#floral nutrition

[vegan-nom-noms]

Easy Vegan Fiesta Quinoa Tacos

[biophilianutrition]

Natural Beauty

[mochinomnoms]

plot twist the nurse is mother gothel

🇫🇷

OKAY SO ACTUALLY—

I'll drop some fun facts about the Nurse here since all the other ocs have been introduced. And I like to refer to her in my writings even outside PTM.

Amara Goethel

“Doubling as the school nurse and a professor at Night Raven College, she teaches the health and wellness curriculum. She is a bit vain, insistent on maintaining a strict skincare routine, and refuses to tell anyone her age.”

Quick Facts:

Age: Unknown Height: 167 cm (5'5" ft) Homeland: Shaftlands Other Names(s): Ms. Orca (Floyd) Curriculum: Health and Wellness (Sexual Education, Nutrition, etc) Hobbies: Skincare Favorite Food: Hazelnut soup

Appearance

Amara has the appearance of a beautiful young woman with long curly brown hair, dark, narrow brown eyes, and fair skin. She has poliosis, which appears as a white patch of hair on her bangs, She often describes herself as “looking younger than her age,” implying she is much older than she visibly appears. She wears small diamond shaped earrings; a black and gold stethoscope around her neck, and a ruby jeweled magic pen in her breast pocket. 

She wears a short crimson-colored military nurse dress with a golden flower covered by a white cross stitched on the left breast pocket; the collar and cuffs are colored amber, as well as her name tag; the floral cross is also stitched as a patch on her left arm. Her pants are slim fitting black scrubs, while her shoes are crimson nurse clogs. She also wears white gloves.

She is often seen carrying a clipboard and pen when tending to students in the infirmary. 

Personality

Amara is often regarded motherly to the freshmen students, who are required to take a sexual health and education class as part of their curriculum. She has a particular shine to the MC, who she takes under her care after being placed in the Ramshackle Dorm by Crowley. 

Trivia

Amara is married to an unnamed wife, and has two children, named Cassia and Rampion. 

Amara has stated that she previously wanted more children, but that the students at Night Raven College have dissuaded her from having any more than the two she already has.

Amara has displayed distaste for the college being an “all-boys” school, believing that the lack of interaction with women prevents the young men of the campus from “knowing the proper way to interact with a young lady their age”

[the-witch-of-one-piece]

霊圧 + 淫慾. //spiritual pressure + lust. ( @sashi-ya x twoop)

Gotei 13 Captains Holding their Newborns for the First time SFW: Part 1 Created by: The-witch-of-one-piece/WC:1200+/Masterlist/Collab w/ @sashi-ya💜

TW: Newborns

Shunsui  Man is beyond thrilled about joining in fatherhood. After finally settling down after many years of bachelor life. One thing dawned on him: what would it be like to be a dad? Here he was pouring celebration sake in the waiting room with some of the captains who awaited for the arrival of the new arrival of the Kyoraku family. The new father didn’t have any sake as the baby was finally here. There they were in a pink floral blanket similar to his own kimono he chose. He felt his own heart stop for a moment as he held the small child that would carry his family's name going on. “You're my everything, little one.” Shunsui brings the baby closer, softly pressing his lips against their forehead.

Rojuro He was shook knowing the news that she was going to be a father. In his own research, he read that babies can benefit from any kind of music or singing while in the womb. He himself played music on his guitar while singing. The songs he sang were his forms of lullabies in a different tune. Hearing the set of pipes coming from the newborn he did step in nothing seemed to calm the baby down until cradling the newborn in his arms holding them close to his chest as he began to hum softly. The mixture of his heartbeat and humming soothed the crying child. The child recognize their fathers voice a soft smile on the lips of the captain he continued to hum “you are my sunshine.”

Shinji He needed to hear it twice as he couldn’t believe what he heard he was going, dad?! He never thought it would happen. He was a little scared. In his mind it kept running like ‘what do I do?’  or ‘how would I do this?’ As it got closer he admitted he was going to learn as he went even looking at some of the baby books. His hands were a bit shaky as the child was placed in his arms. When he started to become comfortable with the newborn his hands stopped shaking. Noticing the same lips on his own child's lips. The blonde hair that matched his was like his little twin that was birthed. His fingers gently caressed the new face as he did that they let a cute yawn squeak out “you're gonna give me a run for my money for being this you're this cute kid.” Byakuya  Stunned is the best word to put it when he found out.  He never thought he would have gotten a second chance at love and from this love produced a child. He made sure everything was in order from appts, having the room set up, and even the proper food and nutrition to help the child grow healthy and strong. Byakuya was a bit worried as fatherhood was approaching but he would never tell anyone. But seeing the newborn as they lay against his bare chest he couldn’t remove his eyes from them. Anything in that moment for the new father didn’t matter, the skin-to-skin contact was the best form of bonding with a newborn and he loved every minute of hearing the newborn coo in their sleep he felt at peace “I love you forever I will love you always as long as you're with me my baby, you will be.” softly speaking to the child who still cooed in their sleep.

Kensei Kensei in his mind WTF how did this happen?! He thinks long and hard and remembers certain events. Like Shinji he never thought about being a dad at all. He would have to learn how to be gentler and softer if a baby of his was on the way. He is the one preparing the meal knowing what he is feeding his growing child in the womb. He does like feeling his strong child kick in the womb. Kensei would definitely learn the meaning of patience since he would need a lot when raising a child. The words were spoken when he looked down at the newborn in the bassinet sleeping peacefully. He was a bit worried since was a large man he might hurt the baby but gently picking them up the rough captain loosened up “Just because you this cute doesn’t mean you can get away with things.” he spoke when he did that he could see the small pout coming from the newborn like they understood him “okay…well maybe you can.. Just a bit.”

Toshiro Dropping his watermelon when he got the news. Toshiro deep down did desire a family but didn’t expect it to come so fast. Mentally he thought about his past but made sure his child would grow up with love. In between his work he would often read ‘what to expect for expecting fathers.’ given by Matsumoto. Given gifts by Jushiro for the new arrival wondering if the child would have a Shiro in their name like they shared. When entering the private room he would notice the child wide awake moving slightly as they were sucking on the pacifier. He noticed their turquoise eyes were slightly shut. Toshiro brought the child to his chest as he lay on the sofa stroking the child’s back he watched them drift off to sleep he closed his eyes  feeling like nothing else could destroy this moment for him and his newborn “You are loved unconditionally.”

Jushiro  Jushiro blesses his soul and he is excited to become a father of not just one but two little ones. In his condition, he tries his best to be fully supportive. He can't help himself find cute twin outfits or the same plushies for them. Making sure prenatal was taken on time daily. He would often speak to them and loved to see them move around as they appeared excited every time he spoke. Sitting in a rocking chair as both of his hands are occupied with one child in each hand. Jushiro felt so proud and he wanted to let this moment last as long as he could.  Kissing both of their temples as he slightly rocked back and forth. “The greatest joy I’ve experienced in my many years of living.Thank you for giving me this experience my little ones.”

Isshin  The grin could wipe off this man's face. It was plastered so big and wide. He would carry around the ultrasound of his growing child and show it to everyone he knew. Often praising how great his child was going to be. Isshin is fully supportive during the birth even if his hand gets crushed to pieces. He literally just is admiring the newborn that was welcomed just a few mins into this world and he is the first to hold them. Softly giving them kisses, noticing the child holding onto his large finger. He held the baby for countless hours just knowing he will be in charge of this child's life for a while and he wasn’t going to let them down not one bit. “Nothing would ever harm you. I promise my life on that.” Isshin spoke to the newborn lip twitch as if it were smiling. *Special Acknowledgment of Grandpa Yamamoto*

Yamamoto Well, now he will be the ultimate grandpa of them all! Feeling proud about the grandchild that was created even though they weren’t blood-related. He would also let them get away with things and if he hears anyone scolding the child he would scold them for scolding the child. He would even have a special name that grandkids would call him Papa Moto.  He would take naps next to the bassinet since they both would need their rest.

@stygianoir @tealcat001 @dumbbitch223 @bookandyarndragon @ilibili @jin-supremacy01

[flowerishness]

Aster amellus (European Michaelmas daisy)

Most of the Michaelmas daisies I see, live the lives of pampered pussycats. Expensive, store-bought soil, regular watering, all competing ‘weeds’ promptly removed - nothing but the best for my little floral treasures. Isn’t life in modern suburbia wonderful?

In reality, this flower is a hard-nosed survivor. The first photo shows a Michaelmas daisy flourishing in a mixture of gravel and clay. In nature, it grows in rocky, mountainous areas from the French Pyrenees to Siberia. As one of my wildflower books says, “It prefers a calcareous and slightly dry substrate with basic pH and low nutritional value.”

[kihakugato-art]

FloraSpectmber Prompt 2- Aquatic

Raftflower (Haquanthus volitariflora)

Growing throughout the coastal waters of Hoep, when not in flower it could be easily mistaken for Terran's Giant Kelp at first glance due its convergent adaptations. Unlike kelp however, it is not an algae, but rather it is a member of the flowering Asteraceae family.

Large air pockets are stored through the floral structures for surface flotation, and said air migrates to different parts during their development; starting from the base of the flowerbuds to begin flotation. Once they open the air moves to inflate the petals. Once the flower most of the air moves towards the developing seeds to keep them on the surface to invite fauna and Hoepian alike to forage upon its botanical raft. By the time the seeds deflate of air and sink they sink to the bottom to germinate at the coastal seafloor.

Despite being filled with air the seeds are also are packed with nutrition and oils, making it a very nutritious seasonal resource from the sea. Because of this and the fact they make habitat/shelter for fish, they are to some degree cultivated by many coastal settlements.

The flowers can vary in size depending on genetics as well as the nutrition from the sea itself; they range from 30cm to a whopping 1.5m in rarer cases. At their larger sizes they are able to still float while holding under the weight of an adult person.

[astarab1aze]

➥ Runaway Mage

⸻Technical Information. // Face, Voice, etc.

01. Faceclaim. Yoru   [ Shishi no Odoriko ] & Personal or Comm'd art 04. Voice Claim. Miyavi, if he had noticeable vocal cord damage

⸻Profile Information. // Name, Age, etc.

01. Name. Kaede Shikabane   02. Alias. Shizuka, Kae   03. Sex. Male 04. Gender. Male   05. Age. 46   [ Dependent ] 06. Birth Date. October 31st   [ Balemagus ] 07. Blood Type. AB+ 08. Race. Half-Elfhen & Half-Feline, Zurine by nationality ; Yuureian by ethnicity. 09. Marital Status. Single   [ Multiship ] 10. Orientation. Bisexual   [ Biromantic / heavy male preference ] 11. Residence. He has no home, ever on the move, trying a little too hard to escape his own life in more ways than one. 

⸻Physical Information. // Body, Equipment, Family, etc.

17. Physical Description. Kaede’s hair is rather long and layered, so it tends to sit in a boyish, fly-away sort of way. It’s a dark violet shade - or, pretentiously, midnight - and incredibly soft to the touch. The lighter, floral blue of his eyes contrasts nicely with his hair. More often than not, he prefers to wear it down, as he feels the style compliments his overall appearance. His body is slim with some light toning and he stands at a rough 5'5", a little on the short side even for an elf. His skin is somewhat unusually pale, denoting a lack of sleep and improper nutrition. He wears a crimson jade hip ornament said to have healing properties, handed down in his family by patriarchal members. He has an abundance of barely-there freckles all over his body and both self-harm & combat scars, a large gash across his throat and quite a few on each of his thighs - and many more on his arms, front, and back; Also has a birthmark under his right buttcheek that looks something like a smeary bruise. There is a surgical scar on his right hip caused by a near-ruinous injury and the surgery that followed. On each pointed long-ear, his lobes are pierced, as well as two cuffs on his right ear. He has a natural pair of darkly spotted snow leopard ears and a long, fluffy tail as well as slit pupils, long canines, patches of dark fur along his spine and shoulders, and claw-like nails. Also x3, he has a phenomenal ass.

13. Equipment. He is effectively always ready for a fight, keeping a Yuureian silsaph katana and at least four knives of varying styles and lengths on his person at all times. He will also have various items kept in a limitless bag including Zurine medical tools, a journal, palmseal, singing stones, minor husbandry tools, some specific alchemical reagents, witchlights, a collection of both expired and current border passes, various international currencies, witchlights, and some other magical items and tools. 14. Occupation. Untethered sorcier with allegiance to no governing body on the continent ; He has chosen to never kill for a ruler or agency, as well as never to be a court mage, devoting himself to a life of drifting in order to escape his obligations. 15. Job Performance. Not Applicable 16. Parents. Juno Miris of Lakensov, Vago (deceased) and Kurai Shikabane of Chiisana, Yuurei (deceased) ; He doesn't much remember his mother and though he doesn't know it, she remains attached to him in spirit as a demonic presence - his father, however, he is glad to be rid of. 17. Siblings. Terin Shikabane (deceased) and Morrigan ( @elysiumtouched ) through seemingly tenuous relations, but they are in fact all half-brothers.

⸻Personality Information. // Likes, Strengths, etc.

18. Likes. Kirati dragon's breath, Myrrdinian chocolate oranges, specifically Yuureian tea, most animals, long moonlit walks, most international foods, taking naps, drawing, listening to local street music, dancing, men with light hair, singing, spending time with his lixni Muushi, Vagoan whisky, knives, flowers, black coffee, sharing snacks and drinks, ignoring Crimson-Talon letters, reading and researching, exploring old ruins, etc. 19. Dislikes. Inefficiency, most mushrooms, most sweet things, being forced to improvise, being flustered or confused, blood on his skin or staining his clothes, the sight of corpses, failure, imperfection, being responsible for other people’s lives, lack of control, being noticed, most nightfolk, most humans, all Wildlings, the undead, cottonmouth cakes, scarbuncle cheese, most other sorciers, most other elves, etc.

20. Positive Traits. Honest. Diligent. Loyal. Protective. Committed. Persistent. Strong willed. Hard-working. Thoughtful. Kind. Generous. Earnest. Firm. Loving. Prepared. Giving. Mostly merciful. Self-sacrificing. Open-minded. Accepting. Proud. 21. Negative Traits. Distrustful. Obstinate. Conflicted. Reckless. Guarded. Hard-headed. Hot-tempered. Bratty. Snobby. Self-loathing. Self-conscious. Reactive. Melancholic. Isolative. Impatient. A smidge obsessive. May get jealous. Envious. Naive. Prone to panic. 22. Goals. To try to find a way to beat the madness before it takes him. 23. Desires. Freedom from his grief, and forgiveness for the lives he couldn’t save or had to take, whether against his will or not; To love and be loved as though he were truly worthy of it. He’s tired of floating through life with nothing to show for it, and being hunted as a consequence. 24. Alignment. Neutral Good

25. Personality. Kaede has some difficulty forming relationships with other people and is generally very slow to start. Incidentally, this frees up a lot of his time, so he pours nearly all his focus into his work. He’s incredibly flawed in some aspects of his reasoning and decision-making, despite his intelligence, having assigned an arbitrary amount of blame to himself for past failures and horrific incidences, perceived or not. He’s the small and silent type, with a spoonful of emotional baggage and social ineptitude. Though he comes off as cold and formal at times, he has a mischievous streak and can be rather playful under the right conditions. He can also be sweet and somewhat boyish, though he’s mostly a bit bratty and hardheaded. He’s a sensitive soul at the end of the day, riddled with trauma responses and other behaviors resulting from years upon years of emotional, mental, and physical abuses - where the bulk of his trust and mental health issues stem from. He has vivid flashbacks about the massacres, nightmares too, and such will drag him back into an incosollable state of fear and misery. Although, he tends to hide, like a feline trying to lick their wounds in private.

⸻Sorcery Information. // Affinity, Talent, etc.

26. Affinity. Necrotic and Fire - high-level control, practiced and mastered well at the Zurine Mages' University. 27. Shapeshifting. Not applicable - he never cared much for transformation as a school of magic and wasn't born naturally capable of it in the first place. 28. Utility. Wards, curses, summoning, husbandry, and illusions - moderate.  29. Specialization. Lightning Magic, summoning, illusions, and some Bestial magic - highly skilled thanks to years of careful study, practice, and fine-tuned familial & cultural techniques handed down for generations. 30. Graduate School. Zurine Mages’ University - the only active school for mages on the pangea ; Extremely dedicated to quality, well-rounded education and therefore expensive, though they do offer scholarships based on potential ; Open to all magical folk, or those who can afford it ; Generally treated as a sort of haven for them. 31. Classification. Anthromorph, Runaway Mage ; Anthromorphs are a sub-type of shapeshifter or were whose human and primary animal forms are permanently apparent in some combination - they are equally as animal as they are ‘human’ in appearance and physiology. Kaede is somewhat different as he gets his animal parts from his elfhen side ; Runaway mages, or untethered sorciers (typically), are effectively deserters and thereby marked for capture and hollowing, which drains a mage of their magic and leaves them a weak, nearly-mindless husk of their former selves - there is a steeper cost to receiving an education at the University. 

⸻Background Information. // Past to Present. // Warnings for...death, arranged marriages, underage marriage, murder, cheating, very dysfunctional families, abuse, and other things that were kinda common in medieval times. There's a lot more to Kaede's story et all, but I've kinda beaten all the details to death.

    Kaede has really only ever known death and misery over the course of his life.

Born to miserable people - Juno of Clan Miris in Lakensov, a free spirit of a fledgling warrior, and Kurai of the Shikabane Clan out of Yuurei, an insecure, powerless man - in a miserable, atypical arranged marriage brought on by desperate need for saphluvium and pig-iron. Juno was young when she was promised to Zenchuu Shikabane, and at the time, Kurai was only a handful years older than her. The two were inseparable when they met, and Zenchuu, next in line as head of the Shikabane, thought nothing of it. Allowing Juno and Kurai to befriend one another - seemed only fair when considering how much older Zenchou was in reality (14 versus 349). But such was the way of things, to secure much needed resources.

Some Vagoans dedicate their lives entirely to monster hunting and extermination, curse breaking, escorting, smuggling, artisanship, among other related fields of work - they forge their weapons and tools with saphluvium, silver, and both proper and pig-iron. With local mines fast-depleting, the Miris Clan was losing grip on their trade, gradually becoming poorer and poorer. It came to a point they couldn't take care of the children anymore, so they arranged marriages, hoping to restore their clan through agreements, alliances, and, well, marriages. Insodoing with Juno, they were able to secure enough iron, silver, and saphluvium to get back on track and breathe some new life back into their clan and community - the hope, then, was that her new family would treat her well and care for her in the ways they couldn't at the time, though it took much longer than it seems, and she wasn't treated well.

The Shikabane are, in some ways, obsessed with death due to generational curses, malice, and genuine evil that'd taken root hundreds of years ago. For some time, they were isolatory, refusing to interact with anyone outside the clan. Naturally, predictable problems cropped up, problems that some were desperate to be rid of and others were only too happy to wallow in. Much of their history is buried, though accurate and detailed descriptions of what sins were committed by their number exist, if only in theory. Such that happened to Juno, whose betrayal of Zenchuu by having an affair with Kurai resulted in her murder a handful years later, when Kaede was small enough to perhaps not remember her later on in life...and the Madness that gripped Taisho, the head of the family before Zenchou, that caused him to slaughter so many.

The madness persisted, and it was soon found a host of demons had possessed certain members of the Shikabane hundreds of years before, biding their time, lying in wait, on top of the threat of ever encroaching insanity - the curse of the Mad Empress all elfhen are subject to. Worse still, it was found Taisho aimed to use Kaede in a blood ritual as a vessel to house the devils inhabiting his body at the time. Taisho violently killed as many people as he could, from the oldest members of the clan to some of the youngest, and far too many had died before he could be stopped by the likes of Kurai and the few who remained that weren't children.

From that day on, though the blame wasn't Kaede's to bear, he was treated as responsible for it all because he was mentioned by name in Taisho's journals, multiple times. Endless obsessive rants about stealing his body, smothering his soul, working his way up to clan head again, murder murder murder- Kaede was special after all. The only member of the family in hundreds of years capable of wielding not one, not two, but multiple forms of magic with a very unique proclivity toward lightning magic and illusions. Taisho killed so many just for a chance to take him and use him, so the remaining family associated Kaede with their loss, as the cause of it, the reason. More than that, however, was the fear Taisho's ritual had worked, and the simple fact Kaede was there where Taisho was dead.

So Kaede got the brunt of everyone's wrath, but especially Kurai's. All failure, every misstep, every stumble out of line was punished severely for years. Kurai would beat him, lock him up in a cell beneath the main house, isolate him through manipulation, shunning, setting too many expectations for him to follow, preventing him from ever leaving the estate. He was kept a prisoner in his own home, taumatized and without any support, forced to learn how to master certain family techniques until such a time came they decided to ship him off to Zuri with Aoi and Terin.

Terin died along the way, slaughtered by Wildlings on the border between Chimeria and western Vago. It wasn't Kaede's fault, but Aoi would see his failed plan as the cause regardless, but the truth was that the Wildlings were faster and armed with silsaph blades. They didn't stand a chance, not really, not ever. In the end, Terin knew this well and had already accepted his fate, thinking of his death before it came a sacrifice to see Kaede and Aoi get away. It would've been easier if Kaede'd been the one who died, however, for upon arrival in Zuri, Aoi informed the sorciers in Azura of Kaede's ineptitude - bitter and angry at Terin's passing. For the following ten years, he wasn't allowed to leave the University tower, at all, put on an effective house arrest until one day, they ended this punishment and gave him an ultimatum: Serve us willingly, or serve us in death.

Naturally, he took their offer - anything to be free, even if only for a little while. They were unwilling to allow his talents go to waste, no matter how he felt on the issue, and resolved themselves to use him exclusively to suit whatever ends they saw fit. Treating him in his beastly-elfhen form as expendable, only still breathing because he's useful to them, ostracized by all irrespective of him in his totality. And, for a time, he played along, intending fully to escape the minute he breathed his first breath of fresh air outside the tower.

When such opportunity arose, tasked with hunting down a runaway mage, he killed his companions in cold blood, burned the order, and ran. He's been running ever since.

[on-leatheredwings]

Main Dami thought, including specific sub thoughts!

Doing any type of skin, body or hair care with him turns into him doing them for you. 1) he wants you to rely on him and show you that he can take care of you, and one way he slowly starts that process is insisting on "pampering" you. 2) he thinks he knows best and the proper products you should be using. Alot of organic products that are handmade or prestige and luxury that you couldn't dream of affording, the hand made ones are from his mother I feel like, with your personal preferences in mind.

-i feel like he would see you shaving with a disposable razor or even just a plastic one and be appalled. He will shave you with a straight razor, which he's very good at. Steady hands and all that blade training coming in handy. He would also learn how to wax/sugar if that's what you prefer. If you insisted, and I mean full blown conniption fit several times, he will call someone to privately do it. It might be someone from the league.....it might not. Who's to say?

It doesn't matter what hair texture or style you have, he WILL be giving you a scalp massage and oiling it. He will also be putting in whatever hair products you use for you. He's desperately touchstarved so he loves the fact that the scents he associates with you linger on his hands, even if they're not his preferred scents.

-i feel like he would have a fairly clean scent to him. Nothing to musky or sweet. Some sort of herb and tea mixture. Like a matcha/green tea with a bit of honey, amber, chamomile and maybe even a bit of dark cocoa/chocolate to bring that initial almost bitterness back. Well balanced, green florals with a tad bit of sweetness that doesn't get cloying and a hint of earthiness. Uses a plain peppermint lip balm.

Also the process of explaining things like everything showers or girl dinner/math to him would be similar to explaining what a cell phone is to a Victorian child.

Much love from Damian anon (I really need to figure out a shorter sign off, even just Damian anon is still long as frick)

god this kinna hit the spot i needed the relaxation today EHEHEH... DAMIAN SPA DAY.... IM HAVING IDEAS

as a grower of body hair thank you for the clean shave dami 🙏🏾 (kinda a fantasy for a guy to shave me with no disgust . im sure that stems from some trauma of being a woman <3 we live in a society <3)

It doesn't matter what hair texture or style you have, he WILL be giving you a scalp massage and oiling it. He will also be putting in whatever hair products you use for you. He's desperately touchstarved so he loves the fact that the scents he associates with you linger on his hands, even if they're not his preferred scents.

every black damian fan screamed BEGGING YOU TO BRAID MY HAIR FOR ME DAMI....S AVE ME DAMIAN SAVE ME DAMIAN, DAMIAN SAVE ME

oh god i agree i think he'd have such a nice "clean" scent to him... refreshing... maybe like match or mint like you said... and some lightly-sweet aromatics idk . lord i dont know smells <3

this was eggcellent im putting it in my recs tag

now im going to search up what everything showers are bc i know girl dinner/math but not that . if i told damian about girl dinner he'd be appalled . he'd be like "That's a level of desolate nutrition I've only experienced during assassin training or a mission in the Alps."

[boissonsaumiel]

Mead Stampede scores are in!

I'm pleased with how I did.

My hōjicha tea mead scored well overall, but based on the judge's feedback I think it would have worked better as a semi-sweet mead instead of a completely dry mead, to help balance the acid/tannins.

Notes for "Tujku" hōjicha tea wildflower mead:

Judge 1: David S

Bouquet - Honey, very slight Alcohol Tea comes through. 8/10

Appearance - No complaints! 6/6

Flavor - Acidic, slightly hot. Tea comes through, Sour. 18/24

Overall - 7/10

Total - 39/50

Feedback - A bit acidic. Very slightly hot. Smoke comes through as well as the tea. A bit unbalanced. I would pull back on the acid a bit.

Judge 2: Shawn B

Bouquet - Nice nose, honey, curious smoke/grass 8/10

Appearance - amber brown, clear 5/6

Flavor - a bit tannic and tart, but nails the described flavors 20/24

Overall - 7/10

Total - 40/50

Feedback - Interesting mead. Each ingredient choice shines through. A bit tart, dry. Could be better balanced

.

The mead I used for my experimental rice wine "braggot" lost a lot a lot of points due to the fact that the mead I used in it had a flawed ferment. I didn't add enough nutrients. Aging helped some, but not enough.

Notes for "The Empress" 60/50 cactus mead/forbidden rice wine blend:

Judge 1: Jake Tweedy

Bouquet - chalky, fruity, heavy mineral presence 10/10

Appearance - 6/6

Flavor - interesting blend of flavors, presenting as acidic fruit mixed with gently floral honey. Faint bitter aftertaste lingers. 10/24

Overall - 7/10

Total - 33/50

Feedback - An interesting blend, there's a heavy mineral presence amongst a bright, zesty, fruity honey character. But a lingering bitterness keeps this mead from landing a world class score. Please keep experimenting! This was fun to try!

Judge 2: Susan Jimenez

Bouquet - prickly pear - mineral notes, clean & interesting med alcohol, inviting 9/10

Appearance - very clear, small bubbles around the rim 6/6

Flavor - low honey, lower acid and soft lingering tannin smooth alcohol for a sack. I get a tuna fishy off-flavor in the taste. maybe sulpher 10/24

Overall - 6/10

Total - 31/50

Feedback - This is well-executed in the aroma. It is very inviting & mineral. There is an off-note that may be from frementation temp, or yeast nutrition. Tweaking this could bring something really delicious.

[biophilianutrition]

Natural Beauty

[ask-spidermom]

No improvement after 2 weeks. Loss of appetite. Frequent meltdowns.

There was a crayon drawing on the bottom of the table; a stick person with a big smile, then several smaller stick people with broad Xs for eyes. Harry’s stomach twisted as he stared up at them.

Woodie murmured, almost more to themself than anyone else, “... What happened here?”

“I-I can't remember. I don't remember.”

Only in quick flickers, in shoddy projector slides.

No adverse effects yet. Complaints about the size of the pills. Split dosage into smaller capsules?

Harry scooted out from under the table and let Woodie help him to his feet.

A child’s shriek pierced the space, reverberating through the hall until, for a split second, it sounded as though coming from every direction. After a tense moment, Harry cautiously straightened his shoulders and squeezed Woodie’s hand. They led him out of what was labeled on an old staff directory map as the ‘recreation chamber’— a large room with foam padded floors, a swing and a round table with crayons and paper.

“Let's go this way.” Harry said, tapping an orange arrow on the wall. There were several similar indicators in various colours, all leading off in different directions.

An informational sign in the foyer outside the recreation chamber had denoted them as relating to the following departments:

purple: PLAGUE

green: RETROSPECTIVES

red: BILE REQUISITION

blue: DETRITUS & NUTRITION

orange: HOME

Failure begets failure. Poison in the blood. Poison in the brain. Irritability, nightmares, increasingly uncooperative. Dosage adjustment needed.

The orange arrow led them down another hallway, then around a corner. On the wall opposite, a plaque stood before a large, darkened display window.

“Press to illuminate each specimen…” Woodlock read aloud.

“That- uh, I-I don't—”

With a click, one specimen jar on the far left of the window lit up. It had something small within, a pale, pink spec with a dark spot, surrounded by nondescript tissue matter. Click. The lights buzzed and flickered. Another jar, then another, both containing humanoid fetuses at varying stages of development.

Click.

The last place looked empty, at first. Harry leaned in, then let out a small cry. The light shimmered across the fine detritus of shattered glass and dry mucus.

“It's just a dream, dear.”

Harry pulled away from the window, “It's never just a dream.”

“I mean, it’s the same old things arranged in unfamiliar patterns, is all.”

They continued down the hall. The orange arrow, smudges of something wet and viscous dragging itself along. Harry pushed away memories of his mother sobbing, despondent with a kind of grief too heavy for his little arms to hold when he scrambled onto the couch to comfort her.

“I found out about it by accident. Uh, just poking around in old project folders. Stuff about producing genetically identical embryos with various minor tweaks in the nucleic code,” Harry laughed dryly, “And then I was like, hold on, I know that genome. That's me!”

“You recognize your genome sequence?”

“It’s usually apparent by the second page.”

Specimen No.1

21 days. Perished during later stages of gastrulation.

Specimen No.4

4 weeks. Death due to complications regarding chromosomal abnormalities.

Specimen No.13

32 weeks. Complications with cardiac development.

Specimen No. 15

1 day.

The blue arrow was visible on a wall down the side corridor. The wall had a dark smeared handprint along the bottom that trailed beyond view.

“I try not to think about it. I don't like bringing up stuff mom has done, ‘cause she gets upset.” Harry picked at a loose thread at the hem of his sleeve.

“It was her hand that carved in you a wound that never healed.”

“... I try not to think about it.”

At the end, there was a large room with pretty wood flooring and floral wallpaper. Inside, an overturned dinner table and two chairs.

It felt, somehow, as if there were something missing in the space. Harry closed his eyes, trying to remember what it could've been. A girl, maybe. She had long, frizzy strawberry blonde hair tied into a french braid. She wore a stained yellow-orange jumpsuit.

The absence, her absence. The empty space folded into the figure of the girl, crouched on her hands and knees by the table. She was crunching something between her teeth, pulling a string of sinew from her lips. She jerked upright, eyes wide.

Harry met her gaze. He knew her face, even smeared with blood. It looked a lot like his.

She took a breath and screamed.

[bambi-princess]

🤍 sadie, 14, she/her, straight

🤍 my favorite movies/shows: black swan, priscilla, girl interrupted, mean girls, gilmore girls, gossip girl, scream queens, bridgerton

🤍 my music taste: i listen to a lot of lana. my music taste varies wildly but i like songs that are hauntingly beautiful and speak to me. my favorite song rn is teen idle by marina!

🤍 interests: reading, writing, fashion, victoria secret angels, haute couture, pink, nails, nutrition, philosophy, science, technology, physics, thought experiments, riddles (esp teded ones 🙈)

🤍 fashion sense: my outfits are usually pretty girly! i wear lots of pastels, florals, denim, and sweaters when it’s cold. i admire a lot other styles though.

🤍 my favorite books: the bell jar, little women, the secret garden, white nights, the unabridged journals of sylvia plath, etc. i have many books on my tbr list though. i’m particularly interested in dostoevsky and sylvia plath.

🤍 what i��ll post: things i find thought provoking, outfit inspo, writing, lana, etc

[softnsquishable]

1, 13, and 23

what song makes you feel better?

i have a playlist of wiggly songs on spotify called "silly goose juice" that i use when i wanna get kinda hype. one of the ones i listen to the most is dave grohl's cover of copacabana.

13. what’s your comfort food?

i love pizza with all my heart and soul. there's a place by my house that makes a really good margherita, usually that one if i can swing it. followed by popcorn with nutritional yeast, because that usually is agreeable to me when nothing else is.

23. favorite piece of clothing?

probably my black "leather" jacket, versatile queen. shoutout to my max & mia leggings though and my floral blouse.

[starliight-whump]

Solitude

No. 3: “Like crying out in empty rooms; with no-one there except the moon.”

Journal | Solitary Confinement | “Make it stop.”

Contains: Solitary confinement, psychological torture, hallucinations. Self inflicted injuries, captivity, female whumpee, blood, vauge reference to past trauma/abuse.

Amara hated white. It had never been one of her favorite colors, but now she fucking despised it. Here, in her cell, it was the only color her world consisted of. The walls, floor and ceiling were white, and so were the mattress with suffocation proof sheets on the floor, as well as her clothes. Hell, even the food she got was more or less white. A gross white mush, or white nutrition shake, served on white plates or in white mugs. It was always the same, and without windows not even the light changed, making it impossible to tell the passing of time. Had she been here a few days, or a week already? More? Felt like a long time, at least. The minutes and hours seemed to stretch out into an eternity.

She had tried to escape at first, of course she had, but with the power dampeners around her wrists she was not nearly as strong as she usually was and the attempt had ended in frustration. Amara had been determined to not let it get to her, to prove to her captors that they wouldn’t be able to crack her, that she wasn’t something to be broken, but it was getting to her. The neverending whiteness, the silence which was just barely broken by the opening of the hatch in her door when she was given food. Even then, no one talked to her, and she didn’t actually see the person slipping the food through the hatch. Hell, for all she knew, it could be a robot delivering her food. The lack of things to look at and things to do was unnerving and maddening, her burning anger had simmered down into an ember, replaced by a restless anxiety. Despite having nothing to do but to lay around and rest, Amara found that she struggled to sleep. 

Heart racing, Amara pushed herself to her feet because she couldn’t stand sitting still a second longer. Too tense, like a bowstring pulled too taut, ready to snap at any second. She began pacing the floor and each of her footsteps were so loud, accompanied by the loud drumming of her heart. How was it so loud? Didn't make sense… As she paced, Amara chewed her bottom lip and fidgeted with her sleeves, white just like everything else.

"Get out, get out, need to get out." Amara mumbled to herself in a quiet, raspy voice. She fucking hated this room. Her skin started crawling and the hair of her neck stood on end as the feeling of being watched washed over her. No. Amara could've sworn she heard a second set of footsteps behind her. Then she caught something in the corner of her eye, the shadow of a person. A whiff of perfume…

Amara whipped around, heart in her throat as she expected to see someone, the enemy. No one was there, yet the scent of perfume persisted. Floral and familiar, like wild roses.

Her wild eyes darted around the empty room. "Where are you?!" She screamed into the white void.

A few seconds of silence, then the void replied. 

"Little Amara, so weak." A cold laugh followed, and the scent of roses overwhelmed her.

Amara's eyes widened and she flinched. That voice…. "N-no, you can't. You're dead!" She stammered, fear entering her voice.

"Such a disappointment. Pathetic."

The coldness of her mentor’s voice still managed to scare Amara, even though she had been dead for five years now. "Nonono, shut up!" Amara shut her eyes and clasped her hands over her ears; fingers tangling in her hair. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" She mumbled desperately as she kept moving, trying to get away. 

But the voice didn't stop. Disappointment, pathetic, weak, it  kept repeating; echoing around the room. Then, it came from behind her.

"You'll always be that weak, pathetic little girl. Good for nothing." 

"Shut up!" Amara whirled around and saw the hazy image of a person, a face she'd seen in her nightmares. Out of pure instinct she lashed out the only way she could; balled her hand into a fist and smashed it hard against the mirage. Then her hand hit something hard and pain flashes through it, but she threw another punch for good measure. The pain intensified and the room went quiet, taking the scent of roses and the shadow with it. Once again, Amara was alone. Or rather, she always had been… Everything was as it had been. Or… not quite.

Amara's eyes fell on the smear of red on the wall, such a stark contrast against the white. She glanced down at her throbbing, bloodied knuckles, then back at the wall. Despite the pain, Amara couldn't help but to smile. Finally some color.

@whumptober-archive

[captain-of-silvenar]

number 23 (if they could create a new spell, what would they create?) for brisala please! ✨

Hi anon! Thank you for the ask! Question comes from this ask meme.

23. If they could create a new spell, what would they create?

Ooohh, this question lived in my head for a few days. Context for this is Brisala is a Telvanni Master who specializes in fungal necromancy. The necromancy part is a not well-kept secret but the fungomancy is where Brisala's true passion lies.

An endless web of mycelium in the very earth and home so long she's in Vvardenfell. Mushroom Towers that she could very well manipulate with her fingertips? She's probably not the first or last fungomancer, what with Telvanni Masters priding themselves on their mushroom towers. But Brisala is interested more in the sharing ability of fungi.

How they bond with forests and share nutrition. How they communicate between webs when attacked by parasites. How they are an endless source across the land.

What would happen if one could tap into this and become part of it?

Brisala has the ability to project her mind into mycelium and gather information out of it.

She can also draw the very magic of the land into her fingertips through them.

It is good then that Brisala is more interested in beneficial research than conquest. Imagine if all of the floral and fungi of Vvardenfell bowed to her call?

[haresvoid]

does it like tea or sweets? if so then what are they :3?

❛[ UNPROMPTED QUESTIONS ≻ always accepting!

It enjoys both! Ome.luum has quite the sweet tooth, because it does give a semblance of the type of mind flavors it enjoys without indulging in the actually consumption of such; sure, there isn't the other feelings that come with eating a brain, but it does give Ome enjoyment- especially since those types of brains that have the sharp sweetness are very precise and most don't fall within the moral category it has made.

As you can imagine, this means Ome puts quite a bit of sugar in its teas or drinks, and tends to enjoy fruit or floral flavors over others. With sweets it prefers fruit or floral yet again over something like chocolate, but it also won't turn such things down. Texture wise it prefers gummy, chewy, or gooey types- turkish delights, taffy, raw sugar ooze before it has set into hard candies. If we were to also add in more modern sweets, stuff like gummy worms or those ooze tubes. Of course these items provide no value to its nutrition, but that isn't much different than how they are for others- its purely an enjoyment thing.