#its like clay pottery and tall grass. and its perfect for them.

[maverickflare]

rubrum (stand in for the player) does have a personalized keyblade its called Fountain Lacuna and its of the "these are random objects vaguely in the shape of a key" variety which is one of the best kinds of keyblade imo.

[lovely-ateez]

Ice Cream Pt. 3~

ꕥPosted: 11/6/20

ꕥGenre: Fluff

ꕥPairing: FemReader! x Seonghwa

ꕥWord Count: 2.7k

ꕥWarnings: Slight language

ꕥA/N: This is honestly one of my favorite fics I’ve written and I really hope you all like it too! Let me know if you’ve got any suggestions! Also! I changed up my pics at the top of my fics! Whatcha think?

Your POV

The warm, gentle breeze rustled my hair as I sat beneath what quickly became my favorite tree in this park. Its tall Oak branches provided plenty of shade and the grass beneath it always felt so soft to the touch. In the middle of summer, it was the perfect place to be.

Flipping another page of my book, I yawned loudly, awaking the warm body that laid beside me. Seonghwa’s sleepy eyes met mine as I gave him a sorry smile.

“I didn’t mean to wake you. You can go back to sleep if you’d like.”

He brushed a strand of hair out of my face, tucking it behind my ear, “Don’t worry, I’ve slept enough anyhow.”

It had been roughly two months since we first met. In the first month alone we went on five dates, still unable to get enough each other. It was faster than I had moved in previous relationships, and at first a part of me was afraid I would lose interest, but I hadn’t. Not even in the slightest.

Seonghwa’s eyebrows crinkled, “Whatcha reading, babe?”

I gave a slight smile. “The Outsiders. Last time I read it I was about fourteen. I remember loving it so much. I’m really glad I picked it up again.”

Seonghwa nodded. “That’s a good one.”

A comfortable silence fell between us as I attempted to resume my reading, but the dark orbs I felt on me led my attention elsewhere.

I spoke without bringing my eyes from the book. “You know I’m having an awfully difficult time reading when you look at me like that.”

A sly smile appeared on Seonghwa’s face as he moved closer, “And why might that be?”

“Because staring at someone like they’re your next meal isn’t necessary the most relaxing feeling.”

He responded with a soft chuckle and placed his head on my shoulder. My stomach fluttered and I did my best to ignore it as I stared at the pages before me, but it wasn’t working.

I’m getting too distracted. There’s no way I’ll be able to continue where I left off. Not with Seonghwa being so close to me, anyway.

Placing a bookmark inbetween the pages, I closed the book and placed it in my small backpack.

Turning to my boyfriend, an idea formed. “Have you ever made pottery before?”

Seonghwa blinked a few times, looking off into space. “No, I don’t believe I have.”

A large, toothy smile lit up my face. Grabbing his hand I pulled him off the ground and started leading him in the direction of my second favorite place in the world. The first? Wherever Seonghwa was.

Seonghwa’s POV

I grasped her soft hand harder in an attempt to keep ahold of her. She quickly skipped in what I could only assume was the direction of the closest pottery store, stringing me along.

“You walk awfully quick given your short legs little legs, you know that?”

She turned around and squinted at me, clicking her tongue, “Rude.”

I did my best to hide a smile. Her flowy jean overalls and large, pale blue shirt practically swallowed her which already made her the cutest thing I have ever seen. The feigned annoyance on her face just added another layer of cute. Not that I’d tell her outright.

Or hell, maybe I would. I’d love to see her cheeks flush again.

We approached a quaint store front that displayed the most intricate pottery in the windows, alternating with floral arrangements.

I read the store name aloud, “Soul Glaze?”

She gave a hum. “I’ve spent most all of my summers here. This place means a lot to me.”

Wiggling her fingers that were intertwined with mine, she reached for the door and opened it, revealing a group of children running about, laughing, and attempting to make pottery.

“Birthday party?” My girlfriend asked a young woman with bright red hair who appeared to be working there. She spun around, noticing us for the first time. The woman’s eyes lit up as they made eye contact.

“Oh my god! It’s so good to see you!” The woman yelled, promptly giving a bear hug to the woman I was holding hands with. She let go of my hand and hugged the redhead back.

“You look so good! How have you been?”

“I’ve been great! Actually...there’s someone I want to introduce you to.” Both women looked at me.

“This is my boyfriend, Seonghwa. Seonghwa this is Kim. She was my best friend in high school.”

“Very nice to meet you, Kim.”

She smiled in response, “You as well! I’m glad to see my bestie found someone. She certainly deserves it.”

My girlfriend flushed slightly. “So we were actually hoping we could maybe make some pottery. Do you have any space left?”

“Of course! Always for you!”

Kim lead us to a room separate from the children, thankfully. Not that I didn’t like children, but I was looking forward to spending some time alone with my girl.

“Alright I’ve got everything here that you need and I know you won’t need any help but if you need any more supplies just let me know. Have fun you two.” Kim gave a friendly wink to her best friend and left, presumably to help the children with their pottery.

My girlfriend squealed, bouncing up and down like a child. “It’s been so long since I’ve been here!”

As she walked around the room examining everything, the glint in her eye which I’ve come to love so deeply returned. But it wasn’t just that look in her eyes I loved. I loved all of her. Every smile, every laugh that she gave me made me feel like a lovesick teenager. Every flip of her hair, every sultry gaze made me forget to breathe. I loved every witty and sarcastic comment that she made towards me, how she challenged me in every way. In a good way. She made me want to be a better man for her. I needed to be a good man for her.

Wait.

I froze, afraid of my own thoughts.

I love this girl. It’s literally only been two months how can I already be in love with her? Oh god. Maybe it’s just a fleeting thought?

But as much as I tried to push down my feelings, the words kept repeating over and over in my head.

I love her.

Your POV

“You okay Seonghwa? You look a bit pale.” I could hear my voice laced with concern.

He shook his head slightly and laughed. “It’s just cute to see you so happy.”

I didn’t even have to see my face to know that it was gradually heating up and I closed my eyes as if that would prevent him from seeing it. Before Seonghwa could tease me about it I heard the loud voice of a young boy yelling my name. I turned and saw him running towards me.

“Stevie!” I smiled as he approached me and gave him a tight hug.

“How’ve you been? Gosh you’ve grown up so much since I’ve last seen you! You’ll be a grandpa in no time!”

The boy giggled, “No I’m only four! You’re the grandpa!”

“I’m the grandpa? Oh you’re gonna get it now!” I laughed as I picked him up and held him above my head.

Stevie squealed and laughed loudly as I lifted him higher. I set him down after a moment or two and he pointed at the man beside me.

“Who’s that guy?”

I let out a soft laugh. “This is my boyfriend, Seonghwa.”

Stevie looked at Seonghwa. “I won’t remember that so I’m calling you number two.”

“Why number two?” I inquired.

“Because I’m your first man!” He pouted and puffed out his chest.

Laughing, I squatted down to his height and ruffled his thick brunette hair, “You sure are, bub.”

I made eye contact with my boyfriend. “This is Stevie, Kim’s son.”

Seonghwa squatted down, holding out his hand to shake his hand. “It’s very nice to meet you, young man.”

Stevie gave a skeptical look as he shook Seonghwa’s hand and pointed at him. “Treat her good! If you don’t I’ll take your place, number two.”

My boyfriend raised a hand to his head in a salute. “Yes, sir!”

I did my best to hold my laughs but it didn’t work in the slightest.

“You two are cute.”

“But I’m cuter, right?” Stevie asked with wide eyes.

I glanced at Seonghwa and leaned down to whisper in Stevie’s ear, “Definitely.”

The young boy cheered and told us he had to go back to his friend’s birthday party. I waved goodbye as he ran out of the room.

“He’s just the cutest kid. I-”

Seonghwa swept me up and kissed me, gently resting his arms on my hips as he deepened the kiss.

“What was that for?” I asked, breathless.

“Just being you.”

I bit my lip and looked down, smiling slightly. He always said such cute things so easily and it flustered me every time.

“When Kim got pregnant with Stevie she was so nervous. We were still relatively young and she didn’t think she’d be a good mom.” I shook my head, “She was worried for nothing. She’s the best mom anyone could ask for.”

Seonghwa smiled, “You’d make a fantastic mom yourself.”

“Maybe one day.” I smiled back. I honestly never wanted kids. I was always more content with being an honorary aunt.

But I don’t think I would mind them with Seonghwa.

I set down my little backpack on a nearby chair and took some clay, placing it on the pottery wheel in front of me.

“Alright babe. Let’s get started.”

Seonghwa’s POV

My heart swelled the instant she pulled Stevie into her arms. I never knew that she was so good with children. We never really talked about it, but in that moment I could picture a life with her.

I could picture myself proposing to her, how sweaty my palms would get beforehand, how I’d likely forget half of what I wanted to say, how she’d look at me when I get on one knee, how afterwards she’d kiss me and I’d gently place the ring on her finger.

I could picture our wedding, watching my soon-to-be wife walk towards me, her favorite colored flowers in her hand, the dazzling smile on her face that makes my stomach do somersaults.

I could picture our first dance as husband and wife, tears in both of our eyes from the overwhelming happiness that we’d feel, the world seeming as though it disappeared in that moment.

I could picture how beautiful she would look pregnant, the tears in my eyes when she’d tell me, the unbelievable excitement for the next stage in our lives we would feel.

I could picture going clothes shopping for our unborn baby, my wife fawning over how cute the small clothes looked, probably buying every outfit possible.

I could picture lazy mornings in bed with our children, showering them with love and warmth, making sure they’d feel nothing but safety and comfort for all of their years.

I could picture sunny days in the park, pushing our children on the swings and listening to their joyous laughs as they’d ask us to push them higher.

I could picture growing old with her, watching our children graduate and having a life of their own, the grey in our hair that would slowly show, our kids teasing us about our age.

I could picture always protecting her and being there for her. I didn’t try to fight it anymore. I knew: she’s the one.

I was forced to push my thoughts aside as she began to teach me the basics. She was impressively good and I was embarrassingly bad, even with her instructions.

“No you’re doing great!” She told me when I voiced my thoughts.

I gave her a deadpan look and she giggled. “What? I was terrible my first time too, but you’re trying and that’s all that matters.” The kiss on the cheek she presented me with sent my heart flying, yet I tried to suppress it.

Time flew by and before I knew it our pottery had been made to our satisfaction and placed in a kiln. My girlfriend explained that it would take awhile for the pottery to be fully ready so we’d have to come back in a few days.

“Fine with me. That’s just more time I get to spend with you, doll.”

She bit her bottom lip and rolled her eyes, playfulness in her voice, “Yeah I guess so.”

After paying and bidding adieu to Kim, we left and wandered back to the park, my girlfriend slightly teasing me about my attempt at making a bowl.

“So when did Yeosang say he was gonna meet us?” She asked, wrapping her arm around mine.

“In about an hour. He’s bringing Aurora, by the way.”

I could sense her nerves, “You’ll like her, I promise. Your personalities are pretty similar so you’ll get along fine.”

“I sure hope so.”

Your POV

Aurora, Yeosang’s girlfriend, was someone I felt I’d become indebted to. Without her, I never would have met Seonghwa. This was my first time meeting her and I was nervous to say the least. I’d met Yeosang several times before so I wasn’t necessarily nervous about seeing him again. I just hoped I would get along with Aurora.

“Hey.” Seonghwa turned to look at me, “Don’t overthink it. It’ll all be okay. Even if she doesn’t like you—which she will—that’s not gonna change things between us, alright?”

I nodded. “Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me for that. You’re my girl. I’ve gotta stand by your side.”

I was quiet for a moment or two. His words meant so much to me. I wasn’t sure how to express it so I kept it simple. “That makes me happy.”

“You make me happy.”

I gave him a playful shove and giggled, “Get outta here.”

Seonghwa scoffed. “How dare you. I confess my true feelings and this is how I’m treated? Heartless.”

I moved in front of him, forcing him to stop walking. I looked deep into his eyes and I could feel the heat return to my cheeks at his gaze alone.

“Then let me confess mine.” Standing on my tippy-toes, I cupped his face and whispered into his ear, “I’m falling for you.”

I didn’t get a chance to see his reaction as I poked him in the cheek and began to run away from him, “Tag! You’re it!”

The wind once again flew through my hair, although this time it was more chilly, making me wish I had brought a jacket. The sun had begun to set and the cotton candy clouds meshed with the pinkish-yellow sunset. I slowed down unintentionally to take in its beauty, and that’s when I felt a pair of arms wrap around me and drag me to the ground.

I yelped and Seonghwa nuzzled my neck, pressing kisses to my most sensitive spots. “That’s what you get for challenging me.”

Although I wish I could say I had a clever comeback, I didn’t. I was too in awe of how truly handsome he was. I ran my fingers through his dark locks and played with the hair at the nape of his neck as he looked a me. His smile slowly faded as he broke eye contact.

I gave him a questioning look. “What’s wrong babe?”

Seonghwa opened and closed his mouth a few times as though he was trying to find the words to say or maybe work up the confidence to say something. Perhaps both.

His voice came out in a whisper, “Did you mean it?”

I tilted his head so that I could reach his lips. I kissed him lightly and smiled against the kiss. I pulled back and made sure he looked me in the eyes.

“Every word.”

He kissed me with more fervor than he ever had before. His hands wondered to my own, pinning them down.

“I. Am. So. Far. Beyond. Falling.” Seonghwa said between heated kisses.

The cold of the wind was long forgotten as the warmth inside me started to spread. I didn’t have the words to communicate how I was feeling so I resorted to kissing him back with even more passion. Until something occurred to me.

“Wait. We’re supposed to meet Yeosang soon.”

Seonghwa hurriedly checked his watch. “Shit, we gotta go.” Standing up and helping me off the ground, we both began to run to our usual meeting spot with Yeosang.

“It’ll be okay if we’re late, right?”

“Oh yeah totally, it’s fine.” He smiled. “We should probably run a bit faster though.”

[outdoors-living]

Gardening for small spaces

Are you an enthusiast about gardening?

So we are.

We are excited to present this new blog post about how to create your outdoor cute garden in a small backyard.

As a gardening enthusiast, I read blogs very often, but I find all those are to describe big gardens. So I life in a tiny house and my yard is so small…only one of those a pergolas would take all the place.

Years ago I was learning bout window farming, this concept of growing veggies indoor…I love. Ever since I grow my Italian herbs at home.

 I’m kind of inspired by home and garden décor, I tend to choose minimalistic products for my self and I curate them for others. I enjoy simple living and the décor accents that I choose are durable, well constructed and enhance calm and Zen.

At the end, indoors or outdoors, the target is to create this intimate sense of home.

Read more about this topic on my last blog post here  

Keeping my blog updated is something I do constantly. I'm inspired by creating an ambiance of beauty, warmth and welcoming atmosphere to welcome my loved ones and to make them feel comfortable in my home

To discover the full line up of blog posts, please follow this link https://solytierra.shop/blogs/news

 I put together 10 easy gardening tips for small spaces, so you can set-up your dream outdoor living space, even if it’s tiny. This is great for you living in a urban apartment or tiny house, or even those having (as me) a small house entrance.

  As said, finding good gardening ideas for small spaces is not easy. Pinterest, Instagram and others show impressive gardens, but what about the real homes or apartments?

  In this post you will discover how easy is to gardening for small spaces and it’s like a therapy. I like to take things positively, so every time I sit down on my garden I think to myself…well…at least I don’t have to do the lawn (since is so tiny)

  So let’s dive into it and let’s answer the question: how to build a garden in a small space?

  We may all have dreams of big, never ending gardens, but the reality is that most of us simply don’t have the space.

There’s nothing wrong with that– with a little creativity even the smallest of spaces can give you plenty of joy of gardening, flowers, or even a relaxing outdoor green room all your own. Keep reading to learn more about plants for small spaces and how to make a garden with little space.

Here are my 10 tips to create your very own garden area

  1 Using containers

  Creating a Small Garden Space with containers to create this sense of space without clutter. Less is more in small living areas.

On the image above, you can view an sphere solar powered fountain behind the nice lavenders.

You can get the look in this Pinterest post

If your space is too small for a wooden raised bed, you can also make gardens in small spaces using containers.

Containers are rectangular concrete planters, also known as box planters.

These are great to create this sense of botanical garden , where everything has its place and all is so coherent that it seems all had been there for years.

You can choose a nice container garden to suit whatever space you have available. I curated this set-of-3 multi size containers for you

Plant things that have interesting foliage and bark and a long flowering period, so they beautify the space year-round. Plant a single large item, like a flowering bush or dwarf tree, to create a sense of varying levels and different views from different angles.

I selected these nice containers here on Amazon

    2 incorporating the element water, solar water fountains fo complete the look

  I curated these self powered water fountains, so you don’t need electricity wires, just to set-up the small solar panel and start enjoying the nice sound of the water stream.

Discover these solar powered water fountains

  3 Using all the space to extend the outdoors living area

  What about using all the space, even if it’s a tiny patio?

Do you find that you only really use one particular section of your garden? If so, dividing your space up into specific zones is a great way to maximise every inch.

As a basic layout, you can divide your garden area in three distinct areas for sunbathing, playing on the grass, and in order to create these sections, you can use box planters. They are easy to set-up and a great décor addition to your outdoor living area as well.

What about creating a mini path between those sections? This would be great to entertain your visits and to give your place a feeling of order and sense.

  These set-of 3 concrete planters are great to ensure that even the very bottom of the garden is used.

  4 Incorporating flooring for outdoors living room

  Flooring is a really effective way to zone a garden space – see how the paving, grass and decking are used here. But if you can't change your flooring, look to screens, outdoor rugs or living walls, to create distinct 'rooms' within your garden. 

  Small garden ideas can be quite subtle. Take this one, using zoning, a trick usually reserved for breaking up large indoor rooms into different areas – say, one for relaxing, and one for dining. The key to garden zoning is using different textures, colours or materials to differentiate between the areas. Flooring, for example, is perfect for doing this, and will create a larger-feeling, more interesting outdoor living space.

  5 STACK GARDEN POTS IN MULTIPLE HEIGHTS TO ADD DIMENSION

  Container gardening is one of the best small garden ideas, especially if your garden has a patio or decking. The trick is to go for as many different types and heights of garden as possible: this will help add dimension and texture to the space. For instance, mix and match large terra-cotta pots with tall and slender glazed pots. And if you have a really small space, stack them up like this or wall-hang them to pack more in.

  6 INCLUDE AN OUTDOOR FIREPLACE OR PIT FOR COOL NIGHTS

Outdoor fireplaces are actually even better suited to smaller gardens than larger ones, for the simple reason you will really feel the cosiness in a smaller space.

If your house won't permit the addition of a fireplace structurally, consider getting a clay chiminea or look at fire pit ideas instead.

  7 CREATE A SMALL BUT LUXURIOUS OUTDOOR RELAXATION AREA

Even the tiniest garden can become a luxurious, relaxing sanctuary. You will have to decide what's most important to you – a fully planted up outdoor space, a nook for reading, perhaps even a tiny pond... However small your garden is, once you've decided what you want your space to be like, there's no reason you can't achieve it, with the help of a skillful garden designer or landscape architect. 

  8 LESS IS MORE IN A SMALL GARDEN

'In a small space, a few large features are better than many small ones. Two or three big pots will have much more impact and look far more stylish than a dozen ill-assorted smaller ones. One tree, if you can fit it in, is better than three shrubs of a middling size,' says gardening expert and TV personality Alan Titchmarsh.

  9 Growing your food

how to grow a vegetable garden in a small space?

You can also think of growing Italian herbs for your foodies’ creations. Are you a hero of homemade pizza? Growing oregano is so easy as throwing seeds on a box container and water it often. Put this under morning sunlight and voila! Fresh herbs right away on your doorstep

    10 GO MONOCHROME TO ENHANCE A SMALL GARDEN

And by monochrome we don't mean black or white; washing your entire small garden in a deep, vibrant colour will create a jewel-box effect that's very attractive, and it'll distract from the small size of your garden. 

In the case you’d like to have pottery, add other elements in terracotta tones, maybe other plant pots or play with fabrics.

    Bonus: ADDING TEXTURES

  Adding some outdoor potteries can create a huge impact recreating this sense of eternal décor. Even you can extend this feeling by using clay dinnerware sets, as these ones on Etsy

  Is gardening a therapy for you? Read my last post about this topic here

https://solytierra.shop/blogs/news/creating-your-dream-garden-as-a-therapy

  Would you like how to bring Feng Shui to your garden area? Find it here https://solytierra.shop/blogs/news/5-tips-bring-feng-shui-to-your-outdoor-space-this-summer

  Are you a Pinterest aficionado? Discover these beautiful pins here

https://www.pinterest.ca/Pottery_sol_y_tierra

Thanks for reading, don't hesitate to contact me for suggestions, comments or ideas

Bernat

[satyr-syd]

Title: roots that twine together Chapter: 3/7 silverthorn and gold Author/Authors: @satyr-syd Day/Prompt: 3/Model/Photographer ~ Wings/Fly (@bokuakaweek​) Rating: G Warnings: None Side Pairings: None Summary: Akaashi Keiji knows the natural world better than anyone in his village. That is, until Bokuto Koutarou, a boy with mysterious powers over plants, makes him question everything he thought he knew.

Akaashi and Bokuto help out a feathered friend.

Read on AO3

Akaashi believes the rice paddies are most beautiful in the morning. The sun reflects off the flooded field, turning murky water gold. Straight green stalks in perfect lines peek out from the water, stretching as far as the eye can see, the pattern broken only by the occasional water duct. In the distance, hills and then mountains sprawl along the horizon, blurred by morning mist and glare from the sun. The never-ending drone of cicadas complements the never-ending rows of the field. The rice stalks sway in the wind, creating tiny rings of water that grow bigger as they float further out. The rice they harvest from here is their main source of food. The paddies require a fair amount of work to tend to, but it leaves them with enough time to do other jobs. But now that harvest season is upon them, the villagers devote most of their attention to the crops.

Akaashi and Bokuto walk around the perimeter of the paddy. After a year’s worth of training, Yamiji trusts him to walk around the field to ensure the stalks grow healthily.

“Hey ‘Kaashi. I bet I could run across the whole field and back before you count to thirty.”

Akaashi doesn’t trust Yamiji’s judgement. “Please do not, Bokuto-san.”

Bokuto smiles at him, and flicks his arm. “I told you, you can drop the -san.”

Akaashi flicks him back. “You are my senior. And Yamiji-sensei’s apprentice. You deserve my respect.”

“Yeah, but we’re friends.” Akaashi’s heart skips a beat when Bokuto calls them friends. He knows they are, but this is the first time Bokuto has said it aloud. It's kind of...nice. “We should have cool nicknames for each other! Maybe I should call you Akaashi-chan. Aka-chan. How does that sound, Aka-chan?”

“If you call me that one more time, I will never talk to you again.”

Bokuto giggles. “Okay, Akaashi-kun.”

“Don’t call me that either.”

Bokuto hums. “How about Keiji, then?”

The name emerged from Bokuto’s lips like a gift wrapped neatly in fine rice paper, small and whole, and handled with grace befitting of royalty. He held the name out to him with hands made of sincerity and warmth. The offering sparks explosions in his stomach that set his cheeks aflame.

He hasn’t heard anyone say his first name like that in years. Since the last time he heard his mother’s voice.

He looks away to hide his blush. “Just Akaashi,” he says firmly. He doesn’t understand why he feels as deeply as he does about a simple name. But he doesn’t think any mere ‘friend’ could have that effect on him.

“Well, Just Akaashi, that’s too boring! We need - ” Bokuto stops, his expression suddenly serious. He looks into the woods, opposite the paddy. “What was that?”

Akaashi frowns. He stops walking and listens, trying to figure out what Bokuto had heard.

This time he hears it. A rustling in the bushes. They both turn towards the noise. It sounds again, and this time they see a silverthorn bush a few meters away move.

Bokuto dashes around to the other side of the bush. Akaashi hurries to catch up to him, but Bokuto’s already calling out, “Akaashi! Akaashi we need to help it!”

There, tangled in the bush, is an egret. Strong white wings, splayed wide, shudder against the viney restraints. Thin black legs kick dirt up from the ground. A long, thin, yellow beak opens and closes in agony. Eyes, opened wide, spell out fear.

“It’s okay, ‘kaashi, I got this,” Bokuto says. He pushes up his sleeves, rubs his hands together, and points them at the plant.

The bush grows and grows and grows, messy and wild. The silverthorn reaches out and grabs the bird even tighter, its branches like fingers strangling its neck, leaves like nails digging into its feathers.

“Stop, Bokuto-san - you’re making it worse - ”

The egret cries out, and Bokuto lowers his hands.

“Oh no. Oh no oh no…”

“I’ll try untangling it. You stay there.”

Bokuto reaches out, opening his mouth in protest. But Akaashi gives him a look, and his hand drops. He falls back on his heels in submission. “...okay.”

Akaashi tries a hand at freeing the egret. Working around the bird is difficult: it’s nearly a meter tall, with strong wings that beat against the bush and a sharp beak swinging in panic. Not to mention the annoying leaves of the silverthorn - edged with spiky ridges - poke his hands and cling to the bird’s feathers. He swears their points grew sharper than natural when Bokuto messed with them. The task is made even more difficult by the sheer density of leaves and branches encapsulating both him and the bird.

“I only make things worse,” Bokuto moans.

Akaashi bites his tongue to keep from saying, Yes, you have. “That’s not true,” he recites, tugging another leaf free from the bird’s wing. He reaches up, scratching his hand as he avoids the egret’s beak, and grabs a branch chaining the egret’s neck.

“Yes it is. You don’t have to lie to me, Akaashi. I know that the villagers think I’m stupid, that I’m a waste of space. They’re right. I can’t do anything.”

As Akaashi opens his mouth to reassure him, the branch he’s holding snaps between his fingers. He looks down. The branches are shrinking, growing thin, turning a chalky brown. The leaves dry up until they're paper thin, suffocating and drooping. The tiny fruits shrivel up. The plant is slowly, steadily, wilting.

Akaashi knew Bokuto’s moods influenced the state of the nature around him. When Bokuto was happy, the plants around him would shoot towards the sky. When he was nervous, they would fall against the ground. When he was angry, they would twist and multiply and grow wild. But he had never seen it act like this before, completely shrivel up and wilt.

Seeing this plant die before his eyes is absolutely terrifying. It’s unnatural. Or rather, it’s the most natural thing of all.

But the dead plant is much easier to maneuver than the live, healthy one. Akaashi tells himself not to panic, and pushes down the once-stubborn branches with shaking hands. He rips out a root wrapped around the egret’s leg and the bird is finally free. It leaps out of the bush, fluffing its feathers.

“Look, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi urges.

“I don’t want to look at my failure.”

“You didn’t fail. Look.”

Bokuto looks up just as the egret squawks in gratitude. Not wasting a moment, it spreads its wings and takes to the skies.

Bokuto rubs his eyes clear and looks again. They watch the egret as it flies away, a white dot in the bright blue sky, shrinking smaller and smaller until it finally disappears.

Bokuto continues staring up in disbelief. Yet his pupils reflect the hopefulness of the cloudless sky. “How did…”

Akaashi tugs his sleeve and points to the bush. It’s shrunken into a mere, browned skeleton, a corpse in contrast with the greenery surrounding it. “The branches weakened enough for me to pull it free,” he explains.

“Oh…I guess that means I did it,” Bokuto says. He turns to Akaashi and smiles. “I saved him! Hey hey hey, I’m pretty awesome, aren’t I?”

Though Akaashi is in awe of Bokuto’s power, he’s not sure if it’s from admiration or fear. “You did kill that poor silverthorn.”

“Agaashi! I saved the bird, that’s what’s important, right?”

“You shouldn’t have to sacrifice the plant to do it,” Akaashi says. Bokuto’s head dips, his excitement waning. Sparing his friend a little mercy, he adds, “But your magic was focused on that single plant, which is impressive.”

“It was, wasn’t it?” Bokuto says, a smile coming back on his lips. “I’m going to do even better next time, just wait!”

“The next time we happen to run into a trapped animal?”

“Akaashi! You know what I mean!”

As they head back to the rice paddy, Akaashi glances back behind him at the dead silverthorn.

But it doesn’t look dead anymore. To his surprise, the silverthorn’s leaves already look green again. Green turned to brown turned green once again.

It's absolutely terrifying.

Bokuto doesn’t talk for a long time after they free the egret.

Akaashi isn’t use to long stretches of silence around Bokuto. It was nice, but it was unusual. “Are you alright, Bokuto-san?” he asks tentatively.

“Yeah,” he says with a weak smile. “Well, kinda. I’m glad we saved the bird, it’s just…” The grin on his face wavers like a leafless branch in the wind until it breaks off completely.

“It’s not a one way thing, you know!” Bokuto blurts. “Since my moods influence how much the plants around me grow, when I get bad…you saw.”

They die. Just thinking about it sends Akaashi’s blood cold. Akaashi has never feared Bokuto’s power before, but realizing the destruction he’s capable of makes him a little more wary of his friend.

Bokuto drops to the ground, flinging himself onto his back on a patch of long grass at the edge of the flooded field. His hands clench into fists and he buries them against his eyes, crying out in frustration. “I still can’t control it - it’s so frustrating! It’s like - it’s like your pottery wheel. When I try to make plants grow, it’s like I’m trying to shape the clay, and that’s already really hard and stuff, because sometimes the clay has, like, a mind of its own and it’ll do things you don’t want to, but it’s even worse ‘cause I don’t even have control of the wheel! Sometime’s it’s going way too fast and I can’t even contain the plants - clay - you know what I mean - and sometimes it spins too slow and it comes out awkward and deformed, and sometimes I can’t even control it at all.”

Akaashi imagines Bokuto at the pottery wheel, vines growing around the base and clutching onto the edge of the circle, wrapping around his ankles and his legs, petals growing out his throat. It’s much harder to be afraid when he can see the burden weighing Bokuto down.

Akaashi sits down next to him. He scoots closer next to Bokuto, until his shin touches Bokuto’s thigh. The touch, the warmth emanating from Bokuto’s skin, reminds him that Bokuto is just like him. He’s been blessed with a power of the gods, but he still messes up, he still struggles, because he’s human.

In a way, it’s comforting. Akaashi always imagined Bokuto’s power as perfect, as infallible. As something completely beyond Akaashi’s reach, something to be jealous of. But now, Akaashi realizes this power comes with a responsibility not unlike Akaashi’s own. It’s not all-powerful, and it’s not something to fear - it’s simply something that is.

“It’s just. I don’t even know how I’m going to learn it all.” Bokuto drops his hands to his slide, unclenching his fists so his palms face towards the sky.

“Do you know how long it took me to learn everything I know about pottery?” Akaashi asks him.

Bokuto shakes his head.

“Seven years. I’ve been doing it for seven years,” he tells him.

“Woah. That’s...a long time.”

Akaashi smiles. “Yes, it is. But when I first started, I was just like you described. I messed up pot after pot. The sides were uneven. The base was too thick, or too thin. Sometimes I reused a lump of clay so much it dried out and was useless. But I practiced, and practiced, and I got better. It just takes time, and effort. You’ll get there.”

The moment he’s finished speaking, he’s engulfed in Bokuto’s tight hug. Bokuto squeezes his shoulders, chin tucked over his shoulder, and Akaashi, once the shock has worn off, squeezes him back.

“Thanks, Akaashi. You always know just what to say.” Bokuto lets out a breath, and lets go. When he pulls back, he’s smiling at Akaashi, looking at him with those golden eyes. Looking in the way that the sun looks down at the fields of crops, the way the stars look down on sleeping people on the ground - past his exterior, straight to his soul, to his very core. His breath catches in his throat. He wants to look away, but he can’t, his gaze and his heart caught in a golden prison that reminds him of home.

Finally, Bokuto blinks, and Akaashi’s free. He's not sure if he's happy or sad or something else entirely.

He looks away, while Bokuto says, “Man...I wish I could stay here forever.”

Bokuto’s told him before, how after his training, Yamiji suggested he wander between villages, helping the people with his abilities. How after this was all over, once he mastered his own pottery wheel, he was destined to life as a charitable wanderer. Bokuto had sounded excited about it before. “At least you get to spread your wings,” Akaashi says.

Bokuto shrugs. “Yeah, but it’ll be lonely. I like having a place to stay. I like living here.”

Akaashi grits his teeth. “That’s good.”

Bokuto furrows his eyebrows. “Do you...not?”

Akaashi isn’t exactly an open book, so he’s surprised Bokuto could read him so well. “I do. But sometimes, I wish I could escape it all.”

“Well, why do you have to stay?”

He thinks of dead plants, dry throats, mirages on the horizon as a poor replacement for water in the river. Of the dead bush Bokuto left in his wake. Of his mother, and his promise.

I can never let that summer happen again.

“I have a duty to my father and the village. I have a place here,” Akaashi explains. “They need me.”

“Oh...”

The sit in silence for another moment.

“Let’s head home, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi says. “You’ve done enough good work today.” He stands up, and offers Bokuto his hand.

“Okay!” With a wide, toothy smile, Bokuto takes it, and they start heading home.

“And I told you, you don’t have to add the -san!”

“I won’t. Bokuto-san.”

“Akaasheeee!”

[worldfootprints]

“Watch out for snakes,” my husband advises me as we make our way down the overgrown path through the wilderness of a Northern Arizona mesa. “I know, I know,” I reply, knowing that he’d be more comfortable out in front, watching for rattlers, but too excited to let him lead. I’ve driven past the sign for Agua Fria National Monument at least a hundred times in my life during trips to mountainous Flagstaff, Arizona from the desert landscape of Phoenix. Now that I’ve finally taken the time to stop and explore the area, I find that Agua Fria is a middle ground between these two places—not unbearably hot in the summer, like Phoenix, but not likely to receive snowfall, like Flagstaff. It is, I decide, the perfect place for a pre-air conditioning culture to live.

Agua Fria National Monument protects nearly 500 ancient Native American homes within four distinct settlements. Between about 1250 and 1450, the high desert landscape was divided by dozens of well-worn footpaths leading to neatly-built stone homes with tiny entrances that reflected the small stature of the Pueblo who lived here. Later, the Pueblo people abandoned them, leaving behind jars, pots, utensils, and household tools. Today, items like these are precious, studied by experts, treasured by local tribes, or housed behind glass in museums to inspire gawking middle schoolers on field trips. Sadly, however, most of these clues to ancient history have been lost due to natural factors as well as centuries of looting.

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A Ruin with a View

“Is that it?” My husband points up the path at a pile of rocks that stands out against the undulating yellowed grass. I squint, trying to force my nearsighted eyes to focus. “I think so! Come on!” We’ve been hiking through the monument for some time, but we both find a new burst of energy now that we’ve discovered the treasure at the end of the trail. Happily, we climb out of the long grass onto the mound of large rocks, which suggests walls and rooms. “Wow. Can you imagine having this view?” I breathe. We look out over the high desert’s muted rainbow of colors: yellow grass, green and orange scrub, purple shadows, the deep vermillion of the canyon walls, and the bright blue of the Southwestern sky. A rabbit flashes through our view for a split second before disappearing again into the virgin undergrowth. Between the stones of the crumbled pueblo, we can see shards of pottery. I bend down and gather a few of the broken pieces in my hands. Together, we admire the variety and craftsmanship of the designs, faded black patterns barely visible against the Sedona-red clay. A few shards of white pottery created far away, whisper lost tales of friendship and trade.

Whenever I find these shattered pieces of art, I am tempted to take them home. Just one, or maybe two. Would anybody miss them? However, I can always hear my dad’s voice in the back of my head. “If you took one, and everybody who came here took one, do you think there would be any left?” My childhood excursions to ancient sites came with strict rules about stealing these vestiges of the past. We always left pottery and arrowheads where we found them, hoping that future visitors would be just as respectful. These memories rush back to me in the present, and I carefully replace the pottery shards, setting them gently on the prehistoric stones for the next visitor to enjoy.

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Leaving Artifacts is the Law

Leaving ancient Native American artifacts alone isn’t just good form. It’s also the law. Anything located on public land belongs to that monument or preserve. Defacing or removing artifacts can land you a year in prison and a $10,000 fine—and if you cause any damage, that goes up to five years in prison and up to $100,000 in restoration costs. Arizona’s State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) has specific guidelines to help the public, private organizations, and archeological experts preserve these sites. Sometimes, this means burying the site in place to protect it while using the land above it for modern purposes. Other times, it means excavating the site and studying items of historical value. Any Native American tribes with a connection to the ruins are consulted and have decisive power over what happens to objects removed from the site.

While SHPO and its associates work hard to respect and preserve the past, the same cannot always be said of individuals. Despite the ready availability of authentic Native crafts created by modern tribal members, unscrupulous art aficionados still turn to thievery. It only takes one looter to steal centuries of history and destroy the potential to unlock ancient mysteries. Although the most accessible pueblos are carefully curated by the state and the National Parks Service, many unsecured sites have been drained of artifacts.

Wupatki photo by Breana Johnson

Finding Secret Desert Sites

Fortunately for serious history lovers, the best-hidden ruins still hold their ancient treasures. To discourage thieves, there’s an unwritten code that keeps hikers from spilling the location of petroglyphs and pueblos, so you won’t find a map online. If you’d like to see some of the better-preserved remote sites, your best chance is striking off into the desert yourself with whatever clues you can convince locals to whisper.

We step back on the path and pause for a moment, breathing in the fresh air and feeling thankful to be out of the smog of the city. A lizard skitters across a stone in the jumble of volcanic rocks. It hides beneath one of the larger shards of pottery. How many generations of lizards have made this place their home since the human inhabitants left? I look out over the dusty landscape, searching the dry grass for dark spots and the canyon walls for shadows of windows and doorways. I know there are hundreds of pueblos out there, but my untrained eye can’t spot them. I smile at my husband and we strike off again into the tall grass, hoping to find more traces of a long-lost world.

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Source:

Arizona State Parks

    Protecting Pottery and the Past “Watch out for snakes,” my husband advises me as we make our way down the overgrown path through the wilderness of a Northern Arizona mesa.