#grass and normal mushroom

[gallifreyanconsultingphilosopher]

Saw these big ol' mushrooms as I was leaving work earlier. Were almost as big as my foot, and I wear a women's size 9. Not sure about what kind it is, I find fungi to be finicky when it comes to appearance. Almost as challenging as identifying grasses, to me at least.

[shirogane-oushirou]

gonna continue to puzzle over specifics when i'm forcing myself to go offline LMAO but. poke.mon au!!

ren started his journey in kalos with a froakie, but didn't get far because 1) he wasn't actually that interested in battling, 2) he preferred photographing and studying the things and places he saw, and 3) his parents were pressuring him to do something else because his efforts could be "put to better use" elsewhere.

now he's working alongside many others across the world to find new medicinal and therapeutic purposes for various poke.mon (his focus of course being in fungus-based poke.mon + various kinds of spores). he's also skilled at treating spore-based illnesses. his current team helps him in his studies.

i just kinda gave my s/i the team i like when i'm playing the games (aside from scolipede, though i DO have a shiny scolipede that i love hehe). my initial idea was "ro gets through most of the johto league before getting into an accident that cuts their career short" but like. lbr. i've never been the adventuring type LMAO SLAJDNKJN, i've been a gamer and art kid since i was itty bitty, and any time outside was spent looking at cool plants and sticks and shit.

so while my team here was going to have a lugia in place of scolipede, i just don't think that makes sense. nah, more likely, i can imagine starting in johto with cyndaquil as a starter, mareep and magikarp as early catches, realizing the league isn't For Me, and moving to coumarine in kalos with family. once there, i could travel to places around lumiose and catch a venipede, be rescued by a gengar (based on a dream. as usual for me lol.)...

and i'm still working out the How, but i wuv sawk and need him on the team. i do get in some kind of accident at some point, so maybe he could help me-- actually that might work out sdkjkj i played b&w (and developed a surprising affection for sawk) just a couple of years before becoming ill, so it would Kinda Work with the irl timeline??? hmmmm!

but the basic idea is just: ren's passing through coumarine while on his way to one of the surrounding routes for his research. i'm drawing some pastel landscapes by the waterside, as a way to get some fresh air. i catch his attention, he starts up a conversation, and find we have quite a bit in common! and even though he has to go, he finds excuses to pass through the area more often... :3c just kind of "what if we were both Normal (tm) but also there were poke.mon?" lmao.

[aquinnix]

“The sky’s a beautiful shade of green today!” Tango’s expression dropped, noting the confused look on Mumbo’s face. He replayed his previous words in his mind. He was just trying to make small talk. Had he said something bad? There were so many Overworldly expressions and swears that it was nearly impossible to keep track of them all. 

“Blue.” Mumbo spoke slowly. “The sky is blue, not green.” At the notice of Tango’s own confusion, Mumbo went from correction to explanation. “Green is like the colour of grass or leaves. Blue is things like water or in this case, the sky.” 

Tango looked down at the grass, then back up at the sky. Their colours certainly weren't the same, but they looked pretty similar in Tango’s eyes. Both were akin to the colour of warped mushrooms. Wasn’t the common for that green? Still, he took Mumbo’s word for it. “Blue.” Tango repeated the word a few times, trying to get it to stick in his mind. 

Mumbo frowned slightly, then smiled. “I guess there’s not much of either in the Nether is there?” Tango shook his head. “Just a whole lot of red.” Mumbo chuckled. 

Tango put his hands on his hips, getting slightly defensive. “There’s more than just red! There’s crimson and scarlet and maroon and…” Tango continued to list all the wonderful colours the Nether had to offer, sometimes tripping over the common and sometimes just saying the nether words for them instead. 

Mumbo listened intently, waiting for him to finish. Then… “That’s just a bunch of red mate.” 

The flames on Tango’s head grew bright. He took a breath, and they began to die down again as he made a series of squeaking noises. “Says the guy with a different word for blue and green! I knew the Overworld was weird but…” Tango couldn’t help but laugh at how flustered Mumbo was getting. 

“I’m not weird!” Mumbo smiled despite how insulted his words seemed. “You're the one from a dimension full of walking pigs!” 

“I never said you were weird. I said the Overworld was weird. And your pigs walk too! That is a very normal thing for things to do.” Tango took a few exaggerated steps. 

“That’s not what I–” Mumbo deflated slightly, realizing he was not going to win this argument. 

Tango shook his hand out a bit, making sure he wouldn’t burn Mumbo before putting that hand on his shoulder. “Do you want to finish this farm or not?” Tango laughed. 

Mumbo looked up at him. “Yes please. Pass me that bag of redstone?” 

Tango began to reach for the bag, then froze mid action, the widest grin of all plastered on his face, showing off his pointed teeth. “Don’t you mean the scarlet-stone?”

Mumbo let out an exasperated sigh. Not even a second later, they both doubled over with laughter. 

[sparklystarrrr]

Hi! I was wondering if you could do a little thing where Jade is talking with reader then something comes flying over (maybe from the disaster duo or spelldrive) and she is just knocked the fuck out.

Bonk!

Synopsis: You get knocked out by a fucking broomstick.

Contains: Jade L. x Fem! Reader, straight crack (anon this made me cackle idek what im writing), romantic/platonic, Jade being his nerdy self, some cursing

Gym was grueling. I had zero idea how to fly a broomstick so participating in that was basically a no go. I had no magic so a broomstick wouldn’t just start flying whenever I tried. It was kinda disappointing I couldn’t use magic, but I guess that’s what happens when you get thrown into a world with magic, right?

Luckily in gym though while I was boiling out in the sun, I had close friends to keep me company. Even more lucky, I had Jade with me, and he was a bit wearing of flying a broomstick like all the other Octavinelle students. He was always a joy to be around! He jogged towards me as the class had begun,”(y/n)! I see you’re standing idly by. Would it be alright for me to join you?” He smiled softly.

“Yeah of course!” It was almost calming talking to Jade. Sure he was super ominous and lowkey scary sometimes, but off the Mostro Lounge job he was just kinda… normal? Well, not completely normal, he was still spooky and mysterious. But he would dabble in his hobbies more. Almost every time we found each other in conversation he’d report about his new mushroom findings. Today was like no other.

“There is a new poisonous fungus I must inform you about. Trichoderma cornu-damae, also known as the poisonous fire coral. As the name entails, it has a similar appearance to bright orange coral found in the Coral Sea. Quite interesting!” He said with delight absolutely radiating off him. It was sorta spooky how he had such an interest for the deadly mushrooms roaming around the wonderland. I wonder… does he use those on misbehaving students during contract signing? ‘Scary’… I shuddered at the thought. I noticed all the students flying overhead in the sky. I giggled to myself at the Heartslabyul freshman who was absolutely out of control on his broomstick. He looked kinda familiar though… Blue hair and everything…

“It is part of the—“ BONK

“Ack!—“Oh great. Right at my head. The rickety Heartslabyul student flew straight into my head.

The student, now identified as Deuce, straight up panicked while I laid on the grass, completely out. “AGH FUCK I HIT HER!!! Holy shit what do I do oh my sevens oh my sevens oh my sevensss……” Jade was flabbergasted. He was quietly shocked while picking me up slowly. His hands were under my arms while he laid me over his shoulder. “I’ll have (y/n) go to the nurse. We should get her there quickly.” He said to Deuce.

Poor freshie was still shaking in his boots from the aftershock of literally hitting his best friend and knocking her out. “Y-yeah yeah okay… I’ll go tell Coach Vargas.” With that, he practically sprinted off to Vargas to inform him of what happened, hoping and praying he wouldn’t get kicked out of NRC for this.

Luckily for me, Jade has scarily long legs. His speed walking ability was impressive. He bolted straight over to get me the treatment for whatever the heck just happened. Hopefully I wouldn’t be concussed… hopefully.

After what was most likely a few hours, I groggily woke up with a bandage wrapped around my head and Jade sitting silently next to me. I slowly sat up, a sudden headache pounding against my skull, “Ugh…” “Oh my, you’re up!” He spoke pleasantly, clearly shocked. “What the heck happened…?”

He sighed,”Well, young Deuce Spade hit you with his broomstick. Currently, he is being scolded by Housewarden Rosehearts for his lack of broomstick flying safety education. Apparently, he had been skipping class with Ace Trappola and missed plenty of lectures for quite some time.” Oh yeah, that definitely sounded like something those two would do… I don’t doubt Jade was telling the truth. “Yup, that definitely sounds like the truth..” I giggled. Jade smiled back at me.

Then, a sudden bright glint his heterochromic eyes. “Now where was I, ah yes. The Trichoderma cornu-damae is part of the Hypocreaceae family which means-“ Oh yeah, he was no where near done with his fungus talk. I don’t mind it though. I could never mind it<3

I GOT PAPA CREWEL’S SSR CARD TODAYYY

[xeansicemane]

"Humans as space orcs/space Steve Irwins" is always a fun worldbuilding exercise, but imagine if our behavior is fairly normal but something we take for granted is utterly alien to the galaxy at large.

Like, what if Earth was one of the handful of biomes to crack photosynthesis but none ever saw it adopted and adapted to the scale we see it one earth.

Chemotrophic tree analogs that fill the role of mushrooms on earth, whole forests of the dead just how things are done.

The idea that the forest can be a living place is utterly shocking to the august civilized peoples.

Sure, says the galaxy's archivists, photosynthesis works on the cellular levels and there are some impressive bacterial mats on Cestus XI, but a field of wild grass is beautiful and terrifying simply because it's so far out of their experience and context.

[katyawriteswhump]

midsummer madness (part 1)

This might remain as a ficlet/single chapter, but it’s a WIP weekend for now as I am hoping to make it into a longer fic for @stmonstercalendar’s next werewolf full moon event! It is set in the same fantasy/historical universe as this fic where A!Eddie rescues O!Steve from sacrifice… Following part/ending now up here

Inspired by this prompt by the amazingly imaginative and talented @moonjelly69: ‘O!Steve bringing A!Eddie a basket full of herbs and other things before A!Eddie's hunt hoping (even though its not traditional) A!Eddie will accept it and bring O!Steve something back from the hunt’.

Steve’s courting gifts were created by the talented @moonjelly69 and can be found here and here

💚💚💚💚💚💚

Eddie’s arms wrap snugly around his whimpering Omega.

“Don’t want you to go, Alpha.”

“It’s only six days, Baby, then it’ll be the solstice in a flash. Can hear those wedding bells clanging already, huh?”

“Still hate this.” Steve’s voice is muffled in Eddie’s shoulder and his fists twist in Eddie’s coarse shirt.

Eddie’s not loving saying goodbye either. The idea of even a slither of air between them twists like a dagger in his gut.

He doesn’t see much choice.

He’s going on the hunt for a bloody good reason. The forthcoming Strawberry Moon makes everybody loopy and not a little horny. Plus it has a pesky habit of pulling Alphas into their full werewolf form.

Tomorrow night, Eddie will be pure animal, primed to kill. Primed to rut like a beast too, if temptation falls in his path.

“I gotta run with the pack, Stevie. If I stay, you won’t be safe.”

“I don’t want to be safe!” Woah! His ‘gentle’ Omega is hissing and spitting in his face. “I want your bite. I want your pups. I need you to thoroughly claim me right this instant, or I’m gonna diiiiie!”

Steve scents him and is literally climbing him—one knee hitching on Eddie’s hip, setting his skimpy tunic riding up.

Eddie’s senses are suddenly dead to all save his Omega. The stench of woodsmoke and the village piggies? Gone. Smothered. He paws Steve’s thighs, grinds into him. He’s gonna slam him over the nearest barrel, plow deep and chomp down and…

The blast of the Chief Alpha’s hunting horn sets Steve startling and drags Eddie back to sanity. He sighs shudderingly into Steve’s soft hair and releases him.

“Hopper’s calling the muster,” says Eddie, amid a din of excited shouts and footfalls. “Gotta dash.”

Steve backs away, hanging his head. “I’m sorry. Went totally feral there. I suck at this.”

“Nah. It’s not entirely you, or even randy ol’ me.” Eddie slings his bow over his shoulder. He’d rather sling Steve there. “It’s that darn frisky moon.”

As Eddie turns to leave, Steve catches his cloak, tugging him back. “I really am sorry, Alpha. I, uh… got you a parting gift.”

“A pressie for me?”

“Yeah.” Steve stops being sheepish and giggles. “Don’t look so terrified! It’s not like the grass-snake Carol left for Tommy in their nest. You’ve not pissed me off that much… Wait here, all right?”

Steve bustles into a tiny mud-and-wattle shack and comes out with a basket. He drops to his knees and offers it up to Eddie:

“I know it’s not normal, Omegas giving gifts to Alphas, but you’ve been courting me and giving me pretty things for months.” He tosses the precious beads in his hair. “I’ve only been a pair of grabby hands.”

“No way! You’ve foraged for roots and you’ve cooked and you’ve darned my clothes and—"

“Please! Quit yapping and indulge me?”

Eddie takes the basket and peeps inside. It’s stacked with courting gifts—lavender haze roots for tea, crystal berries for wine, and bright blue talythrin mushrooms.

“Wow. These are rare. It must’ve taken you ages to get together.”

“Argyle and Granny M helped. It’s so you’ll be sure to bring your quarry back… to me. So… erm… I can prepare it, and we can feast… together? And if you don’t wanna go at all… the talythrin is pretty tasty on its own.”

Steve is so sweet and sincere and kind of hopeful-smiley. Also, clearly nervous. It pretty much chokes Eddie up. It’s an old tradition that Alphas present the best spoils of the hunt to their chosen mate, pretty much sealing the deal for a marriage. Betas sometimes made offerings of lesser spoils to Alphas before they set off, ensuring their interest in receiving the Alpha’s gift was noted.

But for an Omega to give a gift to an Alpha as obviously besotted as Eddie? He swore the Gods of Metal, their coupling had been in the bag almost from the instant Eddie saved him from being sacrificed.

Eddie’s heart swells with such love. How is he supposed to leave his Omega now?

He can’t.

Steve is so perfect and fragile and rare, and he won’t be safe without an Alpha to protect him and…

He’s about to sweep Steve up and away, when the hunting horn sounds again.

Steve squeals like a little prey animal.

Like a little prey animal that, in a few hours, Eddie the werewolf will want to skewer with inch-long razor-sharp fangs.

He pulls Steve to his feet and hands back the basket. He snatches a final lungful of the sumptuous herbs and of the delicious Omega, while Steve’s eyes grow huge and his hands tent in prayer:

“Eddie, I can’t—"

“I’ll miss you, Sweetheart.”

He smacks a chaste kiss on Steve’s damp cheek. Then grabs his spear and sprints off, not daring to peep back.

Read part 2

💚 My Omegaverse fic on AO3

[mochinomnoms]

original request jade leech x gn!reader [tags] – fluff, suggestive [cw] - a tad more explicit compared to the last ones [wc} – 2,875 prompt 18: “Is this normal here?” “Only for the emotionally unavailable folk.” “Ah, so it is.” note - i think i blacked out and woke up to this. jade is just so, aaaaaa!!! a floral inconvenience

Teonanácatl mushroom – In Nahuatl, teonanácatl can be translated to “flesh of the gods” and were sometimes used by the Aztecs as a hallucinogen and aphrodisiac.

Despite your best efforts to not say anything, to not complain, to not even give a hint of what was bothering you, it was obvious to everyone that you had the hanahaki. 

It was even more obvious who for, considering you were sprouting up bell-shaped brown capped mushrooms instead of the traditional flowers. 

Of course Jade’s favorite mushroom would be one of the psychedelic ones. Of course, you had to accidentally swallow a piece of one when spitting them out. 

You could’ve dealt with that, honestly. Strange visions? Check, you got them leading up to every overblot. Distorted vision? Fine, you know Ace’s messed with your vision once or twice while practicing spells. Even the weird sensations every touch, breeze, and vibration in the air caused were somewhat bearable. The magic that seemed to consume the surrounding air made your skin tingle weirdly, you could deal.  

What you couldn’t deal with, was how horny they apparently made you feel. Without fail, depending on how much of the mushrooms you managed to swallow before spitting the majority of them out, five to ten minutes you’d feel the effects. 

Paired with the psychedelic effects, it was torture. You were overstimulated and on edge constantly. Even without the weird trips, the mushrooms were apparently a potent aphrodisiac.

It left you squirming as Jade, the current bane of your existence, stared at you from across the flight field.

Thankfully, none had come out from your throat today, so you were present and alert for once this week. 

“You know Prefect,” Azul spoke up, sitting next to you as the two of you sat out of flight class. You, due to your condition, and him for falling 10-feet off his broom. 

“The flower sickness is quite an easy fix, have you not visited the nurse yet?” 

You shook your head, watching Floyd hang upside down on his broom, screeching as Jack and Silver attempted to ease him into a soft landing. You snorted as the foot that was hooking him to the broom slipped, making him fall on top of Jack. 

“Nah, it’s fine, I don’t think she could deal with the constant lucid trips, last I went she just told me to get this potion for my symptoms, but they’re all flower based!”

Azul raised a brow as he watched you lay on the grass and stretch your limbs until you resembled something of like a starfish. 

You groaned, “They all account for like petals, thorns, or pollen messing with your immune system, but not for fungus and spores… I need to just straight up get rid of them.”

“May I offer some advice—”

“For your prices? No the fuck you may not—”

“—as a mutual friend between you and Jade?” You shut your mouth at the mention of the teal-haired man while Azul continued. “The best and quickest fix is to just tell him your true feelings. It’s the one true, guaranteed cure to your sickness.”

“You say that like you're familiar with it.” If you noticed the tips of Azul’s ears turn purple, you didn’t say anything. “Is it really that normal here?”

Azul scoffed, giving you a wry smile. “It’s only for the emotionally unavailable sort of folk.” 

“Ah, so at this school, it most definitely is.”

The two of you chuckled while Floyd stomped over to your resting spot, visibly limping. 

“Maaaaaan this sucks!” The twin threw himself over Azul, who buckled to the ground under Floyd’s weight. 

“Ow! Floyd!”

“Coach Lobster says I sprained my ankle and can’t go to basketball club later!” Floyd whined, wrapping his lanky body around Azul, who was less than amused. 

“I’ll be stuck at the dorm, I don’t wanna deal with a whiny Jade!”

He turned his attention to you, sneering. “Hey Shrimpy! Go fix whatever ya did to make Jade upset! He’s been acting like a lovesick brat since ya stopped talkin’ to him, it’s gettin’ real old.” 

You scoffed, “I didn’t do anything! And why’s everyone acting like we’re a couple? We’re just friends, sometimes friends don’t talk for a bit!”

“Friends?!” Azul hissed, eye twitching as he gave you an incredulous look. “Some ‘friends’ you are. Based on the sounds I hear coming out of his room late at night, I highly doubt that.”

“We’re friends with benefits!” you cried out, looking behind you to see if anyone noticed or heard your outburst. As you did, Azul and Floyd shared a confused look. 

“Friends with…benefits?” Azul asked. 

Floyd nodded, also questioning your words. “What’s that?”

Despite your best efforts to explain the concept, the two couldn’t comprehend the idea of casual intimacy with an acquaintance or friend. Apparently it was a strictly human concept, as Floyd put it: “Why’d you wanna do that with someone other than a mate? Merfolk aren’t built like that!”

You left class with more questions than answers. Questions you probably could’ve had answered if you spoke with Jade. It didn’t help that Azul and Floyd kept giving you concerned looks as they quietly spoke with Jade, who kept glancing at you with a neutral expression.

Mostly neutral, his brows were furrowed as he spoke with his brother and friend. 

Oh well, a little mystery never hurt no one!

Stomping over to the Mostro Lounge, you kept looking over your shoulder for Jade. Even with everything Azul and Floyd said, you weren’t mentally prepared for a conversation with him. 

You’re sure that when Azul asked you to come to his V.I.P. Room, it was for some ruse to get you and Jade together. But he also mentioned you taking up extra shifts at the bar, and you were always in need of a little extra cash. 

However, that would be more interaction with Jade, and you’d rather deal with another bad shroom trip than confront any of your feelings for him. But…money.

“Hey! You!” You tapped the shoulder of one of the lounge employees, who recognized and greeted you with a smile. 

“Ah! Prefect!” The purple-haired man smiled. “Azul said he was expecting you! Go right ahead to his office.”

“Thanks!” Walking through the lounge into the hallway leading to the private rooms and Azul’s office, the eerie silence was unsettling. 

Usually there’d be at least a few employees walking around, either serving food to one of the reservable rooms or checking in with their housewarden. Even passing the employee lounge made you uneasy, as no one was there despite the lack of dinner rush. 

You did make it to Azul’s office with little issue, knocking on the door as you announced, “I’m ‘ere, Azul! Can I come in? 

You received no answer. Apprehensively you opened the door, surprised to find it empty. Entering and closing the door behind you, you decided to be nosy and look at what Azul had on his desk while you waited. 

He was probably here recently, based on the cup of tea on his desk. The door opened up behind you, so you turned to greet Azul with a wave and smile before freezing. 

Really, you should’ve known better than to trust Azul to mind his own business. You curled in on yourself as Jade entered the office, a pleasant smile on his lips he locked the door behind him. 

You decided that nonchalant and cool was the best approach in this situation. 

You greeted Jade in a polite, monotone voice. “Leech.”

“My, my, Prefect. So cold.” Jade gave you a sad look as he pursed his lips. “We haven’t spoken since our trip two weeks ago, was my company so terrible that it warrants your avoidance?”

His tall frame towered over you as he stalked closer and closer, forcing you backwards until your back hit the desk. You could hear the tea cup and saucer clink as you did. Jade placed his hands on either side of your hips, effectively trapping you against Azul’s desk. 

“W-well, I’ve been busy—

“Why, I’ve been absolutely beside myself! We had such a wonderful time camping out those two evenings that I'm left wondering if I did something wrong.” 

Jade softly spoke, a mischievous gleam in his gold eye as he leaned down to coo in your ear, “Especially since you, oh, so enjoyed my tongue in your—”

You decided that nonchalant and cool was actually not the best approach, based on the numerous mushrooms popping up from your skin and in your mouth. 

Jade whipped his head back, rubbing his chin from where the mushroom smacked into him while popping up at the crook between your chin and neck. 

He grinned as more and more bell-capped mushrooms sprouted down your exposed arms and neck, even along your head as they fashioned into a mushroom crown. 

You froze, then started hacking as too many mushrooms filled and fell out of your mouth, though you could feel yourself swallow some on instinct. “Shitshitshit, I ate some, oooooh fuck me—”

“I did two weeks ago, you seemed to enjoy it—”

“Shut up! You know that's not what I meant!” You groaned, rubbing your face as Jade leaned back in to place his hands on your hips, rubbing small circles. 

“Heh-heh, I know. You must forgive me my dear, you are entirely too easy to rile up.” He grabbed your hands so that Jade could make eye contact with you, smiling a bit softer at your red face. 

“It’s your fault you know!” You huffed, frowning (or pouting in Jade’s vision) up at him. “You and your stupid mushrooms…”

“Oh? I beg to differ.” You yelped as Jade lifted you like a rag doll and sat you on the desk. At this angle, Jade didn’t need to strain his neck as much to lean down. 

“I’d argue that this entirely your own doing. After all, nothing was preventing you from speaking to me other than your own ego.” 

“That’s not—” you angrily huffed, half-heartedly shoving Jade. “That’s NOT it and you know it.”

The eel mer frowned, a rare annoyed expression on his features. He took a deep breath, reaching for your hands to softly and tenderly draw circles into your palm. Jade tended to do this when his mind was full of thoughts, tracing random shapes into your skin. 

He was especially fond of doing so after your late night meet ups: bare bodies flush against one another in an afterglow as he lulled you to sleep with sweet words, tracing out his name and hearts against your back. 

If you thought too much into it, sometimes you think he was tracing your first name with his last, usually done after a particularly rough night. 

You didn’t want to think too much into it though, all those nights. Jade was simply indulging your soft heart. 

“I don’t, actually. Can you imagine my ire when my beloved partner not only started sprouting psilocybe mexicana, but it was from hanahaki. Do you know the implications of that to me?”

“Look, I’m sorry that I’m sooooo emotional and am ruining your ‘cool’ and ‘intimidating’ reputation!” You cried out, pushing his hands off of yours to cross them, looking to the side.

“I didn’t mean for my feelings to get so out of control. The first rule to being friends-with-benefits is to not catch feelings, and I broke it.”

You shrugged as you continued.

“I had them before, but I thought that if we just got involved casually, I’d get over them eventually…it’s not my fault you talk and act so sappy…like you want me to fall more in love or something…” 

Jade was silent, which in itself wasn’t unusual for him. What was, was the troubled, nearly distraught look on his face. You’d be annoyed at how pretty he still was if the expression didn’t freak you out. 

“Most likely because I was under the impression that we were courting. You are aware that I have been addressing you as my mate for several months now, yes?”

Time froze, though it might have been the effects of the mushrooms starting to hit. Or a combination of the shrooms and your brain trying to process the words that just left Jade’s mouth. 

Mate. Floyd called you his brother’s mate. He’s actually been calling you his mate.

“What?” You squeaked out, voice meek and tiny. “Mate? Like, your partner-type mate? Like, this is the person I’m marrying-type mate?”

Jade let out a chuckle, cutting the distance between you until his face was right up to yours. 

Startled, you grasped on the lapels of his uniform, trying to steady yourself as you leaned back. Jade’s arms were splayed on the table as he once again trapped you against the desk. 

Though this time, intentionally you’re sure, he settled himself between your legs as you, subconsciously mind you, loosely wrapped your legs around his hips. 

Jade smirked as he watched you cough out another handful of mushrooms, though he was disappointed to see none were bitten this time around. 

“Allow me to, how do you humans say? Ah, yes, open your eyes to the situation.” 

Jade grabbed your chin, forcing you to make eye contact with his stern gaze. “I do not involve myself with other people to such an…intimate extent casually, especially as a merperson.”

“This thing you call ‘friends with benefits’? As a concept it’s entirely human. Merfolk? If we see something, if we like it, then we make it ours and you?” 

Jade chuckled, leaning down and taking your earlobe into his sharp teeth. 

“Little human~” he purred. “I made you mine the moment we blessed my bed with your sweet cries.”

You shivered from the points of his teeth as he tugged, sighing as he let go, up until his lips met your pulse point at the crook of your neck, suckling down. You could feel his pleased hum vibrate through your spine as you mewled in response. 

Heat pooled in your belly while your skin felt like it was simultaneously on fire and freezing, though you couldn’t be sure if it was the effects of the mushroom or Jade. 

“J-Jade, stooOOoOop i-it,” despite your protests, you tilted your head to offer the rest of you like a present, little gasps escaping your lips as his lips trailed down, following the mushrooms that adorned your clavicle. 

“What if Azul o-or your—o-ooh fuck—or your brother walk in?”

Jade leaned back with a closed mouth smile, admiring the red marks adorning your neck. 

“Let them, so that every time you forget what you are and what you mean to me, the image of my mate bent over this desk is burned through their heads, so that it implores them to remind you of what you are.”

Pushing you until you laid flat on your back, Jade hovered over you with a grin and beheld your flushed face. 

You slid your hands from his chest to loop around his neck, bringing Jade down to meet your lips before he stopped. 

You furrowed your eyebrows at him, eyes widening as he stuck his tongue out to reveal a singular mushroom. He must have hidden it under his tongue after swiping it from your neck earlier.

“Wait, Jade!” You gasped as he bit and swallowed the fungus. “It’s a psychedelic—”

“And an aphrodisiac, I’m aware.” He hummed, a pleased look on his face.

“Land flora is so fascinating, I’d hoped to introduce this one to you over the summer, to experience it together, back home in a nice, private little grotto.”

Jade pressed his lips to yours, surprisingly gently, as you returned it with a growing intensity. His right hand reached up between your embrace to undo the buttons of your shirt. 

“Oh well, I suppose we can share an experience here. Isn’t the thought of someone walking in exhilarating?”

Once your shirt was open, and your chest exposed, Jade took the tips of his fingers between his teeth and yanked his pristine white glove off. He trailed his exposed hand, starting with a squeeze at the base of your neck, and slowly gliding down. 

His pupils were slowly blowing out as the effects of the mushroom started to take hold, his breath increasing as you grew more and more needy from the aphrodisiac. 

“Jade, please~” you tried again to yank him down for another kiss, this time succeeding as your lips clashed against one another. 

“Jade…I need…” 

“Shhh. I got you.” Jaed cooed, hips grounding against yours as your kiss intensified. “I got you Y/N, my little human, my pearl, my mate—”

“Hey Jade, are you two almost done talking, I’d like my office back—ACK!” Azul shrieked at the sight of you two over his desk, Floyd popping his head out from around the now open door. 

“Hmm? Ewwwww!” Floyd made gagging sounds as you quickly redressed yourself, Jade looking amused at the situation.

“You’re supposed to talk it out, not get it on! Go somewhere else! It’s bad enough that I can hear you through the walls, you’re like three rooms down from mine!”

Jade let out a chuckle, wrapping his hand around your waist once you were up and buttoned up. 

“Of course, I wouldn’t want to bother you. Come, my pearl.” You were dragged out of the room, wincing at the other two with an apologetic look. 

You apparent ��mate’ was guiding you to the exit of the lounge, to the direction of the pools. 

As he leaned down to whisper into your ear, you could feel his grip tighten on your hip, causing a pleasurable buzz to crawl up your body, your lucid high growing stronger. 

“Why don’t we see how my merform handles the mushrooms, and then see how you can handle me, hmm?”

[deerspherestudios]

I don't understand ending 1 a bit. I understand that it will be if the Y/N refuses Mychael's requests as much as possible and returns back to those mushrooms and falls asleep. But where does Y/N go that there is a trace of Y/N's body on the grass, as well as a trace of the body of the cat that the Y/N was looking for? How does the forest affect this? Bodies just disappear? And what does Mychael mean in this ending when he says "There's no much I could do if the forest had staked it's claim on you"? 🤔

Oh!! I should change that last line actually. I've gotten a few more ideas since the demo release, and it completely changes the context for that Bad Ending (you'll see what I mean as the days progress and more lore is revealed) but for now I'll explain the original intent with that ending! Spoilers below:

To put simply, the purple influence from the mushrooms brought you back to that spot for you to sleep and basically pass away in the night to nourish the ground where it grows. The same fate happened to your cat; though I feel like a lot of people figured that out already haha. I should add in some text that indicates time passes a bit before Mychael finds you in that state to be a little realistic, otherwise it does feel like bodies just straight up disappear haha.

As for that particular line, it's a normal occurence for Mychael; he's seen it happen plenty of times. But he deeply regrets that he wasn't able to save you from that influence, hence the line "the forest had staked it's claim on you." But again, it'll be changed in the future!

Fun fact: Before I did the art for the cat outline, it was meant to be more of a bump; the art and script didn't exactly match but I didn't bother to fix it. The thing you accidentally kicked causing you to stumble into the ring of shrooms? That was your cat.

[dreamdaddydutch]

Comfort

Word Count: 4,036

Pairing: gn reader x Javier I Word Count: 4,036

Warnings: A mention of smoking, anxiety, panic attack description

Summary: Yes, this is another fic where Javier comforts the reader when they're experiencing a lot of anxiety and have a panic attack. It's a comfort fic which I wrote due to my own mental health and anxiety at the time being pretty bad. It's not a romantic fic as such, there's just a few mentions/hints of potential romance and feelings.

*******************************************************************

You hadn’t been feeling great for several days now, there was a tightening in your chest and no matter what you tried to do, your heart just didn’t seem to beat the way it was supposed to. It was erratic and all over the place, your mood too was low, panicked, worried. 

The day before you’d seen a dead Northern Cardinal at the side of the road and it had made you unfathomably sad, though you had no reason for the death of an animal to make you feel like this, especially considering you would frequently go hunting and fishing. 

The camp was alive, bustling away as usual and thankfully no one had noticed your current mood. The others would ask how you were in the morning but aside from that and a little small talk, everyone else seemed so preoccupied with their comings and goings that no one spared a second thought for you. You weren’t mad about it, perhaps it would have been nice if someone had at least noticed the change and asked if you wanted to talk, normally you’d expect that of Arthur.

But you knew he’d seen Mary again recently and had enough of his own problems to be keeping his mind busy rather than worrying about others. Mary-Beth also would enjoy chats with you especially in the evening, you trusted her more than most, but she’d been wrapped in her books and seemed so happy it was a shame to bring distress to her. The only other person in camp you could truly be honest with was Javier, the two of you shared chats in the early morning as the mist rose, or late at night round a dying fireplace. But he’d been frequently absent from camp as of late.

You decided to go for a ride by yourself to no where in particular, perhaps some time alone would do you good, look at the wildflowers, listen to the birdsong. Perhaps considering the season you’d find berries and mushrooms to forage and bring back to camp. Half hour out of camp you came across a small lake and there decided to hitch your horse, it seemed like a good place to stop for a coffee. As you poured the hot liquid from your flask you heard someone singing, curiosity getting the better of you, you decided to go and investigate. 

The real reason was because the song was familiar to you, though not in English, you wondered if it were at all possible that another from your camp had also come to the same location for some time alone. Time that you were now about to intrude on. 

Walking through the rushes, careful of your footsteps you eventually came to the person who was singing, Javier. You had been right.

“Hi there,” You said quietly, not wishing to startle him or seem over enthusiastic. You were worried when he saw you that he’d be annoyed or perhaps have wondered if you’d followed him, which you would never dream of. Instead when he saw you his face seemed to light up as he smiled and waved you over.

“Hola Y/N”

You walked over to him and sat down on the grasses. “I’m sorry Javier I didn’t mean to intrude.”

He waved his hands in front of his face, “No, no… you could never intrude, it’s nice to see you.” He smiled, it seemed genuine, could it be he was really pleased to see you? Perhaps you could open up to Javier about how you were feeling?

He always listened and was quite sensitive when you got to know him, but the problem was what you had started to feel something for him and were worried that spending too much time with him or opening up would expose you and the emotions you held close. 

You opened your mouth to speak when Javier instead said, “I am glad you are here with me.”

You looked at him and waited for him to continue, what did he mean?

“Around camp recently, you haven’t seemed yourself this past week. You’re so quiet and withdrawn, I miss our morning chats looking out at the valley, smoking, good…well passable coffee.” He let out a small laugh. 

You returned a small smile, “Yes well, about that…” You stopped in your tracks, was this a good idea?

As if reading your mind he responded, “You can tell me.”

“I don’t know Javier I haven’t been feeling myself as of late. I’m worried and anxious all the time, to be honest…” you took a deep breath wondering just how much you could tell him and whether you could trust him. His earnest expression and the way his hand had moved towards yours on the dry earth told you that you could.

“I’m feeling more alone than ever, I’m so afraid, I’m not sleeping, my chest hurts all the time. My heart…my chest it’s like it’s full of butterflies all beating their wings to escape.”

Javier put down his fishing rod and shifted a little where he was sat to look at you, he reached out to stroke the side of your face, “I am so sorry to hear that, what can I do?”

That was the question wasn’t it?

“I don’t know….listen, just be there for me,” you offered as a slightly pathetic suggestion.

He nodded, “Sí, of course I can do that.” 

You sat silently for a minute, Javier wasn’t one to lie so you you trusted what he said, trusted that you could in turn trust him. 

“Anything biting?” You asked as you lent towards Javier and looked out at the still water.

He picked up the rod, “Only tiny fish, nothing worth taking back to camp. But, I don’t always fish for the fish you know?” He looked across at you and shrugged a little.

“Oh.” You paused for a moment, “So you like to get away from the others too huh?”

He smiled and nodded, “The camp, all those personalities, all that noise. Sometimes it’s nice to just be alone.” He cocked his head to the side, “especially at the moment, the way things are.”

Thinking on his words you pulled your knees up higher into your chest and squeezed feeling a little bit guilty, “And now I’ve come along and totally ruined that silence with my presence.” You sighed, preparing to get up and leave him to it.

Javier was silent for a moment and then put the rod down again, leaning it against an empty can of beans just in case anything bit. He shuffled on the ground to turn and face you, “Why do you do that?” He asked, he appeared curious, but not angry. 

“Do what?” You had no idea what he was talking about and worried that now you had ruined the relationship the two of you had built, the friendship and companionship you’d found in him. He was one of the few in camp who appeared to understand you and now that was going to be something else from the past, something else to worry and stress about, to feel embarrassed and anxious about.

As these thoughts rushed through your head you felt your chest getting tighter, a sharp pain stabbing in the left hand side, your heart missing a beat and then beating too quickly. The regularity was gone. 

“Y/N?” Javier asked after you hadn’t answered for a while. You heard him but your vision was blurry when you tried to look at him. Focus, you told yourself. But it wasn’t working, you couldn’t focus, not on Javier, not on the serene water of the pond or the sun dipping low in the sky. You were unable to get your breathing under control, a hand went up to your chest and you clenched. 

“Y/N,” you could hear Javier’s voice and could just make out the concern on his face, but when you again tried to focus on his dark and warm eyes, so reassuring and comforting, just nothing only a blur. 

You felt Javier’s hand clasp over yours, his other reached for your knee as he scooted forwards so he was next to you. He squeezed gently in an attempt to bring you out of your current state. 

“Javier, I can’t breath…I can’t..c…” You tried speaking but this only made the situation of your breathing worse to contend with. You shook your head and bent over, your head hanging down, Javier reached up to your hair, scooping it up so it didn’t get dirty in the ground, bringing it back to your head he clasped the back of you and held you steady. Tilting your head up gently so you were inches from his face, his nose pressed against yours. 

“Just breathe, you can do it.” He said softly. “Everything will be okay, I promise. I’m here, I’m not going anywhere, I am here now and will always be there for you okay? There is nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to be embarrassed of, if you’re scared I will protect you.” His stream of words were the most comforting thing you’d experienced in months. You didn’t quite catch all of the words, but it was enough for you to get the gist of what he was saying. You were incredibly grateful that right now in this moment it was him who was sat with you. 

The hand that was over yours now squeezed, his fingers slowly interlocked with yours and he kept it there against your fast beating chest. You’d never been this close to Javier before, in fact you’d never been this close to anyone in camp before but yet this couldn’t have felt more natural. 

“Javier…” you said again, something about his name was soothing and calming to you. You could smell his aftershave, could smell the wax on his boots, whiskey on his breath. He smelt of home, he was warm and comforting. He wasn’t lying, when you were close to him you knew you would always be safe.

You felt your heart starting to slow just a little, although your breaths were coming in fast and your chest still felt as if it were full of butterflies, there was just enough of a change to suggest your body was moving in the right direction and it was thanks to Javier and his presence. 

“Breathe in through your nose, deeply, with me now.” He squeezed your hand a little tighter. 

“Breathe in,” he repeated and you followed his instruction. Your chest was fighting against you, desperate for you to take a quick, sharp breath through your mouth, however, you were determined. This time you ended up spluttering a little, but Javier didn’t withdraw, he wasn’t disgusted, he simply encouraged you to try again.

“Breathe in again, with me.” 

It took several tries but eventually you managed it, several seconds of inhaling in and then holding your breath, you thought of the calm stream and of Javier’s singing round the campfire.

“Breathe out through your mouth, low and slow now.”

Again you breathed with him, slowly, carefully, not scolding yourself if you occasionally missed a beat or got it wrong. 

It took several minutes of breathing almost in silence, just the sound of Javier’s guidance to help and starlings in the distance.

When your heartbeat had returned to normal Javier waited for you to speak, what you noticed however was that even though you had regained control of your breath he remained holding your hand, cupping your head, his nose was still pressed to yours. You inhaled deeply now and let out a sigh as you closed your eyes. Now you pressed a little further without meaning to, your lips were so close to his you could feel his breath on your skin. 

“How are you feeling now?” He asked.

You considered the question, and nodded sheepishly, “Okay…I mean a lot better than five minutes ago, thank you Javier.” As you were feeling more conscious again you became aware of how close you’d become to Javier and slowly pulled away. Javier let go of your head and your hand as you did so, you felt the colour rush up your neck and into your cheeks. You turned away tempting to hide your blush. The Javier that would joke around the campfire would have made a comment on this for sure, however, in this moment he was focused solely on looking after you.

“So, what was that about?” He asked. 

“You asked me why I kept doing something, you sounded…cross. No, wait you didn’t sound cross, I just interpreted you as cross and I worried.”

When Javier didn’t say anything else you took this as a cue to continue, avoiding eye contact you considered what to say next, “So, Javier you are one of the people i’m closest to, you’re one of the few people I can trust. The thought of disappointing you, annoying you, or you finding me embarrassing to be around just sent me into a panic.” It felt better to have it off your chest, even if you did worry about his reaction.

“Look at me,” he said softly. When you looked up at him he reached out for your hands, they were given willingly. His hands were still warm for a moment ago, he clasped yours in his. “I would never, I just want you to know that okay? I would never not want to be friends with you, not be here and looking after you.”

You felt tears well up in your eyes as you looked into his, hanging on his every word. 

“You mean it?”

“Of course, I would not say it if I didn’t mean it.”

“Javier,” you said quietly, slightly scared of the question you were going to ask and what his reaction would be, “Do you think I could have a hug?”

Javier smiled, “Of course.” He leaned in and wrapped both his arms round you, you scooted forward a little bit so you were chest to chest, wrapping your arms around him too. You leant on him, nuzzled into his neck and closed your eyes, “This is nice.” You confessed.

Javier hummed in response, “Yes it is.”

You didn’t want to let go of Javier, didn’t want to be the one to break the connection, but at the same time you didn’t want to hold on for too long. You didn’t want to overstay the welcome, but from everything he said, he never would have thought that. 

“So, whenever you feel like this, whether out on a raid, fishing, in camp…doesn’t matter, you come to me okay?” You nodded, but still didn’t let go of him.

As if sensing your thoughts Javier added, “There’s no rush, we can stay here as long as you like.”

“Thank you. Javier, earlier when you said why do I always do that, what did you mean?”

“I thought it was obvious, I meant why do you always put yourself down? Why don’t you believe in yourself more, you are not a burden, you have achieved amazing things and you’re kind, as well as brave, as well as good with a gun, which together is a hell of a lot more than the majority of those back in camp.”

It was weird to still be hugging Javier whilst having such a serious conversation, but his words meant the world to you. Your heart rate was slower than before, as a complete state of calm washed over you. 

“Thank you Javier, you have no idea how much that means to me. You are one of the few things I am grateful for right now and I couldn’t stand to lose you.”

“And you won’t, I promise.”

Finally you let go of Javier and moved away slowly, your hands returned to their previous position, in one another’s. Javier’s bangs hung over his eyes and he smiled at you. “I am so glad you found me out here today you know?”

“I thought you wanted time alone.”

“Yes and no. Time away from certain people more like,” he gave a small laugh. You knew exactly who he was referring to when he said that. 

“Perhaps, I could stay sat here with you until you’re done fishing?”

“I would like that very much.”

You let go of his hands to allow him to return to the fishing rod. Before returning to fishing he lit a cigarette, it hung idly from the corner of his mouth, he passed his flask of whiskey to you and took a swig before handing it back. Drinking from things that had been in other’s mouths wasn’t something you made a habit of in camp, but with Javier it was different. 

As the sun set, casting orange and red streaks across the sky, neither of you said much, just commented on the weather, whether fish were biting and what flowers you could see. Javier informed you he’d been picking Oleander earlier which he was fashioning into poison arrows and was more than happy to share some of his stock with you.

Occasionally he would hum a tune or sing, though he sung in Spanish and you weren’t sure what he was singing about, the sound was beautiful all the same and helped you to relax further. Normally you loved to listen to him singing, but this moment in particular felt lovely as it was just the two of you, the singing was just for you and him.

As it got dark and the stars started to appear in the sky you found yourself shivering a few times, the coolness of the night air causing goosebumps to appear on your arms.

Javier looked across at you and seeing you shake offered you his jacket. He wound in the fishing line and tidied up before placing it round your shoulders gently, “Here, I don’t want you getting cold.”

You clasped his hand as he lay it on your shoulder, “Thank you Javier, not just for this, for everything, for looking after me and letting me know you’ll be here for me. Just, thank you.” There wasn’t much more to say than that, you feared if you started to talk about it all again you’d get emotional and cry again. This was not the look you wanted to return to camp with and so you stopped yourself before the gushing began.

Javier reached out to help you to your feet, as you sprung upwards you practically fell into his chest. He let out a low chuckle, “Don’t worry I got you.”

Instinct then drove you to hug him once more, you wanted nothing further from him, not right now. But you did want to reinforce how grateful you were for his discretion and kindness. Once again he wrapped his arms around you, at first you weren’t certain but then were sure he had placed a kiss to the crown of your head, gently touching his lips to your hair.

As you climbed up onto your horse you waited for Javier to do the same with Boaz so you could ride side by side back to camp. Maybe there would be questions, but in the line of business you were in, it was easy to say you were out hunting, out fishing, raiding, looking for potential heist locations. And so what if someone did suspect something else? You hadn’t exactly committed a crime had you, well, what a ridiculous thing to think – you’d all committed many crimes, it was more what if tongues wagged about the closeness of the two of you. Again, so what? There were worse people in camp for rumours to be circulating about than Javier, worse people to be caught spending quality time with.

With that you let the thought drift out of your mind, it wasn’t worth thinking on for a moment longer.

Back at camp there were a few looks from Arthur, Molly and Karen, but nothing more than the usual when anyone returned home from being away for the day.

You went back to your tent and spent a while reflecting on the day in your diary, then regretted writing anything down just in case someone should be feeling particularly nosey and decided to have a look into it. But you shoved it underneath your pillow, no one had ever intruded before so what would cause them to do so now.

Later that evening by the light of the campfire Javier was sat round it with his guitar and was playing something that sounded like a love song, but for all you knew he was singing about death. You supposed the two weren’t all that different when all was said and done.

You listened but from a distance, not wanting to get too close to him or to give anyone in the camp the impression that was there anything happening between the two of you. But there wasn’t anything happening. You cursed yourself as you felt your cheeks blushing at the thought of him and the thought of anyone else even beginning to think that anything was transpiring between the two of you.

Just then you felt a hand clamp on your shoulder which made you jump, looking up you saw Arthur stood next to you, “Oh, hey Arthur you alright?”

“Not so bad, you?”

You smiled and nodded enthusiastically, “Oh I’m right as rain.”

He cocked his head to the side, “Really? You haven’t seemed like your usual self recently so I just wanted to check everything was okay with you. Anything going on you need to talk about?” You’d tried to keep Arthur out of your worries and here he was anyway, of course he was here, it was Arthur.

You swallowed, “Well, a bit of trouble, up here,” you pointed to your head, “In here,” pointing to your heart. “But, I talked it out today and am feeling better, not perfect, but I have things under control, I think..”

“With Javier?” Arthur asked.

“Yes, he was so kind, sharing how I felt just made me feel so much better.”

Arthur smiled, “Good, I’m glad you’ve found someone else to confide in.” There was a twinkle in his eye as he spoke, fire reflected in his dark eyes.

You shuffled on the spot, not quite sure what he meant by that, was he annoyed by you and happy now that finally you would go to someone else with your problems? Were you that much of a burden, a thud in your chest, the feeling of your stomach dropping out from under you. You looked over at Javier and tried to recall the conversation from earlier. He was there for you and nothing else mattered.

Sensing your distress Arthur placed his hand back on your shoulder and squeezed, “Y/N please, don’t misunderstand me. I’m always happy to listen, I’m grateful for your friendship, and I know you’ll always return the favour.” You sighed letting out the tension of the past 30 seconds and suddenly remembering how to breathe.

“Sorry, I’m a bit jumpy.”

“I just meant, with all that’s going on nothing is certain. I worry is all, so I’m glad that you have someone else to trust, when,” Arthur coughed and turned his head to the side, “I mean if…anything should happen to me.”

Arthur coughed again, it was deep and guttural, he lifted a handkerchief to his lips and tried to cover it up when he lifted it away from himself but it was too late, you’d seen the blood.

Now it was your turn to reach out to him, “Arthur….” You asked softly. “What’s going on?”

“Not today, I’ll tell you, but not today.” He looked over to Javier, “Go sit by the fire, you feel cold. I’ll bring you a beer.” You were reluctant to move but Arthur reassured you, “Come on now, you don’t know how long Javier will be playing for, I’m sure you’d rather listen to him and lulled into a peaceful sleep than worrying about me.”

You looked at the ground in an attempt to hide your smile, and did exactly as Arthur had said. 

[servantofthefates]

Spell Ingredients in Traditional Witchcraft

As one would imagine, some of this is now illegal, considered barbaric, or relegated to myth. But others remain. For example, blood magic has stayed.

Human or Animal Fluids and Body Parts

Your blood proves your devotion and serves as your signature. Your target’s blood allows you to manipulate them. Similarly, your saliva, when consumed by another person or an animal, gives you considerable power over them.

Animal entrails are consulted for divination. Their organs are often used in healing balms and all sorts of potions. In curses, the animal that represents a person can serve as a living poppet.

Fruits, Herbs and Other Foodstuff

Then and now, these are staple ingredients. Leaves and eggs are used for divination. Plants, tree barks, grass, crops, and fruits are used in healing ointments, sleeping draughts, teas that induce miscarriage, and worn and edible amulets.

Perhaps lesser known is the use of poisonous mushrooms, flowers and seeds. Simply by being cooked or brewed, they can kill a target from a distance – if fed to an animal, that distance can extend beyond continents.

Religious and National Relics

This list includes the more generic garments of saints, crowns of kings and queens, and armors of warriors, as well as the very specific Holy Grail, Blood of Christ and the True Cross (fragments of the wood from the cross Jesus supposedly died on).

These relics are believed to hold immense power that can be harnessed to heal untreatable illnesses, grab or maintain power, increase beauty and wisdom, raise the dead, and attain immortality. As can be expected, rituals that require them are rarely executed, as these items are rather unusual.

Objects Obtained During a Quest

A common wildflower taken from the top of a specific mountain… A normal fish taken from a particular river… Your typical holy water taken from a faraway cathedral… Ordinary items made extraordinary through the method by which they were obtained.

The logic behind it is that the spellcaster proved the strength of his or her intentions, by overcoming any challenge that came with securing them. Such ingredients are incredibly potent.

Yes, traditional witchcraft can sound weird in this time and age. Click here to find out why.

[scribblestatic]

Following the previous Sheepzun post:

But, well, now Xin Ya disciples were looking around to see if they could find him, but no one really approached Qing Jing Peak with those questions, so perhaps he'd stay safely around the bamboo for now.

So, Yuan stayed on Qing Jing and hid in the forest areas, spending his time meditating, eating grass, and building up his cultivation base. Sometimes, the Luo boy would look around for him after catching a glimpse, and then he started leaving out tasty little snacks that Yuan couldn't resist. Sure, they were simple things, like candied dates, but Yuan had a sweet tooth and human food was becoming more enticing by the minute.

Eventually, Yuan doesn't hide when Luo Binghe tried calling out to him, approaching him slowly. When all Luo Binghe did was cautiously hold out his hand...Yuan pressed his nose to it, feeling those scarred hands against his fur. And, well, his face is particularly qi-sensitive, so he felt just how jacked up the boy's meridians were.

What a travesty!! Wasn't the boy learning how to be a cultivator?! Aiyah, he'd end up dying at this rate! It was almost like someone was trying to sabotage him on purpose!

Because Yuan was a fucking sucker, he decided he would at least try to help the boy get his body worked out. So, he started spending some time around him, watching him work. The boy seemed to like talking to him despite the fact he couldn't respond with human words. So, he'd just bleat at him a little or nudge him, just to let him know he was listening.

Also, the boy knew how to give a massage. Like, petting? On his head and neck and back?? That felt nice. Five stars, 10/10 would be pet again. He couldn't pay with taels, so he'd have to suffice with trying to teach the boy how to circulate his qi the same way spiritual animals did.

Once, when the boy was meditating, he placed his forehead on the boy's back, making him startle. But he just laughed when he realized it was him. Though, that laughter paused when he started feeling the qi circulation.

Luo Binghe became very curious and kept asking him to do that, so Yuan would circulate his qi through the boy, then through himself. Qi breathing came quite naturally to spiritual animals, so it would be more difficult for Luo Binghe to mimic him. Even so, it would be better than whatever trash was in that book. But whenever Yuan tried to eat the pages, Luo Binghe would ask him not to.

Eventually, Luo Binghe began making progress, not from the book, but from feeling and then watching Yuan circulate qi. He felt his body get a bit stronger and qi become easier to use, substantially less painful.

When Yuan noticed that the boy was thin and clearly not getting enough to eat, he started leading him to places in the forest where good food grew. He could tell. For some reason, he had almost encyclopedic knowledge of every plant and creature he looked at. He knew which berries and mushrooms on Qing Jing were safe for human consumption!

When the paltry amount of food Luo Binghe would receive wasn't enough for him, he started learning from Yuan where to find and how to identify safe forest foods. Because of the qi-rich environment, even the grass had slight potential-increasing properties, though it would have to be eaten in large amounts. That would be difficult for Luo Binghe, but it wasn't difficult at all for Yuan, who was growing stronger and smarter as the days went by.

Eventually, Yuan came to the conclusion that he was most definitely not a normal sheep and that something strange was going on. He wasn't completely sure what, but thinking about it too hard probably would do him no good. As long as he and Luo Binghe were alright, he was fine, too.

Though, the realization he was not a normal sheep had him waking up with a red spot on his forehead that, for some reason, wouldn't go away no matter what. He also gained a better understanding of qi and the world, knowing that, soon, something drastic would happen, and he probably needed to prevent it when the time came.

Anyway, he went to see Luo Binghe, and the boy was surprised, thinking he had a drop of blood on his face fur. However, after rubbing at it, he looked at the flesh and saw it imprinted there. Then, Luo Binghe realized the sheep now had a huadian. With this understanding, Luo Binghe began thinking about the wisdom in the sheep's eyes and how he taught him the way he was now learning about circulating qi.

"You're...better than my shizun. No..." Luo Binghe looked up at him, determined. "Let this disciple call you Shizun."

Eeeeh, what kind of development was this, ah? He was just a sheep who stumbled on the mountain and kind of didn't want to leave because he wasn't sure if he'd get eaten when found or not! He was no expert...though, considering none of the boy's teachers were helping him straighten his meridians...

Aiyah, fine. Fine, fine. He'd be the boy's shizun for now. Perhaps he only knew the Dao of the spirit sheep, but it was part of the Dao.

(He knew more than the Dao of spirit sheep, actually. After all, he had a human mind. So, his techniques weren't completely unreasonable for a human to use, especially as his body adapted to the human knowledge practically downloaded into it.)

So, Luo Binghe would go about his chores, but now, Yuan would be close by, sometimes even managing to help despite his distinct lack of hands or opposable thumbs. He could still carry things on his back, however, so moving wood to the wood shed became much easier on Luo Binghe. The boy also learned how to sharpen the axe using his qi, modeled after how Shizun would sharpen his horns.

Shizun also started staying with him in the woodshed once the temperatures dropped. It didn't seem to be for his own benefit, since the sheep seemed perfectly fine and adapted to mountain environments. Luo Binghe, however, was just a boy with poor cultivation.

Sleeping with his face and hands buried in Shizun's wool quickly became a favorite thing to do. He smelled nice, too, like morning dew, fields of grass, and the bamboo forest itself. Musky, but in a pleasant, soothing way. His wool was fluffy from some domestication, but it didn't grow overly long. Just enough for Luo Binghe to feel comfortable laying on him and falling asleep quite quickly.

[weirdcoregal35]

“Fever Dreams”

(THIS ONE, IM PROUD OF! TW AHEAD FOR OIL, BODY HORROR, SH IMPLIED AND KINDA USED, PTSD, TRAUMA, SOLRUIN, AND OTHER THINGS!! PLEASE REBLOG THIS, IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO WRITE THIS 😭)

@timberiswooding

@bloodyrockseverywhere

@xeviersnow

@lednet-sorrow-au-blog

@dolce-cerise

@grafitysart

@tincan-fandomfreak

@noinoi10101010

@zeepuu

 Solar sighs as he lays down next to his already sleeping partner, Ruin. For once, he was trying to sleep. Though it could take him a while, considering what took place yesterday…but, he didn’t want to think about that. For now, he just wanted to have one normal night of sleep. One. Normal. Night. Solar closes his eyes, wrapping some of the blanket around him.

  ~~~

  Solar looks around at what seems to be a small forest. It was familiar. He looked down at his pajamas, only to be met with his beige long sleeved shirt and brown overalls. “Oh god, not again”, Solar thought to himself as he stood up. He wanders around the forest, taking in his surroundings. 

  The trees were half rotting, with the leaves a dark green that didn’t even classify as a green. Brown and red mushrooms were sprouting all around him, from small to fist sized mushrooms. The grass was dried up. The pathways were rough and rigid, meaning that one wrong step could leave someone in a hospital bed. Solar looks ahead of him, the forest growing more and more darker. “No turning back now”, he supposed.

  So far, nothing was that wrong about the forest. Nothing Solar couldn’t handle. However, he couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched…

  Solar continues to walk, a neutral expression remaining on his face. He goes on with walking, till he feels something on his boots. He looks down, and to his horror, it was splattered oil. He steps back, his face immediately becoming a mix of nervous and terrified. He looks up, only to see a familiar face. One he wishes he wouldn’t have to see in a while…Jack.

  Jack was covering in his own oil, his pants torn. His left arm was completely torn off. His faceplate was cracked beyond repair, yet he had a wicked smile on his face. Jack’s eyes were a dark hue of purple. His claws were sharp, covered in oil as well. This wasn’t the Jack that Solar knew. No, it was something entirely different. Something not even remotely close to Jack. And yet…Solar couldn’t help and be upset over it…

  The Jack tilts his head, making a gory cracking noise as if was snapping it’s own neck. “FATHER!! So nice to see you again!! The Jack exclaimed, trying to imitate the “real Jack”. His voice box was choppy and staticky. 

  Solar didn’t respond to the Jack. Instead, he backed away slowly, trying to be subtle. But of course…Jack had to notice.

  “Where are you going, father-“

  “You’re not Jack.” Solar snapped. “You’re just a clone and nothing more.”

  The Jack pauses, his smile falling a bit, before returning back to its original, sinister look. Solar pauses, sighing.

  “You. Are nothing but scrap metal. You’re not him, AND YOU NEVER WILL BE-“

  “Bold of a KILLER to say such rude words.” Jack responds, slowly walking over to where Solar is.

  Solar immediately pauses. He looks down, now realizing he’s in his factory uniform. “Shit…” Solar thought to himself. He immediately makes a run for it once he realizes Jack is approaching him.

  Solar runs. Likes he’s never done before. His coat got caught on a few of the beaches, but he couldn’t stop at this point.  He refuses. He runs from his demons often, so it’s nothing new to him. He runs, and runs, not looking back once. Though, he runs into an issue when he trips over a large rock. Damn nature…

  Solar attempts to get up, but alas, no use. He twisted his ankle ln the way down. He looks around, trying to find anything at all to defend himself with. Nothing. Crackles of leaves could be heard behind him. He slowly looks behind him, only to see “Jack”…but…something had happened to him…

  “Jack”‘s arms and legs were extended, his fingers twisted. He took tall compared to Solar. Solar immediately tries to scoot away from him, but it’s no use. He’s stuck here. 

  “S-Stay away…” Solar pleaded, still trying to find a way to escape. The creature just laughed at him. “LOOK AT YOU NOW!! ALONE, SCARED, AND PLEADING FOR YOUR LIFE!!” “Jack” mocked, still laughing at him. 

  Solar’s breath gets raggedy. He’s panicking, he’s afraid. “If this is about those…”people” I killed…I swear to you, IT WAS ALL ON IMPULSE! I SWEAR I DIDNT MEAN-“

  “Save it.” Jack hissed. He bend down to Solar’s level, still smiling. “How does it feel to finally be the one not in control of the situation? Scary, isn’t it?”

  Solar pauses. “Jack, I-“

  “N O T  E V E N  C U T T I N G  Y O U R  O W N  A R M S  W I L L  B E  E N O U G H  F O R  Y O U   T O  A P O L G I Z E  F O R  T H E   D A M A G E  Y O U  H A V E  C A U S E D. Y O U R  S I N S  A R E  U N F O R G I V A B L E.”

  Solar…couldn’t even respond to Jack. He was right. Jack held out one of his rusty dagger hands, walking closer to Solar. “Maybe do us all a favor…” Jack muttered, holding the rusted dagger hand to Solar’s chest. “…AND DROP D E A D!!” And with that, Jack stabbed Solar.

  Solar coughs, oil leaking down his mouth. Jack drops him, that same sinister smile on his face. Everything goes black…

  ~~~

  Solar jolts up awake, his face already soaked with his own tears. He holds himself, softly crying to himself, scratching his arm in an attempt to calm down. Ruin shortly wakes up, confused and half asleep.

  “Huh? Darling, what happened?? Are we being robbed?” Ruin questioned, still being slightly groggy. He immediately perks up once he sees the current state that Solar is in. 

  “DARLING!! WHAT HAPPENED?!” Ruin asked in a worried tone.

  “I’m sorry…I’m s-sorry…” Solar weeps, hiding his face. Ruin sighs once he realizes what happened. It was a nightmare. Ruin honestly expected this to happen. Ruin pulls Solar close to him, holding him in a tight embrace as he softly rubs one of Solar’s rays. “It’s okay darling…I’ve got you…” Ruin whispers.

  Slowly, Solar’s crying died down. He just laid into Ruin’s hug, finally feeling like he could fall asleep again. Ruin smiles at this. He lays back down, still holding Solar in his arms. Ruin kisses Solar’s forehead. “Better?” Ruin asked. Solar simply nods, falling back asleep. They both fall asleep shortly after, both of them holding each other in a sweet embrace.

[solaris-amethyst]

🪻Our Journey🪻

✨Pairing: ateez ot8 x gn!reader ✨Chapter 1. What started off as any normal day for you after leaving your siblings at school ended up as a disaster as you get swooped far away from home by accident. ✨Genre: fantasy au, Elsa Beskow inspired, non romance ✨Word Count: 4k ✨Tag list: ☀️Authors Note: This is inspired by Elsa Beskows stories and drawings which means everyone is small sized like in the pictures above by Elsa herself, I have yet decided if there will be romance in this story it's leaning more towards nonromantic right now but we'll see! Let me know if you'd like to join the tag list💓

<next>

As a young child you had heard stories of what exists out in the big wide world by your father. He would tell you about the faeries dancing in rings out on the fields in the early mornings when the grass was covered in dew and the fog was there as well. He’d tell you about the terrifying meetings with mountain trolls and other creatures that sent shivers up your spine.

Sometimes he’d even tell you terrifying stories about creatures like the wyverns hiding deeper in the forest or the dragons and other creatures lurking out in the world that you have to be careful around other wise you might end up loosing your life.

Sometimes you thought he was only telling you and your siblings this to keep you all in check. To make sure none of you would wander too far off when outside of your little home. After all being so small could make it harder to get home in certain weathers. Rain could be especially dangerous because of the mud it created had your mother told you. 

She had said to your younger self:

”Rain is dangerous if it pelts down, it can strike you down when you least expect it and for us who are small it can be fatal. It creates mud in places you would not expect and falling into it can be dangerous, sometimes it’s deep and you cannot swim in it like you can in the little creek. Make sure to find cover if you are outside when it rains. A mushroom or a flower can give you good cover until it’s safe to go home.”

You always heeded her and your fathers words. Rarely stepping outside when it rained or when it got dark. Sometimes you would do something daring when your siblings were with you but never something that would truly put you in any sort of danger.

Most animals did not get too close to you that could be deemed dangerous since you wore your hat that looked like the hat of a fly agaric. Your mother had one as well just like your siblings, your father was different. He wore a pine cone on his head, that had come from his family before he had chosen to live his life with your mother. He even had an armor made of pine cones for when he had to go out and fight of a snake or two.

”Hey Y/n! Are you ready?? Mama is taking us to school now!” Your younger brother called for you at the entrance of your home, taking you out of your daydreaming which made you groan quietly. You had finished school a few years back and would often be tasked to bring your younger siblings to Mama Owl when your own mother had too much to do.

You had loved your time with her learning about the world and all that existed in it. Mama Owl was a wise creature, wiser than any other in the forest and she shared her knowledge with all of the younglings. Everyone from the birds, the squirrels, the rabbits, you and your siblings and many more had come to learn from her until you reached adulthood.

Very often would you daydream during her lessons about exploring the world. It was something you longed to do but it would take an awful long time for someone so small to explore the world which was oh so big. Perhaps one day you could do so on the back of a chaffinch you would have befriended at some point in your life but for now you were stuck in your small section of the world.

”Hurry up! You’re slower than a snail on a bad day!” Your sister called which made you roll out of your bed and hurriedly putting on your hat, making sure your shirt and pants looked good before running towards the door.

”There you are! Let’s go now, we do not want to be late for todays lessons. Mama Owl does not approve of tardiness.” Your mama tells you as she picks up her basket.

”Mama, I am old enough to walk the kids to school myself am I not?” You ask wondering why she is walking them to class today when that was something you usually did. 

”Oh shush, I want to walk them to class today and make sure no one gets into trouble.” She says which makes you sigh thinking back on how yesterday you had been late with your siblings simply because you followed a butterfly for a while in the opposite direction.

Your parents had not been happy with you once they had heard your younger siblings had been late for class and had scolded you for it during dinner. You had apologized profusely and promised it wouldn’t happen again and it seems like your mother was making sure it wouldn’t happen again by making you company all the way to school.

”I’m off with father today to learn more hunting and fighting techniques.” Your older sister tells you, she had already finished her schooling and were learning from your father the last piece of knowledge she needs as an adult. You and your older brother had yet to been allowed to learn from him the same way she was. The two of you would often watch them from afar and play around with sticks you found practicing the movements she was learning.

You two were considered too old for school now but not old enough to learn some of the adult things like fighting or even building your own house. Your parents often told you to just enjoy this time, meet with friends, explore the forest but obviously don’t go to far from home or you might get lost! Or perhaps find someone you could fall in love with. 

”Last lesson Mama Owl started telling us about the mountain trolls! Have you met one Y/n?” Your younger sister asked and you nodded at her as she took your hand to hold as the five of you walked to the big tree where the school was being held.

”I have! He scared me, Opal and Birk when we were kids! We were playing too close to his lair so he came out and shouted BOO at us!” You imitated the troll and your younger sister looked frightened ”But don’t worry, he didn’t hurt us at all. He just finds it funny scaring us. He’s an old mountain troll and is kind sometimes. But I haven’t met any other mountain trolls so I don’t know if it’s just him that is this way or if all mountain trolls are this way.” You told her before your mother chimed in.

”Let’s hope we never have to meet another mountain troll! They can be very dangerous! Especially since they are so big.” 

”Don’t scare them mama!” You tell her when you feel your sister tighten her hold on your hand.

”Oh sorry my sweet little darling, I didn’t mean to scare you.” She apologizes before helping all of your siblings up the tree together with you once you finally reached it.

The five of you climb up and after a while you reach the branches where the classes will be held. Your three younger siblings hug you and your mother goodbye before going to sit on a branch next to some squirrels, it makes your heart warm seeing them greet their friends and talking happily with the other younglings.

”Behave well and learn a lot today!” You tell them before waving goodbye. 

You and your mother part ways further down on the tree branches with you running around happily enjoying the freedom of jumping from branch to branch, exploring the leaves and to be able to see everything happening from above.

You could see in the distance your older sister Opal training with your father, both decked out in their battle gear. You notice a viper slithering closer to them but you are too far away for them to hear you call out to them. Luckily your father is sharp and notices it coming their way, he shows off a brilliant technique of warding it off and eventually killing it and you know he will later find a hedgehog to offer the snake to as a delicious treat.

”Wow.” You whisper to yourself before standing up on the branch and start pretending you’re fighting a viper of your own, copying his moves. Both you and Birk had been begging a few months back to also learn how to fight but your father had refused saying he’d only teach one person at a time and since Opal was the oldest out of you three she got to learn it all first.

She had been incredibly proud when your mother had fixed her armor made out of pinecone. Lovingly sown together to be a perfect fit, Opal still wore her red hat which looked like the poisonous fly agaric, claiming that it fit her perfectly and gave away a sense of danger.

You however speculated that she wanted to have something that resembled your loving mother close to her even when she is out protecting her own. 

”Take this! Hah! And that!!” You swing a twig around maneuvering around and it all goes well until you almost slip and fall down had it not been for your quick reflexes grabbing onto a small branch hauling yourself up again.

”That is enough fighting up here for today…” You tell yourself hurrying away from the edge and downwards.

You hurry down the tree and once you’re safely on the ground again you run towards the tiny little creek to enjoy the feeling of the running water passing through your legs. Perhaps you’d find a nice looking stone, one that shimmers like the sun in the sky to bring home and create a necklace out of it. 

If you were lucky that is. 

You had only seen a beautiful stone like that once when you were five and your father had found it. He had brought it home and carved it into a lamp for which your mother would put twigs in and light up to give a warm light in your home when the fireplace wasn’t necessary.

”Hello Y/n!! Found any acorns today??” Your friend, Twigs, a beautiful auburn brown squirrel asked running up to you, looking at you curiously with her hands closely held together.

”Hi Twigs, I’m sorry I haven’t found any yet, perhaps there will be some in the creek? I’m going there if you’d like to join me?” You ask her with a smile and she perks up before getting on all four in front of you.

”Get on! I’ll carry you there, that way we can get there quicker and not miss a single acorn.” She says and you laugh before getting up on her back trying to tell her that the two of you might not even find acorns there but she doesn’t listen as she takes off.

She’s quick and zig-zags through the blueberry bushes and for you it tickles in your stomach as she runs and sometimes jump from stone to stone. The wind towards your face feels amazing and you close your eyes as your hands grip her fur gently. The fur is soft and it brings you comfort as the two of you journey to the creek. It sometimes feels like you are soaring through the air like those few times you’ve flown on the back of a bat during the nights.

You take your time to truly admire Twig, she’s truly beautiful, her fur reminds you of the sun setting on the horizon, painting the water orange or the autumn leaves. The tuffs on her ears makes you smile and her majestic tail is something you marvel at. You had only experienced one time when she had curled her tail up around you to keep you warm and sometimes you’d imagine yourself cuddling with Twigs when you went to bed surrounded by your warm blanket. 

You loved her dearly, she was the same age as you. One of your first friends outside of your family and no matter what others said about her you’d always cherish her and her goofy self. 

It didn’t matter that she forgot where she had hidden half of the nuts she had collected because she never let it dampen her spirit. She had a positive outlook on life and that was something you wished you could have all the time as well.

”We’re here!!!” She beams happily while slowing down showing you that you were in fact at the creek. You quickly jump off of her back and run to the water happily.

”Thank you Twigs! Shall we play around in the water together?” You question as the cold feeling climbs up your body when your feet touches the water. 

Twigs sit up on her hind legs looking at you with a tilted head, her hands being adorably held together making her look very curious and polite.

”Are there any nuts in the water?” She asks and it makes you laugh out loud before shaking your head.

”No, I’m sorry there are none in the water, but perhaps there are some over at that oak tree?” You point towards the oak tree knowing she buried some nuts over there a few weeks ago and promptly forgot about it. 

She lights up and like a lighting bolt she’s over there sniffing around for her hearts desire. You enjoy helping her out because her reactions to it all are always so genuine and sweet.

”Now let’s see if I can find something to bring home from here.” You mutter before squatting down and getting your hands into the water, pushing around the sand and rocks under you in hopes of finding a beautiful stone. 

You search for some time but is unsuccessful in finding anything that you had hoped to find. Perhaps your father just had been very lucky at that day perhaps the faeries had given him some luck so he could bring back home a present for the love of his life.  ”I wonder if I will ever get so lucky.” You ask yourself sitting down on a rock near by and letting your feet gently splash in the running water, enjoying the sun shining from above.

It was a beautiful day and when you don’t have anything to do it would be a crime not to enjoy it. You sat there for some time, Twigs coming back to tell you all about the different nuts she found where you had suggested she’d look causing you to smile brightly, happy she found some happiness today.

You even managed to talk to one of the kind snails in the area named Pine by you and your siblings. He was always kind and never in a rush to get anywhere simply enjoying his life in his own pace. You two spoke for a while about how you wished you’d be taught fighting as well to which he responded that it will come in time and that you should relax and enjoy your life as a young adult before it’s time for you to take on even bigger responsibilities which would mean you wouldn’t have time for fun the same way you have now.

”Perhaps he was right.” You thought while walking back the same path where you came from. 

Perhaps you should just try and enjoy life right now before it would be time for you to either leave home to find a place of your own or take on much bigger responsibilities. You had never thought of it that way, always so desperate to learn what your older sister was learning, perhaps it was because you yearned to show everyone you were grown up, that you could handle scary situations like this as well.

A need to prove yourself.

Your feet wander taking you further and further away from the creek, wandering through moss and blueberry bushes, past a spiderweb with a large spider hiding behind some leaves. You’re careful not to get tangled up in his net knowing it will leave a nasty encounter because if he was particularly hungry that day nothing would stop him from devouring you. 

You hum a familiar tune that the sparrows had been singing earlier.

It was a beautiful tune and if you sang loud enough they would respond with their own song, sometimes even trying to harmonize with you. They’d fly between the trees, flapping their beautiful brown wings quickly as they danced in the air. To you they looked majestic as they flew around singing their songs to their hearts content.

”One day I hope I can fly as high as they are.” You say to no one in particular as you stop to take them in. 

You would have stayed there for much longer if you didn’t suddenly remember that you had promised your mother you would bring home some wood sorrel for her to use in tonights dinner. Knowing she’d want a big amount and it took you a while to pluck them caused you to start sprinting to the one place you knew plenty of them grew. Not to be confused with clovers that also grew in the forest you called home. Clovers were okay, they weren’t as tasty as wood sorrel and you much preferred the latter, especially when they were combined with the fruits and nuts your mother cooked to perfection.

Weaving through the fauna so quickly as you did almost made you trip on sticks and stones but you were nimble on your feet and stayed up where younger you would have tripped.

Avoiding the ants in the path was also hard, pissing off one of them meant the whole clan would come after you and that was something you did not want. Birk had once been unlucky and had been bitten by several ants, Opal had managed to get the ants away by throwing water at them and by getting the helps of some birds to scare them away. You shuddered as you remembered the bruises and wounds your older brother had sported that day.

He couldn’t stop crying from the pain, their bites itched and he had trouble laying down and sleeping as well. It had been a lesson for all of you and your siblings to always be in the good graces of ants. They could either be your friend or enemy and you would do better to have them on your side than the opposite. You would often leave them treats, things you’d found when out and about that you knew they liked or needed for their home. That way they never really bothered to go after you when they saw you. 

You were so far friend in their eyes and you intended for it to stay that way.

”There!” You exclaimed in happiness as you saw the wood sorrel come into view, your feet speeding up, jumping in happiness at what you saw.

”Perfect! Mama will be so happy when I come home with all of this!” You say walking up to one that reached half of your height, bending down to pick it up. 

”Ouf hrmmm come on!” You mutter as you squat slightly, gripping the stem tightly and pulling as hard you could and just when you thought you’d have to give up on this specific one it flew up causing you to land on your butt.

”Ouch!” You exclaim as you landed before snickering finding it a bit funny. 

”This better not be happening to me with every single one of you that i’m plucking.” You say out loud as if telling the plant off and that it better behave for you as you get up on your feet again.

The other ones you’re plucking goes much smoother, you’ve plucked quiet the collection when you decide it’s time to take a little break. You move all your sorrel to one big pile before you look for a good place to rest your legs for a while. You wander a bit, trying to find the perfect place and while you’re doing that you fail to hear the sounds of wings flapping coming closer and closer to you. 

You barely have time to realize what is happening until the ground is suddenly getting farther and farther away from you as you hang almost upside down. You look up in fear and see that it’s a greenfinch that has grabbed you by your waist flying away with you. 

Panic start to settle into your bones as you realize the bird doesn’t even seem to realize that what he’s grabbed is not something he can eat.

”S-stop!! Let me down!!!” You yell trying to get his attention and you could have sworn you saw the bird look back at you and chuckle as he continued to fly higher and higher and further away from your home.

”No!!! Let me down!! Stop! Don’t take me away from home please!!” You yell again desperately while trying not to look down. 

It suddenly wasn’t your wish to soar high up in the sky. It was scary how far away the ground were from you and you knew if you were to be let go now you’d surely hurt yourself or die from the fall. You continued to scream in both fear and desperation. When you had wished earlier to fly up in the sky like the sparrows this was not what you had meant. 

It was almost as if the bird was speeding up taking you somewhere you would soon not recognize. The forest was big and you were so small that even if the bird didn’t bring you too far away it could take days for you to find your way home.

The last thing you could do while fighting away the tears threatening to spill was to call out to the two people who always were there for you, who always knew what to do in scary situations. Logically you knew that calling out for them at this distance would do you no good but you couldn’t help it.

Right now everything was scary and logic had been thrown away.

”MAMA!!! PAPA!!!” You wailed loudly feeling terror settling into your bones as the greenfinch flew up and down and in circles as if mocking you, finding your reactions funny. 

There were no mama nor papa there to protect you, to hold you tight and chase away the mean greenfinch.

You were all alone with this mean bird and nothing you said or did made him stop. He had a destination in mind and for some reason he had decided that taking you from your home was something he had to do.

[gabbrofan27]

campfire fest discord server, some people and i were discussing what sort of (explicitly non-hard) drugs would actually exist in the solar system, and reading the freedom by @ultimatefeldsparringgot me thinking about our responses. i forget who brought up exactly what, so ill just be narrating the general ideas that were floated (tw drugs/alcohol)

we know they have alcohol. sapwine is likely just a wine that they make, though i could imagine its just a catch-all for liquors in general (if they can make any). but, in my opinion, it makes absolutely no sense for the species that got to space in ships made of wood to have never figured out beer. there has GOT to be hearthian beers, i cant imagine a world where there isnt any. a fine hearthian ale would cure any sickness.

the question isn't "is there space weed," rather what planet/s does it grow on. hourglass twins too close to sun, brittle hollow likely too rocky, so the obvious candidates are timber hearth and giants deep. timber hearths rivers and lush organic life have likely led to the steady growth of a plant that, when smoked, gets one high, but likely nowhere in the village. thinking the various groves. giants deep has some grasses and mosses, so this could be the separate strain. alternatively, it is very funny to think there is no weed on timber hearth, and that someone just said "fuck it" and smoked the giants deep clump of moss stuck to their ship. someone i believe, floated the idea of dark bramble weed, and i don't want to know what the fuck that would do to one

psychadelics likely in the form of mushrooms. probably found on every planet idk mushrooms are crazy like that. what a fucked up little solar system, with so little kinds of weed and so many kinds of shrooms. again, dark bramble shrooms i never want to meet

getting more medical now, some form of painkillers in various strengths and forms definitely exist. this i feel is pills, herbal remedies, tonics and tinctures, balms and pastes, and frog/toad secretions specifically. asprin needs to exist god what a cruel world if it didnt. frog slimes id imagine could be used as / turned into numbing agents, local or otherwise. stronger painkillers could definitely be addictive or abused very random talk i know but it was on the mind, need to use this blog posting that isnt about drugs too of course this wont be the normal

[yippeesizedifgohard]

a new friend pt 1

(pt 1/pt 2/pt 3/pt 4/pt 5)

The last night of moving into Caleb’s new house went well. The boxes were all stacked neatly in the living area, a few open on the lounge chair so he could eat off of a regular plate with normal silverware. The people Caleb had bought the house from claimed it was haunted, but he didn’t believe in such things. They had brought up strange hissing noises and weird tapping from the walls occasionally, but Caleb assumed that was just an animal in the house. And to him, they were welcome to stay.

Caleb was raised not to mind the creatures that lived in his house, after all, they wouldn’t survive outside after adapting to the inside of a house. His mother assured him spiders were there to eat the ants and the mice were there to eat the spiders. It was the circle of life. It was a horrible tragedy the night that caring and loving woman died. The house he grew up in and everything in it was given to his sister. The only thing left for him? A box from up in the attic that contained little trinkets they had collected together. So, Caleb moved out for the first time in his life and found a different house owned by friends of his family. They were an old, gray couple who had planned to move into a nursing home. They gave him his new house - old furniture and all. He was very thankful.

It was nearing midnight and Caleb had gotten up from his temporary resting place - the cushy lounge chair - to get a glass of water. He left the light off, relying on the moonlight from the very large windows in the kitchen. He filled up the one cup he had unpacked and chugged it down, but just as he was about to get another… there was a quiet, although frighteningly nearby, hissing noise. It sounded like a child trying to imitate a snake with resounding success. He looked around and caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He leaned down close to the countertop and spotted something very little - a button and a little bit of torn thread.

“What the hell?” He muttered to himself, gently pinching the materials off the counter. Another faint hiss caught his attention and pulled his gaze toward the cracked tile near the stovetop. He sighed, figuring he was either just imagining things, or something outside was making the noise. But that didn’t quell one of the memories from his childhood. He continued to push it away in his mind until he fell asleep in the lounge chair by accident.

“Mama, mama, look! I found something!” Caleb waved his hand up in the air with his find. It was a strange looking little shirt that appeared to be weaved with grass like a basket. His mother came over with a mellow smile and squinted at the shirt.

“Well, I’m not sure where that came from…” she trailed off, the expression on her face scrunching up with confusion. Then, she turned to her son, “what do you think, Cay-Cay?” Caleb hummed thoughtfully for a minute.

“Oh! I know! I know! Little people!” He giggled, pleased with his own imagination. His mother laughed delicately and kindly.

“Oh baby, little people aren’t real.”

The morning was a rude awakening. Caleb had drifted into the sound of his angry alarm and groaned. Today was the day he unpacked. He started with the boxes that left him the most curious - the box labeled ‘Caleb’s Trinkets’ in his mothers handwriting. He sliced apart the old tape with scissors and was struck with emotion as he pulled each item out of the box; old animal skulls that had been bleached, the butterflies pinned in a frame, two posters with assorted bugs, a table lamp with a mushroom head, and finally the little grass-weaved shirt. Tears welled up in his eyes, though he was quick to wipe them away.

“Mama…” he mumbled, swiping his sleeve under his nose. He put everything back in the box and headed to the single bedroom in the house. The wallpaper adorned with fern leaves was peeling at the edges and the windowsill looked tired with dust. He hung up the posters and put the mushroom lamp on the nightstand. The butterfly frame went over the top of the bed frame. The skulls he still had to put a shelf up for, but the little shirt was a mystery. For now, he set it on top of the mushroom lamp and left to go unpack the rest of his things.

[emswritingsstuff]

Blood Root (Daryl Dixon x Reader)

summary: bonding with daryl over your cooking

note: another @caseylicious request!! this quite a while in the making and i hope you enjoy, even if it did take forever!! also highkey recommend MF DOOMs special herbs albums because i listened to them on loop while writing this

WC: 3.7k

--

Since the start of the camp at the Quarry, you had the job of cooking and making food to go around. You volunteered to do it and loved it, not to mention it made things feel somewhat normal. But, with supplies running low and resources scarce, it got hard to make things for everyone. 

It seemed meat was always in stock; thanks to the Dixons’ hunting and the Harrisons’ fishing, you never really had to worry about losing that. But spices and herbs were difficult to come by, with only a few of you knowing how to identify herbs. Not to mention, spices aren’t a priority when it comes to necessity runs. It was disheartening you had to admit. All you wanted to do was make appetizing food, or at least something better than cooked, unseasoned rabbit. 

Doing research on herbs and plants before the fall through books and such, you knew how to pick out edible plants, including fungus like mushrooms too. With that came the knowledge of harvesting and cooking, which was your favorite part no doubt. But going out into the woods was a difficult task, not because of the potential danger but because you were always needed elsewhere on camp. 

Finding herbs was tough in general, a lot of them blending in with the other plants in the woods. Luckily, mushrooms came easy with how they stuck out like sore thumbs against the green grass and dark trees. The trick was knowing what was edible and what was toxic. Everyone was always skeptical about the mushrooms, not wanting to run the risk of getting sick. Thankfully, Shane could vouch for you. You couldn’t help but feel a little bitter that no one took your word for it. But you couldn’t dwell. 

And now you’re here, stressing about the low stock of your cooking supplies and ingredients. A lot of the group was out on a run, meaning you had to pick up the slack when you weren’t cooking. Ultimately meaning you couldn’t go out and look for ingredients yourself, which upset you even more. Sitting with the thoughts racing in your head, making attempts to think of a way to get the things you needed. 

An idea soon struck, and it was honestly a shot in the dark. But it could never hurt to at least ask. 

Daryl Dixon was an expert in those woods, and thankfully the mushrooms you needed were located there. The shaggy mane mushrooms ironically sprout on game land trails, and the oyster mushrooms on fallen trees. It was almost perfect, but the hard part was getting Daryl on board. 

The Dixon’s were loners, and it was respected for the most part. They both had tempers, Daryl being more explosive than Merle. Merle had his moments too, but he was more condescending and somehow irrational than his brother. It was common for everyone to avoid them so as to not piss them off and risk an explosion. And maybe you were risking getting a bad reaction from the younger Dixon, but you couldn’t care at that moment. Desperate to restock the makeshift inventory you had, you would try anything. 

Scanning over the camp to find Daryl, you managed to spot him talking to Shane about the hunt he was about to go on. Bingo. 

When the conversation ended between them, you bolted over to Daryl. Projecting a loud “Hey,” in which he didn’t hesitate to turn around and look at you. Catching up with him, you stopped and caught your breath before cutting to the chase. “I wanted to ask if you could grab some mushrooms while on your hunt? If you see them of course.” Handing him a piece of paper, it had attempted drawings the mushrooms you needed as well as small important details to pick them out. Getting nervous, you attempted to explain yourself, “I would go out myself but with a bunch of people out, Shane has me running around this place like crazy.” What you said was followed by a nervous laugh, watching Daryl as he gave an intense side-eye to Shane. 

Taking the paper from your hands, he looked over it and nodded, “I’ll see wha’ I can get.” Nodding back you handed him a small container, “In case you find them.” Taking the container he offered you a respectful nod before walking off and disappearing the blur of the woods. 

The days dragged on while he was gone, getting antsy to see if he found anything out there. So many bland meals have come and gone, feeling helpless and upset with yourself you couldn’t do better for the group. Amongst all the thoughts, part of you had to wonder if Daryl had even done what you asked in the first place. What if he just said he would get you off his back? What if he actually didn’t find anything? All you could do was wait and dwell on those intrusive “what if” thoughts. 

Right as you started to get lost in your brain, the archer emerged from the woods, a bunch of squirrels roped around his body. Trying to focus on cleaning from that night's dinner, all you did was hope he would make his round toward you. And luckily he did, as soon as you looked back to spot him, he was coming toward you with his bag. 

Glancing at him, you muttered a fast greeting before he placed his bag on the ground and reached into it. “Found the shrooms, got some herbs too. Remember ya talkin’ to Carol about ‘em.” Daryl handed you the container full of the mushrooms and well as a dry rag that held the herbs. Your mouth was agape, in shock he did this for you. Blinking rapidly, you mustered out a speedy “thank you.” Maybe you didn’t show it, but you were ecstatic. 

Dinner the following day was much better than you anticipated. It made you feel like yourself again, the food wasn’t five star quality but you did it. You made it, and the compliments from the group added to your radiant joy. There was one thing that damped your spirits though.

And that was Daryl not coming to dinner. Him and Merle never ate with the rest of the group, usually just grabbing food and leaving, tonight was different. He didn’t come over at all. With Merle being out with the run group, he was all alone. Peeking over at him, Daryl just sat at his spot working on something you couldn’t really see. Unsure if he ate something, you made the choice to prepare a small portion of what you made for the group for him. 

Considering he was nice enough to go out and help find the ingredients, he deserved to try some. And you were going to make it happen. Approaching his space, you stood there for a minute, unsure if you should disturb him or not. It didn’t take Daryl long to notice your presence, stopping what he was doing to look up at you. No words were spoken, just simply handing him the bowl. And he ended up taking it, investigating what exactly was in there. 

Taking in a breath, you finally spoke, “You didn’t come to dinner, didn’t know if you ate or not.” Crossing your arms, you watched as Daryl nodded along and took a quick bite. “Good, it's good.” Daryl's words surprised you, even if they were muffled by the food in his mouth. “Oh, thanks.” Pausing for a minute, you continued to sneak glances while he ate. “Want more?” And by the time you asked, he was a few more bites in, perking up at the question. “Got more?” Nodding, you grabbed the bowl from him and took it to grab him more food. 

As you walked away you smiled fondly to yourself, absolutely thrilled you made the most stubborn person in the group at least a little bit happy. He may not have had a ‘happy’ expression, but you could feel the energy off of him. 

And from that point on, the relationship you had with Daryl bloomed into something more. A sort of friendship, but you weren’t entirely sure if he would’ve agreed with that. 

Nonetheless, since that day at the Quarry, you had grown accustomed to talking to Daryl about random recipes you had made in the past. Or showed him beat-up cookbooks you’d found. Just going on and on about what you could do if you had the ingredients. 

And like clockwork, Daryl magically found an ingredient or two that you talked about on a run. It would always make your day, knowing he was thinking of you and about what you talked about while out there. And without a doubt the dinners were always better. 

Hence, the dinner routine started. Daryl always got to try what you made first, your way of showing gratitude to him. He’d always take what you handed him, sometimes begrudgingly. To him, it felt like you were sort of “babying” him. Also known as, feeding him decent food. 

He tried to act all stubborn and tough, but all the walls came down the minute he tried what you made. More times than not, he would be right over as soon as the group started eating. 

After arriving at the prison, soon came the new opportunities with an almost gated off “community” you all had created. The change was good. Even if it was stressful to get used to at first. As the days went on, the more and more improvements you had made. And the more people that joined. One of the improvements was livestock and gardens. With the help of Hershel and Rick, maintaining both of them was easy and rewarding. 

Meals got better too, suddenly having so much more food and ingredients at your disposal to mess around with. And with that, came Daryl too. 

The so-called dinner routine that had been created between the two of you blossomed to something more than you letting him try the food. Once everybody’s routines got solidified, so did the time for meals. With that came Daryl always somehow being around and getting first plate was given out. 

It was adorable, you had to admit that. Daryl would never outright say it was because he enjoyed your cooking. But all of the signs were there, not to mention he’d try and play it cool every time he stuck around while you cooked. The nonchalant act he was putting out didn’t work on you at all. Not even for a single second. 

“You can just say you like my cooking, you don’t have to race for first plate everyday to show it.” Shooting him a cocky look, he just scoffed in response. “Not tha’. Jus’ got nothin’ better to do,” as you worked you sneaked fast glances at him, a smirk just on your face. 

“Really? Everyday, you have nothing better to do?” Daryl just gave you a “Please shut up” look, which caused you to eventually drop the subject. But an indescribable joy filled your heart every time you saw him waiting, even if he was so stubborn about it.

As the weeks went past, the relationship you had with Daryl grew. It sprouted into something so much more than what you would have ever thought. Amidst all the times he’s helped find ingredients or hang around you while you worked, a new feeling ignited in your chest.  You liked him, and it was a feeling you really couldn’t deny any longer. 

So, you did something about it. A feeling within you told you he felt the same, but the man was so hard to read that you were unsure. And With all the confidence you could muster, you asked him out before dinner one day. A ping of nervousness was there, thinking you misread the signs he was giving. Thankfully thought, you were right. The relationship the both of you had basically remained the same, but with more touches and kissing now. It made you happy, and it made him happy.  

Somehow within all the moments of disappointment and sorrow, you finally had something amazing. Something you never thought you would be able to have.

But like all good things come, they also go. For once you wished everyone would stay the same, thankful for the change you had. but now the prison was gone, and now you all were on the road. After being separated and being held at Terminus, everyone had changed. In one way or another. 

To you, Daryl’s was the most notable, especially after Beth. He was always stubborn, but it wasn’t like him to be so closed off and quiet. The going off by himself worried you as well, but he never wanted you to go with him. Not wanting you to see him in such a way. 

Just as everything seemed to get worse, a man named Aaron came along. Speaking of a community called “Alexandria”. It sounded too good to be true and no one believed it was true. 

No amount of pictures or “brochures” could convince the group otherwise. But Aaron was a man of his word it seemed, ultimately taking you to Alexandria to show you the real thing. 

It was a dream, you swore you had to be imagining the whole thing. Sure you had running water in the prison, and you had other “normal” things. But electricity and hot water was something you never thought could be possible again. And here it was. 

After the interviews, all of you were accepted. Getting jobs or “earning your keep” as they say. Even getting offered a home, which Aaron was kind enough to show you to.

Finally stepping into the new home, it felt even more unreal. Looking around you weren’t sure how to exactly feel about it. Aaron bashfully followed you in, Daryl sicking outside with his crossbow. Aaron slowly inched his way to be up beside you. Looking at him you gestured toward the kitchen. “You weren’t shitting us right? All of this works?” as you spoke you pointed at the oven and stove. Aaron laughed as he crossed his arms, “Take a look for yourself.”  Raising an eyebrow, you did what he said. And to your surprise, it did work. 

“Holy shit?” Aaron laughed at your amazed tone, causing you to laugh with him. “This whole place is for you and Daryl, if he ever comes inside that is,” peeking at Daryl outside you could barely see the top of his head as he sat on the deck. Shaking your head, you muttered a quick thank you before following Aaron outside. 

“There's a welcome party at Deanna’s tonight, all of you are invited. If you want to go,” looking at Daryl, you could see in his face that it was a hard ‘no’ from him. “Think we’ll just stay in, adjust to everything you know,” Aaron nodded in agreement. “I understand, but Daryl,” his head shot up as Aaron addressed him directly. “Stop over at my house at some point, have something to ask and show you,” you could see Daryl’s blank stare as Aaron spoke to him. And as if on cue, Aaron quickly made his leave, waving a goodbye before walking off to his home. 

Walking over to Daryl, you made your place right beside him. Sitting there in silence, you rested your head on his shoulder causing him to wrap an arm around you and pause working. Bringing your hand up, you captured his hand in yours. 

“I know this isn’t what you want, but I think this could be good,” you whispered quietly, causing Daryl to let out a breath. “Judith needs a roof, so does everyone else,” he couldn’t even look at you, almost ashamed. “What about you?” shaking his head, he finally looked at you. “Don’ know,” wrapping your arms around him, you let him bury his face in your neck. Letting your hand play with his hair, you began to speak again. “You should go in the house, get cleaned up. I’ll run to the pantry and I’ll make us dinner,” he grunted quietly but obliged. Placing a kiss on your head and letting himself into the home. Waiting a few minutes, you eventually got up and made your way to the pantry. 

Walking through the streets of Alexandria, it felt peaceful, like nothing can hurt you anymore. It felt silly to think such things, but maybe this place was the safe shelter you’d always strived to have. This was your fresh start. 

Once grabbing everything you needed for your dinner, without any delay you made your way back to the house. Ready to relax after days on the road. 

Entering the home the sound of running water filled your ears, signaling Daryl was in there. Smiling fondly to yourself you walked to the kitchen, ready to start dinner. Just deciding to make plain spaghetti, it was easy and something you haven’t had since the fall. Plus it was romantic in a way, or at least it was considered that in your opinion. 

Cooking up the sauce and meat, you let them simmer together while you start the noodles. Putting on the pot and letting the water boil, and while waiting you lifted yourself up on the counter and sat there. 

Sitting there for a few minutes, Daryl emerged from the hall. His hair was still wet, but he was cleaner and had a fresh set of clothes on. A gleeful smile painted your face as he walked toward you, standing still beside you. 

“Whatcha makin’” his gruff voice broke the silence, him shyly looking up at you. “Just some spaghetti, change of pace from stew and jerky,” you laughed as you spoke, even getting a chuckle out of him. Reaching your hand over to his hair, you ran your fingers through it. “How are you feeling?” 

You could see Daryl biting the inside of his cheek before responding, “Fine, don’ worry 'bout me.” Not wanting to start a bigger conversation he didn’t want to have, you dropped it. Much to your own dismay though.  

As if saved by the bell, the water had started boiling. Hopping off the counter, you placed the pasta in the pot and letting it cook. Daryl remained in his place, watching you work. 

After about a few minutes, you fished out a noodle and rinsed it off so it was cold. Putting it in your hand, he looked at you confused. “Wanna try it? See if it's done?” still holding the noodle, he went to grab it and swiftly ate it. He looked unsure and all you could do was giggle at his demeanor, “Never taste tested a noodle?” Shaking his head with a “no” your face subtly dropped, but you didn't let it ruin the moment. 

“You know, if you throw it at the wall and it sticks. Means it’s done,” getting out another noodle and washing it off, he took it from your hands. Raising his eyebrow looking at you, he threw it at the nearest wall. 

“They’re done,” he pointed at the noodle stuck on the wall. Giggling softly, you made quick work of straining the noodles and mixing them with the sauce. You took the pan with the spaghetti and set it on the table, towel under it so as to not burn the table. Daryl took it upon himself to set the table with plates and silverware, before you could even think about it. 

Both of you sat down at the table across from each other, sitting there for a moment you gestured for Daryl to take his portion first. “Shouldn’t ya? Ya made it,” pointing at him, you quickly shut him up. “That’s exactly why you get the first plate. Now, eat,” Daryl put his hands up in a surrendering motion before making his plate. As soon as he was done you got yours, prompting you to both start enjoying your dinner. 

It was silent, almost a little too silent for you. Daryl’s expression was one that signaled to you that he was thinking about something. Staring at your plate, you waited for Daryl to finish eating before you asked anything. It definitely looked like something was wrong or at least bothering him. And you were tired of waiting. 

By the time he was finished eating, he had noticed you staring. His hand waving in front of your head caused you to look at him, a questioning look on his face. You took a deep breath, preparing yourself to speak.

“Daryl, tell me what's on your mind,” instantly freezing, he looked down at the cloth napkin on his legs. Obviously debating with himself on what he should say. “Jus’, thinkin’ about us,” setting down your fork, you took your hand in his. “What about us?” 

Daryl cleared his throat, stalling, still looking down. “No one’s ever done anythin’ like this for me before. Don’ know wha’ I did to deserve it,” his voice was quiet. Looking at him softly, your thumb rubbed his hand, drawing soft shapes into it. Staying quiet, he continued to speak. Just opening up to you at that moment. 

“When mom died, Merle took over cookin’. It was never like this, it’s why I liked ya so much back then.” Looking at his face, the tears in his eyes were obvious. The memories from his childhood were painful, it was a known fact between the both of you. It was rare for him to be so open like this. But it meant he felt safe. 

Bringing up the hand you weren’t holding, he wiped off his face. Sniffling in the process, he apologized for how he was acting, almost ashamed. Reassuring him it was fine, you stood up and hugged him from behind. Planting a soft kiss on his head, and after staying like that for a minute, the both of you separated. 

As you walked away you rubbed his back, picking up the dirty dishes in the process. He was quick to follow you, wanting to help with the cleanup. You almost protested, wanting to tell him you could do it, but he was already washing the dishes. As you watched him, the thought of the change in him creeped into your mind. You knew you might never fully know what was going on with him, and that was his choice, but today was a step forward. And you were thankful for that.