Here's an example of a 500-word commission as I finish my ko-fi and patron commissions. They're available on my ko-fi.
“Hand me the bone shavings,” Rowan says, squinting down into the bowl they’re using for mixing.
You survey the assorted jars and bottles and reach for one filled with a powdered white substance.
“No, no. That’s bone powder.” They correct you, reaching across you to grab a jar you’d missed off to the side, “These are bone shavings.”
“Is there an important difference?” Your brows furrow, “And…whose bones?”
“It’s not a human’s bones. Likely deer or cattle.” Rowan gives you a dry but amused glance, “And when it comes to a potion that causes erosion, shavings are a necessity. The powder doesn’t pack the same punch, so to speak.”
You’re perched on a stool next to them, watching them crush and heat and stir. Ingredients are strewn about Rowan’s workspace, and you enjoy seeing them in their element.
“Don’t you crush them up regardless?” You raise an eyebrow, giving the mortar and pestle a pointed look.
“They’re melted, not crushed.” Rowan corrects, lighting a fire beneath the mixing bowl without even snapping their fingers.
Their magical aptitude is…breathtaking. You’d been told you were a powerhouse all your life, and you can only surmise that Rowan is at your level or higher in terms of raw magical potential.
“What do you plan on using an erosion potion on?” You freeze briefly, eyes widening, “People?”
Rowan pauses in their actions, looking at you incredulously, “Really? People?”
“It’s a fair assumption,” You flush red, “I saw you summon a spirit inside a man’s chest one time. He exploded.”
Rowan blinks, “I did do that, didn’t I?”
“Yes, you did.” You huff, crossing your arms, “So I think my question was warranted.”
“You might be correct,” They concede, which is a rarity in and of itself, “To clarify, the use of an erosion potion can be to eat through castle gates, render weapons ineffective…things of that nature.”
“Ah.” You brows raise, “Alchemy is…more useful than I imagined.”
“So it is,” Rowan gives you a small smile, “I’m glad our chats can be enlightening.”
“I come here for more than chatting,” You say, before realizing exactly how that sounds and feeling the heat rush to your face.
“Oh? And what else do you come here for?” Rowan raises an eyebrow, their full and undivided attention now placed solely on you.
“Um,” You swallow, glancing away, “You, I suppose.”
They blink, their face softening just a bit. Their potion is forgotten as they turn toward you.
“And I’m thankful you do,” They admit quietly, “I enjoy your presence, even if you only pester me with questions.”
“I can always go pester Orion.” You offer.
“Perish the thought.” They wave a hand, their smirk bordering on playful, “I’ll keep my inept assistant here at my side.”
“Inept?” You can’t help a quiet laugh, “Apologies if my lack of skill in alchemy is too much of a burden.”
You had meant it playfully, yet all traces of amusement flee Rowan’s face at the words.
“You’re not a burden, never a burden.” They say firmly, golden eyes flashing with some unknown emotion.
It’s clear the words has some baggage, at the very least. So you nod, and they turn back to their work. From your view of their profile, you can see the beginnings of a deep red flushing along the tips of their ears and you know their unintentional vulnerability was not something only you noticed.
When they ask for the next ingredient, charcoal, you pass them the jar with a shy grin. Your fingers brush theirs and they pause for a moment longer than necessary, just staring at the place where your hands touch.
You feel warm all over from the briefest graze against them, and you aren’t watching their potion for the rest of the evening. Instead, your eyes are locked on their face; the curve of their smirk, the furrow of their brows. You find you’re quite happy to stay exactly where you are.
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Tw for weight loss mention
The whole exercise will cure your disability thing is a fucking joke. Yes exercise is beneficial for your health, but only if you aren't already on shaky foundations. You need to be on a treatment plan that WORKS before going into the maintenance phase. You wouldn't do regular maintenance on a broken item, you'd work on getting it up and running first. And maybe it would even need specialized maintenance afterwards if it's especially fragile.
I have fibromyalgia and acute degenerative disc disease. My immune system attacks my nerves and discs in my spine are slowly calcifying and causing the bones to constrict and damage my nerves (i think thats how it works). I have days where it feels like my body is on fire from nerve pain and days where it feels like my spine is about to rip from my back. And days where I have both (like today!). I get numbness in my hands and feet. I have horrible migraines. I can no longer walk unaided more than maybe 5 minutes without severe pain. I have something wrong with my knees and hips but the doctors don't know what yet.
You'd think I live an obviously seditary lifestyle correct?
Hell no.
I walk aided on average 6 miles a day over difficult terrain OUTSIDE of regular activity almost everyday. My legs are muscular and strong. I get my heart rate up and a good sweat, like all the gym rats swear on. I am often doing physical labor such as weeding, digging, sample collecting, pruning trees etc.
I'm not saying this to make other disabled people feel bad or prove that they can do anything if they just tried harder. This is an extremely painful lifestyle I've chosen that takes a lot of lifestyle management AND BOUNDARIES to keep up with the work. I also have an extremely forgiving boss who is also physically disabled and knows what I'm going through (deciding between your passion and your health and having to do so each and every day) No one should ever be expected to do what I do. I'm not even sure if I should be doing this myself.
This is to prove that exercise? Has not cured me. My muscles are strong but still hurt as if they're broken and I have to take more breaks than my coworker. I am constantly getting out of breath and I flare up regularly if I'm not careful. I am in excellent physical condition outside of my disabilities. I go to different doctors several times a month to get checked out.
I previously went through a diet program and lost a lot of weight (basically starving myself and got off my depression meds which cause weight gain but are also the only ones that work) and guess what? That didn't do shit either!!! I still felt horrible!!! I've since gained back the weight anyway after switching to focusing on adding more nutrient dense foods than taking stuff away from my diet (also muscle weighs more than fat, and fat helps cushion my aching joints and spine).
The muscle doesn't do shit for my disabilities outside of maybe some stability. Exercising everyday doesn't make the pain go away. Without my medications and aids and nutrition plans and steroid injections and spinal adjustments and physical therapy (that takes my fibro and spine into account) and alternative work methods I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO WHAT I DO. Exercise alone is like trying to make a car run with no oil. Yes it'll go but it'll get more and more damaged till it can't and will need its entire engine replaced!
And yet I see new doctors and they look at me and the first thing out of their mouths is do I exercise? I should try doing a little every day :) and then i fucking blow their minds when I tell them about my job. No longer can they use that fucking cop out on me. I've been through this rodeo. Ive tried their suggestions. If you are in pain and nothing is helping? Exercise ain't going to do SHIT. You need to get to a point where you can move without severe pain first (if that's even possible). Then and only then should you consider implementing regular exercise if you can. Also weight loss talk is a red flag and a cop out. They made me lose 50+ lbs before they would look into the reasons behind my pain. Weight loss did nothing for me and exacerbated my pain.
I am living proof that all that shit is a lie and a cop out. That is the point of this post. I cannot believe people with serious medical conditions are being forced to put their bodies through extreme duress just to be believed. You are not disabled because of laziness or because you sit a lot. Plenty of people live seditary lifestyles and do not live in constant excruciating pain (they may develop disabilities later in life due to this however, and should be doing preventative exercises to maintain their health)
Please, share my story with doctors. Use me as an example. I am proof that "exercise first treat later" does not work. I should not have had to wait years to have my pain validated. I'd rather hundreds of fakers get (what? A blood test? An MRI?) than one chronically ill person get told to try yoga and go away by a doctor.
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Hey, time for another one of these!
Last time I asked how everyone thinks time works in-universe for blaseball, and while I was planning on asking about how siestas work, I think enough people answered that too that I'm gonna skip to my next thought which is:
What are Umpires?
Again, some thoughts to get the ball rolling. (And again, I am disappointed by the character limit on polls >:T)
Umpires are humans. The ability to incinerate (or alternate/curse/quest) does not change this, and may be tied to their position. Any change in eye color is not symbolic of other changes.
Umpires look human. Perhaps they were at some point. Perhaps they are possessed. Perhaps they willingly gave up their humanity to the blaseball gods in exchange for their power to Rule. Perhaps their family cashes their checks, as the thing living among them has no need for things other than Splort.
Umpires are monsters. If they were ever human, opening the book was enough to change that. They are horrible, clawing, hungry things, fire barely contained by a black mask of Law. Given their established love of Blood, I would argue this is a surprisingly textual angle.
Consider also: Perhaps, werewolf-style, these things are changed by the presence/absence/nature of an eclipse?
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