#that mushroom is... the same shape but no friend of mine!!!

[kazoosandfannypacks]

#ouattober2022 Day 2- Favorite Item- The Crimson Crown Mushroom

When I first saw the crimson crown, I was stuck by two intense feelings- one was "I want to be that mushroom" and the other was "I want to be a little frog taking a nap on the moss next to that mushroom."

[peaches2217]

The Man in Red

~~~

Every year for the past six years had been largely the same. The month before Christmas, the townstoads of Toad Town began draping lights from every surface, every tree, every building, and vendors came from all corners of the country to set up temporary shops for those seeking the perfect gifts. Two weeks before Christmas, a giant fake fir was raised in the town square; Toads of all ages gathered to decorate it in handmade ornaments and shimmering, colorful garlands, and the tree became an unofficial symbol of the Mushroom Kingdom’s prosperity and the unity of its citizens.

Seven days before Christmas, a very special guest arrived and set up shop at the base of that very tree. This was the part that excited the children the most, because this man, all decked in red velvet and white wool and black leather boots and belt, would give them candy and listen with a patient ear as they prattled one after another about their Christmas wishes.

Watching that man in red as he entertained a massive hoard of sugar-addled children, each and every tiny face alight in glee, Peach couldn’t believe Christmas itself had been a tradition unheard of in her world not even a decade ago. Everything about it felt so right, as though her people had been celebrating it since long before she was born.

Nodding to her guards, she broke from her walk to pay the man of the hour a visit.

“Why, if it isn’t our friend Santa Claus!” she greeted, older Toads parting automatically for her (and pulling the more clueless youngsters out of her path, though she still had to step around a handful of them). 

‘Santa’ looked up at her as he carefully lowered a child from his lap, and Peach almost tripped over her own feet. His deep blue eyes shone brilliantly in the lights of the square, like hand-blown glass that caught the sun just so. For that matter, she couldn’t believe she hadn’t known those eyes a decade ago. The mere thought of living in a world where she had never met his gaze chilled her more than the cold ever could.

Overwhelmed by the sudden burst of sentiment, Peach stopped to recompose herself internally. She was mercifully spared from having to save face too hastily.

“The beautiful Queen Peach!” Santa stood from where he sat and met her halfway with wide, confident strides. With a theatrical bow, he took her left hand, lowered himself onto one knee, and kissed the pale sapphire ring on her fourth finger.

The sight brought Peach out of her sentimental spell and cheered her considerably. This role suited him so well. For all of his many, many, many accomplishments, none brought him greater joy than bringing joy to others. “It’s an honor to welcome you back to the Mushroom Kingdom, Mr. Claus.”

“Oh, no, the honor’s all mine.”

Peach bit her lower lip in an effort to suppress her amusement. This was the same every year, too: he hid his instantly recognizable voice behind an accent not dissimilar to the Standard accent, but with harder consonants and exaggerated vowel shapes and disregard for the letter r, so that his pleasantry sounded something like Dee anah’s oo-wall mine.

The native accent of Brooklyn, his kingdom of birth, he had once explained, which he would probably speak with naturally had he been born into a Standard (or “English,” as it was called there)-speaking household. It was undoubtedly charming, but she much preferred the merry and melodic lilt he spoke with the other 364 days of the year. Call it bias.

‘Santa’ finally stood and dusted the snow from his pant legs, though he didn’t relinquish Peach’s hand, nor did he look away from her. “Now! You’re here to make a wish, yeah?” And then he winked, quickly enough that she was sure no one else caught it.

Showtime. Peach dipped her head in acknowledgement.

“Oh, no, I couldn’t!” She easily disguised her secret affirmative gesture as an act of humility with a palm to her cheek. “Christmas wishes should be saved for the children.”

“Oh-ho, Your Majesty, there’s plenty enough Christmas magic to go around! Anyone can make a wish.” He twisted his torso to address the growing crowd. “Right?”

Cheers rose all around them, children shouting their encouragements and clapping in excitement and adults watching on with fond faces, some even joining in. The man in red’s eyes sparkled brilliantly once more at the response. He did so love performing to an audience. It had taken Peach a bit longer to grow accustomed to.

She made a show of conceding, sighing in good humor and letting herself be led to the plush chair where children shared their greatest wishes. The townstoads giggled in delight at the sight of their very regal, very tall queen making herself comfortable on Santa’s lap, and just for their sake, she took a moment to dramatically smooth her skirts and correct her posture, her unnecessary formalities drawing even more mirth from the crowd.

A strong and steady hand pressed into her lower back, hidden from sight by her shawl. With her the sole center of attention, her Santa made no effort to disguise the affection that fell naturally across his features. The night chill was no match for the warmth his gaze provided her.

“Peach Toadstool, Queen Regent of the beautiful and prosperous Mushroom Kingdom—” and at this she barely suppressed a chuckle, because she knew how needlessly long-winded he felt such formal titles were, yet he said it so convincingly all the same, “—what would you like for Christmas?”

Peach pressed her palms together and hummed in mock-contemplation. The crowd fell quiet, save for a few children shouting out suggestions (“A golden Yoshi that poops coins!” being her personal favorite), and she let the tension dance on the air a moment longer.

“Well,” she began at last, “to tell you the truth, I’m not sure what more I could possibly ask for. I’m blessed with everything a royal could ever want. A kingdom in peacetime, a thriving populace, devoted friends and family…” She turned her eyes to a distant but well-lit alleyway, resting her right hand over her heart with a gentle smile. “...a husband I love very much…”

Her smile grew at the quiet huff this drew from her Santa. When she returned her attention to him, his cheeks glowed a rosy hue, the white polyester of his beard making the color look luminescent.

She wanted to pull that silly accessory down and kiss him for all the world to see. The thought of traumatized children with shattered dreams and their exasperated parents forced to take them home and comfort them was the only thing stopping her.

“There is one thing I’d like, I suppose.” She gestured to their surroundings, eyes flickering between the colorful displays strewn about. “I’d like to see the lights of Toad Town from afar, so I can take in their beauty in one fell swoop. That’s my wish this year.”

Oohs and aahs rang out now, as well as scattered voices expressing approval or whispering to their loved ones that they should do the same.

More cheers sounded as Peach stood back to her feet and bade the townstoads a Merry Christmas. If she stayed any longer, she feared her heart might burst.

Santa escorted her to her entourage of guards, wishing her a warm and pleasant rest of her evening, then with one more kiss to the back of her hand, he made his way back to the reaccumulating line of children.

“Oh, and Santa?” Peach called after him.

He stopped immediately, as if he’d expected one last request, turning on his heel and trotting right back to her.

“I know he’s a very busy man,” she told him, her voice low, “but… if by any chance my husband could join me when I see the lights?”

Something new flickered across his features now, something uplifting in its brightness, and then he tapped his index finger to his nose with a resolute grin. “I’ll see what I can do.” was his equally hushed response, but it wasn’t delivered in the voice she attributed to Santa; he dropped his little act and spoke to her in the accent she was much more familiar with, a bouncy and gentle I’ll-a see what I ken-a do.

Peach felt light on her feet as she continued on her walk, that dulcet promise cycling endlessly through her head.

~~~

A thud from outside froze Peach’s hand mid-stitch.

No alarm bells rang in her head, no sense of dread overcame her, nothing of the sort. But only one person ever accessed the balcony from the outside with any regularity, and unless she had lost track of time, she was certain he was still in the town square. She stood and draped Luigi’s nearly-complete dress over the back of her chair, the needle dangling from its thread just above the seat cushion; with quiet steps, she crept toward the balcony door.

Why, oh why did she never think to hide a sword or a bat or a cast-iron pan near that door? Rarely did she ever occupy her chambers alone. Perhaps she’d grown too used to the feeling of safety.

“...Mario?” she called out.

A beat, then a muffled reply. 

“No, no,” she heard from the other side of the door, “no Mario. It’s-a me, Santa Claus!”

Instantly her anxiety evaporated. Sure enough, when she opened the door, there he stood, snow clinging to the front of his velvet suit from his climb; he lifted his stocking cap to greet her, uncovering for the first time that night the deep brown curls on his head.

Peach was almost surprised at the childlike anticipation that bubbled up within her. He’d traded the fake Santa voice for his natural Italian accent, yet the rest of the act remained. What in the name of the stars was he up to?

“Oh! Santa!” She ushered him inside, trying not to shiver from the cold as he stomped the snow from his boots before following her in. Santa Claus duties usually kept him busy until just before midnight. Glancing at the grandfather clock opposite the bathroom door, she saw that midnight was still two hours away. “What are you doing here so early?”

“Ah, Your Majesty, it’s been such a long day! More wishes today than I’ve ever gotten. So I thought I’d get a head start on making all those wishes come true!” As he spoke, he made his way to their massive walk-in wardrobe and disappeared inside, fishing through her endless assortment of outfits. “And I knew this was the perfect place to start.”

The pieces began to fall into place, why he called it quits earlier than expected and came right back to her side, and already Peach felt her cheeks growing warm. “Oh?” she played along anyway. “And why start here?”

Finally, he emerged from the closet, Peach’s favorite snow boots dangling from his left hand and her warmest, fluffiest coat draped over the same shoulder. “Well I can’t keep the Queen waiting, can I?” he teased with a wink.

I couldn’t stop thinking about you. It went unspoken, but Peach understood all the same. She gratefully accepted the clothes he offered her, fastening the buttons of her coat while he knelt to lace her boots. When he was done, he beamed up at her, still balanced on one knee, and stars he was going to be the death of her…

“Where to, Santa?”

“To the roof.” He held his hand palm-up as he rose to his feet, and she took it without hesitation.

Within moments, they were racing through the winding corridors of the castle, laughing together in shared mischievous cheer. Peach didn’t even register the handful of confused glances thrown their way by newer members of the staff still unaccustomed to the sight. She let her feet follow him blindly through hallways and up tucked-away spiral staircases, thinking of nothing but his bright laugh and the heat of his hand in hers.

The cold air hit her like a slap to the face as she climbed through the rooftop’s trapdoor, and she squeezed his hand tighter as he led her to the spire jutting from the center of the sloped roof. He let go once they reached their destination, bending before her and lacing his fingers together, palms-up; she dutifully stepped into his conjoined hands and pushed off of the shingles with her opposite foot as he hoisted her up, scrambling onto the spire’s ledge with less elegance than she would have preferred, but managing all the same.

As he pulled himself up to sit beside her, she looked ahead, and though she already knew what she’d see, her breath was taken away.

She could truly see the whole of Toad Town from here. The square, its massive fir tree standing proud and tall above the buildings, ornaments twinkling from every angle; the vendors’ booths, still bustling with activity in spite of the late hour, friends and family and couples and kids gawking at homemade goods and sipping cocoa; the colorful fairy lights wound around mushroom-capped homes, illuminating every last inch of the town in a warm, welcoming glow. The rooftop was cold and dark, yet the sight before her radiated unprecedented warmth. Peach’s silly little wish, realized to the fullest. 

A thousand words bubbled within her chest, words of glee and gratitude and general awe, yet as soon as she turned to share them, they died on her lips.

He was already staring up at her. In the residual light, his eyes sparkled even more brightly than they had in the town square; though his silky beard hid most of his face, she could tell from the crinkles around those gleaming eyes that he was smiling.

If only she could see him properly…

“Oh, Santa,” she said, “it’s beautiful. This is exactly what I wanted.” Then, with a wistful sigh, she turned her attention back to the festival of lights. “Well… almost exactly.”

A pause, and then: “Ah! That’s right! There was another part to your wish, wasn’t there?”

“Yes, there was.” Peach found one sight to focus on, the amusing ordeal of three children struggling to reign in their pet Chain Chomp as it chased what appeared to be a rabbit. “Truly, I can’t thank you enough for your thoughtfulness! But such a wonderful sight is best shared with someone you love, you know? It’s just too lonely otherwise. What I’d give to have—”

“Mamma mia, Peachy, what are you doing out here all on your own? You must be freezing!”

The corners of her lips drew into a jaw-splitting grin.

The beard now hung limply around his neck, and finally she could see that tender smile in its full glory, only partially hidden beneath his thick mustache. Mario had, at some point during her monologuing, unbuckled his belt and begun shucking his coat, and he shrugged out of it as soon as the last button popped open at his fingertips.

“Oh! Mario!” She didn’t even try to hold back; she giggled openly in pure levity. “When did you get here?”

Mario hummed tunelessly as he draped his costume’s coat over her shoulders, drawing the woolen collar as high up her neck as it would sit. “Just got here. I passed some good-looking guy with a beard in the hall and he said I’d find you on the roof. Of all places!” 

Satisfied that she was now perfectly warm (even though he wore nothing beneath the coat beyond a short-sleeved white undershirt), he pulled his legs up onto the ledge and sat on his knees, so that their faces were closer to level. “So what are you doing up here, amore?”

He looked entirely too proud of himself. They were like children themselves, Peach found herself thinking more than once, playing nonsensical games with no clear goal in mind, for no other reason than the fun of it. We all have to get older, sure, but who says we have to grow up? he’d once propositioned to her.

Having been forced to grow up into a responsible leader far too quickly — having spent most of her formative years under a pressure even the most capable of adults would find too intense — these little games meant more to Peach than she ever had the nerve to let on.

“Actually, I was waiting for you.”

“Oh? Good timing then!” He patted his thigh, a clear invitation, and one she was all too happy to accept. She drew her legs onto the ledge as well so she could comfortably recline against him, laying her head in his lap as he readjusted his coat over her. The lights of Toad Town looked even more vibrant with him there, as himself.

“I gotta say,” Mario said as she admired the lights, “this is the most incredible sight I’ve ever seen.”

Peach nuzzled into the soft fabric of his pants with a sigh. She didn’t even have to see his face to know he was looking straight at her. She could tell from the tone of his voice alone, playful and sugary sweet.

They remained there in companionable silence for a while longer, watching as the townstoads carried on with their night. How she could see them in movement yet still feel so certain that she and her man in red were the only two people in the galaxy, Peach was unsure, but she didn’t suppose it was a bad thing.

[twistedtavern]

So for your swap au how do you think do they react to their canon selfs

Ooooo now THIS is a good question. I don't have all the really precise details down, but here's the list

Riddle: Probably finds Swap!Riddle uncanny, but eventually they'd come to an understanding. He just deals with Swap!Riddle the same way he deals with Cater.

Cater: These two would end up on lawn chairs wearing shades and sipping some trendy drink together by the end of the day, trust. They're both just realizing how happy they both are to be away from their sisters. I just want them to be friends ok

Trey: A bit confused, because Swap!Trey is probably directly behind him with a pencil and notepad 24/7. But, when he asks why he finds the reason kind of endearing. If the other him wants to be a good brother so badly, he wouldn't stop him. Most likely ends up showing him the ropes in making small treats his siblings or underclassmen enjoy.

Deuce: Oh they'd fight. Lawful Good himbo vs Chaotic Good himbo. No notes

Ace: Typical highschool boy asshole vs uptight preppy asshole, no notes.

Leona: Swap!Leona would ong be disappointed by his canon self, but ends up leaving him with some ideas on how to build his support and reputation at home. Overall, they'd be decent with each other after a while.

Ruggie: Oh they're SCHEMIN. Friends, but only because they're both about to commit some crimes together. Not a single madol in NRC is safe.

Jack: At first thinks his swap self is cool, but ends up disappointed. He's not a "lone wolf" as much as he is just crabby, apathetic, and friendless. Probably tries helping him out, and it depends on whether or not his efforts are successful that he deems his other self a lost cause or not.

Azul: This boy is FLABBERGHASTED by his swap self's business practices. How the FUCK, over the span of a WEEKEND, did he change industries? One minute, Swap!Azul is running a miniature factory, the next minute a god damn BANK, all in the same area?!? Somebody's gotta pick his jaw up from the floor. FURIOUSLY taking notes on this man's work ethic. Everyone in the dorm has resumes half a mile long, and Azul honestly applauds him. Although on a personal level, he dislikes Swap!Azul's Floyd-like tendencies, but tolerates him.

Jade: There is not a force in Wonderland that can shut these two up once they encounter each other. All anyone is gonna be hearing until whatever interdimensional rift that brought him here closes is mushrooms, mushrooms, MUSHROOMS. Good GOD the MUSHROOMS. They're like the painting of the two scholar dudes talking to each other. Instant bond.

Floyd: For a twin, he sure does hate when someone else looks like Jade. He tries to get him to be fun, but Swap!Floyd is too much a mix of himself and Jade to be palatable to him. Not friends.

Kalim: Tried walking up to Swap!Kalim, but he assumed he was an assassin taking his shape to kill him and take his place without suspicion. So basically, BONK. Not even a chance to explain, just BONK. On sight, no questions asked. Next thing you know, Kalim's being chased down every hallway in Scarabia by a maniac trying to beat him over the head with anything in range. It would take Jamil intervention to get Swap!Kalim to save canon Kalim from getting choked out Bart Simpson style. After everything is cleared up, Swap!Kalim just ends up feeling annoyed by canon Kalim. Probably chews him out about his carelessness being the reason why he can't defend himself and tries taking canon Jamil to 'protect' him.

Jamil: I think they'd have somewhat of a mutual understanding and just vent to each other. I think they'd initially be like "man I would honestly prefer your Kalim over mine" but eventually they'd reach a part that's a deal breaker and agree to stick with their actual Kalims. They'd cook and gossip together ^w^

Vil: Oh. Oh no. Vil has never seen the purpose of carrying crosses and other such 'protection from evil' trinkets, but now he DOES. Swap!Vil makes canon Vil want to become a nun at Noble Bell, the vibes are THAT bad. However, he cannot seek his newfound passion for divine protection because he's trying to prevent his Rook from being tied up and dragged into a dark hallway every 5 seconds. Despite canon Vil's ADAMANT desire to be as far away from Swap!Vil as physically possible, Swap!Vil is actually very interested in canon Vil, MUCH to his dismay. Somebody save him please

Rook: Two jungle boys, chilling in a hot tuuuub, five feet apart so they don't fight. Tbh they'd get on each other's nerves after a while if things don't go right, but otherwise I think they'd be somewhat okay. They have so many contrasting opinions that canon Rook would find interesting, but Swap!Rook just thinks he's weird. All in all could go both ways

Epel: Oh they hate each other's GUTS. Nary a note in sight, there is nothing that will change that INSTANT hate.

Idia: He is nerding OUT over Swap!Idia's tech, but the sort of okayness between the two of them is INSTANTLY soured when he gets near Swap!Ortho and immediately gets a murder lazer pointed square at his head. Maybe they'll patch up, but I severely doubt it now that I think about it. There is definitely potential for a dynamic between canon Shroudbros and swap Shroudbros though

Ortho: Would probably be friends with Swap!Ortho because they'd hit it off pretty quick. Ortho is naturally friendly and Swap!Ortho just instantly trusts robots. It's cute, really. Until Swap!Ortho meets canon Idia and they both just cling to each other and leave canon Ortho feeling like he was abandoned. Very much like that one song in Corpse Bride where Emily is sad because Victor only loves Victoria for the fact that she's alive. They might have a chance to patch up, but only if the right things happen.

Malleus: Goodness, Swap!Malleus is LOUD. But, when it comes to their dorm members, they both can agree that they’re the best ever ^w^!! Fast friends, these two. Despite their differences, they both talk about gargoyles together and enjoy having the company of someone new. They compare and contrast their lives and families, and find that really, they’re not so different after all. I’m sure there is absolutely nothing that can break this friendshi- Wait a minute- NO THAT'S MY CHILD OF MAN! PUT THEM DOWN YOU BASTARD

Lilia: Ah, yes. Two old men just chilling together, sharing war stories and being proud of their babies. Wholesomeness incarnate, no notes.

Silver: Would probably get dragged into one of Swap!Silver's pranks, either as an accomplice or a target. Other than that, I think he'd admire how his other self had learned how to master many fae abilities, and try to learn from him. They are friends, very nice.

Sebek: Oh Sebek is SO jealous of Swap!Sebek, it's unreal. He wants to feel the young lord's protection as well!! I think he'd be jealous on more than one front, because his swap self has a much calmer and more approachable disposition and appears more disciplined and mature. Meanwhile all of this goes completely over Swap!Sebek's head. They're kind of hilarious

[vintagelacerosette]

Interview tag game ✨️

Made by the sensational Lemon @depressedstressedlemonzest & I was also tagged by these dazzling sweethearts Evie @energievie Willow @ian-galagher Jay @surviving-maybe Nosho @creepkinginc Lyle @milkovetti Bri @y0itsbri Carolie @shinygalaxyperson thanks so much 🥰

What are some movie/tv quotes that you quote often? My brain has blanked lol but one thing I noticed I was sing YMCA to my niece, then I immediately when to Do you really wanna hurt me to Stayin Alive & this is all from the Sherk karaoke sing along from the 1st movie lmao

What is your favourite flower?

All flowers bring me joy but one i think is super cool is the bleeding heart

If you were in Avatar the Last Airbender what element would you want to bend? Earth, fire, water or air? I've always found controlling wind appealing even tho I'm a fire sign haha but prob makes sense bc my moon is an air sign

What was your first job? Retail at the Christmas section 🎄

What is your favorite breakfast?

There's this meal called the Alex Breakfast as this local cafe which has sundried tomato, sauteed mushroom, pesto risoni on toast & it's sooo yuuumm

What's a meal from childhood that you love?

Crunchy rice a dish my dad made where you cook old rice in butter & salt to your liking. Then slow cook to make a crunchy crust on the bottom. I made it recently for nostalgia & boy did it hit the spot 😋

What's your favorite joke to tell?

Can not think of any haha but here's one from a nye cracker I got.

What music do planets like to listen to?

Neptunes ba dum tis 🥁

What's your favorite animal to see at the zoo?

Kangaroos, red panda & penguins

What's your go to quick meal to cook/make at home?

Crispy omelette

What's your go to meal to cook someone to impress them?

Brazo de Mercedes which is a traditional Filipino meringue roll with a condescend milk custard filling. It's making the meringue rolls which is impressive haha i accidentally made it hc i was trying to make marshmallow instead but it turned out to be this 😆

What's something you want to do better?

Get more active, sticking to plans, driving & at chatting in discord group chats. (I can find it a bit overwhelming with so many ppl 😅)

If you're working do you like your job?

I'm a month & a bit in my new job & am enjoying it so far & my team is great, but there are some tough transactions that get me nervous to do on my own

Do you collect anything? What?

I've started to collect these cute sanrio blindbox toys, anime figures, crystals, hardcover books, fanfic on google drive, art supplies, eyeshadow palettes, plush toys & pins.

Newest collection 😆

If you were trapped in a kids tv show, what show would you be okay with being trapped in?

Ohh maybe same as Lyle with Steven Universe just so aesthetically pleasing & I'd so be friends with Steven! Or maybe Avatar as a bender or Cardcaptors bc I could be wearing cute outfits made by Tomoyo with a magic staff wand

An adults tv show?

Ohh this one was a hard one! Maybe Reign for the fashion, Roswell New Mexico to be friends with the pod squard or maybr in Firefly

What kind of job did you want as a child?

I have an amazing memory of going on the train for the 1st time & asking who drove the train & was told it was the train driver! I then exclaimed "I wanna be a train driver" My mum protest bc they apparently didn't make a lot of money lol. Also a GP bc i admired mine growing up haha

Do you follow any sports? What team do you root for?

No ❤️ but i think i could be fun if i did lol

If you could be any animal what would you be and why?

Otter or chinchilla i just wanna be something cute

If you could be any mythological creature what would you be and why?

Totally a fairy 🧚‍♀️ having fun in nature, causing so mischief, have pretty wings to fly with & having so many cool abilities like maybe shape shift into animals

What's the most obscure thing you've had to google for a fanfic you were writing/reading?

I was double checking in to power ranger characters types with their suit colours for a power ranger au I'd love to write one day bc I realised I have a lot of power ranger lore i could put to use lol ☺️

What Milkovich do you identify with most?

Mickey with his unwavering loyalty & his ability to love fiercely

Which one are you actually like the most?

Honesty no clue lol

What Gallagher do you identify with most?

I think Ian with his big heart & self doubt

Which one are you actually like the most?

Maybe Ian which makes sense why i can get so frustrated with some of his actions bc like that could me too in that situation lol

I'll tag these dearhearts if they wanna play @mrsinistertype @sleepyfacetoughguy @xninetiestrendx @heymrspatel @squidyyy23 @auds-and-evens @jomilky gardenerian @celestialmickey @gallawitchxx @suzy-queued @rereadanon @darthvaders-wife @gallavichgeek @sickness-health-all-that-shit @shameless-notashamed @howlinchickhowl @gallavich-headcanon @stocious @bravemikhailo @crossmydna @chicanomick @whatwouldmickeydo @bekkachaos @deathclassic @suchagallabitch @beebabycastiel-main @iansw0rld @ianandmickeygallavich @greggster @messedwithmandy @friend-bear @mishervellous @mmmichyyy @lalazeewrites @very-sleepy-head @ psychicskulldamage @captainjowl @abundanceofnots @look-i-love-u @imikhailotakeyouian @mikhailoisbaby

[storm-cloud198]

My descriptions of the fiancés (karlnapity) + Kinoko Kingdom & Las Nevadas

Quackity was a short duck hybrid and the president of Las Nevadas. He had short black hair usually covered by a dark blue beanie. He usually wore a casual suit or something of the sort. He had small wings made of bright golden yellow feathers, his tail was also small and fluffy like his wings. Around his neck was a necklace with two rings on it, he was given the rings by his fiances: Karl and Sapnap. He loved them both very much and despite their arguments in the past they had a great relationship. He desired power and love.

Karl had fluffy brown hair and usually wore brightly coloured outfits. Around his neck was a necklace with two rings, it had the same story as Quackitiy’s, and a small pocket watch on a golden chain. The pocket watch was similar to the one Crimson had but it had a plain gold exterior. He seemed to be a normal human, just by looks alone, and he didn’t seem to have any powers. Karl always had a small notebook in his pocket, his memory was not very good. He seemed to be very good at history despite failing the class horribly in school. He had the personality of a golden retriever.

Sapnap was a fiery individual, both personality and looks wise. He was a nether demon. His hair was black and he wore a white bandana that was slightly burnt at the edges. His outfits were always very casual and consisted of monochrome and fiery colours. He, just like his fiances, had a necklace with two rings on it. His tail was smooth with an arrow shaped end. He had small horns but they were sharp as needles. Both were a deep red colour with black tips. His wings were not too dissimilar to Crimson’s ,they were a blood red and faded to black, they looked torn, similar to a bat’s wings. He was protective but not controlling.

Karl and Sapnap were the co-founders of Kinoko Kingdom, along with their friend George. Kinoko was a wonderful place, there were a lot of mushrooms and the whole place had a very cottagecore vibe. There were many cafes and bakeries and ponds. There wasn’t really any notable place within Kinoko, people mostly just visited to meet the people or start a new life surrounded by nature. Either way it was a popular stop on any long trip. People loved seeing the giant mushroom-like buildings and it was a nice place to go if you just needed some time away from the busy city life.

Las Nevadas, however, was entertainment central 24/7, year round. Filled with dazzling neon lights and bright coloured signs, the city was an easy spot. There were clubs and cafes and parks, but the most notable of all was the Las Nevadas Casino & Bar. In the centre of this great city, stood a huge white building with a bright neon sign above the door. The interior was just as bright as the outside, walls were covered in posters and every machine or table gave off a neon glow. Many visitors arrived to gamble their time away, but no matter how hard they tried, the house always won. Right at the gate of the city, there was a huge rectangular sign with rounded edges, illuminated by a string of yellow lights around its perimeter: ‘WELCOME TO LAS NEVADAS’ it read. The gate was painted a dark blue and there was a cobblestone path leading up to it that went through the whole city.

(this is from a story of mine that is somewhat discontinued)

[teecupangel]

Today I wish to be able to randomly hand Desmond a chocoroom whenever I want to….. (it’s a little cookie thing with chocolate on one end to make it look like a mushroom, by Meiji the same company that makes hello panda cookies.). He deserves chocorooms. And hello pandas actually.

Hi nonny.

Desmond deserves to have as many chocolate and snacks as he wants today and tomorrow! It's an important day after all.

(Oooh, hello pandas yeess!!!)

I will be there with you, giving him a pack every few minutes, even if he hasn't finished the ones we already gave him!

============== (Personal story below) ===============

(warning: I got oddly passionate over snacks)

At the same time:

Thank you for giving me war flashbacks, nonny.

Here's the thing: I once had a debate with a friend of mine over these chocorooms as you call them because, in Japan, there are...

I guess you can say two 'versions' of this.

One of them is the chocorooms:

They're called きのこの山 (literal translation Mushroom Mountain) and there's even a choco-strawberry flavor version.

The other version, on the other hand, I can't confirm but I believe is not available in the US? Anyway, here's the other version:

They're called たけのこの里 (literal translation: Bamboo Shoot Village)

They're popular in Japan and my friend and I both love them (they're also pretty cheap in conbinis) and we always get different versions each. We never talked about our preferences until, one day, during our lunch break, one of our officemates asked why we keep getting different boxes when they were the same thing. This prompted us to say that they're not the same thing.

This, of course, naturally led to us having a debate on which one is better which lasted our entire lunch break and our boss decided it was a tie and ordered us to get back to work when our break was over.

I will, to this day, insist that my little choco bamboo shoots (chocoboo? chocoshoots???) are better than those chocorooms!

Look at that shape!

Look at that chocolate coverage!

Look at that ridges mimicking the shape of a bamboo shoot!

A chocoroom concentrates all of its chocolate on the head! This bamboo shoot is covered almost in chocolate! No matter how you chew it, you are guaranteed to get chocolate!

Is it not clear that this is the superior Meiji chocolate???

(actually no that's yan yan but that's a whole different thing altogether)

[queen-of-meows]

WIP tag game

Thanks for tagging me, @insert-witty-user-name-here !

I don’t really have any WIP because I tend to publish right away and edit later (terrible habit !). But today I’ve been writing more of my long running Doctor Who story and I want to share some of it.

Here’s a little snippet of chapter 18 of Innocet’s War. For the context, Innocet, the main character, is hiding underground in former mines alongside Gallifreya Aeterna, a rebel faction led by the Pythia, a powerful witch who wants to restore the old political system (well, it’s a bit more complex than that ^^). During her stay, Innocet befriends some of the cultists, mostly villagers who lost everything in the war and army deserters. Among them is young Raiden, who has no memories of her life before the mines.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Finally, they reached some sort of a platform surrounded by the remains of ancient mining contraptions, giant cranes and rusting drills. Raiden walked close to the unprotected edge of the platform and let out a blood curling scream. She was only met with silence and a faint echo. She tried another one, this time stretching her voice as thin as physically possible. This time, she received an answer, barely audible cry from below their feet. Innocet backed up a little when she heard the sound of large flapping wings.

Suddenly, a large creature emmerged from the dark and hovered towards the platform. Innocet gawped in awe and terror. Under the bright light of their greenish Terranium lamp, the creature looked pale and famelish, its protuding joints forming weird angles as it slowly moved its leathery wings.

“Come closer !” Raiden prompted Innocet.

The old woman swallowed the lump in her throat and made a few steps towards the girl and the unsettling creature. Raiden smiled and stretched her hand to pet the Draugr's bald head. Innocet smiled. It's blind face was smooth, its eyes covered in a thin membrane of skin. It had two thin nostrils and no nose, and a large mouth like a reptile.

“Poeple say Draugrs are ugly and disgusting, and they teach their children to hate them too” Raiden explained with a sigh.

“I have to admit they're an acquired taste” Innocet replied humorously.

“Why can't they see how much we would benefit from working together ?” the girl asked. “Draugrs are smart and friendly.”

She unpacked her food as she was talking and handed a full embermole to the creatures. It snatched it's prize away and teared it apart with delight. Raiden laughed and playfully removed the bag from sight.

“Hey, keep some for your brothers !”

The Draugr growled and turned its head to Innocet. The old woman froze under the terrifying dead stare.

“You still have that mole in your hand” Raiden remined her.

Innocet blinked out of her trance and realised she had not given the rodent back to its thief.

“If you give Alabaster a treat, you will become her new best friend !”

Mustering her courage, Innocet came closer to the pit and handed the dead animal to the Draugr. Alabaster, as Raiden had called her, sniffed her prey and tilted her head.

“You can have it” Innocet encouraged her, loosening her grip on the furry thing.

Alabaster snatched the mole away and swallowed it full with a growl of delight. Soon, more high-pitched cries announced the arrival of more Draugrs. All of them were approximatively the same size, but there were small variation in the shape of their wing or the coloration of their skin.

“Mushrooms for Limestone ! And more Embermoles for Moonsand !”

There were now three of them, eating treats from Raiden's hands.

“The Night Patrol killed their mother” Raiden explained. “They used to kill a lot of Draugrs, before the Pythia passed a law to officially protect them.”

The young girl could barely hide her anger.

“So you raised those three babies ?” Innocet asked.

She nodded proudly.

“Yes. Father Jareth and Daddy Lyron were in the patrol when the idiot guard fired up. They had found the nest and the rest of the team would have killed the babies too if my dads had not prevented it. They had a heated argument and it ended with an audience with the Pythia herself. She punished the guards with extra cleaning duty and allowed my dads to bring food to the little Draugrs until they get old enough to survive on their own.”

“It's a lovely story. I knew your fathers were good men.”

Raiden nodded.

“We had just arrived at the Sanctuary. I was still very young when my dads saved them. They were adorable, and they grew into majestic creatures."

Innocet glanced at the three Draugrs. With their long limbs and sharp ribcage, she could understand why the ancients had mistaken them for undead bodies. The smell didn't help either. Whether they had always looked like this, or they were the result of a mutation after being tainted by the Yssgaroth, Innocet would never know. Maybe it was all myths and legends, and Draugrs were simply endemic creatures from those caves. But superstitions died hard, and every child and loomling on Gallifrey had heard of the scary Vampires from the Moon that came at night to eat the desobedient little ones.

I’m tagging you, @bushs-world ! And whoever wants to join.

[bloomingskymagnolia]

3/20

Today is the season if bloom!!! I was really excited for it to come, and now it's here and did not disappoint!! It's so beautiful! I just loved playing today, i know because i love nature and flowers and spring so much, and sky did it beautifully

I took two resize potions and ended up being pretty short 🥲 but honestly.. i love it!!

I used a try-on potion for the hair, and i like it a lot! The bangs are so beautiful, and it looks really pretty on the shirt height i think

But honestly... the most beautiful part was when that potion wore off

I was in the hidden forest where it's really dark, and i had stopped the rain (because a wing was on that stand), and i was flying up on the mushroom things to get to the wing that is at the very, very top behind a wall

And it was in that wall, after i got the wing, that the potion disappeared

It was beautiful! It was like my hair was let down. From a beautiful and careful style, now fallen down from the journey where it flows long and free behind me. it was a beautiful moment 💗

A moth friend (who i never saw online since the day i met her) came online! At the same moment that another friend who i really liked came online haha but it was just fine, that friend greeted me and went off on her own. The moth put her hand in mine, ans i took her to the forest. We sat at that cute little table that's set there, the one where we can drink tea and eat cookies. And... when we held hands again, i did the try-on spell for the rose petal cape for us both!

That cape was wonderful!🌹 I just loved flying around in it! I love the shape of it, it really looks like petals. It wraps around the characters body, and it feels so sweet and pretty and dainty ���️ i just adore it! It makes me feel like a fairy. I can't wait to have it!

[slime-quest]

You take a moment to look around the space. There are soft clouds everywhere, and piles of objects scattered about. Mirrow is lounging in a small mound of mushroom shaped pillows, and a ways off you can see several plush purple pillows nestled among some crystals, presumably where Humphrey hangs out.

You look back at your own space. Several small bookcases encircle a single large pillow. The shelves are filled with books of varying sizes and colors. Small crystals are sprouting from the clouds around the space, and there are several candles littering the area, some of which are lit.

"The books are hard to read because a lot of pages are missing from them, but there's a lotta stuff in there. Old journals and letters, stuff like that. Some of them are mine, some are yours. Humphrey seems to have the cleanest selection of books, but it's mostly about slime culture. Kinda boring, honestly."

You pull one of Mirrow's books off the shelf and open it up. It looks like gibberish. "Why can't I read it?"

"Cuz I don't want you to, nerd. I can't read most of yours either. What do you want to know?"

"Oh, just.. I guess I thought we'd be able to read each other's minds since we're the same person?"

"Yeah, well, I don't think that's how it is."

A pulse of grief ripples through you, but you try to ignore it for now.

You look at the cover of the book. The hand shaped symbol is embossed on the front. "We learned this when we found you, do you remember anything about it?"

"Not really. It's not a spell. Or, it's not exactly a spell. I think there's something specific about it, like it's a symbol, but I don't remember what it means. Maybe we used to be really into high fives." She shrugs nonchalantly. "If you figure it out, let me know."

You put the book back on the shelf and turn your gaze to the broken sword floating some distance above your space. There are thin tendrils growing over the crystal, with small mushroom caps flowering near the top. A gentle melodic beeping resonates from the sword, easy to miss until you paid attention to it.

"Do you know what the hand means?" you ask it.

The sword continues to beep softly, a quiet pulsing rhythm.

"Can you say anything at all?"

It doesn't respond, just gently beeping and booping.

"It's actually been more chatty since the crystal smith opened the locket," Mirrow says, "I think it recognized the song and has been trying to answer it back."

"Hmm.. Hey, Humphrey, can we open that locket for a second?"

Humphrey ## Oh, sure, I'll try. ##

Humphrey pulls out the locket and tries to open it. There's a seam and a hinge, but they can't seem to figure out a way to pry it open. Tricky watches you struggle with it.

"I've seen one of those before, traveling voidkin carry them. How'd you get one?"

"It belonged to uhh... a friend. They disappeared, and this was one of the things they left behind." Humphrey puts the locket away.

"Gosh, I'm sorry about your friend. At least you have something to remember them by."

Humphrey ## sorry guys, I don't think we can open it ##

You look back up at the sword. It isn't making noise anymore.

"Oh, one more thing, uh, Tricky! Do you know if there's a way to turn this stuff into rope?" Humphrey tugs at your cloak.

"Well, I guess if it's thread, you could maybe tell it to be a rope? I'm not sure how that works tho, I think only voidkin can control the shape of it, but I don't know a lot about magic."

You arrive at the lake. The water stretches out a great distance, almost further than you can see, tho you're just able to make out the shape of trees and houses on the far bank.

"Oh gosh..."

The houses closer to you are destroyed, splintered and torn apart. Trees with deep gashes, deep dents in the earth, and the shallows are littered with debris from the destruction.

In the middle of the lake, balanced on the surface of the water stands a trio of voidkin. They look thin and frail, all three are staring directly upwards, their brilliant red single eyes shining brightly even in the full might of the sun. They don't seem aware of your approach just yet.

Humphrey slides back into their space, putting you back in front.

[trickrydomain]

MEMES FROM THE GODLESS LAND OF TIKTOK REVISITED

              the below prompts are a mix of general thoughts, 2am thoughts, suggestive prompts, and some nihilistic / possibly triggering prompts related to self reflection.

your bones are wet.

i prefer my puns intended.

alexa, turn off my emotions.

i’m baby, and i’m fucking cute.

you have failed the vibe check.

beef jerky is just meat raisins.

*brandishing a knife* cuddle me.

the point of golf is to play less golf.

i’m shaving my legs, then i’m on my way.

do you like potatoes? no? then fuck you.

the gods don’t want to fuck you!! stop!!

listen here you delicious fuck, i like you.

bold of you fucks to assume that i’m not god.

i can be your comfort and your favorite threat.

what’s your toxic trait? mine is being a bitch.

i want to suck you in like my one last cigarette.

hey did you hear there’s mercury in the gatorade.

that’s…that’s it? that’s your evil villain excuse?

who the fuck is playing music at 2 in the morning?!

are cakes with filling just really thick sandwiches?

i want you every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

i’m big spoon. i may be a backpack, but i’m big spoon.

if asexual is “shagnostic”, are bisexuals “ambisextrous”?

which one of you motherfuckers snitched on me to my mom?!

you come over here right now and smack my ass like a drum.

i’m a top! i may be a crop top, but i’m still a fucking top.

what song do you think could be made in to a good sea shanty?

( sender tries to lift a heavy rock to impress the receiver.)

if bears aren’t meant to be hugged, why are they friend-shaped?

if your tongue sticks when you lick it it’s a bone! *clap clap*

you’re the best kind of fucking person and i would die for you.

i didn’t see that coming. probably because i had my back turned.

living people eat dead mushrooms. living mushrooms eat dead people.

fried eggs and fried chicken are different stages of the same food.

shiny knick knacks go click clack *shakes [small objects] together*

one day, i wanna be rich enough that my big fridge has a lil fridge.

the neighbors don’t take care of their dog so i guess it’s mine now.

you want my last name? that’s the sexiest thing you’ve ever said to me.

i’m compact, okay? i know i’m small but that doesn’t mean i’m not strong.

this dude thinks he can seduce me with his jawline? *a scoff* he’s right.

mercury might be in gatorade, but the pug had bones. let’s get this bread.

my electronic toothbrush died, so now i have to brush my teeth acoustically.

the only b-word i’ll ever call you is beautiful. (a pause) i love you, bitch.

i don’t know why people call it the roof of their mouth when it’s the ceiling.

i believe there are aliens in the ocean and nobody ever fucking listens to me.

i’m….so sorry….i’ve learned….my lesson (throws an object to distract and runs away).

i just found out what a biblically correct angel looks like and honestly, i’m scared.

trauma isn’t just the bad things that happened. it’s also the good things that never came.

if you’re sad or mad, shove that shit down deep and eat an uncrustable like the rest of us.

i called you to this meeting because i’m sad and you’re supposed to do something about that.

you want to take a shower? you gotta knock on the wall and ask the water to come out nicely.

flirt with me just right and, as long as you respect my boundaries, you could unlock my wares.

there’s the saying ‘you are what you eat’…now i’m concerned for the people who say ‘i’m baby’.

i was doing stuff with my birth chart and i was not prepared to learn that the moon knows i’m gay.

don’t you hate it when you’re trying to pick a scenario to fall asleep to and there’s nothing good on?

i’m just saying, when you go underwater, you enter a dimension where you can fly but you can’t breathe.

do you know who gets sent in when people want to act a fool? this basic bitch who’s secretly full of rage.

the only way capitalism can become beneficial is if it becomes legal to eat the rich once they become too wealthy.

sure my body’s a temple, but you know what? some temples are unkempt and falling apart and maybe a little bit haunted.

in other news, the sexual position known as 69 will now be called 96. due to the economy, the cost of eating out has gone up.

i was just walking outside and it looks like someone fell (evidence that they are the one that fell) i feel bad for that idiot.

god making me was like, “little bit of sugar, little bit of spice, little bit of everything nice…and a big ol’ heaping handful of bitch.”

i was single for a long time, like a long time. but then i met the love of my life. he is my boyfriend - he doesn't know it yet, but he is.

are you under the impression that i allow everyone in my life to treat me like this, or are you asking me to make an exception just for you? answer quickly.

look, what i’m saying is an apology is not worth saying if you don’t feel bad about what you did and it’s not really an apology unless it features an admission of fault and a promise to not repeat the behavior.

i don’t know what happened but the toilet is smoking! ( cut to inside a bathroom, two rolls of toilet paper have been placed on the closed lid to resemble eyes, and a tube is pinned between the lid and seat, resembling a cigar )

[amenomiko]

Yeah I don't do SLBP fictions but I'm just curious. What if SLBP characters meet with IkeSen Characters?

Nobunaga

IkeSen Nobu: .....

SLBP Nobu: .....

IkeSen Nobu: Well? Does your MC allows you to drink sake from her lips?

SLBP Nobu: What-

IkeSen Nobu: Hm. I see that your MC is not bold as mine, then.

SLBP Nobu: Hooh? Does your MC do it for you?

IkeSen Nobu: *Grins* Always.

MC: Say it again or you will see darkness once I touch your bloody neck Nobunaga (✿❛◡❛).

-----

Hideyoshi

IkeSen Hide: ☺ Nice to meet you.

SLBP Hide: Hehehe same here ᕕ( ՞ ᗜ ՞ )ᕗ!

IkeSen Hide: You are very young aren't you?

SLBP Hide: You can say that ☺. But I admire you so much! You have lots of fan girls 😲✨

IkeSen Hide: They are just a bunch of lovely ladies. I am not that popular ☺

SLBP Hide: ...Senpai 😳✨✨✨

IkeSen Hide: What- who taught you that--

-----

Masamune

IkeSen Masa: HAH! What's life if you don't ride your horse like this ٩( ᐛ )و! *Ride his horse by STANDING on it*

SLBP Masa: *Went pale* Uhh..

IkeSen Masa: Come on, lad! You only live once (˵ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°˵)✨✨✨✨

SLBP Masa: But I don't think that is safe..

SLBP Kojuro: Exactly. What in the world.. Hey, you just let your master do those dangerous act?

IkeSen Kojuro: This is not a first time. Besides, I'm happy as long as he is happy uwu✨✨✨

-----

Mitsuhide

IkeSen Mitsu: *Grins*

SLBP Mitsu: (´・ｪ・｀)...?

IkeSen Mitsu: Ah, pardon me. I'm just thinking on how lucky you are, living in a castle without having a mother hen in it ( ͡^ ͜ʖ ͡^).

SLBP Mitsu: Mother hen? Well yes, since our food supplies like chicken is placed separately away from the castle.

IkeSen Mitsu: And it is to my knowledge that your MC is very pure?

SLBP Mitsu: *Smiles* Yes, she is. She is very kind too. How about your MC? I heard that she is a strong lady.

IkeSen Mitsu: Yes. She is over there (˵ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°˵).

MC: *Takes Mitsuhide's gun and pointed it to a cockroach* PEW PEW MADAFAKA OAO

SLBP MC: *Already fainted from so called cockroach +A+*

SLBP Mitsu: (　☉д⊙)....

-----

Mitsunari

IkeSen Nari: (ㆁᴗㆁ✿)🌸🌸🌸🌸

SLBP Nari: (눈‸눈)....

SLBP Nari: You are a tactician you say? Sorry not sorry to say this but you don't look like it.

IkeSen Nari: Am I? Oh.. You don't have to be sorry. Being honest already explains that you are a kind person (❁´◡`❁).

SLBP Nari: No. I'm clearly mocking you here.

IkeSen Nari: Eh? But you don't look like it. Because you are like Ieyasu-sama. He may look strict and firm, but he is very kind (*´ω`*)

SPBP Nari: You are beyond help are you?

IkeSen Nari: See? You even want to help me! I'm honored ((o(*>ω<*)o))!

SLBP Nari: .....*groans*

IkeSen Ieyasu: *Appears beside him* Welcome to the club.

-----

Ieyasu

IkeSen Yasu: 😒😒😒😒

SLBP Yasu: 😒😒😒😒

IkeSen Yasu: What's with that clothes for war? Your helmet is weird.

SPBP Yasu: Heh. Unlike you, you don't wear anything on your head. Don't blame me if an arrow stab across that messy hair of yours.

IkeSen Yasu: Your skills doesn't need to be used on battlefield at all, as your bright yellow armor hurts people's eyes.

SLBP Yasu: And your clothes still have those puffy ball scarf, that's not an armor, that's a winter clothes.

Both: *HISSES* OAO

Sasuke: IkeSen Yasu and SLBP Yasu, my dream came true (´；A ；`)❤❤❤❤❤

-----

Kenshin

IkeSen Kenshin: (눈‸눈)...

SLBP Kenshin: (*´ω`*)🌸🌸🌸🌸

IkeSen Kenshin: Your room.. Is this even a room? What's with this small rocks with weird shape, and those dry flowers, and those mushrooms? Is this a storage room given to you as your chamber?

SPBP Kenshin: *Gasp* QAQ don't call my beloved baby rocks that way! They have a name! You see, this one is Hana, Sumire and Kanae, and..

SLBP Kanetsugu: He gave it a name. Great. Just great (-"-;)

IkeSen Kanetsugu: (눈‸눈)....

IkeSen Kenshin: Be quiet. You are disturbing my peace in drinking this sake.

SLBP Kenshin: Ooooh OAO✨✨✨ you drink sake with plum??

IkeSen Kenshin: Yes. It's the best pleasure ever. Hm.

SLBP Kenshin: *Gasp and take one of the plums in his hand* Can I have this? This plum is so beautiful 😳😳😳✨✨✨ I've fallen in love ❤❤❤❤

IkeSen Kenshin: ...What. *spills his sake onto the floor instantly*

SLBP Kenshin: Yaaay! New friend ((o(*>ω<*)o))!

SLBP Kanetsugu: GAHHH LET GO OF ME! SOMEONE HAS TO SMACK HIM OUT OF HIS SENSES \(OAO)/

IkeSen Kanetsugu: *Holds SLBP Kanetsugu casually* (눈‸눈)...

-----

Shingen

IkeSen Shingen: (˵ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°˵)✨✨✨

SLBP Shingen: ( ͡^ ͜ʖ ͡^)✨✨✨

IkeSen Shingen: (˵ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°˵) Dango?

SLBP Shingen: ☺☺☺ Sure.

IkeSen Shingen: Your hair really represents Takeda as a whole, eh. I like that.

SPBP Shingen: 😏😏😏 Heh. It's also like a charming point, as it captured both men and women's heart.

IkeSen Shingen: So.... You even do men like the rumors said?

SLBP Shingen: *Grins* Well, up to you to believe it 😏

IkeSen Shingen: Oh.. *Turns away and eat his sweets with a straight face*

IkeSen MC: You are lucky that your place has some BL 😒

SLBP MC: Pardon? What is a BL O.O?

-----

Yukimura

IkeSen Yuki: ಠ_ಠ...

SPBP Yuki: (´。＿。｀)...

IkeSen Yuki: You eyes are so blue. Are you a barbarian's child? Wait- Even your lord has red eyes. Uh.. Okay.

SLBP Yuki: Well it is created that way. My brother has blue eyes too.

IkeSen Yuki: So.. Your MC. *looks left to right before turning to SLBP Yuki* Does she run like a wild boar?

SLBP Yuki: Huh?? What- (　☉д⊙)??

IkeSen Yuki: Our first encounter was bad. Not only she run and bump onto me roughly, she even make us nearly fell off the cliff.

SLBP Yuki: W-wow. People from the future sure have lots of energy (°д°).

*Suddenly, a R18 book landed in the middle of the place they were sitting* PAP!! Σ📚

Both: *JUMPS*EEEEEKKKK \(O//////A///////O)/

Sasuke: *Takes note* I see, I see, no matter which game he's in, his mind is still a pure virgin (´・ｪ・｀).

-----

Sasuke

IkeSen Sasuke: (´・ｪ・｀)....

SPBP Sasuke: (˵ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°˵)✨✨✨

IkeSen Sasuke: *Looks from his chest to SLBP Sasuke's toned and bulky chest and back to him* I see. So this is the feeling like those anime characters with flat chest compared to those who has plump chest. *sigh* (´・ｪ・｀)

SLBP Sasuke: Don't let it get to you! I trained for years to get this too!

IkeSen Sasuke: It's alright. I don't think my MC has interest in Jojo-Like Humans as we are all created with a normal toned body.

SLBP Sasuke: Jojo who 🙃?

IkeSen Sasuke: Do you say ORA ORA ORA ORA when you attack your enemy?

SLBP Sasuke: ...No ʕʘ̅͜ʘ̅ʔ.

-----

MC

IkeSen MC: (✿❛◡❛)

SLBP MC: (ㆁᴗㆁ✿)

IkeSen MC: So you can cook?

SLBP MC: Hehehe yes. My family runs a restaurant. And you can sew, right?

IkeSen MC: Yes, I'm a seamstress in the castle (*´ω`*).

SLBP MC: Woww..! That's nice 🌸🌸🌸 I heard that you are brave too..! Unlike me.. My hair were cut into half and.. I was punched and.. *sighs* (´；ω；`)

IkeSen MC: *Sweats* Uh... *Gulps*

IkeSen MC: I'm glad I'm so sassy and just got locked up and the men swoon to my smile. Heh. Heheh. Phew. ʕʘ̅͜ʘ̅ʔ

[minidigidestined]

Antlion and Seung

A oneshot I started like a year ago and finished the other day. it is the meeting of two of my OCs, Antlion and Seung. Just something short, simple and fun... I may rework it and turn it into its own series!

XXX

"Alright, Bonk, let's get out of here. I think we've got about all we can carry." Auburn hair tied into twin tails with string fluttered in the spring breeze as a stout woman screwed the cap back on the last of the many canteens hanging from the belt at her waist, slipping a morel mushroom into the straps on her back. She wiped the sweat from her brow with the hem of her dress, squinting at the fading sun. "Plus it's getting late. Owls will be out." Each movement--down to the most minute--efficient, sure and almost mechanical. A round toad, pale white and studded with cheerfully ruddy warts, stared back at her with scarlet eyes. He stood about an inch or two taller than his possibly human companion--well, if you didn't count her absolutely diminutive stature or slitted eyes, along with a few other uncanny features.   Bonk cocked his head, looking concerned and almost as uncanny as the girl with his wide mouth and unwavering stare.   His throat swelled with a chirp of warning, but the tiny woman was preoccupied with situating the plump morel among her gear. "This'll be some great eating! Mix it up with some roasted crickets back at the hollow and we'll definitely be good to hole up for a coup--" The ground rumbled with the slightest of vibrations, but silence hung heavy in the air--with even the cicada choir gone quiet, that definitely meant there was some sneaky predator around.   "Bonk, go!" Without a second thought, the tiny lady swung atop her warty steed, grasping onto his parotid glands for purchase. The albino toad lurched forward with a mighty hop, abandoning their puddle of rainwater and shooting toward the trail leading to their burrow in the gnarled roots of an old oak... ...And slammed straight into an open palm. "Hm. I'm sorry." The voice that rumbled above them was thoughtful, quiet, calculating. And yet no less terrifying. A human this far in the woods couldn't mean anything good. Bonk fell backwards, chirping desperately as he sprung up to cover his friend with his heavy-set body, flattening down on top of her. Terrified, she pressed her face into the soft bumpy skin of his belly, mind rushing to think of the old Nature Queens her mother had taught her about when she was young. Something to pray to. To cry to. And quite possibly to curse at. She had never once been this foolish and oblivious before, but she had just been so tired and hungry... She and Bonk both had lost so much weight during the barren winter, but she thought with the recent rain their luck was changing at last. She got too excited, a rookie mistake when out foraging. "Stupid..." She grit her teeth together, willing her tears away as she felt Bonk's rapid heartbeat thrum against her face.   "An albino--how rare and pretty." The once-before dreary voice now seemed to hold a bit of sparkle. "Let me get a good look at you...you're a big guy for being so bright out here. Figured you would have been eaten by now. Lucky one." Long fingers gently curled around Bonk's abdomen, lifting the little toad right on up despite his now outraged wriggling. "Piss rocket, Bonk! Piss on him!" The girl grit between her teeth.   She knew the human would see her any second now--and once he did, it was all over. Bonk began to squirm wildly, spraying a certain kind of liquid artillery as his tiny feet grasped for his friend's hands. His red eyes shone with terror, the woman's own black eyes reflecting pure rage. The human lifted Bonk completely into the air after getting a firm grasp on his back legs, turning the amphibian with a sure hand to face their visage head-on. The tiny woman finally got a good look at them--tall and rail thin, pale eyes and hair brushed away from their brow and tied in a high ponytail. Everything about them seemed pointed and grim,  fragile like glass, a stark contrast to both the woman and Bonk's soft, rounded and much sturdier looking shapes. "Such bright colors." The human mused, flipping Bonk over to inspect his belly. "I just can't get over it. How did such a garish little thing like you survive so long?"   The woman eyed a strange contraption hanging around the human's neck, a circular lens catching the last of the fading sun. Bonk smacked the human with his front feet and swelled his throat, all out of pee and struggling to escape. I can't let this go on, The woman thought. Who cares about the elf courts? The rules? No one's here to listen in now. No nobles have ever helped me, and I refuse to let a damn thing happen to Bonk! The tiny lass, no more  than a few inches tall, whisked her blade from the strap at her hip--be it but a sewing needle, she knew it could still draw blood if neccessary. She slipped the morel from her back to use as a, uh... Club? Shield? She wasn't quite sure at this point, vision going red with rage and brain dizzy with fear. He's all I have left. "Put him down!" She cried at the top of her little lungs. "Or else my Deathweaver will have a taste of you, human!" The human seemed to startle for a moment, flinching inward and glancing around almost sheepishly. Then their gaze flicked down, jaw going slack. I'm all he has. Anything but leaving him behind, She reminded herself as her blood turned to ice.   She tried to imagine herself as a human would--being tiny was shocking enough she was sure, but her long ears, mottled white and tan skin, black spots, slitted eyes, whip tail and her hands covered in setae? She had seen how humans reacted before... Knowing some kind of earth magic would be great right about now... Anything more than a knitting needle to keep from getting stepped on. Oh, how she wished she had been as talented as the rest of her family! "...You look like a House Gecko. Mediterranean." The human blinked. "But a person. At the same time. Huh." She blinked back, then sneered. "I am Antlion." The woman gripped her needle, growling. "And you will unhand my friend at once!"   She was shaking uncontrollably. The human continued to stare, Bonk himself going still and cocking his head as if confused by the sudden stand-off.   "Well, I'm Seung." The human said, plainly. "I need to get a look at you." "Excuse me?! I'll poke out your--" Her war cry became a squeal when the human reached forward with his free hand. She rolled out of the way--just how Honey-Lavender taught me--but it still wasn't enough. The human's fingers caught the strap across her back, lifting her right off the ground. Antlion snarled, kicking her legs and thrusting her needle upwards. She laughed when it raced across the human's palm, making them wince. "Bring me to your face, Seung!" She hissed out mockingly. "Let's see you look at me with no eyes!" Seung's lips twisted in a wry smile. "What a shame that would be." "Eeugh?" Antlion felt heat rise to her cheeks before baring her teeth. "Let my friend go or your nose is mine!" She pointed the needle right at their face, wincing inwardly when she noticed something more along the lines of a paper cut rather than the grievous wound she had been aiming for on her foe's wrist. "You've got attitude. Usually house geckos are runners. How interesting. You do have the markings though. Does your tail drop?" Antlion stared straight forward, her black and silver eyes locked into his own. The clear blue of a frozen lake. An early morning sky before frost. Delicate as glass. She burned. She'd do anything to melt that ice into nothing. The little woman cursed her diminutive size. "Hm. I could see why you'd be frustrated." They seemed to snap out of a fog. "I guess that was rude. I've just never seen anything like you. And your companion is an albino american toad? With your...aggression, I suppose I know how he's survived so long despite his color." Bonk croaked indignantly. Antlion's eyes narrowed, her sword arm unwavering. "We grew up together, I raised him from a tadpole. I'd do anything to keep him safe--even slay a giant like you." "There's no need for any slaying." Seung said dryly, the edge of their mouth curling into something like a smile. "Let me prove it to you." Carefully, they lowered both of their hands to the earth, placing each of his tiny charges back on the ground. "There." Antlion's heart was in her throat, even as Bonk pressed his face into her shoulders, his body loose with relief. "What are you doing, human?" "I would just like to talk. Ask some questions." Seung said delicately. "I'm studying herpetology right now, and I'm the president of the photography club. The only member of it, actually." "I do not know what your silly words mean." Antlion's eyes became angry slits, the human's shadow encompassing her. "That's okay, we'll get there." Seung nodded, as if this were all completely natural to them. "What do you mean?" Antlion demanded, eying them warily as she sheathed her Deathweaver. "We are friends now, are we not? I have a bit of cheese and crackers I'm willing to spare. Let us sit and talk awhile." The little gecko woman blinked. This human was...different. Intriguing and unflinching. She held tight to her anger. Anger kept you safe. But it had been so very long since she had cheese... So even though she was breaking about thirty seven different laws...in their shadow they remained. "I will speak in exchange for cheese." Antlion huffed. "But we are not friends. You giants are my enemy!" Seung smirked softly, reaching into their bag for the snacks. "Of course. So, why don't we start with what in the world you are, then?" Antlion sucked in a deep breath. Bonk nudged her arm, looking just as curious and hungry as she did. She had been lonely for such a long time. Quiet for even longer. And this human...odd as they were, they were also kind. Gentle. Even after she had threatened and spit and spat at them. Perhaps they could be useful to a beast elf like her. After all, there were no law keepers to punish her for simply...using the resources around her, now was there? So she let go for the first time in many years, and began to speak.

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[dangerouscommiesubversive]

Z for Kaoru/Yusuke with Bonus Shouichi/Makoto (Double Date)

Z is for double date

Makoto’s wanted to work directly with Ichijo Kaoru for years, and now that he’s getting to, what strikes him is just how tired the man seems. Not that it makes anything but sense--his work ethic is legendary, which mostly means that he never seems to relax. He’s always doing something. Makoto’s never heard him mention hobbies, vacations, no girlfriend or wife. Work, work, work.

Which is why, when Ichijo turns to him one day and says, “You couldn’t recommend a good restaurant around here, could you?” Makoto’s first response is to say, “Pardon?”

Once he’s gathered himself, which only takes a second or two, he does manage to continue with, “Right, ah, restaurants. Yes, I know a few, are you--who are you entertaining?”

“A friend of mine just came back from a long trip.” And--this perpetually harried man’s eyes soften, and he doesn’t quite smile, but he’s definitely thinking of smiling. “I thought we might get something to eat, I haven’t taken a real evening off in a while.”

Makoto can’t help smiling himself. “Well, what kind of food does your friend like?”

“Oh, he’ll eat just about anything. He loves to cook, actually, he makes an amazing curry--” Ichijo cuts off abruptly, as if he thinks he’s said too much, but then continues. “In any case, he’s been out of the country for a few months, and I’d like to treat him. He enjoys visiting new restaurants.”

Makoto’s smile becomes a grin. “I have a friend like that. Who loves food, I mean, not that he’s been out of the country. He runs a restaurant, he almost never travels. I’ve been trying to convince him to take a break for a while.”

“Really? Well, I’d say I should go to your friend’s restaurant, but it sounds like maybe he could use an evening off as much as I could.” As if to punctuate, Ichijo takes a long sip of his coffee, blinking tiredly. “Actually, you know, Hikawa, why don’t you come with us? Talk your friend into taking a night off too and we’ll all get dinner together. It’ll be my treat, senior to junior.”

“That’s, I--that’s incredibly kind of you to offer, thank you, I’d, we’d love to.” I’ll make Shouichi take a night off if it kills me. “Do you, uh--you said your friend eats pretty much anything. Do you like yakiniku?”

--

It takes less work than Makoto had been expecting to talk Shouichi into it. No work at all, actually--he explains, and Shouichi immediately brightens and says, “Oh, a double date, that sounds fantastic.”

“Well, no, I mean--I don’t think. I don’t know if Ichijo is. He just said friend.”

“That’s also what you call me.” Shouichi beams at him. “Don’t worry, I can think it’s a date without saying so.”

Makoto blushes. “I’m sorry, I just--worry. I mean, they might be, but if they aren’t--Ichijo’s my senior, I don’t want to offend him.” A pause. “But whatever it is for them, it’s a date for us.”

--

The first thing that strikes him about Ichijo’s friend is the smile, one hundred watts directed squarely at him from across the yakiniku place. The second thing, when they’re shaking hands, is the eyes.

“Godai Yusuke,” Ichijo’s friend says, and Makoto thinks, he has Shouichi’s eyes.

Not exactly, of course--it’s not as if they’re the same shape or color as Shouichi’s, his eyelashes are longer, laugh lines deeper. There’s a look, though, that he and Shouichi share, an intensity that Makoto finds jarringly familiar.

Granted, it’s not the first time he’s met someone else with eyes like that. Some people just have them. A journalist who interviewed Mana once for an article about psychics. The guy who does Makoto’s dry-cleaning. A man who stopped him once to ask for directions to the airport. Some people just have a gaze that knocks you flat.

Ichijo snaps him out of his brief surprise by clapping him gently on the shoulder. “I was going to introduce him, but he beat me to it. Godai, this is Hikawa Makoto, he’s a colleague of mine.”

“I’ve heard about you.” The hundred-watt smile again. “Ichijo thinks pretty highly of you, it’s great to get a chance to say hello.” He glances past Makoto’s shoulder.

“Right, ah. Ichijo, Godai, this is my friend Tsugami Shouichi, he runs Restaurant Agito over in--”

Godai brightens more, if such a thing is possible. “Agito? I’ve heard of there, I’ve been meaning to try it for a while but I just never seem to have the time. It’s your restaurant?”

Shouichi grins at him. “Yeah, for a few years now. You should come there sometime, since you’re friends of Makoto’s I’ll cook you something special.”

They all sit down at the table, and within a few minutes Shouichi and Godai are deep into a heated discussion about gardening techniques, of all things. Lost, Makoto glances across the table and catches Ichijo’s eye, and Ichijo flashes him a brief smile. “And until five minutes ago I didn’t realize that Godai knew how to garden. I should have guessed, of course. He knows how to do most things.”

Then he looks back at Godai, and there’s an expression that crosses his face, and it hits Makoto hard, that this is Ichijo looking at someone he’s in love with.

He wonders if Godai knows.

He hopes so, really, anyone who’s got Ichijo’s attention like that must be something special.

And Godai and Shouichi are talking about cooking now, and having an entirely different friendly disagreement about seasoning blends, and Godai turns to Makoto and says, “So do you cook, Hikawa? Because Kaoru doesn’t much, and someone’s going to have to settle this.”

“Oh, uh. I’m all right as a cook. I don’t actually cook much, though, I don’t think I can settle anything for you.”

Shouichi leans in a bit to say, in a loud stage whisper, “He’s good with tofu.”

Makoto groans. “Please don’t bring up the tofu.”

“I’m sensing that there’s a story behind this.” Ichijo turns to flag down a server as he’s speaking. “Please, bring up the tofu.”

Makoto covers his face with his hands. “Shouichi’s going to tell you every embarrassing thing he knows about me now, I can sense it.”

“Don’t worry too much.” Godai elbows Ichijo lightly. “I’ll keep it even by telling you embarrassing things about Kaoru.”

Ichijo’s eyes go wide. “You wouldn’t.”

Fortunately, this is when the server reaches them, and for another couple of minutes they all devolve into good-natured bickering as they order drinks and ask for recommendations about what meats are best today. Of course, they’ve all got favorites, and none of them are the same, so the server takes just the drink order with a promise to help settle things when she returns.

And--something odd happens.

They’re looking at the menu, talking over the different platters available, and Shouichi says, “Actually, look, you know, the number four selection looks good, we can always add stuff to it.”

Godai flinches.

It’s very slightly, almost imperceptible. Just a twitch, a flicker. And then it’s gone, and Godai is nodding and saying, “Maybe that and then the pork belly and--are those garlic mushrooms? Are they good here?”

Makoto’s known people in the past who got superstitious about the number four, but somehow he doesn’t think that’s it. He doesn’t want to ask, though, and risk disrupting their nice time. So he just says, “Yeah, those are newer on the menu, but they’re really delicious.”

The flinch stays with him, itching at the back of his mind. Something about it reminds him of...he’s not sure what.

The server returns with their drinks and takes their dinner order. Godai and Shouichi resume their seasoning argument, which somehow transitions seamlessly into a discussion of coffee-brewing. Ichijo, when he isn’t talking, continues to watch Godai like he’s the only person in the world.

“I feel like Tsugami and I might be dominating the conversation,” Godai says brightly after a bit. “So, Hikawa, are you allowed to talk about what you and Kaoru are working on? I would’ve gotten the story from him, but I only got back to Japan two days ago, haven’t had the time yet.”

“Oh, uh. We’re consulting in the new stage of an ongoing project.”

“Trying to convince the brass that the solution to their problems isn’t always to build a bigger gun.” Ichijo sighs. “Speaking of that, Hikawa, how’s your shoulder with the wet weather we’ve been having?”

“It aches, but at least it’s not seizing up. I was the bigger gun once,” Makoto says to Godai, who looks a little thrown by the segue. “In the, uh, Unknown situation, a few years ago. Or at least I wore it, I was G3′s equipper. I’m on this project now because I have hands-on experience with, um. Unusual situations.”

“That’s how we met,” Shouichi says unexpectedly next to him, “the Unknown thing. Makoto was interviewing a friend of mine about part of it.”

“Oh, I see. I was, ah, out of the country when that was going on,” and for some reason Ichijo reaches over and squeezes Godai’s hand as Godai continues talking. “I didn’t hear too much about it. What was G3?”

“It was--” Makoto scratches the back of his head, flips his piece of skirt steak on the grill. “Well, this might sound odd, but it was a sort of robot suit for fighting monsters? It was based on--”

Number Four. It was based on Unidentified Life Form Number Four.

The tiny flinch from earlier clicks into place with the vague knowledge Makoto has of Ichijo’s past work, Ichijo’s hand on Godai’s, “I was out of the country.”

I’m sitting across the table from Number Four.

The minuscule flinch replays itself in his mind again and again, and even as he’s suppressing the urge to jump up and shout he also changes tack. “--the designs of a friend of mine, Professor Ozawa, maybe you’ve heard of her? She actually won a fairly major engineering award a few years ago.”

His eyes meet Ichijo’s across the grill for a moment, and what he sees is alarm fading into clear, profound relief. They can’t nod at each other, not right now, not about this, but Makoto’s fairly sure he knows what Ichijo is thinking.

Fortunately--or maybe it’s not just fortune, maybe it’s intentional--Shouichi chooses this moment to say, cheerfully, “You know, this is making me realize that I never did tell you guys the tofu story.”

“Oh no.” Makoto groans. “Please. Please don’t.”

Ichijo actually laughs. Godai says, “Now I think he has to.”

--

By the time they finish dinner it’s late, and the street outside the restaurant is empty and quiet. It feels solemn. Good-byes are also quiet, friendly, Godai extracting a promise that they’ll all meet up again sometime soon before the group splits in two to go their separate ways.

Makoto turns back to look right before he sits down to drive, and in the dim streetlights he catches a glimpse of Godai leaning over from the passenger’s seat of Ichijo’s car, their mouths meeting in the shadows for a moment, and relief washes over him as he thinks, Good for them.

At home, he and Shouichi dance sleepily around each other as they change clothes, brush their teeth, try to decide whether to maybe watch something and then realize that they’re both too tired for it. They fall into bed, Shouichi curls up against his side, and it’s just as perfect as it always is.

Except that Makoto can’t sleep. Instead he stares at the bedroom ceiling, thinking about Shouichi, about Godai, about the other people he’s met with eyes like earthquakes. What have their lives been like? Did they, too, save humanity from things that no one remembers or will ever thank them for?

He glances down at Shouichi, expecting to find him asleep, and instead is, as usual, knocked down by a thoughtful, focused gaze. “What are you thinking about, Makoto?”

He shrugs. “I was thinking about Godai, mostly.”

Shouichi pouts comically in the dim light of the bedroom. “You’re not allowed to get a crush on your senior’s boyfriend.”

“I--no.” He can feel himself blushing. “No, that’s, that’s not it. He just...seems like someone who’s had an interesting life.” Maybe they can talk about Number Four tomorrow, or maybe they won’t talk about it ever.

“And?”

“And what?”

“There’s an and, I can tell.”

“Well...” Makoto sighs. “Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I hadn’t met you.”

Shouichi curls in closer. “I wonder the same thing about you. I think I’d be a very different person. I think I’d probably be pretty unhappy.”

“So I was thinking about that, and about Godai.”

“And?”

Makoto stares at the ceiling and wraps his arm around Shouichi’s shoulders and wonders how long it took Godai to be able to smile like that, after everything Number Four had to do. “I’m glad he has someone who loves him.”

[clair-void-ance]

If Only She Knew

Pairing: Cedric the Sorcerer X Wormwood! Reader

Word Count: Roughly 1,516 words

Warnings: None; just yearning and fluff

Notes: Gif, photo, poem, and characters are not mine; only the story is mine! The poem is “If only She Knew” by Kiara Wilson and, honestly, I think it fit pretty well for the story :) The idea was one I found on @merlins-mushrooms​ blog that focused on the reader being Cedric’s familiar instead of Wormwood and them being able to switch between their animal and human form. I had a little bit of time and wanted to write, so I decided why not? It seems more like headcanons than a story but what can you do lmao. Hope you guys enjoy, feedback is always appreciated!

Growing up as an animal-based shape shifter, life had been both difficult and easy going for you. The magical gift you had to change into any animal at will provided you with opportunities and freedom not many people ever got to possess. Especially when it came to sneaking around and getting away with things

What made it difficult though, is that you had immense difficulty finding a job that suited you. Although you had attended Hexley Hall to learn to control and gain your magical abilities, it ended up being something you just didn't want the responsibility of doing.  

Something that you did like about attending there though, was someone who had grown to be quite dear to you over the years: Cedric.

Cedric and you had started off pretty rocky, given you different backgrounds and his stifling parents, but you eventually learned to create a happy medium. After the whole fiasco with his older sister and his falling out with Roland, Cedric ended up not having many people to fully rely on. In fact, he had no one to rely on. That is, until he met you.

You two would work on spells together, duel against each other, rant about your problems to one another, and even began providing physical affection to each other. One form of which, was when you would shift into a stark black cat and curl up in his arms underneath you guys’ favorite tree outside the school grounds.

For Cedric though, his favorite form for you was the raven you would transform into when wanting some alone time or freedom. After all, one of the few things that you adored above all things was your independence. He thought you looked adorable and, after an embarrassing incident that you have sworn him into secrecy about, he dubbed your new nickname “Wormwood.”

When you both began to creep closer to your graduation date though, your time together became thinner and more tense. When your studies started to wrap up, it became clear that you both had to pick your career soon. To Cedric, that choice was easy. His father had been Roland I’s Royal Sorcerer, and it was only natural that he took his place when the king retired. For you though, choosing a career that would define the rest if your life caused you so much stress that even Greylock had noticed. Which said a lot lmao But, like always, Cedric was there to ease your troubles. Since you both wanted to stay together, but there was no need for a second royal sorcerer, Cedric offered the idea that you become his familiar. 

Which…..wasn't actually a bad idea. In fact, it offered every bit of freedom, fun, and intellectual interest that you had desired in a would-be dream job. 

After crushing Cedric in a bone shattering hug, you quickly made your way to the school’s office and began the preparation of registering as a familiar. lmao, we’re just gonna act like it works that way cause I have no idea what else to do

--------------------------------------------

Moving to the castle had been an easier transition than you had anticipated, but you assumed that was more your doing than Cedric’s given the fact that people seemed to greet him with more suspicion than warmth. 

An unexpected advancement though, was when you were told that you both had to share sleeping quarters. Not that it really mattered that much; you and Cedric had slept near each other before when bunking and traveling at Hexley Hall, and this time would be no different. 

At least....to you it would. The fact that you had grown up to be rather beautiful made you sleeping in the same quarters rather awkward for Cedric. And though he could hide his affection relatively well, he still slipped up here and there and was caught throwing you yearning glances throughout the day. 

(Cedric was just glad that you had separate beds, cause he knew he wouldn’t be able to handle it if you slept less than ten feet away from him.)

Dynamic wise, you both worked together with so much ease it seemed as though you shared a collective mind. Which, in a way, you did. The only downside to knowing each other so well though, was the fact that you were adopting one another’s personality traits. Cedric, of course, had little downsides, but you were finding yourself becoming a tad more awkward then you remember originally being. But that just made you even more cuter in Cedric’s eyes. Which didn’t help his repressed love for you that he had harbored for the last fifteenish years he had known you.

--------------------------------------------

It wasn't until Sofia joined the castle and started to warm up to Cedric that he let it slip that he had the most embarrassing crush on you though. Sofia, of course, thought that this was the most adorable thing in the whole world and made it her life’s mission to help you both get together before it was too late. 

--------------------------------------------

After sending you away on ‘work-related’ jobs, Cedric and Sofia began to brainstorm the best possible ways to reveal his feelings and have them reciprocated. This ended with Cedric bringing up the idea of doing it through one of your more favorable interests: Poetry.

When you guys were still young and spent most of your time underneath the great Elm tree at Hexley Hall, you two had jokingly picked up the hobby of writing mushy and cringe inducing poetry. Which meant that his admission of feelings would be even more meaningful and heartfelt. That would definitely aid him in his and Sofia’s plans.

--------------------------------------------

While he began writing his love poem to you, Sofia began to set up the location in which he would proclaim his love. With the help of a few animal companions, Sofia had successfully set up a romantic setting in a secluded area of the palace gardens when she saw Cedric leading you down the pathway towards a singular bench.

You were wearing a deep purple pantsuit and, for a minute, Sofia realized that you complemented eachother surprisingly well.

After quickly hiding behind a bush, she got as close as she could without being found.

Grasping both of your hands in his as he stood in front of your seated form, Cedric began the start of confession speech.

“(y/n), to say that you’ve had a tremendous impact on my life would be a tragically large misconception. Unlike everyone else in my life, you have stuck in my corner through thick and thin and have remained, through it all, my closest companion and friend.”

At this point, he began to nervously shift around and cast his eyes down to his polished black shoes. 

“The thing is though, that my feelings as of late have changed. And, to help convey them….I sort of….w-wrote you a poem.”

You let out a snort to this, but looked at him tenderly as if to say “continue.”

Coughing into his fist, Cedric pointed his chin upwards as he sat to face you and started to recite his hastily written poem.

“She has her own special way

Of turning around my terrible day.

She makes all the bad things go away

The second that she says hey.

And when I look into her eyes,

I see pure beauty with no disguise.

Just a glance at her makes my heartbeat rise.

I know for a fact that these feelings aren't lies.

If only she knew

How much my love for her grew,

Maybe, just maybe, we could start something new,

And then I'd never feel blue.

And if beauty were inches, she'd go on for miles.

I'd better catch her before I go out of style.

I'm going to let my heart be my dial

So I can tell her what I've been feeling for a while.”

After finishing, Cedric nervously looked up at you to see what reaction you would show to what he had just revealed. Gazing at your eyes, he finally noticed the rim of tears that surrounded the lower part of your eyes and began to panic.

“Oh no, was that too much? Did...did I just ruin everything? Merlin’s Mushrooms! This always happens,” his tender look deflated into one of distress  as he put his head in his hands and quickly turned away from you. It wasn’t until he heard what, at first, sounded like crying that he hesitantly gazed up at you. Analyzing your facial features, he noticed that your face was not scrunched up in disgust, but rather into one of joy and laughter. You let out an airy giggle and reached to cradle his cheeks in your palms. 

“Oh Ceddy, that was the mushiest and most cringe inducing poem you’ve written yet,” you said with a smile.

“I’m just glad that this one is about me.”

“Does that mea-” 

It was at that point that you connected both of your lips and started to slowly initiate a deep and affectionate kiss. Sofia could be heard squealing behind one of the bushes across from you guys’ bench and that only made you giggle softly against Cedric’s slightly chapped lips. Which made the bumbling sorcerer swoon and lightly bring you into a hug,

Needless to say, that situation led to you both getting real familiar with each other. Only, this time, it lead to one of the most fulfilling chapters of both of your lives.

[bookofmariokingofmaiami]

MUSHROOM KINGDOM LIFE BETA PART 3

part 3 baby let's go!, chapter 4 and 6

Have a complementary burger and enjoy

Lets-a-gooooooooooooo!!!!

TOOLS/OBJECTS 

P-BALLOON (POWNON--GAS)

The P-Balloon is an artificially created balloon, similar in nature to a Blimp Fruit, that can contain high amounts of the gaseous state of the element Pownon (Pow). This element in its gas form is somewhat comparable to Helium in its mass, but it also can change the nature of objects, making them up to 80% lighter than they normally are.  These balloons are more containers for Pownon than a power-up themselves; their purpose is mainly to make transport of the gas easier. In practice, Pownon is an essential part of the engine systems of airships. It is also part of the composition of floating platforms and islands, found in pockets or “bubbles” beneath the surface. In this state, it is also an essential inclusion in the construction of aerial architecture, such as the famous floating city of Glitzville.

HAMMER

The hammer is the most used non magical item in the planet, there are multiple variant from the tool version used in construction work to the most well known battle hammer wich has been used in battles for centuries, of course over the years magical variants started being made but the non magical variants are still the most used, time and time again soldiers use it in wars and the mario duo had a hammer for a main weapon even before 1985!.

MASTER SWORD (REPLICAS)

The master sword is a magical sword wielded by link from the zelda book series, however in 2019 a master sword replica was created with the aesthetic and powers from the master sword of the zelda book series, it was made with some other zelda themed magical items such as a bow and the clothes worn by the fictional hero but where talking about the master sword, like the original series the master sword gives the wielder a increase in the sword fighting skill and is very powerful 

SPIN DRILL

The spin drill is a drill made out of various space minerals wich can drill with ease trough rock,dirt,ore,wood etc, the drill uses the momentum from a luma spin to drill meaning you'll need a luma to use it, that or a machine with the same amount of energy, anyway this item is quite rare and hard to make because of the use of these space minerals, this object was developed around 2010 but the person who made it was never discovered 

SUPER HAMMER

The super gamer is a magic hammer wich gives the wielder the ability to create 5 magic crates, this hammer can break things like hard blocks and thwomps, it was created in 2019 by the builder who also made the master sword,this hammer has at least some star magic in it as it's one of few items with the ability to destroy ghosts, if you're wondering destroyed ghost dont stay destroyed forever and will reappear in 1 to 3 weeks later,

SUPER PICKAX 

The super pickax is the standard issue mining pickaxe in the mines of the mushroom kingdom since 2014, this pickax is very powerful and can break most types of soil,rocks and ores,this pickax is also used by the toad brigade as one of their main weapons, this pickax is made of metal and refined moon rocks, this powerful pickax has 2 "seeds" wich looks like eyes but the eyes are emergency 1up pills for work accidents wich cut the mining death rate by half (from 5% to 2%)

PLANT BOMB

This species of plant is an plant bomb hybrid wich grows underground, it was first created in 1987 and cultivation started in 1988 where it was mainly used, this species of plant works like a granade, once the leaf is pulled it will explode after 5 seconds, this explosion is way weaker than a bob omb but still does the trick, civilian cultivation of this species is eligal and only military personal have the permission to command the cultivation of it

KOOPA-KOLA

This "soda" is a drink made by the koopa company, as you may have guessed the koopa company is owned by bowser from the koopa kingdom, however not many people like this soda for obvious reasons, according to many ads found in the koopa kingdom it is made of coal, yep coal, this soda is found all over the koopa kingdom and many koopas that left the kingdom most of them didn't like the soda meaning where nit the only ones that thinks ores shouldn't be used in sodas

MAGIC POTION/SUBCON POTION

The magic potion is a potion that creates a portal to subcon, an alternate dimension known for being one of the few ways to obtain subcon mushrooms without having to be lucky, this potion is very expensive and was developed in 1988, not many people know the recipe of this potion but some people (most noticeably the mksi) know and are the very few providers of subcon mushrooms and subcon potions and it can be sold for 500 to 1000 gold coins

PASSION POTION 

Passion potion also known as love potion is a strange liquid that makes whoever drinks it fall in love to the first person it sees, of course this potion is pretty hard to make and even If you know the recipe theres a chance it still wont work, this potion unlike the subcon potion the recipe is public information so if you want to try here's the ingredients that we know of 

 one spring mistletoe, one ripe artichoke heart, and one Fat Boys record

STEREO GUNS

Stereo guns is a boom box shaped machine wich when activated creates realy potent soundwave,this super sonic waves can cause quite some damage because of the loud noises it makes, it was made back in late 80s early 90s but production was too expansive to sustain so production stoped in the late 90s, it was used in some battles during its lifespan and some are still found to this day, one report in 1998 2 stereo guns were found in an abandoned storage unit and was sold in a auction for 1640 coins 

ANYWHERE POW

The anywhere pow is a smaller version of the pow block developed in 1995, this item was made to be smaller and more portable than a pow block but less powerful, it's just a quarter the size of a normal pow block and only half as powerful, while it's less powerful it still requires permission from the mushroom kingdom army to be legal to own one, the powerful explosion will cause the people in the blast range to fall unconscious and or die 

COCONUT SHOOTER 

The coconut shooter is a weapon made out of wood and coconut, it is unknown how it is able to shoot without any gun mechanism and it was also made by a monkey, this gun shoots coconuts with incredible strength and hurts, there is just one unit of it and was sold in a auction for 509 coins to an anonymous man, theres also roaming coconut ammo for it wich we also dont know how it works 

DARK LIGHT DEVICE

The dark light device is one of gadd science incorporated many high tech inventions, this flashlight thing has the ability to make invisible things visible, free things trapped on paintings,and of course light things, this flashlight emits a rainbow colored light and can be switched to normal or dark mode,the dark light is an addon to the poltergeist 5000 and poltergeist G-00, this flashlight is generally used by ghost hunters to facilitate the capture of evil ghosts 

DUAL SCREAM

The dual scream is another invention by mastermind dr e-gadd from gadd science incorporated, this machine is a portable machine with the ability to call anyone (as long they also have a dual scream) in the world! it can make phone calls,make lists, it has a high tech GPS, it can access the internet,and has a internal clock and calendar, and so much more,its one of e-gadd industries best seller for portable phones and entertainment

F.L.U.D.D

The flush liquidizer ultra dousing device is an invention by you guessed it gadd science incorporated,  this machine is an artificial intelligence with very powerful water cannons wich shoots water, it has multiple modes for multiple purposes, to the normal water cannon mode and a water jetpack and rocket modes, this machine had a prototype gifted to mario in 2002 but because of Mario's friendship with the machine and the fact the only model broke the fludd only started to be commercially sold in 2020 

GHOST PORTRIFICATIONIZER 

The ghost portridicationizer is a machine created by e-gadd for easy containment of ghosts, it will turn ghost into portraits and portraits into ghost or people, it depends if the thing trapped inside is a ghost or not,while it is not commercially available there are ghost hunting bases with a ghost portrificationizer inside, in occasion leaders used this machine to threaten ghost kingdoms (both boo and ghost kingdoms) wich worked 

HYDROCANNON LX

This water gun is very powerful and even normal water can hurt in occasion, if its filled with cold or hot water can cause serious injuries wich is why it got declassified as a child toy and now its considered a weapon, it can be filled with other liquids like lava mud and toxic liquids, it is made of plastic and metal, it is very powerful and cheap at a wapping 12 coins,it was developed in 2017 and was commercially sold in 2018

MUSHROOM SWORD

The mushroom sword is the standard issue weapon of the mushroom kingdom army,this sword is quite powerful and cheap to make, it is made with superball metal and super mushrooms, this sword can be powered up with super mushroom wich makes it more powerful and sharp,this sword is not available for commerce meaning it is eligal to buy nor sell this item,a golden power star variant exist and its wielded by the highest ranking military officials 

Master mario wielding a mushroom sword 

MAGIC PAINTBRUSH 

The magic paintbrush is a high tech star powered paintbrush wich has the ability to make living beings made of goo and portals, unfortunately this paintbrush is wielded by bowser jr the heir to the throne of the koopa kingdom, this paintbrush was developed by egadd and weirdly no it wasn't stolen egadd gifted the paintbrush to bowser jr, it is not exactly known how it works as it was never mass produced but it is bowser jrs main weapon and has cause quite a bit of trouble 

MAGIC WAND

Magic wands are a magic users best friend, the magical crystal at the end of it extremely increases the users magic powers and spells are 5times more powerful than without it,the ace magic wand factory is the oldest cloud building still standing and it is the only place manufacturing magic wands that work, there are mani variants of the standard magic user wand like the koopa wands used by the koopalings and the royal wands wich most kings and queens have

MAGIC WHISTLE/WARP WHISTLE

The magic whistle is a magical flute/whistle wich when played correctly summons a small warp hurricane wich will throw the user into a random kingdom,some people were able to control the warp hurricane but how exactly that's made is not known,this whistle is very rare and it is sold in auctions for a base price of 500,this item is generally owned by kings and members of the higher class,it first appeared in 1988 but it's not known who made them 

ORANGE GRANADE 

Orange granades are a special tipe of granade that looks like an orange, when it explodes it spreads an citrus acid around a certain area wic makes the person in the blast range be slowed down great for escapes,it was developed in 1999 and sold internationally in 2000, in 1999 an supply airplane full of these oranges fell in a forest and for the following weeks multiple reports of animals using these granades where at an all time high

PIXELATOR 

The pixelator is a gadd science incorporated invention that uses tv screens and cameras to teleport people between 2 places, it reuses the paining portal also known as the portal gallery to make this technology, it uses way less star power than the paintings but theres a small chance some cells may be lost invthe process a test subject from the beta fases got his hand removed by the machine but the full version is fully functional,it was developed in 2013 and was released in 2018 

POLTERGUST 

The poltergust is the staple of gadd science incorporated, the poltergust is a powerful vacuum cleaner with the ability to capture ghosts, because of that most official ghost hunting teams and taskforces use it, theres multiple versions of the poltergust the earliest example we know about is the poltergust 3000, whatever came before it is unknown as only after 2001 wich is when the poltergust 3000 was made that ghost hunting teams started being made by the government, there are 5 poltergust models, 3000,3001,4000,5000, G-00, read our book "the science of ghost hunting" for more info about the poltergust models

POWER DRAINING MACHINE 

During the rogue port incident it was uncovered that owner of the glitz pit wich is the main attraction of glitzville had an machine he seemingly made himself that is able to extract the power from other people and give it to himself, many competitors in the sport had their powers extracted using this machine and used the gold star (one of 7 Crystal stars located in rogueport) to power it, grubba after using the machine was quite a match against mario but grubba was eventually defeated 

SUPERBOMBOMB

During the rogueport incident the suoerbombomb was made by the x-nauts to destroy mario but the item and blueprints where lost,luckily mario found the bomb and the backup bomb got activated by accident and caused casualties in the x-naut and koopa armies, sometime later a blueprint was found and studied, this bomb acts similar to the everywhere pow but is much much more deadly and harder to make,this weapon got many replicas for the army and is a last ditch weapon in case of emergency 

SUPER SCOPE

The super scope was the mushroom kingdom's first try as a lazer based gun, it was made in the 90s and shoots lazerbeams that can blast trough anything that isn't metal or a star, at the time it was pretty expensive had low ammo and was weak because of the high energy cost, but sinse the star power breacktrough of 2007 new star power based super scopes where made, they're more powerful than the original one and have a lot of ammo in one charge.

TELMET

The telmet is a machine made by wario, it is a yellow helmet that uses TVs to teleport to locations around the world, as you may guess it reutilizes the pixelator tech made by gadd industries, not the full version as he decided to steal the beta version of the pixelator to make the telnet before the release of the pixelator, because of that it is not nearly as powerful than the pixelator and theres a high chance to lose essential body parts during use 

THWOMP STOMPER

The thwomp stomper is a metallic shoe with bulletbill hills wich propels the user into the air and when the user fall it makes a small earthquake and will destroy any armor under the shoes when it lands, this shoe was conceptualized by mario during a fever dream he had back in the 90s wich was too weird to describe but years later he gave the idea to e-gadd and then a few years later the thwomp stomper was invented

VIRTUAL BOO

The virtual boo is the newest thing in the world of portable phones, this machine is a virtual reality device that allows you to do everything the dual scream was able to do and more, video calls use scanning technology to make a perfect 3d version lf the users, not only that it also allows the user to play virtual games and visualize maps in highly detailed manners, it can also play virtual reality and more,this handy machine has also a pixelator button you can use to teleport

BLOCKS 

POW BLOCK (POWNON--LIQUID)

POW Blocks are, in simplest terms, containers of highly concentrated liquid Pownon. While in its gaseous form Pownon is light and generally harmless, it is very dense and dangerous while in a liquid state. If put under too much pressure, it will explode in a concussive burst powerful enough to make the ground quake within a certain radius.  Due to this destructive potential, it is often used most prominently in military fields as a form of stun grenade.The blocks are designed to withstand up to a certain amount of force before collapsing, at which point a capsule of Pownon inside will burst, causing the liquid to react and release a precisely controlled shockwave. These capsules themselves also work as a weapon, but must be handled delicately or else they could be popped unintentionally. As such, purchase of POW Blocks in general is restricted, and even those who are licensed are limited in how many they can legally carry

? BLOCK

The ? Block is the most used storage unit in the mushroom world, it is used to store items and power ups, it has a high tech system that makes so anything inside it will be safe no matter what and any plant inside it will take long time to spoil,there are multiple variations like the big question block, the long question block and others, it is one of the most well known blocks in the planet and every house has one for storage,this itemmhas been used for so long the person who invented it is a mystery 

! BLOCK

The ! Block is similar in design to the ? Block, the ! Block was designed to contain experimental items and unstable pownon liquid before the invention of pow blocks, it is also a emergency item container wich can only be opened if the respective emergency switch is activated, there are multiple colors used to distinguish between tipes of supplies,theres also a variant that instead of storing emergency items it creates bridges

RANDOM BLOCK/ROULETTE BLOCK

The random block also known as roulette block is a crystal like block that is full of energy wich when activated is turned into a random power up, it is quite rare but it was the base where the item box from the mushroom kart sport games, it was manufactured in the 90s but at the time the star technology used today wasn't present making this block too expansive to be made, it could cost up to 5000 coins to make one unit but now it has dropped to 200 coins to be manufactured wich while still expansive it's just a fraction from the 90s

HIDDEN BLOCK

Hidden block was developed by the mksi back in the 80s, it was developed to test the invisibility technology being studied at the time and has become a staple in annoyance ever since, this block is as you may guess is a invisible version of the ? Block and was designed to trick people like hiding behind a wall of these so a enemy hit face first into the invisible wall, it will stay invisible until it is hit, it is quite an annoyance and do to the accessibility of this many people use it for pranks and such

BRICK BLOCK

Brick blocks is how the mushroom kingdom stack bricks for transport, these brick blocks can have up to 30 bricks and was used for generations, in the 1985 invasion 99% of the population of the mushroom kingdom was turned into brick blocks and to this day touvlophobia (brick phobia) is still the most common phobia in the mushroom kingdom 35 years later,mushroom kingdom hero mario was able to break brick blocks countless of times using his hands now what that implies is up to interpretation, either hes very strong on the blocks are very fragile 

BLITTY

Blitties is a cat like species known for being made of blocks, it is not exactly known why or how this species came into existence, this species is found all over the mushroom planet and is one of the most common pets in the world, there are many theories to why it exist, some say it was a experiment, some say it was a result of magic wich is very likely sinse many magikoopas where able to make life out of blocks, some even say its an alien species, whatever the origin may be many people are glad these block cats exist

COIN BLOCK

The coin block is a variant of the ? Block, this block isn't used to store item but is used to store coins, it is very similar to the ? Block and can hold up to 1000 gold coin each, it is most used in vaults,banks,safes etc, this block is used by many people and was developed in the 70s by the mksi, 

GOLD BLOCK

The gold block similar to the brick block is the way the mushroom kingdom stores gold, a single gold block can hold 30 gold bars, each bar can be melted into 50 coins so 1500 coins per gold block, it was very rare and not oftenly used but sinse the 2012 gold flower disaster the gold block started being used way more often and banks are full of them,the gold blocks were used in the construction of the coin monument wich is just one of the things made to get the gold out of the economy 

ITEM BOX

The item box is an energy efficient updated version of the random box, it like the random box when activated it uses high amounts of energy to make a random power up, the project started in 1996 but it was only completed in 2008 and finalized and started being commercially available in 2011,it uses star power to power it more precisely mini stars do to small generator space,this item is used a lot in mushroom kart where it's used to spice up the game 

RECOVERY BLOCK

The recovery block is a high tech block filled with 1up extract, it has a syringe wich when the block is activated will inject 1up extract into the one who activated it wich will cause the person to be healed of any wounds they may have, it is another invention by the mksi, it was developed in 2000 but it only started distribution a few years later in 2005,selling of this object is eligal as its intended for hospitals and important buildings 

RED POW BLOCK

The pow block as you know from the pow block entry is very unstable and is used as a explosive used in wars, the red pow block is an unstable prototype of the pow block therefore it's way more dangerous and activates by accident 10% of the time, the blueprints of this prototype was found in one of peaches castles and now new red pow blocks are being made, if you see a red Pow block call the police as it's very dangerous, 

JUMP/NOTE BLOCK

The note block is a block wich is very bouncy and anyone who jumps on it will bounce high like a spring, this block also can contain items and makes instrument sounds when you jump on it,the winged note block will move according to the winds and some stars where hidden in some of them, theres a variant of this block wich makes the person who jumps on it jump high to the cloud level, it's used to enter cloud based cities

[waterrunstogether]

Rites of Passage in the Fifth World

I’ve been thinking lately about the absence of real rites of passage in modern “western culture”. A rite of passage is a sort of ritualized event (that may or may not be endorsed/organized by a community) in which a person is believed to exit from one stage of life and enter the next, usually from childhood to adulthood. Other than the humiliation of high school proms/frat hazing, or getting your driver’s license, or turning 21 and getting shitfaced, my culture in the United States has little to offer in the way of true rites of passage. 

The result is a population of confused, somewhat disillusioned children driving around and going to work or university and pretending to be adults while hopelessly stuck in the liminal space between youth and adulthood.

~ 20 year old me pretending to know what’s going on ~

I have thought about quinceañeras and baptisms, religious rites of passage commonly practiced still, but considering the traumatic experience that my parents’ organized religion was for me, I don’t believe now that my baptism was a helpful event facilitating my transition into maturity. I think it was a blindingly painful event whose toxicity I needed to overcome in what I now believe was the true rite of passage. 

I first dropped acid when I was traveling in Bulgaria. My partner was in her hometown across the country and I was visiting Plovdiv with a friend. We had just finished traveling the world, or at least Eurasia, meeting new faces and trying new things and taking wild risks in Thailand and Turkey and India and Malaysia, to name a few. I had also just escaped the cult I was born and raised in which had hammered into me from birth that my sexual and romantic orientation was an abomination, as a woman I was to obey men, God loved me and wanted me to fear him (that is to say, love = fear), the leaders of the church were to be obeyed and respected all the time (even if they were obviously wrong) and so on and so forth. It was an insane transition between being trapped in these religious handcuffs and learning that I could break free all along. In fact, I carried so much self hatred and internalized homophobia with me into my supposed new life that I didn’t know what to do with myself. Despite being outwardly happier than I had ever been before with a wonderful partner and community who truly loved and supported me for who I was, inwardly I was constantly on the verge of a mental breakdown due to all of the conflicting thoughts and beliefs I was carrying and creating within myself.

The experience of that first trip was an interesting one. Every step of the way my body seemed to pull me towards the letting go of all of the toxicity that was so thick and had built up like plaque in the arteries of my energetic being--yet, I remained me throughout the trip, at the end feeling somewhat empowered but not yet finished with the transformation.

A few months later I took psilocybin, AKA magic mushrooms, with my little brother on a rainy Summer day in D.C. The whole come up of the trip was talking to trees and observing the movements of leaves, running my fingers over the moss growing on the exposed, knotty roots of tree in front of our house. But at the end of the trip, something changed. Once again my body requested, begged me, to let go of the still-prevalent toxicity inside of me. My health was in rough shape, mentally and physically, and my body knew the culprit. But once more I felt I couldn’t let go just yet, it would be too much for me, I wasn’t ready. So I spent the entire come down and then some, maybe four hours, weeping uncontrollably on the basement floor.

The second time I dropped acid was yesterday, with my partner, here in Berlin. It changed everything.

During the come up I was taken aback by how strong the effect it had on me was. My partner, bless her heart, had taken a larger dose than me, yet felt no effect the entire time. Her tolerance has always been naturally higher than mine for every kind of intoxicating substance, and LSD was no exception. 

As time went on I came to realize that her high tolerance was incredibly fortunate for me and my trip. The initial come up was amusing, as flashes of white light began to fill up my eyes, closed and open; but very quickly I began to get paranoid, strange little thoughts about being set up and targeted running through my mind as my sense of self slowly began to dissipate, just nonsense that the ego conjures up to protect itself. But my partner’s calming reassurances that she loved me and that I was safe effectively calmed me down.

Once I began to enjoy the ride up, holding a half of a pomegranate and appreciating its beauty, touching a slice of orange and loving how soft it felt in my hands, admiring the fractals of color creating all kinds of geometric shapes on the walls and snow outside the window, I became comfortable with my loss of identity. At some point I realized that I didn’t even know my name, and I didn’t care, because it was irrelevant. All that was relevant was experience. 

Imagine experiencing and interacting with the world around you without the barrier of the thing that we are so used to that it’s difficult to think of it as a barrier at all: your concept of self. Ideas about names and races and gender and desire and anger and malice and hatred just made absolutely no sense whatsoever. In this state, all that made sense was goodness and beauty and love. All that I understood was harmony and mutually beneficial behavior. My preconceived notions about who I was and what that meant were being shattered and shredded before my very eyes, exposed for what they were: nonsense.

Once I plateaued and began to slowly come down after about four or five hours I was able to contemplate what these things meant, what they would mean for me going forward. I went into the bathroom around hour 7 and decided that it was time to look into the mirror.

Many people will tell you not to look into the mirror during an acid trip, that it’ll give you the dreaded “bad trip” and you’ll have a shit time. I completely disagree. If you are like me and need to come to terms with yourself through the wonderful, horrific, beautiful, terrifying experience that is an “ego death”, I’m afraid that you’ll have no choice but to look into the mirror at some point. 

So, I stared myself down in the mirror and admitted what I couldn’t admit for so long, due to being taught that I was essentially evil since the day I was born. I’d called myself a sinner, wicked, worthless, ugly, an abomination and just about every other mean word in the evangelical dictionary. But as I stood there looking at my body in the mirror, egoless and impartial, I said, “You have done and thought some cruel things to yourself for some time now. But you know what? You are a kind person. You are a wonderful person. You treat people with respect and love, you treat everyone you’ve ever met with so much empathy, so much caring. You love the truth, you love to be generous, you love to be a good friend. You must begin to treat yourself the same way. I know you’ve had so much hatred in your heart contaminating your energy for so long, but that is enough. That is enough. No more. I am a kind person. I am a kind person. I love you. Remember that night so long ago? Beneath the stars, where they submerged you in the baptismal water and tried to destroy you, saying these sacred waters would wash all your sins away, along with your fragile, meaningless identity? Well, they simply added more to your ego, a darker side. You built up so much negativity for so long. Well, look at you now. Your identity, all of the ideas and concepts that you’ve built up around who you really are to protect you from the hurt of Life, it’s all gone. Now you’re going to baptize yourself again. You’ll be truly reborn, this time dedicated not to destroying yourself for the sake of a religion, but dedicated to renewing and becoming and becoming and becoming.” As I looking into the mirror my silhouette became filled in with the velvet black of the night sky, full of bright stars.

I turned on the water and was baptized once again, by my own hands.

When I returned to the room I felt happier than I had ever felt in my life, light as air, free. I told several people about how much I love them and described my love for them in detail, not as this thing that’s an extension of my own ego, but my love for them was a little bit of energy that I had the honor of holding in me, in this body, and sharing between us for a time, for the wonderful events that we call our lives. I could actually see love. I understood that I was not all of the concepts I’ve built around myself, but an expression of energy in this space and time, connected to every other expression of energy in all of history, from the beginning and until the end. My matter, my body, was simply a vehicle for the energy, and would be recycled into new vehicles after I die. My energy would be transferred into new vehicles as well. That’s what we perceive as death: just a simple transfer of energy and recycling of matter. My ego would not live on, thankfully. My consciousness as conflated with ego would cease to exist with me. But the underlying animating force behind all things in the universe, the true source of consciousness, would never be destroyed or created, simply recycled again and again and again and again. Becoming and becoming and becoming and becoming.

The hilarious and bizarre world of reality is hilarious and bizarre. It’s so beautiful and mystical and wonderful and honestly, nothing I write here could ever explain how I experienced being alive in that sixteen hour trip. Words don’t convey it, words can’t convey it. Reality is visceral, experiential, impartial and impossible to quantify in something as crude as human language. 

All I know is that, today, I am a fundamentally changed person. I’d feared ego death for so long, feared that it would be too much, too painful. And it was so, so painful--but it was so worth it. I am happy and proud to exist, grateful for everything I have accomplished and can accomplish in this miraculous, tiny little vessel during this ephemeral event that is my life. I can’t wait to wake up tomorrow if tomorrow exists, and unleash all of my love on everyone who’ll have it. Love is the energy that unites us with our own bodies and the entire world around us. How lucky and strange it is to be anything at all.

May you have a peaceful day. The universe smiles upon you.