iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Garden Tiger moths, for I have been told it is #invertefest again. - Grey #Art #Bugs #Moth

A pair of Garden tiger moths (Arctia caja) as seen from the back. One is perched, one is launching into flight with hindwings exposed. The hindwings are a fiery orange with iridescent blue flashing patches. This is to warn predators that they are very toxic.

Colour and background details were aided by my partner's suggestions. Some details were reproduced from naturally deceased specimens in my collection.

Some extra details: These moths can be very bold and will sometimes grace outdoor lights or window panes at night. Their caterpillars can sometimes be attracted by foxglove plants. Adults will make noises if you upset them, the same response they use to warn bats.

Warning: Do not plant foxgloves where children or a pet could reach them, they are toxic. Do not unwisely pick up the caterpillars, they have irritating spines.

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Sometimes we simply drift through the tides of the great expanse.

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

A piece that Grey and I worked on together☀️ We're trying to ease back into art after a pretty serious health scare. So very thankful to have my partner well again💛

A cloudy sky near sunset, the clouds painted soft shades of peach, lilac, and light cyan.

Above the clouds, a bearded vulture glides, trailing a glow like the aurora. The light of the setting sun gilds their outline in a warm greeting.

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 18/10/2025

Please remember to practice non-violence when you participate in a protest. Be safe, be a community.

A round little frog is sitting in/on a cheap crown. They are holding a tiny tree branch flag that says: NO KINGS!

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

"Love is a blind man's game." (2017)

Ink pen Illustration
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A blindfolded person holds a damaged heart close to their chest. Misshapen hands reach towards them.

Their expression struggles to stay calm and serene, a tear escaping past the veil.
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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 08/06/2025

Late spring blooms with bright shoes and tiny wings in a healthy forest. Yellow Lady's slipper Orchids, Ram's head Lady's slipper, and Gaywings. #Orchids #NativePlants #Photography

Yellow Lady's slipper (C. parviflorum var. pubescens) growing underneath some wild sarsaparilla. They are a soft lemon yellow with bright carmine speckles.

Yellow Lady's slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens) growing in a small colony. They must make very good hiding places for spiders and other small beings.

Ram's head lady's slipper (Cypripedium arietinum)

A beauty of cream and burgundy, held delicately on a thread-like stalk.

It was difficult to photograph from our position.

This is a rarer orchid, and very sensitive to disturbance. We kept a respectful distance.

Gaywings (Polygala/Polygaloides paucifolia)

Little patches of soft pink blooms, almost reminiscent of periwinkle. They were spread out in little mats, though this one was solitary. I saw a few hoverflies grace them.

From this angle, they almost seem birdlike.

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

A small portrait of our garden in spring finery.

A portrait of many plants growing together. A little slice of our low maintenance shade garden, showing a few spring flowers.

Featured are trilliums, phlox, and starry false Solomon's seal.

The soft blue phlox attracts night moths and hummingbirds, as well as many types of bees, wasps, and butterflies. It has a soft perfume, especially in the evening. It wanders by itself, popping up all along the garden.

The trilliums bloom brightly in the spring, fading to a pink before drawing back by summer. They are a native flower, once rare due to being overharvested. They must not be disturbed, and should never be picked.

The starry false Solomon's seal is native to the area and grows with little care. From a single plant brought from the nearby woods, there is now a small thicket that bickers with the sensitive ferns nearby. The birds usually eat the colourful berries before they can be collected.

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 01/06/2025

A little friend resting in the lilac bush✨ Possibly a Baskettail.. Definitely adorable! 💛

A dragonfly resting on a bare lilac branch. Around them are bunches of pinkish flowers, just starting to open up.

(They were cleaning their little head a moment before!)

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

A lively bundle of periwinkle 💠 My partner and I brought the original cuttings here when we arrived, wrapped carefully in damp towels. They are living memories of a long lost garden.

A tangled mat of cheerful periwinkles in bloom. The flowers are a vibrant blue-violet with a pale star shape in the middle. The leaves are shiny and faintly rounded, almost like a succulent. They range from a deep evergreen to a tender lime green.

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

Now that the snow is ✨nearly✨ all melted, we've been graced with Lucile's glory-of-the-snow!💠

A beautiful Lucile's glory-of-the-snow that has popped up far from the original garden bed.

It's star shaped, with six petals. The edges are violet-blue fading softly into a snow-white. The very centre has a golden tuft.

A true sign of spring at last!

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 09/04/2025

A new plant friend, Ornithogalum dubium It is sometimes called 'sun star'☀️ #Photography #Sunstar

A photograph, taken by my partner, Ulfriel.

It is an Ornithogalum (dubium) or Sun star.

The stems are a waxy and vibrant green, the flowers are a warm orange.

They are a cheerful companion against the backdrop of a lingering winter.

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

Today is #TransDayOfVisibility. I, and my partner, are both non-binary. For me, at least, every day is a day of visibility as I am visibly non-binary. If you would like to read a few of my thoughts on my personal journey as a non-binary person, please check the alt text. Be safe. #TDOV

The above image is mostly a placeholder. It depicts two beings, one yellow-gold, one black, entwined in the great expanse.

Beyond this is a short writing on my experience as a nonbinary individual.

I transitioned about ten years ago. At first, I pushed more to one direction than the other, possibly as a response to being dragged violently in the opposite direction my entire life.

When I began, I had no idea that one could even transition. I was never given that knowledge. I had to discover it myself. If anyone tells you that it is the media doing it, know that they are fools. I knew nothing, but I was still me. You cannot change your nature, only conceal it poorly.

After about ten years, and a lot of personal growth, I came out, again, as non-binary. All those years, I had taken HRT (hormone replacement therapy) and had had a few very needed corrections. I knew it was the right time, so I chose to fully be myself.

I am happy now with how I present. I am equal parts masculine and feminine. I have a carefully kept short beard, long hair, and my features live between two worlds. To me, I am beautiful. To my partner, I am beautiful. To many others, I am the object of anything between curiosity and hate.

Something you realise quickly is how few washrooms are safe. How many places are hard lines between M and F. Everywhere you go as a visibly non-binary person is a deadly tightrope walk. When someone gets too interested, you wonder what they might do. I have been attacked before. I have been followed, photographed, people have threatened unspeakable things. I learned many new slurs that I had previously had the pleasure of never knowing.

It's all part of the experience.

The uneducated say that being trans is a trend for attention. I would much rather never be noticed. I did not want to be visible, I do not want to be perceived.

But I am, and I must be.

Trans people exist, they are all around, they always have been, and they just want to live.

- G

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

My partner is in a lot of pain, and we're both really low on sleep, so neither of us are making art right now.. So... Here's a WIP ✨ (Inspired by a little park nearby that looks over the lake) Won't be working on any more art till my beloved feels better, but here we are 🌌 #Sunstar #Sunset

It's the view of a sunset on still water.

I remember the event that inspired it. It looked like the clouds were on fire.

They were this warm palette of yellows, red-oranges, pinks, even purples. It was a cold evening, windless, in mid-Autumn. That's how Autumn evenings can be here. You get sunsets that burn themselves into your soul (in a nice way)

The water was glassy still, and pale spires of fog were rising from it like spirits.

No two sunsets are ever exactly alike. I'll never see it again, never even remember it as faithfully as it deserves..

and yet,

For as long as the earth has an atmosphere and a sun, this ritual will repeat. You can choose to look at it, let it burn a little of itself into you too. Beauty is inescapable.💛

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 22/03/2025

The Syrup sprites have arrived, and the candy in the house has grown legs. #Photography #Arthropod #Friends

A moth in the owlet family (possibly a Pinion)

They have wings like living bark, large expressive eyes, and quite the sweet tooth.

They and a rainbow of other 'sprites' flock to the sap pails when the weather warms.

Some of them slip into the sap pails in their excitement at a delicious meal. Each visit, they are gently rescued and moved to a safe place to dry off. If they are unresponsive, I bring them home to give them a chance to recover in a warm and quiet place. Most of the time, recovery efforts are a success, and they are returned to their forest home on the next trip up, safe and sound.

Some people consider them a pest, as they drink the sap. I denounce that way of thinking.

They were here long before any of us, and there is more than enough to share.

A spectacular beauty that graced the household today with their presence.

She is likely a candy-stripe spider (Enoplognatha ovata) although there are a few close lookalikes.

She is one of those beings whose name makes perfect sense. Her abdomen is cheerily painted like a miniature easter egg, or an old fashioned sweet; creamy white, with a vibrant red squiggle.

Her legs are glasslike, catching the warm light around her, each one lined with fine hairs.

She has kept to the same spot all day, adorning the bathroom wall, but I expect that she will vanish again at sundown.

It is too cold outside to let her free, or I would, for her own good, and for the emotional wellbeing of my partner, but she seems in perfect health, so I expect that she has her own tricks.

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

It is a good day for bugs. Today, I saw the first winter firefly wandering about. Our pill bug's pups have grown through the winter and are happy and healthy. #Firefly #Pillbug #Photography

A winter firefly (Ellychnia corrusca) is wandering across the bark of a mature maple. She (?) likely overwintered in the giant oaks nearby, alongside others. They come to the sap buckets each spring, a beautiful herald of the good that will follow. There is always more than enough to share.

Winter fireflies do not glow as adults, only as nymphs. Their elytra are a rich black, tipped with delicate golden hairs that leave them with a glow in the sunlight. Their heads are shielded with a shiny dome, usually painted with a pink-red that leads into yellow. Under their wings, they have bright pink markings.

When they rest during the day, they settle into cracks in the bark, looking for all the world like misplaced sunflower seeds.

Pill bugs (Armadillidium vulgare) resting on their favourite log. Their pups were born into this tiny paradise and have never known fear or hunger.

The young have a warm earthy-clay tone, they like to zip from place to place, sometimes trying to skirt under the adults as if they are not yet used to their size.

The adults are a dove-slate grey, yellow rune-like markings running down some of their sides. They are slow and purposeful, only moving swiftly if the enclosure is accidentally jostled, or an errant drop of water disturbs them.

Their favourite snack is a washed slice of cucumber. They are also fairly partial to columbine seed pods, fallen maple leaves, and willow wood chips that the woodpeckers leave behind.

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 16/03/2025

An unfurling Narcissus✨ Only one is triple headed.⚜️

Last evening, only one flower head had partially opened. You can see the other two nestled gently underneath.

To the right, you can see another opening one (the rest are single headed, and equally beautiful)

Don't worry, once their beauty has been admired, my partner and I will plant them in the garden for next year.✨

Fully opened, you can see their true finery. Their petals are a pale yellow, the crowns a richer yellow-orange. Their perfume is subtle, a soft lustre to every part of them.

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

He is Spring. The first touch of hope that thaws a frozen heart, and the light and warmth that compels it to bloom. #Art #Portrait

A somewhat stylised depiction of my partner, Ulfriel. He is holding twin daffodils against his chest. They are a vibrant yellow, growing nearly orange at their edges. His smile is warm and gentle, like a spring wind.

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

I like the mood that this corner of my (WIP) drawing has. It's really unfortunate that it ends up so blurry when you upload a full sized piece, so I'm taking a moment to appreciate the little details.✨ #WIP #Sunstar

Sun-like rays of light seem to reach out towards a part of a large shape. The shape is in constant motion, but at the moment, it is spiked out in joy. The inner core of the shape is visible as a blue-green light. Far in the distance, other bits of the shape are reaching towards the source of the light.

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

Grey and I are so excited! It's been about 6-7 years, and our Hoya finally bloomed! It smells heavenly🌟

A branch of Hoya Carnosa flowers. There are five flowers, three fully opened, one opening, and one still closed. The flowers have five waxy-pink outer petals which are white and almost fuzzy on the inside. Inside are star shaped yellow and red structures.

The biggest bunch of flowers on our Hoya vine. You can see how the waxy outer petals are slightly see-through under the light. They opened up after dark.

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

Wanted: for stealing my heart 💛 (and a persimmon) #Sketch #Sunstar

A wanted poster depicting a bird-like being holding up a persimmon.

They look surprised, but amused ✨

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

I hear the chickadees singing a hymn to spring as winter weakens. I think gladly of the first souls to venture out.

A circular depiction of some of the first beings to wake in late winter and early spring. There is the Mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) with their flashing blue eyes. They linger on the dry creek bed in the midafternoon sun. There is the Winter firefly (Ellychnia corrusca) Who comes to carefully sip the sap buckets in spring. On an opening flower is a Sallow moth (Family Noctuidae) They shiver on sunny trunks to warm themselves, dressed like living leaves. The Winter cranefly (Trichocera maculipennis) bravely wanders across the snow on warm days, and countless spiders do as well. Soon they will festoon budding branches in iridescent streamers, and the cycle will begin anew.

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

One of the most beautiful beings I encountered last year. #OnlyBeautifulThings

A (likely) male Luna moth (Actias luna) resting on brown oak leaves.

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 18/01/2025

WIP! I really like the way the barn owl line art looks. Hope I can preserve the feeling it has when I turn it into colour. ✨ #Art #WIP #Swan #BarnOwl #Sunstar

A half-finished digital art of a swan and barn owl resting. The swan is looking down at the barn owl, who is tucked under his wing. The text is: I feel safe with you 💛

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

Just a little kiss 💛 Honestly, Grey had to walk me through parts of this. I really appreciated the tips! I feel like I learned a lot. ✨ #DigitalArt #Lammergeier #SecretaryBird #Sunstar

A Secretary bird and a Lammergeier (or Bearded vulture) are sharing a little kiss at the riverbank.

The Lammergeier looks a bit surprised (but happy!)

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

Work In Progress! ✨ This was supposed to be the twin to Grey's Scorpion Fly piece, but I'm just not as fast (yet) Grey suggested I try this one without line art. It's definitely a different process, but quite fun! #DigitalArt #WIP #Sunstar

An unfinished digital illustration of a Secretary bird. They seem pretty happy. 💛

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 04/01/2025

Grey and I are taking a little break after the Christmas busy season. ✨ We'll probably be back to making art in the next week or so. Until then, here's one of Grey's older artworks. I love this one! 💛 #Art #Owl #Time

A traditional pen and paper drawing of a horned owl holding up a pocket watch.

'Time is metaphorical, yet measurable.'

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 30/12/2024

This is likely the only piece I will create for #InverteFest These are scorpionflies, beautiful and harmless creatures. They are one of my favourite insects. I hope one day to see a living one. If you would like to know more about them, please check the ALT text. -Grey #Insect #DigitalArt

Two scorpionflies facing each other with friendly interest.

On the left is a male Common European Scorpionfly (Panorpa communis) They are seemingly interested in the striking colours and graceful display of the male in front of them. Perhaps he has found them by scent.

On the right is a male Nupital Scorpionfly (Panorpa nuptialis), holding a food gift. He has found it near to a road, and is pleased by the size and condition. He is vibrating his wings in a very attractive manner.

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 27/12/2024

Long past when even our bones become memories, we'll still haunt the earth together 💛

Two humanoid beings (ghosts or otherwise?) journey over a strange landscape.

The direction they face may seem to change if you watch for a bit.

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 25/12/2024

This is a piece that I accidentally came across today on one of Grey's shelves. We've lived together for a long time, but sometimes I just find completely new things! Grey says it's likely a cabbage white (small white) butterfly on an unknown flower. 🏵️ #ArtAdventCalendar #Felted #Butterfly

A felted butterfly (cabbage/small white) resting on a felted flower. It was fairly dusty when I found it on a shelf, but it's looking far brighter after a little clean. ✨ This is the third felted moth I've found this week. I think we need to set up a terrarium!

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 24/12/2024

An old portrait of an old friend. In this season, let us remember those that have touched our lives in a positive way. #ArtAdventCalendar #BarnOwl #Illustration

A black and white pencil sketch of a barn owl. They are looking up with interest at something. This is a portrait of an old friend who lived at a wildlife sanctuary that I volunteered at. Their favourite activity was screaming.

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

Grey and I decorated these cookies together 💛 It was so fun!✨ Peaceful, quiet moments like these feel so rare and special. Consider this today's #ArtAdventCalendar

A bunch of cookies placed to dry on a paper towel. There are moths, stars, acorns, angels, a leaf, a dove, a bear, a toad, a raven, and a few others. Each one is decorated with white royal icing. Some of them are sprinkled with gold and pearlescent orbs, as well as gold sprinkles.

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

This is a repair of an old pen sketch scan. Merry Yule, may we all see the sunrise. #Yule #ArtAdventCalendar

A pen and paper sketch that has been digitally remastered. It depicts a raven with a banner scrolling around them. The text reads: Merry Yule

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 21/12/2024

There's a pile of acorns on our dresser that sort of just.. ✨Observes✨ I asked Grey the other night about it. I figured maybe we could put them in one of the acorn containers on the shelves? He reminds me that they are gifts I gave to him which are being displayed It's me. I fed the acorn hoard.

A swan proudly holding up a shiny acorn. A raven perched on the hill above looks excitedly down. It's hard to resist adding to the hoard of acorns when it brings so much joy!

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

Older art by Grey for today's #ArtAdventCalendar ✨ This is a portrait of a Cedar waxwing.

A digital image of a young cedar waxwing on a branch with stylised leaves. They have a bright and curious expression.

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 17/12/2024

Some old work of Grey's! (Posted with his okay✨) Ink on paper #ArtAdventCalendar #Wolf #Skull #TraditionalArt

A black and white ink drawing of a Gray wolf. The wolf has large expressive eyes. It seems to be looking towards the viewer with a neutral, interested expression. Tucked between a paw and their chest is the skull of another Gray wolf.

According to Grey's original post, this was titled: Keeper of the Dead.

Interesting fact: The skull is based on a Gray wolf skull (humanely collected) that Grey keeps in our room. We have a LOT of bones in here!

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

Sneaking warm whispers, holding hands under the table. There is a strange freedom, a moment of defiance in those gentle acts of solidarity and love.

A pale haired human glances to the side at a partially visible human. They are holding hands underneath the table. The pale haired human is smiling softly, trying to be discreet. It may be a lost cause.

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Ulfriel☾𖤓☽Grey @ulfriel.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

Grey and I are practicing doing people, so here's my try! ✨ The other day, you asked me what I look forward to the most each day. I think I have my answer.✨ It's the point in time when we're falling asleep, and the universe shrinks down. Suddenly, we're just two heavenly bodies in space. 💛🌌

Two beings are resting together under warm blankets. They seem peaceful, content, and happy.

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