the-name-is-hoggle

[the-name-is-hoggle]

Hoggle can only make a dry sort of snort when Mars mentions the possibility of him "blowing up" and can only raise an amused brow at her. Really, the places his friend's mind went to....

"I have no intention of doin' this only part of the way, I made a promise ta get the task done....."

Abundance and Warm Light, huh? And birds? Hoggle was alright with birds- except owls. They reminded him of Jareth.....

Leaving that thought aside, Hoggle put his focus towards trying out his new powers again. Looking around the area they were in for a good spot to start when directed by Selva to begin.

"Okay....grow some plants....."

The dwarf nods and picks a spot of grass that just feels right to starts. His hands move reflexively with his focus as Hoggle 'reaches' out mentally to the environment around him. Almost immediately the wild flowers and even the grass itself in that patch start to quickly grow larger and wilder. The path of Hoggle's focus could be tracked easily because of this, with each new bush or tree that would suddenly rise up would be in the ever growing "path" made of sweet fluffy grasses and colorful blooms.

=========

Meanwhile, in a certain dusty library, the Goblin King had been making quite a bit less progress than the Spring Prince. At least, it felt like he'd gotten nowhere to Jareth. Despite having been searching through books for several hours at this point.

"-Garnish with fresh herbs or croutons and serve immediately- Dammit! This is just another worm cookbook! With yet another recipe for Turnip Soup!"

Comes the frustrated huff, Jareth idly tossing away a tiny book he had been reading with the help of a magnifying glass. He was several haphazardly filled bookshelves deep at this point and still had a lot more to go. With a sigh he reaches for the next book, of a more regular size this time, and opens it up.

Outside the Library in the hallway, Beetleglum took the time to check on his King. Watching Jareth grumble away as the man remained focused on his task, the point of which the older goblin wasn't completely sure about.....

His attention is stolen away by the arrival of Yumika's messenger fairy, he quickly heads over to some random quiet room before taking the missive. Offering the fairy a bit of fruit for her trouble before opening it up.

He reads it a few times, processing what the kitsune's words meant.

Hoggle had actually made it to Summer. He'd made it to the Summer Realm and presumably was in the middle of gaining every segment of power that the ruler, Selva Roja, had been custodian of.

Beetleglum felt both proud of the dwarf as well as concerned. Hoggle had now crossed the point of no return in his mission, the former groundskeeper would have to see this business until the very end.

Or die trying.

'Drink something cool and stay in the shade, your lovely fur must feel like a lot there.

Hoggle will succeed, he doesn't give up on things.

Jareth looks for something in the Labyrinth Library, I am not sure exactly what. But I know it's related to Hoggle and Spring Realm.'

Beetleglum doesn't bother with trying to write a Haiku back as his reply, though he does make an effort for his writing to be neat and evenly spaced. With no smudges of ink or splotches from the quill. Once it's dry he rolls the parchment back up and hands it over to the waiting fairy.

"Go, go!"

He tells her, opening the window and watching her fly away.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the stench of this terrible blog…bleck!”

[the-name-is-hoggle]

Gladekeeper - four seasons

-

Gladekeeper belong to Flight Rising

[the-name-is-hoggle]

Saguaro National Park, Tucson Az.

[the-name-is-hoggle]

When the Spring labeled part of Selva's example diagram is shattered, Hoggle can't help a slight flinch at the shattering noise. And he stares at the dramatic display of the water spilling out and everything fading away. His own blue eyes as wide as Mars' obscured ones.

Which was definitely the point of the whole demonstration. To shock them. To emphasize just how important the place of the seasons- Hoggle's place - in Everything. The dwarf is so caught up in this mental vibe check that he barely registers Mars asking about The Butterfly Effect to Selva.

Honestly that whole concept would have simply confused him at best, so it was probably for the better that he didn't take it in at all. He kept just staring at where the once ring of light had been, up until Selva addressed him directly once more. And then he was staring at her.

"........no wonder you all want to make sure if I can do this job or not...."

Hoggle found himself muttering, hand moving up to rub at his face as his expression shifted to one of determined concern. He from just a groundskeeper of the Labyrinth to an exile with a mocking title to....a load bearing pillar of reality.

It was like a really weird joke, or something.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the stench of this terrible blog…bleck!”

[the-name-is-hoggle]

"Wait, wha-?"

Hoggle had been taken just as aback as Mars at that little tidbit that Selva had dropped. What DID she mean by not wanting to risk someone like the Spring King being "gone" again?! Had there been a time some other season had gone "dead"? Or another realm that was important?

The dwarf is left blinking in bewilderment as his teacher seemingly changes subject on a dime, powering on through towards whatever lesson she wanted to get into that day. It took a bit of the Summer Queen's sudden lecture about Cycles and Connections for Hoggle to realize it wasn't actually a subject change. Selva was indeed continuing the previous topic, but was talking about it in a different way. Giving answers to questions he - they - hadn't thought to ask yet while also not addressing what they wanted to ask.

Hoggle had gotten so used to Jareth over the years; taken for granted the Goblin King's rather paltry attempts at double talk and metaphor to hide obvious motivations. He realized then that he really needed to get his mind in gear when it came to talking to actual court fae. Otherwise he'd be left in the dust navigating this whole Seasonal Court thing.

"If you remove a section from the wheel, it would stop. Maybe a wheel could keep going if a single spoke was taken out, but an entire quarter? That wouldn't work."

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the stench of this terrible blog…bleck!”

[the-name-is-hoggle]

Here is an over due sketch commission finally finished for @adara-of-the-flame of Biollante and her OC twins, Moon and Mars! Plus a lil bonus semi colored version of Mars, since I love that she decorates herself with bright colors.

I do have to apologize, even to another commissioner, about the long wait. Been having issues with PayPal, so commissions had to be put on hold for a while. I’ll make a new commissions post once I’m done with the remaining commissions from last time.

[the-name-is-hoggle]

Hoggle had no idea about the statue of Liberty. The only concept of giants he has was from old stories. Fairy Tales. Fe Fi Fo Fum, and all that.

And once more being carted away by Selva's palm made all of those descriptions pale in comparison.

"I don't mind the company." Hoggle turns away from watching the Dwarves, and the rest of their group, fade away in the distance and looks over to Mars. Giving the Urru a warm smile as he did.

The Summer Real truly was a lush, and lively place. The trees alone outshone any of the greenery from the Labyrinth, let alone a lot of the other places Hoggle had seen in his time. That went for the orchard they were set down in as well. He had never set foot into an actual orchard before.

He wondered if Spring had once been so lush and varied....

"......I assumed because he had no replacement. No Proper Heir. If the Bog of Eternal Stench was any indication, each realm is tied to the state of it's ruler. I can't image how it would've looked if there was no Spring King at all....."

Hoggle looked up at Selva, standing in her great shadow.

"......Right? Even though you all split his greater powers amongst you, he was still there. Waiting...."

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the stench of this terrible blog…bleck!”

[the-name-is-hoggle]

"Hoggle is - I mean, I am completely fine with having no facial hair. It would be nice if everyone else was too...."

Hoggle mutters back to Mars, leaning in slightly towards her now that the young woman had sat down and thus her face was at least a few feet closer to his own at this point. The pair very much had been forgotten by the now crowd of dwarves around them, despite having been the reason everyone had gathered int he first place. Even Sir Didymus was distracted talking with the Summer Dwarfs, the knight alternating between common tongue and Khudzul to make his opinion known.

The dwarf blinks at the Urru's compliment, she thought he looked....good? Huh?

Hoggle doesn't get to ponder on this long though, realizing with Mars that they were being lifted up.

"This isn't me-!"

He begins to protest just as the Summer Queen reveals that it was in fact her that was literally whisking them away from the current debacle - and honestly Hoggle was feeling a bit grateful. Last thing he needed to was to try talk down a crowd of dwarves.

Sir Didymus seemed to be doing already as a moderator though....when he wasn't adding to an argument....

"Spring Training? Whatever you're willing to show me...."

Hoggle agrees readily to Selva, the sooner he learned the better....

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the stench of this terrible blog…bleck!”

[the-name-is-hoggle]

The opposite of “manic pixie dream girl” is “depressed goblin nightmare man,” and, judging by this site, it’s just as attractive to some.

[the-name-is-hoggle]

David Bowie and some main Labyrinth Characters

[the-name-is-hoggle]

Enough homoeroticism about the Minotaur! It’s time to sexualize the labyrinth.

[the-name-is-hoggle]

owls + apples 🍎

[the-name-is-hoggle]

Hoggle cringes slightly as the red head actually calls him a "dead cave". Wow. No matter how far he was from his childhood home, the more things did not change.

This feeling increased as the other dwarves approached, practically closing in around him and the somewhat clueless Mars - oft. He suddenly remembered she would definitely be super lost about what was going on - and made their opinions known. At least it looked like more were trying for the common tongue instead of Khudzul? Though that arguably just meant that Mars could be dragged into the discussion as well.

"Really, it's nothin' ta make a scene over. The apology is already more than appreciated...."

Of course being in the Summer Queen's good graces really seemed to pull at the dwarves want to "right" things for Hoggle. Ugh. He rather preferred when no one thought twice about the words thrown his way. It was weird for anyone to care....

It was with relief - and a little trepidation - when Hoggle heard none other than Sir Didymus approaching them. He, Dumpling, and Yumika being led by Hickory over to where the Spring Prince and his bard stood. As soon as the knight saw his friends , Didymus hailed to them. Waving his staff about to get their attention while they were still a ways away.

"Sir Hoggle! My Lady Mars! There you two are! We knew you would return unharmed!"

And off the little fox-terrier creature bounced, making his way through the crowd of dwarves with some polite exclamations of "Pardon Me!, "Coming through!" and so forth. Both in common tongue and Khudzul, as a matter of fact. Which took Hoggle by surprise, he had no idea Didymus knew any at all!

What the -?!

"My, my! And new attire as well! I must say, a much better fit for the type of quest we are on at least!"

He grins as he finally reaches the dwarf and Urru, clapping Hoggle on the shoulder before grinning up at Mars. The smile going a bit slanted as he spoke,

"We spent a rousing night with Hickory playing Scrabble! Lady Yumika is still in a huff about how well she did at the game, but for a first time player it was not bad at all! You two seemed to have had a much more interesting night, yes?"

He turned to regard the redhead, their grandparent, and the rest of the assembled dwarves with bright curiosity.

"What is going on?"

Hoggled sighs lightly. Explaining for the whole group now.

"Short answer: our red headed friend over here commented on my lack of beard yesterday. "

And other things.

"Their grandparent caught wind of this and was unhappy. A beardless dwarf means someone in mourning in older circles so they thought I'd been highly insulted and wanted to make amends. I wasn't. I appreciate the apology I got anyway...It's fine."

Didymus hums lightly at this before commenting idly,

"...I admit I have wondered if you shaved everyday..."

Another sigh from Hoggle.

"No, Didymus. I'm just like this."

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the stench of this terrible blog…bleck!”

[the-name-is-hoggle]

The opposite of “manic pixie dream girl” is “depressed goblin nightmare man,” and, judging by this site, it’s just as attractive to some.

[the-name-is-hoggle]

I love Dwarf Fortress

[the-name-is-hoggle]

"Well! Took their time, didn't they?! I knew Sir Hoggle would return with our musical sorceress unscathed!"

Sir Didymus would immediately brighten at the news that Hoggle and Mars were back. In just a few moments he was on his feet and plopping his hat back upon his head with a gentleman's flair. He hurried to catch up with the others, fluffy tail wagging as he did so.

===========

It was obvious that living in Summer did things to dwarves.

Hoggle had to admit, at least it looked like this particular tribe was thriving. And definitely were the most tanned members of his species he'd ever seen. As well as colorfully dressed. Reminded him of tropical birds, naturally.

His observations are cut short when a familiar figure approached, being led along by a not so familiar one. Hoggle tried not to cringe, expression kept at neutral as the red head and their grandparent spoke their piece.

He couldn't help his open surprise when he got an actual apology.

As well as the reason he was even getting it.

They thought he was in mourning....?

His eyebrows quirk from a bit of sardonic amusement at that one. Without meaning to, the Prince of Spring rubs a hand along his bare chin. Hoggle was hardly the first beardless dwarf to exist, but it wasn't very common to see. Especially so when mixed with the weak excuse for hair that'd grown out of his head up until recent events had made it start being a bit more robust.

Still, it was rather pitiful by dwarf standards though. Back where he'd grown up, his (lack of nice) hair had marked Hoggle socially as someone from a "depleted mine". Or having weak genes, basically. He'd been happy to leave that labeling behind....

There were many different ways a dwarf could express great sorrow and loss, shaving one's beard completely off was definitely an option. But it was a much more traditional one, a modern dwarf was instead more likely to simply shorten the beard in a specific way or style the hair differently. Which explained why the Red Head had thought nothing of Hoggle's appearance, while their Elder was aghast at the implications.

Aghast enough to want to ban the red headed dwarf from large social traditions. Such as Zaz djerg frarth tharas votr or "Last Dwarf On Their Feet". A popular drinking game, one even Hoggle could get in on when opportunity arose.

"Oh....Uh....That's not something you gotta do."

Hoggle starts, shaking his head a little.

"I...appreciate the sentiment, Elder, but...JJeg uz ekk e mourning. -"

Fuck he really was rusty at speaking the old tongue,

"-Mot vlax gothr ekk hljiffn lag. Etta jr tlaga wizja jeg uz."

Hoggle explains slowly, gesturing to his naturally bare face and his white locks; that couldn't even be described as shoulder length. He made sure to explain in Khudzul so the older dwarf would understand.

"You and yours are free to think of me as you like for it, I can't stop ya. And I won't let it worry me, either. There's nothing to forgive....I've been told much worse, heh....."

He finishes gently, gesturing to the ear that was still held so firmly between ring and tattoo covered fingers. The Red Head didn't need a punishment for what was basically a typical "razzing" of a social peer. Hoggle wasn't exactly a fan, of course, but he knew there'd been no real malice behind it.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the stench of this terrible blog…bleck!”

[the-name-is-hoggle]

"Marty"

2025, watercolor and gouache

Marty is an education bird where I work. Unable to be released right now, Marty is used to go on trips to events to educate folks about wildlife.