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Crunchyroll Announces the Anime Films It Will Be Adding to Its Service in December 2022
Crunchyroll Announces the Anime Films It Will Be Adding to Its Service in December 2022
Crunchyroll has announced that it will be adding anime films to its service during December 2022. December 1, 2022 Strike Witches: The Movie When their enemy reappears more powerful than ever, the Strike Witches must form up once again. But can they do it without Yoshika Miyafuji? December 8, 2022 As the Gods Will High school student Shun Takahata is bored. Bored with the day-to-day monotony of…
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#anime#As the Gods Will#Big Fish & Begonia#Crunchyroll#Digimon#Haikara-San: Here Comes Miss Modern#Isekai Quartet#Liz and the Blue Bird#Maquia: When The Promised Flower Blooms#Millennium Actress#Overlord#Penguin Highway#SHIROBAKO#Sound! Euphonium#Strike Witches#The Wonderland
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Lobelia (Vulcan) Cardinal Red...
Hummer magnet OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
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Mahonia Aquafolium, Oregon grape. If there is one plant in our garden that gets extra care, it is the Oregon Grape. It sits way in the back and, other than the trees, is one of the few plants in the garden I did not buy or plant. When we first moved in, it was in horrible shape and nearly dying. But each spring, I provided it a shovel full of compost and laid on extra mulch and it sprung back to life. As you can see from one of the photos, it is surrounded by tall mature hollies, so every spring I prune the Holly branches to give the Oregon Grape an open path to the sunlight.
The scientific name Mahonia comes from the name of a famous plant expert and the word Aquafolium means holly-like leaves, which obviously look like their namesake. The plant grows primarily in the Northwest United States and Southwest Canada and is rarely seen or grown in the East. This is the state plant of Oregon and was first noted by Lewis and Clark in their Journal when they made it to the far Northwest where they grow naturally.
When the plant is in full bloom in early spring, the flowers are just spectacular, hundreds of neatly arranged blooms turning from green to yellow like ripening fruit held on the stems with purple undersides called sepalum, from the Greek for covering. The effect is rather hallucinogenic.
When the flowers fade, they are replaced by grape like fruit, which the birds enjoy. Native Americans in the region would make elixirs out of the grapes to cure kidney, stomach and skin problems as well as other ailments.
You can still buy tinctures of Oregon Grape on line and in natural supplement stores, but there is no good scientific evidence to support medicinal use. It does contain the compound called berberine, which has been proven to have both anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory qualities. One of the main actions of berberine is to activate an enzyme inside cells called AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), according to some animal studies. AMPK is found in the cells throughout the human body and plays a role in regulating metabolism and energy levels. But none of that means the Oregon Grape tinctures work to do anything.
The plant is known to grow around poison oak out west and, in our garden, I always see poison ivy around it. Maybe that contributes to the folk wisdom associated with the plant. It is a living growing paradox. Its beautiful flowers entice the onlooker to approach but pointed needles of the leaves can puncture the skin. The surrounding poison ivy and oak lead to an awful itchy rash but the tincture made from the flowers and roots can treat and heal the skin rash.
As with other things it is known to do but really can’t, placing three branches of Oregon Grape on one’s threshold keeps enemies at bay.
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Transform your space with Peel and Stick wallpaper: decorate your home without the hassle
introduction:
There is an innovative trend sweeping the world of interior design. This is the clean and paste wallpaper. Gone are the days of tedious wallpaper installation processes involving non-stick adhesives and lengthy installations. Peel and stick wallpaper has proven to be a game changer, allowing homeowners to transform their spaces with style and ease.
The advantages of peel and stick wallpaper:
Easy to use: One of the main advantages of peel and stick wallpaper is its easy-to-use application. No hassle of using glue or hiring a professional installer. Remove the backing and apply the wallpaper to the desired surface. It's a DIY dream come true that's easily accessible to anyone, regardless of their home improvement skills.
Temporary or permanent solutions: Peel and stick wallpaper offers a flexibility that traditional wallpaper cannot match. Whether you're looking for a temporary solution to update your rental space or a long-term design for your forever home, peel and stick wallpaper is the perfect choice. When it's time for replacement, it can be easily removed without damaging the wall. Variety of models: Available in a variety of designs, patterns and textures, Skin and Stick wallpapers suit all style preferences. Whether you prefer classic florals, modern geometric patterns or rustic textures, there's a cleaning and bonding option to suit your taste. This versatility allows homeowners to experiment and express their creativity in unconventional ways.
Budget friendly changes: Renovating your home doesn't have to cost a lot of money. Peel and stick wallpaper is an inexpensive alternative to traditional wallpaper or expensive paint jobs. It offers a premium look without the hefty price tag, making it an attractive option for those on a tight budget. Seamless removal: Whether you need to update your decor or move to a new space, the process of removing removable wallpaper is clean and hassle-free. Simply remove it and you'll have the perfect wall surface for your next design adventure. Damaged walls should not be scratched, steamed or repaired.
Perfect for an accent wall or an entire room. Whether you want to create a beautiful focal point with an accent wall or transform an entire room, Peel and Stick wallpaper can help you personalize your approach. Mix and match patterns, experiment with colors and let your personality shine in every corner of your home.
conclusion:
Covering wallpaper with bark is not just a trend. A practical and stylish solution for anyone looking to update their living space. Because of its ease of use, versatility and cost-effectiveness, it's no wonder homeowners are embracing this innovative approach to home furnishings. Easily transform your home, step by step, and discover the endless possibilities that wallpaper can bring to your interior design.
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Autumn-inspired motifs and colours that will transform your space
Autumn – A season that sets the mood for hot pumpkin-spiced lattes and a slight nip in the air. It is also the perfect time to redecorate to match seasonal trends, colours and overall aesthetics. The cross-connection of cooler weather and warmer tones enhances the overall vibe in your home. The season brings with it more indoor hangouts, bright festivities, time spent at home and the cosiest home decor trends.
Also Read | Arabic Resin art decor launches by Artist Madhavi Adalja
Hues of orange, amber and burnt sepia immediately strike us when we think about the fall season. The perfect palette colours for this time are shades of deep orange, magenta, browns, peach, pale corals, charcoals, marigolds, peacocks and dusty roses. Motifs enhancing the beauty of dried leaves, floral wreaths, and colourful fall flowers are exactly what you need to redecorate or enhance the look of your space.
A perfect amalgamation of bright and earthy colours will be an absolute win while doing up your home. While your walls are covered with bright wallpapers, opting for sage green or off-white sofas would add a cool colour as well as offer a serene vibe. The Floating Inflorescence Wallpapers inhale the visual pleasures of rich floral bloom on chrome background. The design of this wallpaper has simple flower motifs in calming colours, making the design for walls largely modern and contemporary.
Also Read: Easy Guide To Choose A Color Palette For Your Space
While plain painted walls are classic and have been a forever favourite, the colours of autumn like rich cream, soft gold, fiery red, etc capture the essence of autumn throughout the year, making your abode look warm and welcoming. These walls can be easily accentuated with wall plates, wall mirrors and wall art. While looking for such decorative pieces, we suggest you look for natural motifs. Birds spiralling around a bunch of flowers and abstract designs with floral motifs are the perfect match for your wall decorations. The Passerine Calling Canvas Wall Art and the Legend Of The Cranes Décor Plate are a few of the many choices to add to your home décor.
A snuggly reading corner or cosy couches to binge your horror movies are going to be your favourite spots during the fall season. Textiles are the easiest way to change the mood as per the season. Warm cushions on your reading chair with a dohar are going to amp up your reading space. While you enjoy the weather make sure your pets also get the best while you curl up with your favourite book.
Also Read | A floating pavilion as testing grounds for museum-to-be M. in Dutch new town Almere
The Tuskers Delight Pet Bed is the perfect companion for your furry friends on a cold day. The print brightens up the space with its cute elephants in earthy shades of olive green, burnt orange and matte.
Why limit the motifs to only cushions and bedding? Add warmth and texture to your living room with the Cheetah Print Flatwoven Rug. The design on this handmade flatweave features cheetah prints along with tropical leaves making it a solid match for autumn. While talking of motifs, long curtains are a must-have to add drama and bring out the design aesthetics of the room together. Available in a mix of styles, colours and patterns, the curtains will transform your space into a pleasant and restful atmosphere.
Also Read: Easy Guide To Choose A Color Palette For Your Space
Talking of colours, adding metallics to your design scheme is also a great idea. One such convenient hack is incorporating this through microelements. For example, the Bird Land Side Tables come with iron leg frames and a beautiful top which perfectly captures the essence of nature-inspired motifs.
Similarly, you can also experiment with metallic lighting elements in your home. As we will soon welcome Diwali, a Mettalic Lamp Base for the corners will add extra sheen to your bright and colourful home. The Grey Globe Crystal Candle Holder and the Olive Crystal Candle Holder will add the requisite amount of sparkle. The shimmering crystal discs dance with reflected light in stylish silhouettes while making your home glow.
Also Read | A floating pavilion as testing grounds for museum-to-be M. in Dutch new town Almere
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A fellow critter-loving friend of mine posted a few pictures of winter birds a few days ago on Facebook, and a link to an article featuring lots of such birds. Some of them are so gorgeous that I knew right then I would share them for Saturday’s surprise! It amazes me that these small, seemingly-delicate creatures can withstand the cold of winter, but somehow they do!
American Goldfinch
American Robins
Anna’s Hummingbird
Barred Owls
Black-Capped Chickadees
Blue Jays
Bohemian Waxwing
California Scrub Jay
Cedar Waxwing
Common Grackle
Common Redpole
Cooper’s Hawk
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Bluebirds
Great Grey Owl
Mockingbird
Mourning Doves
Northern Cardinals
Northern Flicker (left); Northern Flicker and European Starling (right)
Snowy Owl
Tufted Titmouse
White-Breasted Nuthatch
Yellow-Shafted Flicker
Aren’t they beautiful? I hope they made you smile this Saturday winter morn! Be sure to check out the website for some tips about feeding winter birds and winter bird photography. Have a wonderful weekend, my friends!
Saturday Surprise — Winter Birds!!! A fellow critter-loving friend of mine posted a few pictures of winter birds a few days ago on Facebook, and a link to an article featuring lots of such birds.
#Birds & Blooms#Blue Jays#Bluebirds#Bohemian Waxwing#Cooper&039;s Hawk#owls#Robins#Tufted Titmouse#White-Breasted Nuthatch#winter birds
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Farm Grown / Hawks x Reader ♕︎
uwu, I had the lovely @weirddpand4 draw this picture of cowboy Hawks for this work!!!
warnings: NSFW, spanking, cream pie
words: 4,802
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“Oh, wow! Look at that! I’ve never seen grass so green before!” your friend, Urakaka Ochaco, exclaims.
Glancing up from your phone, you follow her line of vision; gracious hills of rich green grass stretch out far into the horizon, meeting with the brilliant shade of blue. It’s so unlike the skyscrapers and closely-knit houses you’re used to seeing. No, this is what pure beauty looks like, Mother Nature in one of her most wonderful forms. Although the fields are dotted with wildflowers and corn fields, you don’t miss the dirt road further up ahead, a large wooden sign planted next to it.
When Ochaco originally came to you with the idea of being a farmhand, you thought she was crazy. You’ve finally graduated from high school, got the title of professional hero, and this is the first thing she wanted to do? However, as she further explained, it was a family friend who needed help during the summer months, and what were heroes for? Granted, you wanted to run around the cement jungle and provide help that way, but this “almost vacation” didn’t sound too bad – plus, with the puppy eyes Ochaco flashed at you, it was impossible to say no.
And so, here you are, sitting in the passenger side of a coupe with Ochaco behind the wheel. You have to admit; the surrounding atmosphere is beautiful, and you’d be lying if you said you didn’t want to run barefoot through the grass. Clouds of dust rise as the car eventually comes to a stop outside of a weathered farmhouse. Ochako flashes you a smile, her large eyes twinkling.
“Look at how huge this place is! I know Uncle Iroh said he had a couple people helping out, but this is incredible! We’ll each have our own room!”
You can’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. Ochaco’s always been easy to rile up, and the fact that she’s genuinely excited to spend quality “bonding time” with you is heartwarming. As the two of you step out of the car, the front door to the farmhouse opens, revealing an elderly man with a long beard and a kind expression. His face cracks into a smile when he and Ochaco make eye contact; the two hurry towards each other, warm greetings and bone-crushing hugs being shared between the two. It’s no wonder Ochaco was so excited to spend the summer here; with a relationship like that, you’d be happy to see the man too.
“Oh, come, come!” Iroh says, hurrying around the car and popping the trunk open. “You must be Ochaco’s friend, yes?” he asks, looking towards you. A wave of pleasant warmth washes over your being as he sends you that charming smile. “I appreciate the help! I only have my nephew and another man working here already, but the extra hands will come in handy.” He pauses then to chuckle at his own joke. “But I think it’s about you two get settled, yeah?”
“Right!” you respond, pulling out your own suitcase.
As you walk up towards the wraparound porch, you glance to the other trucks sitting out in front of the farmhouse. Iroh said two others were already here, so you figured the trucks must be theirs…
“Zuko!” Iroh booms. “Our guests are here!”
After a moment or so, a boy around your age staggers from the kitchen, a tray in his hands. From the looks of it, a teapot and some cups line its surface.
“Tea is our specialty, here,” Iroh says, nudging you with your shoulder. “Get something to drink and then we’ll show you your rooms.”
-
Later on that evening, you’re gazing out your window, watching the sun fall. Hues of orange, peach, and lilac paint the sky, bidding the world goodbye for the night. It’s definitely different to experience it here than back home, back where silhouettes were outlined by the golden glow. A steady breeze carries on, carrying the scent of wildflowers and musk; your curtains flap from the sheer force of it, but you pay it no mind. It’s like Ochaco brought you to a slice of paradise, even if it’s with the intention of putting in labor.
In the distance, you hear calls and the distinguished moos of cows. Shifting your gaze, you catch a herd of cows being moved towards a barn; a man riding a brown horse wrangles them in, a border collie by his side. The way he pulls it off is smooth, and it’s clear that he’s used to pulling such a feat. However, what really catches your attention is the pair of magnificent scarlet wings protruding from his back. Now, you’re used to seeing some rather flashy quirks, but this guy’s is just… Wow.
“Hey, Uncle Iroh wanted me to come get you,” Ochaco’s voice says suddenly. Turning around, you see her standing in the doorway, a pleasant expression playing on her face. “We’re having oyakodon for dinner! Doesn’t a hot meal sound delicious?” And, as if to amp up your spirits, Ochaco licks her lips and pats her tummy. “I’m so hungry from a long drive!”
You huff in amusement. “Yeah, I am too.” Turning around, you catch a glimpse of the cows disappearing into the barn, that mysterious cowboy stationed by the doors. “Hey, Ochaco,” you start before realizing it, “but who’s that other guy that lives here? The one with the wings?”
Walking over to where you stand, Ochaco peers out the window, following your line of sight. “Oh, him? That’s Keigo. Uncle Iroh says he’s only been here for the past year or so, but he’s really good at what he does! I heard all the animals like him a lot – maybe it’s because of the wings?”
“Don’t you think it’s… odd that’s only a farmhand? With a quirk like that, you’d think he’d be doing something else.”
Ochaco shrugs. “I dunno. Maybe you should ask him sometime? Oh, but I’m really hungry! Can we go eat, now?”
“Yeah, sorry, I just got distracted…”
And so, you soon find yourself sitting at a sturdy wooden table, a bowl of oyakodon sitting before you. It smells utterly delicious - and paired with the tea Iroh brewed, you know you’re in for a treat. Just then, you hear a door opening and closing; there’s a chatter of some sorts, but then there he is, right there in the flesh.
Strong build, wide shoulders, blond hair that looks permanently tousled, and oh yes, those magnificent wings. Perhaps you shouldn’t be staring so much, but the sharp line of his jaw and intense eyes make it nearly impossible to look away. You’ve heard of such things, read about them in stories, but maybe, just maybe, you might’ve fallen for the guy at first sight. That, or he’s just too damn attractive for his own good.
“Howdy! Oh, shit, who are these two cuties?”
Or maybe not.
“Oi! Keigo! Can’t you be respectful for once in your life?” Iroh barks, popping around the other. He scowls as he slaps a wing out of his way. “Make a good impression for yourself. These two are going to be here for the rest of the summer, so don’t be an ass.”
“C’mon, gramps,” Keigo drawls, “you know I’m better than that. Plus, if they don’t like my attitude, then it’s not really my fault, huh?”
“Nothing ever changes,” Zuko says lowly, his words followed by a deep sigh.
You and Ochaco share a look. It seems like your Prince Charming is nothing more than a sarcastic asshat. How befitting.
“Liven up, birdies,” Keigo says, sliding into the chair directly across from you. “I don’t bite.” He winks at you. “Yet.”
Your entire body jolts at his proclamation. This guy really is shameless, isn’t he? Still, you can’t help but feel undeniably attracted to him. Curse his charisma, dammit.
“Aw, sweet! Is this oyakodon? Hell yeah.”
To the side, Zuko facepalms. Iroh merely chuckles and shakes his head, much like he’s way too used to this kind of behavior and has accepted it as it is. Hell, even Ochako cracks a smile. You, on the other hand, stare at Keigo in confusion. He has a bird-based quirk, doesn’t he? Does it not bother him to not eat chicken…?
Keigo puts up a hand, an amused glint in his eyes. “Look, I already know what you’re gonna ask, kid. I can practically see the gears spinning in that pretty head of yours. I fucking love chicken.”
Oh… Well, that takes care of that, doesn’t it…
-
After that first fateful encounter, you’ve grown used to Keigo’s ways. It’s funny, though, how he and Zuko’s personalities basically sit on either end of the spectrum, yet Iroh treats the both of them like they’re his children. While Zuko is serious and straight-laced, Keigo is more of a chatty free spirit. That said, you’ve also gotten used to Keigo’s flirty side. You suspect it’s because he likes to get a rise out of everyone. Whether that’s the case or not, your eyes often wander after him, stare down the hard lines of his back. Even better, you itch to trail your lips over the scruff lining his jaw. The guy’s too damn hot and he knows it.
Over the past month, a game of cat and mouse has started between the two of you. Him, trying to act all chummy and overstepping numerous boundaries. You, trying not to give into the weird relationship that’s bloomed between you and him. Sure, you might have flirted back, but what were you supposed to do? After all, Keigo’s proved himself to be a rather cool guy.
“You can’t keep spacing out like that, kid,” Keigo says, snapping you from your thoughts. Glancing down at him, you attempt to suppress your embarrassment, but Keigo’s too smart for that. Despite his relaxed attitude, he’s surprisingly intelligent and quite observant.
Hands tightening around the saddle, you scoff. “I wasn’t spacing out…”
Keigo cocks an eyebrow. “You know, if I wasn’t holding onto the reins, Nugget would’ve bucked you off a long time ago.”
This time, you snicker. You know that he has an undying love for chicken, but every time he refers to his horse as Nugget, you can’t help but laugh. This guy really is like a child.
“Pffft. Laugh all you want, birdie. If there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s how to ride.” Narrowing his eyes, he flashes you a sultry look. “If you want, I can show you.”
All laughter dies on your tongue. A spark of heat erupts in your stomach, makes your heart thump against your ribcage. He always manages to fluster you, to plant naughty little thoughts into your head. You swallow thickly. “I think… I think I’ll stick with Nugget for now.”
At that, Keigo shrugs, his expression turning into something more nonchalant. “Suit yourself. Seriously, though; you should always keep your focus while riding a horse. Anything can happen, and you’ll only know you’re fucked until you’re being crushed. Better yet, you’re flying overhead and end up snapping your neck. Hate to break it to you, but you don’t have wings to break your fall.”
“Keigo.”
He looks back up at you. “What?”
“Your wings. It’s just that… Well… Why help out on farm?”
Keigo blinks at you, no words slipping out. “Hah? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Shit,” you say quickly, mentally cursing yourself out, “that’s not what I meant. You can fly, can’t you? It just seems like you could’ve made a name for yourself…”
“And become a hero, right?” You wince at his words. He hit the nail right on the head. “Heh. Yeah, I guess you’re right. I could spew a whole bunch of shit from my mouth and call it a day, but that’s not my style. I’m a hero in my own right.”
You furrow your brows. Remaining silent, you wait for him to carry on.
Keigo sighs at your implication. “Not all heroes wear capes or whatever. What about cops? Firefighters? Nurses? People who help put food on your table and help that old man out? Just because I’m not stopping some robbery doesn’t mean I’m not important.”
His words come as a slap to the face. He has a good point; actually, scratch that. He has a fantastic fucking point.
“I’m sorry,” you say after a moment’s silence. “That was selfish of me.”
Keigo waves a dismissive hand. “Don’t beat yourself up, kid. Nugget gets nervous if you get into a bad mood.”
Absentmindedly, your hand drops onto the horse’s neck, giving it a couple of reassuring strokes. “He’s a beautiful horse.”
“Yeah – well, until I bathe him. Getting up close and personal to horse cock isn’t fun. A bit degrading, actually.”
Slapping a hand over your mouth, you try to muffle your sudden laughter. Air streams through the cracks of your fingers.
Instead of his usual smirk, Keigo flashes you a genuine smile. You’ve only seen it once or twice before, but it never fails to make your heart stop. His whole face scrunches, his pearly teeth a startling white compared to his sun-kissed skin. Okay, so maybe you’ve fallen in love with this guy. It’s no big deal; you’re only here for the summer, so there’s no point in chasing after something you can’t have.
“What, did ya find that funny? I’m here all week, folks.”
“You saying you’re a standup comedian now?” you shoot back. “I didn’t know they accepted clowns on farms.”
“Ohoho, so you do got a mouth. Where’s that been all this time, huh? Would’ve made things a lot more fun.” Reaching up, he knocks his cowboy hat further back, revealing more strands of sandy hair and bronzed skin. “Listen here, partner. This town ain’t big enough for the two of us.”
“Oh my god,” you say with a snort. “You’re such a dork.”
Keigo snickers. “You know you love me.”
Heh. Yeah…
If only he knew.
-
Maybe you should’ve taken his words more into consideration.
Your instincts are more attuned to what could happen in battle, not for words. Besides, Keigo is a sneaky bastard. Most of the things that spew from his mouth are innuendos and pure sarcasm. He doesn’t really come off as a genuine type of person.
It’s whatever. You don’t like to read into things too much, and maybe that’s your fault, maybe it’s not. Who knows?
Even so, your eyes continuously drift over to where he stands. He busies himself with hanging Nugget’s saddle and harness away, his body lax. If one’s thing for sure, he definitely seems a lot more comfortable around animals rather than actual human beings. You can’t blame him, but what about you? Is he comfortable around you?
Clearing your throat, you turn back to the task at hand. Brushing Nugget down, you trail your hand over the coarse hair, the hard muscle. You meant it when you said he’s beautiful. Shiny brown coat, straw colored hair – he seems like the perfect match for Keigo.
“Cowboy Keigo,” you mutter. “Tell me, Nugget,” you begin, “does Keigo treat you right? Feeds you apples and lumps of sugar? A pretty horse like you deserves to be spoiled.” At the mention of his master’s name, Nugget whinnies. “Is that a yes? You’re avoiding the question, man.”
“Are you seriously trying to sweettalk my horse?” Keigo pipes up. Stepping over the stall, he hoists himself up onto the gate and straddles the wood. Wings sweeping behind him, he flashes you a peculiar look. “Didn’t they teach you in school that you shouldn’t seduce a horse? I don’t know about you, kid, but bestiality isn’t smiled upon around here.”
“Then what does that say about you, bird boy?” you quip. “Surely you don’t put yourself in that category?”
“Ooo, degradation. How did you know that was one of my kinks? Were you looking through my search history?”
Rolling your eyes, you set the brush to the side and join him at the gate. Climbing up, you mimic his movements and straddle the wooden beam. “Kinky cowboy, huh? Kind of has a nice ring to it.”
“Oh yeah. I’ve got the bedazzled white boots and everything. I mean, I’m already wearing the assless chaps and everything.”
“You sound more like a stripper rather than a farmhand. What do you think, Nugget?” you ask, turning towards the horse. Nugget merely snorts and shakes his head.
“Hey, hey, don’t agree,” Keigo tells him. “I’ve got to keep my secret life a secret, you damned horse. Help a guy out.”
“I guess your partner would rather throw you under the bus,” you say with a chuckle. “Good horse.”
“Now you’re just trying to hurt my feelings.”
“Cry me a river, bird boy. Or do I have to kiss your booboos?”
At that, Keigo falls quiet. The look in his eyes is unreadable, but the way his body tensed tells you something else entirely. Abruptly, he swings his leg over the gate and hops back down onto the ground. Aw, shit. Did you take it too far? It was only lighthearted flirting and yanking on his leg-
“C’mere,” Keigo says, offering you his hand. His voice is a lot more… soft.
With little to no hesitation, you take hold of his hand and get off the gate. You’re about to ask him what he wants, but then he’s abruptly pulling you to the side, further away from the stable’s open doors. Birds are singing outside, their sweet melody carrying along with the sweet summer breeze. It almost seems like an entire world away. A grunt escapes your lips as you’re shoved against the wall, the smell of straw and musk filling your senses. Keigo steps in close, the heat radiating off his body sending shivers down your spine.
“Listen here, pretty little birdie,” he drawls, his lips pulling back in a smirk, “but I may just have to take you up on that offer.”
Wait, what?
“What the hell, Keigo? Where is this coming from?” you question. It’s not like you’re against him being so damn close, it’s just… unexpected.
“Oh, right, like I’m supposed to pretend that you don’t gawk at me at any chance you get. You’re not very subtle, you know.”
Embarrassment heats up your insides, crawls up your neck. So this bastard is really going to rub it in your face, huh? Seems just like him.
“Then why didn’t you say anything about it before?” you hiss. “If it’s such a problem, don’t stay silent. You’re not the type to let things like that slide.”
“Who said it was problem?”
Keigo: 1 / you: 0
Spluttering, you try to gain control of your whirling emotions. This is not how you were expecting this conversation to go. Actually, you weren’t expecting this conversation at all!
“I know for a fact that you can’t get enough of me,” Keigo continues. “And if I’m being completely honest, I like it. You look so cute when you stare after me, birdie. Then you have the audacity to pretend like nothing happened whenever I catch you.”
“Is that what this is all about?” you huff. “Okay, fine. I admit it. Maybe I watch what you’re doing more than what’s necessary. It’s not my fault you walk around all the time without a shirt on or anything…”
“Normally, I’d say because it’s because I get hot when I’m working, but knowing that you were watching made it all the better.” He winks at you. “Gotta hand out a treat here and there, you know?”
“You really are a clown!” you squeak. Keigo laughs as you weakly shove at his chest. “You’ve been leading me on this entire time? What am I, a joke?”
“Hey now, don’t get ahead of yourself, kid. It’s not my fault you couldn’t come up to me like a civilized adult.”
Okay, now you’re fuming. “Keigo, you fucking idiot-“
Swooping in, Keigo cuts you off with a kiss. Unsurprisingly, his lips are soft; he tastes like citrus and salt, and before you know it, you’re looping your arms around his neck, knocking his hat off in the process. A huff of laughter fans across your lips as Keigo pulls back, his mouth hovering over yours. “Shit, I’ve been wanting to do that ever since your pretty ass sat at the kitchen table for the first time.”
You sigh. “You really do have a bird brain…”
You kiss him, again and again. Perhaps you should be ashamed that you have your tongue shoved down somebody’s throat rather than working, but there’s no way you’re stopping now. Like him, you’ve been waiting for this moment. The two of you have been tiptoeing around each other, rolling the tension back and forth like a goddamn snowball.
But fuck if it doesn’t feel good.
His hands aren’t shy, not in the slightest. Fingertips map out the ridges and dips of your body, seek out the spots that really make you tick. You bite back a giggle as he drops his mouth down your neck, the scruff covering his jawline tickling your skin. Your own hands trail over his body, tracing over the hard lines of muscle that hide beneath his clothes. Time and time again, whenever you’d see him without a shirt, you wanted nothing more than to run your hands all over him. This is your chance, now, and you’d be damned if you didn’t take it.
“Shit, shit, shit, not the wings,” Keigo pants into your neck. The scarlet feathers feel like silk beneath your fingertips; skimming over them, you follow their shape, feel how they get fluffier the closer they are to his shoulders. “Oh, fuck. You know just what you’re doing, huh, birdie? Playing around with me like that. Two can play at that game.”
Another grunt slips from your lips as he pushes you against the wall, harder this time. His hands shamelessly drift underneath your shirt, warm palms sliding over your skin. Your shirt comes off before you know it, being unceremoniously thrown to the ground.
“Fuck, birdie, aren’t a pretty one,” Keigo purrs, his nose bumping against your throat as he sucks another mark into your flesh. “I bet you’re real pretty down here, too…” Making quick work of your jeans, he easily slips them down your legs and you eagerly step out of them. “Don’t mind if I do, kid,” he murmurs into your ear before nipping at the lobe.
A weak moan breaks from your throat as a hand slips into your underwear and cups your sex. His hand is just so warm, and the roughness of his callouses causes your head to spin. Within no time, wet, sinful noises sound from between your legs, mixing with your heavy breaths and Keigo’s encouraging words.
“Yeah, you like that, birdie? My fingers feel good, huh? Wait until you get a feel of my cock.”
Spurred on by his words, you hastily unbutton his shirt, pushing the fabric to the side and running your hands over the swell of his pectorals, the ridges of his abdomen. A faint dusting of blond hairs covers his chest and arms; and, if you look close enough, more sticks out from the waistband of his jeans. Keigo hums as you continue to feel him up, his tongue pushing against the inside of his cheek.
“Like what you see? I bet you’ve been wanting to do this for a long time… Fuck! Not going to go easy on me, huh? I like someone who can bite back.”
“Has anybody ever told you that you talk too much?” you breathe. Fingers wrapped around his cock, your movements catch up to his in speed. “You should consider yourself lucky that I like your voice.”
“Oohoohoo, feisty. That mouth of yours is saying a lot of mean things today, isn’t it? Guess I’ll have to put you in your place.” He pauses, swipes his tongue over his bottom lip. “But, if I’m being entirely too honest, I don’t think I have the patience for that.”
“Keigo,” you pant, “I swear to Christ if you don’t fuck me right now-“
“On it, on it. Don’t get your panties in a twist, your majesty.” In hurried movements, he strips you of your underwear and shucks his chaps and jeans down. Large hands grip onto your thighs and then you’re being hoisted up, sandwiched between his rigid body and the wall. “Why, won’t you feel that,” he purrs, “I’d say it’s high noon.”
“Don’t talk about your dick like that, you dork,” you scoff. “Oh, fuck.” Another pleasured noise slips through your lips as you grind down against him, his cock just barely teasing your hole.
“What was that, birdie? You know what they say – sweetie on the farm, a freak in the barn.”
“You’re anything but sweet. Just – Keigo, please?”
“Alright, I get it, enough teasing.” Adjusting his hold on you, he flashes you a tiny smile. “Hold on, partner.”
A choked groan breaks free from your throat as his cock slides in, your velvety walls sucking him in greedily. That damned smirk of his stays on his face the entire time he fucks you, along with that devious glint in his eyes. His façade only cracks after you start stroking his wings and squeeze around his cock; if he wants to act like a cocky son of a bitch, then so can you.
“Shit, you’re fucking tight,” he pants. The smack of skin against skin fills your ears, right alongside Keigo’s breathy moans and muttered words. “Keep squeezing like that, birdie, and you’re gonna make me cum quicker than I want to.”
“You almost sound like that’s exactly what you want me to do,” you breathe. “A cowboy like you has got to have some stamina, right? Don’t tell me all of that work goes to nothing.”
“Jesus, and you called me talkative. Fuck, I can’t wait to shove my cock down your throat and shut you the hell up – I said don’t squeeze like that, holy hell. Dirty little head you got there, huh?”
“Shut the fuck up,” you mumble, yanking him back into a kiss. Keigo only moans loudly as you continue to play with his wings, quickly finding out that the spot where they protrude from his flesh is the most sensitive.
“Milk my cock, birdie,” he mutters between broken kisses. “You’re so fucking good to me, oh yeah. I should’ve done this weeks ago.” A startled squeak bursts from your throat as he abruptly strikes your ass. Sucking air through his teeth, he does it again, relishing in the desperate noises spilling from your mouth. “That’s right, birdie. Come on, make me cum. I’m gonna cum so fucking hard for you, fill you up until your belly’s bloated.”
“Keigo-“ You moan as his hand drops down, fingers furiously rubbing at your sex.
“That’s right, say my name. Let the whole fucking world know who’s fucking you this good.”
“Keigo-“
Smack.
“KEIGO!”
The knot building up inside you snaps; with a cry, you cling even closer to him, your velvety walls spasming around his thick cock as you cum.
Slamming a hand against the wall, Keigo fucks into you harder, faster, the wet noises sounding from between your legs almost deafening. “Oh fuck yeah, oh fuck yeah, oh fuck, fuck, fuck – ah- ah- ugghnn…” Burying his face in your neck, his hips erratically jerk as warmth fills your insides. “Still… cumming… fuccckkk…”
Your eyes flutter as he shallowly thrusts into you, the sinful squelch of his cum leaking out around his cock filling your ears. Slowly, he comes to a stop, his hot breath fanning over your neck and the side of your face. Gingerly, you let him go, completely unaware that your fingernails had dug into him in the first place.
“Well,” he starts, lifting his head and flicking away sweaty strands of hair, “that was eventful, wasn’t it?”
You scoff. “Tell me why I like you again…?”
“Oh, darling,” he drawls, leaning in and pecking the corner of your mouth. “I don’t think you like me. I think you love me. You aren’t very subtle.” He laughs as you smack him on the chest.
“Okay, fine. You’re lucky I love you, bird brain. Don’t go rubbing it in.”
“Silly birdie,” Keigo hums, his face scrunching into that wonderful smile of his. “I may just love you too.”
Wait, seriously?
“And no, I’m not joking or being an ass,” he continues, as if reading your mind. “What’s it called? Love at first sight? I dunno, seems like cheesy bullshit to me, but I… I like the appeal of it. It sounds nice when you’re involved.”
Your heart thumps against your chest.
Oh, fuck.
#mha#my hero academia#bnha boku no hero academia#keigo takami x reader#takami keigo x reader#hawks x reader#keigo takami#takami keigo#hawks#mha hawks#bnha hawks#mha smut#bnha smut#empress writes
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HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO VERSE.
this is a modern bending vigilante/hero au featuring zukka, mailee, yueki and a lot of hijinks!
the gaang are all 16-19 here, because while bruce wayne apparently has no problem with it, i’m not comfortable with having vigilantes who haven’t yet gone through puberty.
the avatar world is just one big city, and each of the nations/cities are different suburbs of the city.
kyoshi island, ember island, and boiling rock are small islands off of the city, similar to singapore’s sentosa island.
the city (republic city? i dunno, get back to me on this one) is full of heroes, vigilantes and villains alike. the fire nation is a criminal empire intent on taking over the city. the avatar is a hero who works to keep the balance of heroes and villains in the city, and stop the entire city from becoming a war zone.
however, the avatar disappeared 100 years ago, and no one was chosen to take up the mantle since. in the avatar’s absence, the fire nation was able to begin its quest to take over the city.
the heroes of the southern water tribe that were left after the various raids have left the southern water suburb on a mission to defeat the fire nation or die.
hakoda, alias chief, left his two young children in charge of their territory, despite them being a) children and b) relatively untrained.
katara, alias painted lady, is the only waterbender left in the southern water tribe. sokka, alias captain boomerang, is the only trained combat hero left in the southern water tribe. all those remaining are either children or incapable of fighting.
side tangent: when sokka does well, he calls himself “grand marshal boomerang” and when he does badly, he calls himself “private boomerang”. thank you to the crimily for coming up with this one!!
one night, when katara and sokka are out on patrol, they get chased by fire nation goons into the ice off of the southern harbour. there, they get into a fight over sokka’s sexist remarks and katara’s yelling having attracted the fire nation goons, and katara’s waterbending gets out of control. she breaks open an iceberg, only to find someone in there.
the two siblings approach the iceberg and break the person out. they are shocked to find a young boy in the unmistakable uniform of the avatar, resting next to a creature they’ve never seen before.
they wake the boy up, to find that his name is aang and he’s the next avatar. and that he has no idea of the fire nation’s quest to conquer the entire city, or the fact that the air nomads – heroes that didn’t resign to just one area of the city – hadn’t been seen for the same hundred years that he must’ve spent in the iceberg.
katara and a reluctant sokka take aang back to the apartment building where the remaining southern water suburb residents have been living and introduce him to everyone.
later that night, the three go out on patrol together. it’s a quiet night, and sokka thinks they might actually get through it without any incidents, until they find a woman being mugged.
sokka and katara are about to intervene, but aang takes down both thugs in a matter of seconds. aang, ignoring the slack jawed shock of his friends, asks if they could go penguin sledding. katara goes to agree, but is cut off by the shout of “MY HONOUR” from a nearby rooftop.
zuko, alias dragon prince, runs from the rooftop before they could find him. his father ozai, alias firelord, had sent him and his uncle iroh – formerly dragon of the west, now retired – to find the avatar. zuko had been banished from the fire nation territory years ago, after speaking up about a plan that would’ve cost them a whole division of goons and refusing to fight his father in an agni kai.
the kyoshi warriors are similar to the birds of prey or the amazons; they’re an all-female crime-fighting unit not directly associated with any of the kingdoms or nations. suki is their leader, and they don’t have secret identities like the other heroes.
iroh, bumi, piandao, jeong-jeong and p*kku are all retired heroes and a part of the order of the white lotus.
toph is the blind bandit and a hero, albeit a less morally structured and ‘good’ hero than the avatar, the painted lady, and captain boomerang. she was a part of the underground fighting ring ‘earth rumble’ when the gaang infiltrated the ring looking for intel and convinced her that her powers could be used for something better than beating bitches blue and making bank while doing it.
azula is firebolt, and she is as brilliant as she is terrifying. she’s arguably more feared than the firelord, mainly because she’s the one who frequents other areas and actually goes on missions. ozai just sits on his stupid throne and yells at people and manipulates his children like the little bitch he is.
mai and ty lee are azula’s sidekicks, and are known as blade and tightrope respectively. also: they’re lesbians, harold.
yue is a part of the northern water tribe’s group of heroes, alongside her family. they tried to marry her off to hahn and have her trained in healing instead of fighting, but she rebelled and threatened to go out on her own, so they relented. yue’s hero alias is tui, but she will be called sailor moon at least three times.
jet and his freedom fighters are a group of anti-heroes who aren’t afraid to hurt innocent people in their pursue of ‘justice’.
zhao is a villain who works for the firelord, under the alias admiral, and he’s an asshole. using the yuyan archers, he manages to capture aang and takes him to a fire nation stronghold. zuko finds out about this, and not wanting admiral asshole to get the upper hand, dresses as the blue spirit for the first time to rescue aang.
during the siege of the north, zhao “kills” yue. she fakes her own death and disappears into hiding until the final battle, in which she kills zhao because it’s what she deserves.
the gaang know that yue is alive, because she’s nice enough to not do them like that, but they have to keep up appearances. because of this, sokka amps up the heartbreak and clings to suki a lot. that’s why a lot of outsiders begin to think that sokka dated yue and is dating suki, though in reality yue and suki are dating each other.
zuko and iroh, after the siege of the north and a trap set by azula, disappear into hiding and decide to take refuge in ba sing se, knowing that the fire nation wouldn’t think to look for them there.
ba sing se is a section of the city that has been fenced off in order to prevent an influx of heroes and villains. the dai li, who keep a tight grip on the suburb and ensure that the residents don’t know of the war raging outside the walls, are a group of “heroes”.
of course, the fence does nothing to prevent zuko and iroh, the gaang, and later azula, mai and ty lee from entering ba sing se and turning it into their own warzone.
iroh fulfils his dream of finally owning a tea shop and zuko, when not working in the tea shop, spends his nights lingering in the shadows of ba sing se as the blue spirit.
sokka, desperate for a warm drink and something to do while the others do their bending training, wanders into the jasmine dragon one afternoon and is served by “lee”.
neither know the other’s civilian identity, so there’s no shady business, just pining over the cute customer/server. sokka strikes a conversion and the two begin flirting chatting. it’s going really well, and you can almost see the romance blooming.
and then in walks azula, flanked by mai and ty lee, all in costume.
sokka and zuko both leap up from their seats and into fighting stances. both are confused as to why the other jumped up, and then azula calls zuko brother and it clicks in sokka’s mind.
he starts yelling at zuko for a lot of things, including yue’s “death” which is how zuko realises who he is. zuko starts yelling back because he’s only once met a fight he didn’t like. in the background of this argument, iroh is trying to fight azula, mai and ty lee to varying degrees of success.
it’s funny that i say degrees, because this is when azula sets fire to the jasmine dragon. iroh grabs the two dumbass arguing teens and shoves them outside as he too runs, telling zuko to meet at their rendezvous point at sunrise.
azula, mai and ty lee chase after zuko and sokka (who are still arguing as they run from the three girls). mai and ty lee don’t want to chase them, because zuko has always been better to them than azula, but defying azula would be a death sentence.
sokka pulls zuko into a building for coverage, and because azula is azula, she summons the dai li and has them surround the building. there would be no leaving without confronting the dai li, and thus zuko and sokka are trapped.
sokka confronts zuko and basically asks how he could justify the fire nation’s villainy, how he could support a monster who’s killing hundreds of people. zuko defends his father blindly because he’s been raised to believe that his father is right, that his father has to be right, and this southern water scum is wrong. but zuko’s losing his grip on the argument and is becoming more and more hysterical but sokka is so calm, so sure of himself, and the dam finally breaks.
zuko crumples to the ground in tears, and now sokka’s gotta deal with this because ozai is a shitface and has been brainwashing his son for years and wow fuck the fire nation.
mai and ty lee, having taken down the dai li, burst in to find zuko crying his eyes out in sokka’s arms. they teasingly ask if they’re interrupting something and laugh as zuko next to sprints out of the building, sokka hot on his heels.
this is the last straw for zuko, who defects from the fire nation, hangs up his dragon prince uniform and fully becomes the blue spirit, a hero who works with the gaang to eventually take down the fire nation.
also, at some stage zuko rescues a turtleduck that got stuck up a tree. don’t ask me how this happens.
#holding out for a hero verse#whoa? original content? and on this blog? who would've thought?#i'm kind of proud of this even if it's corny and lame and took me very long#but you know what? i finished it and it's funny to me#and that's all i need#that's a lie i need validation#anyway#zuko#sokka#zukka#yueki#suki#mailee#gaang#superhero au#atla#aang#bitchlord ozai#uncle iroh doing the most#i couldn't be in the atla fandom long before turning to my dc roots#this is a very long mess#if you've made it this far than thank you#i love you!!! drink water and stay safe#be like zuko and wear ur fucking mask#actually they all wear masks in this au#except the kyoshi warriors but if covid were a thing they'd wear their masks#so wear ur fucking mask#i'm gonna stop rambling now#so#yeah i'm really feeling it today
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It probably wouldn’t work in canon, but hear me out: magic being a daily part of life in 2044.
[Note: most are from various Tumblr posts ive seen about modern magic and street magic. The ones I thought of will have a (*) at the end]
Plant Mages tending to tiny rooftop gardens and window boxes
Elementary kids learning basic sigils on the playground
Witches taking a while to key into the magic in new cities when they move
Alchemists dealing on the side to support their experiments
Middle schoolers making friendship talisman and amulets for everyone
kids learning charms from each other on the bus, the same way most people learn their first swear words
Worrying your friend is getting into dark magic, but not knowing how to talk to them about it.
Intervention programs for people abusing hexes and runes, because magic has given them control over something for the first time in their lives and are starting to make dangerous choices and to help people who might have just gotten out of a cult or toxic coven that have PTSD or other mental illnesses caused by the situation (*)
Magic graffiti that vanishes when people like cops are around
Murals that if you listen closely can be heard, not seen
Kids hiding out in someone’s backyard or alley and casting minor illusions while they get high
Chalk artists making works so realistic they come to life on the sidewalk.
Punk concerts in empty lots with amped out music and lights, but noise cancelling spells and illusions hiding them in plain sight to anyone around
Necromancers in forensics speaking with the dead to solve homicides and cold cases
sensory objects that can shift into something pocket sized to take wherever it’s needed and can shift into any sensory object to help in specific situations
Hotels/apartments with vending machines stocked with cream/honey/shiny things for Fae (*)
Communities online discussing what find of cryptids live in their areas and which ones are friendly/violent or endangered
Witches/Warlocks/Mages keeping their potions in empty water bottles and Tupperware containers
Witches/Warlocks/Mages who buy little bottles from Michaels so their potion cabinets will look cute
Enchanting babies blankets and soothers to keep bad luck and illness away from them (*)
Gendershifting spells for NB, Genderfluid, Trans, DemiBoy/girl (etc) people. (*)
Glamour spells to hide parts of your body that make you insecure. (*)
easier pregnancy’s that can be sped up if there’s any complication (with a cost), glamours to hide the belly so you can move easier, spells to relive morning sickness. (*)
Enchant a braclet to give the wearer faster reflexes (*)
Charm a headband or hairclip to give you clearer thoughts and to help with mental Disorders (*)
Ear piercings that translate everything around you into your native language
Lip Piercings that do the same, except when you speak you speak the language of whoever you’re speaking to.
A small bird tattoo behind your ear that chirps and whistles to you when your anxious.
A tattoo of your child that ages with them.
A tattoo for those that are hard of hearing or deaf and are unable to read lips at that moment that displays the words being said on their hand.
A nose ring that is charmed that as long as you are wearing it you will never lose your keys.
A flower scene that only bloom at certain times.
Little nocturnal animals tattoos like raccoons that only show up on your skin after dark.
A tattoo of digital numbers on your wrist that tells the time.
Notepad tattoo that takes notes for you as you go about your day it forms bumps on the skin if that person is blind so it can be read in braille.
Name tattoos that when tapped can talk to the person telepathically as long as the other person taps back.
ear piercings that beep softly if a trigger word is said telling you to leave the room.
Bracelet that will tighten around your wrist if you aren’t feeling well telling you to take a nap.
A rose tattoo that’s health changes depending on the state of your current relationship.
A heart tattoo for genderfluid people that changes colour depending on what gender they feel at that moment. Feminine? Pink purplish reds. Masculine? Greens Aquas and blues! Don’t really feel like any gender? Some nice soft grey scales. All and everything? Rainbow. (*)
Flower tattoo that will change depending on where you are based on what season it is and country so if your in Australia their natural flower is the Sturt Desert Pea, if you’re in Japan different cherry blossoms depending on where you are. Water lilies if your near a lake or pond.
bracelets to increase speed/agility.
Charm a middle finger ring with the power to temporarily give bad luck to anyone you flip off.
knot magic in your shoelaces to attract luck and hold in positive energy’s. Also: pennies in your shoe to attract luck.
charm your jackets, sweaters, and flannels with an ‘I’m rubber you’re glue’ effect to deflect negative energy like a bouncy shield.
a luck spell on your shoes to keep you from stepping in gum, dog crap, or anything undesirable. Also, to keep you from tripping and falling.
a charm on your socks and underwear to keep them from riding up or slipping or moving out of place
a spell over your perfumes/cologne/deodorant to make potential lovers more attracted to you because you smell pretty.
enchanting a choker or necklace to help with communication, clear speaking, singing, or to relieve anxiety over public speaking, or to make your voice deeper or higher depending on what you gender is that day.
a spell over your sports jersey or athletic wear to make you preform better in sports, and work harder or burn more calories when working out.
charm glasses and sun glasses with the power to find lost things and ‘see’ the truth to people’s lies.
charm earrings with the ability to hear gossip, secrets, and people talking behind your back, and the power to gain important information.
Queer-themed tarot card decks
Spells to empower queer people (and other oppressed groups) and hex their oppressors
Psychologists that can read emotions and feelings to provide easier diagnosis’s, help communicate better with nonverbal patients, and tell wether somethings wrong if the patient cants talk because their with any abuser (*)
Autistic Warlocks/Mages/Witches incorporating their special interests into their craft (*)
Spells to cope with panic attacks, anxiety attacks, or sensory overloads
Stimming while in trances or complicated rituals (*)
Scholars that run bookshops with books on magic and different magic-orientated illnesses (*)
Fair folk who sell potions at markets
Influencers who market towards Neurodivergent Witches/Warlocks with different stim toys that can calm in case of magic or sensory overloads.
Tutorials on how to take care of Cryptids/Gryphons/Dragons (*)
Tutorials on incantations and rituals to ease chronic pain (*)
Feel free to add if you have anymore ideas
#legendsoftomorrow#legendsoftomorrowheadcanon#lot headcanon#legendsoftomorrowau#lot au#modernmagic#neurodiverentmagic
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Heliopsis helianthoides
AMP
at one point there was a period of time where these were probably as abundant as common milkweed, tall ironweed, and late boneset were. I haven’t been to a single dry tall grass remnant in Ohio that doesn’t have an abundance of these in some form. If you ever want to encourage a member of the Asteraceae that doesn’t take over or form dense colonies while still being ruderal this would be the species, perfect food for birds and a great nectar source with long bloom period.
#botany#wildflowers#plantblr#heliopsis#helianthoides#heliopsis helianthoides#asteraceae#ohio#meadowcore#cottagecore#prairie
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A New World Chapter 21: Training Camp Day 3
Author Note: Before you start the chapter, what song do you think each member will perform? I have digital cookies for anyone who can guess at least 3/5. Hint: Nothing 4th single or older.
First Chapter Previous Chapter
__________________________________________________
When morning came, the band went down into the studio for their individual performances. All last night Yukina imagined her bandmates playing in her mind, the sound of Lisa in particular was the strongest. During the afternoon yesterday, Yukina could hear her during practice. She listened as Lisa drilled the same passages over and over again. Unlike Sayo and Rinko, Yukina stayed where she was.
Now, it was time to perform.
“Who wants to go first?” Sayo asked once they were all in the studio. Ako stood near the drums, while the others still carried their instrument cases.
“I will.” Yukina volunteered immediately. As the singer of Roselia, as the leader, it was only fitting. She was ready to take charge, just like she did since the founding of the band.
“Alright.” Sayo replied with a nod. The rest of the band set their instruments down and each pulled up a chair, so they could watch. Sayo took a notebook and pencil out of her guitar case, while the others sat empty handed. The notebook was probably a good idea, considering why they were holding these performances.
Yukina carried the mic stand a few feet from her bandmates, setting it up so she could face them. They were all watching her, waiting as her gaze flicked between them.
The song Yukina chose was one that was both dear to her and challenged her singing technique. It was a song they wrote a long time ago, but always pushed Yukina to sing her best. It forced her, high in her range, to sing with power and precision.
Now was the right time for this song, for Fire Bird.
As Yukina started to sing, the first couple lines slow and deliberate, she focused on control of the notes. She had learned much over the first semester, especially in the smoothness of her singing and in transitions. Through this song, she would show them.
She held her hands on the mic stand, as if she were performing on stage.
It hadn’t felt strange to practice Fire Bird alone, but now that Yukina was standing in front of her bandmates, singing a line that they usually sang together, the oddness washed over her. Their eyes, unblinking, were all locked on her. Even Sayo, who had her pencil pressed against the notepad, wasn’t moving.
The song continued, picking up into the faster tempo. Yukina sang each line with precision, hearing the background vocals of her bandmates in her mind. She counted the eight beats between the verse and the chorus, where they would sing.
When she came in, she attacked each phrase, pouring her energy into the song. She hoped her bandmates were listening to not just her technique, but the lyrics as well.
Yukina sang boldly through the next verse and chorus. She skipped the music break, but not the whole bridge. After singing her line, which was the first of the bridge, Yukina looked at each of her band members in turn.
Though none of them sang, she could still hear their parts. Yukina knew they could hear it too. Sayo’s hand had visibly tightened around her pencil, mouth set in with visible determination. Lisa’s eyes glimmered in the studio light, as she blinked rapidly to clear them. Ako leaned forward in her seat, hands clenched to make small fists. Rinko’s chin was up, her gaze focused and clear.
They all heard Yukina’s message.
The last chorus was the strongest one, the point where the song hit its height. Roselia too would soon return to the peak, like a phoenix rising from the ashes.
Yukina firmly believed that as she finished the song, the last high note echoing through the studio. She held the note perfectly on pitch.
As the note faded into silence, Yukina again looked at her bandmates. Only Sayo had moved; she started writing in her notebook.
Lisa brought her hands up to clap softly, a small smile on her face.
Without a word, Yukina picked up the mic stand to move it aside, and then approached the others. As she stopped in front of them, Rinko rose to her feet.
“I’ll go next.” Rinko spoke quietly like she always did, but her tone exuded confidence. As she went to get her keyboard, Yukina sat in her now empty chair.
Rinko started setting up the keyboard where Yukina had performed, which took a few minutes. While she waited, Yukina turned to her bandmates. Sayo was still writing, scribbling quickly on her paper. Ako was bouncing slightly in her seat as she watched Rinko get ready.
Lisa was looking Yukina’s way. “I didn’t realize how much your singing had changed this year.” She said, leaning slightly towards Yukina.
That was why they were doing this, wasn’t it? To see what their bandmates had learned. Yukina nodded in reply, allowing the corner of her lip to raise in a small smile. “I’m looking forward to seeing your growth as well.” She had always enjoyed listening to Lisa play.
Lisa’s cheeks dusted pink at the comment, though Yukina wasn’t sure what was embarrassing about it. The sight of her like this rustled something in Yukina’s chest, something she’d been trying to suppress. Suddenly the room was far too warm. It felt unbearable to maintain eye contact, to sit so close.
Yukina tore her eyes away, turning back to face Rinko. The pianist was almost ready to begin, as she was turning on her keyboard.
Rinko pushed a few buttons on the keyboard, then looked up at the group. Sayo, who had finally finished writing on her notebook, gestured for her to go ahead.
Rinko set her hands on the keyboard, took a deep breath, and began to play.
The sequence she started with was incredibly familiar, an introduction Yukina had heard hundreds, if not thousands of times. Ringing Bloom was a good choice, an excellent song to feature the piano.
Even without the other instruments, the opening still built a sense of energy as Rinko played. This was different than how she’d played before. Yukina could feel the intention behind each note, the care in the way each was placed.
Rinko continued to play through the first verse, not singing the background parts or even her solo. Instead, the piano was the only point of focus.
Some of her phrasing had changed too, leading to slightly different timing in a few spots. Yukina could hear it now, could clearly see how it was happening. She would remember the change.
As the song reached the music break, where the piano was featured heavily, Rinko’s playing grew even more intense. She played with unparalleled confidence, claiming the phrase and the song as her own.
She carried the energy through the rest of the song, her fingers light on the keys for the last few notes. They filled the room, before fading away softly.
Rinko lowered her hands from the keys and bowed at her bandmates, tilting her head forward slightly. She turned the keyboard off and started packing it up.
As Rinko put the keyboard away, Ako jumped up out of her seat. “Ako next!” She declared as she scurried behind the chairs, which was where the drum set was.
Yukina and the others turned their chairs to face that direction, as Ako grabbed her drumsticks and sat down at the drums. She stretched her fingers out for a couple minutes, while Rinko finished putting her keyboard away.
Once Rinko had taken the seat Ako left, turning it to face the new direction, it was time for the next performance to begin.
Ako counted herself off, then started to play. This song, like the others that were already performed today, started off slow. It was harder to tell which it was from just the drums, but once Ako started playing the rolls Yukina knew which song it was.
Opera of the Wasteland wasn’t a song the band performed often, especially as their repertoire grew. The drum parts in it were fast and prevalent, a major element of the song. It required precision to play well.
Even on these early rolls, Yukina could hear the difference in Ako’s playing. She hadn’t noticed it with the whole band, but it was easy to hear with just the drums. They were tighter and cleaner than they’d ever been before.
As the song picked up in tempo, and the drum part with it, that continued to be true. Ako grinned from ear to ear as she played.
Her control over dynamics had improved as well, Yukina realized as the song shifted between the verse and chorus. She changed much more smoothly between volumes, creating a stronger transition.
It gave the drums a different sound than they had before, one that was better overall but would need adapting to.
As the song neared the end, Ako flourished with a stick flip off the drums. She must’ve learned that this year too.
After the last beat was played, as the last cymbal hit faded, Ako pointed one drumstick straight up and thrust her fist in the air.
“G-great job, Ako-chan.” Rinko said as Ako stood from the drum set.
Sayo was jotting something in her notes. “I’m impressed.” She said, as she finished writing. “You’ve been working hard this year.”
“Thanks Sayo-san!” Ako beamed back at her, with a bounce in her step as she moved towards the chairs.
Sayo drew a horizontal line across her paper, before looking over at Lisa. The bassist met her gaze, and for a moment the two just stared. Lisa lifted one open palm in a pushing gesture, which seemed to be what Sayo was looking for.
“I will play next.” Sayo rose from her chair, taking her guitar case from the wall. Ako quickly claimed the empty seat.
They all turned their chairs back around again as Sayo went to set up on the other side, where Yukina and Rinko had performed. She opened her guitar case and checked the tuning, adjusting it as needed.
After tuning the last string, she strummed them once all together. Without an amp they barely made a sound. Once Sayo was plugged into the amp, she was ready to begin.
Sayo started without a count off, jumping right into the song. After just a few seconds Yukina knew what song this was.
The way the guitar came up for loud clashing chords could only be Neo-Aspect. Their dissonant sound was expected, as part of the song, but they didn’t sound exactly as Yukina remembered them.
Sayo played every note perfectly, as she always had, but the differences in her playing were clear.
Her phrases were more expressive, more dynamic. There was less stiffness in her chords, and less rigid precision in her notes. She played with a stronger tone than before.
She bobbed her head as the chorus hit, mouth set in the same expression as earlier. The guitar echoed through the studio, filling the room completely.
When Sayo reached the guitar solo, that was where she truly shined. The emotion of this song, that Neo-Aspect carried for the band, came clearly through each note. It built over the course of the solo, climbing higher and higher.
The song dropped down after the solo, to something much softer for the bridge. Sayo matched the change in tone perfectly, before coming back full strength for the last chorus.
The guitar continued to the very end of the song, finishing with a long held note. Sayo let it ring, until the sound had completely faded.
Sayo didn’t wait for a reaction, immediately unplugging from the amp and putting her guitar away.
Lisa, the only one left, stood to take her place. “I guess I’m up.” She said, with a cheerful smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. Before Yukina could ask what was wrong, Lisa had grabbed her bass and moved away. Sayo took her seat, the last in the chair rotation.
Lisa took out her bass and tuned it, plugging into the amp after doing so. Her smile had disappeared, replaced with a furrowed brow and slight frown.
She looked up when she was done, eyes locking on Yukina’s. Again, Yukina had the urge to ask what was bothering her. She didn’t have the chance, as Lisa started to play.
The distinct bass line was instantly recognizable as the opening to R. It was one of their more prominent bass songs, which Yukina thought was a great choice for this performance.
Lisa played it smoothly, moving through the phrase with ease. The way she held the bass, it looked like an extension of her body. Yukina could only watch as she played through the song.
Clearly Lisa had improved as well, in her technique and overall performance. That was evident in the quieter parts of the bass line as well as the more exposed ones.
It was difficult for Yukina to focus on that, watching her play alone like this. The feelings she’d stuffed down earlier, that she’d turned away from, were growing harder and harder to ignore.
Lisa was physically farther away now, but she still sent Yukina’s heart racing. Even in the plain studio light, she was stunning. Her frown had vanished, replaced with a look of sharp focus. Just by playing the bass, pouring her heart into the music, she had Yukina entranced.
The more Yukina fought these feelings, the stronger they seemed to become.
Lisa leaned into the bass solo, bringing out the best sound of every note. The sound was strong and sturdy, fitting for the pillar of the band.
She played consistently through the whole song, until she reached the end. After playing the last note, Lisa smiled up at her bandmates. Playing seemed to have calmed her nerves. Yukina, despite the flips her stomach was doing, smiled back.
Sayo rose to her feet, closing her notebook. “Shall we rehearse then?” She asked, looking between the others. Lisa nodded in response.
“Yes.” Rinko stood as well.
“Let’s do it!” Ako hopped to her feet.
Yukina rose slowly, nodding once at Sayo. “Let’s begin.”
They reorganized the room for practice, getting rid of the chairs and setting up their instruments. Yukina started them with Song I Am, just like the day before.
Unlike yesterday, today they started making progress.
_______________________________________________________
Yukina felt tired, though it was a good sort of tired. Band practice had gone well, almost surprisingly so.
After listening to her bandmates, Yukina was much better able to work with their new sounds. She assumed the same was true for them, as they made quick progress in multiple songs. There were still some issues, particularly with the bass for Yukina, but they could handle it.
The mood of the band improved over the course of the day, leaving the group in high spirits in the evening.
Well, Ako was in high spirits. Everyone else seemed the same as usual.
It was after dinner now and the band was winding down for the night. The five of them were all together in the room where they slept, hanging out and talking in groups. Ako and Rinko were on one side of the room talking in low voices; Yukina didn’t know about what. Yukina sat on the floor with Lisa and Sayo, discussing changes to the schedule for the upcoming days.
“Are we going to record something while we’re here?” Sayo was asking, referencing the recording equipment in the basement. “It seems like a waste not to.”
“I’d like to.” Yukina replied, remembering how exited Lisa was to show them the studio. She went through all the effort to get this studio for them, it was only right to use it.
“What’ll we record though?” Lisa tilted her head as she thought.
Yukina had an answer for that, though it wasn’t quite ready for recording. “I’ve been working on new lyrics.” She admitted, telling them for the first time. Though she had been writing these lyrics for a while, she finally felt ready to finish them.
“Have you talked with Rinko about an arrangement?” Sayo, always practical, asked an important question.
“I will soon.” Yukina glanced over, catching both Rinko and Ako staring at her. They looked away abruptly. They were clearly up to something.
“We might want to block some time for song writing then.” Lisa was clicking through the digital calendar. “There’s not a lot of time left, how about tomorrow morning?”
“That’s a good idea.” Sayo nodded in agreement. “If we want to record, it needs to be ready soon. You and Rinko can work on it together. Then we’ll have full band practice in the afternoon.” She sounded confident in the plan.
“What will you do?” Yukina asked, not fully on board yet since the other three would be left out. She wondered if Sayo wanted to get involved with composing.
“We’ll find something, don’t worry.” Lisa winked, the gesture sending a trill down Yukina’s spine.
A tinny ringing sound interrupted the conversation, reminding Yukina of a small bell being struck. It was a ringtone, not one she used. She glanced at her phone anyway, but it wasn’t hers.
No, it was Lisa’s. The other teen rose to her feet as she answered the phone, greeting the caller warmly. She stepped out into the hall and shut the door before Yukina could figure out who she was talking to.
“I’m marking it in the calendar.” Sayo didn’t seem to care who the call was from, as she continued with the conversation. Yukina watched her fiddle on her phone for a moment, before the sound of someone clearing their throat snagged her attention.
Ako and Rinko, who had previously been huddled on the opposite end of the room, were now standing next to Sayo and Yukina. Ako had both hands behind her back, likely hiding something there.
“Ahem.” Ako cleared her throat again, waiting until Sayo looked up as well. “Will you please join us for a game?” She asked more politely than she usually would, bringing the object out from behind her back. It was a large cardboard box, with the word Monopoly written in large letters across it. Yukina was surprised it fit behind Ako’s back.
She didn’t have time to play a board game, especially not this one. In fact, she didn’t like board games at all. “No, thank you.” Yukina stood, shaking her head. “I need to work on something tonight.” She grabbed the notebook from her bag and excused herself from the room, leaving Sayo to fend off the other two alone.
“Actually, I need to tell you about the schedule for tomorrow.” Yukina could hear Sayo say as she stepped out into the hallway and shut the door behind her.
Surprisingly, she could hear a conversation in the hallway too. This was a different one, drifting down from one end of the hall. Yukina could hear Lisa’s voice, quiet but still understandable, from a room near the end of the hallway.
“Sorry I couldn’t see you this week.” Lisa sounded apologetic, to whoever she was speaking to. “And that I haven’t had much time to talk.”
She paused for a moment, likely listening to the other person’s reply. Yukina told herself she should walk away, that it wasn’t right to eavesdrop like this. Her feet didn’t move.
“I promise I’ll make it up to you!” Lisa exclaimed, then giggled after a moment. The sound was like music to Yukina’s ears. “You’re such a charmer, Ai.” Here tone was light and happy, missing the stresses of rehearsal. That name, Yukina had heard that name before. Her stomach churned at the realization, veins turning to ice.
Now her feet couldn’t move fast enough, taking her the opposite direction and away from Lisa. She hurried out to the kitchen, where it was blissfully silent. Yukina collapsed into one of the chairs, feeling like she had just run there.
Pretending not to care hurt. Hearing Lisa on the phone with another woman hurt even worse.
Yukina took a deep breath to try and center herself, placing her notepad on the table. She made her decision, now she needed to live with it. It was time to work on the lyrics.
Before she could start, another interruption arrived. Sayo, likely fleeing the board game duo, appeared from the hallway.
She took a seat across from Yukina, placing her hands together on the table.
“How’s it going?” Sayo asked, glancing down at the still closed notebook.
“I’m about to start.” Yukina tapped the front of the book for emphasis, assuming she was asking about the lyrics.
“I see.” Sayo glanced away, hands fidgeting, then back at Yukina. She hesitated, then spoke again. “Is everything alright?” Her words were slow, measured.
“What do you mean? Everything’s fine.” Yukina answered without waiting for the explanation.
Sayo’s hands came down off the table. “You still tore from the bass this afternoon.”
“It’ll be fixed by tomorrow.” It was true that Yukina hadn’t picked up on Lisa’s changes as well as the others, but she was getting it the longer they rehearsed. The band was coming together well.
“I heard who Imai-san is on the phone with.” Sayo’s eyes were locked onto Yukina, deadly serious. This was not a topic Yukina wanted to discuss.
“There’s nothing wrong with that, she can speak with whoever she wants to.” Yukina’s tone was cold and biting, the words coming out more defensive than she intended. She desperately wanted to believe them.
Sayo sighed deeply, waiting a moment before responding. “If there’s a problem, I’m sure she’d want you to tell her.” That was a pointed message, a direct attack, a sign that Yukina had done a poor job hiding her feelings. “That’s the kind of person Imai-san is.”
Yukina knew that, but still, she couldn’t. She couldn’t handle the reaction she’d face, the damage to their friendship. Yukina swallowed, just staring at Sayo.
“Think about it.” Sayo stood from the table, pushing her chair back in. “And watch your step when you come back, there are monopoly pieces everywhere.”
Yukina watched her go back down the hallway, leaving as quickly as she came.
Now she sat here alone, but a part of her still felt exposed. She shook off the feeling, resetting her emotions and turning to her notebook. She needed to focus, especially if she was working on the song with Rinko tomorrow.
She opened to the middle, finding the page where she wrote them. She had a few ideas already, about the sky and looking towards the future, but they weren’t held together by anything.
Yukina scrunched up her forehead as she thought, writing a few different phrases on the page. Today, each member had played for the rest. They performed alone in order to bring the band back together.
What if they each sang a line of the verse, passing it around the band. Yukina’s eyes widened at the idea, and she started to outline it. As just one of five parts, she could be involved too, perhaps even in the middle.
They could count each member, then all sing together. It would be a fitting new format as the band relearned to play together.
For a while she was able to set her complicated feelings aside, as she channeled her energy into Roselia. Yukina continued to write down the lyrics, polishing them into the perfect new song.
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End Note: I will be tiering in the Rondo event on D4DJ starting tonight, so the next chapter will be delayed. Tell me in the replies how many songs you guessed right, and I will send your digital cookies.
Next Chapter
#bandori fic#minato yukina#imai lisa#hikawa sayo#bang dream fanfiction#shirokane rinko#udagawa ako#yukilisa#this is a very important chapter#also it's freakishly long#flip writes
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The Salton Sea
In 1905, workers were constructing a canal to carry water from the Colorado River on the eastern border of California to the fertile agricultural areas in the Imperial Valley when something when wrong. The waters of the Colorado broke free and almost the entire volume of the river poured into the low ground at the bottom of the Valley. The Salton Trough sits over 70 meters below sea level, only a tiny bit above the elevation of Badwater Basin in Death Valley, so water easily poured into the basin when the canal walls broke.
This wasn’t the first time in geologic history that the river had filled the Imperial Valley. The valley floor is filled by Colorado River sediments; for the last several million years the river has bounced back and forth between flooding the Imperial Valley and entering the Gulf of Mexico, with its direction determined by which flow path was easiest. As sediment built up in the delta, the river would naturally shift its course to flood the imperial valley, and as sediment blocked that spot it would shift again back to the Gulf of California and its delta.
The river flowed into the basin for more than 2 years before engineers could finally send its huge flow back to the Gulf of Mexico. The flood gave birth to an inland lake known as the Salton Sea.
For decades, the Salton Sea actually stayed mostly fresh. Tourists from the nearby cities of Los Angeles and San Diego would visit the shores to swim in the waters and migrating birds found a delightful water source on their route. But over time, the chemistry of the water changed.
The Salton Sea was flooded by the Colorado, but the water in the local area was able to sustain it. Flood irrigation from nearby farmlands and input from local streams kept the Salton Sea water level close to constant, but those waters also carried salts and fertilizers into the Sea, increasing the salt content and eventually leading to algal blooms that would kill huge numbers of fish.
The Salton Sea’s tourism industry died decades ago as the waters changed, but the situation is more worrisome today. California spent years in drought, and beyond that water for farming in this valley has become gradually more precious due to increased demand and climate change.
The decline in water supplied to the Salton Sea risks turning the waters into a desert or a disaster like Owens Lake to the North (see here:http://on.fb.me/1ytht1g) or Lake Urmia in Iran (http://on.fb.me/1BvJUjE). If the waters of even part of the lake dry up, it will expose bare, salt-covered sediment that will easily be picked up by the wind. These sediments could easily turn into a major source of air pollution throughout the southwestern United States if they’re allowed into the air. That level of air pollution would likely turn into a multi-billion dollar environmental disaster.
The lake has been gradually contracting for the past several years, exposing dry and salty ground particularly at the southern tip where the polluted "New River" enters the lake after flowing through agricultural areas in Mexico and the US. The State of California was originally supposed to develop a remediation plan for this area as early as 2003, but no one wants to spend money or give up their access to water supplies, so more than a decade passed with no agreement between the various agencies and landowners who would have to participate in controlling pollution in this area. Finally, just last month several stakeholders struck an agreement to begin diverting some water and developing wetlands on areas that are being exposed as the lake shrinks - a first step towards managing the drying of this basin.
-JBB
Image credits: EPA/NBC News/NASA http://nbcnews.to/1L5sobA
Read more: http://desert.sn/1uqqnvY http://desert.sn/1L5snEm http://www.fws.gov/refuge/sonny_bono_salton_sea/ http://saltonsea.ca.gov/ http://saltonseamuseum.org/salton_sea_history.html https://bit.ly/2YeFcay
#Salton sea#california#new river#colorado river#imperial valley#geology#sediment#dust#pollution#salt#arid#farming#agriculture#fish kill#science#ecosystem#the earth story
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Kingdom of Ash Tour Sydney
Oh my gosh, I’m sorry this took so long. My notes were much more extensive than I thought and then just a lot of poor time management. Anyway, here it is.
A few choice bits of information/quotes:
“Being a dork pays off you guys. Who knew?”
Says Melbourne like a local
Loves our coffee. Says she’s moving here because of it.
Advice to aspiring writers: find someone to share your work with. Giving and getting feedback teaches you so much. Gives you a form of community.
Got into writing because it’s what she loves and it makes her come alive like nothing else does.
Music plays a Huge part in her creative process
Daily writing schedule. Plays with Taran then about 930/10 she starts. Gets admin stuff done first 9-8 job.
Nothing compares to sitting down and writing a scene she’s wanted to write for years and years. Describes it as time stopping and the closest thing to magic, at least for her.
Had a question about her creative circle for bouncing ideas around and talking about her stories. Sarah didn’t talk to her family about her stories at all when she was younger. Doesn’t like her parents reading her books. She referred back to writing ACOTAR and she asked the audience “do you know what it’s like to write an on the page sex scene knowing my father was going to read this?” Said it took her about three glasses of wine to deal with it.
About her dad reading said scenes: He said “I just skip those scenes.” Sarah’s reply “I’ll do you one better. I’ll just rip those pages out.” Then she talked how it was much worse when ACOMAF came out the next year.
Josh has become her creative sounding board over the last few years. He reads the early drafts of Crescent City and lets Sarah ramble to him for hours. She thinks it’s really cute they get to do that.
He thinks he’s every love interest in all her books. At events people ask if he’s what Rhys was modelled from. Josh will say yes. Sarah was very adamantly said it was a no.
Fellow writers help her from looking like a complete idiot. In particular Lynette Noni. Calls her a secret Disney Princess. Has become her can’t live without critique partner.
She said don’t listen to the people who say writing is a dumb dream. But said it’s a long long road to getting published but not impossible. “Don’t ever listen to the haters man.”
Her parents were always incredibly supportive. Her mum would leave snacks outside her door so she wouldn’t disturb her while she wrote
When her parents told her that she needed a job to support herself Sarah didn’t want to listen. But she said they were ultimately right because there are no guarantees in publishing. One of her favourite moments is when she became a New York Times best seller and she got to call and tell her parents. The first thing her mum said was she regretted telling Sarah to be realistic about the expectations of yourself. But Sarah was adamant they were right.
She thanked us and got quite emotional. Thanked us for supporting her books, she was walking around Sydney harbour and thought to herself how lucky I am to do this for a living.
Someone from the audience screamed “I love you” she said “I love you too, I love you all so much” (insert my hysterical tears). She couldn’t express how much she appreciates everything we all have done for her and her family, the fact we have allowed her to live out her dreams. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this being the loveliest group of people I’ve ever had the honour to meet”. SHE LOVES US.
Crescent city
Doesn’t think her parents can read a single page of crescent city. Joking, it’s every other page. Started as excess creative energy, a real passion project.
Describes it as taking the ToG/ACOTAR worlds and jumping ahead over 3000 years to where they have modern technologies and comforts. Magical creatures living together in complex hierarchies. Feels different because of the modern setting but has familiar aspects, e.g. snarky sassy heroines and brooding sexy muscled men. Says there are so many. So many.
Josh: “why are there so many attractive men in this book?” Sarah “because it’s a fantasy. FAN-TA-SY.”
No real defined plot yet.
Knew it was the story she wanted to tell because of an experience on a plane. Sarah was listening to a piece of music and saw a scene play out and she burst into tears. She didn’t know the characters or how they got there. The scene will be in the first book and is like THE MAJOR BIG SCENE. Kept thinking of that moment of creation and how much it overwhelmed her and that was the deciding factor that that was the next story she needed to tell.
World of Throne of Glass
World of Throne of Glass. Started off as an encyclopaedia. It will be a chronicle that exists in world and Sarah describes it like going into the library of Orynth and pulling it off the shelf. The premise of the book is that Aelin has hired this cranky old scholar to travel around all the kingdoms/continents and includes the travel logs, transcripts from interviews with the characters, insight into how they felt, letters between characters. The book itself is like the the Terrasen courts private copy so it has letters between characters. Glimpses into the future.
BUT THIS MEANS IT WILL COME OUT LATER
ALSO SAID THERE ARE POCKETS OF HISTORY SHE REALLY WANTS TO FILL IN AND THERE’S ALSO LOTS OF STORIES THAT MAYBE ONE DAY SHE MIGHT WANT TO TELL SHE JUST NEEDS TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT. SORRY I’M JUST REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
Throne of Glass/ACOTAR
The idea of Throne of Glass came to her when she was 15/16 years old. Gripped her like no other story had. Throne of glass has a special place in her heart because it’s what started her on this journey.
Sarah was changing Kingdom of Ash right up the very last minute.
Mystery questions from the lobby:
What would happen if all your villains met?
The thought of Maeve and Amarantha gave her chills to think about. Would they rip each other to shreds or form and unholy alliance? Undecided.
Did you cry during the writing of the final book? If so which moments?
Number one scene. The Thirteen.
Gave lots of details about when Manon first appeared, a piece of music from the Fright Night remake was playing and she saw the cottage scene play out. She saw Manon disembowel the farmers and how her teeth and claws came out and just thought “I love you”.
Loved witches since she was little because she realised witches were often women with power when women weren’t allowed to have power.
Sarah went to the mat for Manon. She hadn’t sold the rest of the books, only up to Heir of Fire. Writing about Manon gave Sarah her courage and came into her life when she needed her attitude. She said “Over my dead effing body” when editor said to cut Manon.
Sarah listened to a song from the original star wars and that was when she saw the sacrifice of the Thirteen. She needed to have Manon start where she did in Heir of Fire so when we all got to the scene in Kingdom of Ash is would really hit us strongly as it had hit Sarah for the first time. Sarah was sobbing at her desk when she saw them making their final run. She saw then Manon screaming and begging them to to stop because she realised she had a heart and loved them.
Sarah said she needed to lie down afterwards, she considered a happy ending for a moment, but then she thought about how the ladies never get to make the big heroic sacrifice and she really wanted the Thirteen to make the badass sacrifice and she wanted to make that moment when their exploding with light and not darkness absolutely destroyed Sarah.
Happier scene is the last goodbye between the main three, sobbing so hard. Really ugly crying not Frodo crying nicely at the end of The Return of the King, but bodily fluids spraying everywhere. So many tears.
Sarah would also get super amped up. Example: When Elide saves Lorcan she got so amped up she literally straddled her chair like she was riding a horse. (She re-enacted it on stage too). Then it was just more ladies were doing their badass thing like:
as Aelin flies down on the bird and explodes and destroys the wave and then Rowan is like that steam is going to boil every one like lobsters, got to get rid of that.
When Aelin makes her run and Lorcan sees her and he’s crying, you know if Lorcan’s crying some intense shit is going down
Then when Aelin is trying to get the mask off. That hit Sarah hit her so hard, didn’t expect it. Felt physically ill writing it. It was one of the few times Aelin was unhinged and in a panic. Seeing Aelin in a panic out Sarah in a panic.
Aelin has been like a person to Sarah and has carried Sarah through a lot of hard stuff. Sarah has said to herself “my name is Sarah J Maas and I will not be afraid”
Would say “What would Aelin do?” to give herself that swagger. Any time Aelin is in pain Sarah was in pain and would be like “My baby my baby! Let me help you”.
Such a joy to write. Aelin was telling her and showing Sarah where to go.
ABOUT THE ENDING OF KINGDOM OF ASH: Travelling in Costa Rico to a rainforest exists at cloud level. (Side note from Sarah: Vote for the environment! Do it for the golden toad). One of the most beautiful places she has ever been. Sitting in the backseat listening to music from John Carter of Mars. Sun broke through the clouds and lit up the mountains and Sarah heard the last line of Kingdom of Ash about the kingsflame blooming and she knew what the last line was and that’s what she wanted to get to. She starting crying (surprise surprise) didn’t want to tell her travelling companions so she lied and said she was crying because the view was so beautiful. Writing with Aelin at the helm guaranteed her nothing. Aelin did it though, she stuck to Sarah’s plans and Sarah got the ending she wanted.
Call out from the audience about Gavriel. Uproar from the audience. “Why did you do that!?” “Why would I do that? Because I’m a horrible person.” Any time a hot guy full of muscles dies it’s a sad day. Poor Aedion. “It would have been so hot! Not in a weird way! The two of them hanging out, the lion and the wolf and oh my heart... you mean I have no heart, that’s what you’re thinking.” Evil cackle.
Who of all your characters do you see sitting in a rocking chair and knitting and telling their grandchildren the wildest stories in their old age?
Throne of Glass. Dorian. Don’t know why.
ACOTAR world would 1000% be Cassian. Nessian book will come out after Crescent City. She started it just for fun, hadn’t planned to write last ACOWAR. Sarah was out to lunch with her editor and got a little drunk and pitched her other books, but then forgot. Agent called a few weeks later telling her the editor wants to buy these books.
She literally doesn’t have the time to get all the stories she wants out of her. Wishes she had Hermione’s time turner.
So that’s it. Again, sorry it took me so long. Sarah was so lovely and I still can’t believe I got to see her in person. There’s a lot I took away from her talk for myself, mainly just how adamant she was about being yourself is the way to go. We’re better off when we’re true to ourselves and love the tings we love without feeling bad for it.
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Best Birds Birthday
Hi Stampers. Today I’d like to share with you a card that we made in class last spring using the stamp set Best Birds from Stampin’ Up! This adorable card is quick and easy to make.
This card starts with a Soft Suede card base, 8 1/2″ x 5 1/2″, scored a 4 1/4″. Next up is a 4″ x 5 1/4″ layer of Very Vanilla cardstock that I ran through the Big Shot with the Woodlands textured impressions…
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#best birds#birds#Birds & Blooms#birthday#birthday card#card making#Cardmaking#DIY#embossing folder#handmade card#Learn to Stamp#papercrafting#rubber stamping#stamp set#stampin&039; up#thinlit dies#woodland
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Favourite Albums Review - Seventh Tree by Goldfrapp
Seventh Tree - Goldfrapp
Main Genres: Folktronica, Indie Pop, Art Pop
A decent sampling of: Dream Pop, Chamber Folk, Neo-Psychedelia, Baroque Pop
“木漏れ日”, or “Komorebi”, is a word that only exists in Japanese. It describes the mystifying visual phenomenon that occurs when sunlight passes through a canopy of trees. Light filters through the leaves and changes slightly in hue according to the colour of the leaves.
At its core, Seventh Tree feels like a musical interpretation of the komorebi phenomenon. Shimmering in a haze of green and golden light, Goldfrapp’s fourth and greatest LP is a lush, fleeting, and pastoral record. With airy sound production and a prevailing sense of the ephemeral, the album pairs beautifully with the transition from Summer to Autumn. Likewise, I make sure to revisit it every year during the month of September, and every time I am once again completely floored by just how any group of artists could ever achieve and maintain such a perfect sound.
Goldfrapp’s debut was undoubtedly a hard act to follow. The British duo of Will Gregory and Alison Goldfrapp came on to the scene with Felt Mountain, an unexpected masterpiece marked by atmospheric alien worlds achieved via surreal studio sounds, filtered through film noir and golden age Hollywood aesthetics. The album went Gold in the U.K. and was even shortlisted for a Mercury Prize.
But where to go from there? Goldfrapp’s initial response to their immediate success, as well as their initial approach in attempting to exceed the heights of their debut, was to amp up the fun factor of their music tenfold.
Thus, the follow-up records Black Cherry and Supernature were mostly sassy electroclash romps chock-full of sexual innuendo (especially Black Cherry) and sing-along pop hooks (especially Supernature). Very solid records in their own right, yielding some excellent singles like “Twist” and “Ooh La La”, but ultimately lacking the consistency and grandeur of Felt Mountain.
But then something great happened.
Alison and Will had long been inspired by nature and especially animals as symbolic motifs throughout their career. But for their fourth record, Goldfrapp decided for the first time to make an album that actually sounded like it came from the natural world. They allowed their trademark electronic inventions to take on a more supportive role, blending into the background seamlessly with gentle acoustic instruments, creating a uniquely harmonious folktronica sound.
The lyrics also take on a much more prominent role than on their previous records, delving deep into themes of innocence, tragedy, superficiality, and the ever-changing state of nature. Revealing both elements of poetic sadness and dark humour inherent to the many unfortunate conditions of human behaviour, Alison is found pondering over topics such as plastic surgery (”Clowns”) and cults (”Happiness”) throughout the course of the album.
The title Seventh Tree itself came to Alison in a cryptic dream. Visually and musically, the duo became particularly inspired by woodland imagery, as well as the symbol of the harlequin, a free-spirited and whimsical character found in traditional Italian theatre. These influences translate to an atmosphere on the album that feels elusive, wispy, and at times even day drunk.
“Clowns” introduces the sensory world of Seventh Tree with the record’s purest, most delicate folk song. Accompanied by faint swells of chamber strings over a steady and serene acoustic guitar riff, Alison Goldfrapp just barely enunciates her way through slurred, childlike speech, with similes about fake breast implants and clown balloons. The narrator here is almost certainly a little girl, failing to understand the reasons why an older woman would want to undergo surgery just in order to gain bigger breasts, thus emphasizing the blissful naivety of childhood that can never truly be recovered by an adult. More than any other track on the record, “Clowns” embodies the very essence of Seventh Tree, presenting a sylvan vignette that captures a very simple moment of human vulnerability.
The following track “Little Bird” introduces synthesized elements, starting off soft and sweet before blooming into a rippling display of psychedelic folktronica, with words inspired by the surrealist poetry of English artist Edward Lear.
“Happiness” is a carnival world of sunshine baroque pop appearing almost too picturesque, with stomping parades of dizzying horns and synths. The entire song presents a brilliantly perverse and whimsical satire of the ways in which cults advertise themselves in order to prey on lost and impressionable people. Alison’s promises of everlasting happiness are soft and enticing, but ultimately betrayed by the sinister undertones of her phrasing; you can practically visualize her forced smile and a morphine injection needle being clenched in the fist that she hides behind her back.
“Eat Yourself” sees Alison revisiting the vocal stylings of “Clowns” with a sauntering folk tune that reverberates like the footsteps of a gentle forest giant. Touching on feelings of loss, the title refers to one of the song’s only decipherable lines (without the use of liner notes), offering a particularly grim sentiment: “If you don’t eat yourself no doubt the pain will instead”.
Seventh Tree’s most sober undertaking is “Some People”, an indie pop carol that gradually forms a chiming ecosystem of sounds around a series of golden piano chords. It also serves as the definitive representation of the record’s central themes, listing off human vices and eccentricities with a listless, breezy attitude, as if the duo are accepting all of the good, the bad, and the strange things in the world.
And then, with all the stillness of an early morning mist, “A&E” merges with the listener’s imagination. A sentimental love song on its surface, this piece actually tells the story of a miserable, heartbroken woman who wakes up in a hospital bed, slowly remembering the details of the night before when she had attempted to overdose on pills and kill herself. It alll feels incredibly real and tangible, the way it so vividly captures the state of having a mental “reset” in the flow of the mind's stream of consciousness.
Precious few moments in music have ever struck me so profoundly as did the moment when I realized what kind of story Alison had been weaving on this track. With the brilliant execution of its concept in marriage with some the most crystal clear and subtly detailed production I have ever heard, this track earns the title of being my favourite Goldfrapp song. Altogether, “A&E” is a dreamy and sweetly cruel ballad that manages to embody the very zenith of story-telling through songwriting.
Things take a lighter turn for the last three tracks. “Cologne Cerrone Houdini” is an ornate psychedelic trip that pays musical homage to the sound of 60s hippie culture and the summer of love (as do many tracks here, to varying degrees).
Penultimate track “Caravan Girl” is a great big pop song celebrating wanderlust, with an insanely euphoric grand finale of exhilarating snare drums and a wave of soaring crisp bit-pop synthesizers, like 8bit butterflies flying across a 4k blue sky. Keyword for the production on that last part of the song is “orgasmic”.
Things are wrapped up quite nicely with “Monster Love”, an all-too-tender, folky dream pop serenade of mixed feelings that Alison Goldfrapp dedicates to her time on tour as an artist, particularly reflecting on her time in the glamorous but shallow world of Hollywood. It’s a very fitting ending; the song ties together the lyrical commentary and the musical spirit of Seventh Tree, retreating back into the ether with its closing lines “Everything comes around / Bringing us back again / Here is where we start / And where we end”.
Seventh Tree is my personal gold standard for an album listening experience. The record is its own masterclass in creating a diverse but cohesive sonic world, with songs that are varied but thematically linked, and with textural motifs that are revisited in many different ways over the course of the album. Will Gregory is a stellar lead producer; the man is clearly a master of detailed perfectionism, and this record in particular still sounds fucking immaculate 13 years later. Alison Goldfrapp herself proves that she is a wise and contemplative spirit with the beautiful voice of an immortal forest faerie.
On some days, this is my favourite record ever (the days when it isn’t that other one). Give this a listen if you haven’t already. Allow yourself to be cast in the verdant light and the mystifying shade of the towering Seventh Tree.
10/10
highlights: “A&E”, “Clowns”, “Happiness”, “Eat Yourself”, “Caravan Girl”, “Little Bird”, “Some People”, “Cologne Cerrone Houdini”, “Monster Love”, “Road To Somewhere” i.e. everything
#goldfrapp#alison goldfrapp#will gregory#seventh tree#folktronica#indie pop#art pop#favourite music#album review#music review#favourite albums#best music#2008#komorebi
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