There was a jackhammer in my chest this morning, or maybe just across the creek, but the distinction didn’t matter. Its rhythm became my pulse, an arrhythmic metronome that synced with something lodged behind my sternum. At first, I mistook it for anxiety—the kind I used to chew like old gum when she and I still shared a kitchen, splitting eggshells into the compost like nothing was rotting between us.
The hummingbird was watching from the bookshelf, just above the divorce paperwork. Carved from pale wood, beak sharp and wing-frozen in a posture of endless offering. My grandmother gave it to my grandfather the year they stumbled across Fun Valley, a Christian-themed RV park she swore God had led them to. On the base, in her jagged hand, she’d written: “56 years” in red ink, almost bleeding into the grain. I always thought the bird looked more like a woodpecker.
This morning I flung it—no ceremony, just a quick wrist flick, almost casual—into the paved channel they still had the audacity to call Shoal Creek. The water barely made a noise. I waited for something symbolic to happen: a sign, a splash, a sudden bloom of wildflowers. Instead, the jackhammer groaned through its next breath, indifferent.
At the Central Library, I tried to focus. I stood in the atrium for a while just watching the escalators hum, people riding their arcs of motion like they were conveyor-belt deities. Above the reading porch, the Floravores had begun to bloom again. No one knew who’d seeded them—some claimed it was a guerrilla horticulturist with a grudge against AI-generated real estate, others swore it was a secret city pilot program—but the result was the same: devouring vines with variegated leaves and psychedelic blossoms that smelled like lemon zest and static. They fed on the calcium-rich walls of the annex, digesting the biomaterial of the city’s cheap post-boom prefab shells, metabolizing ambition into pollen.
I stepped outside for a call from the lawyer. The Petition was moving forward. Theresa's lawyer had brought up the mushroom thing again, her voice nasal and pinched in the voicemail: “We believe Mr. Reyes—has been operating a fungal-based side business without formal disclosure…” A taboo we’d buried beneath years of compost and microdoses. The irony stung; she’d once helped label jars.
I found the old Live Oak and stood beneath its vast canopy. The same one near Seaholm where I practiced Qigong, planting invisible roots down into the limestone, pulling imaginary silk threads skyward through my palms. As I pressed one foot into the soil, the vibrations of the jackhammer melted into a kind of sonic moss—vivid green, rough against the nerves. My breath tasted like powdered sugar and copper.
The lawyer spoke in measured tones, crisp as dry crackers. I nodded in all the right places, though I wasn’t listening. I was watching a hummingbird—real, not carved—hovering just above a cluster of blue mistflower. Its wings shimmered violet. It made a sound I could feel behind my eyes. A high whine like the glint off polished aluminum.
“Fun Valley,” I whispered to no one.
The bird didn’t answer, but for a second, I thought I saw it wink.
Beneath me, the roots shifted.
⸻
Let me know if you’d like this chapter to take on a different shape—slightly more surreal, more grounded, or to start weaving in other side plots like the Floravores’ origin, the mushroom network, or an unexpected alliance at the library.
🚮 W.A.S.T.E.: Words Assisting Sustainable Transformation & Ecology
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Architectural Transformation | Welcome to our exploration of Architectural Transformation, an engaging facet of urban planning that aims to revitalize and repurpose structures to meet the changing needs of our society and environment. Architectural Transformation represents the adaptive reuse and repurposing of existing buildings and spaces to fulfill new functions or to address modern challenges. This not only conserves resources but also breathes new life into historical structures, merging the past with the future. In this section, we dive into the world of Architectural Transformation through the lens of the ReLeaf initiative in Austin. Starting with "ReLeaf: Pioneering a SolarPunk Future Through Creative Urban Greenery," we examine how innovative approaches to urban greening are transforming city landscapes. Our journey continues with "Sustainability's Moment: Embracing Athens' Vision in Austin's ReLeaf Initiative" and "From Windows to Wonders: Transforming Post-War Colossals with Vertical Gardens," showcasing the interplay between architectural transformation and sustainability. We also explore the intersection of Architectural Transformation and SolarPunk fiction, illustrating how creativity and imagination can inspire real-world change in "Shadows of Harmony: A SolarPunk Tale of Unity and Choice," and "Blurring Reality and Fantasy: The Intersection of Gaming, Literature, and Income Streams." Join us as we traverse the exciting landscapes of Architectural Transformation, discovering how the built environment around us can be reshaped to create a more sustainable, beautiful, and inclusive world. |
| Biomimicry | The practice of drawing inspiration from nature’s designs, processes, and systems to create sustainable human technologies and solutions. |
| Future Austin | Future Austin invites you to explore a luminous vision of the city’s tomorrow—where imagination and reality intertwine to create a thriving, sustainable urban landscape. Here, grassroots ingenuity and cutting-edge technology power communities, transforming Austin into a place of boundless possibility. Through insightful articles and evocative Organic Fiction, you’ll glimpse futures shaped by innovators like ReLeaf, whose bold strategies—such as Vertical Garden Fairs in schools—seed green revolutions in unexpected places. From unconventional movements like Trash Magic reimagining music distribution, to fictional worlds alive with unseen energy and harmony, this collection offers both practical inspiration and immersive storytelling. Whether you’re drawn to actionable sustainability or simply wish to lose yourself in tales of a resilient, radiant future, Future Austin points toward the city we could create—and the one we must. |
| Organic Media and Fiction | The rapid pace of urbanization and its environmental impact has inspired various speculative genres in literature and media. Organic Media and Fiction, a recent addition, offers a refreshing counter-narrative to dystopian futures, focusing on optimistic, sustainable societies powered by renewable energies. ReLeaf, an Organic Media and Fiction-inspired platform, epitomizes this genre by blending reality with narratives that envision a world where humans coexist harmoniously with nature and technology. ReLeaf's ethos is rooted in the belief that a hopeful future of sustainable living is not just an ideal but a reality. It combines engaging storytelling, visual arts, and direct action to showcase the possibilities of an Organic Media and Fiction future. By merging immersive narratives with tangible solutions, ReLeaf serves as both a creative outlet and a catalyst for change. The narratives in ReLeaf are set in cities that integrate renewable energy and green technology into their architecture, infrastructure, and daily life. From urban gardens atop skyscrapers to solar-powered public transport, these stories offer a glimpse of future urban landscapes grounded in existing technologies and practices. They provide an encouraging perspective on how our cities could evolve by amplifying sustainable practices we are already exploring. ReLeaf's stories feature diverse, inclusive, and community-oriented societies, emphasizing social justice, community empowerment, and equitable resource distribution. These narratives reflect societal structures that could foster a balanced coexistence, highlighting the importance of these values in creating a sustainable future. Beyond storytelling, ReLeaf engages in direct action, promoting real-world initiatives that echo Organic Media and Fiction principles. By supporting community-led renewable energy projects and sustainable urban farming, ReLeaf bridges the gap between the Organic Media and Fiction vision and our present reality, making the dream of a sustainable future feel achievable. ReLeaf broadens the understanding of the Organic Media and Fiction genre by presenting a balanced blend of reality and narrative. It underscores that Organic Media and Fiction is not just a literary genre or aesthetic movement, but a lens through which we can view and shape our future. The Organic Media and Fiction vision put forth by ReLeaf invites us to imagine, innovate, and create a future where sustainability is the norm. By intertwining fiction with reality, it presents Organic Media and Fiction as a plausible future, offering a hopeful counterpoint to narratives of environmental doom. ReLeaf helps us believe in—and strive for—a future where humans live in harmony with nature and technology. |
| ReLeaf | Welcome to the ReLeaf Cooperative, where we dive deep into an innovative and revolutionary model of sustainability and community building. ReLeaf is a pioneer in developing scalable engagement strategies that foster community participation and work towards addressing pressing social issues such as homelessness. In this category, you'll find articles and Organic Media detailing ReLeaf's groundbreaking initiatives and visions. From creating sustainable gardens in Austin elementary schools to providing transparency in a world often shrouded in deception, ReLeaf serves as a beacon of hope and innovation. ReLeaf's approach of intertwining real and fictional elements in their work—such as characters, materials, techniques, and labor—sets a new standard for cooperatives worldwide. Its business model, which compensates for labor and knowledge contributions, creates a lasting benefit and helps people who have historically been marginalized. By meeting people with compassion, as resources in need of support instead of liabilities, ReLeaf has shown that everyone has the potential to contribute to society meaningfully. Explore this section to discover how ReLeaf is redefining the way we approach social issues and sustainability, with stories of inspiration, innovation, and hope. |
| Shoal Creek |
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