#irregular shape pool

[liteblueeblog]

Water Slide - Pool Example of a large island style backyard stone and custom-shaped natural water slide design

[thegreatlandone]

Pool Los Angeles

An illustration of a sizable island-style backyard with a uniquely shaped natural hot tub

[deathofapig]

Pool Los Angeles An illustration of a sizable island-style backyard with a uniquely shaped natural hot tub

[reasonsforhope]

"Morningside Park, a beloved neighborhood park in Miami with sweeping views of Biscayne Bay, will soon pilot an innovative approach to coastal resilience.

BIOCAP tiles, a 3D-printed modular system designed to support marine life and reduce wave impact along urban seawalls, will be installed on the existing seawall there in spring 2025. BIOCAP stands for Biodiversity Improvement by Optimizing Coastal Adaptation and Performance.

Developed by our team of architects and marine biologists at Florida International University, the uniquely textured prototype tiles are designed to test a new approach for helping cities such as Miami adapt to rising sea levels while simultaneously restoring ecological balance along their shorelines...

Ecological costs of traditional seawalls

Seawalls have long served as a primary defense against coastal erosion and storm surges. Typically constructed of concrete and ranging from 6 to 10 feet in height, they are built along shorelines to block waves from eroding the land and flooding nearby urban areas.

However, they often come at an ecological cost. Seawalls disrupt natural shoreline dynamics and can wipe out the complex habitat zones that marine life relies on.

Marine organisms are crucial in maintaining coastal water quality by filtering excess nutrients, pollutants and suspended particles. A single adult oyster can filter 20-50 gallons of water daily, removing nitrogen, phosphorus and solids that would otherwise fuel harmful algal blooms. These blooms deplete oxygen levels and damage marine ecosystems.

Filter-feeding organisms also reduce turbidity, which is the cloudiness of water caused by suspended sediment and particles. Less water turbidity means more light can penetrate, which benefits seagrasses that require sunlight for photosynthesis. These seagrasses convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and energy-rich sugars while providing essential food and habitat for diverse marine species.

Swirling shapes, shaded grooves

Unlike the flat, lifeless surfaces of typical concrete seawalls, each BIOCAP tile is designed with shaded grooves, crevices and small, water-holding pockets. These textured features mimic natural shoreline conditions and create tiny homes for barnacles, oysters, sponges and other marine organisms that filter and improve water quality.

The tile’s swirling surface patterns increase the overall surface area, offering more space for colonization. The shaded recesses are intended to help regulate temperature by providing cooler, more stable microenvironments. This thermal buffering can support marine life in the face of rising water temperatures and more frequent heat events driven by climate change.

Another potential benefit of the tiles is reducing the impact of waves.

When waves hit a natural shoreline, their energy is gradually absorbed by irregular surfaces, tide pools and vegetation. In contrast, when waves strike vertical concrete seawalls, the energy is reflected back into the water rather than absorbed. This wave reflection – the bouncing back of wave energy – can amplify wave action, increase erosion at the base of the wall and create more hazardous conditions during storms.

The textured surfaces of the BIOCAP tiles are designed to help diffuse wave energy by mimicking the natural dissipation found on undisturbed shorelines.

The design of BIOCAP takes cues from nature. The tile shapes are based on how water interacts with different surfaces at high tide and low tide. Concave tiles, which curve inward, and convex tiles, which curve outward, are installed at different levels along the seawall. The goal is to deflect waves away from the seawall, reduce direct impact and help minimize erosion and turbulence around the wall’s foundation.A

How we will measure success

After the BIOCAP tiles are installed, we plan to assess how the seawall redesign enhances biodiversity, improves water quality and reduces wave energy. This two-year pilot phase will help assess the long-term value of ecologically designed infrastructure.

To evaluate biodiversity, we will use underwater cameras to capture time-lapse imagery of the marine life that colonizes the tile surfaces. These observations will aid in documenting species diversity and habitat use over time...

In the coming year, we’ll be watching with hope as the new BIOCAP tiles begin to welcome marine life, offering a glimpse into how nature might reclaim and thrive along our urban shorelines.

[shes-the-latest-it-girl]

Pool Pool House in Austin Idea for a pool house: a sizable traditional backyard stone structure with a custom-shaped lap pool.

[dodie-snk]

Austin Traditional Pool An illustration of a sizable, traditional backyard with a stone lap pool house in a custom shape.

[sevendevilsinwesteros]

Traditional Pool in DC Metro Pool fountain - huge traditional backyard concrete paver and rectangular lap pool fountain idea

[dreamwavesexploringreality]

TRAITOR:

Niragi x reader

Requested: Niragi feels betrayed when his once-close ally sides with Chishiya to rebel against the Militants.

TW: Violence, Emotional manipulation, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Murder, Death threats, Betrayal.

--

If you asked Y/N what she regretted in her life, she would have a clear answer. She would say she regretted trusting that man, getting caught up in his charms, and betraying the only person who truly mattered to her. She would also say that she wished she had listened to Niragi when he warned her about the blonde, and even though she didn’t expect him to forgive her, she prayed that at least he would know her intention had never been to hurt him.

She had spent enough time in The Beah to start feeling comfortable there. She wasn’t stupid; she didn’t believe in the ideology that underpinned the principles of The Beach, nor did she trust the words of that eccentric man who called himself The Mad Hatter and was obsessed with loyalty. She also didn’t believe there could ever be anything or anyone that would make her reconsider all her convictions. But above all, she could never have imagined that she would betray the man she considered her friend, her other half. Her soulmate.

Soulmates don’t have to resemble each other to be one. Y/N was convinced of this since Niragi was the most different person she had ever known. Still, amidst their differences and disagreements, she always found her safe place in him. Whether in his arms during a particularly cruel game night, resting in his lap at the pool bar, or playing in the water on his back… they were made for each other; everyone in The Beach knew it. And he did too.

Chishiya had no particular interest in the girl, in the woman who had arrived at The Beach gates drenched in blood and struggling to balance on one leg. “Obvious contusion accompanied by visible bleeding,” Chishiya diagnosed from his position on the terrace. However, what caught his attention was the garment covering her torso: a shirt with an irregular pattern of black and white splotches resembling a leopard's skin. Chishiya would recognize that shirt anywhere, and alarms would ring in his head, but this time, the wearer of that singular garment sparked a deep curiosity within him that needed to be satisfied.

Days later, he learned that Niragi had saved her life in a game, staying behind to ensure that no one followed them. It seemed to have been a brutal game of hearts, one in which only two especially intimate people could have survived. The pieces of the puzzle quickly fell into place in the blonde man's mind, and he immediately recognized the power he held in his hands and was ready to use it.

Kuina had always been a good pawn. A charming, sociable, and friendly woman who could easily disarm anyone’s mental alarms. So it was no surprise when the woman, who he learned was named Y/N, opened up to her and told her her entire story. Niragi and Y/N, Y/N and Niragi… that’s how it had always been, and they hoped it would continue that way… Chishiya chuckled at the mere thought.

It didn’t take long for him to convince her that the best option to escape this dystopian world was to steal the cards. His theory made sense, and using Niragi as a pawn, he had the girl eating out of his hand.

“It’s the only way to get back to the real world. You can be with him and not fear that he’ll drop dead every time you blink,” he told her in a firm voice. Kuina trembled at his words.

Later, that new couple also wanted to join the plan. At first, they were reluctant, but Chishiya ensured they wouldn’t influence the girl’s mindset by feeding her each night with the worst possible scenarios for her life and Niragi’s. If she wanted to save herself, if she wanted to save him, she had to follow his plan.

By the time the strategy took shape, Y/N had already distanced herself from Niragi. She no longer went to their nightly meetings or waited for him in the dining hall to have breakfast together. She avoided contact with him since she knew, deep down, that what she was doing went against everything he stood for, and if he found out, he would stop her from continuing with it. She wouldn’t allow that. No matter how much it hurt to ignore the man and turn away every time he desperately searched for her with his gaze, she was doing it for him because she loved him and it was his life she wanted to protect.

A few nights before the big day, Niragi surprised her at her door and without giving her a chance to protest, pulled her inside, closing the door behind him.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he said aggressively as he approached the girl who, startled, fell onto the bed.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replied robotically, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and keeping her gaze on the floor.

“It’s that blonde, isn’t it? I’ve told you a thousand times to stay away from him, but you never listen to me, and you’ll pay the consequences,” he shouted.

A few seconds of silence passed, during which tears began to fill the girl’s eyes. Perhaps it was the familiar scent or the tone of his voice, but her heart tightened in her chest, and she was on the verge of breaking down, of throwing herself into his arms and promising him she would never betray him. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t because a gentle knock at the door brought her back to reality. She was doing this for him.

Niragi opened the door, huffing with displeasure and frustration, facing the blonde man who had decided to meddle in his life and mess everything up.

“Oh, I didn’t know you were here. I was looking for Y/N,” Chishiya said in a calm voice, false surprise gracing his features along with a lazy smile. Of course, he knew Niragi was there; he had seen him pull his toy in with aggression, locking himself away with her in the room, probably trying to convince her of the mistake she was making by associating with him. He wasn’t going to allow that.

Chishiya playfully tilted his head to observe the girl sitting on the bed, frozen in place, probably having a mental breakdown.

“Y/N? Shall we go?” he said sweetly, extending his hand to urge her to come closer to him.

To Niragi’s surprise, the girl stood up and walked past him without looking at him. He felt her hand brush against his arm unintentionally and knew, call it intuition, that he had lost her.

The Niragi Chishiya knew would have chased him down the hall to reclaim what he considered his, but when he turned his head, he saw Niragi frozen in the doorway. Chishiya smiled, savoring the taste of his victory on his tongue.

And then it happened. Chishiya sent Arisu to enter the Mad Hatter’s suite while Y/N, Kuina, and Usagi kept watch at different points. He remained secure in a protected spot where he would never be incriminated if something happened. If you asked Chishiya, he would say he never intended for them to get caught. Yes, he had given Arisu a code that would undoubtedly trigger the alarm in the room, and yes, he had left Y/N in a particularly vulnerable position, but there was always a chance they wouldn’t be discovered, in which case the outcome for him would be the same as if Y/N and Arisu were caught and declared traitors.

Chishiya wasn’t surprised when he heard the alarm and rushed to feign concern to the higher-ups. He also wasn’t surprised to see all the Militants mobilizing to check what was happening in the Hatter’s room. What did surprise him was feeling a minimal, almost nonexistent, pang of guilt that intensified when he entered the room and saw the woman being violently held by one of the Militants.

Thinking clearly, Y/N had just been a pawn in his game. But it was Niragi’s expression that made him reconsider, for a brief moment, whether it should have been that way.

“Thanks for letting us know, Chishiya,” Aguni said, to which the man simply smiled and nodded.

For his part, Niragi, upon seeing Chishiya enter the high-ranking officers' room to inform them anxiously and agitatedly that the alarm was going off in the Hatter’s room, knew something was definitely wrong. His thoughts led him to the worst possible scenario, which became even worse when he entered the room and saw the woman he considered his soulmate being kicked on the floor.

At that moment, the world he knew crumbled into pieces, raising a cloud of dust that clouded his thoughts. He heard the girl’s cries, but for some reason, his vision was blurred, and he couldn’t see her. The rifle in his hands felt light, so light that he stopped feeling it, and when it fell to his feet with a dull thud, he returned to reality.

“Niragi, take these two traitors away. You know what to do,” Aguni ordered.

The man acted automatically, grabbing the girl by the arm as she writhed in his grip and dragging her out of the room. Behind him, two more men grabbed Arisu, who was nearly immobile from the beating, and hurried to follow. Niragi's feet carried him to his room. Maybe he sought the comfort of laying her down on his bed, holding her close, and waking up to realize it had all been a nightmare—but it wasn’t. The girl’s sobs assured him it was real, so real that it was probably the end of everything.

He sat the girl in a chair while the other men tied Arisu to another one with tape. Niragi positioned himself in front of Y/N, holding her firmly down by the shoulder, though there was no need since she had stopped struggling, and now only a steady stream of tears flowed down her cheeks, her gaze fixed on the wall in front of her.

“There, that’s it,” the men laughed as they finished tying Arisu up. “Want to do it?” They offered the tape to Niragi.

The man simply shook his head, watching as Arisu tried to keep his eyes open. He vaguely heard the men continue mocking the boy.

“Don’t you know what happens to traitors? Have you forgotten the rules? Let’s remind you: Death to the traitors!” Niragi felt the girl shudder under his hand, still resting on her shoulder, and her sobs grew louder.

“Get out,” he said suddenly, his voice hoarse and dry from holding it in for so long. It trembled slightly, and he feared it wasn’t authoritative enough to make the two militants leave the room.

Luckily, it was. The two men left, laughing and throwing threats about what was to come.

“Niragi will take care of you.”

“Say your goodbyes.”

When the door closed, the air in the room grew even heavier. Without looking at the girl, he removed his hand from her shoulder, already longing for the contact. He looked over at Arisu, who, despite his pitiful state, still glared at him defiantly. Niragi sighed and met Y/N’s eyes, from which tears still flowed steadily as she stared ahead. Niragi crouched in front of her and tried to wipe the endless flow of tears with his thumbs.

“Shh, shh... I know... I know, calm down. I’m here. Don’t cry, I’m here,” Niragi whispered. He didn’t notice Arisu turn his head, watching in surprise. “It’s okay... just calm down.”

A few minutes passed until the girl’s breathing became more or less steady, and the tears finally ceased. Niragi remained in that position the whole time, and when he saw she had calmed down, he stood up and gently stroked her head. Then he walked across the room to where his rifle rested against the wall. When Y/N saw the movement and the deadly weapon, she began to tremble again, on the verge of breaking down once more. Niragi noticed the change in her behaviour and walked slowly back toward her, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible, the rifle pointed at the ground. When he reached her, he crouched down again, running his fingers through her hair once more and this time leaning closer to her face. He kissed her softly, holding her with the arm that wasn’t holding the weapon. Niragi clung to that kiss, tasting the salt of her tears, and wished it would last a lifetime. But it didn’t. He slowly pulled his lips away from hers, and with tenderness, he turned her face to whisper in her ear.

“Close your eyes,” he murmured.

The girl started shaking her head frantically, hyperventilating and sobbing once again.

“Shh... shh... close your eyes, darling,” Niragi insisted softly, trying to still her movements.

With a shaky sigh, the girl did as he asked. She was tired of pretending, of carrying this burden that had weighed her down for weeks. She felt his touch leave her skin and heard her heartbeat pounding in her ears. Her breathing grew even heavier as she finally accepted the fate that awaited her, fighting the instinct to survive. She squeezed her eyes shut even tighter and tucked her hands beneath her thighs. She wouldn’t fight, she wouldn’t resist him. “What would be the point?” she thought. After all, everything she did, she did for him.

Two loud gunshots echoed through the room. And then, silence.

…

Sometime later.

Niragi knew very well the meaning of betrayal and its consequences. As a militant, he had sworn to protect The Hatter and act against anything that threatened The Beach’s hierarchy. He obeyed orders without questioning or probing beyond what he was told. Niragi had killed, yes. He had killed because he was told to, and he had never felt guilty about it. In all those bodies, he saw the people who had made his life hell for so long in the real world, and he had no regrets about ending the lives of every one of those traitors.

But it turned out that Niragi was also a traitor. He became one when he discarded Arisu’s body in a dumpster and carried Y/N’s limp form in his arms to the outskirts of The Beach, gently placing her in the back seat of a car and driving off into the night without permission.

He became a traitor when he helped Y/N out of the car and made her promise never to return to The Beach, and that if she ever encountered anyone who recognized her, she would kill them immediately.

But above all, he became a traitor when he got back into that vehicle, leaving the woman behind, a rifle on the ground, and a thousand words that would never be spoken.

© 2024 [@dreamwavesexploringreality]

---

Hey everyone! I’m so excited to finally share this imagine with you! It’s been a request I’ve been holding onto for a while, and I might’ve gotten a bit carried away while writing—oops! Sorry for the length, I just couldn’t help myself!😂

I really hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Your thoughts and feedback mean everything to me, so don’t hold back! 💬💖

Thanks for all your support, and I can't wait to bring you more soon!✨

[sportspuckball]

for the prompt "getting knotted at a waterpark"

Sent in by the Dadthew Support Network - here's where we'll start the fic!

~*~

“Baby,” Matthew muttered into Leon’s ear. “You’re soaking yourself all over me.” 

Leon had known his heat was coming, but wasn’t exactly sure when. During the season, the routine and physical exercise – not to mention being away from Matthew nearly the whole time – meant that he could set his watch by his cycles. Once they hit the offseason, he got really irregular. After about five days of being around Matthew consistently, his reproductive organs appeared to wake up and go “Oh! Our Alpha is here! We should wake up from our nap and do our jobs!”

That first round of heat every off season was nearly as exhausting as playoffs for both of them. 

Took Leon's system a month to calm down, and then everything settled back into sort of a rhythm, but not a complete one. That would take until the first week of the season. 

All that to say, he wasn’t surprised at all that four days in the Bahamas at Atlantis where they were basically glued to each other triggered his still-off-kilter system to roar to life. 

He was tucked in between Matthew’s legs, surrounded by warmth from the bond at his back and the sun at his front. His ass had felt slightly weird, but Matthew’s cock was pressing into it. His hindbrain wasn’t really letting him process much past that. 

Leon loved being between Matthew’s legs. The popular hockey narrative – and one his agent had been spinning since the beginning, to be fair – was that Leon was the biggest omega the league had ever seen. Therefore, people assumed Matthew was smaller. The rat thing, maybe, or probably how he played. But he and Matthew were the same height, nearly the same weight, and almost exactly the same proportions. 

But when Matthew sheltered him, gathered him in his arms, scented him from behind, Leon melted into a pile of stereotypical goo. He felt small in all the best ways, and it did usually trigger…

Fuck, he really should have seen this coming. 

“What do you want to do?” Matthew continued. 

Leon lazily opened his eyes and traced the shape of the pool with them. There was this one spot, just under the waterfall of the lazy river, where they could tuck themselves. Years of supply closets had trained them to bet quiet, and Matthew’s size would help… 

Leon arched up and kissed the underside of Matthew’s jaw. “I want you to knot me under the waterfall. That should be enough to get us back to the room.” 

Leon felt the chuckle more than he heard it. 

“Fucking dirty omega,” Matthew growled slightly into Leon’s ear. “All mine, too. Okay, up you get. Let’s get over there before I have to carry your whimpering ass.” 

“Promises, promises,” Leon sassed as he extricated himself from both Matthew and the lounge chair. Matthew squeezed his ass on the way up. 

“But remember, baby, I always keep them.”

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Elements of Art

The elements of art are components or parts of a work of art that can be isolated and defined. They are the building blocks used to create a work of art.

LINE A mark with greater length than width. Lines can be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal; straight or curved; thick or thin.

Horizontal lines suggest a feeling of rest or repose because objects parallel to the earth are at rest. In landscape paintings, horizontal lines help give a sense of space. The lines delineate sections of the landscape, which recede into space. They also imply continuation of the landscape beyond the picture plane to the left and right.

Vertical lines often communicate a sense of height because they are perpendicular to the earth, extending upwards toward the sky. In a church interior painting, vertical lines may suggest spirituality, rising beyond human reach toward the heavens.

Horizontal and vertical lines used in combination communicate stability and solidity. Rectilinear forms with 90-degree angles are structurally stable. This stability suggests permanence and reliability.

Diagonal lines convey a feeling of movement. Objects in a diagonal position are unstable. Because they are neither vertical nor horizontal, they are either about to fall or are already in motion. The angles of a ship and rocks on the shore convey a feeling of movement or speed in a stormy harbor scene.

The curve of a line can convey energy. Soft, shallow curves recall the curves of the human body and often have a pleasing, sensual quality and a softening effect on the composition. The edge of a pool in a photograph may gently lead the eye to the sculptures on the horizon.

SHAPE A closed line. Shapes can be geometric, like squares and circles; or organic, like free-form or natural shapes. Shapes are flat and can express length and width.

FORM A three-dimensional shape expressing length, width, and depth. It is the basis of sculpture, furniture, and decorative arts. Balls, cylinders, boxes, and pyramids are forms. They can be seen from more than one side.

Geometric shapes and forms include mathematical, named shapes such as squares, rectangles, circles, cubes, spheres, and cones. Geometric shapes and forms are often man-made. However, many natural forms also have geometric shapes. Example, a cabinet decorated with designs of geometric shapes.

Organic shapes and forms are typically irregular or asymmetrical. Organic shapes are often found in nature, but man-made shapes can also imitate organic forms. Example, a wreath uses organic forms to simulate leaves and berries.

SPACE The area between and around objects. The space around objects is often called negative space; negative space has shape. Space can also refer to the feeling of depth.

Real space is three-dimensional; in visual art, when we create the feeling or illusion of depth, we call it space.

COLOR Light reflected off of objects. Color has 3 main characteristics:

Hue - the name of the color, such as red, green, blue, etc.

Value - how light or dark it is.

Intensity - how bright or dull it is.

White is pure light; black is the absence of light.

Primary colors are the only true colors (red, blue, and yellow). All other colors are mixes of primary colors.

Secondary colors are two primary colors mixed together (green, orange, violet).

Intermediate colors, sometimes called tertiary colors, are made by mixing a primary and secondary color together. Some examples of intermediate colors are yellow green, blue green, and blue violet.

Complementary colors are located directly across from each other on the color wheel (an arrangement of colors along a circular diagram to show how they are related to one another).

Complementary pairs contrast because they share no common colors. For example, red and green are complements, because green is made of blue and yellow.

When complementary colors are mixed together, they neutralize each other to make brown.

TEXTURE The surface quality that can be seen and felt. Textures can be rough or smooth, soft or hard. Textures do not always feel the way they look; for example, a drawing of a porcupine may look prickly, but if you touch the drawing, the paper is still smooth.

Texture depicted in two-dimensions. Artists use color, line, and shading to imply textures. In a painting, a man's robe may be painted to simulate silk. The ability to convincingly portray fabric of different types was one of the marks of a great painter during the 17th century.

Surface texture. The surface of a writing desk is metallic and hard. The hard surface is functional for an object that would have been used for writing. The smooth surface of a writing desk reflects light, adding sparkle to the piece of furniture.

Principles of Design ⚜ Writing Notes & References

[etirabys]

A Thceyn birthing takes the inverse shape of ours. A new Thceyn forms as a thin, flexible membrane around the Thceyn world. Micrometers thick at first, it grows until it strains to hold the world in and the convex pressure of the world starts hurting its taut, flattened organs.

Its birthing organ starts spiraling into the world-barrier. It looks a bit like a drill that can unfold into a grappling hook. Having started at one point of the world, where its parent flew up to world-barrier and punctured it so that the Thceynling could gestate in the safety of space, it now digs back through the world-barrier at the antipode. As it makes progress, its body starts loosening from the umbilical pole.

Slowly, the Thceynling drills through. Its readying body has blotted out the stars and clouded out the sun. Astronomers have folded away their telescopes for the week. When a birth is imminent all the daytime world knows it from the caustics – dappled sunlight races across the surface of the world, lensed through the rippling heaves of the Thceynling’s body. A giant finger flicks globs of light in through the kitchen windows and across the wide boulevards of the Thceyn world, as if they all live at the bottom of a swimming pool.

At the birthing pole, the hooks come out and brace against the inside of the world. A pause. The Thceynling is moving on pure instinct through all this, and that instinct is saying that it’s safe to let go at the umbilical attachment. It obeys a little, and the world crowns.

The Thceynling convulses in a panic, one great contracting muscular ring. Its folds are bunched up around the crowning world, and the habitations right underneath are doused in artificial twilight.

Everything is new to the Thceynling, and it is terrified to push more. But it is also in pain. So with a great shudder that shakes the world, it flexes, three or four times. Its final heave extrudes the rest of the world, and they fall apart from each other. Daylight and starlight rush unobstructed into the Thceyn world.

The Thceynling ripples in space like a wreath of fine tissue paper blown out of the world, waves working through its body and tangling it a little in itself. If its hooks loosen now, it will fly away and be lost forever, as will the nutrients it took from the Thceyn world while becoming. Everyone hopes this will not happen. It is the means by which the Thceyn world becomes smaller and smaller, and will one day end. At first the surface was close to the world barrier. It was easier to poke through it to put out a zygote, which would then grow quickly from the nutrients that were readily available from the surface. But as the world lost mass and shrank down, the Thceyn people evolved flight to reach the shell. Nowadays they use aircars for convenience, and one day the aircars will be the only way, for the distance will be too great to cover with wings.

The hooks hold. Hurriedly the Thceynling squirms in through the entrance it has made for itself at the birthing pole, a fabricky mass of flexible muscle and organs. Each part that wiggles inside immediately starts coagulating, folding in on itself with instinctive neatness, matching its various organs up to nestle against each other in the correct order. This is a teaching opportunity: doctors bring out their protégées to the roofs and point out regularities and irregularities.

When it is done, it has eyes, layers of light-catching organs that filter out different frequencies and synthesize their findings into one picture. It can see the world now. It is not so sure about this. Its throat, now fully composed, lets out a bray of dismay.

The Thceynsire has swum out to the ocean under the birthing pole to receive its child. It has spread itself out into a thin, vast sheet, and is making an encouraging bioluminescent display on its welcoming fins. Come! The water is warm, and I will catch you.

The Thceynling squirms uncertainly. The surface of the world is dotted with lights and it has some vague sense of being watched. Some vague sense that any cowardice would be quite public. The briefer its hesitation the better. Besides, it does not like dangling all bunched up here like an overgrown chrysalis. The high-frequency parental lights, which demarcate the boundaries of the catching body in the water, are looking pretty good.

It spreads itself wide to blunt its acceleration, unclenches its hooks, and falls into the world.

[thelordofologies]

Fringed Leaf Frog - Cruziohyla craspedopus

@hispaatra another gorgeous frog ! It literally looks like the embodiment of the summer, yellow for the sun and cyan for the ocean.

Description

Adult males measure 53 to 66 millimetres and adult females 68 to 76 millimetres in snout–vent length. The head is slightly wider than it is long and the snout is sharply truncate in lateral view. The fingers and toes are webbed. The hind margin of the tarsus bear extensive dermal appendages forming irregular spurs. The dorsum has uniform dark green dorsal background coloration interspersed with irregular-shaped large pale blue-grey lichenose blotches. The flanks have narrow black lines. The undersides and concealed surfaces of the flanks and legs are yellow. When adhered to a surface, the yellow coloration becomes concealed which can aid in camouflage.

Colour adaptation - camouflage

Cruziohyla craspedopus displays a burgundy pigmentation at night. This ability to rapidly colour-adapt is caused by levels of the hormone, intermedin, and its effects on chromatophore structure. The dermal chromatophore unit includes xanthophores, iridophores, and melanophores, which function together to display or inhibit certain colouring.

The movement of melanosomes to melanophore fingers conceals the light-reflecting iridisphore layer, dictating a darker pigmentation at night. Whereas, the absence of melanosomes in the fingers allows for quick blanching.

Distribution and habitat

It is found in the Amazonian lowlands in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, and Bolivia.

Cruziohyla craspedopus is a high-canopy frog of primary tropical lowland rainforest at elevations of 50 to 600 metres above sea level. It only descends to lower branches for breeding, which takes place in fallen trees holding small water pools. However, tadpoles have also been found in small pools on the ground.

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Image sources:

1.

https://nl.pinterest.com/pin/3518505954284492/

2.

https://nl.pinterest.com/pin/88735055151007930/

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

Text references:

1.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruziohyla_craspedopus

2.

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/55291/85897508

3.

https://amphibiaweb.org/species/617

[last-words-ofashootingstar]

Hope you’re doing well especially with the personal matters that are going on in your life! Hope you feel better and I hope things calm down for you sooner rather than later! 🖤 happy to see you back though!

I’ve been thinking more and more about how Siren!San would be as a mate (if you don’t feel like writing this that’s totally fine! 🖤🖤🖤)

Being Siren!San's Mate

❥Siren Choi San x gn reader

➯a/n: thank you 🫶🫶 i hope my little ramblings of being siren sans mate are enjoyable !

▼・ᴥ・▼ (✯◡✯)genre: headcanons, fantasy

ಠ_ಠwarning/content: mentions of kidnapping, fantasy body transformations, fated soulmates, not proof read

⁂perm taglist: @stvrfir3 @tunaasan @marievllr-abg

Sannie canonically has blonde hair in Shells, and I don't know if I've mentioned his tail color but I think it would be a pale pink. That in mind, he's a shallow water siren as apposed to a deeper water siren, because he blends in better. (Unlike Hongjoong with red hair and fluctuating tail color, who blends in with the darker waters)

That most likely is the way he meets his mate, and not a wreck or attack. Just his mate swimming a few miles off shore and he catches a whiff and then they're gone *poof*

San, in any universe, shape, or form, is a family man so he's like an excited puppy: swims around in circles at the pool entrance of his den until his mate wakes up.

When his mate wakes up and is inevitably like YO WTF DAWG, he's calm and collected even though his heart is about to jump out of his chest. He won't crowd his mate *cough cough hongjoong* because he's deathly afraid of sending them into shock from his mark.

That being said, he's still incredibly clingy-

Angel in Shells is a lucky woman 🙏(besides the kidnapped and turned into a siren part) because let me tell you Siren!San is not letting a single hair on his mates body be hurt or even uncomfortable.

Too cold? Boom- fire. Too hot? Boom- cooling lotion. Sad? He'll sing a song! Angry? Well that's okay, you can hit his chest and cry until you tire yourself out.

That's par for the course for most sirens with their human mate I think, but San takes it seriously. He'd slap a fish if it looked at you the wrong way and yell at seaweed that spooked you on your first trip into the water. (ex. not wanting Angel to touch Joongs mate because he doesn't want her to get sick, and comforting her)

He's a lot more in tune with his emotions than you'd think, he knows it's 'okay' to be exited but he also knows that you're going through a huge shock and so he lets out his excitement by talking to you. Whether you listen or not, it really doesn't matter.

And it also doesn't matter what he's talking about- though he makes it a point to avoid talking about things that make your heart beat irregular. He sticks to tame things at first, like the tribe and how they work and his own family and his favorite spots to sunbathe just under the surface of the water (promising to take you to all of them).

He tells his mate what's to come, unlike Hongjoong who dropped his moms lore and then shut that shit down 😭

Once you start transforming, he's nearly suffocating with watching your process in pure awe.

The first time he sees his mates tail?? He's thanking the Huntress for every little moment that lead him here.

If it matches his like some mates do, whew boy prepare to be smooched to death. (Prepare to be smooched to death either way actually)

The first time you go hunting together, his cheeks are sore from all the smiling he's doing, he wants to teach you anything and everything there is- and he will in due time.

One little detail I think really fits Siren!San is that every night before bed, even when he slept on the floor in those first few weeks to give you the comfort of his nest, he'd blow on your wrist to see his signature appear- ecstatic every time knowing that you were fated for him.

The first night you do it back, both of your scales turning pink when your name mimics his, he nearly dies of pure bliss.

[beauty-and-passion]

Sorry to bother you again but I have more questions about Euclydia and Flatlands. I remember seeing a video on YouTube about perfect equilateral triangles in flatland being born from isoceles fathers. Is that how it goes?

And making it about the cipher family. I wouldn't mind the notion that equilaterals are born differently in this world, that equilateral marries equilateral and has equilateral children... but the name of bill's father always weirds me out. Why is he named Scalene. Scalene implies he's not even Isoceles (as he could plausibly be to have an equilateral son in flatlands), it implies he is an irregular, and I do not understand the implications of that. And I know that from the Vallis Cinneris image he was probably Equilateral too but this name still confuses the hell out of me.

If Alex was deliberate in his references to flatland, why do you think a creative decision like this one would have been made?

Oh don't worry, you're not bothering me at all! On the contrary, I'm happy to reply to these asks :D

And this ask is awesome, because it made me think a lot about Bill's parents, all I want to do is brainstorm here!

But let's start from the beginning: how are Equilaterals born? In Flatland there are only two ways:

From other Equilaterals (it happens for generations until an Equilateral gets a Square as a son. Only then, every son will have one more side than the father - i.e. a Square will have a Pentagon son, who will have a Hexagon son and so on).

From Isosceles. However, this is extremely rare and, when it happens, the newborn is immediately taken away from his family and given to a childless Equilateral family.

But as you cleverly pointed out, Scalene could be the name of Bill's father. A name that seems to imply a Scalene triangle, not an Isosceles, nor an Equilateral.

The boring answer would be quite simple: Alex Hirsch didn't think about it too much. Scalene is just a word related to triangles, he wanted to point out that Bill's parents are triangles and Scalene sounds less weird for a name, compared to "Isosceles". Or maybe Hirsch wanted to make a reference to this video because it was a great meme.

But we can get less boring answers. Like:

1) It's a common name

Since Euclydia is different from Flatland and less oppressive, maybe it's normal for an Equilateral Triangle to be named Scalene. It emphasizes how all Triangles are equal, and even the ones who should be considered Irregulars are universally accepted as parts of the society.

2) A Scalene can be part of society

Scalene is the name of Bill's father and he is a scalene triangle indeed. But, unlike what happens in Flatland, Bill has never been taken away from his family because Euclydia's society is more progressive compared to Flatland's. So Bill simply was an Equilateral born from a Scalene triangle and another Equilateral.

3) A hinted story of separation

Despite being more developed compared to Flatland's society, Euclydia still has some limits and one of them may be very Irregular shapes, like Scalene Triangles.

That means Scalene is a scalene triangle indeed, but he's also an Irregular and a pariah. Hence why, once the Shapes in command found out a Scalene - an Irregular - had an Equilateral son, Bill was immediately taken away from his real family and given to a childless Equilateral couple. The same faceless Equilateral shapes in the Vallis Cinneris image.

This would explain why these Triangles were faceless, show Euclydia's most oppressive aspects and, most importantly, emphasize how special Bill is and how he truly was a bridge between Regulars and Irregulars. His birth from a more differentiated genetic pool might explain why he's so particular and his enemies could've used his origins to discredit him, once he started talking about the stars.

Also, can you imagine the sweet angst of Bill finding out he was adopted and actually finding his real father and maybe blaming him for his ability to see the stars and for being ostracized by other Shapes with a more "regular/honorable" lineage? And maybe that made him even angrier at his world and more determined to show he wasn't a liar, when he talked about the stars? To prove to those bunch of Shapes oh-so-high-and-mighty that he was better than them, despite his humble origins? The possibilities for angst backstories are endless ;)

[engicrafts]

There is an undeniable presence in Bizen ware—the kind that makes you pause and trace your fingers along the rough, fire-kissed surface. This 1958 water jar by Kaneshige Tōyō, a Living National Treasure, is no exception. Every inch of its surface tells a story of earth, fire, and time, the culmination of centuries-old techniques and a master’s guiding hand.

Fired unglazed in the intense heat of the kiln, the jar’s surface is marked by nature’s own artistry. Ash melts, pooling into warm amber hues. Flames lick the clay, leaving unpredictable ashen gradients. The rich, rustic browns blend seamlessly with patches of deep ochre and soft grays, embodying the wabi-sabi beauty of imperfection.

The jar itself is sturdy yet elegant, its hand-molded form slightly asymmetrical, as if shaped by both the potter and the elements. Incised crosshatch patterns break the surface with quiet rhythm, while thick, looped handles add both functionality and sculptural balance. The subtly warped lid rests atop, its gentle irregularities reinforcing the organic quality of the piece.

Bizen ware has never been about elaborate decoration—it is about allowing the clay and fire to speak. Kaneshige understood this deeply, refining his technique to honor the raw, untamed essence of Bizen pottery. This water jar is not just a vessel; it is a dialogue between the potter and the kiln, between tradition and innovation, between control and surrender to the unpredictable nature of fire.

Would you call this jar rustic or refined? Perhaps, like all great Bizen ware, it exists somewhere beautifully in between.

[charlesandmartine]

Sunday 13th October 2024

Our apartment garden in the 'Heights' would not be advertised as large. Bijou might spring to mind, or an estate agent could describe it as 'easily maintained outdoor space'. Postage stamp just wouldn't be polite. However, it is a garden but one that is largely laid to lawn. We have never been convinced that Aussies are as obsessed about gardening as we are. Indeed somebody told us once that local authorities have an expectation that rear gardens were generally there to build another house on! The fact is that in cities such as Sydney, where land is at a premium and prohibitively expensive, most road fronting properties have a house built behind it. The houses facing the harbour and probably costing tens of millions of bucks will inevitably have one peeping over the top of it. All this leaves very little for a love of horticulture. Our little outdoor space is a division of the whole rear garden. The remaining garden exclusively for the use of the owners is almost entirely taken up by an irregular shaped swimming pool. Having said all that, springtime definitely brings out the best in whatever gardener spirit that does exist. Marigolds, pansies, geraniums, jasmine, bottlebrush, hibiscus are in full bloom; the sort of displays more common in our summers. Bird of paradise plants are prolific and exotic. We have not seen such colour here in summer/ autumn months on previous visits.

The blue skies soon arrived this morning, so after lunch we stepped off for the Spit along the coastal path. The Spit links the Northern Beaches to Mosman and then on to Sydney City Centre. The first bridge was completed and opened in 1924; there had been a steam punt operating across the Middle Harbour prior to the new bridge. However, when the Sydney Harbour Bridge opened in 1932, traffic increased to such an extent a new opening bridge was needed, and in 1958, the current bridge was completed and this is the one our bus rumbles across on route to the city.

Our walk was only approximately 10km but what with the ups and downs of the path, the absolutely gorgeous route took us about 3 hours. Fabulous lookout posts draw the gaze across the harbour to Manly in one direction and the deep blue of the Pacific the other. Beautiful highly expensive real estate have unrivalled, privileged harbour views and along the route are found protected historic aboriginal sites. When I say historic sites, call me a cynic but these are dirt scratchings of boomerangs, kangaroos and fish that certainly look the part, but I can't help thinking they might just be comparable to Trigger's new broom; I mean a little scratch here and a little scratch there from each generation and Bob's your uncle, looks the part but it's brand new. Anyway everyone goes along with it.

We passed through a little place called 40 Baskets. Its name originated when in 1885 a group of fishermen caught forty baskets of fish in the embayment off Forty Baskets Beach to feed a contingent of soldiers at Quarantine Station, who had just returned from war in Sudan. Well I guess that clears that up. Today it forms a great recreational space with access to the beach and sea.

Such a rewarding walk, and because we had been good and not had a coffee, ice-cream or beer, we allowed ourselves a little bus ride back to Balgowlah and hence to Coles for a few provisions. Unfortunately we then had the long hike back up to the 'Heights'! We might have had a beer and had done with it!

Tomorrow will be a busy day; it's Theatre Day!

ps. No sign yet of Christmas in the shops.