#because maple tree has a sap?

[simbasomba]

BrambleShade is taking ballet classes

(Feather and tawny design by @warriorcatdumpster )

[breelandwalker]

Worm Moon - March 13-14 2025

The world is thawing and spring will soon be sprung. Dust off your garden tools and get ready for the Worm Moon!

Worm Moon

The Worm Moon is the name given to the full moon which occurs in the month of March in the Northern Hemisphere. Most sources claim this name is taken from the renewed visible presence of vermicast (worm droppings) and earthworms themselves, as the spring thaw allows them to emerge from the soil.

There is a possible alternative explanation, involving a colonial explorer's notes about the Naudowessie (Dakota) observation of emerging worm-like beetle larvae from the bark of trees. "Every month has with them a name expressive of its season; for instance, they call the month of March (in which their year generally begins at the first New Moon after the vernal Equinox) the Worm Month or Moon; because at this time the worms quit their retreats in the bark of the trees, wood, &c. where they have sheltered themselves during the winter." (It's entirely possible that this "worm" in this instance is a mistranslation of an indigenous word for "larva," since it refers to the larval state of certain beetles. Without knowing whether the language in question makes a distinction between larval worms and earthworms, it's impossible to tell, and I was unable to find further sources.)

Other North American Indigenous names for this moon include Goose Moon (Algonquin and Cree) and Crow Comes Back Moon (Northern Ojibwe), in reference to the reappearance of migratory birds, and Sugar Moon (Ojibwe) and Sap Moon (Shawnee), in reference to the season in which the maple sap begins to run and can be tapped for the production of maple syrup.

Fun Fact: The term "Worm Moon" only occurs in southerly indigenous nations. The March moon is commonly named for trees or birds in more northerly areas of North America because in those places, the native species of earthworms went extinct during the period when glaciers covered that portion of the continent. About 12,000 years ago when the glaciers receded, the forest grew back without earthworms. The species which now inhabit those areas are invasive or introduced specimens originating from Europe and Asia.

The March moon, if it occurs prior to the spring equinox, is also the Lenten Moon, named for the Christian holiday of Lent. If it occurs after the equinox, it is called the Paschal Full Moon, corresponding with the Christian holiday of Easter, or Paschal Sunday (This year's Worm Moon will occur the week before the equinox and Easter Sunday will be in April.)

This year's Worm Moon will also feature a lunar eclipse, the only one we'll see this year. The peak of the full moon will occur at 2:55am EST on March 14th, but the moon will appear to be full and the eclipse should be visible on the night of the 13th. Check the Dark Sky Place Finder for visibility conditions in your area and livestreams of the event.

What Does It Mean For Witches?

Full moons are both the beginning and end of the lunar cycle. With the Worm Moon, we can look forward to the beginning of spring and the yearly harvest cycle. So now is the perfect time for seasonal divination, plans for the coming months, and the setting of goals for the future, both short-term and long-term. You can also check in with goals you may have set back in January and record your progress. (Remember - even a little progress is still progress!)

Consider also how you can change or begin new routines and habits to improve your life, make better choices, streamline your schedule, or just give yourself a much-needed break. If there’s something hanging around that no longer serves you, now is the time to consider bidding it adieu and moving forward to a new path.

What Witchy Things Can We Do?

The Worm Moon heralds the imminent start of the planting season. If you’ve got green fingers, now is the time to begin planning your garden for the season. Prepare your sprouting trays and browse your favorite seed catalog for inspiration.

It’s also time for that all-important spring cleaning, so open up those windows on a warm day and air out all the staleness from winter. As you scrub and dust and declutter, you can also magically cleanse your space of stagnant, disruptive, or unwanted things, replacing them with your own energy and your good wishes and goals for the upcoming season.

This is also an excellent time for spells focused on fertility, optimism, and new growth. It’s important to remember that fertility spells don’t just have to focus on procreation. They can also be geared toward planting, creating, opportunity, inspiration, motivation, prosperity, abundance, and anything that requires nurturing and productivity.

As the land begins to turn toward springtime, even if the weather is still cold, take note of the changes in the flora and fauna in your area. What species can you identify? How are the animals acting? Is there anything new that you notice since last year? Tracking these changes can help you connect with your local biome and identify patterns that can help you draw forecasts for the weather, the coming crop cycle, and any personal omens you have which are connected to nature. Try this knowledge-building exercise as part of your study - Dig Through The Ditches.

Since there is a lunar eclipse set to occur, this is also an optimal time for not only the usual fulfillment and abundance magic associated with the full moon, but for any magic meant to yeet something into the all-devouring void with all your might. Contrary to certain schools of belief, eclipses do not automatically negate magical workings done on the date they occur and there are ways of employing that energy to useful purpose. Picture the earth's shadow moving over the moon like a giant cosmic disposal bin which carries away anything thrown into it to be released into the void of space.

As always, for best results, make sure you are focused and specific with your intentions and close loopholes in your wording. Remember that YOU are the most important component in your spell, since you're the one providing the impetus and the energy and telling the magic what to do. Don't be afraid to clear and emphatic!

Recall also that in any environment, there comes a time when progress cannot occur until harmful elements are removed, stagnation is released, and detritus is returned to a state where it can decay and benefit new growth. Do with this what you will.

The season of greening and renewal is upon us, so it’s time to Ready, Set, GROW!

Happy Worm Moon, witches! 🌕🌱

Further Reading:

Worm Moon: Full Moon for March 2025, The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Worm Moon: The Stunning Full Moon of March 2025, The Peculiar Brunette.

Witchcraft Exercise - Dig Through The Ditches, Bree NicGarran.

Travels Through the Interior Parts of North America, in the Years 1766, 1767 and 1768, Capt. Jonathan Carver, London, 1781. (Text available on Project Gutenberg)

Total Lunar Eclipse March 2025, Space.com.

Easter and the Paschal Full Moon: Determining the Date of Easter, The Old Farmer's Almanac.

Everyday Moon Magic: Spells & Rituals for Abundant Living, Dorothy Morrison, Llewellyn Publications, 2004.

(If you’re enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar or check out my published works on Amazon or in the Willow Wings Witch Shop. 😊)

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Icicle

Debut: Cold

What is this, a crossover episode? That's right! From nearly the very beginning- since Mario Bros., to be precise- Mario has worked closely with the world's second most beloved public domain ice shape, Icicle!Plenty of us are familiar with Icicle. When it's cold enough, dripping water can freeze into a spike, which, in Mario's case, could potentially fall down and cause quite a booboo.

And it can do that in our case, too! Do you ever think about that? There is a non-extreme weather condition that leads to the formation of temporary SPIKES in our environments. Often dangling right above sidewalks! They're genuinely dangerous! Icicles are an incredible phenomenon. I've never been harmed by one, but I do know it can happen. Also, I've seen one moment of Grey's Anatomy ever in my life, and it happens to be the scene where someone is impaled by a falling icicle. Ouch! Right in the anatomy!

Thankfully, real icicles are not as HOSTILE as the ones Mario has to deal with, because in Video Games World, icicles just LOVE to fall when a scrimblo walks underneath them. Even when it's too far away to justify it as being vibration-based. These slippery spires are doing it on purpose! Mario has also encountered Huge Icicles, which are large and tough enough to stand upon, and one of those would probably do just fine as a table in a snowman's house. Just like an icicle would be a perfect weapon for a snowman, and also a perfect gardening tool, and also a perfect carrot substitute, because a snowman eating a carrot would be almost cannibalism. No, I don't think a snowman eating snow or ice would be cannibalism. We carbon-based creatures eat carbon-based food all the time! Now calm down and imagine a nice bowl of Cream of Icicle Soup.

Honestly, I just wanted to gush about icicles here and used Mario as an excuse. I hope that's okay. If it's not okay, I will not repent. But another thing that makes icicles so video-gamey is that they have, basically, an elemental counterpart, in stalactites! It's almost like convergent evolution, except they are not alive, and never were. And just think of the name! Stalactite. Even if icicles didn't exist, it would make all the sense in the world for a game to reuse the graphic, tint it blue or white, and you got an ice variant! Except they would have called it Stalactice! Unfortunately, I have never in my life encountered a Stalagmice...

There are so many variations of the humble icicle in the world! Have you ever heard of sapcicles? They're incredible! Nature's frozen treats, beloved by all manner of creatures! But please do not lick the sap of a tree you don't know well. Sapcicles are thought to be the way that indigenous Americans first discovered the sweetness of maple sap! And what about brinicles? Underwater icicles! Lethal to any poor, slow-moving echinoderms that may be underneath as they fall... and of course, there is our most beloved elemental spire: the grass/ground type Carrot! The world is full of so many shapes and structures, and I hope you now realize how much fun you can have when you really think about something you once took for granted!

[syluriar]

maple syrup - sylus x mc!reader

a/n: this is just a small fic based on sylus' bday banner (i'm so excited!!).

warnings: maple syrup used on lips and neck. smut. penetration.

word count:767

The maple syrup is sweeter on his lips, the taste of caramel, vanilla and everything else doesn't compare to Sylus, only enhances it. His lips only feel softer, like velvet and moves against you easily with the sweet substance coating his lips.

The tree against your back is hard but comfortable, something stable to keep you grounded as Sylus keeps kissing your lips, enhancing the maple syrup as easily as his tongue that slips inside your mouth.

You reach a hand up to coat your fingers in the sap and swipe it along his neck, your lips following seconds later, and the man holding you groans.

“Sweetie.”

He pulls you back softly, his eyes gleaming and cheeks flushed, his breath almost panting that shows how much he’s affection by your actions, no matter how small they made be. It’s a miracle that he’s still standing.

With hand holding you between himself and the tree, Sylus reaches for your hand that has fingers with the remains of the syrup and sensually licks it off.

Your breath hitches at the sight, heart beating fast and body getting warm. “How is it?”

“Hmm. It’s sweet.” He looks at you with a teasing smile. “But nothing compared to how sweet you taste.”

Your feet touch the ground and your hands bunch up your skirt, making it easier for Sylus while also allowing you to view him as he gets on his knees before you. The sight always makes you shiver, and it’s a position he loves the most - to look up at you in all your glory.

His fingers gently and slowly pull down your underwear, your arousal easy to see as he takes them over your boots and pockets them  - you won’t be seeing them any time soon, or ever.

He places one of your legs over his shoulders, spreading your legs and exposing your wet cunt that’s ready to be eaten.

And Sylus doesn’t wait.

You gasp as you feel his tongue against you, his hand from the arm that holds your legs rises to rub against your clit, to push apart your folds before his tongue enters.

He eats you like a man starved and you shouldn’t be surprised. How many times has he been on his knees before you, his mouth and tongue working magic that you didn’t know was possible. 

You grasp his hair and it spurts him on as he goes deeper, pressing his mouth against your cunt more and his tongue moves so grand inside that you cum fast.

His mouth is drenched in you, and if that isn’t a sight then nothing is. He wipes his mouth and licks himself clean before freeing his cock - hard, big, and leaking.

Held against the tree once more, you grip his shoulders as he wraps your legs around him, lining himself up. One of his hands wrapped around the waist, the other braces against the tree next to your head.

“Ready sweetie?” He asks gently like always. Despite being so aroused he never enters without your permission, it’s just one of the many things you love about him.

You nod. “Yes.”

And you gasp as his cock enters you, your cunt already used to his size and so wet that he just slips right in, filling you up.

He starts gentle, watching you with soft eyes and kissing around your face. He likes to have you like this before he picks up the pace, moving faster and soon, rough.

You whine and grab his shoulders as his hips smack against yours at a fast pace, the sound echoing through the woods and once again your thankful for Sylus’ way of getting private areas, even if sometimes you think it’s a bit too much.

You blink, and there’s fingers infront of you, soaked in the sap from the tree and Sylus grins as you watch him swipe it along your neck and collarbone. Your skin tingles at the feeling of syrup, but god it spurs you on.

A moan escapes you as his mouth follows the trail of syrup, his tongue lingering, his lips sucking and his teeth grazing. 

It makes you come undone, and because you do, Sylus quickly follows after, spurred by your pleasure.

The only sound is your ragged breaths, the wind softly brushing through your hair and clothes. 

You cup his cheeks and kiss his forehead. “Happy Birthday Sylus.”

He looks at you with such love and devotion that it would put poems from a bygone era to shame, the words of ‘love’ and ‘romance’ being put to shame. “My beloved, thank you.” 

[fallouthomestaedau]

food in the wasteland

this post is inspired by @newvegascowboy 's post on food in the wasteland (go check it out if you haven't read it, its wonderful), and it got me thinking, much of the world in fallout has one characteristic, in one way or another, there is always some group grasping onto the past, and i wondered how that could affect food

lots of folks hold recipes and family tradition close, and at the end of the world that's all some folks have, and with that thought i started wondering how culture would affect food and food would affect culture

a couple notes first, if yall will humour me

i wont be covering fallout 76 or prime (for now) as i have next to no knowledge of them

the Nuka world dlc will get its own post because of unique circumstance within the setting

this wont be all encompassing, it is a collection of thoughts and notes (which yall can use as a basis for any ideas)

yall are wonderful and enjoy

comonwealth

go to meats/eggs

radstag (doe,buck,etc)

brahmin (also used for leather, milk, fertiliser)

yao guai

deathclaw

deathclaw eggs

commonwealth fish

horseshoe mirelurk (young and adult)

mirelurk hunter

mirelurk eggs

(supposedly iguana and squirrel)

clam/oyster (farharbour item called oyster bucket, implies shellfish in general area (all other animals drop meat but it is less appealing or too much effort for everyday people)

major crops

mutfruit

razorgrain

tato

gourd

melon

carrot

corn

tarberry

all fresh variants aswell

foraged plants (food/medicine)

hubflower

bloodleaf

brain fungus

wild carrot flower

glowing fungus

wild gourd blossom

wild tarberry

wild razorgrain

wild mutfruit

wild corn

thistle

wild tato blossoms

silt bean

wild melon blossom

ash blossom

mutated fern flower

theoretical cooking components

butter

cheese

seed oils

tallow (brahmin or yao guai)

maple syrup/sap (maple trees are found in the commonwealth)

pre-existing recipes + theorized realworld components

noodles (ramen made by takashi): razorgrain noodles (alkaline water+razorgrain flower) cooked in broth (brahmin likely), may have additions

molerat chunks: cubed molerat fried in seasonings

radscorpion omelet: radscorpion egg mixed with milk, fried and filled with preference

stingwing filet: fileted and fried stingwing

yao guai roast: yao guai meat, cooked in a thin layer of water in a covered pan, cooked with chopped carrots and tatos (maybe some kind of seasoning or something)

radstag stew: cubed radstag, stewed with cubed gourd and chopped tatos, cooked with a splash of vodka (maybe other seasoning+carrots)

squirell stew: chopped squirell, stewed with chopped tato and carrots, seasoned with bloodleaf

mirelurk cake: chopped mirelurk mixed with mirelurk egg and day old razorgrain bread, fried in thin layer of oil

deathclaw wellingham: heat milk, razorgrain flour, and cheese in a pot till melted and thick, dice/grate tato's, after which mix them in then put to side to cool, mix deathclaw eggwhites till stiff, and fold into cooled-down mixture, place in can and bake

vegetable soup: cook vegetables and seasoning of choice till water becomes broth and vegetables are soft

deathclaw omellet: mix together a deathclaw egg and milk, dice carrots and or mutfruit for filling, fry and fill

sweetroll: mix milk, butter, razorgrain flour and an egg of your chosing, and bake into a small roll, cover with a sugar based glaze of choice

mirelur omelet: mix mirelurk egg with milk, fry and fill with prefference (like mirelurk)

pretty much any meat: fried/grilled/poached (use common sense)

moonshine: bobrov secret recipe

possible local foods

marinated roast beef

"lobster" roll

clam chowder

baked silt beans

clambake

yankee potroast

baked fish

boiled mirelurk

maple anything

fried clams

seafood soups

homemade razorgrain bread/rolls

new england boiled dinner

homemade doughnuts?

vodka

mutfruit cider/wine

wines made from most fruits

cornmeal breads

gravies

mashed tatos

boiled tatos

cooked/boiled vegetables

vibes of the food

hardy food, mostly local with a lot of proteins and carbs, stuff that lasts, especially through the winter. diamond city and goodneighbour have more high end food, good cuts of beef, venison and even deathclaw are found in the markets, takashi toils over hardy broths and succulent mirelurk paired with glowing fungus, fresh breads and high end cooking, down south and along the coast, theres lots of fish and mirelurk on the menu, small house gardens, while to the north there are many orchards, and fields, small by prewar status but mind blowing to folks who come from dc way, central boston is home to more merging of the local diets, but much more pre-war food, folks scrounge for food more than grow it. the food is almost reminiscent of the colonial days, lots of dried or canned goods

the island

go to meats

rad-rabbit

erratic/island radstag

yao guai

fog crawler

hermit crab

mirelurk

mirelurk hunter

commonwealth fish

mackrel

haddock

angler

barnacle

dolphish (dolphin creature)

wolf

clam/oyster (farharbour item called oyster bucket, implies shellfish in general area

crops (most likely to br grown on island)

corn

tatos

carrots most crops are likely shiped in, as growing conditions are rough

foraged plants

aster

black bloodleaf

blight

cave fungus

lure weed

raw sap (maple)

wild gourd (blossom)

wild mutfruit

wild carrot

hub flower

wild tato (blossom)

wild corn

silt bean

mutated fern

razorgrain (found growing feral)

theoretical cooking stuff

tallow

dolphish blubber

syrup (made from sap)

pre-existing recipe + theories of contents

chicken noodle soup: chicken thigh cooked with chopped carrots, razorgrain or cornmeal noodles and seasoned with black bloodleaf

ground molerat: cooked ground molerat meat

gulper slurry: gulper innards stewed with carrot and tato, seasoned with black bloodleaf

wares brew: alcohol distilled from sap

the captains feast: yao guai roast cooked with tato and carrots, cooked in vodka and seasoned with black bloodleaf

sludge cocktail: mix condensed fog, blight and water

seasoned rabbit skewers: fried rabbit and skewers seaoned with aster, black bloodleaf, lureweed and blight (fried in oil, oil coated rabbit as its cooked)

resilient sludge cocktail: condensed fog, bloodbug meat and rad-x

mirelurk jerky: dried mirelurk coated with tarberry juice

wolf ribs: rib meat of a wolf, seasoned with lureweed as cooked

possible recipes

chowder

cooked clam/oysters

boiled mirelurk

"lobster" rolls

ployes

clambake

needhams (made with tato)

mirelurk cakes

"indian pudding" made with syrup not molases

homemade "cornbread" (more bread like}

baked fish

fried fish

boiled fog crawler

cooked meats

homemade stews

fried eggs

homemade gravy

roast chicken

homebrewed alcohol

baked (silt) beans

razorgrainmeal (oatmeal stand in)

food vibes very hearty but humble, lots of seafood, meat heavy meals are meant for special occasions, salted foods are common, lots of preserved foods, very dense foods, very filling, typical of a town where you have to worry about fish people and ancient sea gods, it is the food of people who think that an easy week is half a day off after a full 50 hour work week, imported foods like mutfruit jam is saved for the guests kinda food

washington

meats

brahmin

molerat

yao guai

mirelurk

radroach

possibly iguana (iguana bits)

possibly squirell (squirell bits)

crops/plants

apple

pear

carrot

potato

mutfruit

crunchy mutfruit

cooking components

butter

cheese

tallow

pre-existing recipes + components and stuff

mirelurk cakes: mirelurk meat, eggs and potato starch, fried in oil/butter

noodles: potato starch noodles boiled in a simple broth

squirell stew: made with squirell, potato and carrots

cooked meat

possible recipes

boiled mirelurk

apple "jam"

potato bread

food vibes desperate and despair, most soil is unfarmable due to all the bombs, people eat what they catch, brahmin are sickly and produce precious little food, its inventive in a sad way, even with cleaned up rivers the fish are still unfit to eat, and will be for a while, the soil will take lots of tlc and hydroponics can only do so much, its a wasteland

the mojave

go to meats/egg

bighorner (used for milk, wool and hides)

brahmin (used for milk, fertiliser, transport and hides)

deathclaw

deathclaw eggs

gecko (used for hides too)

gecko eggs

perch

minnow

suposedly iguana and squirell (iguana/squirell bits)

molerat

crops (some imported)

crunchy mutfruit

fresh apple

fresh pear

fresh carrot

fresh potato

jalapeno

maize

mutfruit

pinto bean

foraged (and farmed) plants

barrel cactus

bannana yucca

broc flower

buffalo gourd

cave fungus

honey mesquite

nevada agave

pinyon nuts

prickly pear

white horsenettle

xander root

possible cooking components

butter

cheese

tallow

oil

chile oil

pre-existing recipes + components

brahmin wellington: brahmin steak, wrapped in ant egg puff pastry

caravan lunch: cram, instamash and pork and beans

desert salad: xander greens, topped with sliced barrel cactus, thin sliced dried brahmin meat and pinyon nuts

gecko kebab: gecko meat marinated in jalapeno and banana yucca

noodles: cornmeal noodles cooked in a broth

ruby's caserole: cornmeal crust filled with chopped molerat marinated in jalapeno and radscorpion venom

trail mix: fresh apple+pear, pinyon nuts and sugar bombs

wasteland omelet: deathclaw eg mixed with brahmin milk, filled with a mixture of blamco mac n cheese, mutfruit and lakelurk meat

possible recipes

Chateaubriand

onion rings (the strip)

ribs

cornbread

grits

tortilla

chicken fried steak

baked potato

mashed potato

homemade gravy

green chili stew

mutton stew (bighorner)

sagebrush salad

quesadilla

stuffed peppers

chile

sauted corn (corn, chiles. seasonings)

stews -soups

tamales

grilled maize

fried fish (near lake mead)

cactus fries

nopales

jalapeno poppers

sopapillas

homemade bread

homemade rolls

food vibes western-new mexico, the strip has more high end food but most of the mojave has more rural staples, very flavourful, kinda ranch food, keeps you going all day and makes you glad to come home, really homecooked vibes, lots of variations, like never ask for a recipe in a crowded room cause it will start a fight over whose grandma had the better recipe, lots of meat and vegetables, very little fish, not a lot of "pickyness" over food

zion canyon traditional

meat

perch

rainbow trout

yao guai

gecko

mantis

bighorner

molerat

plants

cave fungi

daturana

sacred datura

xander root

prickly pear

spore plant pods

bannana yucca

honey mesquite

pinyon nuts

cooking components

tallow

recipes

stews

fried meats

fried xander greens

fried fish

fried mushroom

roasted pinyon nuts

food vibes not highly intricate but somehow nostalgic, very traditional indigenous, simple in an uncomplicated way not a bad way, some of the best quality ingredients around, clean food and clean water, smoky flavors, food isn't meant to be showy or fancy, its meant to leave you full and happy as you spend time with family, its meant to be honored and not wasted

new California republic

meat

brahmin

deathclaw

deathclaw egg

gecko

gecko egg

fish

various wild game

crops

potato

onion

cabbage

maize

green mutfruit

fava bean

apple

rice

tomato

carrot

foraged

seaweed

recipes

shi rice: cooked rice served with a side of seaweed or fish

brahmin, any cut of meat grilled or fried

cornbread

grits

tortillas

cabbage soup

chile

cabbage salad

mashed potatos

baked potato

sauerkraut-coleslaw

pickled veg

jerky

mashed potato

baked potato

stews

soups

food vibes very diverse, lots of regional staples, San Francisco has lots of seafood while towns like Modoc have mostly brahmin meat and veg, Klamath has gecko, its very locale dependent ¨(out of character, fallout 1-2 is super bleak and sparse) food is often a matter of survival more than fancy, with the exemption of larger settlements and cities where imports are available and you can afford to experiment with food

[callsignmarz]

MDNI | 18+ | König x Reader

TW: mentions of knife play, weapons, explicit language, sexual content, bondage/chains.

“Prisoner of War.” PT.2

A creditable sigh eases itself out while König watches the consequential duel between bravado and submission in your irises. Sliding his finger out from the depths of your mouth, a residual smile is left clinging onto your lips.

“I'm a whore who you desperately crave to have control over."

The words fell from your mouth with little to no trouble at all, dripping with the appalling truth. Underneath the hood, König's upper lip plucked in annoyance but he held his unwavering gaze as you taunted him with a giggle.

"Ich hasse dich. (I hate you.)"

He didn’t deny it.

How could he?

Though truth be told, hatred was the vital element that pumped through his veins all those years of tracking you down, infatuated on the day when you would finally meet your demise.

But now, you were finally at his mercy.

As it should've been from the very beginning.

In turn, you couldn’t care less if he hated you or not. All you needed was to buy enough time to make an escape and if you had to go to the extreme...then so fucking be it.

"I don't think you hate me, König. In fact, I think it's the complete opposite of that."

"Do tell, meine schatz. Because if I remember correctly, you've been nothing but a monumental pain in my ass the last few years."

"Oh, please." You scoffed. "Don't act like it didn't get your dick hard every time you saw my ass get away."  

Growing tired of your petulance, his hand forcibly clasped onto either side of your cheeks to shut you up, squeezing them uncomfortably with powerful pressure, painful enough to leave bruises beneath the pads of his fingers.

This act alone, furthered to prove your point.

His milky blue eyes, become the only thing you see as he gets in your face and whispers a new threat, one that catches you completely off guard and has you pooling in your panties.

"We'll see how much talking you'll be doing after I fuck that tight ass of yours." A sinister smile ghosts over his lips and under the hood.

The metal of the chains, collide together, sharp and angry as König rips away the chair beneath you, it skids across the floor until it crashes against the concrete wall.

In seconds, you found yourself laying flat over the table, baring your teeth as his fingers were replaced by a tactical knife, the cool steel pressing into your skin and you feel the warmth of your blood leaking down your face like thick sap oozing from a maple tree.

Your heart begins to race at a unhealthy rate with predilection igniting your nerve ending when he kicks your feet apart to position himself behind you.

"Was? (What?) Too scared to say something smart now?��

König chuckles with his eyes darkening as he gently drags the dull part of the blade from your cheek, down your neckline and roaming your back freely.

"If you didn't cause so many fucking problems for everyone, I think you and I could've...worked something out."

A fervid chill charges down your spine at the sound of his hand undoing his belt and khakis with no difficulty, leaving plenty of space for his bulge to swell as he pressed against your perfect ass.

"I bet I won't even feel a thing." You blatantly lie through your teeth.

"Hartnäckige Sache. (Stubborn thing.)" He rasped with a hidden smirk while his eyes raked over your curves, imagining how your body would looked with nothing on.

"I promise, you're going to feel all of me."

Smoothly, he reaches around, taking his sweet time to unbutton and tug your cargo pants down, bunching them mid-thigh. His cock shivers with palpable need when his eyes fall on the thin waistband of your black thong before soaking in the soft curvature you were blessed with.

"So perfekt. (So perfect.)"

Your breath hitches at leathery feel of König's gloves, tracing and caressing your delicate skin. With your mind spinning in all directions, you hardly didn't notice that you had rose to your tip toes, your body grinding into him, fueling the flames of libido.

Between your ragged breaths, you purr.

“Are you just going to stand there or are you going to fuck me stupid like a real man?"

[writtenbyshama]

Promise of The Meadow (Part II and III)

A Sylus x Reader birthday fan fiction

Author's note: I made this as a video style fanfic and uploaded it on Instagram as my entry to a fan contest hosted by the game developers. If you liked what you read and want to support me in the contest, please like the Instagram post which will be linked down below.

Synopsis: This is your first time celebrating the birthday of Sylus. You plot with the twins, Luke and Kieran, and decide to make the entire month of April special. Sylus is very precious to you after all, and he deserves the absolute best. 

Notice: This fanfic has been divided into three posts because of the length. However, there is only one video.

II — Sugar Maple Hearts

I rolled over in the bed, subconsciously reaching for Sylus. He pulled me closer and placed a soft kiss on my temple. “Morning, kitten.”

I smiled and kissed him back, wishing him a happy birthday. Having stayed over at the base last night, he’d upended his sleep schedule to match mine and wake up in the morning like a human being. In no hurry to start the day, we had our breakfast in bed before slowly heading to the bathroom to wash up. Sylus wanted to spend the day with a picnic, so a picnic in one of his extensive sugar maple farms it was. We helped each other get ready and piled up in one of his off-roading SUVs with an elaborate picnic basket and a fluffy blanket.

The day was glorious, but not overly sunny that might have blinded my dear boyfriend. I insisted on driving and made him the passenger princess birthday boy for the day. He obeyed with an amused smile. 

We reached our destination in half-an-hour, entering through large metal gates that closed behind us. The workers were given a day off to give us both privacy. Sylus directed me between the huge maple trees to a clearing on a small hill. When I climbed out of the vehicle, I saw the entire farm spread out below us like a neat bushy carpet. “It’s beautiful.” 

“Not as beautiful as you, though.” Sylus stopped next to me and grabbed my waist, looking at the scenery spread out below us. 

He was, as usual, wearing a suit, but this one was special because I’d given it as one of my gifts. I wanted to see him wearing light colours and he looked breathtaking. “You’re one smooth talker.”

“You bring it out in me.”

We spread the blanket under the shade of a nearby tree and opened the picnic basket. Sylus’s in house chef had gone all out and prepared a feast fit for royalty. I bit into a sandwich, its cheesy goodness making me moan, almost. Sylus wiped off a small bit of melted cheese from my chin with his thumb and licked it clean before picking out another sandwich for himself. After we’d eaten until we were full, he took me on a tour of the farm, explaining the process of tapping the sap and sending them to the manufacturing plant nearby where the huge machines boiled down the liquid into syrup. 

The sun was at its zenith when we made our way back to the blanket. I sat down against the tree trunk while Sylus placed his head on my lap and stretched out on the blanket, his feet poking out to rest on the grass. Running my fingers through his hair, I talked about my classes and work while he listened with closed eyes. 

I had noticed that one of his love languages was quality time together. He would be happy to do a grocery run if it meant spending time with me and I was glad to have him along. The afternoon breeze and birdsong was making me drowsy too. Eventually, I slipped down to lie down in his embrace and we took a nap together. 

I woke up first, the late afternoon light filtering through the maple leaves. Sylus was soundly asleep on his back, his breaths deep and even. He’d once confessed that he never slept properly, and always lied down on his stomach with a hand on his gun underneath the pillow in case of an attack. It had gradually changed until he was comfortable enough to sleep properly around me and I had been ecstatic. There was something delightful about being the comfort person of man like him. Being the person with whom he could be vulnerable with. I wished every happiness to be showered on Sylus. 

I got up slowly, not wishing to disturb his sleep, and packed the remains of our food back in the basket and placed it in the SUV. On the way back to the blanket, I noticed the ground was covered with clover. Sitting back down next to Sylus’s sleeping form, I looked around for a four leaf clover. 

Fifteen minutes later, Sylus stirred and turned to his side, hugging my hips and plopping his chin onto my thigh. “What’re you doing?” He slurred in his cute, sleepy voice.

“Trying to see if I could get a four leaf clover for you, it’s supposed to bring good luck.”

“Hmm.”

After another ten minutes, I gave up. There wasn’t a single four clover in our vicinity. Sylus was fully awake now, watching me pout with amusement on his face. He patted my knee in consolation. “Sweetie, don’t feel bad. It’s alright, I have you as my lucky charm. By the way, is it this one by any chance?”

“Where did you find it?” I reached out to grab it, but he used his evol to make it fly away near to his shoulder. I gave him a look, he laughed it off. 

“Must be wind. Try and catch it, if you can.” He rolled over on his back, supporting his head with a folded arm and played with the clover as I swatted around to catch it. I was like a cat chasing a laser pointer, until I finally trapped it on his stomach. 

“Ha! Got it!” I rubbed his stomach with my knuckles and held up the clover with a flourish. He watched with a smile as I retrieved his wallet and carefully stuck the leaf to the leather flap inside, right next to the passport sized photo of me. Returning the wallet into the depths of his trouser pocket, I leaned forward and placed a lingering kiss on his cheek. He put his arms around me and tackled me down, and we watched a plane go overhead in amiable silence. 

“Outwardly, you seem like someone who’d have extravagant birthday parties on top of some skyscraper or something,” I mused after a while.

“Really?”

“Yeah, but this, spending time alone in the nature seems to suit your personality more, though.”

My eyes were on the sky, but I could feel his gaze on the side of my face. “How so?” He asked.

“Well, from what I’ve seen, you are surrounded by all kinds of people, but none of them know anything about you. You like spending time alone, in quiet silence or with music for company. The people who are close to you are very few, and you make them earn that position of trust beforehand. And though you like being extravagant, it’s more for the benefit of your reputation; underneath all that, you like a simple and peaceful atmosphere, without all the distractions.”

I turned to look at him, and he watching me with so much intensity that I wondered if I’d said something wrong. He finally looked away, exhaling a deep breath. “Well, you certainly are observant.” He didn’t say anything else, I let it go at that. 

Instead, I pointed at the taps on the maple trees in a bid to change the subject. “Is the tree sap sweet?”

He tilted his head. “Let’s try it and see, shall we?” He helped me stand up and we went to the nearest tree. The tap was higher than where I could reach, however, and Sylus put an arm around my legs and lifted me up. “There.”

It was difficult to concentrate when his hand was coiled around my thighs underneath my skirt. As a small act of revenge, I gathered a drop of the sticky sap on my finger and made a show of rubbing it sensually on my mouth. He watched me do it like a hawk, and closed his eyes with a sigh as I did the same to him, tongue flicking out to lick it as I did so. 

The sap was not very sweet, but before I could lick it off completely, he brought me down to kiss him. I didn’t resist. His other arm caressed my back as we kissed each other softly until our lips were red, sticky and swollen. He sighed against my mouth as we pulled back for air. “I’ll remember this day for the rest of my life, sweetheart.”

I smirked. “The day isn’t yet over.”

****

III — Candlelit Ribbons

The crimson ribbons of my dress flowed down to the floor, fluttering as I moved around my villa overseeing the final touches. I had planned for a candlelit dinner in my backyard and had cooked every dish myself. It had been late evening when we returned from the maple grove, and I’d sent him directly to his base and ordered him to wear something crimson to match me later. 

It was almost midnight now, and everything was ready. The twins were driving him here and they’d told me they were five minutes away. The flash of headlights through the front window had me scrambling to reach the door and unlock it. There, on the doorstep, Sylus looked absolutely unholy with a shirt of the darkest shade of crimson tucked into midnight black trousers, cinched with a premium leather belt with a silver buckle. He was holding a bouquet of violet lilies and a bottle of wine in one hand, the other casually tucked into his pocket. “Hello, sweetheart.”

“Sylus,” I breathed, unable to say anymore. His hair was combed back and styled with a bit of gel, and I had to clench my jaw to not start drooling right then and there. His waited patiently as I handed over a large food parcel to the twins for their work in bringing their boss here. They thanked me and left, the car lights blinking as it vanished down the driveway, through the gate. 

Once inside, I accepted the flowers and the wine, heading to the kitchen with Sylus following me. 

“Are you my gift tonight?” He asked in a low voice, twirling a stray ribbon on my dress as I unwrapped the lilies to place them in a vase.

“Do you want me to be?” I asked coyly. The dress did look like I was a wrapped gift, gathered in a bow tie sitting low on my chest. I had chosen it deliberately, mostly because I wanted to see how Sylus reacted when he found out that it unravelled if he just pulled one end of the bow tie. 

He let out a long breath but didn’t reply.

Grabbing two wine glasses and a corkscrew, I ushered him through the halls of the villa into the backyard. It was a full moon night, giving the atmosphere a magical glow when paired with the fairy lights strung onto the tree branches and the numerous golden candles everywhere. I had dragged out a table and a sofa to make the event more intimate and cozy. 

“This is really pretty, sweetheart.” He was holding me by the waist, absentmindedly playing with the ribbons as he looked at everything I had set up. His jewelled eyes shined brightly, making the other lights seem dull and lifeless. 

Fingers curling around the lapel of his silk shirt, I led him towards the sofa covered with plush cushions. The table in front of it was covered with his favourite dishes and the gifts for the day. The entire set up faced the spread of Linkon city below our feet. Sylus sat down and I curled up next to him, tucking my bare feet under a pillow. 

I had never seen Sylus go out without an exquisite brooch pinned to his lapel. So, I had used my savings to hire a jewellery smith to make a diamond brooch that matched the crow brooch I had from Sylus. Mine had a brilliant red ruby encrusted into the dark metal shaped into a crow. The one that I now pinned to his shirt’s lapel had a solitary diamond peeking from its place next to the crow that was identical to mine. 

Sylus ran a finger over the planes of the diamond. For the first time ever, I could see he was speechless. When he looked up, I thrust another gift onto his lap. He opened it and took out a soft cat plushie. I chuckled at his somber expression. “It’s for when I can’t be with you for the night, so you don’t have to sleep alone.” He tried very hard not to show that he liked the plushie, but I noticed the way he caressed the cat’s head and carefully placed it on the other side of the sofa. 

After accepting that day’s temple offerings, he heartily tucked into the food I had prepared. I poured the wine he’d brought into glasses and we clinked them together. The atmosphere was filled with good-natured banter and laughter as we ate. The wine created a pleasant buzz in my mind as we finished eating and laid back, lazily exchanging kisses and fluttering touches. 

Goosebumps erupted on my skin as he pulled the ribbon near my bust and unravelled the dress, eyes roving appreciatively as he did so. As it was, his first birthday celebration with me ended up with him carrying me inside, the rest of the night being spent in each other’s embrace.

****

Part I

Part IV

Here's the link to video version if you're interested :)

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A post shared by Sam 💌 (@_paneercrowbone)

[forestclan-clangen]

*grabs ForestClan mod like the cat that knocked over the onions in the meme* YOU. The muse has infected me! I caught myself making up poems and rhymes, trying to make them ForestClan style, for trying to teach the clans things like pottery and making alcohol! Alcohol disinfects, and feeds flames really well, after all! XP

That said, where do you see the clan's current technology level? We know they can make jerky, and some form of rope, as well as keeping a fire. What else can the clan make, do you think? :3

LOL Hey listen I’ll take the compliment!! Nursery rhymes and repetitive songs are how we teach kids about basic things like the alphabet, parts of our bodies and fairytales, so why not medicine and other core practices for Warriors, right?

Most of ForestClan’s technology use is very similar to how @rippleclan has written theirs! We were both heavily inspired by @bonefall ‘s Better Bones AU, and their descriptions of weaving, cooking, even baking and creating things like terracotta, vinegar, and using medicinal leeches! I am still making up ForestClan’s technology use as I write - mainly because Bonefall pulls all their tech ideas from resources available in Europe/Britian where the OG Warriors series locations are inspired by, but ForestClan is located somewhere around the Great Lakes/Appalachian Trail, where the climate and materials available are different. Their available tech use is often made up on the spot, for me, where I want to write something and then I look around to see if such a thing is feasable!

Things I know for sure ForestClan can do right now technologically, other than what you’ve listed:

- Basic pulley systems using logs and rope (for their sliding gate)

- Weave baskets

- Skin pelts and make tanning racks

- Use sap as glue/binding agent

- I’m STRONGLY considering them knowing how to tap maple trees for syrup because I mean if I’m around the Great Lakes???

- Make clay/stone bowls to boil water in, allowing for soups, stews, and teas, and clean drinking water

- Sharpen sticks or logs to erect on their walls for defense

- IN THE WINTER, they can dig tunnels and mold snow around the outside of their dens to better insulate them, kind of like how an igloo can insulate heat

- Medicine use capabilities are greatly expanded, such as certain herbs capable of changing hormones and a cat’s scent (gender affirming care), and minor surgeries. ForestClan USED to be able to do pretty major surgeries, but the precision, careful tools and quick work required to do them became lost with Chicoryglint’s absence. Windfur never got the chance to truly absorb that knowledge confidently.

ForestClan’s technology use is pretty high, I’d say, but still primitive. Despite Shiverpaw being able to hear Rootgrove through the radio, ForestClan is not about to figure out analog technology anytime soon LOL.

[floralfumofridays]

Floral Fumo Double Feature of the Week Halloween Edition (There are two parts the next is tomorrow): Norway Maple (Acer platanoides)

Tonight is Halloween, which is a mashup name for Hallow's Eve, but its also on a Thursday which is not a Friday but the day before Friday. Technically, Halloween, Oct 31st is the eve while Nov 1st is the actual day. Nonetheless, both are celebrated equally as connected holidays together. So this week will have two posts. Click here for Part 2

Yuuka herself has already found herself in a place that clearly wasn't Gensokyo. She knew it to be the Outside World, but didn't understand why she is here or why she is able to live when outsiders no longer believed nor feared in youkai like her. She has however seen plenty of other youkai with baskets, but no humans were to be found. Have youkai and vengeful ghosts won their grudges against humanity and surpassed its existence?

It didn't matter to her though. Even if all there were was youkai in the world, Yuuka would always find ways to prank anyone, it's her way of living.

This is the Norway Maple (Acer platanoides). Fitting for its stage name, its native to Norway, but it is also native to a good chunk of the rest of Europe and its range even extending to Central Asia. They are noted in the Fall by their brightly yellow and large leaves. This tree continues to live on, even through the hottest hots and the coldest colds, through air pollution to even growing in partial sunlight.

Unfortunately, because the tree is able to live in harsh conditions, it has become invasive to North America where it competes for terrain with other maples that are native. Once it has grown old enough, it becomes a very hard task to get rid of through its strong sturdy roots and keeps living through improper removal.

Unlike native North American maples, the tree's sap doesn't yield sap worthy of making with maple syrup, and it is much more difficult to work with when maple syrup making. The maple tree most associated with maple syrup is the Sugar Maple(Acer saccharum) which is not pictured and has a far higher harvest yield than the Norway Maple.

[niennawept]

Moon Dumplings: A Pan-Elven Cultural Debate in Three Documents (Part 2)

Warning(s): None Rating: Gen Summary: The origins of moon dumplings, shared amongst all branches of elven kindred, are a source of frequent arguments, both culinary and scholarly. Part 1 is here.

Selected Interviews from Díril’s research into moon dumpling origins, transcribed in her own hand

Q: When did you first hear of moon dumplings?

A: They were with us even at Cuiviénen. Had them often when the nights got very cold. They are warming, you know. Good for putting some meat on your bones. You are too skinny, young lady. Respondent 1: a Sindarin elleth of unknown age, asked to estimate she shrugged and said “we did not count years back then”

A: Not until we were nearing the Anduin on the Great Journey. We made lembas out of Valarin corn, but it was not until we halted to wait for better conditions for crossing that those with minds for cooking learned to make the dough. Respondent 2: a Nandorin ellon, born approximately ninety winters before the Journey at Cuiviénen

A: They were invented during the hottest days, of course. Stews and porridges are hearty and delicious, but they leave something to be desired when it gets too warm out. The calming influence of the stars will set that right. [interviewer prompts “can you estimate the year?”] Oh! Right after Oromë gave the Noldor the right type of flour. We kept them secret, you know, from the other kindred. Respondent 3: an Exilic Noldorin elleth, who was born on the Great Journey

A: I do not remember. When I was still a small child. Respondent 4: an Avari ellon, who remembered choosing to stay rather than joining the Great Journey

Q: Why are they called moon dumplings?

A: They were not originally called that. It was only after the moon and his phases that folk changed their name. They used to be called “starbeads.” Respondent 1

Respondent 2 declined to answer.

A: Because they are cured under moonlight these days. What do they teach you in Lindon, girl? Respondent 3

A: We do not call them that. We call them “starbeads.” [respondent says something mostly inaudible, but a portion of it contained the phrase “new names for old things”] Respondent 4

Q: Who invented them?

A: The Noldor. I already told you that. Respondant 3

All other respondents declined to answer.

Q: Are the fillings of this dumpling sweet or savory?

A: Either, whatever is available. Respondent 1

A: Sweet, always. Respondent 2

A: Savory, always. Respondent 3

A: Both, sometimes. Respondent 4

Q: What is the traditional filling for these dumplings?

A: Oh, all sorts. Anything that will not tear the skin while cooking. No one wants to be picking out little bits of burned vegetables from a steam basket. It is important that the filling is soft either by nature or by cooking first. [interviewer asks “which were the most common?”] Mushrooms, wild plants, sometimes fish or fowl. Respondent 1

A: We begin by collecting sap from maple trees, which is boiled to remove impurities and concentrate the flavor. We filter it and add dried fruits and minced nuts. When it has cooked down and become rather sticky, we fill the dumplings. Respondent 2

A: Meat, obviously. [interviewer prompts “what kind of meat?”] Whatever can be gotten with relative ease. Respondent 3

A: Minced nuts are most usual. Respondent 4

Q: Are there alternate fillings that are acceptable?

A: I have already answered that question. Respondent 1

A: Absolutely not. Respondent 2

A: Have you taken leave of your senses? No. Respondent 3

A: Fruit is also common. Respondent 4

Q: What texture should the dumpling wrapping be?

A: They should have a texture that requires a bit of chewing. The flavor improves with more moonlight. Respondant 2

All other respondents answered with a variation of “not tough [like the Nandorin variety.]”

For @silmarillionepistolary week

[shymebox]

hullo its me again

Im here with another photo redraw of another tree!

Click for better quality

Original photo and A LOT of yapping below↓

Soo this a Birch tree, i think they are pretty well known and dare i say thats partly because of Minecraft. But i have a problem with Minecraft birch trees. Why are they LITERALLY THE SAME AS THE OAK TREES, sure, there is the tall birch biome, BUT IT'S STILL THE SAME OAK TREES BUT TALLER. Literally every other tree has its own model, and like, the sapling is accurate!! WHY IS THE TREE JUST OAK MOJANG PLEASE

Anywaaays you may notice that this particular tree shows its trunk very prominently (scandalous!) well that is because it almost burned down like 8 years ago, the wheat field caught on fire (terrifying sight) the fire was so close it literally burned half of the tree(and almost burned our trees) luckily it was extinguished in time. Also this tree is like ≈90 years old? At least according to my grandma. There was actually a farm near that tree, but it was demolished like 60 years ago, so the tree is standing alone in a field.

Here a photo how it looks from our homestead

There is an old oak tree not far away also alone for the same reason, i should bike there sometime, im not sure if i have a good photo of it.

Also i actually don't know if its a well known fact, but the same way people collect maple sap, we also collect birch sap. Its actually in season now so i basically drank it instead of water for a while (not sure if its good for you in large quantities but whatever) it basically tastes like slightly bittersweet water

Thats it and thank you for reading my rant about birch trees

[bookandcover]

Through a few gifts redirected into the hands of others, all my family members received this book for Christmas. My mom, dad, and I each read it over the holidays (and discussed it at length‚ by which I mean that we excitedly shouted back and forth at each other about all the things we agreed with.) We had all previously read Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass, transformed by her creative, deeply-grounded, interdisciplinary writing about the lessons we learn from the natural world through interdisciplinary practices. My family members are scientists, far more informed than me on the workings of natural world, the carbon cycle, varieties of grasses, the balance of ecosystems (I pick up some things through osmosis.) I’m fortune to have had a significant part of my upbringing influenced by nature; growing up in rural Maine, my family raised sheep and chickens, tapped maples trees every late winter and boiled sap down to syrup, hand-picked berries for pies and jams, canned green beans and made tomato sauce from the treasures of my mom’s garden. While I dragged my feet through many of these chores as a kid and teenager (there was so much firewood to stack as our primary source of fuel, and I actively dreaded “haying” out under the brutal July sun), I appreciate these tasks differently as an adult. On a deep and instinctual level, I understand Kimmerer’s appeal to living with the land. Her insights that are grounded in her indigenous culture and practices expand my thinking and knowledge. Her ability to blend this wisdom with scientific knowing repeatedly inspires me due to her creativity and breadth of perspective. 

The Serviceberry’s short and profound narrative distills Kimmerer’s broader framework into a focused and compelling argument for a gift economy. We can, she argues, shift away from the Capitalist system which defines and controls our thinking, our value systems, and our behavior. Introducing a gift economy—even within or alongside Capitalism—offers us new ways of understanding ourselves and our relationships to the land and to each other, Kimmerer explains. In a gift economy, we fundamentally understand the resources we use as gifts rather than as our property to covet, to amass, to hoard. This mindset shift naturally leads to a shift in our behavior: we see the world in terms of reciprocity, rather than transaction. Inspired by the gifts of others—the gift of ripe berries from the bush, freshly laid eggs from the chickens, biscuits dropped off by a neighbor—we want to meet this spirit of gifting with gifts of our own. We offer our resources, in turn. Our resources might be food, or those of time, care, money, or possessions. 

In one of my favorite examples from the book, Kimmerer tells the story of an indigenous hunter-gather in the Brazilian rainforest who has brought down a large animal. He summons his neighbors to a feast. When asked by an anthropologist why he didn’t dry and salt the meat, storing it for himself, the confused hunter responses, “I store my meat in the belly of my brother.” This simple phrase cuts to the heart of the distinction between a gift economy and Capitalism. When one has excess, one invests this resource into others, into the community, into the things that are held in common. This is, in a very different sense than the Capitalist term, also investment. Building our community and caring for others means we have strong relationships—and others will, in turn, share generously with us. The next day, someone else with excess will share what they have because it’s more than they need. The gift economy also understands excess and “what is enough.” Some of us, living under Capitalism, might understand this, but we invest in our own future or we save for “a rainy day.” Is there any guarantee of enough if we are on our own in trying to secure it? What about if we pour our excess outward as gifts? Close friendships, supportive communities, resources held in common and for the good of all—these are the true security. Nothing will ever feel like enough (and we have plenty of evidence of this under Capitalism) unless we can shift our understanding and see “security” and “excess” for what these truly are. 

A key success of this book for me was Kimmerer’s ability to articulate the value of small, incremental change. So often, focusing on the evils of Capitalism overwhelms me. It’s hard to see our way out of such a perversive system that seemingly suffuses everything we know, use, and take part in. However, Kimmerer shows us how many gift economies we already have and support—from public library systems to the Little Free Libraries, from social media creators who share their expertise to free-cycling programs in neighborhoods and on college campuses, from local farm stands to generous neighbors in every community—humans understand how to give gifts, and we’re drawn to do this instinctively and our of immense care for each other. It’s easy to see humans as inherently selfish, inherently competitive. But this is also the fear-driven outlook that Capitalism gives us. Kimmerer explains how Capitalism relies on scarcity; systematically, it creates the illusion of scarcity where it doesn’t actually exist (although, Kimmerer points out, through the gluttony of Capitalism we’re swiftly arriving at a place of true natural scarcity from which there may be no return). Facing scarcity in a Capitalist system, we see the risk of becoming one “without.” We hold on tightly and fearfully to what we have. Living inside a gift economy influences our mindset in the exact opposite way: inspired by the generosity of others, we see what we have as enough and then some. Even reading through Kimmerer’s examples of gift economies, and recognizing how many exist in my daily life, moved me. Looking at those examples, I wanted to participate more fully. I want to give back. 

A gift economy can co-exist with Capitalism (it already does) and we can expand it. We can start new gift economies that thrive in small communities. Kimmerer uses the example of Scandinavian countries sometimes labeled “cuddly Capitalism,” pointing out that these communities simply hold a greater number of resources in common than we see in America’s “cutthroat Capitalism)—free healthcare and education, for example, are the investments of the whole, where everyone’s resources are supported by everyone collectively. These countries are still Capitalist, but they privatize fewer resources. Perhaps the smaller size of these countries, with a stronger sense of community, makes these aspects of a gift economy easier to achieve? Kimmerer does highlight how pure gift economies can and do function both today and historically in small, tightly-knit communities. In shifting toward shared resources and investment in our communities, we change ourselves in the process. Yes, this economic shift is morally better for our planet’s sustainability, for achieving an equal distribution of human resources, but it’s also actively impacting us for the better. We should opt in to gift economies for a number of reasons and one key one is that, within the gift economy, we flourish. We feel secure, connected, and safe. We achieve the deeply meaningful bonds that are the true thing human beings seek. 

I was also taken with Kimmerer’s metaphor of reforestation to explain the potential future shifts we might see in our economic systems. She explains how, as plants return after a forest fire, the most competitive species claim ground first. The focus is on “out-competing” others. But, as the forest arrives at capacity, the focus shifts. Now, more complex relationships provide an advantage; relationships of reciprocity and interdependence arise and become more numerous. These are the species found in the mature forest. Might our highly competitive, self-focused economic system also shift in this way? Might more complex, interdependencies come to take center stage in our economic systems? Kimmerer gives me reason to hope. And, regardless of the big picture of American Capitalism, Kimmerer inspires me to make change in my life and in my community. It’s so clear how a mindset of “seeing our resources as gifts” shifts our focus, inspires us to keep giving. Like the renewable energy of the sun, Kimmerer says that “maybe it’s love” which flows endlessly through our human systems, encouraging us to continue giving and caring and investing in relationships and people rather than stockpiling like frightened dragons amassing our personal treasure. 

[breelandwalker]

Worm Moon - March 25, 2024

The world is thawing and spring will soon be sprung. Dust off your garden tools and get ready for the Worm Moon!

Worm Moon

The Worm Moon is the name given to the full moon which occurs in the month of March in the Northern Hemisphere. Most sources claim this name is taken from the renewed visible presence of vermicast (worm droppings) and earthworms themselves, as the spring thaw allows them to emerge from the soil.

There is a possible alternative explanation, involving a colonial explorer's notes about the Naudowessie (Dakota) observation of emerging worm-like beetle larvae from the bark of trees. "Every month has with them a name expressive of its season; for instance, they call the month of March (in which their year generally begins at the first New Moon after the vernal Equinox) the Worm Month or Moon; because at this time the worms quit their retreats in the bark of the trees, wood, &c. where they have sheltered themselves during the winter." (It's entirely possible that this "worm" in this instance is a mistranslation of an indigenous word for "larva," since it refers to the larval state of certain beetles. Without knowing whether the language in question makes a distinction between larval worms and earthworms, it's impossible to tell, and I was unable to find further sources.)

Other North American Indigenous names for this moon include Goose Moon (Algonquin and Cree) and Crow Comes Back Moon (Northern Ojibwe), in reference to the reappearance of migratory birds, and Sugar Moon (Ojibwe) and Sap Moon (Shawnee), in reference to the season in which the maple sap begins to run and can be tapped for the production of maple syrup.

Fun Fact: The term "Worm Moon" only occurs in southerly indigenous nations. The March moon is commonly named for trees or birds in more northerly areas of North America because in those places, the native species of earthworms went extinct during the period when glaciers covered that portion of the continent. About 12,000 years ago when the glaciers receded, the forest grew back without earthworms. The species which now inhabit those areas are invasive or introduced specimens originating from Europe and Asia.

The March moon, if it occurs prior to the spring equinox, is also the Lenten Moon, named for the Christian holiday of Lent. If it occurs after the equinox, it is called the Paschal Full Moon, corresponding with the Christian holiday of Easter, or Paschal Sunday (This year's Worm Moon will occur the week after the equinox and Easter Sunday will be March 31st.)

What Does It Mean For Witches?

Full moons are both the beginning and end of the lunar cycle. With the Worm Moon, we can look forward to the beginning of spring and the yearly harvest cycle. So now is the perfect time for seasonal divination, plans for the coming months, and the setting of goals for the future, both short-term and long-term. You can also check in with goals you may have set back in January and record your progress. (Remember - even a little progress is still progress!)

Consider also how you can change or begin new routines and habits to improve your life, make better choices, streamline your schedule, or just give yourself a much-needed break. If there’s something hanging around that no longer serves you, now is the time to consider bidding it adieu and moving forward to a new path.

What Witchy Things Can We Do?

The Worm Moon heralds the imminent start of the planting season. If you’ve got green fingers, now is the time to begin planning your garden for the season. Prepare your sprouting trays and browse your favorite seed catalog for inspiration.

It’s also time for that all-important spring cleaning, so open up those windows on a warm day and air out all the staleness from winter. As you scrub and dust and declutter, you can also magically cleanse your space of stagnant, disruptive, or unwanted things, replacing them with your own energy and your good wishes and goals for the upcoming season.

This is also an excellent time for spells focused on fertility, optimism, and new growth. It’s important to remember that fertility spells don’t just have to focus on procreation. They can also be geared toward planting, creating, opportunity, inspiration, motivation, prosperity, abundance, and anything that requires nurturing and productivity.

The season of growth and renewal is upon us, so it’s time to Ready, Set, GROW!

Happy Worm Moon, witches! 🌕🌱

Further Reading:

Worm Moon: Full Moon for March 2024, The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Worm Moon: The Stunning Full Moon of March 2024, The Peculiar Brunette.

Travels Through the Interior Parts of North America, in the Years 1766, 1767 and 1768, Capt. Jonathan Carver, London, 1781. (Text available on Project Gutenberg)

The Next Full Moon is a "Supermoon" Crow Moon, NASA, March 5 2020.

Easter and the Paschal Full Moon: Determining the Date of Easter, The Old Farmer's Almanac.

Everyday Moon Magic: Spells & Rituals for Abundant Living, Dorothy Morrison, Llewellyn Publications, 2004.

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[hbogirls]

Riverdale characters as taylor swift albums?

THANK YOU!!!!!!

cheryl - okay it might seem obvious to say red for cheryl because she invented red and is red etc etc etc BUT consider for a moment: evermore. it deals in many kinds of loss and change, from romantic to familial to historically-tinged tangents that implicate the narrator in a sort of oblique but no less interesting way. ivy stands out as the main reason for this choice (it's a goddamn blaze in the dark! my little gay pyro!!), but i also think it applies throughout. evermore is an album about drama, and it's also the album with the closest aesthetic nod to tapping maple trees for sap, which is a secondary consideration but no less relevant to me here.

archie - 1989! it's kind of tempting to say rep for archie because of the way he is always fighting back against a fate that has befallen him, but 1989 captures his essence more. it's very stripped-back lyrically, which leaves it sort of unable to be characterized as a breakup album or an album of love songs or anything else. it simply is 1989 in the same way archie is a firefighter and a poet and a miner and a boxing gym owner/youth outreach coordinator (among other things). like archie, 1989 brings all of these together into something cohesive and motivated by the same ideals. it's also very flashy and optimistic! sad songs are disguised as upbeat pop numbers. this is very archie, too, as he is generally darling and sweet in the face of torment. also, archie is always somehow just learning about bisexuality for the first time, and that's pretty much also what 1989 is about.

betty - rep!! i could simply point out the fact that her little black bob wig is not dissimilar to taylor's small aesthetic shift toward edginess during the reputation era, and that would be enough. BUT! the album itself is also very betty. she believes herself to have an inherent evil inside of her that must be exorcised, but she's actually outwardly very normal. like she ultimately is falling in love with people and living her life as the girl next door, and then every once in a while she does snap and is like by the way i am still kind of a violent and angry freak!! and you're like oh yeah!! taylor very much entered the rep era feeling like she was a dangerous, unloveable liability, and that's also how the serial killer gene makes betty feel. even during season seven she feels something growing inside her that is strange and inherently destructive to a provincial, buttoned-up way of life, and then it turns out to just be sexual desire, specifically bisexuality, which is also very rep.

jughead - i mean .... he's THE tortured poet. ttpd. like taylor writing ttpd, he's incredibly aware of the narrative surrounding him and the way his pen can influence it. he's a little pretentious and maybe a little too reliant on literary allusions, but real fans get it. one of my favorite things about ttpd that is misunderstood by a lot of people unwilling to give taylor the benefit of the doubt is how tongue-in-cheek and ironic a lot of it is, a fact that is also true of jughead's magnum opus (riverdale).

veronica - can i say something shocking? lover. the man is the obvious jumping off point here, but yntcd is very aligned with our first ten minutes with veronica in the pilot when we hear the exchange "kevin is...." "GAY! thank god." lover is also very sure of itself aesthetically, and it outwardly presents itself as in love and put-together, ready to enter a new adult chapter of, like, guest judging on the voice or whatever. but hidden not too deep below the surface is a churning sea of insecurity and fear about both romance and career. i believe this, too, is what motivates veronica. she's terrified that she'll become her father, but she's also terrified to not be like him at all. she can never quite find a love where she feels totally secure. archie will always have a thing for betty. reggie will never quite meet her needs. veronica really is kind of a lover girl at heart, and she's always making sort of suspect decisions in the name of girlbossery, which is very on theme.

[theseraphsorder]

𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖈𝗈𝗅𝗈𝗋 𝗈𝖿 𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, daryl dixon. ( teaser )

▏﹒﹒ fic rating: R-- this fic is meant for mature ( 18+ ) audiences only. minors do not interact. ▏﹒﹒ warnings: violence, death, walking dead level gore, suicide / suicidal ideations, mentions + descriptions of abuse and mental illness, suggestive / sexual themes. these are warnings needed throughout the series. will be updated if needed. ▏﹒﹒ desc: the silence is often deafening. you find, however, that it is easier this way, easier to fade away. to blend into the background, to be another blur of a face— easily forgotten, & overlooked. you prefer it that way, the solitude. after all, if you are alone who will be around to question the parts about you that you don’t quite understand? the stoic expression that hardly cracks, the calcutative mannerisms, the burns on your forearms? you don’t mean to seem apathetic. it is just easier that way. ▏﹒﹒ notes: this fic is still in writing! this is simply a teaser for it & the first chapter will be posted soon. a taglist for this will be created, so if you're interested pls let me know <3 ( masterlist here! )

fiddling with the woven bracelets, her gaze stays glued to the way they rub against her wrists. he can’t help but feel like there's something different in her expression-- almost like there was finally something there. there is something that aches deep within him as he watches her once stoic facade break slowly like glass chipping underneath the pressure of crisp, harsh winter wind. “have you ever heard of the story of the two birds on the wire?” 

his eyebrows furrow, lips twitching downward. “naw,” he tells her. “i ain’t never ‘eard of it.”

“well, there's two birds on a wire,” she starts. he watches as her eyes finally look up, but not at him; part of him is disappointed that she didn't quite catch his eyes, but the other is sure he would have froze on the spot, like a gazelle in headlights; her gaze, much like others have described, is blinding, and he was sure he wasn’t too fond of anything remotely close to spotlight. she watches the fire in front of them crackling and in the embers glow he can see pain etched in the cracks chipped in her broken look. he didn’t think his chest could tighten any more than it already has. its become a common thing with her now. hes sure that, with her, hes never sure just about anything anymore. “one bird says c’mon and flies away, the other watches ‘em close and says i'm tired. tells ‘em that he wants to fly, too, but he's lying, because see, they’re two birds of a feather, swore to each other that they are always gonna stay together, but ones never going to let go of that wire. so the one that does want to fly is left with an impossible choice.”

see, he can remember quite clearly the day he finally felt understood-- heard, even if he didn’t speak a single word. he associates such a day with the smell of burning wood, maple tree sap, and the feeling of wet grass and moonshine on his skin. daryl dixon also remembers this as the day he fell hard, harder than that day at the quarry, and boy did he fall hard that day.

“does the bird stay with him on the wire, or fly away?”

[alexkujawa]

🌕 CROW MOON of MARCH 🌕

The full Moon of March has several names connected to it. Some of the more popular ones are:

⚪ SAP MOON – as March is the time to tap maple trees ⚪ CRUST MOON – as the thawing snow forms a crusty surface on the ground ⚪ WORM MOON – as warmer ground brings on the earthworms to the surface ⚪ CROW MOON – as crow cawing is heard signaling end of Winter ⚪ EATH MOON – as it is the last full Moon in Winter ⚪ CHASTE MOON – as this Moon heralds the birth of Spring, time of rejuvenation and light ⚪ LANTEN MOON - because the Christian calendar cites the time from Ash Wednesday in February, to Easter Sunday in April, as the season of Lent.

This is one of the artworks included in my 2025 FULL MOON CALENDAR is a collection of fourteen 9x12 art prints of my FULL MOON series, inspired by folklore names of each month's full moon.

You can currently order it through KICKSTARTER until October 25th.

🖤💀🌿