#goldenroot

[spacebarbarianweird]

Blankie

Summary: Astarion makes a blankie for Alethaine (and she, surprisingly, remembers it even centuries after).

Tags: dadstarion, dhampirs, fluff, visions of the future

Alethaine's age: 8 months old (and 305 in the second part)

Thanks @themadlu for beta-reading!

Read on AO3

Masterlist

Headcanons

Alethaine looks at Astarion with her pitch-black eyes. Her lower lip quivers as she gets teary with every passing moment. 

“Oh no,” the vampire mutters. “Did I do something wrong?”

Alethaine stretches her arms to him and Astarion lifts the dhampir up as the girl nuzzles into his chest using her father’s white shirt as a napkin. 

“Princess,” Astarion caresses her back. “What happened? “

He feels a rising panic. Alethaine is only eight months old and the whole experience of parenthood is so new and weird to him that he barely knows what to do with the toddler crawling around the house and demanding all his and Tiriel's attention. 

And he is oh so afraid of doing something wrong! 

“Tiriel.” Astarion approaches the red-headed half-elf who’s busy cooking a stew for herself and the baby. “I definitely did something wrong, but I don't know what”

Tiriel puts away a spoon and kisses his cheek.

“If you had done something wrong, she would not have ruined your shirt,” Tiriel bends towards her daughter and touches her left ear, so elongated and different from hers. “Kitten, did you just miss Daddy?”

Alethaine makes a weird sound which is easily interpreted as an agreement.

“She wanted you to hold her,” Tiriel smiles. “You are doing well, Astarion, trust me. I talk to local women a lot and they keep telling their husbands that even a vampire is a better father than them.” 

“I am afraid to hurt her,” Astarion says. “I am afraid I will do something unacceptable, something that will leave her damaged… “

As he worries, he presses Alethaine closer. The girl has a loud heartbeat, but her chest doesn't move, her breath stolen by dhampirism a few months ago. 

A half-undead baby. The primal source of Astarion's anxieties and joy. 

“Astarion,” Tiriel says, her focus back on the simmering  dinner. “I have a request for you.”

“Anything you want, my sweet,” Astarion leans towards her to inhale her scent. 

“Could you make a blanket for Alethaine? Not a regular one, though. One with a toy stitched on it? Like you know… She can sleep under it and hug a toy. I saw it at Nandaek and Ruligith’s house, and I  thought that thing was really cute.”

“I am sorry, I can hardly imagine what you mean,” he laughs. 

Alethaine suddenly has enough of being held and demands to be put down. Astarion complies and the toddler runs up to the wall to watch a spider crawl up the ceiling. 

“And I think we need more pillows,” she adds. 

**

Astarion blames either his lack of imagination or Tiriel’s eloquence and decides to go straight to the neighbors, a Dwarven couple who also live in the underground part of the town. They are both of Duergar descent and prefer the caves to the woods and mountains. 

Rutha is the same age as Alethaine, but she still cannot walk and mostly sits in her cradle. When Astarion enters, invited by Ruligith, Rutha watches him carefully as if feeling the guest was not a regular visitor. 

“Tiriel keeps mentioning this blanket and I am more than willing to make one for Alethaine, but I have no idea how it's supposed to look!”

Ruligith approaches her baby and takes the blanket out of the cradle. Rutha makes a fuss even though she was barely touching it. 

“This one?” The dwarf hands the blankies to Astarion. 

It is rather small, more like a big napkin but enough to cover a toddler head to toe. It is crocheted and a tiny bear is stitched to it.

Well, of course, Alethaine would not enjoy a bear nor soft pink colors. It needs to be pitch black and the toy… a bat. Yes, a cute bat will do!

Astarion thanks the dwarf, wishes Rutha a good night (as if she were an adult lady), and goes looking for a crochet hook. He mostly prefers needles and threads, but there is something meditative about working with such a simple tool. 

He finds a small market in the central square on the surface part of Daggerlake. The seller doesn't even question why someone would need so much black yarn but decides to give a lecture that spokeshaves would be better. 

When he finally returns home, Tiriel has already had dinner and is cleaning the table on the side where Alethaine sat. 

Astarion gives Tiriel a kiss and goes straight to the fireplace to make the blankie. 

Astarion finds stitching so relaxing that he gets completely lost in the moment. Soon the black blanket is ready and it is time to make the bat. It is a bit more difficult since he has never crocheted toys.

Intrusive thoughts keep appearing despite all his concentration. Pathetic, miserable, useless. Deserving to be beaten and punished. Astarion keeps crocheting faster, hoping the thoughts will leave him.

It’s like a dark storm. No reason to fight it, it will kill you. You just need to wait till it goes.

Finally, the blanket is ready.

Astarion adores his work. Will Alethaine remember having it? Or she will soon ruin it and forget all about it? 

He stands up and goes to the bathroom where Tiriel is bathing Alethaine in a small tub. Thanks to the dwarven pipes, there is always hot water in the town, a luxury even by Baldur's gate standards. 

Alethaine starts laughing, baring her fangs when she notices Astarion entering the bathroom. 

“Hello, princess!” Astarion says. “Look what I made for you!”

Tiriel takes the blanket out of his hands. 

“It is so beautiful,” she says. “And you made it so fast!”

“Well I am a fast learner,” he chuckles. “My ancestors were named Ancunins for a reason, the ones who learn by hand!”

Astarion wraps Alethaine in the new blankie and warms her up. 

He unwraps her and wipes the toddler dry while the girl laughs and tries to grab the little bat. 

Astarion kisses the girl's cheek. Then he kisses her chest and shoulders. Alethaine giggles feeling her father's cold lips and tries to grab his curls. 

“Aren't you the sweetest baby?” he chuckles, grabbing her little body. The feelings of awe and excitement overfill him. Such a small and delicate creature, such a lovely girl. Astarion plants kisses along her belly and hands and then a wave of shame hits his mind like the darkest tide.

He lets go of  Alethaine who is very unhappy with his sudden mood swing. 

What is he even doing… 

Can a father kiss his daughter like that? Or he has just ruined something important for his daughter, or done something inappropriate? 

He steps back. 

“Is anything wrong? “ Tiriel asks, coming to the room with fresh clothes. 

“I… I… “ he can barely say anything. 

Tiriel puts a black onesie on Alethaine and covers her with the blankie. The girl immediately hugs the toy. 

“What happened in those few minutes I was away?” Tiriel takes his hand. 

“I… I did… I was kissing her.”

“And? “

“I think I shouldn’t have.”

Tiriel laughs. The wave of shame fades. 

“Astarion you are her father, of course, you can kiss her!”

“And what if she didn't want me to?”

“She would show you. Astarion, listen, I know almost every form of intimacy is tainted for you, but there is nothing wrong with kissing your daughter as long as she doesn't mind. A couple more years, and she won't let you do it anyway.”

“I have seen fathers who… “ he can’t finish the sentence. For some reason, the atrocities men of every race occasionally do to their own children now feel much less understandable. 

“Astarion, don't wind yourself up, please,” Tiriel smiles. “She will remember her father being attentive and kind and she will demand it from every man she meets in her life. And she grows fast so use this opportunity to squeeze her.”

Astarion feels shame again now because only in his sick head caring for a baby could gain a perverted connotation.

“Astarion, do you trust me?” Tiriel whispers.

“I do, my love.”

“Good. Do you trust me to believe you are a good father?”

“I think so?”

“Good. Because you are,” she smiles and tugs him closer. Alethaine is already asleep. 

Astarion leans to kiss his baby’s forehead. The dhampir smiles and presses the crochet bat closer to her chest.

305 years later

The storm clouds are so dark that it feels like night above Darknest, the castle home to an unlikely alliance between vampires and dhampirs, the Blood Guild, . 

Astarion studies the list of requests. Running a castle isn't an easy job, but he likes it. 

After the war with the demons that were turning the vast lands of Faerun into a wasteland, there was nothing more satisfying than managing a property. 

It is over, he reminds himself. The abyss is sealed. The world has changed and Astarion barely recognizes the maps and towns – but, well, every victory has a price.

He knows he is witnessing the end of one era and the beginning of another. 

Astarion remembers an elven army like the world hasn't seen in 10,000 years. He remembers the hordes resurrected by Alethaine marching through the cursed wastelands right into the abyss’s maw. He remembers the Blood Guild’s vampires and dhampirs joining the fight because they all had more in common with mortals than demons. 

Alethaine was heavily wounded in a fight. He was not  sure, but it seemed like the necromancer had fallen down from a great height. When the battle was over and the demons had faded into oblivion, Alethaine’s husband, Elren Goldenroot, tried to go search for her even though he had been wounded too (not surprising considering he led the elven army, slaughtering demons with his sword Rilyamacil). Astarion ordered him to stay put and soon found Alethaine at the foot of the mountain.

She may have been one of the strongest necromancers. She may have been a dhampir. For fuck’s sake, she was the High Queen of Elves chosen alongside her husband to rule what remained of Tel’Quessira. 

In that moment, she was his helpless daughter barely alive and covered in ash and dirt. 

Astarion remembers how he knelt beside her and how he prayed to hear her heartbeat, only to hear two. 

It shocked and mesmerized him so much that he just sat with Alethaine in his arms listening to the second heart. 

He brought Alethaine back to safety and then had to retreat back into the shadows. When the darkness fell on the world yet again, the elves had already left for the Isle of Evermeet, their kingdom in the seas protected from the demons and the undead by a strong veil of magic. 

Astarion doesn't even know if Alethaine got better. If her pregnancy ended well. The mere thought he could be a grandfather right now weirds him out. 

“Astarion,” Theris, his so-called nephew, a tiefling-dhampir he co-founded the guild with, enters his room. “We have guests.”

“Who?” Astarion asks. The Blood Guild has a lot of clients, but rarely anyone is so bold as to come in person. Usually, mortals send letters asking someone to meet in a neutral place. 

“Come and see,” Theris says and disappears on the high ceiling. 

Another annoying thing about dhampirs. Those fuckers are almost invisible to vampires.

Astarion goes to the tower which belongs to the dhampirs and is used for the rare mortal guests. 

No, it can't be… 

The elf in traveling armor smiles when Astarion enters the room. 

“Nice to see you, Astarion!” Elren smiles. High King of elves or not, he is still the monster slayer and folk hero he used to be. 

Astarion hugs his son-in-law. 

“I—I am happy to see you. Though I expected someone of your standing to travel with a whole troop!”

“I have ten archers with me, but they all waited in the safety of the camp. I decided not to put them at risk.”

“So you think you are safe here? "Astarion chuckles. 

“I have been killing much scarier things than vampires, Astarion. And Alethaine is a much more intimidating presence than anyone here.”

“How is she? "Astarion asks. " Is everything all right? “

Elren smiles. “Yes, she is great! Well, she can't enter the druidic groves and there are dozens of them on the Isle, but she also built a whole dungeon for her dark arts and I guess we are protected from anything thanks to that.  And… Tiri already tries to steal my arrows,” he adds somewhat proudly.

“Tiri..” Astarion echoes.

“Oh, I am sorry! You have a granddaughter. Alethaine called her Tiriel. Tiri. She has red hair, the color of fire, and blue eyes.”

Astarion must be smiling like an idiot. A granddaughter! 

Elren proceeds to talk about the baby elf. That the first thing she tried to do once she managed to make any coherent movement was to run away to the woods. That she rarely cries, but is easily scared by anything necromancy or monster-related. That Mordo, a skeleton butler Alethaine made out of three people she hated, now has to live in the dungeons and never leave them. That she, the oldest child on Evermeet, has already befriended all other elven toddlers on the Isle. That she speaks both Elven and Sylvan but keeps mixing them together and sometimes Alethaine doesn’t understand what she wants. 

“Listen, if it is no bother for you…” Elren finally says.  “Alethaine told me that when she was a baby you made her a blanket with a crocheted toy. And she wonders if you could make a similar one for Tiri.”

“Of course! But considering what you told me about her, I doubt she would enjoy a black bat.”

“She likes dragons, “ Elren smiles. “And the color  green.”

**

The green blanket turns out perfect. Astarion adds golden symbols to it – protective runes and simply beautiful things. He wonders how his granddaughter looks. She is definitely not similar to Alethaine, the pale dhampir. A mortal redhead girl with blue eyes of her father, who tries to steal arrows and wants to explore the world around her. Who clings to her mother demanding attention but avoids dark and scary things at all costs. 

Then, Astarion proceeds to crochet a little dragon. He doesn't have to rush. Elren said he will come back with his people in a week, so he takes his time. 

God-forsaken elven magic that doesn't let Astarion go to his granddaughter and see her in person! He feels like he is being left out and deprived of a very important thing in his undead life. But you can't have everything. Besides, Tiri will grow up soon… And maybe she will even remember the blanket he has made for her. 

Elren comes back in ten days. Now his archers wait for him by the castle walls – they want to sail to the Isle before winter starts and the waves get too high. 

“You look more like yourself,” Astarion laughs seeing his son-in-law. His cloak is torn, his armor is missing the right shoulder pad and a deep cut crosses his cheek; Elren looks exhausted. 

“Yeah, you know, fighting something ten times bigger than me is definitely out of my comfort zone,” he says. “At least I don't need to worry about who will ensure my armor is neat and clean.”

Astarion hands him the blanket. Elren unfolds it and watches closely the runes and the toy.

“Astarion, I hope you are aware of how truly talented you are.”

“Just centuries of practice.”

“I doubt I will be able to do anything remotely close to this even when I am 800. Thank you! Alethaine will be thrilled.” 

“I made it bigger than the one she had so Tiri won't grow out of it any time soon.”

Elren puts the blanket in his sack and hugs Astarion goodbye. 

“Listen, if it was up to me I would invite you to live with us.” 

“I know, Elren. But truly, that elven kingdom of yours would be boring to me”

“True,” The High King of Elves presses his right hand against his heart. “Cuio vae, Astarion.”

**

Alethaine presses the blanket against her face. It’s made of different types of yarn and Darknest is half a world away from where Daggerlake used to be. 

But the blanket smells like home.

It’s the color of wet green and has intricate golden symbols all over it. The little dragon is detailed and reminds Alethaine of her childhood plushies, also made by Astarion. Thanks to the fact she’s finally learned how to reverie, memories of her long life are back and she even remembers her childhood even though elves usually forget everything that happens before 50.

Elren thinks that’s because they were raised in human communities, though Alethaine would place her bet on her human ancestry.

Alethaine feels like the blanket slips off her hands.

“Here, Tiri. Ma nás mára tyen?”

“Ná!” Tiri wraps herself in the blanket and goes to check on Elren who is in a deep trance after a long journey where he and his warriors barely had any rest.

“Don’t disturb him,” Alethaine asks. “Come on, Little Fire.” She lifts her daughter up and kisses her forehead. “Let’s put you to sleep.”

--

Quenya vocabulary

Ma nás mára tyen? - Do you like it?

Ná! - Yes

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[goldenrootslife]

Integral = Wholeness Integral typology came together by noticing how every typological system has a unique perspective on reality and ourselves. Some focus on brain wiring, behaviors, and cognitive capacities, others on blind spots and shadows, while others give us clues into our gifts, potentials, and inner essence. None of them is more fundamental and none of them should be ignored. We even saw personality typing systems and dietary advice based on individual constitutions show up in our studies of traditional eastern medicine and Ayurveda. We quickly saw that each and every one of these beautiful systems had a particularly distinctive piece of the puzzle, and when you holistically weave them all together you get a fully realized vast synthesis of yourself, unlike any of them could manage separately. When we make a home-cooked meal for ourselves or our family we want to include more than one ingredient. How boring and one-dimensional would that be! Integral typology is like a recipe and all of the various typological systems are the ingredients. To add more depth and nuance to the dish, you need to add more ingredients, similarly to understand the depth and nuance of ourselves, we need to integrate the various systems. When you put them all together, something truly magical happens. It’s about understanding all of who you are and then living your truth from what you discovered and learned. It’s just you living you, and what a magnificent thing that is! ​ The systems we work with are: The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Enneagram Human Design Gene Keys Ayurvedic Doshas TCM Body Types and Elements TCM Diagnosis (Tongue and systematology, for diet, nutrition, and lifestyle advice) #integral #integraltypography #goldenroots #zoommeeting #iknow #mbti #zoommeetings #enneagram #humandesign #tcmlivingwell #essentialoils (at Golden Roots Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine) https://www.instagram.com/p/CosIxZBL9gn/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[cedar-glade]

Two fun finds from Davis Memorial, Adams co. Both Seneca snake root, and lily leaved tway-blade were in bloom. Ive actually never seen Lily leaf tway blade in full anthesis.

Lily Leaf Tway Blade

Liparis liliifolia

a species of tway blade orchid known to have a fairly decent range and is an indicator species of fungal diverse hillsides with alkaline soil aggregate structure. The species it's self is considered to have unique nectar spur morphology and shows signs of insect mimicry in it's shape; with this said, it can be pollinated fairly easily by many generalists and mainly a long bodied small fly in the genera Pegoplata, aka short horned flys. which makes that spur, a mystery since we don't know if the fly is praying on moths or if it is praying on other long tongued insects looking for nectar, or if it's just somehow attracted to the flower proper.

Seneca Snake Root, senegal milkwort

Polygala senega

a rocky mesic hillside species that should be more common but is easily poached for its roots much like goldenseal, goldenroot, or ginseng and is usually locally abundant in spots and increasingly rare out of monitored preserves. The root can be boiled in tea form for mucus expectorants. High doses of powdered senega root or tincture are emetic and irritating to the GI tract, can cause reduced inflammation but also nerve transport/communication issues. The name is derived from it's anti inflamatory properties and nerve disrupting properties alone and was used but first nation tribes like the seneca/senagal and manatoba in aid for rattlesnake bites; this would need to be used with nervains( specifically Verbena spp. and blood clotter plants to work fully like Rattlesnake master, Eryngium yuccifolium.

Rattle Snake Master research is on going for usages:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18499203/

lipophilic chemicals that are associated are pretty interesting too.

when you add a lipid breaking and a protein breaking stew of chemicals, as well as phenolic bioactive compounds that are readily digestible and useful in a tea you can see why the plants were all used in conjunction to fight venom.

haemotoxic venom of adders can cause latent hemoraging at pressure points where platelet stacking and fat can cause massive stacking events. It mainly causes the opposite though in the fact that it disrupts the clotting cascade causing leaking veins and bleeding to not stop.

[tbrc34]

Ginseng Revival: The Golden Root Transforming Wellness (2024-2033)

From 2024 to 2033, ginseng undergoes a remarkable revival, cementing its status as a cornerstone of modern wellness regimes and traditional healing practices alike. Celebrated for its potent adaptogenic properties, ginseng becomes a go-to remedy for enhancing energy, reducing stress, and boosting overall vitality. With its deep roots in ancient medicine, this "golden root" seamlessly integrates into contemporary health trends, as seen with hashtags like #GinsengRevival, #AdaptogenicHerbs, and #HolisticHealing flourishing across social media platforms. Consumers, increasingly drawn to natural and time-tested remedies, embrace ginseng in various forms—from teas and supplements to skincare products and functional foods. Advances in cultivation and extraction techniques ensure that ginseng's bioactive compounds, such as ginsenosides, are delivered in their most effective forms, maximizing health benefits. This decade also witnesses a surge in scientific research validating ginseng's efficacy, particularly in areas such as cognitive enhancement, immune support, and metabolic health. As the wellness industry continues to evolve, ginseng's versatility and profound benefits position it at the forefront of holistic health solutions, promising a vibrant and balanced lifestyle for those who incorporate it into their daily routines.

#GinsengRevival #GoldenRoot #AdaptogenicHerbs #HolisticHealing #NaturalRemedies #EnergyBoost #StressRelief #Vitality #CognitiveHealth #ImmuneSupport #MetabolicHealth #HerbalMedicine #TraditionalHealing #ModernWellness #HealthTrends2024

[noochveganmarket]

Local brand Golden Root turmeric latte mix is here and ready to help keep you warm on those chilly nights! Pick up a bag of a single serving pack for on the go #vegan #vegangoldenmilk #goldenroot #nooch #noochveganmarket #ditchdairy #shoplocal #vegandenver (at Nooch | Vegan Market) https://www.instagram.com/p/B5BCir9hIsW/?igshid=8cgw38sk4df9

[siglerprescriptiondrugcards]

Goldenseal

Scientific Names: Hydrastis canadensis Other Common Names: Eye balm or root; goldenroot, yellow jaundice, or orange root; Indian turmeric; wild curcuma; yellow puccoon; ground raspberry Overall Safety: 😐

Therapeutic Efficacy and Considerations:

🙁 Currently, there are no studies of goldenseal for any indication. Use is not recommended.

Note: It is a common rumor that use of goldenseal will mask urine tests for narcotics. This is not true and may actually promote false positive results. This rumor is based on a fraudulent claim in a novel written by a pharmacist in the 1930s.Currently, there are no studies of goldenseal for any indication. Use is not recommended.

Note: It is a common rumor that use of goldenseal will mask urine tests for narcotics. This is not true and may actually promote false positive results. This rumor is based on a fraudulent claim in a novel written by a pharmacist in the 1930s.

Chemistry/Pharmacology: The components of goldenseal believed to be responsible for its effects are the alkaloids berberine and hydrastine, occurring in variable concentrations of 0.5-6% and shown to be poorly absorbed in vivo in a study using rats. These components have highly variable and conflicting effects, such as both inhibition and stimulation of cardiac activity. Animal and in vitro data suggest antimicrobial, antipyretic, and hypertensive effects, however, the levels necessary to achieve activity in vitro are associated with multiple side effects and toxicities.

Drug Interactions: CNS depressants (due to additive effects); anticoagulants (due to possible decreased effects); antihypertensives; digoxin (due to increases in Cmax). Prolonged use can decrease vitamin B absorption. May cause CYP450 2D6 and 3A4 inhibition, caution is advised.

Contraindications/Precautions: Pregnancy/lactation (due to uterine stimulant activity and documented kernicterus in newborns); cardiovascular conditions.

Adverse Effects: Prolonged use or high doses (500-1000 mg/kg or 150 mg/kg for 10 days) can cause bradycardia, seizures, paralysis, and death from respiratory failure, digestive disorders, hallucinations, and hypotension. Skin or mucosal contact can cause ulceration, contact dermatitis, or photosensitive reactions.

[brainandbrawnsydney]

Collagen Golden Latte Ingredients: 1. ½ teaspoon of ground turmeric 2. ¼ ground cinnamon 3. 1 tablespoon MCT oil powder 4. 1 tablespoon Optimal body collagen powder 5. 1 Cup water or your favourite milk How to make 1. Heat up water or milk in a small saucepan. 2. Add ground turmeric, ground cinnamon, heat until a few bubbles appear. Remove it from the heat. 3. Use an immersion blender or a regular blender to carefully blend the rest of the ingredients together until frothy. (add your favorite sweetener if you prefer some sweetness in the latte). 4. Pour the mixture into a mug and enjoy hot! The collagen peptides and the turmeric will boost the health of joints and connective tissue in areas where you need support the most. MCT oil C8 & C10 will give you a sustained energy boost and enhance mental clarity. For more information, please visit: www.brainandbrawn.com.au @brainandbrawnsydney #healthy #healthyliving #turmeric #latte #turmericlatte #teatime #foreveryoung #goldenmilk #turmeric #cinnamon #comfortdrinks #ginger #foodfluffer #fallonmytable #goldyellow #goldendrink #collagen #goldenroot #goldenlatte #turmericlattemix #staywarm #joint https://www.instagram.com/p/CL8h2AJr_ur/?igshid=ag9ogr6xzefz

[grigorypil]

#nature #flora #flowers #background #blooming #yellow #green #artistic #rhodiolarosea #rhodiola #goldenroot https://www.instagram.com/p/CAbFl-qnmPg/?igshid=1h2rpjahqj2iq

[theycallmemoon]

Im on a mission to kick ass and achieve my dreams 💫 but I'm only human and I'm feeling a little worn down lately So today called for my ⬇️ ✨Thermofit to burn cals even while sitting on my bum 😜 ✨Shake for lunch with my greens 💚💚 for that midday boost and daily detox 🌱🍃 ✨& of course my Confianza to be mindful, more patient, and de-stress! 🙌🏼 I'm ready to take on whatever comes my way 🔥 #itworks #allnatural #plantbased #vegan #superfood #greens #confianza #thermofit #goldenroot #schisandra #epimedium #puncturevine #eleutherococcus

[orlissa]

Maddening aspect of this book: there are a lot of medicinal plants mentioned. Some of them are fictional, but some of them are not. There is balico sap and aloeweed, but also poppymilk and lavender. 

Now there is something called goldenroot--who can tell me if it’s meant to be golden root, also known as rhodiola rosea, or another made up plant?

[spacebarbarianweird]

Tiriel acknowledges Astarion's nature both of a vampire and an elf. She loves his soft part. She loves his predatory part. Tiriel gives him her blood, she encourages him to go on a hunt. She never acts all just and fair by not allowing him to kill his prey. But Tiriel also talks to him in Elven, caresses his ears and never interrupts his reverie.

Astarion acknowledges Tiriel’s mixed nature, both an elf and a human. He never stops her from fighting or drinking. Always on her side. Always supporting her. He talks to her in Elven and caresses her ears. Astarion encourages Tiriel to join an adventuring party even if it means he is on his own for a couple of days. Astarion never looks down on her for her low intelligence or inability to read.

When Alethaine is born, they don't try to make her something she isn't. They know she is a predator and never punish her for bringing dead animals home or biting. They don't force Alethaine to act "normal", no one is normal at their home. Alethaine is clingy. She cries for attention. She ressurects the dead animals she brings home. She is a monster and she is taught not to be embarassed by it.

When Alethaine grows she is fine being on her own.

Until she isn't.

Alethaine meets a ranger, a monster slayer. She thinks she has seen him before in some feverish dreams. He looks like a character from an elven legend.

Elren Goldenroot has never belonged. His faher and his clan had died before Elren was born. His mother offed herself out of grief. Raised by humans, Elren has been witnessing the downfall of the elven kind believing the world is close to the end. He hunts down monsters and demons and is very good at this.

He knows how to deal with them.

Elren Goldenroot sees Alethaine Ancunin for what she is. She has a soft and swet side deep under the black fabric. She is good with kids and protect the least fortunate. That her cynicism is superficial. He acknowledges her monstrous side and doesn't cringe if she accidentally bites him. Elren knows she is stronger than him but he doesn’t feel intimidated.

Alethaine knows her beloved's duality. Elven hero, a fighter, a leader. First a warrior, then a king. He is everything people imagine when they read about elves. But he is a monster slayer, a ruthless hunter who has seen the most unimaginable horrors. And that such life is his free choice. Alethaine knows his struggles, his low self-esteem, his lack of confidence. She suppports him no matter what.

Their daughter is named after Tiriel. Tiri is her parents' little fire. She is nothing like Alethaine or Elren but Astarion notices her resemblance to Tiriel. It seems like she even doesn't notice her grandfather isn't like other elves.

The most difficult thing for Astarion is acknowledging Tiri doesn't like macabre and black things like Alethaine. That his dark princess gave birth to the girl who is afraid of the dark and would never go to a graveyard.

Sometimes Astarion watches his granddaughter trancing and he thinks he really enjoys being a grandfather.

[quill-and-chalk]

Here is the fanfic I wrote for my most recent commission from @the-lone-witch-and-secret-room I had a lot of fun with the prompt and I hope you all like it.

Toxic Bouquet

Amity was never one for extravagant displays of affections. She preferred to show her love with whispered complements and quick kisses, private moments that only she and her partner shared. Her girlfriend, Luz, on the other hand, was all about constant romantic gestures. The human girl loved to do little things like leave letters in her notebook and chocolates in their library hideaway.

Luz’s little gifts were the exception to Amity. Not because Amity cared about random teddy bears or candy-grams, but because of how happy these gestures made Luz.

Amity was reminded of this when she saw her standing at the bottom of the library steps, rocking back and forth on her heels with a yellow bouquet in hand. She had on a smile that Amity couldn't get enough of, it was the goofy grin that she always wore when she was excited about something.

And Amity felt so lucky that the 'something' was her.

Yet, she began to worry when she noticed the familiar golden coloring on the flowers Luz held in her hands. She quickened her step as she tried to get a look at the mysterious bouquet.

Her girlfriend, the ever oblivious, began her little speech once Amity was in hearing range, "Amity, I know its random, but I found these flowers growing outside the house, and they reminded me of you, so I decided to bring you a handful,"

Amity got close enough to the arrangement to realize her fears were correct, Luz was holding a handful of the deadly Golden-root, "Luz, those flowers are toxic!"

"What?" Luz said right before her eyes began to roll into the back of her head. Her knees buckled and suddenly she was on the ground.

It took longer than Amity would have liked, but eventually, Luz was being cared for at a hospital. Even though the healers told her that she was going to be fine, Amity couldn't help but think of the worst-case scenario.

What if Luz's human organs reacted differently? What if Amity took too long to get help? What if toxic fumes built up in her system because she held those flowers for so long?

Amity thought about all these things as she paced back and forth in the hospital room. She couldn’t look at Luz in that hospital bed, she looked widely out of place in the sterile clinic, so Amity opted to look at the blindingly white floors instead.

" I can't believe you decided to pick random flowers you found. Have you learned anything about the Boiling Isles?" Amity said, her thoughts spilling out into the quiet room.

“Do they even have flowers like GoldenRoot back on earth?”

No response.

“Why did it have to be GoldenRoot? You could have picked any other wildflower.”

Still, no response.

Amity was just trying to fill the silence now," How long were you even standing out there? Knowing you, it was probably way too long."

Amity was about to continue when she heard a weak voice come from the hospital bed, "It was only like... fifteen minutes."

Amity's head whipped over to see Luz giving her smirk. She walked over and pulled her into a hug, she felt tears prick at her eyes as she buried her face into her shoulder.

Luz whispered into Amity's ear, "Man, you are going soft on me Blight,"

Amity pulled away from the hug to give a choked laugh. Stray tears started to drip down her face, and Amity tried to quickly wipe them away before Luz noticed. Yet it was too late, and Luz gently put a hand on Amity’s cheek, concern filling her voice, "Why are you crying?"

Amity tried to compose herself, focusing on answering Luz’s question.

“I was worried about you," Amity’s voice was strained, and it made a weak attempt at masking her lingering concern.

Luz laughed a bit, "I didn't survive a battle with the Emperor just to die at the hands of some flowers,"

Amity smiled at the joke, yet she still couldn't get her paranoid thoughts out of her head. Her chest still felt tight, and her shoulders were tense. It was like the worry she had refused to leave her. She finally decided to suck it up, cause Luz deserved a girlfriend who was level headed. So, doing as any good girlfriend would do, she began to inform Luz on all the medical information she missed.

“You're going to have to take it easy for the next few days, and if you start feeling-"

Amity was cut off by Luz tugging at her arm, "Can you just lie here with me? We can discuss all the doctor stuff later."

Luz shifted over to make room for Amity, who reluctantly joined her. The hospital bed was barely big enough for the two of them, but Amity managed to lay herself down beside Luz. Their foreheads were touching, and they were only a breath away from each other.

Luz let her fingers wrap around Amity's hand, and she stared at the ceiling as she talked to Amity, "You're amazing. You know that right?"

Amity gave a small scoff, "Where is this coming from?"

“ What?” Luz said faking shock, “ I can't just tell my girlfriend she is amazing?"

Luz leaned over and planted a small kiss on Amity's cheek. She then whispered into her ear, " You're beautiful too."

She ended the complement with another kiss on the cheek. It took a few rounds of this before Amity realized what Luz was doing, she was trying to calm Amity down. The brunette witch knew when she was worried, and luckily she also knew how to settle those fears.

Amity's tense shoulders slowly started to sink into the hospital bed, she moved closer to Luz and leaned into the kisses.

For a few minutes, Amity forgot about everything. She smiled as the world around her melted away along with her stress. She let herself enjoy the private moment with her partner, and she let herself pretend that they were the only two people in the world.

Cause in the end Amity didn’t need a marvelous bouquet of flowers; she justed needed Luz.

[hell-on-training-wheels]

To Mera, what would your best advice be for those in Earthrealm dealing with a pandemic?

“I would recommend that any sick persons, or those believed to have become in contact with the affliction, to isolate themselves if they can. I do not have extensive knowledge on Earthrealm remedies, but I will give you what I would suggest based on what we have here in Outworld. If their symptoms worsen, take an elixir of goldenroot; it helps break up any mucus that may accumulate in the lungs. Sucking on a Elbe flower bulb, or simply breaking it down and steeping it in milk or water, turning it into a tea, can help soothe an achy cough. These are common weeds and plants that are accessible to all and have great benefits. The best way I do think to avoid it, I believe, is just stay as safe and as cautious as you can be. Masks can help, but only with the right herbs to act as a filter and seldom few have access to those, so I do not recommend them except for the healers treating the worst cases. Staying a proper distance and being as throrough as you can with cleaning your hands is helpful. Seek a healer if breathing becomes difficult but be cognizant to others — there are only so many healers to the populous and your case may be more manageable than you think. Hope this helps.”

I’m not a doctor, I just write for one poorly 😅

[marvellouslymadmim]

hicsqueak *you asked for it!* in the staff room with a potion please!

Sometimes, Pippa still thinks she’s being punished for something. It’s been four years since re-establishing her friendship with Hecate, and sometimes, Hecate still acts absolutely glacial to her.

Case in point: this very moment. Pippa is in the staff lounge at Cackle’s preparing her morning cup of tea, when Hecate swoops into the room, leaning in to inspect Pippa’s efforts.

“A bit of tea with your sugar?” She drawls. She can’t possibly realize how close she’s standing, how Pippa can actually feel the heat radiating from her upper body, which is nearly leaning against Pippa’s arm entirely.

“Some of us actually want to enjoy life, Hecate,” she finds herself shooting back, irritated at how easily the woman gets under her skin. She and her students arrived yesterday afternoon for the Spelling Bee, the first one against Cackle’s since Mildred Hubble’s first year, and just the look on Hecate’s face had been enough to make her skin simmer. Like she was sizing Pippa up. Like there was still some kind of awful competition between them.

Hecate ignores the barb, leaning further in—she’s reaching across Pippa’s tea preparation, to the small vial of potion that Pippa brought, specifically to add to her tea. She brings the potion closer for inspection, but she doesn’t lean back into her own personal space (and Pippa thinks how easy it would be, just to lean in a little bit, just to kiss right where that currently-clenched jaw meets that deliciously soft looking neck).

“Not sleeping well?” Hecate guesses—though it’s an easy guess to make, as the label reads Wide Awake Potion.

“It’s a bit drafty here,” Pippa admits, and she wonders if Hecate can understand the double meaning.

Hecate merely hums, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. She opens the vial, placing her index finger over the small opening and, with a quick flick of her wrist, turns it upside down and right-side up again, setting the vial down and inspecting her fingertip, which now has a small drop of the potion. She presses her finger flatly on the middle of her tongue. It’s all so theatrical, Pippa can’t help but stare.

Then Hecate’s dark eyes flick up, meeting Pippa’s in a flash and sending a giant pin-prick to her skin. Pippa thinks, dumbly, that she should apologize for some reason (and for the first time, she thinks, maybe Hecate does know exactly what she’s doing in this moment, and if she does, that only makes it more confusing). However, Hecate’s gaze has already flitted away, as if she didn’t notice the woman, didn’t notice her slack-jawed staring at all.

“Come with me,” she pronounces. They’re transferring away before Pippa can even protest.

“I’ve told you a thousand times,” Pippa growls, feeling the familiar roil of her stomach at the sudden shift of her body as they pop into the potions storeroom. “I hate—”

“Apologies,” Hecate steps over her indignation with a tone that doesn’t sound sorry at all. In fact, Pippa swears there was the flash of a smirk at the corner of her mouth, just a second ago. But she’s already clipping across the room, fingers ticking almost mechanically as she scans the rows of shelves.

Pippa simply shifts her anger to another channel, “What on earth are we doing here?”

“Your potion has too much Goldenroot.” Hecate informs her simply, as if that answers everything. After a beat, she adds in a distracted tone, still focused on the shelves, “You’d be climbing up the walls if you took a full dose, Pentangle. It would be most unseemly.”

“There’s no way you could tell that from a single drop,” Pippa retorts. Still, she’s struck by the fact that if it were true, Hecate could have let her take it, could have let it affect her, could have used it to her advantage.

Hecate merely shoots a long glance over her shoulder, eyebrow arching in a way that is both far too smug and far too distracting. I’m very good at what I do, Miss Pentangle.

She turns back to the shelves, and Pippa can only stand there and watch until she finds the potion she’s looking for. Turning back with a self-satisfied smile, Hecate holds up a small vial, which she hands to the blonde. It’s still a wide awake potion, but it’s obviously Hecate’s own blend.

“But…why?” Pippa looks up, face skewed in confusion.

There’s a flash of hurt in Hecate’s expression, which she quickly blinks away. “Because…because I may be competitive, but I do believe in fair play.”

Pippa feels a flush of chagrin. Somehow, she’s done something wrong again, and she’s not entirely sure what or how. She’s misunderstood, misread something, yet again. “Right. Of course. Thank you.”

“Anytime.” There’s something new in Hecate’s tone, and Pippa looks back up again, sees that familiar smirk back in place as Hecate takes a single step forward, hands crossing over her chest, fingers flexed dramatically.

“Besides,” the brunette purrs, leaning in just a little bit more. “It’s much more rewarding when I beat you, knowing you’re at your very best.”

Her smile is all sharp edges and taunting cruelty. And suddenly, Pippa Pentangle understands.

This woman is flirting. This woman is flirting with her.

For the past twenty-four hours, Hecate has been intentionally trying to get a reaction—but not in the way Pippa originally suspected. To her, this is all some game, some big tease.

Pippa isn’t sure whether she’ll faint or cry.

She does neither, as it turns out. Instead, she pulls herself straighter, summons every ounce of will to shoot back, “We’ll just see about that, Hardbroom.”

She opens the vial and upends it in a single shot. She immediately regrets it. It’s bitter and burning and she’s coughing like mad, eyes stinging with tears.

And through it all, Hecate is laughing.

“Yes, well,” Hecate is still far too amused for Pippa’s liking, stepping closer to lightly place her hands on Pippa’s shoulders, as if maybe she fears the blonde will collapse. “One could not imagine a more formidable opponent.”

It’s another jab, one that would normally rankle Pippa to no end—but she realizes what’s happening now, and there’s a rush of warmth. She blinks away the rest of her tears, using it as an excuse to gather her wits. She takes a page from Hecate’s playbook, keeping her body closer than is strictly necessary, feeling a prick of delight at the way Hecate stiffens in response.

“Laugh all you want,” she informs Hecate sweetly. She uses the saccharine smile usually reserved for when she’s truly dressing someone down. “We’ll see who’s still smirking, in the end.”

Hecate blinks once, hard. A formidable opponent, indeed, Pippa thinks with a smirk of her own. She also thinks that she could just lean in, right now, and kiss the woman. Instead, she lightly boops Hecate’s nose, the gesture seeming even more intimate given the closeness of their bodies. She turns curtly on her heel, giving a breezy wave of her fingers, “See you soon, Miss Hardbroom.”

“Oh, you can count on it.” Something at the edge of Hecate’s tone, both dancing and sharp, sends a spike of heat through Pippa’s blood. She pushes her legs double-time through the hallways of the academy, relishing the sudden zing of energy.

However she’s rather certain it isn’t an effect of the potion at all.

[Send me a prompt from the Cackle’s Academy Prompt Game]

[noochveganmarket]

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