#Spore bread

[luthierscurse]

okay but is the black spore bread a mushroo shaped like bread or bread made out of spores

Bread made out of spores. Kinda. I was thinking that it was traditionally made to mimic a mushroom visually since it's such a big part of their culture and diet.

I believe spore bread is made from ground blue cap mushrooms. I like to imagine that they combine it with a yeast. Then let it ferment for way too long so the spores develop, and then bake. And as it rises, it takes all that pigmentation and forces it along to the top where it becomes the fluffiest part of the bread while leaving the bottom dense.

This is my breadcanon. Everything makes sense when it's fantasy. Thank you for asking, anon. ❤️ 🍞

[innalheid]

new fun game alert!!! time to play Whats Making Me Nauseous!!!

[discoonthegrass]

Bread and Circuses: The Enterprise crew investigates the disappearance of a ship's crew on a planet that is a modern version of the Roman Empire.

This Side of Paradise: The Enterprise investigates a planet whose colonists should be dead, but are not. (Vague description: it’s the one where they all get drugged up on happiness-inducing spores besides Jim, and Jim has to convince Spock to come back to the Enterprise by insulting him.)

This is the last poll of Round 3! Remember to vote on the other polls in this round, listed here. Make sure to check back tomorrow for info on Round 4 since it’s only going to get more difficult to choose from here!

[doeeyefemme]

sapphic relationships are romantic and wholesome but also sometimes it’s

“I don’t feel good”

“Well, yea, you said there’s black mold in the house and you accidentally ate moldy bread earlier.”

“I mean, I should be fine? It’s just mold.”

“Darling, you are allergic to penicillin and amoxicillin. Your body fucking hates mold. Stop eating mold.”

[dailydoseofspore]

Toaster.

[goldensunset]

a thing about me is i am hypersensitive to when perishable food has gone bad. even if it looks fine or more or less fine i’m like nope i’m not playing that game it will make me sick whether it’s actually the food itself or the placebo effect. but the people in my family are like ‘ohhhhhh the milk is only 2 days past its expiration date it’s fine. oh the bread is only slightly moldly on the opposite end of the loaf it’s ok just cut out the bad parts’ they are like animals to me. subhuman freaks.

[strixvarien]

I LOVE HER!!!! I LOVE THE ROT WOMAN!!!!

Malenia

[luthierscurse]

Drow Cuisine - Black Sporebread.

[spore-galore]

Can u make like. Non animals in spore? Can u make trees? Bread? A 2006 Toyota Tacoma in pine green? This game seems so interesting and yet I know nothing

Yes you can! There's the building editor, vehicle editors (for both land, sea and sky), spaceship editor and even adventure editor (for making custom missions, though you do need galactic adventures for that). I've made a variety of different things in all the different editors, I just mostly focus on the creature editor since it's the one I like the most (and have the most experience in). But the world is your oyster in spore!

[oldmanyaoi-jpeg]

i think my #1 pet peeve is people treating preservatives like they're a moral failing. you're just mad i've bought 1 loaf of bread in 3 months while you eat 2 slices per package before they mold

[beastyeastfreak]

Beast cookies x shape shifting reader that mirrors the beasts.

Cw: Eternal Sugar cookies section is a little toxic, non descriptive violence in Burning Spice cookies section.

Type: Romantic

Written pre silent salt and hollyberry awakening

Mystic Flour

🌾 - You were some odd cookie she found on the outskirts of the pagoda, your form innocent( suspiciously so). She lets Cloud Haetae bring you to her, where under her stern gaze you crumble and reveal yourself as a shapeshifter who was very hungry and just trying to hide from the horrors of the woods surrounding the mountains. She allows you to stay under the condition you cause zero issues and help when asked.

🌾 - Whether it be for survival or fun she does not mind. At first she sees your constantly shifting form as a waste of energy as she sees everything. She watches you jump around with Cloud Haetae from afar in shifting forms, you copying theirs and chasing them around, though neither of you realize it.

🌾 - “Your dough is ever shifting,” she starts, approaching you from the shadows nearly scaring you into another body. “Just because you may change does not mean you will not become one with nothing.” She says giving you no time to respond before she leaves.

🌾 - Despite her coldness, she begins to comes around one day. The ever changing faint colors struck across your form fade to white as shes speaking to you, a stark flour white with gold caressing the edges. It almost looked like mold spores on bread. Her lack of care turns to curiosity. You clearly did not intend to do that, nor did you realize you did it.

🌾 - She lets it go but soon comes to the conclusion (after some stalking) that your form only changes for her, and it got more prevalent when she was closer. It was like blushing, she assumed.

🌾 - She began to learn what each color meant, how you were feeling before you even spotted her staring through her eyelashes. She noticed that gradually some of those colors, particularly negative ones, were swallowed up by the pale spots.

🌾 - One evening she invites you to walk with her, she decides to put a bit more warmth in her voice to coax the white spots out of you. It works swimmingly, white and gold dot your cheeks and body. She draws her hand to cup your face which silences you as she still appears so distant. Her thumb traces the dots as they grow in size from her touch. “This suits you,” she speaks calmly as always. You appear confused but she simply turns your head to a golden pool nearby, which you stare into and in a fit of embarrassment try to explain yourself. She puts one hand up to silence you then walks away.

🌾 - She begins to invite you on walks more often, any time she leaves her meditating room she has you by her side. She gets you clothing to compliment her outfit and the occasional white gold dots on your form. She also seems to come to you for help more often, having you transform into something large to move stuff, or something sneaky to keep an eye on possible intruders, sometimes just for her own entertainment(though she wont admit that she’s entertained). But most of all she likes to see how much of herself carries into each form, how close you hold her to your heart and subsequently apathy as a whole.

Burning Spice

🏜️ - You were a myth, a tale of a creature which infested the sands and swallowed citys from within. A tale lost as kingdoms fell, but not to Burning Spice. He remembered hearing of another kingdom arising, successful and plentiful until its food was missing along with half the population. Only few who saw you lived to describe you.

🏜️ - On a particularly slow day, The Great Destroyer decides to find this creature. He did not bring the spice swarm or tell them when he left, he did not even make his presence known. He went missing for a week hunting, and finally he found tracks. In a deep orange canyon, footprints lead into it. They weren’t cohesive, some looked like the track of a large snake, some like the claws of a mighty bird but some appeared to be cookie like, thats how he knew he found this monster.

🏜️ - He travelled into the canyon, which lead into a cave. Various writings and drawings on the wall, they would be warnings to a lesser spice but not him. He entered the den, various barrels of stolen goods littered the corners, the stench of jam filled the air. He drew his parashu and struck it against the ground, challenging this monster to appear.

🏜️ - And that you did, appearing as a scaly creature you attack from behind. A cheap tactic which earned you the upper hand for a moment before it became even, which is when it really started. The battle was enthralling for one with no watchers. Burning spice had to adapt to each new form you chose every few seconds with only a second to spare each time. But then he got a good hit in after you get a few good marks on him, and reflecting your newfound weakness you turn into a cookie, knelt on the floor. He doesn’t crumble you though, he takes the flat edge of his blade to lift your face, inspecting you. He doesn’t see weakness though, he sees a fighter who had nothing to fight for.

🏜️ - So he makes an offer, he takes you in and you fight for him. You sniff out mutiny’s. You spar when he asks, and you are given something better than a smelly cave, you gain a place beside him. You take the offer, frankly you were probably bored.

🏜️ - You were welcomed into the spice swarm, showed the ropes and made yourself known and feared. The more battles you fought, the more you gained the admiration of Burning Spice. But the more you fought beside him the more he saw something within the ever changing form, things that stayed the same. Markings that would appear along your dough, similar to his.

🏜️- One day, you’re sparring with him. He gets you on your knees after some hits and pulls your gaze down to your chest where a crude upside down triangle sat engraved in your flesh. “How befitting, a changing form and I alone am the mark consistent in you.” He grabs your chin to make you look at him, your hand now roughly brought to his souljam, palm pressed against it. “We are one of the same, you and i. Your change brings about destruction which rivals my own, be forever by my side and we will never be questioned.”

Eternal sugar

🌷 - The garden was like sound bouncing off a wall and back at her. Every little change, addition, subtraction she felt. So when something had substantial wormed its way in, silently under the cloak of the night, she was determined to find it.

🌷 - The day after the arrival of this quiet trespasser, she called a gathering. It wasn’t direct, she simply brought out luxurious snacks and cushions to a clearing and invited all her angels to relax. In the murmurs of conversation and the gentle eating and drinking, she saw you. Directionless, looking at the others to figure out what to do and avoiding her gaze. At first, she wanted to corner you in isolation, question who you were as a sickeningly sweet smell attached to you, then watch you run off into the woods knowing your fate. But as she watched you, socially awkward and honestly acting like a confused little animal, she had second thoughts.

🌷 - You were in a small group of angels, stiffly standing and fidgeting subtly with your hands. The conversation did not include you, you were just there to seem like you were supposed to be here, in actuality you were just wearing a mask. You meant these angels no harm, in all honesty these people gave you a weird feeling. You planned to leave once the cake hound packs had migrated away, as tempting as it was to stay in this paradise.

🌷 - “Are you enjoying the food?” A voice appears behind you and a soft hand is placed on your shoulder, sending a shiver up your spine. The angels in the circle you were in turn to the cookie behind you and smile, hum and nod. You force a smile on your face and nod with them despite the lurching fear in your stomach. She gently laughs, you can see the shadow her massive wings bobbing as she does. “Everything is attuned to your desires, you will always get what you deserve~…” She speaks, her hand slowly leaving your shoulder. You catch a glimpse of her leaving, she was looking at you right back. You had to leave tonight.

🌷 - Night could not have arrived sooner, once darkness settles and all the angels were fast asleep, lounging on comfy pillows. You’re sneaky, while you weren’t good at talking with other cookies you were a survivor. You stayed quiet, scentless, occasionally changing small parts of your form to make getting around quick and easy. You then get to the end, the wall. Before you could even walk out of the tree line towards it, you watch Eternal Sugar walk in your path, she must have been on a stroll. She spotted you, but instead of acting suspicious she spoke as if they were upset.

🌷 - “Little Angel, why ever would you be wondering this late?~ Only an unhappy mind works in the dark,” she spoke like poisoned honey. Her hands out as if gesturing them closer. She saw the unnatural way the moon caught in your eyes, like how a wolfs eyes glint in the light. But you still walked closer, worry etched on your face. “Just… clearing my head,” you replied head slightly downturned. Even through the facade she could see your fear, your need to change yourself to survive, you would turn down heaven to re-enter hell and now she understood who you were.

🌷- She brings you closer, pushing hair from your face and wiping away dirt. She has already decided you’re in need of her help, not extermination. She takes you with her on her stroll, talking to you like you were another angel who was just having a rough day but she knew the truth. You, of course, knew that you were stuck, reading between the lines you knew she was now watching you under the guise you were unhappy in a realm of happiness and she would have to keep an eye out.

🌷- The longer you stay, the more docile you become. At any touch in the past, fangs would grow in your mouth and spikes would shoot from your body to ward away whoever unfortunate enough to be close. You used to jump from cliff to cliff, tree to tree, soar among clouds but now you sat comfortably next to Eternal Sugar cookie in the garden.

🌷-You were aware you had forgotten who you were, and she was too. She knew when she saw your wings slowly turn pink at the ends with upside down hearts on the flight feathers you were hers. She knew when she leaned in to kiss you and saw streaks of pink in your hair you were now domesticated. You were happy now, just as long as you never remembered how freedom tasted and only how sweet happiness did.

Shadow Milk

🃏 - You’re not sure how you came to be, but when preforming tricks for coins and scraps of food you always said you were born from a powerful witch mixing a rare dough that has never been used since, making you one of a kind. That very well may be true, but no one was certain, you seemed to act like it was.

🃏 - Shadow Milk loved himself some entertainment, so when he heard two cookies chatting about a rare shapeshifting cookie who preformed tricks for coins he snuck away in the form of a little villager and made his way to the town where he saw you nimbly shifting from mouse to elephant, then as someone tossed a coin you turned into a hound, balancing it on your nose as it spun, earning applause from the small crowd. After that most seemed to depart, he took the chance to come talk to you.

🃏 - He approached the front of the crowd which was beginning to die a bit more. “My, My what magic you have!” He says puting on his best amazed voice as you turn back into a cookie and stuff coins in your pocket putting on a smirk. “Its not magic, its just me. You’ll never find another like i,” Then you promptly mirror his disguise, “who can become another like you!”

🃏 - He was sold to say the least, he knew he needed you as a performer, to cause chaos and spread lies on his behalf. So he speaks, grinning widely “how charming! I know someone who is looking for performers, perhaps i can put in a good word?” You respond with a hesitant look but he pulls out a bag of coins, clinking loudly and you respond eagerly “where and when?” He gives you directions to the spire, though he framed it as a different location as to not scare you away or make you realize who you were talking to.

🃏 - The next day you venture out, only motivated by the jingle of coins in your mind. Strangely, the world seems more and more disjointed the further you travel. Soon you arive at a mighty spire surrounded by a courtyard and the realization hits that you were lured in. You begin to walk away but that same bag of coins is dropped in front of you some distance away, you look up to see The Master of Deceit sitting on a limb grinning ear to ear.

🃏 - You’re fearful, the first thing you do is beg for mercy which he just laughs and hangs off the tree by one of his feet. When you finally quiet he makes his offer, you be his performer and he’ll give you all the bag and you’d get to live in the spire. “You’re already so, so good at lying so its not like you’re going into this with no experience!” He’d say. You hadn’t heard of this occurring before but the offer was too tempting to pass up, you take him up on the offer. You realize soon after the bag is filled with pyrite(fools gold), unfortunately you are unable to back out.

🃏 - You become quite adjusted to the nature of the spire and its inhabitants. The same way you always changed, it did as well. Shadow Milk seemed to always have something to do with you or for you much to Candy Apple’s displeasure. If you weren’t carrying out a plan for him or planning the next one you were beside him, or watching him preform, or preforming with him. He had all sorts of characters for you to play, but his all time favorite was the love interest, of course he always plays the main character. Over time, the characters you played seemed to follow you into your normal forms. You began to match the rest of your group even when you were just resting, mostly Shadow Milk.

🃏- “You know if you want to take inspiration from the most handsome cookie to ever grace earth bread, you’re going to have to give me a little credit!” He says, laying beside you on striped pillows beneath a mini circus tent. Poking at some eye markings in your dough and combing through your hair icing to find blueberry colored streaks.

[cookie-lore-keeper]

Cookie Run Biology 101: Bread Cookies

Bread cookies are cookies who have a large amount of bread in their dough. While technically wheat, Breads have their own section in biology (which is closely tied to pastries).

Bread is an ingredient that has many forms so, depending on the bread used to bake the cookie, the cookie can come out very differently. As an example, Baguette Cookie has harder outer layer of bread on her dough due to the hard outer layer of baguettes, while Cloud Haeate Cookie (whose dough contains Steamed rice buns) is softer and squishier.

But, there are some things that bread cookies each have in common. For one, their dough contains more yeast than the average cookie, to the point that their yeast spores are actually present when checking their ingredients (the yeast spores on other cookies are so small that they're not even counted as an ingredient). Their dough also contains water, which isn't present much in other cookies.

Phenotype-wise, bread cookies often have frosting (hair) made out of bread or has the texture of bread (Croissant Cookie as an example for frosting made out of bread and Marble Bread Cookie as an example for cookie's whose frosting feels like bread). It also tends to have more natural bread colors as well, which is why so many of them have brown, yellow, or white frosting. Their dough usually ranges from dark browns to medium browns, though there are always exceptions. The eyecing for bread cookies are usually more natural colors as well, which is why so many of them have brown, orange, or yellow eyecing.

Despite its similarities, breads and pastries aren't considered the same because pastry cookies are more sugary and often lack yeast.

[bbywtfamidoing]

My brain is infected so yours should also be infected. (If you want to count this as an idea or a request PLEASE feel free but I also just really wanna share) sorry if it’s kinda long

Smosh doing like a really big charity stream, it's like 24 hour sleepover themed and Damien's there and reader is like crew or something and at one point they all decide to play a brand new game on live, that the reader is like OBSESSED with, but reader is also kind of insecure about talking about there hyper-fixations/infodumping/feel like they talk to much and are annoying or something so they have a hard time talking about there interests with others, but Damien is perceptive like that (He’s so in love with them it’s unfair) so he knows they at the very least like, and have played the game before so they invite her over to sit and play on stream with them and she sits next to Damien and they both end up just geeking out all night while playing and reader tries to like apologize and be like ‘im sorry if I talk to much about this you can just tell me to shut up if you need to haha’ and Damien’s like ‘no I like listening to you talk, this is great’ and eventually everyone else is like ‘nah man youre commentary is actually making this game make WAY more sense lol’ and eventually at some point as it gets later reader is the cuddly affectionate, giggly type of tired and ends up falling asleep on Damien and Damien’s like 😮 “what do I do??” L

they're both crushing on each other so hard but neither of them have said anything and they’re both so comfy and cozy and pretty and cute in their PJs and it’s so fluffy and cute and PDBSOBFLABDOSBCONS

I am unwell. Thank you for listening <3

You’re so real for this- and my friend I’ve done it. I may continue this at some point but I’ll post what I have here!! Hope you enjoy!!!

When they found out that The Last of Us was being played it was chaos at Smosh, so as soon as they were approached about being apart of the stream to help with parts that they could get stuck in- they were all in. Jacked in and ready to play, Shane and Spencer sat with Courtney and Damien and you sat together and eventually Amanda arrived to set with drinks for all. The games screen was on and the animation of a old broken down window with a curtain blowing in the wind, it was time to play and Damien held the controller as it started snd the subtitles were on screen as Amanda watched intently, with a quirked eyebrow as she processed the introduction to the fireflies. Now what the part they were all waiting for, the story- but Amanda asked questions consistently “Actually, it’s not a normal zombie outbreak like walking dead! It’s based off of a strange fugus called Cordyceps that kills bugs and basically eats at their brain so that the fungus can basically shoot out spores to spread it quicker. But any and all bread products is where the outbreak began-“ they paused and felt their face flush at the explosion of information

They seemed to go quiet as the game started, playing as Sarah as she woke up at the phone ringing. Shane carefully moved to joystick as he was prompted to, Courtney looked at them “Hey- we don’t mind you know? It gives us more story to follow.” They smiled at the other and nodded “thank you Court.” Damien carefully set a hand on their arm “I like hearing you talk about stuff you enjoy.” He spoke softly as they leaned forward and watched the screen intently.

Some time passed as Shane panicked and played Joel as he ran with Sarah in his arms after the car accident, You made quick work of explaining where to go so he didn’t get killed fast- he screamed at the Q to E and shoved the zombie away.

A group all speaking quickly and getting nervous as they were shoved into the bar by Tommy as he made his way around the bar to meet them. Making quick work as they ran down the hill and the SWAT officer yelled, quickly you sat up and watched the scene intently. Knowing exactly what was going to happen as Damien watched as the screaming and yelling at the screen began- Shane’s mouth hung open as Courtney leaned against him with a hand over their mouth

Tears in others eyes over the scene, as it lead to the screen the load into the game. Quickly you picked up “They had to retake this scene so many times that Hana Hayes the actress- who was 14 at the time of doing mo-cap was emotionally exhausted by the end of it. Oh! And the actor that voices- Joel voiced by Troy Baker was the youngest to audition for his role!” Damien nodded as he listened intently and Courtney smiled “That’s impressive work though- I think if I was alone I’d be sobbing-“ they chuckled softly wiping at their eyes as Spencer rubbed their back to console them.

A few hours in and the stream was getting pretty long at this point, you did your best to keep your eyes open but being around friends always made you feel safe and comfortable as you leaned against Damien who happily let you and hummed, after about another 30 minutes the stream was getting set hi to focus on another group and Damien moved to look at you and paused “Uh- are they asleep?” He didn’t wanna risk waking them up and quirked an eyebrow up as Courtney nodded and Shane covered his mouth “I was wondering where the facts and stuff went- we’re kinda keeping me off edge playing.” You heard them talking about you and groaned as you shifted and wrapped an arm around Damien and rolled your eyes “You guys suck-“ you huff and look up to see Damien looking down at you with a soft smile as you nuzzled against his chest to hide from his gaze and force the flush from your face to go away. Shane laughed and Courtney playfully ‘awed’ as Damien wrapped his arm around you “This is bullying-“ he joked and you chuckled as you sat up “We can play more later- it’s past my bedtime I’m such an old man.” The stream moved over to Angela, Arasha, Noah, Kieth, Ian and Anthony. Thy were playing the Quiet game and Ian was holding the noodle and had the blindfold on since he won the last pit challenge game.

The gaming group went to go get food and get into comfy clothes quickly, Damien in a baggy Smosh Tee-shirt and pajama pants, you in a tank top and a purple fuzzy sweatshirt that had bunny ears attached at the hood with matching pajama shorts. He saw you and his smile brightened for a moment but as soon as you look at him his gaze quickly moved away as he ignore the heat in his cheeks at just how cute you looked. You watched him for a few moments and approached him and playfully poked his chest “Hope I don’t look to ridiculous.” You chuckled as Courtney, Spencer and Shane came out in onesies- Eeyore (Shane, it was the biggest one they could find that wouldn’t rip at the seams) , Winnie the Pooh (Spencer, cause I mean come on) and Piglet (Courtney cause they knew they could make it match their makeup for the day.)

Shane moved forward and looked at you “Hey, your stealin Spencer’s vibe!” He teased softly as you turned and squinted at him and poked his chest “Fucker- I look more like Bonnie then I do any Winnie the Pooh character.” You huffed dramatically as Courtney saw you “Yes! Bonnie core!”

[twi-liight]

Sooo. You just posted Petty Jealousy 20 mins ago and I just wanted to say that I loveeee itttt. Can we please have more? Like Astarion and the other companions subtly do somethings to the person they’re jealous of to turn them away from Tav.

Tav’s companions are just sooo cutee when they’re jealous. Wyll and perhaps, Halsin being the only sensible ones.

Thank you!

Red With Envy ❣

The YA love heptagon of the century: Tavrem. ❥ Astarion/Tav, Gale/Tav, Lae'zel/Tav, Companions/Tav. It's Gale/Astarion if you squint. ❥ They/them pronouns for Tav. ❥ Tav is the nickname for the reader/oc insert. Their real name is up to you! ❥ PREVIOUS CHAPTER

Astarion would never beseech himself to touch a member of the working class, but things change. People change. And here he is draping an arm around Gale’s shoulders to boldly declare his presence upon the rickety, wooden table. 

“Oh.” Blink blink. Gale gawks with round eyes, then not-so-discreetly glances away from Astarion’s heavy gaze to the only present company at the table: salted bread with thick slices of white cheese, anchovies, and sop for the bread. This sorry excuse of a presentation must be breakfast, which begs the question- Is Gale’s blood so blue that he cannot skip a meal or is he trying to make a favorable impression? 

Astarion would much prefer the former. It means he does not need to scrub his hands raw from the filth of peasants after this interaction.

“Uh, good morning, Astarion.” 

“Mm?” He flashes his fangs to grin. “A good morning indeed, my friend. How lovely the dawn breaks over the horizon, but with no one to share the scenery with! I pitied you, and out of the kindness of my heart, opted to join you.” 

Alright, enough touching. Astarion draws his arm back to poise a curled hand beneath his chin, glancing over Gale’s face in a vain attempt to study him. “Well-combed hair. Your posture,” he raises his hand to gesture at the wizard, “is much cleaner than yesterday. You’re practically glowing with morning dew, and…”

Here, he leans forward, just enough so that his nose lingers on the curve of Gale’s neck, just so his hot breath hits his skin as he murmurs, “You smell like Tav.” 

This greedy bastard slept in their tent last night because he caught some sickness from meandering about gaseous spores, and Tav cannot ignore the needy. Would that Gale be some beggar on the road and not an accomplished wizard with a higher emotional maturity than he.  

Astarion would be more comforted if he was a one night stand, a quick romp for the leader of their party to take the edge off. But anything beyond that is sabotage for his best-laid plans. 

Astarion’s smirk curls as deep, roiling darkness tug at his mind. He leans back slowly, never breaking eye contact. “They let you sleep in their tent. What a darling.” While they slept by the fire, ash and dirt swirling in their hair, Gale was embraced in Tav’s blankets and scarves. The lingering scent of something floral sticks on his skin, and Astarion recognizes it as the oleander Shadowheart presented Tav a fortnight ago. 

Gale smells something else: rusty and metallic, like the smell of a storm brewing. Has Astarion’s eyes deepened in color, like wine? His tongue feels heavy in his mouth all of a sudden. “Yes,” he agrees, thinking of Tav for some semblance of comfort. “I was sick, and they offered their tent for the night. More blankets, they said. Easier to be warm in - look, Astarion, do you have a problem with my friendship with Tav?” 

The laugh that pushes its way forcibly out of his sneering lips is sharp and mocking. Something burns in his chest, and it feels like seething anger. “My, that’s a strong word. I would say acquaintance is more befitting of your,” Astarion gestures to Gale once more, fighting back a scowl, “station. You’ve known Tav for barely a few months - they’re not quick to brand just anyone as a friend.” 

“Is that right?” Gale’s brown eyes spark with challenge. What a doll. Finally got his spine. “I ought to wonder how you befriended them, then. Anyone with half a mind knows your shenanigans are acts of desperation; you want them to like you so you can manipulate them. I know your type, Astarion.” 

“And you… You, what, you are not? You’re using Tav just as much as I am, darling. Otherwise, what are you here for? Companionship? Ha!” Astarion does not know why, but his entire being is alight. As if the sun’s rays are scorching him. He can barely contain his temper, barking out between sharp teeth, “Get a grip.” 

Gale is hardly fazed. “You’re delusional. Whatever threat you think I present to you?” He lifts his chin, eyes alight with power and rage. “Confront it. Dig your grave. Lie in it. While you’re busy lurking in the shadows, waiting for the opportune moment to dance them around your little games, guess where I will be?” 

Silent, seething anger. It burns. Astarion’s eyes are blown wide with rage as he gazes into Gale’s eyes, digging his nails into his palm as his fingers wrap around the hilt of his dagger. 

“There to catch them when they realize everything you’ve done is just an act.” Gale leans forward this time, a warning blazing in his brown eyes. “Think whatever you wish of me, Astarion, but never in your life think I would never fight for those I cherish.” 

Cherish. Astarion almost sinks his teeth in his throat to shut him up. “Good,” he purrs, fighting every urge not to massacre Gale where he sits with his dingy little breakfast. “I would be sorely disappointed if you succumbed too easily to me.” 

This would be so much easier if Astarion didn’t care about losing Gale, either. If he must concede, Astarion can admit to himself and the Devil alone that Gale is beyond useful in battle. Herald of the Weave, Mystra’s little boytoy? He would be endeared to watch Gale’s story end. Whether it be in smithereens or in the bosom of his former goddess, it will be fun to watch. 

Something in the back of his mind gnaws at his anxiety that Gale will be the one to turn Tav against him. This pretty little fool never wanted him in the party, wary of him, which is the smart thing to do. Tav was not. Tav was too easy to trust him. To easy to ply around his fingers until he had them even offer up their blood. 

He resents Gale for making space in their heart. It could have been his. 

“The dawn rises as I do: strong, and watching over two bread boys exchanging heated words like knives.” Lae’zel’s voice, sleek and smooth, startles them. Gale visibly jolts away from his proximity to Astarion’s face, brown eyes widening as Lae’zel approaches the table. She takes one gander at the spread, grabs a fistful of anchovies, and shoves it down her mouth without care. 

“You,” Gale stammers. “That was for–” 

“Silence. Githyanki must feed well to prepare for the new day. I will not hear your incoherent mumbling, wizard.” Lae’zel at least has the decency to chew with her mouth closed. She gulps the food, grips her fingers around Gale’s mug of watered down wine, and downs it with a tilt of her head. 

Astarion pouts. “We were having a moment, dearest Lae’zel. Now, I love to tease Gale as much as you, but it is my turn to press on Gale’s pretty little nerves until he explodes. He does not need to be,” he flares a hand out to Lae’zel, who is still downing the disgusting concoction with impressive concentration, “hounded.”

Gale looks confused. Astarion thinks that is not a state he often experiences. “Thank you?” 

And now he’s grateful? Astarion regrets his string of words in the last five seconds. They should go back to fighting.

Lae’zel slams the mug down on the table, perishing the rest of Astarion’s train of thought. She wipes the drink from her lips with her arm, thinks for a second, then nods, resilience plain in her expression. “I must warn you: distractions outside of our goal will be our end. I will not fail to cut either of you down if you produce disappointing results. However.”

There’s a ‘however’? Gale and Astarion exchange a glance, the animosity between them gone, replaced with more confusion. “I think you may be misunderstanding,” Gale begins. “Astarion and I-” 

“You two are lovers,” Lae’zel says with the confidence of a thousand burning suns. Astarion has never wished for that to be more true. He wants to be eviscerated where he sits right now because he cannot pick up his jaw from the ground. 

Gale looks like he just swallowed a rat. Like he is seconds away from throwing up. He needs a moment, experiencing vicious whiplash from wanting to kill Astarion to now, wanting to kill Lae’zel. “You— huh.”

“I support this companionship,” nods the githyanki sagely. 

“You are a bloody fool.” 

“No. I am efficient. Two of my enemies have been wiped off the playing field, which means there is less competition.” Hands on her hips, Lae’zel looks at the campgrounds proudly. “Make love to each other loudly.” She jerks her head over her shoulder, a sneer twisting her sharp features as she looks at them. “Try to drown out my name from Tav’s lips tonight, for I will be taking their hand and heart.” 

No fucking way. An oversight on his part. How could he have been so blind? Of course Tav is desired, not just by him or Gale, but by everyone else in the damn camp! This is much more troublesome than he realized. Fine, then. He should prioritize the rational thinkers like Wyll, Gale, Shadowheart and– oh, Karlach. Not darling Karlach. She would never turn Tav against him, would he? 

Fine. Halsin and Lae’zel can go first. 

“Momentary truce?” Gale offers. 

“You read my mind, handsome. Lae’zel, darling! Come back over here - we just want to talk.” 

❥ Additional links: kofi | ao3

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Mushrooms

The edible parts of fungi are the fruiting bodies that are produced very dramatically by huge spreading masses of mycelia, which draw their nutrients as parasites from roots and decaying vegetation.

BAY BOLETUS (Boletus badius)

Usually found in woodlands, this fungus is pale to brown in colour.

Has light yellow pores on the underside and these stain blue if damaged.

The flesh also stains a bluish colour when cut and smells very mushroomy.

The stalk has no frills but is smooth from base to cap.

Can be stored by slicing and drying or flash freezing.

They taste fine raw when sliced and make great soup.

SHAGGY INK CAP (Coprinus comatus)

Very common but distinctive mushroom.

Easy to identify with its egg-shaped shaggy cap.

Often grows on newly disturbed ground in large clusters.

The cap is covered with beautiful white scales and there is no veil on the stem when the cap opens to a bell shape with a dark black underside.

Need to be young and fresh to make good eating.

Shaggy ink caps make a wonderful mushroom soup.

These mushrooms do not store well, so they are best used fresh.

GIANT PUFFBALL (Langermannia gigantea)

Can grow to 80 cm diameter.

The huge white ball of a giant puffball is not hard to identify.

Must be used young before the spores have time to develop and the insects have time to take their share.

Slice them up like rump steak to cook them.

By themselves they have little flavour, but fried quickly with a little bacon they are delicious.

HORSE MUSHROOM (Agaricus arvensis)

Can be found on old pastures that has been grazed by horses or cattle.

Has a slight aniseed smell and does not shrivel up when cooked.

Just beware you don’t over-indulge if you are lucky enough in these times of chemical farming to find a crop of these.

The cap of the horse mushroom may be yellowy in colour, but be careful not to confuse it with the “yellow stainer” fungus, which will make you ill.

CHANTERELLE (Cantharellus cibarius)

May be found in woodland clearings.

Seasoned mushroom hunters will keep their locations a close secret as they tend to grow in the same places each year.

Are fairly small – up to 4 inches (10 cm) across but usually smaller – with a distinctive yellow colour and a slight smell of apricots.

The caps become like small, fluted trumpets as they age and the gills are heavy, irregular and run down the stems.

Best stored in good olive oil or in spiced alcohol.

PARASOL (Macrolepiota procera)

Usually found in open fields and has large brown scales in a symmetrical pattern around a pronounced central bump.

The cap can grow up to 10 inches (25 cm) across and the gills are white.

The stem is long and tough with a large ring around it.

Will dry well for storage.

Make a delicious dish by dipping pieces of the parasol in batter and deep frying.

PENNY BUN (Boletus edulis)

Also known as the “cep” mushroom and is a great prize for the mushroom hunter, as it has an unusual nutty flavour.

Found in woodland or sometimes in heather with dwarf willows, the “cep” can grow quite large – over 2 pounds (1 kg) in weight.

When picking, cut the cap in half to check for maggots. These work their way up through the stems.

Its cap looks just like freshly baked bread.

The colour darkens as the mushroom ages.

The underside will have yellow pores, not gills.

The stem is bulbous and solid white with brown stripey flecks.

Stores well if dried in thin slices.

HONEY FUNGUS (Armillaria mellea)

This yellowy-brown fungus is a tree-killer – but highly edible for humans.

The active part of the fungus is a black cord-like rhizomorph that covers huge areas under the soil and seeks out trees, which it destroys.

Normally grows straight out from trees and stumps, usually in large clumps.

The flesh is white and smells strong and sweet.

The gills vary from off-white to brown and the stalks are tough, often fused together at the base and with a white, cotton-like ring below the cap.

The caps become tough if you dry them so it’s best to freeze.

ORANGE PEEL (Aleuria aurantia)

An extraordinary, brightly coloured and very striking fungus.

Found commonly in large clumps in grassland on bare earth from autumn to early winter. The caps soon become wavy and are of fairly robust texture.

Quite small – up to 2 inches (5 cm) across – the fungus is bright orange on top and a lighter shade on the velvety underside.

These store well if dried.

WOOD MUSHROOM (Agaricus silvicola)

Only found in woodland.

A more delicate version of its close relative, the horse mushroom.

Does not grow out of a volval bag like the death cap and its gills are pink to brown in colour, not white.

The flesh does not discolour when cut and the smell is of a slight aniseed.

The cap is a creamy-yellow colour that darkens as it ages and is smaller than the horse mushroom, growing to only 4 inches (10 cm).

THE PRINCE (Agaricus augustus)

Resembles a stocky version of the parasol.

Grows up to 10 inches (25 cm) wide and is found in woodland.

The top is flecked with brownish scales.

The gills are off-white when young, turning dark brown with age.

The flesh is strong white and smells of mushroom.

The stem is very strong and often scaly with a large floppy ring under the cap – it is too tough to make good eating unless cooked in stews.

It has a strong flavour and can be frozen or dried for excellent winter meals.

FIELD MUSHROOM (Agaricus campestris)

Undoubtedly the best known of all mushrooms, before the days of chemical farming whole fields would be covered by the prolific field mushroom.

Get up early after a hot summer spell has been followed by rain to pick.

The silky white caps grow up to 4–5 inches (10–12 cm), the gills are pink, and the smell mushroomy.

The ring around the stems is very fragile and often missing.

Maggots can be a problem – check older specimens by cutting through the stems.

Can be stored by flash freezing or drying.

WHERE TO LOOK

You will always harvest your best specimens early in the morning. Fungi grow in a wide variety of places, but they will not tolerate chemical fertilizers or sprays.

They say it will take 20 years for the horse mushroom to appear in grassland after the use of chemicals has been stopped.

In fact, the majority of edible fungi grow in the proximity of woodland and many have close symbiotic relationships with particular tree roots.

But wild grassland does always produce an excellent crop of fungi every autumn and you will find each season’s crop in similar places to the previous year’s.

WHAT TO AVOID

There is probably no need to warn you of the fly agaric, as this bright red and white spotted fungus is so well known.

The most dangerous of all fungi is the death cap (Amanita phalloides).

A single death cap contains enough toxins to kill several people:

Usually it grows in woodland, particularly with oak trees. It can vary in colour, being similar in size to a field mushroom, but its characteristic features are white gills on the underside and a “volval” bag at the base. Any fungi growing from a “volval” bag are best left well alone for many are poisonous.

A death cap has white spores, not brown like most edible mushrooms.

Another mushroom to avoid is the “yellow stainer”, easily confused with field or horse mushrooms:

It has the distinctive feature of turning bright yellow when bruised or cut. It also smells rather like disinfectant.

NOTE. There is no easy way to determine whether a fungus is toxic just by looking at it. You should never ingest any unknown fungi. Fungal fruiting bodies can be picked out of the planter pot and thrown in the trash if there is a concern that pets or young children could ingest them.

Sources: 1 2 ⚜ Writing Notes & References ⚜ Food History

[mogruith]

OC Questions

Thanks for tagging me in your original post @ratchsellsfornax!! I also enjoyed your posting the answers to these for Micah! It took me a bit with a busy weekend and start to the work-week but I've finally ironed it out.

Anyway, on to the blabbing about my baby boy, Coranzan.

👕Appearance 7. Is there someone your character tries to look similar to?

Not exactly in looks per se, but Coranzan was inspired in many ways by a human bard lay-worshipper of Eilistraee he met while training as Cleric of Eilistraee, based loosely on my oldest OC and account namesake, Mog Ruith. He mentored Coranzan while he was in Clerical training and cheered him up with the grandest tales of romance and adventure, introducing him to many foreign concepts that would consume Coran to understand. It changed Coranzan from being somewhat dismayed about living on the surface to inspired and embracing of it.

📦Objects 14. Is there an item your character is embarrassed they own or want?

Coranzan has done a LOT of writing. And lot of it was frankly terrible until he received some of the aforementioned mentoring. Although he doesn't travel with them, his Waterdeep family home contains a chest full of many of his early drafts in attempting to write. They range from over-the-top ballads to cheesy puppy love letters. He keeps them with a mix of pride and embarrassment.

🍽️Food and Drink 10. What is a childhood meal your character cherishes?

As a common Menzoberranyr, he didn't have access to any rich foods, so nothing that would sound particularly special. But a simple bit of spore bread sweetened with the jam of cave vine grapes would be as a fancy and tasty dessert to him.

🌤️Weather and Nature 2. Has your character had a meaningful encounter with an animal?

Nothing terribly meaningful, but some of the rare still moments Coranzan enjoyed were when he was made to sit quietly and listen to the night - a challenge for someone constantly on the move. When given the time to focus and decompress, the sounds of night-singing songbirds (blackbirds, mockingbirds, nightingales, etc) would catch his attention the most. They would occasionally end up in some of his songs and poems, sometimes appearing as characters in his fictional ballads. During the quieter evenings, he loved to imagine the tales they could be telling in their songs.

🤝Community and Relationships 3. How comfortable would your character be singing and dancing in front of others?

Coranzan has always been a bard first and foremost in his heart, despite all the other life changes he's ever made. Since he was a sprog, he's his happiest with an audience and loves to perform. And true to his insufferable ego, he's quite proud of his form and knows he cuts a striking figure when he dances, so he engages in it at every chance.

💓Mind, Body and Soul 19. Are there scents your character dislikes?

Stealing this answer from another ask: The smell of exhaust and lubricants from machines and mechanical constructs like the Steel Watch. Coran hadn't encountered very many of these kind of creatures before, but encountering so many in Baldur's Gate resulted in a strong dislike of the smell.

🎲 Hobbies and Activities 3. What is a talent your character wishes they had?

Coranzan wishes he had a talent for comprehending mathematical concepts and solving such problems quickly. If it can't be understood intuitively, and has any abstractness to it at all, he can't envision the concept and make sense of it. Numbers, generally, give him a lot of trouble. He admires those who can seemingly do it all in their heads.

No pressure tagging @moriarfer @pavusprince @majorasnightmare @arach-tinilith @hootshooligan @the-weeping-dawn @albweado @mystxmomo @lutethebodies @nemo-of-house-hamartia @autisticdrizzt @bloodsol94 for whatever OC and fandom you feel these questions would fit best with!

If you are dying to talk about your OCs and we're mutuals, please don't feel shy about doing this and tagging me. I am nosey and love to read and reblog about other people's OCs.