#chilie

17 Jul 2026

Communities living in Chile’s Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth, look for creative ways to fight water scarcity, including “harvesting” water droplets from the foggy climate.

Local groups erect large mesh structures that can intercept thousands of liters of water droplets per day from fog being carried by the wind. The water is used for drinking and cultivating fruits and vegetables.

Researchers have studied the factors that increase harvesting results, including sea level, temperature, solar radiation, and wind speed.

gonna do vil 4 this one bc hee hoo cutie pie!! i’ll put this under a read more bc this is a longass post i talk too much

I came to see the damage that was done and the treasures that prevail: How do you comfort each other when you’re upset?

I’ll be frank, Vil is new to mutually loving relationships and just positive socialization in general. His sense of superiority has always led him to never even really consider anyone ever being his equal, much less a romantic partner. The very first time I’m upset about something, he can really only do what he knows; hold me gently and let me do the talking about whatever it is that makes me upset, whatever trivial thing I may be worried about. But when I begin to apologize profusely for being such a burden to complain to him, the words suddenly come to him, and he grabs both of my hands as he speaks to me firmly.

“You doubt my judgement now, and how I choose to spend my time? It would be nothing less of an insult to not only yourself, but me to ever assume that I am wrong in caring for you as you do. I’ve never been wrong about anything, and I would sure hate to start now, wouldn’t you think?”

It’s not exactly the most comforting set of words, but I smile, knowing that it’s his own special way of trying to comfort me. He’s very new to this, I don’t expect him to be perfect - but the fact that he cares enough to step out of his comfort zone and try to be sympathetic, even at the risk of his oh so beloved pride, means more to me than anything else in the world, and the sentiment alone is enough to make me smile.

SO ANYWAY. On my end, I’m a little more well adjusted to comforting, because I always wanna make people happy blah blah blah. Vil isn’t as much of a sad upset type, he tends to get peeved or angry about whatever the stresser is, since his egoism typically leads him to believe whatever inconvenience he’s facing is an injustice against him. But when he does cry, oh boy. I personally have a headcanon that Vil is an “ugly” crier so to speak, so he tries to avoid crying, at least in front of me or anyone else. And when I find him upset, he’s begging me to leave him alone, I can’t see him like this.

“Noel, don’t look! I’ll be fine, go away....! You shouldn’t have to see me like this.” Of course, his makeup is ruined and smeared, mascara running, hair a mess. He’s kind of curled up in a ball, his face buried either in his hands or his knees to hide how distraught and unkempt he looks.

But obviously, I’m having none of this because he’s always beautiful and that’s facts I said so. Gently, I’d take his hands in mine, remove them from his face. He avoids my gaze the second he sees me, but I don’t look away from his eyes. Even in his current state, I’m smiling fondly. Because,,,,, gosh he’s so perfect. He’s always been, always will be. And with smeared makeup and all, I kiss him. Lean into him fully, letting tears and makeup stain my cheeks. And before I even get the chance to pull away fully, my arms are already around his shoulders, pulling him close. He’d bury his face in the crook of my neck and hug my waist.

“I don’t understand you at all.” He lets out a halfhearted laugh. He was always perplexed at how kind I was to him, even when he was callous and arrogant, even when he had his ugly moments......he didn’t have to be the fairest of them all with me, he just had to be mine. And that.....that was all he wanted.

“I love you too.” I murmur back, and my hold doesn’t falter. He stays there for as long as he pleases, which is probably a while, just letting himself be with me, in silence. No more words are needed, because my presence and unfaltering love for him is all he needs to see. Whenever he’s upset....he isn’t afraid to come to me anymore, to ugly cry and complain and cry right into my shirt as I pat his back. It’s become comforting for him, really. He finally has someone he can talk to like a human being and not just some prettyboy.

Happy Feast Day Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Feast day: July 16 Patron saint of Chile Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order. The first Carmelites were Christian hermits living on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land during the late 12th and early to mid 13th centuries. They built a chapel in the midst of their hermitages which they dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and celebrated a special Mass and Office in her honor. In 1726 it became a celebration of the universal Church under the title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.