#breadseeds | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

thecandywrites · 3 months

Text

Monster March 2024- Day 18- Merperson

I know, I know, I thought I was gonna do more micro-mermaids too. But then Selkies and Polarbear Onikuma? Couldn't resist.

As always, thanks to @borealwrites for their Monster March 2024 Prompt List.

Monster March 2024- Day 18- Merperson

Selkie and Onikuma

Meneah pulled her own sled into the polar market and shoved her hood back before she came over to the booth she had rented out here and began to put up her wares and unpack her sled before more still came, others came with fresh whale meat and blubber as she was eager to trade her carved shell jewelry for a good hunk of it, complete with skin that she would add to her boots as she took her ulu and shaved the skin off and set it aside before she used her ulu to cut up the hunks of fat into small pieces and added them to her other wise- nearly empty fat jar as she was relieved she had gotten enough to nearly fill it to the top and the fat oil already in it would help render the rest of the fat down into more oil.

She was happy to trade and barter and even give a small carved totem to the market owner to pay for her booth rent along with a stack dried seaweed sheets for soup.

“Here Grandma Naon.” She offered the elderly woman.

“Oh, thank you. I’ve been out of seaweed for a while.” She offered as she was quick to add a few sheets to her pot of soup she was making and put the rest into her special box she kept for seaweed as she was content to continue to sit and stir her pot of water with seaweed and other ingredients.

“My grandson Firen will be going through the trials this year.” She offered.

“Oh? He finally grew out of his cub fur did he?” Meneah asked with a smile.

“It’s about damn time. His father is calling in a fair beauty from another clan for him, she’s supposed to be a blonde kodiak, but he claims he will need to forage for pearls on his trials in the spring to award such a fair beauty.” She answered.

“Well, if he looks for more pearls for his beauty, you send him my way eh?” Meneah offered.

“Oh, I’ll be sure to, once he comes. He’s supposed to come with whale meat for this soup.” She offered as Meneah smiled.

“I’m sure he will Grandma Naon.” Meneah offered before she kissed Grandma Naon on the forehead have her a hug before she left and went back to her booth and sat down and simply waited for others to come into the market that day. It was pretty empty. But Meneah simply took out a shallow bowl and put her little sacks of pearls into it but kept it in her lap while her jewelry hung on a knitted shawl behind her.

Then a commotion came when a huge group of onikuma came in with sleds and sleds of whale meat and whale fat into the market and took up the center of the market as the others came to quickly get the fresh meat and fat- paying higher prices for the fresher meat and fat. Meneah though was just content to watch and wait for the price to go down. Technically, she could wait until the end of the day to buy what she wanted- when the price wouldn’t be so high. She watched on as others came with bones and other- tougher hunks of meat- cut up and put into Grandma Naon’s pots for soup, and even added wood to her fires.

Then, it seemed everyone else came into the market with their goods and wares as Meneah was happy to get more black balm, more tea leaves, more berries, and honey and of course, more breadseed. As she was happy to sell her various pearls of various sizes and colors for it all.

Before she was approached by Naon’s grandson- Firin.

“Hello Firin.” Meneah greeted.

“Hello Meneah, do you have any yellow pearls?” He asked.

“I do.” Meneah smiled as she took her bag of yellow pearls and dumped it into her special bowl before she showed him what she had.

“This is all the yellow ones I have this time.” She offered as he took the bowl and rolled them around in it to see the overall color, shape and size of them.

“How much for all of them?” He asked.

“What can you offer?” She asked.

“I’d give you three handbreadths of meat and two handbreadths of fat and skin.” He offered.

“Deal.” She nodded before he dumped the pearls into his own purse and then left to cut up the whales, using his outstretched hand to measure for her, his outstretched hand much bigger than his own before he came over to drop it off to her.

“Thank you Firin. Grandma Noan told me the good news, congratulations.” Meneah offered.

“Well, it’s not for sure yet. There are many competing for the blonde. And I dare not assume until I hear it from her.” He sheepishly offered as his ears laid back before Meneah simply smiled and reached back and got a purple shell heart pendant and offered it to him.

“Here, it’ll contrast with the yellow pearls. I’m sure she’ll love it.” She offered.

“I…I owe you more meat…” He said as he looked at it but didn’t take it.

“No you don’t. You’re a really good man, who is kind, honest and honorable. She’d be lucky to have you. Take this for her. It’s my congratulations for you both. I’m sure she’ll love it. And you can even add those pearls to it, make it a proper necklace for her.” You offered.

“Could you do that? I’d be afraid I’d crush the pearls.” He offered.

“Sure. Would you sharpen my ulu?” She smiled before he emptied out his pearl purse into her bowl as it seemed he had gotten yellow pearls from everyone today as Meneah smiled and sat down with her pearl needle and got some thread out and began to pierce each pearl and then thread them to a pretty necklace as he took her ulu and resharpened it for her and even got her a bowl of his grandmother’s soup so she’d eat in between working on his necklace as she was happy and content so simply sit, and weave this necklace and add these pearls once she organized them by size and shape and began to sew them on the rest of the day inbetween buying and selling other pieces to the others in the market.

By the end of the day- once everyone had bought and sold what they did, and there was no more buying or selling or eating to be done- he came back to see if she needed any more help with it as she was piercing and threading and tying off the last few pearls.

“Hopefully I’ve made it big enough for her.” Meneah offered hopefully as she used the last of her threads to make this for him.

“I’m sure it will be just fine for her.” He offered happily, pleased that Meneah had worked so hard for it.

“There. What do you think?” Meneah asked as she tied the two ends off and added the last bits of thread to the ends so they would be tied around his betrothed’s neck.

“I hope she likes it as much as I do.” He offered before he traded jar for it.

“What is this?” She asked.

“Bone marrow.” He answered.

“You don’t have to give this for that. It’s a necklace, not a fur coat.” She tried to refuse the jar.

“But if this bone marrow will warm your heart the way your hard work has warmed mine- even though we have yet to even meet this woman, it will be fair.” He insisted before she took it- gratefully.

“Thank you. I hope you will be happy together. And don’t forget, when you go through your trails, if you see my pod’s lights, feel free to escape the trials for a day with me ok? You will always be welcome and find shelter with me and my other podmates ok?” Meneah offered.

“Thank you. I deeply appreciate it.” He offered with a nod.

“You’ll be fine. It’s supposed to be warm this year. Hopefully the trials won’t be too harsh for you.” She offered as she gathered her things back into her sled and then got ready to go before he helped her close up her booth and get everything together, the necklace clutched in his other hand as he saw her off as she left the market, putting her hood back up and walking towards where her pod had their ice igloos as she and her pod mates took up a caravan as they chatted about what they had gotten that day from the market and what they were looking forward to eating first once they returned home as they each used their ice sticks to traverse the path.

“You know. If that blonde ends up not choosing you. I’m sure your father wouldn’t be opposed if you took Meneah or anyone else from her pod.” Noan offered to her grandson as she came up and watched him watch Meneah walk away into the white expanse around them.

“Bears are supposed to eat seals, not marry them.” He repeated- what he had heard too many times from his father.

“Is that so?” She asked as she nodded to the blended families around them.

“She is too kind.” He offered.

“If it wasn’t, he wouldn’t be sending others so far for another onikuma wife for me and my brothers.” He tried to say.

“Eh, your father has many sons. But Meneah is the only girl you’ve ever worked up the courage to talk to, much less do business with. You are good to her and she is good to you and your family, and especially to me. She would be good for you, she would remind you of your claws and teeth. She respects our ways and does what she can to keep herself and her pod on the good side of our community. So many of those who used to call her pod theirs, have settled well here so far. I overheard that she offered you shelter for the trials.” Noan recalled.

“And yet, that is how so many come back from the trials with their selkie mates.” She grinned with a smug smirk.

“My father is sending me in the opposite direction for the trials, for that reason.” He admitted.

“Then I shall have a word with him.” She offered.

“No, grandma, don’t. He will only make things harder for me if you do. I am content to follow his direction.”

“Even if it means your regret and resentment?” She asked.

“It will honor him and our clan’s ways. He says we need to keep one eye on the past and the other on the future.” He insisted.

“Respect means nothing if you’re dead on the ice.” She reminded him.

“Then any affection for Pertalo will keep me warm.” He offered as he still held up the necklace Meneah had made for him before Noan just scuffed and rolled her eyes and shook her head before she called to her family to hurry up and finish off the last of this soup so she could clean her pots.

It took a week to finish getting ready but finally, Firin was ready to go into the trials, his own sled packed with what he needed to survive in the Arctic Tundra for a whole week.

He went in the opposite direction of where he knew Meneah kept her pod and just walked off into the white expanse. Hoping that at least his own blubber would keep him warm if he proved fruitless in his hunting. He had sent the necklace with his father as his token for Pertalo- should she meet with him while he was gone on this quest.

He walked until the sun set and the stars came out as he orientated himself with those and used the Northern Lights to build himself an igloo to save him from the bitter cold wind. He slipped himself into the igloo and practically collapsed onto the snow inside, grateful for the break in bitter cold wind that had practically cut him to the bone.

He continued on until he was all alone on the vast- sheer whiteness. Where the blue skies touched the white ground all around and there was nothing to guide him except his own inner compass as he tried to make sure he orientated himself with the stars. But there was just nothing out here. No game, no way to dig down to see if he was even over land or ice. Just…snow and sky.

And then, the clouds came in. And then he really, felt like he was lost, no way to tell where he was, or where he was going as he had to rely solely on his internal compass for direction.

He could do little but eat snow, but only able to eat so much- and risk getting too cold internally.

Then, he could faintly- smell- food.

He turned and followed his nose. It smelled not only of food, but cooked food! And bread! He smelled bread and cooked food! He felt like he practically ran towards the smell on the wind, even as it blew right into his face, he didn’t care. He was so hungry. He had gone many days since he ate last. And he hungered for more than just snow. He was hungry for meat. He didn’t care if he had to dig through several feet of ice if it meant he could eat meat.

Then, just as the sun set and it was dark, he saw a faint glow! It had to be another selkie pod. He had listened and obeyed his father and gone in the opposite direction but light meant shelter, shelter meant people and the only other beings out here on this bleak snowy landscape were other onikuma and selkies. Surely, a selkie would save him in this hour of need.

However, the light, once he came closer, seemed to vanish on the horizon and he was left to fall to his knees and weep. Even the sled behind him suddenly felt like it weighed twice his own weight. He had lost track of the days and all he could do was just collapse on the ice and snow.

“Meneah, I wish you were here. I wish I would have given you that necklace. Per…pert…fuck her name, I don’t care. I just…I just want you.” He cried because, after going hungry, Meneah was the only thing on his mind.

The snow began to fall and he couldn’t be bothered to even move, as he simply let the snow fall and build around him, letting his tears crust his eyes shut as he soon, cried himself to sleep.

Meanwhile Meneah came back to the market for another market day.

“I nearly missed the market in the snow.” Meneah offered to Noan as she came right to Noan’s booth and put fresh- cleaned mussels into the pot for the broth.

“You didn’t see any sign of Firin did you?” Noan asked worriedly.

“No. I haven’t seen any sign of him at all.” Meneah shook her head.

“Ardguall told him to go in the opposite direction of your pod for his trials. Ardguall doesn’t approve of Firin’s affections for you. Firin wanted to appease his father, but it’s been two weeks. He should have come back by now and if he’s gone for another week, I think Torten will have his head if Firin dies in this trial. I can only hope he’s ok.” Noan offered as she got Meneah a bowl of broth before Meneah practically gulped it down and quickly went over to where Torten was anxiously waiting by the door of the market, seeming to look out over the snow in the direction her husband had sent her son.

“Chefitess Torten.” Meneah greeted.

“Meneah, have you seen Firin?” She asked anxiously.

“No, I haven’t seen him since last market day.” Meneah shook her head no as Torten looked about ready to cry as she anxiously looked about ready to rip someone’s head off too as she looked back out over the horizon.

“Firin has been gone for three weeks. His tracks are long since covered over. I’m afraid that Ardguall sent him in the wrong direction and that he’s lost, or…” Her voice cut off.

“Please, could you find him? At least, make sure he’s ok? Send him home? He’s proven he can be on his own. But I just don’t want him dying, trying to prove himself to his father. Take anything you want from me, take whatever supplies you would need. I just..I can’t lose him like this.” Torten pleaded before Meneah practically gave Torten everything she brought with her to the market and traded it all for food stuffs and supplies for her sled and then quickly went back and filled up her waterskins with all the broth she could before she practically went running out of the market in Firin’s direction. She went as far as she could, as quickly as she could before she started sweating and then had to stop to rest, because sweat killed in the snow as she tried to calm her own racing heart and thoughts and simply prayed for guidance to lead her to Firin.

She put her nose to the wind and tried to smell for anything. But could only smell the market behind her. She continued on, drinking up all but one waterskin of broth as the other began to chill to a chunky slush. She even took a detour home and got her best supplies, her bone marrow, her jars of fat, all of her furs, her breadseed, her tea leaves, her club, her ulu, everything she could think of that she woud need for a great journey to save Firin. Even the magicked ever burning logs. She put out- and took out from her home and packed them with her. She continued inland, just hoping and praying to every god that would listen and answer her to keep Firin alive long enough for her to find him and save him.

She kept going until she was exhausted and had to stop to make shelter in a snowstorm, even though her gut told her that she needed to continue. But she couldn’t help Firin if she too was dead- caught in a blizzard as she made herself a new igloo and even used her special lights to light it up to give her light to make herself food and bread, and even made a hole in the roof so that the smells could leave her place and travel on the wind, and hopefully draw them together. She put out the light and tried to sleep but sleep was alluding her she couldn’t shake the feeling that if she didn’t at least go out and look, one last time, that maybe he was trying to head this way, and couldn’t see her. But was only following his nose to her.

She had to see.

So she got redressed and relit her light and came out of the igloo and looked and saw- another igloo! Just a short ways away! Hopefully that was him!

She ran towards him.

“Firin! Firin!” She yelled, but her voice was drowned out by the wind but she didn’t care she could see two large lumps! That had to be his shelter! She came forward and to her horror, she found that the one lump- was the snow that covered his sled.

“Oh no! No, no, no, no, no, no!” She began to cry as she hurriedly shoved all the snow off and followed the leads to a body in the second lump as she uncovered boots first.

“No! Firin! No!” She cried as she recognized his boots and continued to shove the snow off of him and noticed that the snow had started to melt and then freeze in a little pocket around his chest, so he at least had the room to breathe.

“Firin! Come on! Don’t be dead!” She cried as she damned her tears- breaking off her eyelashes as she continued to uncover him and cried more tears of relief when she saw his chest move with his breath as she continued to uncover him before she got to his face and took the ice off from over his eyes and away from his nose where he was breathing.

“Oh thank the gods. Firin! You’re still alive, come on Firin, wake up, wake up for me. Get up. You need to get up. You need to come with me! Come on!” She begged and pleaded and pushed and pulled before she cut the ties to his sled to free him as she used all of her renewed strength to try to wake him up before he finally awoke from her efforts.

“Maneah?” He breathed when he opened his eyes to see her by his side in the snow.

“Yes! Firin, oh thank the gods I found you! Come on, up, I built an igloo for us, it’s only over there, come on.” She urged him as she helped him up and then led him back to her igloo before she practically pushed him into it herself before she blew fire to partially melt the vent to keep the warm air in and from escaping and to harden the inside to help insulate them inside.

“Come on, you need to warm up, you’re too cold, come on, help me.” She urged as she was quick to try to get his frozen furs off of him as she tried to undo it and push and pull them off and could only cry to see how much weight he had lost, all of his fat reserves were gone, and all he was was skin, fur, bones and very lean muscle now.

“Shit, you’ve lost too much weight, come on, I have some broth, get in my bed, come on, get in my bed and I’ll have you drink some broth and I’ll warm you up ok?” She offered as she gave him- her own sealcoat to put on as she readily moved to her little pot in her igloo and poured him a bowl of broth and then helped him drink it as he collapsed on her bedroll.

“You came for me.” He could only- very tiredly- offer as he looked at her with a faint, exhausted smile.

“Of course I did.” She answered as she helped him to drink sips of the broth in her large abalone shell bowl as she let him drink one bowl at a time, in between getting under the covers and wrapping herself around his core as he could only manage to try to curl his own limbs around her body, as her sealskin covered them both in the bed as his body slowly began to warm before he started to shake as his body finally found it’s will to live.

“It’s gonna be ok. I’m right here, Firin.” Meneah offered as she hugged him and let him settle his head over hers in the blanket as she rubbed her hands vigorously over his back to try to get some heat from the friction of her hands against his fur.

“You came for me.” He repeated in a really shaky breath.

“Of course I came for you Firin. I love you. I’m sorry your father sent you in the wrong direction, so far away.” She confessed.

“I love you too.” He professed as his arms and body shook as he held her as tight as his limbs would let him.

“I’ve…I’ve always loved you, I’m sorry I let my father drive me away from you. I should have been stronger and braver and told him to…fuck himself.” He offered shakily.

“Well you are brave and strong. You’ve survived longer than anyone else would have. And honestly, if he sent you to your death, you can live with me ok? I don’t mind. My home is big enough for a whole family.” She offered as she turned her head and kissed his cheek as he found the strength to try and shakily kiss her back.

“Just focus on getting warmer. That’s all you need to focus on ok? You’re safe now, I’ve got you.” She whispered as she just focused on getting him back to a temperature that was more conducive to live, happy that she got to him in time.

#Monster March 2024 #Monster March 2024 Day 18- Merperson- Selkie!

8 notes · View notes

plantgoodseed · 1 year

Text

We are in the business of life! Our 2023 seed production in Ojai, California.

Spring never really got going here in Ojai, and as I write these words summer is nearly here. Between the heavier winter rains (this a 45 inch - and counting - rain year) and weeks of overcast days, moon cycles have been an afterthought.

The plants keep growing through the fog, rain, and cloudy weather. Kendall harvested our Fizz Kale plants two weeks ago, making this our first seed crop of the year. Fizz is a salad kale, with smooth, oak shaped emerald colored leaves and white veins. It was the very first lot of seed we logged for the company back in 2011, and was definitely in need of improvement. We focused on one thing: culling out early bolting plants, prolonging the usefulness and flavor of the leaves as they mature. (Given this kale is harvested young as a micro green, it’s unsurprising this might have been not a priority, as harvest would typically occur long before any chance of flowering occurs)

Up next is our largest production of Cherry Glow Breadseed Poppy. We did smaller runs of these in 2017 (me) and 2022 (Richard Gambino/Topa Vista Farmstand). The last few of Richard’s packets are still available, along with a bulk size.

(We also have a new variety we are adding: Flemish Peony Poppy. I first spotted this on Cacia Huff’s Feral Farm instagram feed, and she sent me some seed stock)

We planted 10 pounds of Chimyan Garlic last fall, and harvesting was completed earlier in the month. Hardnecks aren’t always suitable for Southern California climates, but these bulbs look promising, and a quality planting stock would allow us to make this available to our customers in 2024.

New crops of Double White Hollyhock and Krishna Holy Basil are currently in the ground. Krishna seems to be the most temperature sensitive of the holy basils I’ve ever worked with. It really didn’t like this cold, and needs a really long production window for harvest. When it gets established, it’s a sight to be soon. Rama Holy Basil seedlings are also ready to go in, Heavy Hitter Okra seedlings are at the nursery, and I think our first Ojai production of Zanadoo Corn is on the way as well. Another round of Hibiscus was necessary, as we are packing the last of our current seed supply today, and it will likely be gone before the summer is up.

New crops of Silk Mullein, Dense Flowered Mullein, Clary Sage, and Marshmallow are well on their way to producing. Stinging Nettle and Scarlet Bee Balm will likely just increase our planting stock and not be available for sale this year.

After adding Double Black Hollyhock and Madder to the catalog in this past year, and feeling a little inspired by the work of Ride and Dye Ojai, I’ve been wanting to further expand the availability of our dye plants: Japanese Indigo (Persicaria tinctoria) seemed like an easy place to start and is now in production. I also had two other proper Indigo species “True” Indigo (Indigofera tinctoria) - or Guatemalan Indigo (Indigofera suffruticosa) we sent to the nursery, but the germination was too scanty to move forward. Next year!

Steve put a lot of flowers in the ground in this past fall-winter so it’s possible that a lot more will be coming than planned, or just refreshing/replenishing existing stalks. I’m pretty happy to see a new crop of Gaillardia coming on. I’m spying some mixed yarrow and bachelor buttons and a lot of silvery rose strawflower.

I’m continuing to work with my Southern California natives / rugged perennial crops. I planted a lot more Western Vervain this year, and new crops of Black, Purple, and White Sages are nearly ready. I continue to have problems with harvesting quality Hummingbird Sage seed, but after taking a year to experiment with harvesting and timing methods, I’ll give it another go. This is the first year I’ve worked with Cleveland Sage, and it’s looking spectacular.

Elderberry and Matilija Poppy will likely be back in the catalog too. These are quite easy to propagate clonally (root divisions or just straight up branch plantings), but it seems people enjoy the challenge of starting things from seed.

Our network of producers has grown substantially over this past year, and we intend on highlighting their crop production for the company in another blog post later in the year!

-quin

#plantgoodseed #ojai #businessoflife #heirloomseeds #seedsaving

4 notes · View notes