#sweet mycelium baby

[jelly-fish-wishes]

BGM - The Real Ming - Turning Red

Beginning of ACT 1

Beginning of ACT 2

Previous (ending of ACT 2)

✨ACT 3✨

1 / 2

[TOAD HAS ENTERD THE CHAT]

Oh man that stupid night to day transition had me for a loop. And I know Luigi looks pale, but it’s pretty fitting for a boy who’s feeling pretty sickly rn.

I know Toad is NOT KP, but maybe you guys might like how I rewrote him? So y’all will have to make do with the fungi boy. SPEAKING OF REWRITING, during this comic’s mini hiatus, I will be posting some scene changes for the film that take place before my comic to not only fit the continuity of it, but also because some of these are personal changes I would have liked in the film 😅. After all, this entire comic is a personal change of the film huehuehue.

The comic will be back in November. Hang in there, guys! ~chu 💚

[mochinomnoms]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Congrats on 1k followers Mochi (っ˘з(˘⌣˘ ) ♡ you so so so so deserve it. You always make me smile when I see your posts so I hope you have fun writing them.

If I might make a request, could I have Jade, Trey, and Ace with a romantic prompt 16 (“I won't lose you again.”)? I want to see them cry a lot just a tiny bit. Feel free to let the vibes guide you, I trust it will be very good.

-Yuri

jade leech, trey clover, ace trappola (separate) x gn!reader [tags] — angst in Ace's, hurt in Trey's, humor in Jade, implied time loop theory [wc} - 1,000+ each prompt 16: “I won't lose you again.” song: Be, Talk (Hozier, “Wasteland, Baby!”), Francesca (Hozier, “Unreal Unearth”) note - @yuri-is-online got it! went a lil wild cause I got massive inspo lmao. Also, let me know if yall can guess the anime I got inspired from with Ace's francesca (1k event)

“Be like the love that discovered the sin (Lover, be good to me) / That freed the first man and will do so again / And, lover, be good to me (Lover, be good to me)”

There were several things that caught Jade Leech’s attention during his life, but only a few kept his attention, after which he’d abandon his ‘toy’. Fungi, mountains, and poisonous flowers, were exceptions, to name a few. He had to admit to himself (and only himself) that there was one thing that revolved in his mind all this time later, dug deep into his brain like the mycelium of his beloved mushrooms in the forest floor. 

One. Thing. You. The funny little human from the broken down dorm. The funny little human with not a single ounce of magic in their veins. The cute little human that was captivated by his merform, an entirely foreign concept to them. The sweet little human with the even sweeter crush on him all throughout his second and third years. 

Perhaps it was cruel of him to entertain your affections with no real desire to follow through on them. Actually, scratch that, it was cruel of him to do so. It was just so…interesting to him at the time. He grew alongside his brother and Azul, none of them exactly being the most sought after during their childhood or teens. They were feared, each of them for multiple reasons, not exactly prime boyfriend material, despite some of their attempts to curate a specially crafted facade. 

Yet, you were so bewitched by him, enthralled, beguiled, and dare he say lovesick with him despite all the signs screaming “DANGER! DANGER! DANGER!” So please, forgive him for shamelessly flirting, and finding entertainment in your reactions. 

The dilated pupils as he leaned down to make eye contact. The sharp intakes when he cornered you against a library shelf, nonchalantly reaching for a random book. The shiver down your spine as he would lean over in class to whisper some nonsense in your ear regarding the class. All for the sole purpose to see you blush a pretty color and get flustered. Not for the jump in his heart at the thought of being revered so sweetly, or a potential lover being so good to him. 

It was just a bit of fun. That’s all it was. That’s all it was meant to be, when he finally left for his internship his third year. He paid no mind to the wistful look on your face as he gave his goodbyes, nor the strange creak in his heart at the sight.

Jade Leech was all he’s always been, and all he will ever be: a man that left his toys once they ceased to interest him.

Which is why he loathed that he’s been unable to remove you from his mind. Though, did he really? It wasn’t annoyance or hate, but an aching yearning that resided in his being. Jade spent many months tossing and turning in bed as he dreamt of you: shy smiles, soft eyes, and sweet words. He wanted, he needed to be free from this love-struck feeling, this infatuation. It was dragging him down from his finely constructed pedestal, like a sin striking an angel down from heaven. 

Yet, coming back to campus now, presenting his internship research at the end of the year, Jade found himself strangely content with the concept as he watched you. You’d taken on your role at NRC quite beautifully, and were the object of affection for many admirers, much to his dismay. Currently, you were attending to visitors, directing them to their destinations and helping the fourth years find their old clubs and friends, while he admired from around the corner.  

You were as you’ve always been, sweet, cute, and clueless to your surroundings as he stalked closer until he was behind you, leaning down until his lips inched close to your ear. 

He purred breathlessly into your ear, “Oh Prefect~ Is that you, my dear?” Jade didn’t miss the shudder that flew up your spine as you jumped away in shock. 

“EEP! W-what the—” You whipped your head around to berate the man before realizing who it was. “Oh, jeez, Jade! You’re back—why’d you do that?!”

The tall man chuckled as he straightened to his normal height. Oh, how he missed you. And your reactions, of course. 

“I simply missed your delightful expressions, you always have been rather reactive with me, haven’t you?”

“What—nooo. I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Huffing, you crossed your arms and jerked your gaze away in irritation. At least, it would be if not for the blush on your cheeks. 

“Fuhuhuh, that blush suggests otherwise.” A giddy feeling filled his chest as Jade inched closer to you, in which you backed away. This continued until he managed to corner you against the stone way of the hallway. 

“This is a familiar sight, is it not?” Jade cooed as he leaned down again, a hand reaching to caress your cheek. “I did miss you, didn’t you—”

A smack. Jade blinked in surprise as his hand was thrown back by your own. Now you looked more annoyed than flustered. 

“I’m sure you did.” You hissed sarcastically, narrowing your gaze at him. “Ha! Please, more like missed messing with me. If you really missed me, you’d’ve called or messaged me like the others in our class. Even Azul checked up on me!”

Jade…hadn’t been aware of that. He’s been too into his own head, reliving memories with you that it hadn’t occurred to him that you’d actually might lose affection for him. 

The thought made him a little sick. 

He pouted, taking your chin in his hand to tilt your head up to his. “Is that so? Please forgive me for my most egregious sin. I don’t wish to lose you again.”

“Hmph, again?” You made a sound of offense. Despite your words, you still looked up at Jade with a  shy gaze, eyes darting down to his lips every so often. 

You never had me in the first place.” You scoffed, trying to avert your blushing gaze, though he kept a firm grip, moving to squeeze your cheeks into a pucker.  

Jade chuckled, “Your previous actions say otherwise, though I am quite a fool for not taking what was mine in the first place.”

“Y-yours?! You-you-you can’t just say things like that—eep!” You let you a deliciously cute squeak, which he swallowed up as he stole a kiss. 

“Now, now my little lover, be good to me and let me revel in your affections, I’ve derived myself from them for far too long now, have I not?”

And I'd be the immediate forgiveness in Eurydice / Imagine being loved by me / I won't deny I've got in my mind now (Hey, yeah) / All the things I would do

He wasn’t sure why he had any faith in Crowley to get you back home. Really, that’s on him for thinking the headmage would put any work into your return home. If Trey had known that you’d still be here in Twisted Wonderland, years after his graduation, he wouldn’t have ever broken up with you. 

Granted, it hadn’t exactly been his choice in the first place, as you had abruptly ended the relationship towards the end of his fourth year. Told him to enjoy his life without you weighing him down, despite his insistence that you’d do no such thing. 

Trey finally relented when you told him that you had a world, a family, a home (without him) to get to. Somewhere you belonged, somewhere that wasn’t with him. 

It hurt, yes, knowing that you were never really meant to be with him in the first place. It was simply by magical chance that you were plucked from your world to turn his own upside down. Likewise, it was simply by chance that you and him got together to steal and eat his heart, leaving him almost an empty shell of himself. 

So it was a surprise to see you at Riddle’s wedding, of all places, dressed up in a pretty green outfit as you giggled with some bridesmaids. Seven, you looked good, the fabric hugging all the right spots. Maybe he was being a bit delusional, but Trey swears that the green of your outfit matched the color of his hair, and he had a small possessive streak pass through him at the thought. If it wasn’t for Cater pinching his arm, Trey would be sure that he was in a dream. 

“Ow! Cater!” Trey hissed, rubbing his arm as the strawberry-blonde smirked at him. Cater’s hair was longer now, but he kept his signature style from school still. 

“Go on, talk to them.” Cater nudged him with his elbow, gesturing to you. “I know you want too~”

Trey huffed, watching the liquid in his cup as he swirled his punch. “I’m fine, thanks.”

“Oh, come on!” Cater whined, latching on to Trey’s arm. 

“We didn’t end on good terms.”

Cater countered, “You didn’t end on bad ones either.”

“Hmph.” Trey clicked his tongue, eyeing you from the corner of his eye. Your hair had grown longer, and was dyed. It looked nice on you.

Still leaning against Trey, Cater pouted before a mischievous look passed over his face as he leaned in to whisper in Trey’s ear. 

“Besides, I heard they’ve stayed single since being with you.”

“…” A sigh. “Really?”

“Totes, so you really ought to go make a move before that blonde dude does, though it doesn’t look like he’s having much luck.”

Finally deciding to look up, Trey noticed your uncomfortable expression as the guy twirled a strand of your hair with his fingers. Despite being known for being rather mild-mannered, a handful of your mutual friends knew the truth: Trey had a nasty jealous streak where you were concerned. 

He wasn’t sure when or how he got across the room, but Trey was suddenly hovering over you and the blond man, hazel eyes piercing his back. Surprise flitted your features as a hand was offered to you, along with a familiar. 

“Sorry, hope I’m not interrupting.” Trey had to withhold a smug smirk as he saw your eyes light up at the sight of him. “But would you mind sharing a dance?”

You eagerly nodded, taking his hand and mumbling a half-hearted apology to the other man as Trey guided you to the dance floor, filled with couples sharing a dance to the latest love song. 

His hands rested on the familiar curve of your waist as your arms wrapped around his neck, hesitating before finally settling your hands on the back of his neck. The two of you swayed to the music, a surprisingly comfortable silence between you two. Honestly? It was as if you two never broke up, with how your bodies curled into each other, heart-to-heart.

Yet, neither one of you seems willing to start the conversation he was begging to have.

“… You look beautiful—”

“You look wonderful—” 

Both of you opened your mouths at the same time, interrupting each other before sharing a giggle.

“Sorry, sorry. You go first.”

Trey shook his head. “No, go ahead.”

You smiled, something soft and a bit sad, before looking him up and down. “You look good, got stockier. The bakery’s got you working hard, hm?”

“Ha, yeah. It has, what…about you?”

Your lips thinned, as you looked away. “Still at NRC with Grim, we teach the new Beast-tamer curriculum. It’s…fun.”

Silence fell over you two again, the elephant in the room hanging between you two.

“You’ve been here, all this time, then?”

You nodded, a sliver of shame passing over your features. 

“He never did find me a way home after we…you know…”

Trey sharply inhaled, tightening his grip and rubbing soothing circles as he nodded. “Yeah…why didn’t you…tell me. Why didn’t you come back?” He left out the ‘to me.’

You stopped dancing, making him stumble slightly as he watched your face intently, heart aching at the tears growing in your eyes. 

 “I—” Trey watched as you swallowed a lump in your throat, voice shaky. “—I felt so bad that you’d spent your time and energy on being with me when I might not even stay, so I wanted you to go off and live life. But then, he never did find me a way back, and I realized that I just pushed you away, and I just couldn’t face you—”

You broke into sobs, burying your face into his chest as Trey led you away from the dance floor. He managed to pull you into a secluded hallway, one for the staff to enter in and out of the kitchen. Trey held you close as he rubbed your back, resting his cheek on the top of your head as you rested into the crook of his neck.

“I-I'm sorry… I shouldn't be…” You were sniffling, letting out little hiccups as you spoke. “—crying like this… I'm not trying to make you… feel bad… I just… I should go…”

As you moved to pull away, Trey tightened his grip, hand reaching up to caress your cheek as you looked up at him with watery eyes. You were as beautiful as the day you left him, tears streaking your makeup and all. 

“Don’t, please, I—” Trey sighed, resting his forehead against yours. “I won’t lose you again. I missed you so much, please, stay?”

You nodded, still sniffling, as you moved to kiss the palm holding your cheek. “I missed you too, but aren’t you mad at me? For not coming back?”

Trey shook his head, smiling softly at you. Whatever anger he had was immediately forgiven at the sight of you before him. He couldn’t care less about the last few years, as long as he had you back in his arms again. 

“As long as I can have you back in my arms, the past is forgiven. As long as…you’ll have me?”

The two of you shared another sweet smile, leaning into each other to press your lips in a soft, fleeting kiss. The type of kiss you give when you can’t tell the difference between a dream and reality. Cater’s quick photo of you two lovers would later help cement that fact that this was reality. 

It’s a week later that Trey has that exact same picture set as his home and lock screen.

I'd tell them, "Put me back in it" (Da-ah, darlin') / I would do it again (Ah-ah, ah-ah) / If I could hold you for a minute (Da-ah, darlin') / I'd go through it again (Ah-ah, ah-ah)

It’s all dark. It’s always dark until the moment Ace opens his eyes and the coffin opens. Ace goes through the orientation ceremony, only to have it interrupted by you stumbling into the Mirror Chamber, an energetic and egotistical Grim demanding to take your spot. 

It’s dark in the cave that he goes into with you two and Deuce to collect the new chandelier magistone. You're screaming, he’s screaming, so are Deuce and Grim. It’s a shit show, even before Riddle comes to drag him and Deuce back to the dorm. 

It’s dark when he makes the trek to your dorm after being collared. Grumbling about just wanting a snack, about Riddle’s unnecessary rage, and about who the hell can remember all 810 rules. It’s light, though, that he sees when you open the door to Ramshackle, the warm, old lightbulbs from the hallway creating a halo around you. 

It’s light again, in the morning as the sun filters through the broken window, you poking him awake to get to class.

Ace has never been one to get sentimental, the idea of love is frightening, to be frank. But looking at you again, light curtaining your features, he was reminded why he did what he did. 

Why he punched Riddle for his outburst and insults to you. 

Why he threw himself into the fight against Leona as he threatened to turn you to sand. 

Why he let himself get “tricked” by Azul again and again, get beaten up by the twins under the sea again and again. Why he tried to run back to school to your rescue, only to be too late again and again. Why he endured the embarrassment of losing the SDC. 

He’d hoped that this time he’d be able to avoid getting into a coma from the S.T.Y.X. Charon robots again, but he had no luck, so you once again had to depend on Rook and Epel getting you through the Isle of Woe. Maybe he should’ve focused on getting Grim back after scratching you, or maybe just prevented him from eating all the blot stones, then you wouldn’t have been in this mess. 

It might have prevented Malleus’s own blot, though Ace wasn’t really sure what led to his spiraling. It was probably a combination of a lot of information, as it was with the rest of the blots. Either way, he’d been hoping that preventing Grim from eating the 8th blot stone would’ve prevented this. 

Ace wouldn’t know though, as he’s been through this year at least 4 times now. Trying to prevent what he’s slowly starting to believe is inevitable.  

He’s replayed your deaths over and over in his brain. The first one that happened, he was upset for losing a friend, but probably would’ve gotten over it. It sounds harsh, but that was the reality of the situation. 

After the second loop, Ace started noticing you more. Things he missed out on the first time. The way you smiled, the way you walked, the way you tugged on your shirt when you were nervous. It was cute. 

It was his third loop that he started noticing little things. How you liked to grab on to his arm when it got too crowded. How you always made an effort to help him in class, despite having to catch up with nearly 2 decades of curriculum just to understand the professors. He noticed how you’d blush whenever he’d make flirty jokes. 

It was his fourth, and current, loop that he really started to view you differently. That he started to view these second, third, and fourth chances as a way to keep you safe. To not lose you again. 

You were always helping him, despite the stress he caused you. Every time you’d let him crash in your dorm, eventually convincing you to let him share at least your room. He’d be up, tossing and turning as he watched your sleep. He wasn’t trying to be creepy, but seeing you take your whole situation in stride, every overblot, every condescending comment, every shenanigan Grim, Deuce, and him really made Ace think about why he was doing this. 

Was it because he felt bad? No, it certainly wasn’t the first time, anyway. Was it because he liked having you around? Kinda, maybe a little. Was it because every time he’d ask you why you got involved with all the drama at school, you’d answer with a shrug, a smile, and simply answer “I gotta protect my friends, as best I can anyway.” That was probably partially the reason.

He thinks the reason he’s so desperate to make sure you stay around is because of the promise you made with him the first loop around: “If I can’t go home, let’s always stick together! I like you, and you like me, so we can support each other every way we can.”

You’d made this promise, in one form or another, every loop.

“Promise we’ll stay friends, even after graduation! I wanna stick by my first friend’s side!”

“Ace? Do you actually promise to take care of me? I know I’m a pain, no magic and all, but I’ve taken care of you in my own way, do you really promise to do the same?”

It was his fourth time watching you live your year in Twisted Wonderland. And it’s then that it clicked for him: he was falling deep into love with the magicless Prefect that cared way too much for others, and much too little for themselves. 

“Ace…” you gasped, a bloodied hand reaching out for him as an overblotted Grim made a rampage throughout the Mirror Chamber. He could hear the others screaming, magic being cast, and a distinct yowl from Grim as Riddle launched another fire spell at him. 

Ace cringed as the giant direbeast that was once his little fiery friend screamed in pain, running around until he tripped and fell through where there was once a wall. Grim let out an eerie, inhuman scream as he fell, a sickening crunch echoing as he landed on the stone ground. For the fourth time, Grim was gone. But that didn’t matter, not when he was watching you die for the fourth time. 

“Hey! Hey, hey, hey I’m here.” Ace had managed to crawl over to you, clasping your hand with his own. He rested your head on his lap as you coughed, red liquid leaving your mouth as you did. 

“No, nononononono—you’re fine!” Ace hyperventilated as he looked over your battered body. He was sure that he had prevented Grim from eating Vil’s blot stone. Was that not the reason he turned into this? Did he only need to eat a few before turning into a monster? He was so confident that he’d managed to keep you safe. So why? Whywhywhywhywhywhywhy—

“Ace.” He froze as you murmured his name, your other hand reaching for his cheek, wiping away the tears he didn’t realize he was leaving. 

“Ace, promise me you’ll stay with me? I don’t want to be alone right now…” you hiccuped as you started crying, curling into his chest as Ace cradled you. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t help! I was so useless, so useless to let Grim get to this point. So useless as a friend, I’m so sorry!”

Ace curled into you, ignoring the voices from behind you two, no doubt the other students coming to the realization that you’d be grievously harmed. 

“I’ll stay with you, I’m always with you.” Ace shuddered. He felt like throwing up. “I’m going to try again, I won’t be too late this time. I’ll make sure to keep you safe this time. I won't lose you again.”

Ace ignored the person shaking his shoulder as he watched you hyperventilate, before your breathing slowed and eventually stopped. He ignored the surprised cries as magic swirled around him, as he activated his signature spell for the fifth, and hopefully final time:

With a flick of the wand, a rhythm sublime,

Reverse The Clock, turn back the chime,

No time to say 'Hello', goodbye!

I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!

It’s all dark. It’s always dark until the moment Ace opens his eyes and the coffin opens for the fifth time.

comments and reblogs appreciated 🩷

[alpha-window-9-creations]

A bunch of cookie run ocs I drew for art fight! I don't know much about the series but the style is super cute and it was an perfect opportunity to draw more.

The first one I didn't submit because I thought the event was going until tonight and I just finished. It's lower quality than the others because I was in a rush so I did it on my phone. I'll try to tag everyone I can under the cut... with maybe some thoughts about each.

Pickle: art fight user Picklesplitz (low-key got me to make the post I couldn't submit)

Strawberry Latte Cookie: @mochiiskii (fell more in love the more I drew her)

Watermelon Soda Cookie: @onewayticketttohell (super good design, I don't feel like I did it justice)

Instant Noodle Cookie: Twitter user G70R8U5 (one of my favorites, she's so funny)

Blueberry Sugarcone Cookie and Choco Moth Cookie: @preciouspeppermintts (precious babies!)

Black urchin Cookie: @the-tang-man (had a lot of fun with this one!)

Golden Creme Cookie: art fight user lunarylunz (I liked them more than I thought I would)

Raspberry Fool Cookie: @artsytheghost (the full design is very funny, check it out if you're interested)

Sea Bunny Cookie: @audtheodd (the reason I made the dance piece actually, they said they wanted their ocs to dance)

Sweet Chocobanana Cookie: deviantart user Naetsuku (I love this little clown idiot)

Blueberry Cake Cookie: Twitter user Scrungie1 (no notes, good oc)

Honey Tequila Cookie: Twitter user blemches (I didn't want to at first because I do not understand the design, but I kept coming back to it so I tried my best)

Cinnamon Roll Cookie: Instagram user jetzbeshort (there's a galaxy pattern on the inside of his coat that I didn't show much of on purpose because I didn't want to figure it out lol)

Honey Graham Cookie, Sweet Pea Cookie, Golden Roe Cookie, and Sea Salt Lemonade Cookie: @scarabeeart (only now realizing how many of their ocs I drew. They have a talent for making very good designs!)

Iced Vovo Cookie: @mycelium-moth (they're so depressed I love them)

Coffee Sugar Crystal Cookie: @lilly-jevil (it was very hard to make those gems on his shirt not look like nipples)

Sea Anemochi Cookie and Spring Torte Cookie: Twitter user mermaidparfait (such cute designs, Spring was the first one I drew but I got so much better later on, I kinda feel bad)

Choco Heartlock Cookie: @hpurplicious (very relatable to me lol, are u psychic?)

Dreamsicle Cookie and Faded Butter Cookie: art fight user nullibranch (interesting that they have such different designs, simple vs complicated, shows a broad range)

Yuzu Lemon Ramune and Mold Spore: @vnillatree (two of the absolutely cutest designs for completely different reasons)

[mrhyde-mrseek]

Updated altar tour!!!

Hades & Persephone

They share an altar! Not much has changed since i last posted a picture of it except that i added a bracelet, but to recap, they’ve got:

A raven and skull Halloween decoration

A bracelet i made with Hades in mind and hung around the raven’s neck

Red Crowley-ish sunglasses

A candle holder from the thrift store

A stone snake figurine thing

A geode(?)/sparkly rock

A bat plushie (named Marcel the Mycelium Bat by my friend)

A bracelet i made for Persephone and put on the bat

Persephone’s offering bowl, a flowerpot with a crow(?) feather and a (now dead) flower

Vials of fake herbs (another Halloween decoration)

A poison apple spellbook Halloween decoration

A Hadestown magnet

A little red candle

Hades’ offering bowl, a thrifted metal bowl apparently made in 1978 (that’s the date carved on it at least) with crystals, coins, rocks, a key, a silver Beetlejuice bracelet, a button shaped like a cat eye, and a letter in it

Dionysus

Not much has changed since i last showed y’all Dionysus’s altar, but they’ve got:

A satyr statue i made in an art class

A painting with colors i associate with them

A nonbinary flag-colored heart charm

Two pinecones

A big bead with eerily similar colors to the lesbian flag

A bracelet

A gold paper heart a member of my high school a cappella group made me

Two amethyst crystals

My pronoun pin

A purple candle

Athena

Athena’s hasn’t changed much either, but it’s got:

My kindle

My vintage-looking desk light

Its offering bowl, a flower pot shaped like a statue head, with a crow feather, a little turkey feather, a massive turkey tail feather, and a Good Omens pen

A fall-scented candle

A Kamala Harris magnet from The Female Power Project

Two little plastic trophies

A few blue stones

A puzzle

An offering of iced tea & lemonade that Athena didn’t really like but didn’t want me to take it off its altar and still doesn’t (i tried it and it’s really sweet but like in a bad way so i can see why it doesn’t like it lol)

Hermes

Hermes’s altar has some new additions! I mainly got then because i wanna bring something from each altar with me to college that i won’t lose, and since candles aren’t allowed i got him something else, so now he has:

His candle (which I’m still obsessed with)

A wax doll my dad got me from a Voodoo practitioner’s shop on a business trip to New Orleans

A feather

A Newsies keychain

A marble

A tiny rubber duck figurine

Dice

What i think is Dalmatian Jasper but I could be wrong??

A couple more shiny rocks

A bracelet

A couple coins

A brand new statue (which is what I’m bringing to college)!!! It came with what I’m guessing is a little baby Hermes but I don’t really know, and a caduceus that I just realized he can hold

Artemis

Artemis’s hasn’t changed much either, except for a few added trinkets, so right now she has:

A candle

An animal skull-shaped fish tank decoration i got from my friend’s yard sale (coincidentally the same friend who named Marcel the Mycelium Bat)

A silver ring from prom

A few rocks

A little crystal, i think it’s amethyst??

A Totoro figurine

A crescent moon selenite offering bowl

An acorn

A mug inspired by her I made junior year of high school with a crow feather in it

A gold crescent moon charm

Apollo

I haven’t shown Apollo’s altar yet because he’s relatively new to the group of deities i work with/worship! He’s got:

A tall ass candle

A wolf plushie

A rainbow… thing, it’s too big to be a bracelet but too small to be a necklace so it’s his now

A gold plastic coin thing

A fake lavender-looking flower

A glass bauble charm filled with yellow glitter

My tarot cards

An award i got senior year from the music program (I scribbled out my name on the photo)

An HRC water bottle that’s kinda hidden behind the award

A couple rocks

A yellow plastic gummy bear

A squishy yellow unicorn fidget toy

A plastic toy milkshake (he thought it was funny)

Aphrodite

Aphrodite has a couple additions to her altar, too! We’ve got:

A drawing I made for her

A pretty little teal rock

Two shells

A tiny pink candle

A piece of a plastic crown from my high school’s production of Mean Girls last year, I have no idea how i ended up with it but here we are

A thing of blush (rarely used, i thought she might appreciate it more)

Coconut and pear-scented chapstick

A shell kinda shaped like a bowl with a pearly charm, two pink paper stars, and a tiny rose charm in it

Her offering bowl, a teacup, saucer, and spoon shaped like a flower, leaf, and ladybug respectively that was a graduation present from a friend!! While they’re not quite Aphrodite’s style, she still likes them on her altar because they were a symbol of platonic love!!

A bracelet in her offering bowl

[tadfools]

how is beloved Landon doing? (I want to bite them 🍄)

Sweet baby Landon has gotten a new outfit since the last I mentioned them here! Also proud to say that their job aboard The Carpathia (it's a giant sky ship, think treasure planet but not in space) has been solidified as the ship garden's caretaker and the resident chef (no they don't see the irony in either of these jobs)

They would ask that you refrain from biting them as the flesh of a matured Red Capped Mycelium is slightly poisonous to humanoids if digested

[bitchesgetriches]

Hello my sweet lovely aunties, I've been following you since I was a 19 year old baby bitch (I'm now almost 25) and I check in periodically to let you know how you've helped me! There's some things in the works that I don't want to talk about until they're official, but I can share this nugget of goodness:

This morning I got to watch my roommate fill with glee after realizing in just a few days she had made ~70 cents on her money after she moved it to a HYSA.

I nearly choked when she told me she had 28k just sitting in her checking account, and walked her through how to move it and why (HYSA vs index/investment because we're hopefully buying a house together in the semi-near future!)

Thank you for everything you do - you're not not only helping me, but everyone I know and love through a mycelium structure of which you are the fruiting body!

This is the most lovely, most scientific compliment we have ever received and we are LIVING FOR IT. From now on, we will only accept scientific metaphors for our brilliance.

And we're fucking THRILLED you're spreading The Good News of the Bitches to your roommate. We couldn't be prouder of all the progress you've made, and that you're sharing your new wisdom with your community.

[bishop-percival]

(prev)

@gloria-in-excelsis-infimus

Gloria was about to make a snarky remark about what "Cane" would do when Autumn spoke up. Her rage simmered as she waited for a chance to speak, and when Miriam met her eye she was met with a rare glare directed at her. "Thank you for informing me~" Gloria said to Autumn with a sickly sweet tone and smile to match. "I assure you that your pal will be in tip-top shape soon!" Both were dropped the instant she turned back towards the exit as "Tsk tsk... I expected better from you Miriam." Then she let out a breathy sigh and rolled her eye. "Buuut I suppose that's what I get for thinking that any of my babies would be safe here, isn't it? You must help me transplant it later." The edge in her voice made it clear that it was a demand instead of a friendly request. And transporting a mycelium network was no simple task... After they had been walking for a little while Gloria spotted a fuschia puddle glowing in the distance. "Follow the trail of which she spewed and you'll find her at the end." Then she started heading down a different hallway as she flatly said, "Come knock on my door once you do. Our chances will improve if I starting brewing the antidote rather than slowing you down."

@candbrp

Seeing no real objections, Shamura gives a polite bow of their head before following after Gloria and Miriam, listening in on their conversation but finding nothing much to comment on, just once again glad they’d done what they did ultimately.

Miriam remained silent, the feeling of guilt leaving her unwilling to speak. But she did give a nod to indicate that of course she would help Gloria transport what was left of the fungus later. 

Once Gloria split, the priestess couldn’t help but mutter angry threats and vulgarities as she followed the fuchsia trail, seemingly forgetting Shamura was following behind her. “So fucking disgusting. Fuck this shit. That damn prick Autumn is going to clean this. I fucking hate them. I fucking hate Lola. I hope they both keel over dead alone and miserable.”

It wasn’t until the trail led the two to Lola’s bedroom door for Miriam to sense Shamura was next to her. She only briefly felt bad for letting the kid hear her curse so violently, but ultimately didn't care. This was the Glornch, and such language was the norm. Miriam took a deep breath and muttered “stay here for a moment” before busting the door open and slamming it shut behind her. An ear-splitting “EEEEEEEEEEE! OW! *cough* LET GO!” rang out. 

The door opened again and Miriam emerged dragging Lola by her feet. “STOP SQUIRMING. I’M TRYING TO HELP YOU.”

Lola wailed and desperately tried to cling to the floor. “This isn’t fair! It shoulda been you! The bowls were switched! The bowls!!” She then caught a glimpse of Shamura as she was dragged past them. She went limp and silent for a few seconds, gears turning in her head. She then glared up at them. “YOU!! You switched them, didn't you!?”

[gloria-in-excelsis-infimus]

(Previous)

@candbrp

Shamura flinches as the older woman slams the table, ones above, they suppose they were even more glad they had pulled all that off, they didn’t want Priestess Miriam to have been poisoned!!! They perk as Gloria starts to pull Miriam away, but at the invitation to join they get up, they could definitely stomach, and they might be helpful, they helped the Prior quite often in the monastery infirmary. They look over to Bishop Percival and Mike, feeling like they maybe needed permission to abandon the table.

@bishop-percival

The priestess sighed and rolled her eye. “That twerp. It is Lola we’re talking about here. If she can repeatedly survive weeks in the labyrinth dimension, surely she can survive poisoning and a visit from Cane.” “Ahem,” Autumn interrupted as they turned and leaned over the back of their chair. “Gee Miriam, I wonder where Lola even got such a thing. I wonder if your little quest for her to scour the tunnels for a forbidden mushroom of legend led her to it.” Miriam widened her eye at this realization of complicity and briefly gave an ashamed glance at Gloria before scowling back at Autumn. “I-I didn’t think she’d actually find something…” Percival felt some eyes on him and looked up from his second bowl of soup. “...I dunno what’s going on any more. I don’t really care.” He went back to eating. Mike didn’t care about that whole situation either. He’d become much too accustomed to disastrous Glornist dinners. Something like this happened nearly every week. Besides, he was busy watching Percival like a specimen, interested in how eating this much food in one sitting might affect him with regards to his demonic transformation. Miriam gripped her fists and continued toward the door and grumbled. “I’ll treat her.”

Gloria was about to make a snarky remark about what "Cane" would do when Autumn spoke up. Her rage simmered as she waited for a chance to speak, and when Miriam met her eye she was met with a rare glare directed at her.

"Thank you for informing me~" Gloria said to Autumn with a sickly sweet tone and smile to match. "I assure you that your pal will be in tip-top shape soon!"

Both were dropped the instant she turned back towards the exit as "Tsk tsk... I expected better from you Miriam." Then she let out a breathy sigh and rolled her eye.

"Buuut I suppose that's what I get for thinking that any of my babies would be safe here, isn't it? You must help me transplant it later." The edge in her voice made it clear that it was a demand instead of a friendly request. And transporting a mycelium network was no simple task...

After they had been walking for a little while Gloria spotted a fuschia puddle glowing in the distance. "Follow the trail of which she spewed and you'll find her at the end."

Then she started heading down a different hallway as she flatly said, "Come knock on my door once you do. Our chances will improve if I starting brewing the antidote rather than slowing you down."

[angelnumber27]

i dont "like" all ur posts bc i use my likes sparinglyy for bookmarking but justt so u know i read all of them and i think ur sweet and cool and im sorry its rough rn but u will get thru it . u are not in the flop era . the mycelium mother loves u

Thank you sweet angel baby!!!! I love you 🥹🍄

[iffoundreturntosea]

May 4, Day 124/125

Day 124 2015

I love this kid so much!

#love #thiskid #chasing #chopping #bubbles #spring #springtime #playtime #fierce #funtime #fun #play #kids #niece #picoftheday #project365 #day124

At one point I added a dinosaur chasing her and it was fantastic! haha We had so much fun chasing bubbles!

Day 125 2016

Who needs a man when you can get a Braum's peanut butter cup shake with chocolate? Not me!

#braums #shake #peanutbuttercup #chocolate #sotasty #yum #shadesoftherainbow #colors #brights #may #picoftheday #project365 #day125

Day 124 2017

That's What I Like

#mandms #mms #peanutbutter #chocolate #yum #thatswhatilike #brunomars #songs #music #may #picoftheday #project365 #day124

Day 124 2018

Sweet, sweet rain!

#texas #spring #rain #raindrops #water #ladybug #leaf #plant #create #imagine #getoutside #explore #nature #outdoors #kaleidoscope #may #picoftheday #project365 #day124

Day 124 2019

Sun watchers

#texas #spring #mayflowers #wildflowers #bluesky #clouds #beauty #nature #outdoors #nationalweatherobserversday #may #may4 #2019 #nationalday #nationaldaycalendar #picoftheday #project365 #day124

Day 125 2020

Spotted!

#stepdad #dad #spottedreading #books #read #thebestofjamesherriot #jamesherriot #inagoodbook #whatchareading #may #may4 #2020 #picoftheday #project365 #day125

Day 124 2021

I really hope I can spend more time with these beauties before they’re gone!! 🍄🧡

#mushrooms #fungi #nature #outdoors #texas #spring #love #colony #may #may4 #2021 #picoftheday #project365 #day124

The other day I had someone say to me that once you see one mycelium you've seen them all...what a sad statement.

Day 124 2022

Shellebrating is fun….and tasty!

#shellebrate #punny #myfriendsgetme #iykyk #may #may4 #2022 #picoftheday #project365 #day124

This was such a great day. It's been no easy ride since leaving my job and the library but it was for the best.

Day 124 2023

So much to Seemore of. You may have Seentoomuch though.

#legos #starwars #totallyaccurate #ha #maythefourthbewithyou #fun #seamore #seentoomuch #may #may4 #2023 #picoftheday #project365 #day124

Day 125 2024

Little trip down memory lane for tonight’s photo. I went digging for something from the year I was born and decided on a simple little baby blanket my mom had made but I also read through my baby book. Fun fact: I was born in New York so I’m sure the blanket came in handy 😃

#somethingfromtheyearyouwereborn #dailytheme #justme #babyblanket #1986 #memories #may #may4 #2024 #picoftheday #project365 #day125

[mcsaatchisena]

Top Tips for Brands to Remain Authentic in Culture

By Matt Draper

For brands, harnessing that sweet breeze of acceptance that comes from tapping culture for a  collaboration carries strong allure. But, in the age of information-abundance and high consumption, we’re attention poor and against an everything-at-once maximalist backdrop.  Creative concepts can be tricky to pin down. Behind most successful collaborations between a brand and musical artist, there are a few core truths and considerations to keep in mind. 

Be authentic. First thing’s first. Authentic cultural connection is your way in. Looking to leverage hype alone only gets you so far. Of course, adding value for your brand is the goal and while gonzo examples of a brand muscling their way in do exist, generally if it lacks authenticity, then cracks will form. Always keep your core values and audience in mind, asking how and if a collaboration can work. Tapping into your history to consider nostalgia - culture’s greatest drug - is always good, but you don’t want to go over people’s heads or assume they know everything about your brand.

Be humble, curious and seek advice. Acceptance and trust are earned. You’re trying to break in and reach a new audience but you need to do it with wide eyes, be ready to listen, observe and ask questions. Work with authentic partners or curators from the scene you’re targeting and let them steer you. The culture isn’t as hard to reach as you think, just be open and surround yourself with the right people. In the age of big data, take a human approach to curation, collaboration and creativity. Ask community members who might be a good fit, versus throwing out artist names that are trending. An authentic, impactful connection with culture is hard to build and easy to fake. 

Mix it up, everyone else is. Like people, artists aren’t one-dimensional and your campaigns don’t need to be either. Remember fandom is layered. Look across genres, scenes, eras, age groups and formats. High culture and low culture mean nothing when everyone is wearing Crocs. Metal and rap exist together (again). Punks Turnstile played rap’s biggest festival, Rolling Loud and walked the Grammy carpet in sweater vests and midriff. Singer-songwriter Faye Webster released her own signature yo-yo. Liquid Death made a horror film and hired an actual witch for a Super Bowl campaign. Red Bull sold out a symphony hall in Atlanta with Rick Ross. A notable brand truly embracing this maximal melting pot approach is LA’s Brain Dead who just in the last few months, sponsored a music festival, elevated workwear stalwart Dickies, released a Korn capsule (Nu Metal is back baby), collaborated with HOKA and Oakley and made furniture out of mycelium. Phew. 

Think community-minded. Free is always good. 

Look at what artists and brands are doing and think about how you can tap in. Chicago rapper Noname held a block party in August that was free if you donated a book by a Black author. Music platform and live series Boiler Room aims to “avoid inundating a given city with a lineup entirely stacked with foreign artists, given that a good chunk of the world’s most popular DJs tend to operate out of the same major cities. Instead, they collaborate with professionals from local music scenes to curate.” Artist MIKE held his latest Young World Rap Fest in Brooklyn this July which was free to attend, featured Earl Sweatshirt, Georgia Anne Muldrow and more and as Pitchfork noted: “in era of thousand-dollar VIP passes and nosebleed stadium seats that cost half of your rent, the free fest is expansive but manageable, globally minded but locally sourced, and rap-centric above all else.” Streetwear giant Supreme sponsored the fest and it was really well received by widespread audiences.

Remember what artists do and meet them there. Yes, you’re technically a benefactor in this, but true collaborations are just that, a collaboration. Depending on the size of the artists or scenes you’re targeting, remember what artists do: They create, record and collaborate, they release music and they play live to support it. For smaller artists this cycle is gospel and damn expensive and if your brand can insert themselves at any point along the way, you create opportunity, meeting these artists where it makes sense for them. 

Timing is key. Talent is busy, especially on cycle. It’s important to be upfront and transparent about what you’re after and the timeframe you’re aiming to execute on. Reviewing concepts takes time, so keep things simple, and roll out the evolutions as you see fit, in stages. Email chains will get long, longer and lonnnger. Consider everyone at play: The artist team, your team, partners, legal, etc. and then remember the artist still has to say yes. 

Limited audiences (generally) mean limited reach: Sure, a limited run of spendy custom merch released alongside new music is cool and gives super fans something to talk about but if most can’t access your collaboration then poof, there goes your relevance. Some earned media success for a campaign like this may follow as scarcity can carry value but overall, most editors want to share something that audiences can access. 

And above all, Manage expectations. Everything doesn’t have to have 1M views. Phrases like “It’s a community play” seem flimsy to some, but do indeed hold water because the audience is wise. Sometimes, making content just to make content can be more impactful because, well, it’s more than the other brand did. Supporting an artist or community because you believe in them and what they represent should be reason enough. It’s good to have an idea of how you’ll define success because metrics alone can’t always be it. It’s a much broader picture and its crucial that the brand internally is aligned on the anticipated output. 

[hunnybadgerv]

Tracker: Vague Prompts

Adapted from the Vague Prompts collection originally posted by @ladylike-foxes

VAGUE PROMPTS 1:

Secret that stays in the cave

Buried beneath a mountain of furs

“The concept of wolves will never get old…”

Haunting night song; brother sleepwalking

Moths in a forgotten shed

“There’s an unfamiliar perfume on her wrists, I don’t recognize the scent.”

Following your idol too closely

Plucked every red rose from the garden and burned them

“You keep lifting me up—but this time, I won’t come down.”

The temptation of giving in, surrendering to dark, sweet elysium.

A thing no god wants to see

“Keep the cloth from covering her face.”

The bed is empty when (….) get(s) back

The line between them is a thick mistake

“I watched you watching me from the window.”

Fingers scrubbed to bleeding

The Woman in the Painting

“We need to look beyond the ghosts we’ve created here.”

Things that die over and over

Keeping dead flowers

“Perhaps it was preordained, perhaps it was simple circumstance.”

The comedy of gulls

The feeling of hollow kisses

“It’s hard to breathe when you look at me like that.”

VAGUE PROMPTS 2:

“Who gave you such radiance?”

Wounds too deep to spill blood

A new sweetness, a new pleasure

“Just that unknowable shadow under your eyes.”

The comfortable chaos between

Bells ringing that no one has shaken

“You worry is needless; it won’t consume me.”

A sacred little fragrance

Like running with a knife in the dark

“You don’t know whether you are damned or martyred.”

Fever dream statue, gilded in gold

The painted figurine of a desperate heart

“We bared our throats for our god.”

Fondness for bruises left by love

Silence that cuts like a knife

“I guess I’ve been dead for a while.”

Minor gestures of springtime joy

Like wood with a gift for burning

“My bleeding out, is that what sets you free?”

Violence of a different kind

Spreading within the bones like slow mycelium

“Don’t you have a home these days?”

Secrets beneath floorboards, memories in the walls

First warm breath of the dawn

“Remember what brought you here and what drove you out.”

Bare skin on damp ground

Deafening beat of a bloody heart

“No one sings while they burn to death.”

Milky-eyed stare, blank but knowing

The sickly-sweet scent of dying flowers and decay

“They say she sold her soul to a dark god.”

Sun-bleached bones, picked clean

Lips the color of a violent death

“Those are not a cat’s eyes…”

A sprig of hemlock twirled between fingers

The numbness of fear clawing its way inside

“Who is the grave for?”

Pouring unfamiliar potions into bottles of fogged glass

A maze of empty tunnels

“Shh. Wait for The Singing to pass.”

If they wept for him, he couldn’t hear it.

Seeking revenge for denial of flesh

“Something has been following us for awhile now.”

Driven mad by the whispers

Fleeing spiders their only warning

“Living things can haunt too.”

VAGUE PROMPTS 3:

Thin as moss under naked feet 

Not the drowning but the breath after

“There is nothing quite as sublimely unsatisfying as infatuation.”

Tucked away with a soft smile into a pocket

Ritual burning of incense 

“The poor fools don’t hear their echo in each other.”

Eighty-four rules of decorum

Veins ahum with the thrill of a shared secret 

“She’s fond of being dreadfully candid.” 

Sounds of music still playing in the distance 

The fog of warm breath on cool glass

“So lovely, it makes my bones ache.”

Climbing the narrow stone staircase by candlelight

A modest diadem, worn uncertainly 

“But I’ll still linger there when there’s nowhere else to go.”

Eyes like stone grave markers

Baby blue and cruelly soft

“Oh, I’m quite sure I’ll regret kissing him.”

A glisten caught in the sand 

Feeling it safely in hand

VAGUE PROMPTS - EERIE EDITION:

Bare skin on damp ground

Deafening beat of a bloody heart

“No one sings while they burn to death.”

Milky-eyed stare, blank but knowing

The sickly-sweet scent of dying flowers and decay

“They say she sold her soul to a dark god.”

A sprig of hemlock twirled between fingers

The numbness of fear clawing its way inside

“Who is the grave for?”

“Shh. Wait for The Singing to pass.”

If they wept for him, he couldn’t hear it.

“Something has been following us for awhile now.”

Driven mad by the whispers

Fleeing spiders their only warning

“Living things can haunt too.”

A forgotten room In the Shadows (Yvaine Cousland/Nathaniel Howe)

[auckie]

here's an opportunity to tell us more about your ecospheres, i've only made one that horribly failed, so if u have any tips that'd be sweet 💜

So the dryer they are naturally, I think the easier they are to manage! I mean this in a general sense —Basically, all the water ones I’ve tried have been a little too delicate to manage I think. Granted I’ve yet to try the more common freshwater set up, but I’ve had a lot of different terrariums and vivariums before and what I usually do is make the base layer a mixture of plain, rinsed aquarium gravel (not glass, not dyed, etc), mixed with activated charcoal, crushed eggshell (better for more moist environments with moss and snails), and a bit of dried coffee grounds. I try to add a layer of mesh over this but it’s not necessary imo. Then comes the dirt! You don’t wanna pack it down but definitely make sure you have a good amount you put beneath any plant you dig up. A lot of people will take a surface scraping of something and just gently place it into a jar which doesn’t give it much of an anchor and will probably result in it withering and dying quickly. Mosses, clover, and any local plant you see growing in a shady and wet area (say, by the side of your house where rain collects more) will do well, but you can outsource radiator plants or ferns, clearweed or baby tears. I’ve had good luck with all of these plants. It’s fun to collect mushrooms and lichen too but don’t expect to see perfectly recognizable forms of these sprouting up immediately. I don’t usually try to collect any specific insect, rather I avoid larger ones because I don’t want to kill them and their presence will result in a quicker destabilization bc they become the apex predator and kill everything or die right away. Snails, slugs, isopods (I hear they don’t do well in jars actually but everything I’ve seen seems to contradict this advice), silverfish, some smaller beetles, and ofc springtails all seem to do pretty well in jars, in my experience. Also, I’ve never had to add water to jars because I collect my specimens at night when it’s dewy, or a short while after it’s rained. You don’t want to see standing water, but a light mist on plants can be an easier way of getting a good water balance rather than trying to add it yourself with chlorinated tap. You should only ever see condensation on the sides of the glass, and for me I usually see it as soon as I add any soil or plant. Along with a few rocks and sticks, I like to toss in a bit of loose Spanish and peat moss at the top, just to help retain moisture and give organisms more surface area to crawl on.

It’s normal to see things die in jars, but obviously you don’t want to see mass death right away. Mold and mycelium can be jarring to see, but they’re unavoidable and not necessarily a negative presence. It takes a while for things to reach a sort of homeostasis, and ofc no sealed ecosphere can last forever, but if you’re lucky you could witness a few generations of organisms come and go! The longest I’ve had a vivarium was three years I think? It was primarily sealed, but I did open it from time to time to add pinhead crickets or water. Ecospheres are a new endeavor for me, but so far my forest floor one is doing great! I’m still trying to figure out the wetter ones lol

[snicketstrange]

Rereading The End chapter 10

Rereading: Chapter 10 One of the biggest mysteries for me in Chapter 19 is what the end of the story Ish started to tell about his student who had only one eyebrow would be. - "Did you know I used to be a schoolteacher?" he asked. "This was many years ago, in the city. There were always a few children in my chemistry classes who had the same gleam in their eyes that you Baudelaires have. Those students always turned into the most interesting assignments." He sighed, and sat down on one of the reading chairs in the center of the room. "They also always gave me the most trouble. I remember a child in particular, who had scraggly dark hair and just one eyebrow... This was a little girl. only one ear. She was an orphan, and she lived with her siblings in a house owned by a terrible woman, a violent drunkard who was famous for having killed a man in her youth with nothing but her bare hands and a very ripe cantaloupe. .. the student in my class began to be very suspicious about the tea her guardian would pour for her when she got home from school. Rather than drink it, she would dump it into a house-plant that had been used to decorate a well -known stylish restaurant with a fish theme... The Bistro Smelt. he houseplant's owner was whisked off to Peru aboard a mysterious ship [,The Prospero,] even though at the time the ship was called the Pericles. But my student didn't know that. She only wanted to avoid being poisoned, and I had an idea that an antidote might be hidden—"... What is happening now and what happened then is part of the same story, If I don't tell you how I came to prefer tea that's as bitter as wormwood, then you won't know how I came to have a very important conversation with a waiter in a lakeside town. And if I don't tell you about that conversation, then you won't know how I ended up on a certain bathyscaphe, or how I ended up shipwrecked here, or how I came to meet your parents, or anything else contained in this book." What I can deduce from this story is this: Ish was a VFD teacher. Ish was informed by his student that her tutor was trying to drug her. Knowing this stopped Ish from drinking sweet tea. Also, because of this attitude, Ish had to talk to a waiter in a town near a lake. This is very similar to what Lemony had to do after being told that Olaf wanted to kill him and Beatrice. Lemony had to take a special ticket to a ship and flee abroad. Clearly Ish had to do something similar, perhaps in the same place, as the consequence was that he stopped on the island, meaning he was at sea at some point. Parallel to this, we know at what time this happened: at the time of Gregor's Schism. In other words, Ish's student would be drugged in preparation for being kidnapped by one side of Gregor's schism. We can see that this plan to drug children to be kidnapped during a VFD fragmentation is basically the initial plot of ATWQ. It is true that the times when this happened were different, but the attitude of S. Theodora Markson shows that this type of situation was already common and this was repeated at the time of Gregor's Schism. Professor Ish ended up having to flee so as not to be harmed by the possible violence that would take place during Gregor's schism. He was a total pacifist at this time, and Olaf knew it. When he arrived on the island, he was still with the aftermath of the violent world he was forced to flee from, and more determined than ever to establish a community based on total pacifism. According to Ish, The Island Book is where castaways write their stories. This shows how Lemony Snicket has access to stories experienced by the Baudelaires since before their house burned down: the Baudelaires wrote about it in the island book, and Lemony found this book later. The Baudelaires' parents arrived on the island a few months before Ish. In all, they only spent a few months on the island. Beatrice probably arrived on the island pregnant with Violet and left it pregnant as well. Is it possible that Lemony is Violet's father? Talking about possibilities, yes it is possible. Coitus would have had to have taken place not around the time of the canceled quasi-marriage, but around the time of Gregor's schism, around the time Lemony fought over the salmon along with Kit and Jacques. However, I find this unlikely. On TBL we have access to a letter from Lemony to Beatrice. In this letter, we learn that Lemony was informed of Beatrice's pregnancy, and it appears that the person inside Beatrice was Violet. In the letter, Lemony indicates that he hasn't seen Beatrice in a few years. This suggests that Violet is indeed Bertrand's daughter. (You can always think of a grand scheme involving lies, but I find that unlikely. If Lemony wanted to hide the fact that he might be the father of Beatrice's baby, the smartest thing he could do was do nothing. , Beatrice's hasty marriage would have already hidden any suspicion as to the paternity of Beatrice's baby). "They wanted to dig a passageway that would lead to a marine research center and rhetorical advice service some miles away." The Baudelaires exchanged amazed looks. Captain Widdershins had described such a place, and in fact the children had spent some desperate hours in its ruined basement. "You mean if we walk along the bookcase," Klaus said, "we'll reach Anwhistle Aquatics?" Ishmael shook his head. "The passageway was never finished," he said, "and it's a good thing, too. The research center was destroyed in a fire, which might have spread through the passageway and reached the island. was contained in that place. I shudder to think what might happen if the Medusoid Mycelium ever reached these shores." Beatrice and Bertrand arranged to begin construction of a tunnel connecting the island to AA's facilities. The justification was to take the documents to Dewey's library. If we are to believe that Beatrice's genuine interest was in providing content for the library, we also need to believe that at this time, Beatrice did not yet know of the danger Gregor A posed to the world. On the other hand, Beatrice and Bertrand's interest in finding a cure for the deadly MM fungus, as well as the precautions they took in case the deadly fungus reached the island, is evidence that they already knew about the possibility of the fungus being used as a weapon of mass destruction and start a great pandemic that could reach the island somehow. So it is more likely that Beatrice and Bertrand's real interest in building the tunnel was to see that the cure for the MM fungus reached the place where the fungus was contained. In fact, if everyone on the island had immunity to the fungus, they could provide for the controlled destruction of the deadly fungus, without having to resort to wildfire to eliminate that danger. Ish's narration makes it clear that Beatrice and Bertrand have found allies on the island. In fact, it's possible that their arrival on the island was not accidental. They were perhaps looking for a safe place for their experiments involving finding a cure for the deadly MM fungus. That Beatrice had already begun to perform tests that she considered dangerous is evident from the prior knowledge she had about the hybrid apple. After all, neither apples nor the roots used in the experiment have abortive properties in themselves. Some exotic substance was formed in the genetic crossing between species, and Beatrice was already aware of this substance to the point that she never ate her own bitter apples. I have a hypothesis that this information could have been gleaned from Mrs. Widdershins' studies, but this is still very speculative. If there had been no schism on the island at the time of Beatrice and Bertrand, Gregor's schism would not have had so many consequences, for the weapon of mass destruction would have been destroyed without the need to resort to Olaf's incendiary methods. I think this plot also explains another mystery of ASOUE: "the great truce." From Violet's birth until the Baudelaire mansion burned down, Olaf was apparently not chased by the VFD and he maintained a town house and theater group. This truce must have been a kind of reward Olaf received for helping to destroy a bigger and more powerful enemy of VFD: Gregor A and the deadly fungus MM. "In my experience, the Snickets are as much trouble as the Baudelaires" So, this is hard to understand. Ish considers the Snickets problematic, and he considers this based on his personal experience. His experience is with Jacques or Lemony, as in his writings he had claimed that Kit was someone's sister. This reveals exactly what I had previously thought: the Baudelaires and the Snickets were part of a different faction than Ish was. Ish preached total pacifism with the help of librarianship. His behavior on the island for all these 15 years only demonstrates that he has taken this philosophy to the max. He became like a monk during the Middle Ages, who retreated into its mysteries surrounded by manuscripts, while laymen were prevented from learning to read. Ish reveals in chapter 10 his entire philosophy of life: to keep the peace it is necessary to alienate the people of the world. He really considers himself a father to the island, and it's interesting that father is a religious term in many languages, including English. The answer to this way of thinking was said by Sunny: "I don't believe that bridging the freedom of expression and the free exercise thereof is the proper way to run a community." "This ring," he said, "once belonged to the Duchess of Winnipeg, who gave it to her daughter, who was also the Duchess of Winnipeg, who gave it to her daughter, and so on and so on and so on. , the last Duchess of Winnipeg joined VFD, and gave it to Kit Snicket's brother. It to your father, who gave it to your mother when they were married. Learned from her grandfather. The wooden box turned to ashes in the fire that destroyed the Baudelaire mansion, and Captain Widdershins found the ring in the wreckage only to lose it in a storm at sea, which eventually wa shed it onto our shores." This is a delightfully intriguing story. This story spans hundreds of years. Firstly: what is the importance of the ring? It appears to be originally a family heirloom. After that the rings are given to other people. We know Lemony gave the ring to Beatrice and in his mind it must be an engagement ring. I wonder why R gave this family inheritance to Lemony. He could have used any ring to ask Beatrice to marry him. Did he want something special, but being poor R decided to give him something dear? In this case, was Beatrice already rich? Among the reasons Beatrice would return the ring was certainly the fact that she would not marry Lemony. Was differences between social classes an important factor? Why did Lemony give the ring to Kit instead of keeping it, or instead of giving it back to R? And why did Kit give the ring to Bertrand? Did she want Bertrand to marry Beatrice? And why did Beatrice keep the ring so carefully instead of displaying it on her finger? The only answer I can think of is that Beatrice kept the ring as a symbol of the forbidden love she could have lived with Lemony but didn't. She was his bride at heart. I believe that Beatrice's marriage to Bertrand was not motivated by love, but it was a suggestion that VFD gave her, especially since she has inherited a large fortune. But in any case, Bertrand gave this ring to Beatrice only on the day they were married, not on their engagement. At the time, Beatrice believed Lemony was dead. No wonder she decided to keep a memento of her true love. Of course, these are all hypotheses. But the most important question is: How does Ish know all this? The last information he has is that Captain W took the ring from the wreckage of the Baudelaire mansion and left it lost at sea. How does he know it was exactly Captain W who took the ring? This information can only have been generated by Captain W himself. Did the captain drop his logbook overboard? Chances are, yes.

[one-last-puku]

☆ 08/10/21: Here's an update on my currents grows! ☆

So, some time ago I started a bit of a mad experiment. I took the outside skins on my strawberries and put a bit of soil over them. I was curious about techniques and the video I watched said not to worry about the fruit's decay over time, so I was like "okay cool". Then, another spurt of inspiration, I poured a bit of raspberry sauce with seeds onto the soil as well, curious about potential cross breeding and how that works. I'm a kinesthetic learner. Lol

After some time, probably a couple weeks, I started seeing a little sprout! I was so excited!

However, the next day, I couldn't seem to find it again. Then I notice a few tiny gnat-like flies on the surface of the soil. I thought "are these the aphids I remember learning about?" I let it go, naively, as a couple days later, the sprout seemed to show up again. Perhaps it was just another new sprout. Again the second sprout disappeared again. By this point, I was sure the insects were eating my poor baby sprouts. Later, I would learn these are what you'd call "mushroom flies" which were also harassing my poor mushrooms.

I had been letting my pink oysters go on their own with the few heads that had been emerging, also sporing naturally.

Upon identifying the mushroom flies and their larvae, I researched a solution to eradicate them without harming my plants, despite the fact they were already destroyed by the flies and the cilantro plant destroyed due to using the dehydrator in close proximity.

For the strawberries, the 1:3 hydrogen peroxide, water solution work amazingly. They all died. Chichichi. As for my mushrooms, the pink oyster mushroom fruits were the hub of interest for the mushroom flies, so I brought them out to the garage to first remove them from my house. Then after a few days I shook the mushroom medium again and moved them to a different location in hopes to again reduce the amount of flies swarming around. After a few more days, I shook them again and sped into the house again ready to drown the remaining flies and the plethora of larva plaguing the growing medium. Left the medium submerged for like nearly 2 days. The internet warned against leaving them submerged for too long as supposedly you can drawn the mycelium as well.

I took the kits out of the water, shook out the water, and let them sit to dry naturally. Lo and behold, I have a ton of little pink pins sprouting again. Amazing! Truly amazing!

Also as a note, my childhood friend is getting married next year and she came up with this truly sweet care package to "propose" for me to be one of her bridesmaids. In it included a startup kit to grow forget-me-not flowers. I was so touched and I'm certain she didn't know I love growing these days. After I was feeling confident that the mushroom fly problem was taken care of, I started the forgetmenot flowers.

This is how they're looking today! Isn't this just a beautiful sight? Forget childbirth, sprouts are the true miracle of nature!

[shipfishwrites]

Flora, Fauna, and Other: Survey: P.E.R.N.

Flora

Grass (that’s not grass): “springy underfoot,” releases “sweet, pungent odors” when trod on. Just called grass at first, later specified as “triangular in form,” being “more blue than green”, and having no silicates. The last is important as the hard silicates inside grass is actually like... a big deal? They’ll grind your teeth away.

Varied plants: from the plains, enough for several noteworthy collections.

Varied sea vegetation: along with marine life, enough to give a biologist lifetime employment.

Lush tropical vegetation: On Ista island. “Bearing the profusion and lush growth common to tropical climes.”

Needlethorn: discovered on Ista. A “spiny plant”, “clever,” that launches needles from only the aggressed side. Needles are “tiny barbs.”

Klahbark: “A vigorous tree whose bark, when bruised in the fingers, gave off a pungent smell.” Discovered on the northern half of Nerat Peninsula. I really take issue with the bark being ready straight from the tree. “Bruising” suggests it’s wet, and the whole thing about drinks poured through grounds is that the grounds are dry? Blech.

Fauna

Marine invertebrates: lots of them. “interesting variations of exoskeletons” so probably arthropoda and crustacea analogues, mollusca not mentioned unfortunately. 

Dusk feeders: “larger” marine animals spotted feeding in Cove. Zero description of them at all.

Various insectoids: spotted attracted to campfire flame.

Double wings insect: is this a vtol? Otherwise it might be a dragonfly analogue.

Wherries: first described as “large flying things”, “squat, fat, and full”. Named “wherries” on the next page; “two identifiable types of the large avians, with raucous calls and the aggressive manners of predators” not sure how that’s a thing but ok.

“Some reptiloids”: scaled, basking, live on Ista

Long Boi: there are no larger animals, Anne says. “Shavva [was] narrowly escaping the attentions of a ten-centimeter-thick, seven-meter-long example.” This is a “reptiloid” btw. It’s like a half-foot across and 21 feet long? I feel like that’s large.

“Brilliantly plumed smaller fliers”: smaller than wherries.

“Creepy crawlies”: a thousand types of land bug. Take THAT, trundlebug supremacy!

“More properly large herpetoids of truly revolting appearance”

My New Baby: “horny monster, seven centimeters broad and five high, which waved tentacles and claws in an aggressive manner.” Oh boy, tentacles!!! AND claws! “They could discern neither mouth nor eyes.” ???????!!! “The creature’s back was covered with insectoid forms. “External digestive system?”” !!!!!!!!!! This is a fucking crazy animal, I wish it hadn’t been invented for just this passage and then forgotten. Anne has such titanium balls for inventing this one horrible thing for her biosphere and making the entirety of the rest a parallel earth. (Oh also my baby makes a stench as defense. Skunk-lobster-starfish-squid. Vertebrate status unknown but suspected.)

Dragonets: come in the expected colors and act pretty and smart. Like... mayb my baby was presented on the previous page JUST to to contrast the dragonets with “glistened like airborne jewels.”

Reef systems: counts as fauna, right? Around Ista Archipelago.

Coral: around Nerat Peninsular. Noted as a “viable ecology” not a “stale-mated” dense rainforest one. Did uh... did people thing rainforests were stale? Or stagnant? Back then?

Fungi/Protists

Red and green algae: I don’t know how to explain to Anne that you can’t just find some beach goop and call it algae. Especially red algae. Red algae is a whole other type of thing than all life, even. It’s ahead of us on the evolutionary ladder, post-eukaryotes. (I’m slightly alarmed by algae, can you tell?)

Interesting littoral fungi: again, try finding An Fungus, Anne.

The Motile Fungus: Ok. I’m just... very confused. Let me copy the whole sentence. “Liu scooped up samples of the red and green algae and found some interesting fungi on the shoreline, some with visible movement.” What does this mean, Anne. Is this a mushroom that walks? Some hyphae that reach? Or is it fungi that grow so fast they “travel”? Or is this just bad phylogeny for slime molds??? I DON’T KNOW. WHY IS IT MOVING. AHHH

Luminous mycelium: it’s a glow, whoopie. It is interesting that it’s specifically called the “mycelium” -- “some sort of luminous variety of mycelium.” The phrasing makes me think that Anne was just using it as a synonym for fungus, but what if it is the hyphae network that glows? You have to dig it out, wash it, string it up as a glowing net instead of just a basket of shroom caps, which I had always imagined. But then Liu says “Luminous lichens or organisms...” so is it a lichen?? help.

Mud bacteria: live in the plain south of Crom. “Emitting... sulfurous fumes ... plethora of promising bacteria over which Shavva crowed.” Idk what’s promising about them, so.