer

Stella

Stormy

Strawberry

Sundew

Sunflower

Sunrise

Sunset

Sunshine

Tamara

Tangy

Tansy

Tessa

Tiger

Tiny

Toadstool

Topaz

Tori

Trinity

Tulip

Turnip

Twilight

Tyra

Valorie

Vanessa

Vicki

Victoria

Wallflower

Walnut

Winnie

Wispa

Xenops

Yasmine

(Middle)

Air

Almond

Apple

Aspen

Beauty

Bitter

Bright

Broom

Bubble

Bumble

Candle

Chilly

Citrus

Cloud

Cloudy

Cocoa

Cotton

Cozy

Dapple

Day

Dazzle

Diamond

Drift

Elm

Evening

Fancy

Fig

Fire

Flicker

Foggy

Fox

Frost

Frosty

Frozen

Funny

Garlic

Giggle

Glitter

Grape

Grassy

Green

Ice

Island

Jelly

Jumpy

Lemon

Light

Lightning

Lime

Little

Lotus

Lovely

Magic

Mango

Maple

Merry

Moon

Morning

Moss

Mossy

Mountain

Muddy

Never

Night

Oak

Orange

Peach

Pear

Pepper

Pine

Plum

Pollen

Pretty

Purple

Quick

Rainbow

Rainy

Sandy

Sea

Shiny

Silk

Snow

Sour

Speedy

Spider

Star

Sugar

Sun

Sweet

Tangle

Thunder

Tulip

Tumlbe

Twisty

Vanilla

Water

Whiffle

Wild

Winter

Wonder

Wrinkle

Yarrow

(Last)

Bead

Beam

Bee

Belle

Berry

Bloom

Blossom

Boots

Breath

Bug

Butter

Button

Cliff

Clove

Cup

Curl

Dance

Drop

Dust

Ear

Eye

Feather

Field

Flame

Flash

Fleck

Flight

Flip

Flower

Fluff

Fly

Foam

Fog

Foot

Forest

Freeze

Froth

Fruit

Garden

Gem

Glade

Glimmer

Glow

Gourd

Grass

Griddle

Gust

Heart

Hopper

Horn

Jewel

Lace

Lake

Lashes

Leaf

Locks

Loop

Meadow

Mello

Mint

Muddle

Muse

Noodle

Peal

Pebbles

Petal

Plume

Pond

Pool

Puff

Ray

Ripple

Root

Sage

Sand

Shadow

Shimmer

Shine

Socks

Song

Spark

Speck

Spirit

Splash

Spring

Sprite

Sprout

Stem

Storm

Stream

Stripe

Swamp

Swirls

Thorn

Toad

Toes

Tree

Twill

Twinkle

Twirl

Twist

Vale

Valley

Vine

Wax

Weather

Web

Whirl

Whisk

Whisper

Wind

Wings

Wink

Wish

Wit

#Disney Fairies #Pixie Hollow #Pixie hollow Online #Fairy #Fairy names #names #Tinker Bell #Tinkerbell