#Smart Beehive

[vesselmade-a]

sitting here thinking about how itadori sees himself, saying things like ‘i didn’t know there was anyone dumber than me’ or the fight against todo ‘what if you made me dumber than i already was?’ yet he’s so intelligent and i feel it’s overlooked a lot and he’s often underestimated. especially when it comes to others emotions he’s very observant. besides that, later on in the manga when they’re planning on how to go about taking sukuna down, it’s clear he had a big part in working things out. he’s come such a long way.

[strebcrarchivess]

Do you have any spooky month ships you hate

Nonnie if I wanted to deal with dumb ship discourse I'd be rping on twitter 😔

[literaryvein-reblogs]

what are some ways to describe people other than eye and hair color

I am assuming you are looking for physical descriptors. Here are some examples. I may just make a different post on psychological descriptors.

Arms: Long, Muscular, Pudgy, Short, Skinny, Thin

Back: Bent, Hunched, Ramrod Straight, Rounded

Build: Anorexic, Athletic, Beefy, Brawny, Burly, Chubby, Coltish, Compact, Fat, Gangly, Gaunt, Gawky, Haggard, Heavy-set, Herculean, Husky, Lanky, Lithe, Muscular, Obese, Overweight, Petite, Rangy, Reed-like, Scrawny, Skinny, Slender, Slight, Solid, Spindly, Statuesque, Stocky, Strapping, Sylphlike, Taut, Thickset, Thin, Trim, Underweight, Voluptuous, Well-built, Willowy, Withered

Cheeks: Blushing, Bold, Curved, Dimpled, Bold, Curved, Dimpled, Disturbed, Glorious, Glowing, Hairless, High (cheekbones), Hollow, Honey, Livid, Pale, Pallid, Pink, Plump, Puffy, Radiant, Reddened, Rosy, Rounded, Ruddy, Shining, Smooth, Soft, Sun-burnt, Sun-bronzed, Sunken, Sun-tanned, Tanned, Tearful, White

Chin: Angular, Bony, Bumpy, Chiseled, Defined, Doughy, Firm, Protruding, Round, Smooth, Soft, Square, Strong

Ears: Jug-like, Large, Protruding, Tiny

Eyebrows: Arching, Bushy, Emphasized, Near, Spaced, Thick, Thin

Eyelashes: Artificial, Beaded, Beautiful, Blinking, Dark, Dark-fringed, Dense, Dusky, Heavily-fringed, Long, Mascaraed, Sandy, Sooty, Sopping, Tear-drenched, Thick, Uplifted

Eyes: Almond-shaped, Bright, Bulging, Expressive, Frightened, Gentle, Languishing, Little, Luminous, Made-up, Round, Shining, Shortsighted, Smart, Stunned, Thin, Wide, Woeful

Face: Baby, Blood-stained, Bold, Chiseled, Contorted, Dead, Expressionless, Fair, Familiar, Fierce, Flat, Frightened, Furrowed, Honest, Indifferent, Little, Pale, Poker, Pretty, Radiant, Rough, Ruddy, Sallow, Square, Stained, Swollen, Trim, Weather-beaten, Wry

Feet: Athlete's, Big, Flat, Pigeon-toed, Small, Sore, Stinky, Stubby, Swollen

Fingers: Gnarled, Long, Short, Stubby

Finger Nails: Bitten, Broken, Claw-like, Dirty, Hooked, Long, Painted, Sharp, Talon-like

Hair: Afro, Bald, Beehive, Braided, Bristles, Bun, Chignon, Coiffure, Combed, Corkscrew, Corn rows, Cowlicked, Crew cut, Curly, Disarrayed, Disheveled, Dreadlocks, Dry, Flattop, Flecked, French braid, French twist, Fringe, Greasy, Grizzled, Knotted, Layered, Locks, Matted, Messed up, Mohawk, Mussy, Muttonchops, Neat, Oily, Page boy, Perm, Pigtails, Plait, Pompadour, Ponytail, Ragged, Receding, Ringlets, Ruffled, Shaggy, Shorn, Shoulder-length, Skinhead, Spiky, Split-ended, Straight, Tangled, Thick, Thinning, Tidy, Topknot, Tousled, Twisted, Uncombed, Unshorn, Untidy, Wavy, Wiry, Wisps

Hand: Big, Elegant, Small

Height: Big, Knee-high, Medium, Short, Shoulder-high, Sky-high, Small, Tall, Towering, Waist-high

Legs: Amputated, Bandy, Bony, Bowed, Brawny, Bulging, Fluted, Gartered, Gouty, Graceful, Hacked, Hairy, Jagged, Knotted, Leaden, Long, Lower, Muscular, Pitiful, Rickety, Shapely, Shivering, Short, Sinewy, Slender, Slim, Spindle, Stockinged, Sturdy, Thin, Thread-like, Tinder, Tiny, Toothsome, Tree trunks

Lips: Blue, Cracked, Cupid's Bow, Downturned, Dry, Fat, Full, Grim, Large, Luscious, Parched, Parted, Red, Ruby, Small, Smiling, Thin, Wet

Mouth: Arch, Ascetic, Baby, Cavernous, Churning, Compressed, Cooing, Coral, Cracked, Cruel, Delicate, Dumpled, Distended, Dry, Fine, Firm, Frothy, Full, Funnel-shaped, Gaping, Grim, Handsome, Hungry, Insistent, Irritable, Large, Luscious, Munching, Musty, Perilous, Puckered, Querulous, Relaxed, Resolute, Sardonic, Sensuous, Serious, Slobbering, Small, Sulky, Sweet, Tender, Thin, Wide, Winsome, Wrinkled, Yawning

Neck: Bullnecked, Elegant, Long, Short, Swan-like, Thick

Palm: Broad, Oval, Rectangular, Square

Skin: Acned, Alabaster, Albino, Apricot, Black, Blemished, Blistered, Blooming, Blotchy, Blushing, Bronzed, Cadaverous, Calloused, Caramel, Clear, Craggy, Cream, Ebony, Fair, Flush, Freckled, Glowing, Greasy, Ivory, Jaundiced, Leathery, Lily-white, Lined, Milky, Mottled, Nut-brown, Olive, Pale, Pallid, Pasty, Peeling, Pimpled, Pink, Pitted, Pockmarked, Red, Rosy, Rough, Ruddy, Russet, Sallow, Scabby, Scarred, Smooth, Splotchy, Spotty, Sun-burnt, Tan, Wan, Waxen, White, Wrinkled, Yellow

Stomach: Bulging, Distended, Empty, Firm, Flabby, Flat, Heroic, Hollow, Lean, Paunchy, Protruding, Unbounded

Teeth: Artificial, Black, Blunted, Buck, Canine, Chattering, Clenched, Clinched, Compressed, Crooked, Dagger-like, Dazzling, Decayed, Deciduous, Extracted, False teeth, Feeble, Ferocious, Filed, Flashing, Fluoridated, Foam-laced, Fractured, Gap-toothed, Gleaming, Glistening, Glittering, Gnashing, Goofy, Grinding, Hooked, Horrid, Ivory, Jagged, Lacquered, Large, Milky, Mottled, Neglected, Pearly, Perfect, Pretty, Protruding, Razor-like, Sharp, Shining, Short, Small, Snowy, Sore, Spaced, Straight, Sweet tooth, Tender, Tiny, Toothless, Toothy, Ugly, Unrelenting, White, Wisdom, Wolfish, Yellow

Hope this helps! If it does, do tag me or send me a link to your writing. I'd love to read your work.

More: On Character Development

[commaclear]

swampgallows replied with a Red Herring fallacy btw, so I blocked them. No point in engaging with that.

(and they replied in the comments of this post instead of in a reblog for some reason?)

the majority of fanfic is unreadable. how the hell do people get like obsessed with fanfic and spend hours and hours reading this crap. like i can count on one hand the fics ive actually liked, yet i scroll past pages upon pages of utter drivel with tens of thousands of views, the whole time just baffled anyone could possibly derive enjoyment from it. whatever isnt porn is unfathomably bad or has nothing at all to do with the source material beyond borrowing licensed characters for non-canon formulaic plug & play storytelling. fanfic is the picrew of so-called literature, just frankensteining together tropes and character archetypes into a mad libs-like slurry of regurgitated content. perhaps the main issue with people who create fanfic is that they only have the consumption of mass-marketed media and the vacuum of fanfic to refer to rather than nonfiction or academia or independent creative works so they end up with an echo chamber that becomes self-referential almost to the point of parody, and anyone outside the cave can only pity their worship of shadows

[kiss-me-muchoo]

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐝? || 𝐑𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

Summary_ living the most perfect relationship turned out to be a sharp pain, your boyfriend Reed Richards was married and you didn’t knew, but thankfully, after the storm comes a rainbow.

Warnings_ age gap (not specified, but reader is in uni), ANGST, ANGST, implied smut, retro references, I hate home-wreckers but this is for the plot, DO NOT romaticize this shit irl.

Notes_ I HAVE A REASON TO ADD THE JOE QUINN TAG, PLEASE READ JOHNNY STORM LOVERS, and listen to how did it end?, please please please and Be My Baby with this, worth it.

♪ ♫ Pedro playlist | Reed + Johnny playlist ✰ Index (+ fics here)

𖦹°���˚｡⋆ 𓆇𓆸⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆ 𓆇𓆸⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆ 𓆇𓆸

The subway was awfully quiet yet at full capacity. You assumed everyone was minding their business as usual, but you thanked them because you could perfectly hear the radio of an elderly man playing “Be My Baby” by The Ronettes, and it made you smile.

Reed loved when you casually hummed and danced to the song as you cooked.

Oh, you were so in love.

It was at the beginning of your third semester of university when you met him. Being so introverted made it sweet and easy when you stepped into the wrong classroom, expecting an art class. Reed Richards, the physics professor let you know you were not in advanced sculpting class. He was so enchanted by your beehive hairstyle matching purple skirt and top, with a lilac sweater that had tiny embedded jewels.

He went to look after you that afternoon, learning you were at least past your teenage years and that you were not a science person like him.

And the rest was history, after months of having casual dates, he visited you often, and even met your parents. You loved him.

Reed was extremely smart. Always brings you the right gifts although you never ask him for anything. Always suggesting the best places to have dinner. It was like he had everything perfectly measured to make you happy.

I'll make you happy, baby,

just wait and see

For every kiss you give me,

I'll give you three.

Your stop was next and you enjoyed the rest of the song as you savored the feeling of being in love.

Walking through the streets you realized you had nothing else to do for the rest of the week regarding academic stuff. You also were expecting to arrive before the sunset at your home to start dinner. Reed was coming and your parents were going to join you two too.

For a moment you don’t think you’ve ever been this happy before.

-

Your dad opened a bottle of wine when you heard a knock on the door and that had you already blushing. You placed more raspberries and sliced lemon pieces on top of the cake you started as soon as you arrived home.

Reed greeted your parents and they welcomed him kindly.

“Our girl is in the kitchen,” your dad said.

“On my way to her,” you giggled, hearing his footsteps.

Immediately his hands came to lock around your waist. Which startled you but soon made you laugh.

“Hello, my love,” he said kissing your cheeks from behind.

“Reed! I’m trying to finish the cake” Giggling and trying to get away from him, he made you spin around before pulling closer and finally plastering a big kiss on your lips.

You melt into his touch in a second.

“Too bad I have more appetite for kissing my girl” you gently pushed him, returning to finish the cake.

“Don’t be like that… I put my heart in this one” Reed got closer, admiring your cooking skills. He then moved his eyes to appreciate you. His smile grew as his heart started beating faster.

“You sing, you dance, you sculpt, cook and bake. Darling, you’re perfect!”

“Kiss me again and I might believe it, baby” his silly smile made you chuckle, accepting his embrace and another kiss. It took you by surprise when gently pinned you against the counter, making you let out a gasp after feeling his manhood brushing your inner thigh.

“Are we still up for dinner?” Your mother called, peeking through the door of the doorframe of the kitchen.

“Yes. Sorry, Mom” you apologized feeling a sudden sense of embarrassment. Reed let you go, immediately helping you to grab some plates.

“We’ll continue this in the studio, darling” his hand reached out and gave you a soft spank in the ass, making your eyes wide open.

“Reed!”

“I said what I said, dear”

You would never deny his touch. The way the mere brush of the tip of his fingers could set you on fire and he perfectly knew the spots to make your body burn. So you just smiled naughtily. When he turned to see you again, you gained the courage to show him the outline of your shiny mint underwear that was lying under your dress.

“You’re killing me, y/n”

“After dinner, you can do everything to stop me”

His face was priceless, he blushed and looked adorable being so.

“How does it feel this summer without teaching?” You heard your father asking Reed after you gently pushed him out of the kitchen.

Between the laughs of your family and boyfriend, and the soft music playing in the background, you feel very happy.

…

“Reed…” you moaned his name as you watched his face under the hem of your dress. His lips were constantly licking your wet folds and had you biting your own hand to prevent louder moans.

“Darling… you are so pretty moaning like that for me” his hands snaked through your ass to the back of your knees, opening your legs even wider.

You were so close, your eyes closed in advance and you grasped at his hair harder.

yes, yes, yes, oh!… oh no.

His watch oddly beeped. The bubble of pleasure exploded, leaving only ashes of what had been the lust.

“I gotta go…” you frowned.

“What?… Why?”

“A friend. From work… he has a deadline for professors, I promised I would send him some of my archives to save him time,” he said and it only made you frown more.

“Can’t you send him the archives at least after making me reach an orgasm?”

“I’m sorry, baby. I’ll pick you up tomorrow to have breakfast at your favorite place. Then we can have some fun time in my car” he attempted to soothe your worries but it clearly didn’t work.

“Oh… okay, Reed”

He kissed your forehead before squeezing your hand and finally leaving.

The bitter taste of uncertainty hit you. And before you could even prevent it, you were distrusting Reed.

The next morning, while he talked about how lovely you looked and how great was his breakfast, you barely paid attention. While he took your body to the backseat of his car, more than pleasure you felt uncertainty again.

And no matter how much you tried to ignore it, you didn’t believe Reed.

…

It’s all in the past three weeks later. Everything went back to normal, dates were perfect again, and sex was pure gold again. You had no complaints about your relationship with your much older boyfriend.

Even better when he announced he got tickets to see The Beatles on Saturday.

You got your hair straightened. A black turtleneck dress, red seen-through tights, and matching red heels.

Your eyeliner was more perfect than ever. And Reed came to pick you up with a huge bouquet of flowers.

“How did you get the tickets, love?” you asked as he drove.

“Oh, I have a friend who works in the media. A dating show has its target audience set…”

You wonder what show he meant. There were some popular shows on the TV airing at the time. That’s long short story when you notice Reed had been watching you.

“What?”

“Nothing. It’s just that I love the sight of you…” his words made you blush. Much more when he leaned to give you a quick kiss that you enjoyed as if it was the last. His beard tickled you and only made you smile more.

“I don’t want to die without seeing The Beatles, Reed” He started laughing and soon you followed with a giggle.

He pulled into a parking lot, and you already felt excited, seeing the crowds making line to go inside the venue, waiting for the concert to begin.

“Oh, I’m so excited!” You squealed, hurrying to apply some more lipstick before getting out of the car.

“Honey, you don’t need more makeup, you already look gorgeous,” Reed said.

“But it’s your favorite color” he looked, noticing it was indeed his favorite color, crimson red.

“Damn right… it is my favorite color” Both of you laughed as you started walking outside of the parking lot.

He placed his arm around your shoulders but soon you remember.

“Wait!… I forgot my coat” Reed hands you the car keys and you go back.

The last sun's rays hit the car when you open the backseat door. You leaned to grab your coat, but a shimmery item caught your attention.

Locked under the passenger seat, you struggle to grab the object, not being able to see just guided by the touch.

First, you felt a paper and a harder one, like a card. Then, with your pinky fingers, you felt a cold rounded object.

Your heart pounded as you fished the object with your pinky fingers.

An ID from the NASA that belonged to a woman, named Susan Richards aka Sue Storm. She was older, but extremely pretty; blonde, blue eyes, perfect nose, perfect hair, just some years younger than Reed.

A picture of your boyfriend with the same woman of the ID, both looking at the camera, her hand gently placed against his chest, a big diamond in a ring also posing for the picture.

And the ring. The solid proof of your sudden question.

“Darling, Why are you taking so long?”

“You’re married?” You asked, handing him the golden wedding band with one hand and slamming the door of his car with the other.

“Darling…” he tried to reason, but you are enraged, red face and watered eyes.

“Why am I even questioning? Of course, you are married, Reed!” your hand dropped the picture and ID, and his attempts to calm you failed.

You can’t even process what is happening, you are just being consumed by the anger caused by his betrayal.

“We were going through a rough phase. And then I met you. I- I don’t even know what I’m doing right now” he admitted, sighing, accepting he was an asshole and a loser.

“AS IF I CARE!… YOU LIED TO ME!”

“Let me talk and explain, y/n”

You let out a long sigh, pinching the bridge of your nose, trying to keep the tears from falling. Your head started pounding, your body welcoming the stress.

“No. Don’t call me again, don’t get close to my college department on campus. Just… don’t you ever try to come back into my life again.” he called your name plenty of times, and you heard his footsteps following you, but after leaving the parking lot of the restaurant, he stopped.

After a good time trying to prevent the tears, you started crying. You loudly sobbed, ignoring the few people you encountered while crossing the streets of the vivid city.

By the time you are seated in the subway once again, you don’t realize you have walked more than five blocks. You could only think about Reed.

Every moment with him felt genuine. He was kind, attentive, romantic, and… honest.

Never gave a sign to make you believe you couldn’t trust him, more like the contrary. And that was the worst part.

Maybe you just loved him so hard that it made you blind to see that his love was a lie.

…

The phone rang every day. You never answered. A month passed and you avoided the rest of your life on the beaches of Florida.

Your parents believed Reed took advantage of his P.H. D out of the city, so it was better to break up. But they couldn’t bear seeing their poor daughter going through some breakdown.

And when you came back to the city, the neighbor told you your ex-boyfriend had sent flower bouquets during your vacation, not knowing you were out.

It only made you feel worse. Questioning How could you have missed the signs of him being married?. And now that the damage was done. Did the wife know? Did Reed ever love you?

If he couldn’t be faithful to his wife, certainly not to you.

But those thoughts are the kind of thing that makes you go out with one eye covered in purple eyeshadow and the other in bright orange. Mismatched socks and disheveled hair. Some girls laugh at you when you enter a cafeteria but you honestly don’t give a damn. You just want a sandwich.

After paying, you’re once again daydreaming, overthinking about Reed. Without realizing a man had stood beside you.

“Hey... I saw the girls over there laugh but… I like the way you styled yourself” You turn to see the stranger.

“I’m so lost in the head, I did something bad a while ago, so now I can’t even think straight ahead” you admitted, moving to grab some dressing and napkins while waiting for your order.

“Well, it must’ve been really bad, with all due respect.”

“It was…”

“Is it too bad that I’m curious to know?” He asked and you shook your head, sighing.

“I was dating a married man and I didn’t know,” you said looking down, too embarrassed to look at the guy in the eye.

“It’s not your fault if you didn’t know” it took you by surprise.

“I know. But it pains me so much because it thought it was… real.” a lady called your name, letting you know your order was ready.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be telling my problems to strangers. Thanks for listening, have a great day” you said, walking away to grab your sandwich.

“Wait!” The man called you.

“I don’t mind hearing. My brother-in-law always says I’m an asshole but I can actually listen to people. If you had no plans… We could have lunch together” he revealed, making you smile gently.

“I was going to take this home and eat alone. So yes, we could have lunch together…” you finally analyzed him. Definitely closer to your age than your failed previous relationship. He was blonde and had kind eyes, that no matter what you wouldn’t trust at all after what happened with Reed. But this man seemed sweet, slightly cheeky, and too much of an extroverted one, but you liked it.

“I didn’t catch your name before,” he said.

“I’m y/n…”

“Johnny… Johnny Storm” You remember it was the same name as Reed’s wife. But you can’t think this man had something to do with them. You can’t live continuing with mixing Reed with every step you took.

“I like your jacket”

“Thanks. I almost set it on fire this morning” You didn’t think he was saying it for real, so you laugh.

And oh, how much things changed after that.

…

Five months later, in the peak of autumn, Johnny and you celebrated your first month together. And accidentally you discovered he had some… abilities regarding fire.

Soon later, he was convinced you had to meet his family, so you agreed.

But when his sister opened the door, your face went pale. The woman in the ID you found in Reed’s car greeted you along Ben Grimm and soon you encountered with the cause of your endless midnights in sorrow.

Reed Richards looked the same. Wearing his usual clothes, the grey hairs above his ears, a charming smile, and an intellectual vocabulary.

Acting like strangers, he greeted you, pretending he never met you, never kissed you, never touched you.

Reed just slipped from you, but you weren’t afraid to walk away, just truly and messily hurt. Then you met Johnny, magically disappearing the weight of your broken heart. Even so, while walking inside the house, talking to the wife of your ex-boyfriend, you felt his eyes on you.

Reed was merely shocked, not knowing anything about you in months, then suddenly walking into his home as Johnny’s new girlfriend. He was horrified, but then he realized that he was no better than his brother-in-law. Reed always thought Johnny was an asshole for cheating on girls and being condescending. But you had truly changed him. Johnny followed you like a lost puppy, Reed questioned if you were a witch. And he accepted he wasn’t over you.

“How on earth did this happen?” Reed asked you during a brief moment of privacy.

“I don’t know, but I think I’m falling in love with him, Mr. Fantastic” you whispered in his ear. Reed saw how your eyes briefly glowed and he feared you, but more than fear, he felt panic about you completely forgetting about him.

As you walked inside the kitchen, following the conversation with Ben and Sue, Reed was witness of how you dropped a picture of his wedding with Sue, without touching it. His blood ran cold.

“What was that?” The blonde woman asked.

“A picture, it fell and the frame cracked a little” Reed calmed her, but he grabbed the item, noticing how it left some of your strange energy. The eerie gleam across the frame made him almost hypnotized, soon he shook his head. He would take that frame to run some tests and discover what the hell were you hiding.

Reed entered the kitchen finally, and saw how Johnny kissed your temple, his hand on the small of your back to lead you towards the table to have dinner. You weren’t lying, you were falling in love with Johnny, but you thought back at Reed. Your heart still belonged to him. And you couldn’t comprehend how did it end?.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

taglist: @raiyna-rred

Idk, I’m just excited for this movieeeeeee

[cressidagrey]

Recipe for Love - Honey Cakes

Summary:

The Beehive Bakery is out of Peach Cobbler. This leads Azriel to make some very impulsive decisions. 

Warnings:

Definetely NSFW. Maybe don't make life-altering decisions about a lack of Peach Cobbler?

A/N:

thanks to @k-godling for listening to me rambling on about this and finding the perfect name for that Bakery! This will eventually be a series consisting out of One-Shots, so if you have an idea, shoot it my way! (Also, if anybody actually tries out that recipe, let me know lol)

Twice-Baked Honeycakes Ingredients:  1 ¾ cup flour 1 ½ tablespoon baking powder ½ tsp salt ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature 3 tablespoon butter for greasing muffin pan zest 1 lemon ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg ¾ cup milk 2 eggs

¾ cup honey 1/4 cup honey for drizzling on top 1 teaspoon vanilla Directions:  Grease the inside of muffin wells. Set Aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and lemon zest. Knead butter into flour mixture until crumbly. Set Aside. Whisk together milk, eggs, honey, and vanilla. Pour wet into dry ingredients and combine until just combined. Pour batter into Muffin wells. Bake in Hot Oven for 16 minutes or until mostly done but not quite golden enough. Remove from Muffin Wells and place on a baking sheet. Warm the remaining ¼ cup of honey. Brush the tops of the cakes with the honey. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. Bake for an additional 8-10 minutes, or until the cakes are golden brown.

Habits were what got people killed. 

Azriel knew that. 

Getting slow, getting complacent…it was dangerous. 

He couldn’t help himself though. 

Or maybe it was that he thought that if this one thing would kill him…the one thing he did that sparked joy somewhere deep in his chest, that made everything feel not so bad…then it was worth it. 

If Azriel were actually smart, he would have gone straight to the House of Wind that particular day and not even bothered to visit that Bakery. 

Quite frankly, he would thank the mother on his knees for that bit of idiocy for the rest of his life. 

Azriel should have gone home. He was dead on his feet and hadn’t eaten properly in 3 days after the mission in Spring had dragged on and on and on…and now Azriel only wanted food and then his bed and then some sleep…

He had already forced himself to turn in a report to Rhys so that maybe he could actually sleep in the next day…he just hoped that Cassian and Nesta wouldn’t find the energy for one of their early morning trysts. 

But before bed…before sleep…he had promised himself another slice of that peach cobbler days ago. Just one. 

So when he sludged into the bakery…he realised with a grimace that it was late enough in the evening that it would already be closing soon. His hope that there still would be some peach cobbler was left diminished.  

Just one single slice…please. 

Just…

The moment the door closed behind him with a little jingle, there was a soft voice. 

“We’re out.” 

Azriel had grown used to it…to the near bell-like quality of it, all of it belonging to B, that blonde female he had seen the first time. He had gotten used to her , though he had always been served by one of the other people working there, by chance and circumstances. They had never even exchanged a single word. 

But he had liked to watch her…Watch her happiness as she flitted around her bakery. He had figured out that she was the owner quite quickly. 

She was always so…sweet. Sweet to her customers, sweet to her employees…She handed out these little smiles of hers generously and flirted up a storm with seemingly anybody who was willing to stand still long enough. 

She was sunshine personified. 

“What?” Azriel asked dumbly, staring at her, rooted in the spot as B continued counting money at the till, quickly putting coins into tidy little stacks. Seemed like the Bakery was running very well indeed.   

“We’re out of Peach Cobbler,“ she clarified, her voice lilting. “That’s what you always order, isn’t it? Sorry, Peaches.” 

Did she just call him Peaches ?

Did she just call the Spymaster of the Night Court, the horror of Prythian, an Illyrian warrior that was literally nearly twice her size Peaches ?!

Azriel had absolutely no fucking idea what to say to that. 

B looked up, giving him a smile that lit up her whole face as their eyes met across the room. “So what can I get you in…?” The words stuck in her throat. 

Sparkling blue eyes stared up at him. And he could just stare right back because at that very moment… everythingchanged. 

He had never felt anything like this before. 

Had never felt the warmth that burrowed deep into his chest…that sudden unfurling of a golden ribbon…the feeling of being tied to another person so utterly, so thoroughly, so completely. 

It was…

Oh . 

She blinked. Full lips pulling into a smile, that button nose wrinkling. “At least that explains why you come here every week. My peach cobbler is magnificent but clearly not the only reason,” she told him with a saucy little wink and he wanted to laugh, half hysterical. 

Brazen. 

His mate was utterly brazen. 

Something inside him eased.

“It’s quite confident that you think I only came for you,” he said hoarsely and she grinned at him. 

“Well…” she trailed off… ”I think my confidence is inspired,” she teased him, still grinning, her happiness bleeding all over their bond, all over him, and he nearly staggered with it. 

Worry registered on her face. “Sit down before you fall over,” she said pointedly, as she came from behind the counter. He couldn’t help but drink her in even as he managed to sit down on one of her wrought iron chairs, wrestling his wings behind himself.

His stomach growled. 

The sound was so loud in the quiet cafe that he blushed beet red. 

She only laughed, snagging a plate and piled it high with four little cakes that she brought over, putting it in front of him. 

He swallowed.

“If I eat that…” he said hoarsely as she sat down across from him. 

If he ate that, he would accept the mating bond. He would bind himself to her, forever, irrevocably.

“Oh, I know,” she told him with a grin. Not worried in the slightest. It didn’t even seem to cross her mind. She mustered him, blue eyes so gentle. “I am very much aware,” she promised him. “And you are looking at me like you expect me to turn you down, Peaches.”

He was expecting her to turn him down. He was expecting her to take one look at him and the shadows that slithered behind him, currently happily hissing to themselves, Finally, Master! …and to turn around and run . 

“I won’t,” she said with a shrug like it was the easiest promise she had ever given.  “You are my mate. I will never turn you down.” There was fierceness bleeding into her voice at that. “Whatever happens, you’ll always have me on your side.”

A surprising amount of loyalty, right there for his taking. 

His mate was insane. And quite frankly…he loved it. 

“You don’t even know my name,” he gave back hoarsely. 

“It’s not Peaches?” She faux gasped and he couldn’t help but snort. 

“Azriel. My name is Azriel,” he said quietly.

“Azriel,” she repeated, pushing that plate towards him.“Eat. Unless you don’t want to?” She asked him teasingly.

Azriel did want to. He wanted nothing more than that. 

There had been so much in his life that he had wanted and hadn’t been able to get…but she offered herself to him on a silver platter.

And so he picked up one of these little cakes. 

****

It had taken 150 years for him to show up. 

Bee wasn’t quite sure if she should just be grateful about that, or if she should be pissed off that it took that long. She had been waiting for him. 

Of course, she had. 

For somebody that had her whole life made herself a family out of choice… she had waited for fate to at least bring her a mate. 

And for once…for once she had been right. 

He was right there. Right there in the Beehive. Right there in her home. 

Granted, he stood out like a sore thumb with these beautiful, ferocious wings that stretched over his back…and the violent black leather armour he wore, blue stones gleaming. 

But all of that stood in sharp contrast to the rest of his demeanour, which looked like he was fully expecting her to turn him down. 

Jokes on him, she had no plans to do that. 

He was hers . She would never turn him down. 

Also, he was far too pretty for her to ever even consider it…She had really hit the jackpot with that. 

(And maybe the fact that she had been harbouring a secret crush on peaches for weeks and he was the only reason why the peach cobbler had been a daily staple in the Beehive also had something to do with that…)

“Better?” she asked him curiously as he scarfed down the second cake, stealing one of them for herself. “Honey cakes,” Bee told him brightly. “My sister brought me some lavender honey yesterday so I made them.” Roisin had gotten it from a friend herself, and Bee thought that it was quite a successful pairing. 

Her Honey Cakes had never tasted better. 

“Yes,” he breathed out, and he looked into his eyes to find the pupils blown wide, his want and need sharply grating against that new, golden bond tying them together. 

“Do you proposition every male that walks into your bakery and orders Peach Cobbler?” he asked her, his voice hoarse and she couldn’t help but grin, as she offered him her hand, as she stood. 

He took it, dwarfing hers with his own, violently scarred…but oh so gently. So gently. 

The first touch was like a spark…like a wildfire roared to life in her blood. She couldn’t help the goosebumps that rose over her skin. 

“Only the ones that are as handsome as you,” she quipped back, her voice shaky, as she wrapped her fingers around his. “Let’s go upstairs.”

“Upstairs,” he agreed and followed behind her as she quickly grabbed the till…remembering that at least. 

Though it was thrown carelessly on the table in her hallway as she turned as soon as she could close the door and lock it behind her. 

He still stood there, staring at her…and she half expected him to pounce…because he looked like a cat like that, watching her every move. 

But he didn’t move. Didn’t move. Didn’t do anything but watch her, his mouth slightly open, his chest rising and flaking with every sharp breath he took. 

Oh well… she could take the lead…She would gladly do that. 

So she stepped closer to him…breathing in his scent…cedars and something she couldn’t quite place…wintry…like a forest in the morning…He smelled so good . 

She wanted to roll around his scent. Bee wanted…

Instead, she reached out with the hand he wasn’t holding, carefully, slowly…lifting it up to his face. 

She touched Azriel’s cheek and he turned into her touch, leaning into it, the tightness in his body relaxing as she cupped his cheek…

And then she stood up on her tiptoes and failed horribly to even reach higher than the middle of his chest, making him laugh, his body shaking with mirth. She growled as she yanked him down and he went willingly, finally letting her crush her lips to his. 

And then…oh. 

It was like coming home. It was like falling asleep and waking up at the same moment…it was like…like everything inside her calmed and burst into flames…

And…by the cauldron, she needed him.

That must be that damn mating frenzy everybody always talked about. 

His tongue hungrily licked into her mouth and she gave as good as she got from him, her hands curling tightly into the leather armour he wore. 

 “I don’t even know your name,” he growled against her mouth and she couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Beatrice. Everybody calls me Bee. Like the animal, not like the letter,” she answered with a moan, even as she walked backwards, until he had enough and just scooped her up like she weighed nothing…she couldn’t help but squeak, because she may wasn’t particularly tall, but she was rather… substantial and he didn’t even seem to notice her weight. 

Oh well. she wasn’t going to start complaining. 

Not when he managed to find her bedroom on the first try and Bee hit the bed as he followed her down. 

She caught his mouth with hers again, hungrily licking into his mouth, grounding up against him…the bulk of him pressed her down into the bed…muscular and massive. 

There seemed to be nothing soft about his body at all, was there? 

She managed to get a hand on the buckles that kept Azriel’s jacket closed and then pulled back with a regretful because she was quite sure that that was never going to work. 

“Get it off,” she managed to bring out. “Before I try and rip it off.” His eyes darkened at that but he lifted off her and she leaned up on her elbows to watch him…watch him unbutton the jackets and open the buckles so that he could slide it off his body…these beautiful dark wings, unfurling behind him…the swirling tattoos that covered his chest and arms…

Bee had been right. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on him anywhere, the muscles standing out sharply, speaking of…years of hard work and training. Azriel was gorgeous. 

She was a lucky, lucky girl. 

With maybe just a teeny, tiny bit of self-consciousness because he looked like that and she…didn’t. 

Though the way he was watching her…hazel green eyes dark…desire so plainly on his face…his tongue slipping over his lips…

It made her sit up and open the bow that kept her apron closed…let her shrug it off and throw it to the floor…Something to deal with tomorrow. 

Somehow that pulled him into action…made him lean down so that he could kiss her again, and Bee smiled into that kiss, moaning softly as his tongue plundered her mouth. 

She wasn’t sure what she had expected, but somehow she had thought he would be…rougher. 

He wasn’t. If anything, he was endlessly gentle…

Azriel caught her ankle without a word, obligingly unbuckling her shoe and dropping it to the floor. He slid one hand up her leg briefly, all the way to the knee, Bee unable to stop the goosebumps that broke out all over her body, the soft shiver that rocked her. 

“Cold?” he asked her, his voice quiet but she shook her head, even as she offered her other foot, letting him take off the other shoes and toss it over his shoulder,

“You could keep me warm?” she offered breathlessly, making him laugh, the sound warm and rich like molasses, before he crawled to join her on the bed. 

 Her breath hitched as he crawled over her and settled between the spread of her thighs…Kissing her again…She was so busy with curling a hand in his hair that she didn’t even notice him starting to unbutton her dress until he reached her waist and then growled in annoyance. 

This time it was her laughing, struggling to sit up underneath him so that she could shrug out of the rest of her clothing…could pull the dress over her head and slip out of the lacy little unmentionable she wore, because she was quite sure she would rip them apart in her hurry to lose them later anyway…and the way he stared at her body as she bared more and more skin to him…as she shook out her hair so that the blonde curls fell over her shoulders…

One look over her shoulders and he bore down onto her again, catching her mouth with his with a growl and she hitched her leg higher against his thigh. 

“You’re warm,” she whispered quietly. Azriel was all lean muscles and warm skin…and she arched a little underneath him and shivered. 

He shifted just slightly and her breath caught in her throat…even like this she could feel the rock-hard bulge of him pressing against her through his trousers…making her shiver once again. 

She took the weight of him and moaned against his mouth as he dipped his tongue between her lips.

She whimpered and Azriel lifted his head and slipped off of her to lie on his side. Bee turned with him, seeking his mouth and shivering under his hand as he slid it up her side to cup her breast. 

A long drawn-out moan was the result of that, as rough fingers skilfully brushed over one rosy nipple…

His touch was careful and hesitant…and she met his gaze, pressing against these hands… trying to make it so clear to him that she wanted him…she grasped the golden bond flexing inside her and poured all her want and happiness into it.

He had expected that, his body freezing for just a moment as he dropped his head to her shoulder, holding her like she was made out of spun glass, hands desperately clinging onto her skin. 

Another puzzle piece of him…him, that male that had always been silently brooding in that corner and had expected her to turn him down.

She kissed him, softly, coaxing… and he returned that kiss. It was intoxicating, his patience nothing short of shocking. 

 They got a little lost in those kisses. 

Bee was a little overwhelmed when he wrenched his mouth from hers and slid down enough to take one rigid, aching nipple into his mouth. She couldn’t help the moan that escaped her, the shudder that wrecked her body…

She shuddered when Azriel pushed one big hand between her legs, fingers trailing over her lower lips before dipping between them. 

She was already embarrassingly wet, the scent of her own arousal in the air hard to ignore. 

Bee gasped into his mouth as he dipped one thick finger into her hole, her body shivering with the stretch of it. Everything was big about him, even his hands. His teeth clenched on her nipple briefly and she arched up against his mouth, her back arching.

Azriel lifted his head and their eyes met as he pressed his finger deeper into her, Green meeting blue. Bee’s breath caught in the back of her throat and she lifted her hips upwards against the pleasure with a happy little shiver. 

“Good?” he asked her, his voice hoarse and she just about managed a shaky nod. 

“Perfect, Peaches,” she promised him with a grin and without fanfare he pushed a second finger inside her, making her gasp. 

His thumb found her clit at that moment, drawing a tight little circle about that attention-seeking nub and she couldn’t help the long-drawn-out moan that escaped her. 

“More,” she requested in a whine and he chuckled as he shifted them around, placing her on his lap, Bee the one on top, rising above him, his hands on his hips. 

She growled when she still felt the trousers he wore, managing to shove them out of her way and then…then swallowed when his cock sprung free. Long and thick and…Gods, everything about him was unreasonably pretty, wasn’t it? 

She wanted nothing more than to sink down onto him in one fell swoop. 

It would probably be a bad idea, just because of the sheer size of him. 

But that didn’t stop her from reaching out for him… wrapping one small hand around the hot length of his cock…she watched his face, watched how Azriel hissed in a breath but didn’t try to stop her and flexed his hips as she rubbed the hear of his cock against her entrances. 

Azriel kept a hold of her hips, a thumb still circling her clit, making her half out of her mind with wanting him. 

He makes her take him slowly instead…tiny gentle thrusts that nonetheless make Bee shudder with pleasure, ragged breath escaping her, a whine leaving her throat, her head thrown back…

When she’s finally fully seated, Azriel’s eyes fall shut for a moment in ecstasy, and Bee braced her hands on his chest and shifts a little, just to see how it feels. Cauldron, she was so fucking full.

He let her take her time, not even trying to control her movements…his hands stayed on her hips, still rubbing her clit…He let her rise up on her knees and sink down again in little restless motions, her breasts bouncing…he caught one of them in his mouth again as he sat up, his abdominal muscles flexing in a truly ridiculous display of strength that maybe made her moan wantonly…

Not that she wasn’t already doing it…they were both panting with it, Bee keening with her moans at how fucking good it is, how big he feels inside her, how perfect…until almost by accident she finds exactly the perfect angle to hit that spot inside her, that one spot that makes her see stars…

And she watched as it registered on Azriel’s face and he grinned, slowly lowering his back onto the mattress… tightened his hold on her hips to hold her in place and started to thrust. 

That was the last straw. 

She could feel the bond rushing between them - a little wild and rich with their feelings. The most beautiful thing…

Each drag of his cock inside her pulled her further and further away from herself and into a place, she’d never been. It was more than sex, more than even love. More than anything she had ever felt…

She couldn’t help but wail as it settled inside her…deeper and more pleasurable than anything she’d ever known.

Bee scrabbled against Azriel’s chest, against the swirling dark marks with uncoordinated hands because she had to do something with them…if she didn’t, she wasn’t sure what would happen, as her whole body shook with the strength of the waves of pleasure that crashed over her at that moment. 

Azriel made a positively feral noise and yanked her down, pressing his face into the crook of her neck…breathing in her scent as he clung to her and spilt inside her, hot and filthy and glorious.

She couldn’t help herself as she collapsed, utterly uncoordinated, across Azriel’s chest. For just a moment, he lay still beneath her, shuddering through the aftershocks, his hands still on her hips…his nose pressed against her neck, breathing her in…

He loosened the hands around her hips…she was pretty sure that he had bruised her but she didn’t care one bit. 

Not one bit as he helped shift her until she laid draped over him…and then he wrapped one arm around her waist and combed the fingers of his other hand through her blonde tresses…again and again…so utterly sweet that she melted into his chest, tucking her face again. 

“Thank the cauldron, I didn’t have any peaches anymore,” she mumbled against his chest. For a moment he was quiet. Then he chuckled, the sound warm and soothing. 

“I think I prefer honey now," he answered and she reached out to poke his chest weakly. 

"If you think that's funny, I'll let you know that any bee-related jokes have ceased to be that around 6 decades ago," she told him drily, getting another chuckle from him. 

[dandelionsresilience]

Good News - August 15-21

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my new(ly repurposed) Patreon!

1. Smart hives and dancing robot bees could boost sustainable beekeeping

“[Researchers] developed a digital comb—a thin circuit board equipped with various sensors around which bees build their combs. Several of these in each hive can then transmit data to researchers, providing real-time monitoring. [… Digital comb] can [also] be activated to heat up certain parts of a beehive […] to keep the bees warm during the winter[…. N]ot only have [honeybee] colonies reacted positively, but swarm intelligence responds to the temperature changes by reducing the bees' own heat production, helping them save energy.”

2. Babirusa pigs born at London Zoo for first time

“Thanks to their gnarly tusks […] and hairless bodies, the pigs are often called "rat pigs" or "demon pigs” in their native Indonesia[….] “[The piglets] are already looking really strong and have so much energy - scampering around their home and chasing each other - it’s a joy to watch. They’re quite easy to tell apart thanks to their individual hair styles - one has a head of fuzzy red hair, while its sibling has a tuft of dark brown hair.””

3. 6,000 sheep will soon be grazing on 10,000 acres of Texas solar fields

“The animals are more efficient than lawn mowers, since they can get into the nooks and crannies under panel arrays[….] Mowing is also more likely to kick up rocks or other debris, damaging panels that then must be repaired, adding to costs. Agrivoltaics projects involving sheep have been shown to improve the quality of the soil, since their manure is a natural fertilizer. […] Using sheep instead of mowers also cuts down on fossil fuel use, while allowing native plants to mature and bloom.”

4. Florida is building the world's largest environmental restoration project

“Florida is embarking on an ambitious ecological restoration project in the Everglades: building a reservoir large enough to secure the state's water supply. […] As well as protecting the drinking water of South Floridians, the reservoir is also intended to dramatically reduce the algae-causing discharges that have previously shut down beaches and caused mass fish die-offs.”

5. The Right to Repair Movement Continues to Accelerate

“Consumers can now demand that manufacturers repair products [including mobile phones….] The liability period for product defects is extended by 12 months after repair, incentivising repairs over replacements. [… M]anufacturers may need to redesign products for easier disassembly, repair, and durability. This could include adopting modular designs, standardizing parts, and developing diagnostic tools for assessing the health of a particular product. In the long run, this could ultimately bring down both manufacturing and repair costs.”

6. Federal Judge Rules Trans Teen Can Play Soccer Just In Time For Her To Attend First Practice

“Today, standing in front of a courtroom, attorneys for Parker Tirrell and Iris Turmelle, two transgender girls, won an emergency temporary restraining order allowing Tirrell to continue playing soccer with her friends. […] Tirrell joined her soccer team last year and received full support from her teammates, who, according to the filing, are her biggest source of emotional support and acceptance.”

7. Pilot study uses recycled glass to grow plants for salsa ingredients

“"We're trying to reduce landfill waste at the same time as growing edible vegetables," says Andrea Quezada, a chemistry graduate student[….] Early results suggest that the plants grown in recyclable glass have faster growth rates and retain more water compared to those grown in 100% traditional soil. [… T]he pots that included any amount of recyclable glass [also] didn't have any fungal growth.”

8. Feds announce funding push for ropeless fishing gear that spares rare whales

“Federal fishing managers are promoting the use of ropeless gear in the lobster and crab fishing industries because of the plight of North Atlantic right whales. […] Lobster fishing is typically performed with traps on the ocean bottom that are connected to the surface via a vertical line. In ropeless fishing methods, fishermen use systems such an inflatable lift bag that brings the trap to the surface.”

9. Solar farms can benefit nature and boost biodiversity. Here’s how

“[… M]anaging solar farms as wildflower meadows can benefit bumblebee foraging and nesting, while larger solar farms can increase pollinator densities in surrounding landscapes[….] Solar farms have been found to boost the diversity and abundance of certain plants, invertebrates and birds, compared to that on farmland, if solar panels are integrated with vegetation, even in urban areas.”

10. National Wildlife Federation Forms Tribal Advisory Council to Guide Conservation Initiatives, Partnerships

“The council will provide expertise and consultation related to respecting Indigenous Knowledges; wildlife and natural resources; Indian law and policy; Free, Prior and Informed Consent[… as well as] help ensure the Federation’s actions honor and respect the experiences and sovereignty of Indigenous partners.”

August 8-14 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[sitp-recs]

hiii i don’t know if you still do recs but if you do, do you have any fics where harry and draco are just obsessed with each other but not in an established relationship? like stalker vibes if you get me 😭😭

Hi anon! I think you might enjoy this list I posted recently: Harry thinks Draco is Up to Something as many fics would fit in this category. I’ll also add these great reads with stalker vibes:

Paint It Red by @dictacontrion (E, 5k)

Draco's a graffiti artist with a bone to pick. Harry's the P.I. tasked with catching him. Or, apparently, stalking him all over town, asking a lot of questions, and showing surprising artistic talent.

A Memory and a Mystery by hollyxhawthorn (E, 8k)

After a night with a mysterious man, Harry Potter hires Draco Malfoy to recover a missing personal item.

A New Page by @bixgirl1 (E, 8.5k)

Draco just wanted to find out what was up with Potter's new attitude. Some light stalking, the discovery of a hidden diary, and a lot of wanking later, and he has some answers. They're just not the ones he expected.

Blueprints for a Dream by Frayach (E, 24k)

Harry breaks Draco’s heart, but that doesn’t mean Draco’s going to let him go without a fight.

Now I Wake Up In The Night and Watch You Breathe by @hoko-onchi-writes (E, 25k)

When the DMLE assigned Harry to watch Draco, Harry’s interest ramped up. He wanked so much that first year he tore a muscle in his upper arm. It was all sexual at first. But with time, Harry’s feelings deepened. Draco was clever, well-informed, viciously funny. He stopped to pet dogs on the street and looked after his neighbour’s cat. He took an art course at a Muggle uni and opened his own gallery. He was smart and sharp; ambitious.

on the divine agony of longing by @flimsi (E, 25k)

Speaking to Draco is like poking a beehive - and Harry is a glutton for punishment. In which Harry makes some serious blunders and then tries to fix it. Somehow.

Glory Be by Lomonaaeren (E, 32k)

Draco—Draco Malfoy, skilled assassin, powerful and wealthy Veela, former Death Eater—has always known what to do, where to go, who to kill. And then Harry Potter came along: Harry Potter, Unspeakable, former Auror, the most powerful wizard Draco has ever seen. And Draco catches a glimpse of glory he may be unable to live without.

Shine, Even in the Darkness by raitala (E, 41k)

Harry hasn’t seen Draco for over fifteen years, but now he’s showing up everywhere and Harry is sort of weirdly attracted to him, but that can’t be right?

Even From Opposite Ends of the Universe by @kbrick (E, 114k)

In sixth year, Harry begins obsessively tracking Draco Malfoy's every move, telling himself it's the only way to prevent Malfoy from carrying out his dark plans. But as the year progresses, fist fights and mutual animosity gradually give way to a swirling, complicated intimacy that neither boy expects or understands, even as they desperately try to shield it from the outside world.

Can't Sit Still by wilteddaisy (E, 193k)

Five years after the war, Harry finds himself drawn to Draco Malfoy by memories that aren't his own.

[w1yre]

“Hoo, boy…It’s mighty hot outside today, huh?”

hello, hello, hello everyone!!! this is adult freddie!!!! yippee!!!!

(no cw it’s just a page break so you can read about his lore!)

so. freddie follows through with his dream of becoming a postman like his dad!!! yay!!!! good job freddie!!

basically, my welcome home next generation au features freddie, who now runs eddie’s post office! he even kept the name to honor his dad :) freddie grows up to…basically be a lot like eddie, actually lol😋 but better!!!! he’s book smart AND how-to smart!(not saying eddie isn’t book smart i just think he’s more of a how-to guy)!! like both eddie and frank :3

as an adult, freddie is very soft spoken and polite, and likes to chat about bugs or nature! :) his best friend(and secret crush but don’t tell her) is julie joyful’s daughter, janette jovial (janette isn’t scrapped anymore! i made her a next gen character instead)

he’s bisexual and a cis male btw (he/him)

in his spare time, he writes books and makes pretty paper cranes :3

since the next generation of welcome home/my au takes place in the 1990’s, he was born in 1970 and in the show’s reboot is around 22. (all the characters in the next generation are slightly younger than their parents)

(janette for reference)

(age and sexuality update: she is 20 years old, and a transgender mtf pansexual. she’s also not dating sally anymore but the two are very close!!! everything else is the same)

freddie grew up in a very loving and supportive home, and had a pretty 10/10 childhood! he loves and adores both of his parents and likes to visit them often.

he’s well liked in the neighborhood, even though he can be a bit grumpy and snotty sometimes.

he’s also very clumsy just like eddie. and do NOT make him mad whatever you do because he WILL throw you across the neighborhood

he also has a pet chicken and his own little beehive in the back of his post office. he’s very cute,,,

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Sharon Tate (Valley of the Dolls)— She quickly became a Hollywood "rising star" and sex symbol in her unfortunately short film career and was often referred to as a fashion/style trendsetter in her era. She was so beautiful and absolutely rocked every aesthetic her characters embodied - fancy Victorian vampire with a long red wig, cute super-spy sidekick with a beehive and Buddy Holly glasses, mysterious villainous femme-fatale witch...the list goes on! There's also been a long-standing rumor that the classic Malibu Barbie may have been visually inspired in part by a brief on-screen role of hers in the movie "Don't Make Waves", where she played a fashionable beach-goer. She only lived to 26, but she was an absolute icon of the 1960's!

Birgitte Price (Father of Four)—She's always playing these very housewifey characters - shes known for playing the eldest sister on a household with a dead mom so she's literally always in the kitchen. In reality she couldn't cook at all and despite being super pretty she married a kinda ugly guy who was a GREAT cook and then she never had to cook a day in her life. That's just smart. She was also KNIGHTED.

This is round 1 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut]

Sharon Tate:

she was the sweetest person and great actress too!

 Even though her career was cut short, she proved to be a talented and charismatic actress with plenty of potential. Known for her astonishing beauty, fashion choices and wonderful personality, she remains a Hollywood icon to this very day!!

she should be known for more than the terrible thing that happened to her. she was beautiful but also a burgeoning comedic actress and apparently an incredibly kind person

[uberclonescript]

Beehive Monitoring System & Ant Prevention: A Deep Dive into Modern Beekeeping and the Hidden World of Bees

Beehive Monitoring System

Introduction

The world of modern beekeeping has evolved beyond traditional practices. Today, with the integration of smart technologies, beekeepers can remotely monitor hive health, temperature, humidity, and more. A Beehive Monitoring System is no longer a futuristic concept but a modern necessity supporting hive maintenance and bee welfare. Alongside this, one persistent challenge that beekeepers face is ant infestation, which can harm both the hive and the honey production cycle. In this blog, we’ll explore effective tips to keep ants out of the beehive, present an ecumenical sketch of differential beehives, and offer an in-depth look at the hidden, uncharted world of bees.

1. The Importance of a Beehive Monitoring System

A Beehive Monitoring System uses IoT (Internet of Things) technology, smart sensors, and cloud computing to help beekeepers track vital hive parameters. These include:

Temperature and Humidity: Ensuring an ideal brood-rearing environment.

Weight Monitoring: Tracking honey production and consumption.

Sound Frequency Monitoring: Detecting changes in colony behavior or swarming.

Intrusion Alerts: Notifying beekeepers of animal or human interference.

Remote Access: Access data from any location using mobile or web applications.

Benefits for Beekeepers:

Reduced manual inspection

Early detection of health problems

Increased productivity

Data-driven hive management

Real-time insights into queen failure or hive abandonment

With climate change and rising threats to bee populations, these systems are indispensable in both commercial beekeeping and sustainable beekeeping practices. Beehive monitoring devices can also integrate weather forecasts and suggest best times for hive interventions, reducing human stress on colonies.

Key Features to Look for:

Solar-powered or battery-operated devices

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled options

Mobile alerts with AI insights

Waterproof, rugged design

Modular and scalable architecture

Embracing these features helps beekeepers adopt more eco-friendly and efficient operations.

2. Effective Tips to Keep Ants Out of the Beehive

Ant infestation in beehives is more than just an inconvenience; they are resource thieves. They steal honey, stress out bees, and can lead to hive abandonment. Here are some proven and effective tips to keep ants away from your beehive:

1. Apply a Moat Barrier

Use a water-filled tray under the hive legs. Ants can't swim and will be unable to cross.

Add a few drops of soap or oil to the water to ensure surface tension is broken.

2. Use Natural Repellents

Sprinkle cinnamon, vinegar, lemon juice, or diatomaceous earth around the hive base.

Essential oils such as peppermint and tea tree can be added to cotton balls placed near hive legs.

3. Grease the Hive Stand

Apply sticky substances like petroleum jelly or Tanglefoot on hive legs.

Reapply after rain or every two weeks to maintain effectiveness.

4. Keep the Hive Area Clean

Remove dead bees and spilled honey.

Avoid placing food or syrup containers near hives.

Use trash-proof fencing if your apiary is near populated areas.

5. Elevate the Hive

Position hives on stands with ant-proof barriers.

Consider placing the hive over a concrete or tile surface to reduce ant hiding spots.

6. Control Surrounding Vegetation

Trim grasses and remove climbing plants. This stops ants from using them as bridges.

Use weed cloth to prevent regrowth.

7. Use Ant Deterrent Traps

Commercial ant baits placed far from the hive can help reduce local ant populations.

Boric acid and sugar water traps work well in controlled use.

8. Inspect Regularly

Routine checks help catch infestations early.

Track and trail back to colonies and eliminate nests where possible.

Implementing these effective tips to keep ants out of the beehive will lead to healthier, more productive hives and reduce colony stress during nectar flow seasons.

3. Ecumenical Generic Sketch of Differential Beehives

Understanding the different types of beehives used globally helps in selecting the right model based on climate, bee species, and productivity goals. Here’s an ecumenical generic sketch of differential beehives:

Langstroth Hive (USA)

Most popular design globally

Stackable rectangular boxes with frames

Enables high honey yields

Preferred for commercial apiaries and migratory beekeeping

Top-Bar Hive (Africa, Caribbean, Urban Gardens)

Single horizontal box with removable bars

Bees build comb freely

Promotes natural colony structure

Ideal for educational settings and beginners

Warre Hive (France)

Vertical box hive mimicking wild tree cavities

Uses top-bars like the top-bar hive

Focused on bee welfare over honey harvest

Adds boxes from below, respecting bee instincts

Flow Hive (Australia)

A modern adaptation of Langstroth

Plastic frames allow honey extraction without opening hive

Suitable for backyard beekeepers and small-scale urban farms

Criticized for high costs and plastic use but praised for ease

Log Hive (Traditional - Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe)

Carved or hollowed-out logs

Minimal maintenance

Used by traditional or indigenous communities

Poor honey yield but excellent for pollination support

Each design plays a unique role in modern beekeeping, catering to regional climates, local flora, and beekeeper preferences. Selecting the right hive type can reduce stress for bees and enhance colony longevity.

Key Factors When Choosing a Hive:

Bee species (Apis mellifera vs. Apis cerana)

Climate and elevation

Access to tools and materials

Objective: Honey production, pollination, conservation, or education

4. In-Depth Information of the Uncharted Bees’ World

The In-Depth information of the uncharted bees world is as intricate as any human society. These pollinators are a cornerstone of Earth’s ecosystems, influencing agriculture, biodiversity, and climate resilience.

Social Structure and Roles

Queen Bee: Mother of all bees in the colony. Lives 3–5 years. Controlled by pheromones.

Worker Bees: All-female, sterile bees. Handle foraging, hive care, nursing, guarding, and cleaning.

Drone Bees: Males. Their sole role is mating with queens during nuptial flights.

Language of Bees

Waggle Dance: Communicates food source direction and distance.

Vibrational Signals: Used during swarming, queen replacement.

Scent Trails: Help return to hive or lead others to new nest locations.

Pollination and Food Security

Bees pollinate 1/3 of global crops.

Vital for almonds, apples, blueberries, cucumbers, and melons.

Estimated $235–577 billion in global crop value is attributable to bee pollination.

Navigational Marvels

Bees use sun position, magnetic fields, and polarized light to orient themselves.

Can recognize complex patterns, shapes, and even human faces.

Threats to Bee Survival

Pesticide Exposure: Neonicotinoids linked to Colony Collapse Disorder.

Parasites and Diseases: Varroa mites, Nosema, American Foulbrood.

Climate Change: Alters flowering seasons, disrupts nectar availability.

Habitat Loss: Urban expansion, monoculture farming.

Bees in Mythology and Culture

Considered sacred in many cultures (Egyptians, Mayans, Hindus).

Symbolize diligence, immortality, community.

Featured in medieval alchemy and modern corporate metaphors.

Learning about the in-depth, uncharted world of bees not only enhances your respect for these tiny engineers but also encourages sustainable co-existence.

5. Role of IoT in the Future of Beekeeping

The adoption of IoT-based Beehive Monitoring Systems is paving the way for precision apiculture  where data, automation, and AI guide decisions.

How IoT Transforms Beekeeping:

Real-Time Alerts: Notifies beekeepers of temperature spikes, predator intrusions, or honey theft.

Cloud-Connected Dashboards: Visualize long-term trends in hive performance.

AI Predictions: Anticipate swarming, colony decline, or queen loss.

Remote Decision-Making: Reduce fuel usage and human interaction.

Integration with Weather APIs: Suggest ideal harvest or inspection times.

Environmental Benefits:

Reduced carbon footprint through fewer in-person checks

Higher survival rates during harsh winters or droughts

Better disease management with early detection

Global Movement Toward Smart Beekeeping:

Projects in the EU and India are promoting Smart Hive initiatives.

Startups now offer subscription-based hive analytics services.

With these advancements, Beehive Monitoring Systems become the cornerstone of a bee-centric, data-driven future.

Smart Sensors in Beehive Monitoring: What’s Inside the Hive?

Modern beehive monitoring systems rely heavily on smart sensors that provide real-time insights. Here are the key types of sensors used and what they measure:

 Types of Sensors

Temperature Sensors

Keep track of brood temperature (ideal range: 32°C–35°C).

Fluctuations may indicate brood disease, queenlessness, or absconding.

Humidity Sensors

Monitor internal hive humidity.

Helps prevent mold and supports brood development.

Weight Sensors

Installed under the hive.

Track honey production and population growth.

Microphones / Acoustic Sensors

Record bee buzzing patterns.

Help detect swarming behavior, queen loss, or hive stress.

GPS Trackers

Used in mobile hives or during relocation.

Prevent theft and track hive movement.

CO₂ & Air Quality Sensors

Track respiratory activity.

Alert beekeepers to overcrowding or poor ventilation.

These sensors sync with cloud platforms or mobile apps, allowing beekeepers to monitor multiple hives across locations with ease.

How to Install and Maintain a Beehive Monitoring System

Setting up a smart beehive system may sound technical, but it's manageable even for small-scale beekeepers.

Installation Guide

Choose the Right System

Popular brands: BroodMinder, Arnia, BeeSecure, HiveWatch.

Compare based on sensor range, mobile compatibility, and pricing.

Install the Sensors

Temperature/humidity: inside or under the brood box.

Weight scale: place under the hive base.

Microphone: inside the hive lid or beneath the brood chamber.

Connect to the Network

Sync the sensors to Wi-Fi or a mobile network.

Install the associated app on your smartphone or tablet.

Start Monitoring

Set alerts for temperature drops, weight changes, or abnormal sounds.

Use collected data to adjust feeding, treatment, or hive maintenance.

Maintenance Tips

Check Battery Levels: Replace or recharge batteries regularly.

Clean Sensors: Wipe down gently during hive inspections.

Firmware Updates: Keep the system up-to-date for accuracy and security.

Test Alerts: Ensure that push notifications are working and calibrated properly.

The Future of Beekeeping: AI, Robotics, and Automation

As global awareness of bee conservation grows, beekeeping is entering a new era driven by automation and artificial intelligence.

AI-Driven Hive Management

Predictive Analytics: AI models use historical data to forecast swarming, disease outbreaks, or nectar flows.

Health Diagnosis: Algorithms analyze audio or visual input to detect problems like Varroa mites or queen failure.

Behavioral Analysis: AI tracks bee movement patterns to detect unusual behavior before colony collapse.

Robotic Assistants

Automated Inspections: Robotic arms with cameras can inspect hives without opening them.

Smart Dispensers: Deliver sugar syrup, water, or medication based on hive needs.

Drones: Used for environmental surveys, tracking foraging areas, or spraying organic mite treatments.

Blockchain & Data Sharing

Beekeepers can now share data globally through secure platforms, contributing to research and collaboration across borders.

Traceability ensures pure honey sourcing, building consumer trust and promoting sustainable practices.

Conclusion

Modern beekeeping is a blend of science, ecology, and care. The Beehive Monitoring System is an essential asset in ensuring hive health, improving productivity, and adapting to environmental changes. With the constant threat of ants, knowing effective prevention methods helps protect your colonies. From an ecumenical view of differential hives to understanding the uncharted world of bees, this field offers endless learning and discovery.

[brian-in-finance]

This quote from FvF Director James Mangold can be added to the one you posted:

“Whatever had been said to me before I met Caitríona — ‘She’s in this hot TV show, huge following, former model’ — this is often the kind of thing that turns me off. But what I was confronted with was a simply remarkable actress—present, fearless, emotionally vulnerable, and smart.” - James Mangold, Director FvF

Thanks for the message, Anon. 😃 Your Mangold quote is from Vanity Fair and follows Brian’s recent post with video of Jamie Dornan’s and Orlando Bloom’s, and a tweet screenshot of Mangold’s, talking about working with Caitríona.

James Mangold and Caitríona Balfe attend the Le Mans ‘66 /Ford v Ferrari premiere at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival at Roy Thomson Hall on 9 September 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Thanks for your message, Anon. 😃

What do I think “based on reviews in everything she's done in and outside Outlander?” 😂 How To Attract Unwanted Attention Without Really Trying…

I think Caitríona will be just fine, regardless of her age (45 in October) and Outlander’s ending (filming in the next few weeks, Season 8 promotion sometime before 2030…).

It’s nice to step into the unknown and see what the possibilities might be. — Caitriona Balfe, 6 September 2024

Video 📹 from Twitter

I’d argue if every other role is typecasting, every other role is something different. 😉

Let’s look at her work released since Outlander premiered in August 2014, supportive wife/mother wise:

2015 The Price of Desire ❌

2016 Money Monster ❌

2019 Le Mans ‘66/Ford v Ferrari ✔️

2019 The Dark Crystal: The Age of Resistance ❌

2019 The Christmas Letter ❌/✔️

2020 Angela’s Christmas Wish ✔️

2021 Belfast ✔️

2024 The Cut ✔️/❌

2025 The Amateur TBA*

*Will she play the murdered wife? An American CIA agent or diplomat? A foreign agent or assassin? The Amateur’s version of Mrs Kravitz? 🤷🏻‍♂️ What we do know is she had her own dialect coach who is “passionate about coaching accents,” and, according to someone who attended the film’s screening in Pasadena last month, “(Caitríona’s) talent and range is bigger than anything we’ve seen.”

Does she have something bigger than small parts lined up?

As you mentioned, she typically doesn’t talk about, much less name, a project until it’s announced officially. 🍿🍿🍿

I think she’ll be offered roles, big and small, and do only what appeals to her and suits her family’s** lifestyle. She still owns the rights to Here Is The Beehive and now has some experience directing. She’ll never be bored, between time spent enjoying her family** and her interest in travel, art, music, film, fashion, literature, sports, and people.

**her actual family

You didn’t ask, but I’ll offer my humble opinion, just the same. I don’t think they’ll move abroad, regardless of her having lived for several years in New York and Los Angeles. Her and Tony’s parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews all live in Ireland and the UK. As she and Tony have done for years, I see their staying abroad for long periods during filming, but not setting up a permanent residence. I think they’ll continue to make their home and raise their son in Ireland/UK… JMHO.

Photos: FarFarAwaySite (cropped by BIF), Wimbledon, 8 July 2019, London England

Remember… as long as I keep getting cast, I don't care if it's typecast. — Chris Pratt

[cupcakemolotov]

Dragon Dust: Part 2

Please remember that my A03 is locked, due to AI scrapping. I have unlocked this one briefly, but will be locking it back down after a few days. Making an account is the best way to see what I am writing.

Summary: Escaping a dragon isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Warnings: Alternate Universe - Dragons; Alternate Universe - Soulmates; Alternate Universe - Fantasy; here be dragons; Caroline is a Thief; They Will Probably Argue About That at some point

The first time Caroline met Enzo, she’d thought he was crazy. Nearly five decades of friendship between them and more high risk jobs than she cared to think back on to count, and she still thought he was crazy. But somewhere in all the long years of their friendship, he had turned her into a crazy person too. It was the only explanation she could find for why she was playing chase with the King of Dragons in his booby trapped castle.

Flinging herself down another empty hallway, Caroline’s gaze darted around as she tried to find a door, a pathway, anything to keep increasing the distance between her and the sheer force of the dragon behind her. There had been something in his gaze, hot and covetous and wildly dangerous to her equilibrium, that she could not allow herself to think about.

Not when Klaus’ roar had shaken the walls of the castle, when outside she could hear bells clanging in a jarring pattern that left her teeth grinding in frustration. Alarms that echoed in her chest as sharply as the feel of him, warm and naked and sleek beneath her hands lingered against her palm in a soft warmth. Shaking off those thoughts, she tried to focus. Enzo was counting on her. That meant she had to survive, had to find a way out of this trap. A feat made nearly impossible by the way she could feel the castle walls buzzing, an angry beehive that had been unexpectedly kicked, and while she wasn’t a quitter, she also wasn’t stupid.

Hide, hide, she needed to hide. Running into a storm barefoot and without a cloak wasn’t smart, but it was better than the dungeons and it would give her a fighting chance. So she needed an exit. Dragons were their own kind of awful, their magic had teeth, but storms like the one raging outside might give her smaller body just enough of an advantage she could slip their net.

To make that work, she needed space. Her best choice was to keep running until she found an exit. It was unfortunately not an uncommon solution to some of her more brazen thefts. If she made it out of this castle alive, Enzo was going to owe her so big.

Around her, the alarms increased in pitch. Bare feet slapping on the stone floor, Caroline barely registered the rooms she bolted through, trying not to think what it meant that no one had stopped her just yet. Cursing when she turned a corner and found yet another set of stairs, her heart skipped a beat when above her, not nearly far enough away, the sound of shattering stone told her the lock had finally broken.

The Dragon King was loose.

Around her, the air started to boil.

Caroline didn’t give herself enough mental room to panic. Her world narrowed to obstacle, and the fastest way past the obstacle. Her mental lists and plans were discarded as soon as she thought of them. There was no way she was going to run down the stairs faster than a dragon, even a naked one. Throwing a prayer to the god of thieves, Caroline shoved her hand into her last hidden pocket and gripped a charm tightly between her fingers and launched herself at the banister. She bounced, almost missed it, but caught herself at the last second. To her left, a gaping chasm of multiple stories of free space loomed, and to her right, roughly hued stone.

Her heart jumped into her throat as she slid down the rough stone. If she’d had even an ounce of magic left, she could have guided the stone, directed herself on the stone at less suicidal speeds, but she didn’t. She couldn’t. The walls around her rushed by, and she heard shouts of surprise, the alarms ringing in her ears increasing in volume. She had one shot at surviving this.

Gripping Enzo’s charm tightly between her fingers, Caroline stared at the oncoming floor and tried not to panic. God, the things she did for her family. Setting her teeth, she tried to anticipate the timing for the bone jarring jump as she neared the bottom. In her hand, the spell started to burn.

Behind her, a roar that threatened to shake the walls apart. Adrenaline flooded her as she launched, and she had half a heartbeat to hope she wasn’t turning herself into a flying, bite sized snack. Around her the air seemed to gather itself, magic thick enough to breath as she reached for the spell locked in the charm. Before she could force the magic free, there was a sudden, violent impression of wings and claws, a deep-chested snarl, and the world warped.

Magic. There was too much magic.

AO3

[solarpunkfool]

You wake up. The sunlight filters through the tree branches leafing outside your window, and you hear the birds calling (the birds are back, populations returning in the thousands, then millions as air pollution lessens and climate patterns rebalance). You head to your kitchen and make yourself a morning drink, coffee or tea, pouring the spent grounds into your countertop compost bin - municipal pick-up is tomorrow, you remind yourself. You put the paper wrapper from the tea/coffee into the recycling bin. There are no trash bins anymore, no plastic to throw away. 

You get ready for your day, putting on your clothing, soft cotton/linen/wool that won’t last much longer than you when you’re done with it. You message your work friends on your slightly clunkier, but infinitely repairable smart phone - you’ll meet them at the local light rail stop. You summon a link (a free, sometimes remote controlled, publicly available cab service - serviced by the municipality, and fully electric). You make sure to give yourself a little extra time than you did when you had a gas car, since the links travel more slowly and carefully, but that’s ok, because the streets are safe for tricycles, bikes, dog-walkers, nighttime deer, errant soccer balls, and neighborhood cats. You spend the time before it arrives watering your backyard garden, and you chat with your neighbor who has just finished picking blackberries from the vines along your fence. She tells you she’ll make cobbler and bring you some later. You’re grateful, since you never have time to bake when you’d rather be spending time with your family. Your phone alerts you when your link arrives, and you head out. There’s another neighbor in the link already, and you’re both headed to the light rail stop. You chat about the weather, how the trees that were planted en masse all those years ago have kept the summers so much cooler and the winters so much milder. He jokes about not having to mow the grass in his yard nearly as much as he used to, after the ordinances for planting slower-growing native plants. He shows you a picture of how well his garden is doing, and you mention your neighbor and the blackberries. His eyes widen, and he mentions that he’s never been able to get berries to grow. You take his information and promise to invite him over for cobbler sometime next week. 

You arrive at the light rail stop and walk under the fully green bridge (for animals to cross safely, and to keep the station cool) to meet your friends. You exchange notes about how your efforts are doing, what you think should be improved as you board the nearly silent electric train. You look out the window as you travel deeper into the city and watch as the green of trees along roads and sidewalks never lessens, the dullness of concrete doesn’t increase. With the links available and so few private cars on the streets, the size of the roads has decreased, making more room for trees, playgrounds, gardens, and wildflower patches. You see what used to be a concrete and brick center berm taken over by the boxy outlines of beehives, surrounded on both sides (what used to be narrow sidewalks) with fruit tree orchards. 

You arrive at your destination and disembark, walking with your colleagues to your building. It’s still a highrise, mostly concrete and glass, but the rooftop terraces are fully green spaces and the glass panels are permeable solar panels, drinking in the sun’s energy like the plants that stretch across its roof. You spend your day leading your team in delivering top quality services, eat lunch at the free market kitchen down the street, and then head home. Your work day is 5 hours long, with an hour for lunch. 

When you get home, your partner and child are there already, playing in the street on your kiddo’s new bike. The street is quiet and safe. You breathe deeply, smelling absolutely no car exhaust. 

You meet your neighbors at the community house (every neighborhood has one), where there’s always a free dinner if you want one. You don’t like to cook, so you don’t offer to take a shift, but you help clean up. Your partner mentions taking your kiddo to the doctor for a possible ear infection, but it turns out they just had a bug bite in their ear. You laugh about it. The doctor’s appointment cost nothing, just as your dinner does. You can cook at home, but why would you? You could eat alone, and sometimes you do, but today you want to laugh and talk with your neighbors and let your kiddo play with theirs. You and your partner help the clean up team after dinner, washing your own dishes and a few others’ so it all gets done. The dishes aren’t perfect, chipped and older, but who cares when the food is free. 

You and your family walk home and meet your old dog on the porch. He snorts and snuffles your child’s hair and leans in for pets. 

You go in and put your kiddo to bed. You spend the rest of the evening watching tv or reading with your partner. You talk about your day. You see the news that more sustainable grazing practices mean that the rainforest has advanced by nearly 2,000 feet this year, dark soil and thick tree roots spreading outward, crowns capturing more and more carbon from the air. You hear that the tigers and snow leopards, elephants and rhinos, are all increasing in population. 

It starts to rain. You are thankful you don’t have to water the garden tonight. You and your partner head to bed, and you think - this is my life. I am leaving a planet to my child that they will WANT to inhabit. Sure, there wasn’t steak on my plate tonight, but my belly is full and my air is clean and my home is safe. You dream sweetly, thinking of dandelions sprouting up through cracks in concrete, deer and foxes walking through breaks in fences, children swimming in clean water.

[mindblowingscience]

Natural herd mentality has inspired a team of researchers to create “smart swarms” of microscopic robots. In natural ecosystems, the herd mentality plays a major role—from schools of fish, to beehives, to ant colonies. This collective behavior allows the whole to exceed the sum of its parts and better respond to threats and challenges. In their new work, the researchers engineered social interactions among tiny machines so that they can act as one coordinated group, performing tasks better than they would if they were moving as individuals or at random.

Continue Reading.

[paladinsbrainrot]

hi aly!! your post about the stranger things/yellowjackets characters parallels is spot on, i am soo here for the lumax/travnat parallel. no pressure obviously but could you maybe elaborate on el/lottie and dustin/misty ? :)

hi riley! tysm for the ask!

okay so for el and lottie, I think they both influence the narrative similarly and have comparable personalities. they're both the main perpetrators of the supernatural in each of their stories and everything supernatural related is inadvertently tied to them. el has her own powers to fight off evil, and lottie has an alike 'power' where she can sense the wilderness and what it wants. she kind of serves as a vessel in the sense that she can communicate with the wilderness and can translate it to the rest of the group and determine their next means of survival. I also just think lottie and el have a lot of the same traits! they're both kind of quirky and lively, however their trauma can make them very reserved and quiet and causes lots of internal conflict within themselves. I keep circling back to the scene of lottie at the compound with the beehives and seeing blood on her hands, and the scene of el in hawkins lab during one of brenner's tests and seeing blood on her hands. I think if el was stranded in the canadian wilderness for months on end, she would eventually lose her bright personality and start descending into madness like lottie, because of what she's gone through. lottie and el both thrive on having explanations to everything that's happened to them -- they don't like a mystery/admitting the truth. lottie uses the supernatural and the wilderness as a way to justify their cannibalism and hunts. she's led to believe that there's a purpose for them in the wilderness and that it wasn't just chance that their plane crashed. el fears that she killed all of hawkins lab, and spends a whole season trying to figure out if she was the monster, or if it was the supernatural/vecna all along. she wanted a justification for her actions but also wanted to make sure it wasn't her. overall, lottie and el are both extremely kind at heart but are very violent when they have to be!

for dustin and misty, I think it's less of their function in the narrative but more their personalities. they're both smart, extremely bubbly, and a little weird. out of all of the boys, I think dustin is the most likely to be bullied/on the outs had this story taken place in the 90s. his disability makes him physically different, and he's much more overt with his interests, unlike mike, will, and lucas. he's not afraid to be himself. misty is similar in that way. she's so outwardly herself, has troubling reading social cues, and is so different from the rest of the girls, that it puts her on the outs. I think if stranger things characters were in the yellowjackets universe, even if some of them had the same interests as dustin, they wouldn't exactly be super close with him . but I think it would be interesting if after the crash and dustin was with them every minute of the day they would grow to realize that dustin wasn't actually the weird, kooky kid everyone made him out to be and was actually super smart and resilient. both misty and dustin are incredibly clever. it's their intelligence that saves the day most of the time. dustin is able to use his knowledge of D&D to discern what the supernatural wants and how to save their friends, while misty's survival skills are what saves most of the group post crash. I think if anyone knew how to amputate a leg in the wilderness and cease infection and blood loss, it would be dustin.