#at least in some small sense? will a plant take what it does not need

[boxheadpaint]

really love all the replies to plant treat post, its interesting to think about and overthink about and also some responses are cute fun. my thing was the 'night' (4 or 5 am lol) before we had landed on the discussion of plants being able to see and mimic other plants and it got me lost in the concept of plants as aware thinking creatures that we can just barely understand 2) somiething fucked up happened to the formatting of this 3) Wghy is g,uten free "bread" literally the most miserablw food imagineable. Jesus fucking christ

[anna-scribbles]

aroace adrien fic chapter 2!!! and we all cheered

summary:

Kagami fixes her eyes intensely on his face, and Adrien smiles. He scoops peas onto his fork nonchalantly, trying to shake the cloud of guilt that always seems to follow him these days. He always feels see-through when Kagami looks at him like that. When she speaks, it’s matter-of-fact. “Something is bothering you.”

excerpt:

Kagami is a good girlfriend. A really, really good girlfriend.

She makes sure that they go on at least 2 dates per week, and schedules them far in advance. She texts him good morning and goodnight like clockwork. She’s even proactive about cute nicknames, sending him vetted lists of options which they can debate the merits of. If dating was a sport, Kagami would be a gold medalist.

And she kisses him. A lot.

“Good morning, sunshine,” she’ll tell him with a peck on the cheek, catching him on the steps before he goes into school. He’ll grin and she’ll tilt his chin closer, planting one right on his lips.

“Come here,” she’ll coax, swiping away their homework with one hand and tugging at his shirt collar with the other. He’ll look up at her through his lashes and part his mouth just so, letting her press their lips together again and again.

“You’re perfect,” she’ll whisper, pulling him close in the locker room after practice. She’ll run her hand through his sweaty hair and lift her face to his until all his senses go dark.

Kagami is great. Kagami is really great.

And Adrien… Adrien is…

He’s curled around a pillow on his bed for the fourth time this week, caught somewhere between nausea and dread. His homework is unfinished, piano pieces unrehearsed. A lock of hair is irritating his eye but he feels too detached from his body to do anything about it. He hates when he gets like this for a multitude of reasons, but mostly because it doesn’t make sense.

He’s been depressed before. He’s been dissociated before.

But this?

He thinks of Kagami’s lips, warm and sticky with lip gloss, moving against his mouth. He feels her mouth open, tilting to meet him at an angle, and her tongue—

Adrien’s whole body shudders involuntarily and he curls up tighter around the pillow, squeezing it for dear life. Awful. Awful. What’s wrong with him? It’s kissing his girlfriend, the most natural thing in the world. Why does it feel like—why does he feel like he’s dying?

When Adrien closes his eyes, he’s right back there again. Kagami’s firm hands on the back of his neck, holding onto him. Her spit warm in his mouth, the small noises in the back of her throat, the pit carved out like a chasm in his stomach—

“You look terrible.”

Plagg’s nasal voice jars him back to the present. When Adrien looks up, bright green eyes are squinting just centimeters from his face.

Plagg frowns. “Are you still sick? Wait, did you eat some of my moldy brie? You know I said not to touch it until May!”

Plagg zips away, into the cabinet under the trophy case. Adrien takes a shaky breath.

“I didn’t touch your cheese, Plagg.” He forces his fingers to unclench from the pillow and stashes the memory of Kagami’s lips under some rug in his brain. He’s fine. Everything’s fine.

Plagg phases back into view, breathing a sigh of relief. “Phew! That could’ve been disastrous!”

“Yeah.” Adrien sits up and clenches his fists hard, enough for his fingernails to dig into the skin of his palms. The pain wakes him up, brings him back. (It’s penance too, maybe. He needs to be better than this.)

“Maybe you really are sick, then.” Plagg flits around him, poking his nose into Adrien’s belly and armpit and hair and even trying to look in his ears. He pulls back and frowns, cocking his little head. “Geez, it’s been on and off like this for, like, a month. Shouldn’t you go to a doctor or something?”

Adrien adverts his eyes. “I don’t think a doctor would help.”

Not with… whatever this is.

“All I’m saying is, you look really bad. Like, really bad—”

“Thank you. Thanks.”

Adrien painstakingly swings his legs over the bed and puts his feet on the ground, manually shifting weight to each leg. Muscle by muscle, reminding his body how to stand. It’s easier once he’s up. Fog filters through his mind, and then he doesn’t think as much.

The sickness burns off in the shower, seared from his skin. Adrien emerges clean and good and normal and he puts on new clothes and blow-dries his hair. Ready for anything. Ready for—

Nathalie knocks twice on his bedroom door before opening it.

“Kagami is here,” she tells him. “Your dinner will be served shortly.”

read on ao3

[0cta9on]

Fluffy though of gidle miyeon being an older girlfriend and introducing her younger boyfriend to her members

Hello yoohyeons-puppy98! I took quite a few creative liberties with this, hope you don't mind :]

You examine the mirror a final time, unsure of what you see in the reflection. “I don’t know. Are you sure I look okay?”

“Of course you do,” Miyeon reassures you, planting a kiss on your cheek. “You look very handsome.”

“These glasses make me look like a nerd.”

“A handsome nerd.” She gathers her purse, heading towards the front door. “Now hurry up, hun, we’re gonna be late.”

You’re getting promoted to the manager of a bowling alley—hardly a means for celebration. Yet, Miyeon always makes a big deal out of these kinds of things, no matter how big or small. Despite your reluctance, she insisted on setting up a picnic with all of your friends to celebrate your new promotion.

Well, her friends at least. Social interaction never came easy to you like it does for Miyeon. Where you would prefer to keep to yourself, she’s the type to go out of her way to make friends with strangers. A sort of black cat and golden retriever dynamic, she never shies away from showering you with affection. It can be a bit troublesome at times, but at the very least, life is much, much more interesting having her as your girlfriend.

“...And then she had the audacity to just walk off like nothing happened!” Miyeon exclaims, complaining about an interaction she had earlier today while on the drive to the park. “Ugh, the nerve of some people!”

“That sucks, baby.” Judging by her story, it seems like she’s the one in the wrong here, but you would never admit that to her, especially when she’s like this.

“Yeah, I don’t wanna talk about it anymore, just thinking about it is pissing me off,” she sighs. The frown on her face instantly fades, replaced by her pretty smile as she turns to look at you. “God, I can’t believe you thought you looked ugly in those glasses. You look so cute.”

You chuckle softly. “You’re just saying that because you bought them for me.”

“I’m saying that because it’s true.” She waits until you stop in front of the red light before grabbing your chin and turning your head towards her. “I picked well though, didn’t I? You’re giving ‘sexy nerd’ vibes, like you’ll explain the Pythragoran theorem to me before taking me to the bedroom and f—”

“OKAY!” you exclaim, cutting her off before she goes into anymore detail. “First of all, it’s pronounced ‘Pythagorean’ theorem—”

“—So hot—”

“Second of all,” you stifle a chuckle at her overexaggerated lip bite, “Are your friends already at the park?”

“Yeah, I think so.” She leans back in her seat to check her phone, the sunlight through the window dancing on her flawless skin. “Yup, they’re all there. Just waiting for us.”

You breathe deeply, trying your best to calm your nerves. Miyeon, sensing something wrong, places a reassuring hand on your shoulder.

“Are you alright?” she asks.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine. Just a little nervous, I guess.”

With how often she talks about them, you basically know everything about Miyeon’s friends, maybe more than you should know. However, you’ve never actually met them in person. You know they’re good people (Miyeon wouldn’t constantly sing their praises otherwise), but the thought of making a good first impression still fills your mind with worry. 

“You have nothing to worry about, honey,” she says. “I talk about you so much, they basically like you already.”

“Oh really?” The corner of your lip lifts with curiosity. “What did you tell them about me?”

“Well…” That sly grin growing on her face tells you more than enough about the kind of ramblings that go on in her group chat.

“Christ, Miyeon!” you groan, heat rising to your cheeks. “I don’t need them knowing all about… that!”

She simply shrugs, chuckling at your reaction. “It’s a girl thing, I don’t expect you to understand. Besides, I tell them other things about you too, like how sweet and hardworking and attentive you are…” She leans in close until you can feel her breath tickling your earlobe. “...and how you like to call me ‘noona’ in bed—”

You come to a grinding halt pulling into a parking spot. Your entire face becomes enveloped in a burning heat, while Miyeon breaks down laughing in the passenger seat. If there weren’t so many people around, you would’ve already been pounding your face against the horn until your skin became one with the steering wheel.

“I’m just joking, honey!” she exclaims, clutching her stomach as she comes down from her hysterical high. 

Knowing Miyeon, the possibility that she did tell them is still non-zero. All you can do is hope that none of them mention this damning piece of information during the picnic, otherwise you fall victim to awkward future encounters at worst or a lifetime of teasing at best. In hindsight, maybe it would’ve been easier if you didn’t get the promotion in the first place.

______________________________________________________________

The golden sun hangs overhead, complimenting the aquamarine of the clear skies. A cooling breeze offsets the heat emitting from above to a perfect point. It’s a great day for a picnic, all things considered. Somehow, these kinds of things always work out when Miyeon plans them. Perhaps she’s secretly a goddess, bending the universe at her will whenever she wants, even for something as small and inconsequential as a picnic. Or perhaps you just don't pay enough attention to the weather app these days.

Miyeon skips ahead of you, the grass dancing in the wake of her every step as she makes her way towards the five girls sitting on the picnic blanket in the shade of a large tree. You purposefully slow down, making a small show of the cooler you’re dragging getting stuck on a rock, just so you can control your breathing before meeting them. It didn’t help that you’re still all hot and bothered from Miyeon’s previous teasing. The least you can do is not make a complete fool of yourself from the get go.

“Girls, this is my man, I’m sure you know all about him at this point.” Miyeon clings to your arm, shooting a sneaky wink that does little to calm your nerves.

“Hello,” you say, giving them a polite bow.

The rest of them exchange greetings with you, quickly putting you at ease as you fall into pleasant conversation. Most of your time is spent listening to another one of Miyeon’s rants (They all agree that she was in the wrong, but of course, you take her side anyways), but every once in a while, the others will tell stories about their own personal lives. 

You learn about Soyeon’s budding rap career and Shuhua’s inability to hold a stable job for more than a month at a time (You figure you could mention that your place is hiring, but quietly decide against it after hearing about her work ethic). Minnie tells you about her visit to Thailand last month to see her family, showing the group her many pictures of her adventures, while Soojin and Yuqi vent about the different kinds of customers they meet at the bar they work at. They’re such an eclectic group of interesting people, you almost feel embarrassed that they’re all assembled here to celebrate your promotion at a dingy bowling alley

“Congrats on your promotion!” Soyeon exclaims. “It must be fun working at a bowling alley.”

“Eh, it’s alright,” you say, scratching the back of your head. “Mainly just cleaning and general customer service, I would hardly call it interesting.”

“I think it’s pretty cool,” Miyeon chimes in. “Tell them about what happened last week, with the drunk guy and all that.”

The rest of the group lean in with intrigue, putting a spotlight on you. “Um, it wasn’t anything really—”

“C’mon, tell us!” Shuhua screams. “Don’t be a wuss!”

“Hey, don’t be rude.” Soojin slaps her on the shoulder, scolding her. “But yes, we would like to know what happened.”

“Alright, well…” You take a quick breath, trying to recount everything that happened. “There was this big group of guys that came in, I think it was for some guy’s birthday party or a bachelor party or something. They ordered a bunch of alcohol and started terrorizing the other lanes, just being really rowdy and stuff. My coworker told them to chill out, and one of them started getting physical with her, so I, uh…” You pause, suddenly feeling self conscious about all the attention you’re getting. Miyeon rubs your back, looking at them with a knowing smirk.

“...I slip—”

“He knocked him out!” She exclaims, finishing your sentence.

The girls erupt into a chorus of cheers, patting you on the back and singing your praises about how “cool” you are. In reality, you only knocked the guy out after slipping and accidentally headbutting him in the nose, but it’s already too late to correct them. So you settle for keeping quiet, letting them believe in the facade that Miyeon presented them.

“Wah, that’s so cool!” Yuqi cheers. “No wonder you got promoted to manager!”

“Remind me to hire you as my bodyguard the next time I visit home,” Minnie teases.

In the midst of all the commotion, Miyeon pulls you to the side, gently cupping your chin. “See, I told you they would like you,” she whispers, kissing your cheek.

“They like the lie that you told.”

“I didn’t lie, you did technically knock him out.”

“Yeah, on accident—”

Miyeon shuts you up with a peck to your lips, brief yet sweet enough to leave you wanting more. “I just want them to know how cool my boyfriend is, okay?”

You sigh, sinking your face deeper into her touch. “Okay. Thanks.” You lean in and return the favor, giving her a peck of your own. “Noona~”

Miyeon covers her face with her hands, a light pink hue peaking through the gaps of her fingers. The others exchange weird looks, unsure of what to make of her sudden reaction, but all you can do is shrug. For all the teasing she does, it’s a wonder how easy it is to make her topple.

[lilacskyly]

Honored Ones: Yandere Satoru Gojo x Reader

(This might be bad idk :,> not that proud of it)

Throughout Heaven and the Earth, he  is the honored one. 

Then what does that make you?

“Oh goddess~ You aren’t hiding from me, are you?” you heard Satoru Gojo coo as his steps echoed throughout the abandoned building. You covered your mouth, trying your best to cover your shaky breath. “You can’t hide from me forever~ You know we’re bound… right goddess?” You heard him laugh and then a chain rattled. You froze, staring at your wrist to see the spirit bind chain that was shackled to your wrist. “Stop fighting me. You already know I can sense you… right?” he questioned. Tears fell out of your eyes just as Gojo teleported in front of you. “Found you~”

You jumped before he covered your mouth. He put a finger to his lips, “Sssshhh my dear…. Ssshh… I’m here… those special grade curses are gone… there’s no need to cry!” He smiled for you before planting a small kiss on your forehead. If you didn’t know better, he would’ve just been his normal self. But, after you saw him kill those curses and some of his fellow jujutsu sorcerers for ‘getting in the way’, you knew you couldn’t trust his smile.

“S-satoru…”

His smile only grew upon hearing his name come from your lips. God.. those perfect lips of yours. He was practically salivating.

He snapped himself out of his thoughts. “Yes my goddess?”

“W-where are the others?” you asked.

“The others? Oh… you mean the pests. They're gone now. They can't bother us now~” he whispered in your ear. “You cryin’? It's okay my goddess… you're safe now.” 

He took your hand in his and lifted you off the ground. Despite your fear of him, you hugged him and started crying even more. He engulfed you in a hug as well. “Never do that again.” he said, getting scarily serious for once.

“I-I won’t! I swear I won’t!” you cried. He knew better than to take your word for that.

He sighed, “Let’s go home goddess. You’ve had a long day..”

You couldn’t track how long it took you to get to his place. Time always seemed to mush together when you were with him. You couldn’t tell if that was a good thing or not. Gojo locked the door behind you two when you entered his place. He collapsed on the sofa, pulling on the spirit bind chain to get you to come over. 

“Y’know goddess, I never imagined being this close to you…” he started. “After all, you’re barely a jujutsu sorcerer my dear… it’s a miracle we even met.”

“... y-yeah… I-I’m sorry, I’m really weak..” you said, looking down at his hands. 

He shook his head. “Stop lying to yourself. You may not be as strong as you want… but soon enough you will be.”

“H-how?”

“I’ve been hinting at a surprise haven’t I? I think it’s about time I finally reveal it.” he smiled softly at you.

You tilted your head, confusion spread across your face. “W-what do you mean?”

“You’re almost entirely mine, my precious goddess~ Did you figure out what I’ve been doing yet?” he asked innocently. 

Wait. He didn’t.. He fucking wouldn’t.

He smiled after seeing your expression. “You’ve figured it haven’t you? You’re so smart my goddess! I’ve been putting drops of my blood into your food I’ve prepared for you… and you know how your cursed technique works.. Right?”

Of course you did! You weren’t stupid.. Were you?

“Your cursed technique isn’t very practical… at least for you. You have to quite literally consume a part of a person to gain their strength. But but but! If you ingest too much, your life becomes officially theirs to control. It’s funny really.. You get stronger but you become less and less you the more you do so!”

“G-gojo… w-what..?”

“Look my goddess… I know someone as holy as you could never be mine… so, I’m taking fate into my own hands. We will be together now, forever. No matter what you do, you won’t be able to die as long as I’m alive. You can’t even escape me in death. We’re bound, remember goddess? You’ve sealed your fate the very moment you agreed to this.” He grabbed your wrist, showing the spirit bind you two established. You both had to ingest some of each other's blood to even establish it. You just wanted to be stronger… to be protected by someone…

You should’ve died to those curses in that building earlier.

Before you knew it, Gojo tore at his wrist till it bled heavily. He held it up for you to drink his blood. He chuckled as you looked at him in horror. “H-how… how long have you..”

“Oh, since we made the pact. I’ve had my sight on you for quite a while my dear.” he said nonchalantly. “Now, drink up. Haven’t got all night.”

You shook your head causing him to laugh loudly. “Seriously? You’re still being stubborn? You really don’t get it dear… you’re mine.” His blue eyes pierced your own, seeming to tear into your brain. “Now, drink.”

Your body moved without you as you downed his blood. The taste was repulsive, you hated doing this. Gojo however seemed to be enjoying it as he petted your hair muttering ‘good girl’ every now and again. He pushed you away after some time. “Now now dear, we don’t want to suck me completely dry, do we?” he teased.

“Mhm…” was all you managed to say.

“Y’know… the pact is fully made now, right? Ha! How funny! I can literally control you now!” he laughed lightly. “We can claim this world as ours… and ours alone. After all, we’re gods… together we are the honored one…”

He pulled on the now fully materialized chain around both your wrists and hummed cheerfully. 

“Let’s go have some fun, shall we?” 

[catscidr]

NEED MORE OFFICE DOTTORE PLEAAAAADE HBAUBGUDUHFIBOND

i. note — he’s my guilty pleasure im sry i js CRAVE this mf twenny four/seven ദ്ദി ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ ) </3 ii. includes — dottore, afab! reader but no gendered pronouns are used iii. cw — im rambling again heyyy what's new. office setting/modern au, dottore is kinda creepy, implied stalking, obsessive behaviour, their feelings are mutual but dottore comes off too strong and reader is a bit dense, mention of periods, drinking/alcohol, implied drugging (but nothing happens). this sounds bad but its tame he's just a weirdo with a crush and is weird about said crush Trust Me

thinking about office senior! dottore using his status in the company to butt in and work on projects that you’ve been assigned. him slowly but surely worming his way into your life ever since he got a taste of you, unable to let you just be a fling, a one-time thing. he just has to ruin you in every way

he would definitely be sooo aware of your steadily blooming crush on him and would use it against you to then tease you to hell and back. this man knows how to toy with people! he’ll most definitely toy with you!!!

lingering touches bordering on unprofessional but still friendly if you squint, going out of his way to ask your opinion on things during a crowded meeting n putting you on the spot, stepping into the elevator at the same time as you to trap you n initiate small talk……

of course said “small talk” is always… a little weird… when it’s with zandik. he doesn’t talk about the weather, stocks, or whatever mundane task you were working on right before you went on lunch break.

no, he’ll talk about things he shouldn’t know about you, things he’d only know if you told him about them, or things that are just a little too… personal? but maybe you’re being a little uptight. maybe you just… don’t remember telling him some things about yourself. it’s not like he’s talking about anything super outrageous or controversial anyways, it’s fine.

“eating instant noodles every day for dinner isn’t good for you, it’s most likely the reason why you get such bad cramps during your cycle. i would recommend adding some leafy greens to your servings at the very least, or some tofu to help with your iron intake.”

what a weirdo…. but hey, he’s kinda right, maybe you should eat more balanced meals so you don’t keel over anytime soon.

office senior! dottore also often does creepy things but in a nice way? if that makes sense?

for example, when the team is brought out for drinks to celebrate another successful project, he’ll make sure to be the only one sitting next to you. you’ll be squished against the wall and his shoulder, beer in hand, your cheeks burning from the alcohol and the proximity between you two

he’ll keep an eye on you and your alcohol tolerance, but not in the way you think he will. he’ll encourage you to drink more, “you seem tense. here, here’s a refill” he’d say in that smooth voice of his. “oh? you’re stumbling on your words, are your nerves still acting up? have my drink.”

and once you get to the point where you’re leaning over the table, head resting on your arms, only then will he start to actually take care of you.

he’ll place one hand on your back, rubbing soothing circles to help ground you from your dizziness. scold you for drinking so much, all while everyone else at the table glances at you with concern (or as much concern as other drunk and tipsy coworkers can muster)

“you shouldn’t have drank so much if you knew your alcohol tolerance was this poor.”

and the shadow of a smile on his face will turn into something more sinister when you frantically get up to rush to the bathroom. you immediately stumble to the floor, dizzy and disoriented. too dizzy and disoriented.

he’ll catch you before you fall as coworkers express their concern for you, only then noticing how bad your state had gotten now that face-planting directly onto the tatami floor of the bar was a feasible outcome

a chorus of surprised “woah!”’s and “are you okay?” ring out, conversations growing quieter as everyone stares at the stoic, scary superior holding up the rookie that got completely plastered at a work event. some are silently judging, but most are ogling zandik

your cubicle neighbor and work buddy gets up from her seat, stumbling on her way to help you stand up. though she had indulged you in gossip about him before, something about him holding your suspiciously drunk body up made alarm bells ring in her head.

“i’ll take them home,” he declares, voice colder than ice. no one really notices the hostility in his tone, too tipsy themselves to notice zandik’s obvious favouritism towards you. “enjoy the rest of your night.”

...and he diligently brings you to your flat, catching you before you stumble on your feet and trip over nothing. the trip was a struggle for the both of you, though more so for you than for him considering he had anticipated this outcome. maybe next time he should reconsider before giving you so much to drink.

[vickysaurus]

(Image, as well as much of my information, from Carboniferous Giants and Mass Extinction by George R. McGhee Jr.)

Take a look at this tree. On a scale of 1 to 10, how weird do you think it is?

You quite possibly just gave it a 3 or a 4 or something. Sure, it's a little odd, but does look vaguely normal, right? A friend of mine guessed it was some sort of baobab when I showed him the image.

This is, in fact Lepidodendron, an ancient tree from the Carboniferous, and by modern tree standards it is absolutely bizarre. Its closest surviving relatives, quillworts and clubmosses, only grow to a height of a few centimetres, yet Lepidodendron were giants that shot up to 50 metres tall... Briefly, before dispersing their spores and completely dying off.

(Lycopodium and Spinulum, modern relatives of Lepidodendron, photos by Bernd Haynold and Pete Pattavina)

You see, Lepidondron lived like a gigantic dandelion. For most of its life, it was a stumpy little thing that stuck close to the ground. Just an odd scaly green stump with some long leaves poking out. The green scales its bark consisted of were the place it conducted its photosynthesis, and thus basically did the work of leaves. The Lepidodendron would stay like this for a couple years, slowly expanding its roots and getting ready for the next step. But its roots would grow mostly horizontally, down not so much! And part of why is that even they had the scaly leaf-like photosynthetic bark. That's right, even their roots could - and to some extend needed to - photosynthesise!

(Fossil Lepidodendron bark in the National Museum of Brazil, photo by Dornicke; a fossilised relative of Lepidodendron with some of its roots visible, photo by Michael C. Rygel)

So why would you ever try to photosynthesise with your roots of all things as a plant? Surely it would make much more sense to just transport the sugars created in other parts there than to have your roots be so shallow that bits of them can catch a little light and make it in situ? Sure, if you're capable of that! This is what modern trees do, but they have two separate vascular tissues they use for transport: xylem, which moves water from the roots to the rest of the plant, and phloem, which moves sugars and other photosynthetic products from the leaves to the rest of the plant. Unfortunately for Lepidodendron, it only had xylem, no phloem, so its sugars were only ever going to move as far as they could diffuse, so every part of the tree needed to have at least a little photosynthesis happening, even the roots.

This truly gets ridiculous when the Lepidodendron decides after a few years of charging up that it's time to reproduce. That's when the weird green stump we have so far starts shooting up, up, up, very quickly, all the way until an enormous 40 or 50 metres in height. Now, modern trees grow this large by being supported by a sturdy wooden core, but that's not what Lepidodendron did. To hold up the entire tree, it relies entirely on its outer bark thickening as it grows. In mechanical terms, it was little more than a huge hollow pole, probably creaking and swaying terribly in the wind. Although I have not been able to confirm this in the literature so far, I suspect that between the shallow roots and the whole thing being held up by its bark, you could probably total a Lepidodendron with a good kick.

Now remember, all this growth is happening without phloem, so the entire length of that stem has to not just be sturdy enough to keep the tree standing, but it also has to keep doing photosynthesis to feed itself. When it reaches its full height, the top of the tree finally starts sprouting branches and small leaves, leaving it looking like the picture at the start. But those are not what it's all about for the tree: the cones that develop among them are. At a height of 50 metres, the spores produced by the cones can very easily be picked up by the wind and blown far, far away. Being spores, rather than seeds as modern trees have, they have no supplies built in whatsoever, so they need to get lucky to land in a spot that has immediate access to water. Luckily, there are a lot of those in the vast Carboniferous swamps, and with the trees doing so much work to spread the spores very widely, some of them are sure to find good spots. And then, with the spores dispersed, the tree is done for. The entire thing, which has just grown to the skies, dies off and soon comes crashing down.

So how weird is this tree? I'd call it a perfect 10.

[cissa-calls]

Foreword to Agatha All Along

After years of waiting, tomorrow witches, marks the anticipated start to Agatha All Along! But, before the first two episodes stream, it's time to take one last crack at discussing some possible theories (and hopes) for the series:

Akin to how Wandavision was an exploration of American Television sitcoms, this series is partially an exploration of depictions of witchcraft and referential to horror in pop culture (the Witched Witch and Glinda from the Wizard of Oz).

Is Rio dead? How does she seem to emerge from the ground on the side of the witches road? Did she and Agatha try to walk it long ago, and Rio perished, thus she is now trapped there forever?

At some point, Agatha will end up alone. She will be walking alone because either everyone has died, or those remaining leave. This however will not be indefinite.

Conversely, it could also recall the beginning when it was just her and the teen, but just the two of them make it out.

I keep thinking of that scene with her and the teen in the metal room, where they both appear to be in patient gowns. Are they in facilities at S.W.O.R.D.? Is the teen crying because Agatha is making him walk through memories and realize his identity?

Agatha's knowledge of the road is either from the Darkhold or what Evanora taught (or rather tried to keep from her daughter).

As a green witch, Rio is connected to plants. Her costume quite literally looks like vines and roots growing are forming the bodice. Are plants relevant in the sense of bloom and regeneration? Or rather decay and withering?

Using, dismantling, subverting, or cannonizing of symbols or tools of witchcraft. From kitschy to terrifying.

The hooded figures who appear in front of the teen, is there one for each member of the coven? Is it a haunted form of themselves, or a twisted appartion assigned to capture each?

Part of this story is found family, and Agatha's fear of comraderie. Built off a lifetime of distrust, backstabbing, and taking, Agatha has to learn to trust. In a similar vein, Agatha has no sense of comfort or home.

The scene where Agatha's face is covered in small cuts or splatters of blood. Either that is the cataylst to a glorifying rise near the end of the show, or a horrifying turn of seemingly irredemtion.

Rio was once Agatha's companion, her only companion. A betrayal between the two sent Agatha into permanent solitude.

I sincerely hope this show explores horror and gives into the darkness that Multiverse of Madness teased. Comic relief is a needed presence, but the tone is overall geared towards darker themes and storylines

Speaking of darkness - night! The majority of this series will take place at night! At least the juicy and important scenes.

DOES AGATHA POSSESS THE DARKHOLD AGAIN OR WAS ITS APPEARANCE IN A FLASHBACK

When Agatha was young and on the run, she was targeted for possessing the Darkhold.

Rio and Agatha...history may call them the best of friends.

The Ballad of the Witche's Road might be sung in several versions/genre's (we've already heard two)

More lyrics of the ballad will be revealed and sung as the story progresses.

The Witches Road may be terrible, but it is a unifying force as it welcomes everyone. Remember the lyrics: "Seekest thou the road, all that's foul and fair," the road is a living thing, inviting everyone but casting judgement on those who can achieve

I will cry at some point. I am certain this will break me just as Wandavision broke me.

The glowing tree in the middle of the Witch's Road has something hidden beneath and growing within the roots. (Is it the heart of the Road, because it is a living legend?)

Each of the witches will have to confront their greatest fears manifested as scenes, memories, or landscapes of their personal hells. Only when they begin to trust each other or confront/admit their weakness can their proceed. Agatha would obviously have the final and hardest challenge.

Without her magic, such a core tenant of her identity and confidence, Agatha will be even more combatative and threatening (borne entirely out of insecurity).

Agatha's cameo, and the lock of hair in it, is a reminder of her humanity and connection.

At some point, Agatha will break, spilling out centuries worth of every held back, messy emotion (and Kathryn Hahn will SERVE).

Perhaps it is based on the obvious Eve allegory, but there will be more biblical allegories or subversions. Is Agatha being born anew?

Teen and Señor Scratchy bond. It is likely a trauma bond. (The rabbit may also gain a more horrifying form or eat an entire monster/adversary)

Elaborate outfit reveal. ELABORATE FINALE COSTUME OUTFIT REVEAL! AGATHA ACHIEVES ENLIGHTMENT AND HER MOST POWERFUL FORM WHEN SHE FINALLY RECLAIMS HER MAGIC...possibly foiling Wanda when she became the Scarlet Witch.

This is not an exhaustive list, but it will be interesting to compare these ideas to how the show actually plays out. In all of this excitement, there is still a touch of trepidation. After pouring so much love into counting down the days to release and yielding art, writing, research, and costumes for this character, Agatha has remained a fun force of exploration and expression for me. However, the excitement over seeing where Kathryn Hahn takes the character next assuages any and all fears, as we finally will confront who exactly Agatha was all along.

Get ready witches, it's time to walk the road.

[hello-from-nrc-infirmary]

Vern's Ceremonial Robes: Plants need sun

“The nature of your soul is…. Diasomnia”

The dark mirror’s choice seemed to make sense. At least, the other new fae students were also in the same dorm. His talent for defense and healing were probably the biggest contributors to the decision. However, he silently doubts his abilities could match most of the others in his dorm. It soon became clear to him that his own reservations would be the least of his concerns.

-A few months later-

The constant gloom and stormy atmosphere of the dorm made it difficult for Vern to sleep at night. At least, night was what he would call it when the dorm grew darker and the slight chill in the halls started to nip at his skin. He had decided to return to the dorm late that day. It was a small attempt to hopefully enjoy the sunlight before going to his dorm.

The glow of the fireplace caught his eye as he reached the lounge. He was familiar with the blazing anger of forest fires and had painfully danced with them. These flames were… different. Glancing at the time, he picks a spot on the sofa closest to the strange green flames. He only meant to watch them for a few moments. They were oddly calming. Blinking to break the hold they had on him, he opens his textbook, pausing to set the paper inside of it next to him. Vern was a little behind in history and was hoping to do some more catch.

Curfew was a loose term in Diasomnia. A majority of the fae he had met over the past week were mostly nocturnal, including his own roommates. Luckily, the one that was always around the dorm didn’t question Vern’s sleeping habits, or current lack of them. He told himself that it wasn’t his fault. The flashes of lightning through the windows were his silent reminder of the permanent storm.

An abrupt crash of thunder jolted his system. A wave of nausea and panic sent his heart racing as he tried to calm his breathing. The shadows in the room seemed longer and darker than before. His tie suddenly being loosened made him cast for vines to burst from the cracks in the floor.

“Dear me, you have quite the set of thorns on you.”

Vern blinks, trying to focus on who was in front of him.  “O-oh… Lilia? I’m umm… so sorry…”

“Knee hee, it’s quite alright. I must’ve given you quite the fright while you were in such a state.”

“I… um… y-yeah… I suppose you umm… did…”

“Knee hee, no worries. Had I wished, I could have been truly terrifying. But, what was it that caused your hair to gray?”

“M-my hair?! Ummm... h-has it really?!?!”

He frantically reaches up to pull some of his hair into view. Lilia's laughter was filtered to the back of his mind. Had... his magic gotten that low already? He goes quiet as flakes of what appear to be ash fall from a streak of gray.

Lilia calms down after Vern's face drops, “your appearance has only grown more sullen lately. Are a type of sprite?”

“O-oh… umm… y-yes, I’m a Spring Sprite from the Phant- ummmm… I mean, the Paradise Mountains.”

“Ah, yes. Spring Sprites haven’t been seen in Briar Valley for a few hundred years.”

“Yeah…. my mother told me um… stories about the ummm… conflicts that drove her to umm… leave. She settled in the um… Phantasia Montes….”

“Goodness, she sounds like quite the globetrotter. I’d love to hear some of the tales she has.”

“Yeah... she umm… was, “ Vern smiles sadly, “I can umm… do my best to um… recall them for you sometime. I was quite umm… young when I was told about them.”

“That’d be lovely! Ah, right, do you know who this dorm transfer form belongs to?”

Vern’s amber eyes widen at the paper, “o-oh, umm… that’s mine, I guess..”

He gently takes it and looks it over for the thousandth time that week.

“You plan on transferring dorms? May I inquire why?”

“It’s my umm… roommates’ suggestion. You um… mentioned that I appear umm… sullen? It’s from the ummm…. atmosphere here, I think. It’s not um… very nourishing for diurnal fae, especially a Spring Sprite.”

“Ah, that does explain why students have found you nodding off at various times of the day.”

Vern nods, “yes. My only umm.. challenge is that I um… don’t know which dorm to transfer to.”

Lilia crosses an arm across himself while lifting the opposite hand towards his chin.

“Hmmm.... Which ones are you considering?”

“Octavinelle seemed like a ummm… decent option, with the um.. spirit of benevolence but…" Vern shakes his head, "their dorm is ummm… underwater.”

“And plants need sun to flourish. Have you considered Pomefiore? Malleus has mentioned that your knowledge of potions is inimitable.”

Vern blinks at that, his cheeks tinting pink, “o-oh… umm… I appreciate the praise. I… hadn’t um… considered it. I’m ummm… not one for um…. fashion and umm… curses, but… perhaps Pomefiore would...”

He goes quiet for a few minutes before smiling, “your insight is umm… truly helpful. It is um…. A bit late for ummm… me, though.”

“Khee hee hee, yes! Youngsters do need their sleep,” Lilia snickers.

Vern giggles, “yeah… umm…. have a good night.”

He hurries out of the lounge, not wanting to stop until the door of his dorm was shut behind him. His white-haired roommate hadn’t noticed his return thanks to his headphones. Leaning against the sturdy wood, he looks back at the transfer form in his hand.

“Pomefiore…” he mumbles to himself, a small smile tugging at his lips, “I think… yes… that will do nicely”

[ask-elland-n-will]

22) Does your MC have any pets? 😌

I'm excluding owls form this cause obviously everyone has an owl.

☀️ William: a flying horse he used to race on, Granian breed. Never gave them a name! I'm sure there were small pets here and there, like puffskeins, but he was always overenthusiastic about them, resulting in the creatures skattering away. Horses were always fine with him though. I'm sure Papa had a dog or two at some point. But with Will as Hogwarts, there wasn't anything he could bring with him. William will get a dog eventually when he settles down, whatever breed he agrees on with Elland/Monty/other SO (mostly likely something big and fluffy).

🌙 Elland: no pets. His family's horses don't count, it's not the same bond as what Will shares with his Granian, though both Elland and Cyrus know how to take care of horses and frequently ride. Elland might get a dog but depends on AU. In Auror AU it'll only happen if he already has a partner and when he learns to take care of himself and take breaks instead staying at work till midnight. A pet deserves attention, so two people at home at least are a must. He gets the dog sooner in other AUs (mind-healer, professor, or og firework business owner with his brother) because he won't be risking his life and will be with them more often.

🧨 Cyrus is not great with pets, mostly because he is not as attentive as a pet owner should be. He would get lost in his projects, forget to feed the animal or check its water. Not because he doesn't like a pet or wishes it harm but because he is all over the place, doing 1000 things at once. There are always important projects or pranks to attend to, not a quiet slice of life to enjoy.

Elland gifted Cyrus a cactus as a form of a bet at some point: Cyrus has to keep it alive or he loses The Game. Yes, it is that simple to get Cyrus to agree to something he doesn't want to do, just get his sense of pride involved, and Cyrus hates losing bets when it comes to something he can easily do. He just has to water this blasted thing every other week to a month, right?

He certainly forgot about it on a number of occasions. And every time he remembers, he freaks out. Loosing is only part of it, though he would never openly admit it. Most of all he hates the idea of disappointing his brother. The cactus is Elland's gift after all. Every time the plant miraculously survives. But it is not as much about Cyrus being there at the last moment as it is about Elland placing a charm on said cactus. It would survive even without water although it would still be needed for the cactus to actually grow.

Elland is aware of how much Cyrus looks up to him. A little pet project to make his brother more aware of the things that depend on him. Perhaps in the future it will help Cyrus out when it comes to taking care of things that do not bring immediate gratification or aren't there to entertain.

Cyrus ended up slapping googly eyes on it. Sometimes he talks to it about his projects. Sometimes he charms other things onto it to make it less boring. With time he'll come to understand what Elland did, especially when Elland graduates, leaving Cyrus alone in Year 7. And with time, he will also start watering it regularly. He won't ever disappoint his brother!

And then there's a whole situation with pet rocks. He got them as prizes at an Easter event, he was intent on beating Elland at who can collect more Easter Eggs (Elland won). All the rocks he has are special, some are named after his classmates, and one — a reimagining of what de Strontiums would've been like if Elland and Cyrus had a sister.

TLDR: Cyrus cannot have pets, he'll literally just forget.

🌸 Lilith? Does she have a pet? Did she have a pet? Will somebody be her pet? Nobody will ever know but there are rumours she befriended a bear cub in the wild when she was a kid. Or was it a tiger when she was on a trip with her parents that one summer? Who knows.

[cloudyswritings]

hollow knight biology: Vessels

so I’ve been on a hollow knight kick again and it’s got me thinking about why the vessels grow the way they do. Specifically why THK and the Broken Vessel are much larger than the others we see in game despite being nominally the same age. This really stumped me for a while but the more I thought about their parentage the more it made sense. See we know the vessels hatched in eggs in the abyss, or rather what look like eggs, but the thing is we also know based on the size that it was the White Lady who made them(keep in mind that gender doesn’t matter all that much for gods, look at Loki in Norse mythology for that) . That would mean that the vessels actually came out of seeds of some sort.

Okay, you may be saying but what does that matter for the growth of the vessels? A whole damn lot actually, because knowing that the vessels are at least partially plant and came from seeds mean that we can apply some behaviors related to plant growth to them. A ton of species of plant will grow less, or present a different phenotype if conditions aren’t optimal for growth. Oftentimes this translates to a lack of resources or nutrients and occasionally inadequate lighting. Now, given that we’ve never seen vessels eat in game, and they are mute I’d assume it’s fair to say they have no mouth, leaving us with two resources they could be exposed to. Soul and Light.

If we take a look at THK and BV it becomes clear that THK has been clearly exposed to soul(given their soul magic swords as pure vessel) and Light(both from their Father and Radiance). BV on the other hand was at very least exposed to light through the Radiance, although this appears to have happened after their death and their ghost is still the same size. That leaves soul unaccounted for, but it’s entirely possible that like Little Ghost they could have learned to use soul along the way.

Essentially what I see happening is that vessels start out very small and underdeveloped until they’re exposed to Soul and Light in large enough quantities. A lack of one or both can stunt growth, this is why BV is shorter than THK. As vessels grow their mask functions a bit like the bark of a tree, with each year of growth sitting on top of the last— this translates into the mask mechanic in game and also explains why THK and BV are much more durable than Little Ghost is, they’ve simply had better growing conditions. This would also explain why falling from the climb into the abyss was fatal to the majority of vessels but not little ghost. They actually got close enough to take in some of the Pale kings light before falling, and thus were just durable enough to survive the landing. Additionally the need for light and soul would explain why the vessels were instinctively drawn upwards towards the king when they hatched. Plus the image of little plant babies is very cute to me. In short, vessels are trees and Light + Soul = Growth

[psycheetamore]

So, what about those Giedi Prime parties?

Must be a place for "boundless freedoms, sexual and otherwise"... this is where my true exploration started, so let me take you along for a small tour.

Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen: playboy number 1 from Giedi Prime, perhaps even from the entire known universe (in my head in any case). Tried to do some AI prompts to see how that would look... well, let's agree it does not beat the real thing (we need a Dune prequel - there are so many thingsI want to learn about Feyd), so we need to do some world building.

He deserves a grand party! And the best parties are those where people let loose, are free, protected, follow their instincts. Underground. The harsh sounds from techno. Unforgiving yet embracing. Anonymous yet together. chapter 18 of Choosing to Follow Destiny:

The lord grabbed her hand to draw her into the belly of the building. He had never been as intimate with her like this in the vicinity of others. She whispered in his ear: “lord Harkonnen, what is this place?” He briefly stopped as he held her hand against his chest and said: “on this planet we give no freedom, apart from this place I create every year. This is a sanctuary of boundless liberties and unprecedented equality. Here, people let go. But, as a word of caution: within this freedom lies danger. Having survived this party is a badge of honour.”

Tbh, I was quite inspired by this amazing spotify playlist gem feyd's certified bangers.

So yeah, that is what I wanted to give him. From chapter 18 of Choosing to Follow Destiny:

Surrounded by sweating bodies her body could do nothing but join their worship of the punishing sounds initiated by a person standing behind a controlling device on a podium. Her limbs moved to the heavy, powerful, deep tones that transitioned through and took hold of her. Her motions were as repetitive as the blasts that came out of the audio systems.

Soon, she lost all sense of herself, of her surroundings, of everything that could be distinguished, of time and place. She had become part of the ritual being executed. She was present and absent at the same time. She was engulfed in and oblivious of her surroundings at the same time.

She was free and imprisoned at the same time.

She was everything and nothing.

She understood the appeal of this temporary world.

She had lost herself.

And the club needs to be fierce. The building that had me inspired is below (iykyk...).

From chapter 18 (a tiny piece - I have described this building in waaaaay more detail):

He settled on top of one of the seemingly abandoned factories. He did not offer his hand to allow her to get out of the vehicle, but lifted her out on the roof, getting her to place her hands on his forearms and feel the muscles contract. As always, he knew what he was doing, and his face showed this. He was so pleased with himself.

[...]

As she looked around, she noticed they were standing on a concrete slab with large irregular gullies that could only come from harsh weather conditions, combined with at least decades of abstinence of maintenance. At some places moss and small plants had overtaken the gullies, proving that natural life, however limited and only for the most resilient of plants, was possible on this planet. Beyond this rooftop, many other evicted buildings were located. Some still seemed to be in pretty good shape, while others had seen better times, back when their interior wasn't exposed to the open air with the help of then still present cladding.

[...]

At the bottom of the stairs she placed her entire hand on the cool construction material while stopping the na-Baron before he could open yet another door. She felt she belonged in this place. After a moment of contemplation, she drew him to her, placed her arms over his shoulders and captured his lips. He pinned her against the wall, grabbing one of her legs to place himself against her. He was ready again. But she would not entertain him now, nor here. She got all the information she needed to know, as she pushed him away, forcing him to painfully tear his bottom lip from her teeth, and opened the door to go through first.

[...]

As if it was water, music came flowing from every part of the building to reach her ears and body. This utilitarian building could not have been anything else than be purposely made for this goal. Step by step she started to understand Feyd-Rautha's love for Barony.

And if you have recognised this beauty, then you will also know which way the party will go down and why chapter 19 is called "Boundless freedoms, sexual and otherwise". To give a first glance into the second room our lead lord and lead lady entered:

Sounds seemed to fade away, as she started to notice just how the couches were being used: as a place for exploration and play. For finding new acquaintances and improving relationships. Rhythmic movements, caressing of all different body parts, feet in the air, breasts uncovered, moans, women riding men surrounded by people pleasuring themselves, screeches of climaxes, men holding women’s hips thrusting while being touched by others, women kissing every body part getting near their mouths, screams of pleasure, men licking entire limbs covered by fluids, people tied up, walking on leashes, being spanked. All with masks, nobody recognisable, all hierarchy left at the door.

[...]

Feyd-Rautha had crept up behind her, massaging her shoulders, his sultry voice asked: “do you like what you see?”

[...]

She removed herself from the bed, grabbed the discarded bands and threw them on his chest. Before saying anything, she sat on top of him, with only a few layers of cloths acting as last remaining fort to be concurred between them. While she removed her cape, she said: “you know what to do with those, lord Harkonnen” as she slapped his face with her open palm.

[...]

She did not make it easy for him to put himself in these could-be-cuffs, as she rode on him. Every fibre in him needed to concentrate to do as she wanted. New territories for a man used to being in absolute control.

Once he had completed this task, she connected the carbines to the rings of the cufflinks. He was bound to the bed and subject to her fantasies.

After this it gets NSFW/not suited for minors... the first draft was Berlin underground rave culture inspired smut. Second and third draft: just decided to go overboard. Over 6k words of smut 🫣

[the-starry-seas]

writing a little bit to see if i like whisper's pronoun change

Blue isn't the slightest bit surprised when Whisper takes one look at a pond full of frogs and walks straight into the water. That's the sort of behaviour that he's come to expect of xei since they moved here. Well, since they were cadets, really. He'd lost count of the number of times that xe snuck out of the barracks to feed crumbs to the sea mice that swarmed around the Kaminoan docks.

Got in trouble for it a few times, too. Racer or Fury would take the blame when they went with xei, but Whisper hadn't always allowed them to. The Kaminoans weren't here to scold them, though, so... xe could do whatever xe wanted.

And to nobody's surprise, xe wanted to catch frogs.

"Do you have any idea what you're going to do with those if you get one?" Blue asks.

Xe stops a moment, water rippling around xeim legs, and frowns at him like xe's having some kind of realisation.

"Told Fury to bring me a big plastic box with a lid."

And as long as he listened, there won't be anything to worry about... but he's not always great at listening. Or at not getting distracted. Blue loves all of his batchmates - knows they all love each other, too - but he's also aware of their flaws. Fury's tend to involve details. Doesn't matter what kind.

"Hah," Whisper mutters, and he realises xe actually managed to catch a frog in xeim hands.

Huh.

Not that he'd really doubted xei, because xe was fast and agile, but so were frogs. He was never able to catch any of the creatures that got loose on their ship. Always been small ones, fortunately. Xe has sense. Something he can't say for other clones, like Racer.

"Hold this one," xe instructs him.

"No thank you."

"Hold the karking frog, Blue."

He groans to himself and edges toward the water, frowning the moment it starts seeping through his shoes. The things he does for his squad...

The frog is needlessly large, in his opinion. He needs both hands to take it from Whisper and hold it so it won't escape. Or at least he hopes that's what he's doing.

By the time Fury shows up with the box, Whisper's managed to catch two more. And through some feat that Blue still can't figure out, the second frog was caught with only one hand.

"You take too long," xe informs Fury as he opens the lid of the box. The frogs are gently placed inside, and the lid placed back on top, once Blue deposits his frog as well.

"That's not my fault," he says, rolling his eyes. "Racer wanted to microwave the box to see what happened and I had to find her another one to play with."

"Mm," xe mutters, giving him a disapproving look before turning back to the pond.

Blue has no idea why he hangs around after that. It's not like supervision has ever worked on these people. They do what they want, and he has little affect on their bullshit, when they're not on the battlefield. He's curious about the end goal with the frogs, though.

"Aren't these the poisonous ones?" Fury asks, leaning over the box more so he can get a better look at them.

"Yes. Which is different from venomous, which is what you're thinking of." Xe doesn't even look at him as xe says it, too busy scuffing xeim hands down the front of xeim shirt before getting back in the water.

"You don't know that."

Whisper doesn't seem inclined to dignify that with a response.

Instead xe dives under the surface, and Blue can only gape briefly at xei. Or rather, the water where xe disappeared. Who does that? Well, at least xe's entertaining xeiself. A bored Whisper is restless like a caged animal. Which is in blessed contrast to the dangerously chaotic duo of Racer and Fury, but still, not exactly ideal.

By the time Whisper tires xeiself out, xe's caught upwards of twenty frogs, but xe only keeps four of them in the box. The others are allowed to stampede back toward the water. Blue wisely stays out of their way.

"Do you have... plans for those?" he can't help asking, because he sees mud and water and plants going in the box alongside them, and he can't help but wonder if they're intended to be kept long-term.

"Yes," Whisper says, and shuts the lid.

"Would you like to share your plans?"

"No."

And with that, xe's off, carrying one side of the box as Fury carries the other. Blue can only sigh, and get up to follow them, holding his still-damp socks and shoes in one hand. They really don't listen to him at all. Well, at least Whisper will keep them out of his bed.

(He's blissfully unaware that in the morning, he'll wake up face-to-face with one of them, and his scream will wake up half the village. That will fortunately be the only mishap, once he helps xei fit a better lid on top of the terrarium. He'll still be glad when the frogs are released back to the pond a few weeks later.)

[pomefioredove]

Hello! It's been awhile since I've gotten a matchup done from anyone, and I really like your writing, so I'd thought I'd ask for one!

Congratulations on 500 followers by the way!!

If I were to describe myself and my personality, I think it would overall be "quiet." I very much keep to myself and don't make much of an attempt at talking to other people, but that would be because I have lingering social anxiety from my childhood. I am actually very fond of talking to new people and making conversation, but I much prefer to do that alongside someone I know. I enjoy my space and my time to myself, but I also value anyone I call "my people" (whether it be friends or family) an incredible amount and love to spend time with them.

Another thing about me is the way I love. I, for a lack of a better term, do not love gently. Once I love someone (in any way) I will never, ever, stop. No matter what. This has hurt me before, and because of this, I guard my heart very closely, and it will likely take very clear intentions from someone to convince me to let them in.

As for my interests and hobbies, I can't say that I'm all that exciting, but I do love what I do anyway. I work in a greenhouse, and was raised by a mother who loves to forage plants and mushrooms to make medical and herbal tinctures out of them! (Or just to eat lol) My hobbies include reading, drawing, and a liiiiittle bit of writing (...of any kind, really. Small poems, mini songs, ficlets... the works). Recently I've gotten into sewing as well, and I'm really enjoying it!

My lifestyle is, like me, very quiet. I live in a very small village (yes an actual village) several miles away from any real towns, so not a lot goes on around where I am. Many would consider it rather boring, and I'm probably due for some change someday (I anticipate it, really), but I'm very content with what I have right now.

And last but not least, I'm female, around 5'8"-5'9" (173 to 175 cm), have several moles dotting around here and there, and... I suppose I like to dress rather nicely? It's something I've been doing lately and I'm enjoying it quite a bit haha. If I were to describe my current style it would probably be "elegant and comfortable." Nicknames are basically second nature to me, so I often call people "dear, darling, honey, love," etc. If they're special to me, I'll tag on "my" at the beginning; "my dear, my darling, my love..." You get the idea! A last tidbit is that my love language is primarily physical touch. It's practically the life blood of the way I show affection lol.

Thank you for letting me ramble! I kind of also took this as a chance to figure out how to describe myself again lol. Take your time answering this, since I know I kind of packed a lot in here. As for what kind of matchup I want, romantic would be wonderful, and anyone in your default list will be just fine! (I love the staff, but like, platonically, you know?)

I match you with 𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭

The First Impression:

Intentions don't come any clearer than from Rook. Oh, how your beauty makes him weep! Your appreciation of nature! Your love for his favorite arts!

How does he already know all that? ...Better not to question it.

Why He Fell:

Rook has an eye for beauty, which includes both outer and inner. Your elegant sense of style, combined with your natural kindness, you're the best parts of everything he loves all in one!

Perhaps it's your love of writing, or your knowledge around nature, or your shared affinity for terms of endearment, but Rook is simply drawn to you as if you're a part of him. It's a lovely, natural feeling to him, and once he's sure, he's more than clear about his intentions.

The Relationship:

Rook is truly just happy to be with you. He'll accompany you on a foraging trip through the woods, he'll indulge you in as much physical affection as you would enjoy, or he'll give you your much needed alone time when required (he understands that feeling perfectly, after all).

There is a shared sense of devotion between the two of you, one in which you know that he would never cause you any intentional harm. Rook is simply enamored with you, from your quiet disposition to the intense ways in which you feel and express love.

[caramel-catss]

night owls

on ao3

word count: 2.5k

the chain bonding at nighttime; legend and twilight smoke together

Legend asks for second watch. Nobody protests, but Wind raises his eyebrows at the thought of volunteering for such torture. Twilight doesn’t think much of it; as long as there’s someone to relieve him from first watch, he doesn’t care.

So they settle in for the night. As Wild’s fire dies down, Legend and Time play their ocarinas together. They flow into an easy harmony, like they’ve played together all their lives. It’s probably something to do with the Hero’s Spirit. How else would he have been able to howl a true melody with another wolf?

Wind, always a pirate, tells the others stories that only make them worry about what’s out there in the Great Sea. Four gets antsy, and so does Hyrule, and the two end up throwing small knives into a tree to shake off their energy. Twilight recognizes them as ones Four has been slowly working on whenever they spend time in his Hyrule.

Eventually, the first drifters begin to snore. This time it’s Sky (unsurprising) and Time (a little surprising, but only a little). Wild hands Twilight the fire stick, then joins in. Twilight stretches and sets in for watch. Everyone knows who the wolf is by now, but still, he’d rather they sleep before he takes a trot around the place.

It’s maybe half an hour before Legend bids him goodnight and rests his head on his pack, the last one to go. Legend’s always been like that, taking more watches than he needs to and skipping out of any extra sleeping hours he can. It’s a bit confusing, because wouldn’t the Veteran, of all people, know that proper rest is important?

Twilight pokes the fire one last time to make sure it’s gone out, then he stands and walks some paces away from camp. He needs them in hearing distance, at least - once he’s in his wolf form, he’ll easily sense any danger that might befall them, but he stays close just in case. They’re in Wild’s Hyrule right now, and while nighttime ambushes aren’t nearly as common as they are in other places, Twilight can never be too sure.

He takes the crystal into his hand and shifts. The wolf takes as long stretch after his fur fully covers his body. He resists the urge to howl, though it is very much there. He’s not even in a situation in which he needs to. He just likes howling.

After pulling his limbs, Twilight sets into a trot around camp. He can still smell the lingering taste of dinner. It was some of Wild’s freshest tonight, cooked with fish from the river not five minutes away. Wild almost tried to catch them himself, but Time had given him a look for so long that he backed off. Twilight and Time had got to enjoy some fishing time together.

Tonight is nice. A gentle chill, not unwelcome, sets into his fur. It feels fresh, like the wild is welcoming him in with open arms. Twilight feels at peace.

He takes several circles around the camp, then dares to make way to the river. The night gives him a sudden boost of energy, and he jumps in with his paws. He surprises himself with actually catching a fish or two. He happily enjoys them as a snack.

Twilight checks the moon and determines that his watch is almost up. He makes way back to camp, ears up to make sure nothing is coming, then-

A rustle in the plants catches his predator's senses. Twilight’s head whips around, and he crouches, slowly making his way through the brush. He can smell something burning, but it’s small, consolidated. He sniffs the smoke, and… dammit, did one of the boys wake up? Who in Ordona’s good name decided to get high in the middle of the night!?

Twilight internally groaned. Well, fuck. If he gets reported to Time he’ll have it. He peaks a little further to make sure that the smoker is someone in their group. His head pokes out of the brush.

An arrow, knocked and ready, stares back at him. Behind it is Legend, eyes red. He’s sitting on a fallen tree, the joint laid to his side.

You’re joking, Twilight thinks. Legend blinks, shrugs, and places the bow down.

“Thought one of Wild’s pack wolves was chasin’ me,” Legend mutters. Twilight accepts this and shifts back.

“I was on my way to wake ya up for yer watch,” Twilight says. “Looks like yer too busy getting stoned, though.”

Legend laughs, a short thing through his nose. He lifts up the joint and holds out his hand in Twilight’s direction. “What, you want to join?”

Twilight raises his eyebrows, but he takes it. He sits next to Legend. “I’m not on watch anymore, ya’know.”

“I’ve been ambushed high before, cleared a dungeon, too. I’ll be fine.” Legend waves him off. Twilight takes a long hit, because it’s been ages since he’s had enough time to sit at the farm and smoke.

“Cleared a dungeon,” Twilight repeats, passing back to Legend. He takes a hit before replying.

“Mhm, for the hell of it. Had to re-rent from Rav like three times.”

“So, not well.”

“Can’t say I’ve practiced.”

Twilight rolls his eyes. Legend passes back to him. He takes another hit, this time curling his lips so the smoke makes an ‘O’ shape.

“Look at you, fancy,” Legend comments. “Should’ve known the moment you called yourself Rancher.”

This earns a laugh from Twilight. “‘Veteran’ doesn’t make me think ya’d be smokin’ at ass-o-clock instead of sleepin’, yet here we are.”

“It’s better than dreaming,” Legend replies. Cryptic. Twilight passes.

Legend leans back after he pulls the paper from his mouth, shifting so his head lays on the log. He stretches his legs until his knees pop.

“Same sky,” Legend says. Twilight grunts in reply, so he continues. “No matter what times… we have the same sky.”

That prompts Twilight to look up. He recognizes some constellations almost instantly. He’s never been much of an astronomer. But if you watch the same thing, every night, even if you only see it for a few minutes after what you’re looking for is gone… you’ll remember it.

And Legend is right. It is the same sky.

“‘s like that’s the only thing,” Twilight murmurs. Legend nods.

“Hyrule’s all fucked up… but the stars never died.”

“I’ll drink ‘ta that.”

“Ha.”

Legend sits back up. Passes. Twilight’s taking his hit as Legend pipes up again.

“You watch the sky a lot, yeah?”

“Hm?”

“Sunsets, we always gotta pry you away. Why’s that?”

Twilight flashes a smile. His mouth goes dry, and ah, it’s hitting. “Only time our worlds are each other’s.”

“You told me that before,” Legend muses. “Talk about it like it’s a lover.”

“She was,” Twilight mumbles. “...I think.”

“Yikes,” Legend says. Twilight huffs, passes. He leans back and sighs as the high kicks in.

“Been a while, huh?” Damn, Legend doesn’t shut up when he’s not sober. That’s fine, Twilight can be a bit of a talker, too.

“Can’t get away from y’all long enough.”

“And that’s why ‘m here now.” Legend has a point.

Legend’s rolling another, and Twilight hadn’t realized their first was out. Legend digs into his bag, which is sloppily laying next to him, and takes out his fire rod. A genius idea dawns upon Twilight.

He reaches down and grabs a blade of grass. He holds it up as far away from his fingers without dropping it, then motions Legend to look.

“What.”

“20 rupees if ya can burn this blade of grass and nothin’ else. Test yer fire rod skills.”

“Shit, you do have a dog brain!” Legend laughs.

Twilight scoffs. “‘Scuse me!”

“Make it 30, I’ll do it,” Legend continues. “Easy.”

So Twilight holds his arm out as Legend shifts to his knees, aiming the fire rod carefully as he taps into its magic. Legend counts down from three, and because Twilight is actually confident in him (and he’s too stoned to actually think about what they’re doing), he doesn’t move a muscle.

Fire rods, in fact, are hard to aim in close proximity. Even more surprising, they tend to send out a set amount of fire with each use, and cannot really be adjusted to send out a tiny flame. Under normal circumstances, Legend and Twilight would know this perfectly well; in fact, under normal circumstances, they wouldn’t be caught dead even imagining doing this. However, it’s ass-o-clock in the morning, both heroes are baked, and there’s a bet involved.

And so, Legend shoots a burst from the rod, it singes Twilight’s finger, and he jolts away before he can even yelp in pain. Twilight’s had burns before, but shit! And he’s waving his hand like that’ll do anything, and Legend is cursing, and Twilight briefly remembers that he just won 30 rupees so he stops panicking.

“Fucking- ugh! Shit, if the magic rod was real, those fuckin’ fireballs, they could’ve… fuck!”

Twilight hums as he gets to his feet. He checks his finger - it’s not too bad, but it is quite red, and Legend’s desperately digging through his bag. Maybe it is bad, then.

Legend practically throws him the fairy, and Twilight pops the lid open without a second thought. The fairy heals up his hand nicely, though it still feels quite warm after. Legend’s still cursing.

“30 rupees,” Twilight reminds.

“Fairy worth more, you owe me,” Legend grumbles.

Twilight just shakes his head until Legend groans even louder and forks over the money. He pockets it with a grin.

“I give you my weed and you fuckin’ scam me,” Legend lights the other joint, which was abandoned up until now. “Not to mention give me a heart attack.”

“Was an honest bet,” Twilight counters.

“Whatever.” Legend takes another long hit, probably to make up for the past five minutes, and then gives it to Twilight. The two fall into silence for a while, trading the joint. Twilight watches the moon slowly climb through the sky.

Twilight’s mind drifts. He thinks about the conversation they had earlier. Two realms, connecting at dusk… Legend has mentioned another world, too. Lorule. That day, he found out about the wolf. He was a bunny, ha! And he mentioned…

“When was the last time ya saw her?” Twilight asked, more to himself. It wasn’t his business. Usually, it wouldn’t even come out of his mouth.

“Her?” Legend questions.

“That girl,” Twilight murmurs. “Said it’s yer fault. I feel that way too, ‘bout mine, sometimes.”

Legend’s quiet. Twilight turns, making sure he’s alright. He stares at the ground with a pensive expression that tells way too much.

“She’s why I don’t sleep,” Legend mutters. Makes sense.

“I get nightmares, too,” Twilight nods.

“No, it’s-” Legend cuts himself off by turning away, gritting his teeth. It takes a few moments, but he then relaxes, taking a deep breath. “Damn, and I’m on this shit to calm me.”

“Haha. You don’ gotta talk about it.”

“I killed her,” Legend blurts out. And Twilight doesn’t know how to reply, so he doesn’t.

A beat.

“I destroyed the world she lived on. I was the only survivor.”

Twilight leans against Legend and pulls him into a hug.

They’re quiet. The weed still buzzes at Twilight’s mind, though he’s not at the peak of his high anymore. Legend stays still, looking out into the distance, wistful. But he leans into Twilight’s touch, enough that there’s trust, so Twilight stays holding him.

“Sorry,” Legend mumbles, after a bit. “Soured the mood.”

Twilight waves him off. “‘s fine. You matter more.”

“Really?” And Legend’s tone is genuine, like he doesn’t know how to mean something to people. The thought worries Twilight.

“Yeah,” Twilight says. “Really.”

Legend leans in closer, and Twilight swings his arm around the younger’s shoulder. It feels like how Twilight would comfort his younger brothers in the village. He realizes that Legend’s not too far off from that. Not related by blood, but if someone asked Twilight who Legend was, he would call him “brother”.

“People care about ya, y’know,” Twilight starts. Legend makes an “mm” sound. They’re still high, but there’s an air of sobriety between them. “Ravio cares.”

“Rav cares about my money,” Legend replies, but it’s weak and they both know it.

“Bull. When ya showed up bleeding at his door last week, he held ya close all night.”

“That’s… that’s different.”

“Sure.”

Legend sighs. “..Complicated. With ‘im.”

“I know that feelin’.”

Legend drops the little left of the joint, puts it out with his boot. His eyes drift to the sky. Twilight’s follow, and he determines that Legend’s watch will be over in maybe 15 minutes or so.

“How’re you supposed to be Link?” Legend mutters. It’s more to himself. Twilight hears it anyway.

“Hm?”

“You do all this Hero shit, and then what’re you? Who’s Link once you drop that?”

Twilight’s heard some stories about Legend’s life from him. Besides the 7 adventures thing, he knows the guy practically lives on the road, only stopping by home to spend time with Ravio.

“I’m a rancher,” Twilight replies, like it’s helpful. Legend’s scoff tells him it’s not. “What were ya doin’ before?”

“Don’t fuckin’ know. I was 12.” Shit.

“Take care of your house much? Saw the orchard outside.”

“I did smithing, once, didn’t work out.”

“Then fuckin’ retire,” Twilight says. “Ya got ‘nough chronic pain to get away with it.”

Legend groans and puts his face in his hands. “That’s what Ravio always says.”

“Try listenin’ to him for once.” At that, Legend purses his lips. “Look, he loves ya. He don’t want ya hurt.”

“I-” Legend shoots up, stares Twilight in the face. He’s beet red. Twilight doesn’t let his expression falter.

“Just sayin’,” Twilight shrugs. Legend sputters a bit.

“Fuck this,” he grumbles, standing up. He’s not actually mad and they both know it. Twilight follows, cracking his knuckles as Legend hoists his bag back over his shoulder. The buzz is starting to subside, but he doesn’t really mind.

Legend starts walking back to camp, deep in thought. He mumbles something about waking up Warriors for his watch. Twilight’s about to let him go, wave him off and go to bed, when Legend suddenly straightens and takes Twilight’s arm.

“Uh, Rancher,” Legend says. “...Thanks.”

“‘Course,” Twilight replies. “Just wake me up if ya need a smoking buddy.”

Legend snorts. “If you don’t try to kill yourself next time, sure.”

They both laugh, then Twilight bids Legend goodnight. As he settles into bed, he overhears Warriors grumbling at being woken up. Then he hears Warriors grumbling that Legend smells like weed, and he’s suddenly glad that he’s assumed enough of a sleeping position that he won’t also be told off. Especially by someone some months younger than him.

Twilight sinks into his bedroll. His limbs feel heavy in a comforting way, like when he goes to bed stoned at home. Tonight felt like home.

He falls asleep quickly, knowing that he’s safe with his brothers around him.

[fourchuu]

Day 19: Palette 2

Character(s): Isabela

wc: 811

Hope County was never the problem, it was the family.

Hope County was full of nature and wildlife. Full of old trees fragrancing everywhere. From the roads to stores. You couldn't find a single home without it being in front of nature. Dark forest greens, rough brown tree bark. Bushes of soft leaves with small budding flowers. Newborn does and bucks when peering just enough into shaded woods.

The Seed family was from outside of Montana, they brought an invasion into Hope County. They were occupying space they never should've had. Fanatics.

But when Isabela got to escape, she could forget about them. When she could walk across the Holland Valley and into the woods of the Whitetail Mountains. When she could smell the mist of past rain, the musk of animals that had been there earlier. She felt free.

She may never be free, but in those moments, surrounded by deep shades of green and brown, she couldn't feel the pulsing burn of the scar. She could feel like her old self. The girl that ran away into the world and was making it.

Rough bark scraped against Isabela's hands. Warm red-brown bark, small insects crawling along the dirt, the smell of grass intoxicating her nose. This was healing. The crunch of the leaves as she smelled earth everywhere. Whether it was the oak from a cabin, the flowers wafting over from a breeze, or just the unearthing of deep dirt permeating the air.

Between the bouts of depression Isabela found herself feeling catharsis in nature. Whether she was alone or being escorted around, she felt herself heal a little more every time she walked around the forest floor.

She enjoyed walking around the ranch, smelling the minimal plants that grew. Walking over to the docks with a Chosen watching over her. Looking over at the rare animals she'd find, swimming in the rivers, even just sitting looking over the scenery. Sometimes she'd bring a pad of paper with her, sketching the scenery. Even if it was just the cool blue water and some flowers that stuck out to her. Isabela loved drawing the deer, drawing each one's special spots or markings. After some time her watcher would stop being weapons, nothing ever happening during their walks other than admiring nature.

Now, Isabela was free to roam wherever she liked, she could visit the water, hike the Whitetail Mountains, even travel through regions without any need of someone watching her. She knew this was faux freedom. Joseph knew she was too far gone, that they could just grab her again and "Take her home" as Jacob once said to her. The thought crept up her spine in the most bone chilling way. Her only freedom would come from the most extreme measures. But for right now, climbing a really tall tree would suffice. Climbing the top of the mountains, isolated with only eagles to keep her company can do.

And that's what she began doing.

The further up the mountains Isabela climbed, the thinner the air got. The leaves also grew lighter, a more olive and soft green compared to the deep forest colors of the base of the mountains.

Looking down at her feet, Isabela realized she wasn't prepared for heavy walking. Her soft fabric shoes with thin rubber soles wouldn't last in these steep mountains. But she didn't care. Wearing a thin, cotton dress and pathetic shoes were the least of her concerns.

Climbing higher, she took a break along some large rocks. Looking at the horizon, the sun was nearing sunset, rays of sun shone into the soft mist of low clouds. A dancing cloud of yellow moving throughout the open air.

It's such a nice view, if only the Seeds weren't freaks. Maybe she could have a life here. Feeling her heart swell, the soft breeze flowing through the trees.

'It's not bad, I just, I can't go back there.'

Looking around, she hears no one. No animal, no person, no sense of eyes watching her. But she doesn't trust it, she doesn't trust Jacob didn't rig the trees with cameras or traps. Raising to her feet, Isabela began walking. Higher, lower, through the mud and the rivers. She continued walking even when her ankles grew sore.

Seeing the light go through the golden lens of sunset, walking through woods, she began climbing higher and higher. Finding a spot among the rocks, she settled in there. As dark as the woods became, she felt no fear of whatever was out to get her. Any animal couldn't hurt her as bad as those brothers could.

'Peace.' Isabela thought. 'Here I can be free from them.'

Laying against the stiff rocks, she felt uncomfortable but she stayed. It's better here than any bed in the ranch.

Looking around, she saw some people with flashlights looking around.

'Stay away.'

[7wolfmoon]

It's been a year and a half. Of course Larkspur still hurts, but constant agony has given way to a dull ache most of the time. There are still moments where he breaks down, sometimes when he's reminded, and sometimes out of nowhere, but for the most part, he's able to go about his life almost as normal.

More and more, he allows himself to heal, to accept his reality. He's no longer jealous of his sister or his boyfriend. He's even been able to tolerate spectating most of the Entrails' matches. 

Sometimes, the saddest thing to him isn't that he can no longer interact with his Palisman, but that Lark's loved ones can't. Lark can feel the glow in his own chest, but the same can't be said for his friends and family.

Lately, in his dreams, he senses that familiar golden warmth not just in his heart, but also beside him. It's moved slowly outward, as he moves onward. Tonight, the presence is almost staggering, almost tangible.

Then he feels a small creature alight on his shoulder. He doesn't need to look to know who it is, but he does anyway. Of course he does.

You'll see me again, Flapjack had said to him back then. Lark didn't dare to hope that it would be literal, but at least here, now, in his dreams, the bird is as vibrant a red as he was when they first met. 

They don't need to say anything. Their shared love is understood. For a time, in that nebulous dreamspace, they just sit and enjoy one another's company.

When Lark wakes, it's with tears in his eyes and a smile on his lips. The weathered carving he sleeps with is as pale blue and motionless as ever, but this morning, it doesn't sadden him. He runs his thumb fondly over Flapjack's crest before rolling out of bed to get ready for the day.

Some weekends, the squad comes with him to the forest. When he isn't carving, Lark helps Willow and Dell tend the palistrom trees with Plant magic. The rest of the group does what they can physically, planting and watering saplings and keeping the area clean and safe.

Everyone socializes with the older Palismen who've yet to find their witches. It would make sense for their numbers to lessen as more of them bond with their partners, but more and more have actually seemed to venture out of the old forests in the time since Belos' defeat and the fall of the Coven system, almost faster than witches can take them in. Which is fine by Lark, really. He's happy that they feel safe enough to show themselves. And even with their magic helping some of the trees grow large enough to harvest a branch or two here and there, the palistrom forest is still so thin that he feels guilty with each cut he takes.

Once all the trees have been checked on, and the wild Palismen are entertained, he contemplates the latest branch. Having carved a couple dozen by now, he has a good idea of how many he can make while wasting the least amount of wood. He stares long enough that he feels eyes on himself as well.

Someone eventually asks what they're all wondering. Is he ever going to carve for himself?

And, as he has each time he's held a block in his hands, Lark considers it. But today, unlike every other time, he doesn't feel an overwhelming longing to do so. He feels lighter, somehow, as if a long-shouldered burden has been lifted.

"No," he answers with both softness and finality. "I don't think I need to anymore. I just want to help other people find their partners... I want to make up for all the damage I caused. Hopefully... put more kindness out there than all the hurt, you know?"

It makes sense, in a way. They've all been there for him since he lost Flap. They've all seen his growth. Luz and Gus as his siblings and Willow and Nico as his partners all have sad but knowing smiles for him, in their own ways.

Just as he sets the branch down to start his cuts, something in the canopy moves. A figure swoops down toward him, and if it weren't for the color, Lark would swear he knows the silhouette. But the old bird-shaped Palisman that lands on his outstretched hand is blue. 

They stare at one another for a moment before Lark lifts his other hand to stroke its head. Come to think of it, he does recall seeing this one among the others occasionally, but it's never approached him before now.

"Nice to finally meet you," he says with a relieved, breathy laugh. 

Waffles coos in response, and he understands her.

My little Lark, I've been waiting for you.

.

.

.

[[ as a note: i had this planned before anything was confirmed. i know her name was confirmed waffle singular and hunter carved her himself. i don't care. :) this is my blog and i do what i want. ]]