#willowbark

[dndtreasury]

[unofskylanderspages]

Willowbark is a British-accented Treeman who appears in various missions throughout Skylanders: Swap Force. He is the most excitable and skittish archaeologist in Skylands. After years of studying, he discovered a secret technique that maximizes the effectiveness of Kingdom decorations. In his spare time, Willowbark stays busy by volunteering as the local Fire Chief.

[mxdmagic]

For those with a conception date between April 15th and May 12th ~ the Willow is your Celtic Zodiac Tree. Willow people are mysterious, empathetic, intuitive, driven, and at times brooding. 🖤 #whitewillowbark #willowbark #willowbarkextract #willowtree #mxdmagick #celticzodiac #celtictree #celticwitch #apothecary #herbwitch #herbshop #witchtips #apothecaryshop (at mxdmagic) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpk5JbNurGY/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[mountainsnows]

Honeybee Tea Garden

Medicine cabinet-bound - swiss alpine herbs,  rose, willow, mint, Heal All / Self Heal , Chicory, Hyssop  (purple haze agastache) , milk thistle,  vit. c (chokecherry)

[sanyu-thewitch05]

So I had the biggest natural hair product fail yesterday.

Yesterday, I was at the pool and the beach. But, I forgot to pack swimmer’s shampoo and conditioner, so my mom and I stopped at CVS to buy some. We ended up buying the Honey Fresh shampoo and Make it Rain conditioner. Skip to me using it in the shower, and the minute I put the shampoo in my hands, my eyes are watering. My nose won’t stop running and I can’t stop sneezing. This continues to today, but I found out that I’m allergic to the Willowbark extract in the Honey Fresh shampoo.

I’m allergic to Oak trees, and I suspect Willowbark is related to Oak trees in some way. Anyway, just wanted to post this in case it helps anyone.

[dopescissorscashwagon]

Flarebear 🐯 by Willowbark Pet Photography

[transfemininomenon]

honestly so fucking awful that these machines are putting alchemists out of business. used to be if you wanted a healing potion you'd go down to the local apothecary with some gold pieces in your pocket and old miss willowbark the 700 year old elf would throw a couple goodberries in for free. kids these days will never know the thrill of making eye contact with her apprentice, a beautiful half-elven girl whose hair would always be braided with herbal flowers, and thinking maybe this'll be the day you ask when she's off for the day and invite her to the tavern. now any schmuck who fancies themself an adventurer can walk right into the crustiest MythDonald's and come out with a large potion of giant strength (cherry vanilla flavor) and go get themselves killed thinking they can fight a dragon now. unreal honestly.

[bonefall]

Warrior Bites: Clan Tools

[Image ID: Reedwhisker, a black RiverClan warrior cat, sits behind two terracotta pots, some strips of willowbark, a traditional wooden pot called a firkin, and a rock. He has a stick in his mouth.]

Warriors of the Clans are shown in-canon to be able to weave, dig tunnels, decorate with shells, and do whatever it is that BloodClan’s got going on with those collars and manicures. Have you considered what other tools a semi-realistic warrior could handle?

A guide to the various tools and methods that the Clans can use to prepare complex dishes, including the equipment needed for smoking, baking, pickling, and so on. Part of the Warrior Bites series for Bonefall’s Clan Culture.

(The art in this guide was once again provided by my partner who hasn’t read a single page of warrior cats in their life but so help me god I’ll drag them down with me)

Tools + Equipment

Fire Starting

Containers: Twine + Baskets + Buckets

Cookware: Smokers, Ovens, “Grillstones“

1. Fire Starting

Flint can be used to start a fire, especially for Clans that lack lumber. Because flint is most easily found around the Mothermouth, it’s associated with StarClan’s glow and considered somewhat divine.

But for those situations without a flint starter, the Clans generally teach their apprentices the paw-drill method using a spindle. But these days, SkyClan uses stolen Glass to start fires quicker and easier than any other Clan…

Except on cloudy days, where some unfortunate apprentice still gets saddled with spindle duty.

[Image ID: Reedclaw, a brown tabby Warrior Cat from SkyClan, sits on his haunches and spins a long stick called a ‘spindle’ with his front paws. Smoke is rising from the board the spindle is spinning against.]

2. Containers: Twine + Baskets + Buckets

RiverClan has the easiest access to twine; Willowbark can be peeled right off the tree and used without any processing for simple string to tie things with. WindClan uses woven grass as twine. ShadowClan, SkyClan, and ThunderClan are able to make cordage from Blackberry brambles.

Once the cat has twine, it can be woven into a simple basket to gather things, like berries, clams, or insects. In order to carry liquids, forested Clans can create firkins-- a small wooden bucket that requires some carpentry ability, namely creating wooden nails.

But these tremble before the value of pottery, which is needed to store liquids, ferment and pickle food, and create stew.

Pottery is made from clay, which has to be baked in order to go from wet mud to terracotta. RiverClan is responsible for making the majority of new pottery because of the river, and ShadowClan’s marsh gives them lots of access to low-quality clay.

WindClan was once unmatched in the quality of their pottery thanks to tunneling leading them to the finest clay deposits known to the Clans. Though SkyClan is now rivaling the finest ancient WindClan pottery, due to their willingness to steal buckets from twolegs.

(Leafstar says, “if you cant make a firkin, store-bought is fine”)

[Image ID: Leafstar, the brown tabby-and-cream Warrior cat leader of SkyClan, sits behind a counter in front of an audience presenting a man-made firkin, parodying shopping channels. A speech bubble says, “Meow meow meow meow meow, storebought is meow.”]

3. Cookware: Smokers, Ovens, “Grillstones“

A smoker is very easy to construct, all that’s needed is some straight branches, twine, and fire.

First, a round pit is dug into the ground and filled with soaked woodchips. It is important they’re damp, because wet wood gives off more smoke than dry. Then, three beams are set and tied at the top, like a triangle. From there, a shelf is made inside of the beams. Multiple shelves can be made if a lot of food is being smoked at once.

ThunderClan wraps the smoker in a leather pelt, to keep the smoke in. Their prowess with smoking and seasoning a wide range of meats gives them the title of BBQ champions.

[Image ID: A primitive smoker setup, made of three sticks leaned against each other in a triangular shape and tied at the top. Two shelves are tied into the structure, the top row with minnows and the bottom with hanging strips of meat.]

An oven is a large construction. Capable of cooking several meals at once, each clan would have just one to use communally. Because the communal oven is such a big project, each Clan would have one that looks unique to their environment.

ThunderClan’s, for example, is flat and made of stone, simple in design but very sturdy and capable of cooking a lot of meat at once.

[Image ID: A stone oven made of flat, piled rocks. A fire is lit at the bottom and meat is browning on the top shelf. A stick leans against the side.]

For the quickest and easiest way to make a hot meal, meat is roasted on a spit or loose stick over an open fire. The best sear comes from a large, flat slab of rock propped up over a flame, known to the clans as a grillstone.

[Image ID: Firestar, ginger tabby warrior cat leader of ThunderClan, watches bacon sizzle on a large, flat rock placed over a fire. His daughter, Squirrelkit, sits beside him. A thought bubble above her head contains a waffle, and a question mark.]

(Clan blood be damned that kittypet can work a grill)

[bloomingdarkgarden]

A Canon-Compliant ACOTAR Story on AO3

Elain Archeron is not the wilting rose everyone believes her to be. Two years after playing her part in the war against Hybern, she has a vision of herself harnessing a power she is only beginning to understand. So perhaps a little more softly, a little more lethally, the third Archeron sister starts down the path unknown. For there’s something beginning to bloom within her- something darker, softer, and wilder than she can name, reaching for the song of the Void.

Chapter 1: Belladonna | Chapter 2: Winter Jasmine | Chapter 3: Ivy

Chapter 4: Marigold | Chapter 5: Foxglove | Chapter 6: Willowbark

Chapter 7: Iris | Chapter 8: Witchazel | Chapter 9: Starflower

Chapter 10: Orchid | Chapter 11: Hawthorn | Chapter 12: Mountain Ash

Chapter 13: Stinging Nettle | Chapter 14: Magnolia | Chapter 15: Peony

Chapter 16: Delphinium | Chapter 17: Passionflower | Chapter 18: Zinnia

Chapter 19: Moonlilly | Chapter 20: Dahlia | Chapter 21: Hyacinth

Chapter 22: Water Poppy | Chapter 23: Begonia | Chapter 24: Forget Me Not

Chapter 25: Henbane | Chapter 26: Aster | Chapter 27: Bellflower

[wc-confessions]

The hungarian translation is the funniest shit ever

They made Spottedleaf a fricking tabby, but I can't blame them because the name Willowbark for Willowpelt is genius

ㅤ

[calchexxis]

Book Release Coming Soon!

Everything is green for go on the sequel to my debut novel, Reflector. I've worked long and hard to put myself out there as a self-published author, having finished and published my first book last year, and now will be publishing my second book in the next few days!

These are really rough times, but I still want to believe in all of the things that I write about. I want to believe that those ideals aren't just empty promises. It's my dream to be a successful author, and with the upcoming labor strike I'm going to be involved in soon, I'll be getting strapped for cash, so if anyone wants to support me in more than one tangible way, please consider picking up Reflector!

Reflector (physical and ebook)

Reflector at Rakuten Kobo (for non-US)

Reflector Synopsis:

Wally Willowbark, a perennially unfortunate half-elf with a three-legged cat, stumbles into a job working for a local dispersal precinct, a kind of public service ghostbusters for when nana gets up in the morning but leaves her body in bed. There, she discovers that the reason she’s hired is to act as a handler for a beautiful and dying sorceress named Vess, and while it’s not love at first sight it’s certainly in the air, but the past catches up with both of them, and when it comes to toxic exes, Vess has a real doozy.

This is a story that follows the themes of surviving past trauma, and how we live beyond it and grow, and it does it through the lens of magic and modernity, in a world where sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology.

The sequel will be out soon! I'll make an announcement as soon as it's ready!

[bonebabbles]

Riverstar's Home Finished

It's a good book in the last 5 chapters. It's a bad book in the first 23.

THE GOOD:

It pumped the breaks BIG TIME on Clear Sky's ridiculous "redemption arc," giving him the space to be the fantastic, greedy villain he functions best as.

The dialogue is written very well. It's been pointed out to me that generally Kate Cary writes good dialogue, and it really shows. There are some excellent lines and quotes in this book.

This scene between Tall Shadow and River Ripple is superb.

Riverstar's arc is handled competently. It's a story about learning to balance peace and self-defense, and not lose what makes him special in the face of Clan pressure.

Night, Riverstar's deputy, is a woman who remains his platonic friend. This is a very low bar but it was cleared.

Arc is a positive portrayal of an adoptive parent, though it is only mentioned briefly. Riverstar thinks highly and lovingly of him.

Gray Wing being angry tutorial tips every time Riverstar died was funny.

Clan cats being able to create rafts and use willowbark as binding is now canon

The ending action is commendable. The struggle over the bridge was compelling, and excellently showcased both Riverstar as a unique perspective who handles conflict in his own way, and Skystar as a xenophobic dictator who uses his religion to justify his greed.

THE BAD:

So many characters come out of nowhere, they are introduced endlessly.

Which especially sucks because those intros aren't terrible, but you don't get the chance to see their traits in action.

A lot of Riverstar's most interesting traits have been removed, or are not complimented by the story.

For example; in Chapter 19 he starts having an identity crisis about who he is and what makes him special; but because he's frustrated and lost about this for several chapters, you just get Grumpy Riverstar until he has his epiphany while fighting Slash.

MOST of this book is recap that destroys a MASSIVE draw of the character by making him less mysterious.

For example; Turns out he couldn't swim until the second book of DOTC, he hasn't been in this territory longer than the other cats, and he spent 6 months locked in a house doing nothing.

It's a real slog and PACKED with filler. God it's boring. The first 18 chapters have nothing to do with the last few and 5 more are dedicated to traveling.

They managed to brutally kill another female character (Flutter) in an arc already notorious for its misogyny, give her no speaking lines before that death, and forced blubbering romantic pining onto a character who was popular in large part because he didn't have that.

His new mate, Finch (later Finch Song), appears suddenly in chapter 24, three quarters of the way through the book, and they fall in love at breakneck pace. She's pregnant 4 chapters later.

Finch also ends up giving up everything she loved, her whole life, including her friends and family, to follow Riverstar home and give him biokittens so he can finally get over Flutter. (they dont even name a kid after her)

Final rating: 4/10 Should have been a novella

It's not as fucking awful as Onestar's Concussion or Leopardstar's Hernia. It is a readable enough book and does have a solid ending, but you could skip more than half of the book and miss nothing.

Fans of Riverstar will probably be disappointed by the pointless retcons, but will enjoy the last 10 or so chapters when he's true-to-form. The original content that's worth reading would have fit just fine into a novella.

If you want to read it but aren't interested in a DOTC recap, I would recommend just reading the Tall Shadow/River Ripple scene I linked above and then starting from Chapter 19 onward. I wouldn't buy this one unless you're a dedicated Riverstar fan, or don't plan to read DOTC and want to use this book as your only experience of the main arc.

[winters-mistress]

even in the dark, you will not be my light

"Quickly, get in." Yennefer grits her teeth, finishing the spell with the last of her physical energy. The hut she has created, the invisibility and anti-tracking shells taking much more out of her than anything she'd done before sodden. It's a little shack, not much of note, but what can you expect out of a mage of stuttering magic and a frantic spell to get a child with a fever get out of a cold rainstorm?

Geralt doesn't even spare a moment to consider Yennefer's possible ulterior motive, doesn't consider that it could be a trap. But thankfully, both he and his child end up secure in a small, raggedy cottage, out of the rain, out of the storm.

The witcher places the child on the settee, sparing a glance at the movement in the corner of his eye. It's Yennefer, because of course it is, but she's not doing anything nefarious this time. All she's doing is leading Roach, Astoria and Thanau into a barn she's made up for them, and his attention is quickly caught by a stuttering breath from the girl laying in his hands.

She breathes in, raggedy and unkempt, as Geralt makes work of removing her sodden clothes and boots, leaving her only in her chest band and undershorts. Her skin is so hot, it almost rivals his own witcher warmth, and he quickly bands her hair up from her face and lays her in the bed he sees in the corner of the room.

There's only one, he realises in passing, but it's hardly the mist important thing when he realises Cirilla's skin is damp with sweat and her cheeks are flushed. She's always so confident and strong that seeing her shuddering and flushed and feverish is greatly concerning.

Yennefer comes in by the time Geralt has filled a clay bowl with water and is running a rag over her forehead after covering her up in the blankets.

"How-how is she?" Yennefer gasps out. Geralt spares her a glance, biting back a harsh response to her hypocrites. She's raggedy, her hair is unbrushed and wild, her eyes are big, and she's hunched over with her hands on her knees, looking small as she looks up at him.

"Alright. As much as she can be. She needs medication. Willowbark and salix willow. Mint, basil and ginger." Geralt lists from the top of his head, still wiping down the girl. "Need to get the sputum out as soon as we can. Keep her warm but cool, get water into her."

"Do you have any herbs in your sacks?"

"Not anything that wouldn't melt her insides." His eyes lock on the vulnerable child once more. "And the storm would take away any scents of herbs growing in the forests."

Yennefer takes a shuddering breath, walking over towards the water bucket Geralt had filled the clay pot from, and ducks her head inside, drinking greedily until her stomach aches and she belches in a way that make Tissaia bend her over and tan her hide.

"Let me see what I can conjure." Yennefer gasps out, wiping the water from her face. "I need to find somewhere to draw from afterwards. I can't give too much of myself in case she needs anything bigger, it'll hurt me."

Geralt's jaw flexes, and she knows he struggles to hold back words that she knows will hurt just as much as if they had struck her around the face.

She looks down. "Tomorrow, hopefully." She says, her voice quiet. Only he can make her feel so small with just a look. "After she's awake."

"Yennefer, she suffers. She needs the herbs." Is his way of telling her to shut the fuck up and get on with it. She nods slowly, slinking down to her knees as her eyes close, reaching inside herself.

Yennefer has to lay down next to Ciri after she has conjured a handful of several herbs. Blood drips from her eyes and she faints briefly, sending Geralt into a panicked anger. He doesn't like Yennefer so close to Cirilla at the best of times, after all that bullshit with the demon, and her role in his brothers deaths so strong she may as well have dug the knife in their hearts herself. So to have her laying next to the girl when she's so sick, it unnerved him. He doesn't even want to blink for fear of her being taken from him.

Ciri's breathing easier now, after he managed to get a teapot full of herbs and leaves down her. She's less flushed, and he keeps cold cloths all over her body to break the fever. It's all he can do for now, just brew more tea and change her cloths and get water down her in her moments of lucidity. The girl is now clothed in a long tunic with sleeves stopping just past her shoulders, it looks more like a sleep gown than a shirt.

When Yennefer sits up an hour later, Ciri's sleep is peaceful and her tanned skin is clean of blood. Geralt is at their bedside, watching them both with equal intensity. It makes guilt sit tight on her chest, to see a man who would have lay his life for her and fall to his knees in her worship so tense and untrusting and paranoid, watching every move she made. It's her own fault, her selfishness, and her entitlement, but the fact and her attempts of atonement don't go far with this man.

"Are you feeling better?" Geralt asks her.

"Yes. I-I can't draw from myself too much, not after the fire. I'll need to find a riverbank or draw from stones in the coming days." her voice is quiet as she looks to Ciri. Geralt tenses. "She's breathing easier." Yennefer comments.

"She will need another dose of her tea soon, can't have her sleeping too long without it. We'll need some lemons and honey when she wakes up, clear out the thickness in her chest."

Yennefer nods. She gets up from the bed, slow. She drinks more water and flexes her fingers.

"The rain is slowing a little." she says. "Can't imagine we'll find any lemon trees or honeycomb in the middle of winter. I'll see what I can conjure after the storm breaks." she's rambling and she knows it, but she's so desperate for Geralt to see that she's sorry that it hurts.

He looks exhausted when she looks at him. Yennefer doesn't know if it would help if she pulled back all together, at least for a while. He's so worried, for Ciri, for her health and her physical safety from those who want to hunt her and use her, of the hunt who's invasion is imminent and his paranoia that she would all of a sudden snap her from his grasp and make away with the elder blood princess.

"You need to sleep, Geralt." She says.

He snorts. "No rest to be had these days."

"Be that as it may, lay down with her, she's not awake and you cannot make her drink when she is asleep. Her fever is down and she breathes easier, you've done all you can for now."

Geralt breathes and looks at the girl. In her assessment of the girl, Yennefer is correct. The princess sleeps soundly, and his arms ache to hold her, to assure himself that she's still okay.

He silently toes his boots off and removes the armour, keeping the steel sword in arms reach as he gets on the bed, hearing it creek in protest of his considerable mass. Geralts arms wrap around her, and he pulls her to his chest, laying on his back with the young girl laying on his torso. He can feel her heartbeat, listen to her pulse, his hair moves with her breath.

Yennefer stumbles when she comes back, holding another handful of mint leaves in her hand.

"Stop, Yennefer." He orders. "You'll only hurt yourself if you keep going with no source." He huffs.

"I just-I just need to sit." But she ends up collapsing against the bedframe, and is caught on instinct, pulled back onto the sheets as her body lays down again.

"Geralt, what-"

"We both need to rest, we'll be no good to her collapsing on our feet tomorrow."

"You don't trust-"

"I do not. But lay there and collect yourself, now is not the time to speak of such matters."

"I'm sorry, Geralt."

"You've said. We can't talk about this now, Ciri is what's important now. So rest, you can't help me get her better if you run yourself ragged."

[lichennose]

World-building in Building Thunder #1 - The Wondrous World of Weaving Galepaw, WindClan’s medicine apprentice, collects sorrel and lavender in a small basket harness.

The cats in Stars Above can weave! Woven cases are used to transport all sorts of goods, typically prey or herbs. These cases are crafted out of grass, reeds, cattail leaves, vines, brambles, and honeysuckle - materials are dried before any actual weaving takes place. Weaving is a time-consuming but important task for all four Clans.

Twine - Simple twine is crafted from willowbark, woven grass, vines, or blackberry brambles. It’s used to tie together other materials.

Healer’s Rope - Sturdy string crafted from stinging nettle fibers. - Used to make splints for limbs, tie herb bundles, and hang up herbs to dry.

Baskets - The hardest project a weaver can undertake, baskets are tricky to get right and take a long time to put together. Due to this, a Clan typically has only 2-3 baskets at a time - when not in use, they’re stored in a dry, sheltered spot within camp. - Always have some sort of handle and cover! The handle is a sturdy reed that can be replaced when worn out. The cover is a woven mat that’s secured by being slipped over a piece of bone, stick, etc tied into the basket wall. - Held in the mouth via the handle. - Sometimes decorated with flowers or colorful shells!

Pouches - Smaller version of a basket; these are easier to make and transport, but hold less. A Clan always has more pouches than baskets. - Held in the mouth with a twine handle or slipped onto a basket harness.

Basket Harnesses - Kittycat backpacks! - Small woven baskets attached to a woven harness that slips over the body. Used to transport plants, prey, and other small objects like rocks or shells. - The size of the basket varies depending on its intended use. In the featured art, Galepaw has a small basket intended for carrying small amounts of herbs. - Most often utilized by medicine cats when carrying herbs to another Clan for trading or when gathering large amounts at once. Also frequently used by warriors on fruitful hunting patrols or for gathering construction materials.

Fish Harnesses - Unique to RiverClan! Used to carry large fish from the river back to camp. - First, a flat surface is constructed out of sturdy sticks and tied together with thick twine. This is then tied to two separate harnesses worn by two different cats. These cats walk in tandem, supporting the fish between them.  - Wearing a fish harness is awkward due to the weight distribution and teamwork required. Apprentices practice by carrying around rocks and smaller prey items. - RiverClan usually has 4-5 of these at any given time; warriors are careful not to break them, but accidents happen. New fish harnesses are usually crafted in late greenleaf, in preparation for the salmon run, and may be repurposed into basket harnesses for the following leafbare.

[thekeepersgrove]

Rye's Floating Bookshop - 3rd of Bloom

| Information | Calendar | Previous entry | Next entry |

It is a rough night, as the strong winds whistling outside make it hard to sleep, rocking the bookshop on choppy waves. My body aches after yesterday's work, and I have to force myself out of bed with the promise of a strong cup of tea. After a breakfast of herbal tea and clover oatcakes, I go to open the shop only to see the deck outside cluttered with blossoms that have been shaken loose from their trees by the wind. Even the gutters are full of them! With a sigh, I flip the sign by the door to "open" and go to fetch my broom to start clearing out the debris. It is a slow day, due to the strong winds buffeting anyone who leaves their cozy abodes to go about their errands, which allows me some time to slowly work on the outside of the bookshop.

A couple of hours after opening, an elderly wallaby enters the shop, glad to get out of the weather. I welcome her with a smile and am asked to help her with her bags as she browses the shelves. I help her find a book suiting her tastes, struggling under the weight of the bags and wondering how this old creature managed to walk around with so much. The wallaby leaves with a mystery book, The Scarlet Clock, and thanks me warmly for my time.

After managing to clear the gutters of the gathered blossoms, I allow myself a break at the counter up front with a cup of willowbark tea and a small plate of oatmeal cookies. It does well to ward off a bit of the chill from the windy weather outside. A few minutes into my break, I hear a yelp at the door and look up from my cup of tea. A young racoon has entered, nursing his tail that seems to have gotten pinched in the door. I quickly get up, putting my teacup down, and ask if the young man requires any aid. He waves me off with a "thank you, but all is well" and encourages me to go back to my break. I continue watching him as he wanders through the store—bumping into customers and shelves wherever he goes—and hope I will not have to spend too much time picking up after him. The mess he leaves—even though he tries to pick up after himself—is not as endearing as that of the schoolchildren from yesterday. There is a huge crash coming from the non-fiction shelves, and I rush over to find the young raccoon on the floor, with books cluttered around him. With a guilty look he explains that he saw a book he wanted on the top shelf, but as he couldn't reach it he decided it was better to climb the shelf than to ask for help! I bring over the stepstool that stands next to the shelves, bring down the book—The Art of Thinking: Exploring Philosophy and the Quest for Meaning—and hand it over to this clumsy customer. I have to push down any frustration and irritation that I feel towards the customer as I decline his offer to help with the cleanup, saying that I will take care of it. While he finishes his browsing I clean up and put the books back on the shelf. When he joins me at the counter he does so with another book—Exploring Existence: Navigating the Nuances of Modern Philosophy—and apologises profusely as he pays for his finds and leaves. I breathe out a sign of relief as he does so and congratulate myself for managing to keep my emotions in check, even though I could have handled it better.

While I stand outside, sweeping away the rest of the blossoms of the deck, a squirrel approaches me with a fake smile and a briefcase in hand. It seems this lady is not a customer at all, but is in fact trying to sell me something. They show me a collection of beautiful crystal decorations—masterfully crafted depictions of frolicking animalfolk—and try their best at selling them to me. I point out that my domicile is a floating home and is therefore affected quite heavily by the whims of the river. Any such items would inevitable fall off whatever shelf they would be stored on and therefore get smashed against the floor. I also tell them that they are a bit extravagant for my tastes, even though they are beautiful pieces. The squirrel salesman tries for a few more minutes to sell them to me, before I excuse myself by saying that I have customers inside who might need my help. She makes a sound of indignation, closes her briefcase, and leaves without saying goodbye. How rude!

As the evening and closing time approach the weather turns for the better—the winds calm down and warmth replaces the chill. I consider closing early to enjoy the sun now that my deck is clean, but seeing as how it is approaching the end of the workday anyway, I decide to simply sit out in the sun and enjoy it while waiting for any last customers to arrive. The fox kit from yesterday approaches me again, this time with some shyness. I welcome him with warmth, telling him how I am pleased to see him again, which makes him glow with joy. I ask his name, and he introduces himself as Darcy. He has come back with yet another question about my hometown, this time asking how it was to grow up there. I am more than happy to share my stories—even though I have to think to recall some of the details. I tell him of playing in the lower branches of the Undertree with my older siblings, running across the bridges between the houses built lower to the ground around its massive trunk. I smile a bit as I mention how angry our parents were with us when we came back covered in scratches after playing a bit too recklessly in the foliage around the base of the tree. Darcy listens with rapt attention, asking follow up questions occasionally. He laughs with me when I tell him—voice low and conspiratorial—of stealing pies that our mother had placed on the window sill of our home and running off to eat them at our favourite spot at a nearby creek, full of the kind of satisfaction only children get when doing something they shouldn't. I make sure to tell him to not get any ideas and to be a good kit, but I cannot help but smile at him as he claims that he would never do such a thing in a way that is clearly a lie. We speak for a little while before an older fox arrives, who introduces themselves as Darcy's parent. I shake their paw, giving them my name in return, and tell them that Darcy has been a joy when they apologise for their son taking up my time. As they leave, I thank Darcy for joining me and tell him that he is welcome to come back, if his parents allow it. I wave as they leave and head back into the shop to finish the day.

After the last few customers leave, I turn the sign at the door to "closed" and do any paperwork and cleaning up that is required. I think of Darcy and find myself hoping he will return, as the company of the young kit reminds me of my nieces in a way that brings warmth to my heart. I end the day out on the deck again, watching the sun set beneath the horizon, quite happy with how things are turning out so far.

| Total customers: 40 | Books sold: 30 (Inventory Total: 433) | Earnings: 83 (Till total: 238) |

[tamarackbaumann]

(click on the first image for a full view oops)

Descriptions Under Cut!

Sage:

He’s an adventurous lil scamp who loves the forest more than anyone. He has ADHD and has type 2 diabetes. He’s still figuring out his identity and has trouble finding out who he really is on the inside. He also has an adoptive sister named Corrina.

Windy:

Windy is a shy person, not very talkative and kinda aloof, but they mean well. If you have befriended Finch (their nickname), be prepared to get showered with bird facts and food they made especially for you!