#one hell of a queue

[blackbutler-readerinsertsandjunk]

*sad Victorian child voice* Please, I need some more Prince Soma x reader, with Soma rescuing reader from her abusive home life. When I first was in high school and gushing over the prince, I always imagined a passionate love affair that at first is limited to letters (perhaps they met through Cole who is a mutual friend that introduced them to cheer up reader) And then eventually this beautiful man shows up on a white horse (elephant? It’s Soma after all, he’d save you in the loudest most obnoxious way possible) to save the day.

well reach into my chest and rip out my heart why don'tcha

I love this so much tho he's such a good boy!!! <3

You feel bad about it, but you’ve sometimes thought that you should burn all the letters that SOMA has sent you.

It would be better than your family finding them, wouldn’t it? Your parents have always tried to crush any good thing you’ve had. If they found these messages from a man you’ve fallen in love with, if they read the contents of these letters, they would put a stop to it immediately. That’s the only reason you’ve considered burning the letters after reading them.

You can’t bring yourself to do it, though. Every word that Soma has ever written you is like a ray of sunlight shining into your life. That very first one he ever sent you started with, Dearest (Name), We do not know each other yet, but I’m hoping to change that. My name is Prince Soma Asman Kadar, and my close friend Maurice Cole asked if I would write you because he knows you’re lonely and your family does not treat you nicely. So, I am writing you in the hopes that I can be your friend! Hello! It’s very nice to meet you!

God, if only you’d known what would follow. In the beginning, Soma became a good friend of yours… one of the few you have. You can remember writing Maurice and thanking him, mentioning that if Soma didn’t want to continue talking to you, he was free to tell Soma to stop sending letters.

However, the prince’s enthusiasm for speaking with you became clearer and clearer with every letter he sent. He uses too many exclamation points, perhaps because he’s always excited about everything. About talking to you, in particular, it seems. Soon enough these friendly correspondences slowly transitioned into ardent love letters.

People would be shocked to see the things you and Soma write to each other. He has no sense of shame; you think that’s one of the things you love about him. He wants to kiss you, all over your body, and he says so plainly as many times as he can, and he doesn’t care who knows it.

No matter how isolated and worthless you feel at home, trapped here despite being an adult who should be out on her own by now, you can always count on Soma to tell you how much he loves you. You haven’t burned those letters because Soma’s love has brought you back to life, and rereading them when you feel alone and unlovable has pulled you back from the edge of despair so many times.

When the latest one arrives, however, you’re not sure what to think except that your mind is trying to panic. This letter is uncharacteristically short for Soma, and there isn’t a single exclamation point to be seen.

Dearest (Name), Princess of My Heart,

Your pain is almost over.

We are going to be together soon, I promise.

And when I come to you, “happily ever after” will be yours at last.

Wait for me, priya.

Love Forever,

Soma

Weeks pass after that letter, without another one. It’s not unusual to go for a week or sometimes two without any messages from Soma, so you try to tell your heart to settle down.

This time just feels different. That last letter you got from him carried some air of finality, and although he’s said similar things that the two of you will be together soon, the way he wrote this one sounds like a sacred vow.

Like he really is on his way, after all this time.

You’re rereading it for what feels like the millionth time, up in your room, when suddenly, you hear something outside which sounds like… the trumpet of an elephant?

Your heartbeat freezes as you remember Soma mentioning that he owns elephants. There was at least one letter he sent you wherein that he made you a solemn promise that he’d take you riding on one someday after he came to rescue you.

Sometimes you think all that talk was just that ― prattle of things that would never actually happen, even if they were nice to think about.

Then you hear the door open downstairs, and someone is calling for you. “(Name)! Excuse me, ma’am, I’m here to see (Name) (Surname)! Yes, I am Prince Soma Asman Kadar! She knows me very well. (Name)! Priya, I’m here! I’m finally here!”

You’ve never gone down the stairs as fast as you do upon hearing all of this. So that’s what Soma’s voice sounds like…? That beautiful accent of his, that bubbly tone, the way you can hear him smiling even though you can’t see him yet. There’s no mistake.

That’s him. That’s your prince, trying to fight his way past the maids.

You’re down into the foyer before any of the staff can summon your parents. “Soma!”

You race toward him, this gorgeous man you’ve never seen before but who your heart would know even if you were blind. His hair is violet, his eyes are gold, and his smile is just as incredible as you’ve dreamed about.

“Soma!” You’re crying as you run into his arms. He catches you like he’s been waiting his whole life to hold you, and you can feel him kissing your head while you bury your face in his neck. You may be holding him too tightly. You don’t care. “Is it really you…?”

His laugh vibrates through your entire being. However tightly you’re holding him, he must be holding you twice as tightly. His arms feel so secure, some safe place you’ve never known until him. You’ve dreamed about this moment a thousand times.

“It’s me, priya. I’m finally here!” As soon as you move your face from his neck, he leans down to kiss you. Your whole body responds, arching into him. You swear your soul is a flower turning toward the light of his. He kisses you ferociously, yearningly, and his hands press in against your back. When you draw apart, his eyes sparkle at you. “I’m sorry we had to wait so long. But guess what? I’ve come to take you away.”

Your heart almost stops again. He can’t mean…? “Take… take me away?” Is this happening? Are you actually going to leave this horrible place and start a life with Soma like the two of you have talked about?

He nods eagerly. “Yes! I have a ring for you at the townhouse, but… there are lots of things to plan. You’re going to come be with me, though, from now on. You won’t stay here with people who don’t treat you like a princess. Are you ready to ride on an elephant?” he grins. As if it’s the most normal question in the world.

You don’t even know what to say. All you can do is let your tears fall down your face as you return his nod, and he reaches up to cup your face in his hands.

The way he looks at you is a way you never knew anyone could look at you. It becomes apparent to you that as much as you’ve been searching for your prince, he’s been searching for his princess. The two of you have been waiting for each other, and you can finally be together.

“I’m going to take you away from here,” he murmurs, before kissing you again. “We’re going to get married, priya. We’re going to find a big, beautiful house of our own, and we’re going to have babies, and you’ll never have to worry about anything ever again. I’m going to take care of you, and I’m going to tell you every day how much I love you.”

It sounds perfect. Too perfect. This isn’t another dream, is it?

You break your gaze from him, only to look over at the shocked maids. “… Tell my parents that I’ve run off with a prince, and I am never speaking to them again.”

To their credit, the maids exchange one glance with each other before nodding. “Good luck, Lady (Name).”

Soma sweeps you up into his arms, and right out the door.

Part of you feels a little bad that you’re leaving the letters he wrote you behind.

But you don’t need them anymore.

You’ve got him now, and you have no doubts that he’ll make you feel just as loved as you felt reading his letters.

‘Happily ever after’ was never an ending, you think. It’s the beginning of the rest of your life.

[bowieslut]

David Bowie subway art, Spotify NYC Subway Takeover 2018

[anipgarden]

Things to Do that Aren't Related to Growing Plants

This is my second post in a series I’ll be making on how to increase biodiversity on a budget! I’m not an expert--just an enthusiast--but I hope something you find here helps! 

Some of us just don’t have much luck when it comes to growing plants. Some of us simply want to aim for other ways to help that don’t involve putting on gardening gloves. Maybe you've already got a garden, but you want to do more. No problem! There’s a couple of options you can look into that’ll help attract wildlife in your area without even having to bring out any shovels!

Provide a Water Source

Oftentimes when I see ‘add a water source’ in informational articles about improving your backyard for wildlife, it’s almost always followed by an image of a gorgeous backyard pond with a waterfall and rock lining that looks expensive to set up, difficult to maintain, and overall just… not feasible for me. Arguably, not feasible for a lot of people. And that’s okay! There’s still ways to add water in your garden for all kinds of creatures to enjoy!

There’s tons of ways to create watering stations for insects like bees and butterflies. A self refilling dog bowl can work wonders! Add some stones into the receiving tray for insects to land on or use to climb out, and you’ve got a wonderful drinking spot for all kinds of insects! You can also fill a saucer or other dish with small stones and fill it, though it’ll likely need refilling daily or even several times a day during hot times. 

I've seen people online use all kinds of things to make water features. Some go with terra-cotta pots, pebbles, and a cheap pump to get a small and simple fountain. Others use old tires, clay, and a hole in the ground to create an in-ground mini pond system. If all else fails, even a bucket or watertight box with a few plants in it can do the trick--though do be wary of mosquitoes if the water isn’t moving. In situations like these, a solar-powered fountain pump or bubbler are great for keeping the water moving while still making it a drinking option for wildlife (it not even more appealing for some)--and these items can be obtained fairly cheap online!

Bird baths are an option as well--a classic way to provide for birds in your area, they can be easy to find online or in a gardening store! The only downside is that a good, quality bird bath can be pricey up-front. However, a nice stone bird bath should last a long time, be easy to clean and refill, and be enjoyed by many birds! I’ve also seen tutorials on how to make your own with quickcrete! Bird baths will be a welcome sight to birds, as they provide a space for them to drink and bathe to regulate the oils in their feathers for flight and insulation. Putting a stone in the middle will also help insects to escape if they fall in, and provide a place to perch so they can get their own drink. You’ll want to change the water and clean the baths regularly--as often as once a week, if you can manage it.

If possible, it’s highly encouraged to fill and refill water features with rainwater instead of tap water. Tap water is often treated, so instead of using hoses or indoor kitchen water, collecting some rainwater is a great alternative. Collecting rainwater can be as simple as leaving cups, bins, or pots outside for awhile.

Butterflies and other creatures will also drink from mud puddles. If you can maintain an area of damp soil mixed with a small amount of salt or wood ash, this can be fantastic for them! Some plants also excel at storing water within their leaves and flowers (bromeliads come to mind), making them an excellent habitat for amphibians as well as a drinking spot for insects and birds.

Bird Feeders and Bird Houses

Some of the fancy, decorated bird feeders are expensive, but others can be pretty low-cost--I got my bird feeder from Lowe’s for around 10 dollars, and a big bag of birdseed was around another 10 dollars and has lasted several refills! If you don’t mind occasionally buying more birdseed, a single birdfeeder can do a lot to attract and support local birds! If you’re handy, have some spare wood, and have or can borrow some tools, you may even be able to find instructions online to make your own feeder. You may not even need wood to do so! Even hummingbird feeders, I’ve found, are quick to attract them, as long as you keep them stocked up on fresh sugar water in the spring and summer!

An important note with bird feeders is that you have to make sure you can clean them regularly. Otherwise, they may become a vector for disease, and we want to avoid causing harm whenever possible. Also keep an ear out and track if there’s known outbreaks of bird diseases in your area. If local birding societies and scientists are advising you take your birdfeeders down for awhile, by all means, do it!

Bird houses are naturally paired with bird feeders as biodiversity promoters for backyard spaces, and it makes sense. Having bird houses suited to birds in your area promotes them to breed, raise their young, disperse seeds, and generally engage in your surrounding environment. Setting them up takes careful selection or construction, preparation, and some patience, but sooner or later you might get some little homemakers! Keep in mind, you will need to clean your birdhouses at least once a year (if not once per brood) to make sure they’re ready and safe for birds year after year--you wouldn’t want to promote disease and parasites, after all. But they could be a valuable option for your landscape, whether you purchase one or construct your own! 

Again, do make sure you're putting up the right kind of boxes for the right kinds of birds. Bluebird boxes are some I see sold most commonly, but in my area I believe they're not even all that common--a nesting box for cardinals or chickadees would be far more likely to see success here! And some birds don't even nest in boxes--robins and some other birds are more likely to use a nesting shelf, instead! Research what birds live in your area, take note of any you see around already, and pick a few target species to make homes for!

Solitary Bee Houses

A bee house or bee hotel is a fantastic way to support the solitary bees in your area! For a few dollars and some annual cleaning, you can buy a solitary bee house from most big box nurseries. Alternatively, you can make one at home, with an array of materials you may already have lying around! You can even make them so that they’ll benefit all kinds of insects, and not necessarily just bees.

Though you don’t even necessarily have to break out the hammer and nails, buy a ton of bricks, or borrow a staple gun. Making homes for tunneling bees can be as simple as drilling holes in a log and erecting it, or drilling holes in stumps and dead trees on your property. You might even attract some woodpeckers by doing this!

Providing Nesting Area

There are tons of different kinds of bees, and they all make different kinds of homes for themselves. Not all of them make big cavity hives like honey bees, or will utilize a solitary bee house. Bumblebees live in social hives underground, particularly in abandoned holes made by rodents--some others nest in abandoned bird nests, or cavities like hollow logs, spaces between rocks, compost piles, or unoccupied birdhouses. Borer, Ground, and Miner bees dig into bare, dry soil to create their nests. Sparsely-vegetated patches of soil in well-drained areas are great places to find them making their nests, so providing a similar habitat somewhere in the garden can encourage them to come! I do talk later in this document about mulching bare soil in a garden--however, leaving soil in sunny areas and south-facing slopes bare provides optimal ground nesting habitat. Some species prefer to nest at the base of plants, or loose sandy soil, or smooth-packed and flat bare ground. They’ve also been known to take advantage of soil piles, knocked over tree roots, wheel ruts in farm roads, baseball diamonds and golf course sand traps. You can create nesting ground by digging ditches or creating nesting mounds in well-drained, open, sunny areas with sandy or silty soil. However, artificially constructed ground nests may only have limited success. 

Providing Alternative Pollinator Foods

Nectar and pollen aren’t the only foods sought out by some pollinators! Some species of butterflies are known to flock to overripe fruit or honey water, so setting these out can be an excellent way to provide food to wildlife. You may want to be cautious about how you set these out, otherwise it can help other wildlife, like ants or raccoons. Butterflies may also drop by to visit a sponge in a dish of lightly salted water. 

Bat Houses and Boxes

Big or small, whether they support five bats or five hundred, making bat boxes and supporting local bats is a great way to boost biodiversity! Not only will they eat mosquitoes and other pest species, but you may also be able to use the guano (bat droppings) as fertilizer! Do be careful if you choose to do that though--I’ve never had the opportunity to, so do some research into how strong it is and use it accordingly.

Provide Passageway Points

If you want your area to be more accessible for creatures that can’t fly or climb fences, allowing or creating access points can be an excellent way to give them a way in and out. Holes in the bottom of walls or fences can be sheltered with plants to allow animals through. 

In a somewhat similar manner, if you’re adding a water fixture, it’s important to provide animals a way to get into and out of the pond--no way in, and they can’t use the water. No way out, and they may drown. Creating a naturalistic ramp out of wood beams or sticks, or stepped platforms out of bricks, stones, or logs can do the trick. 

Get or Keep Logs and Brush Piles

I’ve already mentioned logs a good handful of times so far in this post. To be used as access ramps, or as nesting areas for solitary bees. But they have value as much more than that! Logs on the ground provide shelter for all kinds of animals, especially depending on size--anything from mice, reptiles, and amphibians to things like turkey vultures and bears will use fallen logs as shelter. Inside of a decaying log, there’s a lot of humidity, so amphibians are big fans of them--meanwhile, the upper sides of them can be used as sunning platforms by things like lizards. Other animals can also use the insides of logs as nest sites and hiding places from predators too big to fit inside. Fungi, spiders, beetles, termites, ants, grubs, worms, snails, slugs, and likely much more can be found inside rotting logs, using the rotting wood as food sources or nesting places. They can then provide food for mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. They can also be regarded as a landmark or territory marker as wildlife get more familiar with your space.

So how do you get logs for cheap? Try Chip Drop! I talk about them more in a future post, but you can mark saying that you’d like logs in your drop, so they’ll give you any they have! In fact, you may even get a drop faster if you're willing to accept some logs. You may also be able to approach arborists you see working in your area and ask for logs. There may also be local online listings for people selling logs for cheap, or just trying to get rid of them. If there’s land development going on near you, you may be able to snag logs from trees they cut down to make space. Do keep in mind, you don’t need to have huge gigantic logs laying around your property to make an impact--even small logs can help a lot.

If possible, creating and leaving brush piles on the edge of your property can be a great boost to biodiversity--even if you may not see the wildlife using it. They’ll provide shelter from weather and predators, and lower portions are cool and shady for creatures to avoid the hot sun. The upper layers can be used as perch sites and nest sites for song birds, while lower layers are resting sites for amphibians and reptiles, and escape sites for many mammals. As the material decays, they also attract insects, and as such they’ll attract insect-eating animals too. As more small animals find refuse in your brush pile, their predators will be attracted to them as well. Owls, hawks, foxes, and coyotes are known to visit brush piles to hunt. Making a brush pile can be as simple as piling branches and leaves into a mound, as big or as small as you want. You can even use tree stumps or old fence posts near the base, and keep stacking on plant trimmings and fallen branches. Do note that you don’t want to do this near anything like a fire pit.

Don't forget, with all of these, your mileage may vary for any variation of reasons, so don't worry if you can't take all of even any of these actions! Even just talking about them with other people may inspire someone else to put out a bat box, or leave a few logs out for wildlife!

That's the end of this post! My next post is gonna be about ways to get seeds and plants as cheaply as possible. For now, I hope this advice helps! Feel free to reply with any questions, success stories, or anything you think I may have forgotten to add in!

[kidneys-and-custard]

Dead Boy Detectives

[14dayswithyou]

tell ren to turn his location on👉👈

I saw one of the posts of how ren does get jealous of pets being loved over him and alll that so now I have the thought of the one meme of ‘ah yes, me, my partner and their [enter normal pet size] foot [pet]’

I don’t have anything else, it did pop into my head though and I thought I’d share with the class.

⌞♥⌝ ItsNotVivy on Twitter actually made that exact meme with Ren a looong time ago!!

[spockvarietyhour]

Parallels and Divergences "Before and After" & "Year of Hell Pt. 1"

[empyreansentinel]

babys first special interest! bonus:

they r infodumping,,,

[tomatoart]

me if drawing inconsistently was a job 💸💰

[kismetconstellations]

"Please! We come from a peaceful planet! We mean you no harm. We're unarmed!"

[howlonomy]

What would a species swap of the cast look like? Like we already go Monster Clover, but how about Human Ceroba, Starlo, and Marlet? Possibly a Human Kanako (Would she still be an Amalgamate??)

a fun lil exercise :3

[blackbutler-readerinsertsandjunk]

Which black butler characters do you think would prefer a dominant s/o?

*eyes all the ones who want dominant* c'mere babies- XD

Who prefers a more dominant/authoritative S/O: Arthur, Conny, Edgar, Finny, Joanne, Lizzie, Mey Rin, Othello, Patrick, Ran Mao, Sascha, Snake, Soma, Thomas, Triplets

Who prefers a more submissive/supportive S/O: Aleister, Ash, Astre, Bravat, Claude, Clayton, Derrick, Diedrich, Grell, Grey, Herman, Lau, Maurice, Peter, Sebastian

Who would be fine with either/would prefer a S/O who has both traits in equal or almost equal measure: Agni, Alan, Alois, Anne, Bard, Cheslock, Ciel, Dagger, Drossel, Edward, Eric, Freckles, Gregory, Hannah, John, Joker, Jumbo, Lawrence, Nina, Phipps, Ronald, Rudger, Undertaker, Wendy, William, Wolfram

[esteemed-excellency]

ok so the brass embassy is just an italian post office

[kidneys-and-custard]

Eurydice by Killian Scott

[kjzx]

Pspspsps Harlan I have a nice idea for you I'm sure the fans are gonna LOVE this

[shewhorunsmazes]

“Ai is the future; the future is now. And sucks. The future is both now and sucks.” - Breanna

just like with thelma… those scammers really scammed the wrong meemaw… also… we got some genuine harry whump this episode! which really has me thriving

[empyreansentinel]

hey can we talk about how after angel accidentally kills her mother with a turret jack. continues to make her kill things. because. uhm.