#blue milky cap

[fugitiverabbit]

You cannot kill me in a way that matters.

Art by me!

[mycoblogg]

Lactarius indigo?

FOTD #036 : indigo milky! (lactarius indigo)

the indigo milky (also called blue lactarius, indigo milk cap or blue milk mushroom) is a mycorrhizal mushroom in the family russulaceae. this mushroom is found across the US, mexico, china, india, costa rica & guatemala. it is famous for its blue, milk-like latex that seeps out when the gills are sliced !!

the big question : can i bite it?? yeah<3 this fungus is edible.

l. indigo description :

"the cap of the fruit body, measuring between 5–15 cm (2.0–5.9 in) in diameter, is initially convex & later develops a central depression; in age it becomes even more deeply depressed, becoming somewhat funnel-shaped as the edge of the cap lifts upward. the cap surface is indigo blue when fresh, but fades to a paler grayish- or silvery-blue, sometimes with greenish splotches. it is often zonate: marked with concentric lines that form alternating pale & darker zones, & the cap may have dark blue spots, especially towards the edge. young caps are sticky to the touch. the flesh is pallid to bluish in color, slowly turning greenish after being exposed to air; its taste is mild to slightly acrid. the flesh of the entire mushroom is brittle. the latex exuded from injured tissue is indigo blue, & stains the wounded tissue greenish."

[images : source, source & source] [fungus description : source]

"thank you for the request !! i really love this one, but will likely never seen it in person. ^^" very beautiful mushroom."

[joshslater]

Stained

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They say when you are in an accident everything moves in slow motion. That wasn't at all how it felt for me. I was driving down a slight slope toward an intersection out in bumfuckyall, where a truck was waiting at a red light. Why they would put a traffic light out here with nothing but crop fields around is beyond me. Getting some extra revenue from people running the lights perhaps. Not busy enough to warrant the installation though. Maybe to stop traffic when harvesters or whatever pass by, but they would move slowly and be pretty darn visible in this terrain.

The belt tensioner yanked me into the seat at the same time as I heard the crash and I had just time to turn my head back from the fields to see the now milky front window, shattered into thousands of small glass cubes suspended by the plastic film on the back of it, give way to the mass that had been thrown off the flatbed and flung into my windshield. Through the widening gap at the top of the windshield liquid was dumped into the car, all over me, and everything turned into black silence with a strong smell of chemicals.

It all went faster than I could register, and I just sat there still with burning eyes, trying to comprehend what had just happened. I somehow had run into the truck. I heard hurried steps outside and someone first trying to open the door then rapping the side window and shouting "Are you hurt, buddy?"

Was I? My shoulder hurt from the seat belt, and I couldn't see anything, but otherwise I wouldn't feel anything damaged. I fumbled a bit to find how to open the door and once successful responded "I'm OK I think. I can't see though."

"Thank Lord. It's wood stain. Had some buckets in the back. Some paint too. It'll make you dizzy and sick, but I wouldn't worry about going blind. Let me help you out and lay you down. I have plenty of water to rinse you."

Despite squeezing my eyes as shut as I could, reasoning that opening them would probably let more paint in than out, I had no problems finding and removing the seat belt, and stepping out of the car. As soon as I was out of the car he grabbed my arm and led me to a spot in front of both vehicles. My mouth tasted of chemicals and I spat on the ground several times.

"Just lie down here, buddy. Are you sure you aren't hurt?" "A bit sore, but nothing really hurts." "That's a relief. The car is probably a write-off with all the damage outside and in. This is all my fault." Without opening my eyes I let myself be guided to the ground while he talked. I could hear the steps of another person getting closer from beyond my car. "It is?" "Casy, get the big jug!" he told the other person, who answered a curt "Yep" in a young man's voice. "I must have put in reverse while waiting for the light and then... reverse into you," he said, talking to me again. "It's a rental. I'm sure they are used to handling things like this." "Just stay still there buddy, and I'll start pouring."

He began pouring water on my face, occasionally wiping with a rag of some sort. "Open your mouth and take some water. Then swig it around and spit it out." We did that a few times. A few more rinses and I dared to open my eyes. He looked like he sounded like. Trucker cap, beard, grey and blue flannel shirt, blue jeans, and boots. Hovering behind him was a boy in his late teens or early twenties, dressed very similarly in camo cap, blue JROTC hoodie, jeans, and boots. For my part I was wood-stain brown and garden-fence white.

"I'm Cliff, this is Casy," Cliff said and gave me his hand to help me up. As I stood up and looked past his pick up I could see my car. It looked worse than I would have expected. While the collision didn't feel that bad, the crumple zones certainly felt it. A few buckets of paint had landed next to it, but clearly the inside was ruined by the ones that had passed through the glass. I had no hope that my travel bag with what little extra clothes I had brought with me had survived either, as I think I had tossed it on the passenger seat. 

"I'm Bradly" "Casy, give Bradly your pop. He can't taste nothing but paint." Casy did a nod and another dull "yep", but jumped into the truck with ease and was quickly out again with a can of Monster. Ignoring that it was opened and with a third gone, I took an eager sip, swirled it in my mouth, and swallowed. When I had emptied the can the taste of oil and paint was almost gone.

"I reckon we need to hose you down before we can do anything else. Casy can stay here while we bring you to the house to clean you up. Then we can figure out how to take care of the car. How's that sound, buddy?"

"Sounds reasonable to me." "I'm sorry, but do you mind getting on the flatbed." He motioned all over my paint-drenched body. "No. Is it far?" "It's a quick drive."

When you are lying on your back on a tarp next to reclaimed wood, slowly drying into the color of an antique table, seeing nothing but the afternoon sky, nothing is a quick drive. I didn't dare move, not so much because I was lying unprotected in the back of a truck that was driving far too fast for my comfort, but because I was soaked in oil and paint and water, and didn't want to mess anything else up. The wind running over my body was chilling, despite the balmy weather. My shoulder and chest hurt from where the belt tightener pulled me back into the seat. Despite the wind there was a strong smell of paint. I felt lightheaded. My mind began to wander. I should probably call the motel that I would be late, or not arriving at all. I was thinking about how I decided to not have a coffee at the diner to get back on the road quicker. I should have bought one. The apple pie slices looked delicious. Eventually however I would see treetops creeping into view and soon after we came to a stop on gravel.

"Where is he?" a woman asked nearby. "Back there," Cliff answered and opened the tailgate. He extended a hand to help me down. "Hey buddy, this is Sarah!" "Hi," Sarah said smiling. "Bradly"

Instead of walking towards the house she motioned toward one of the barns. "Hose is over there. Then you can take a proper shower after." On Sarah's urging I took off everything but my briefs. She suggested I take them off as well, but didn't press the issue. The water was pretty high-pressure and ice cold. Cold water worked better than hot water Sarah claimed, not that hot water was an option outside the house.

Once I was hosed enough that the water didn't run brown anymore, and I felt I was near risking hypothermia, I wrapped myself in an old discolored beach blanket Sarah handed me and we walked back to the house. I shivered and my lightheadedness had turned into a dull, thumping headache. Cliff and the truck were gone. Sarah grabbed one of the white plastic chairs, placed it near the front door, and told me to sit down. "The white paint doesn't stick too bad to the skin, but we're never going to be able to clean this out," she said and touched my hair. I hadn't felt a feeling like that since I used way too much hair gel for Halloween many years ago. It was like my hair and the paint had formed a helmet. She quickly returned from the house with a trimmer on an extension cord. "Sides are not too bad. I can make a flat top," she said and buzzed away, clearly used to taking care of Cliff and Casy. I cringed when I heard it, and was about to stop her, but changed my mind. Better to let her keep as much hair as possible and decide on the real emergency haircut later.

She then led me through the house and what must have been Casy's room, with a home gym and a gaming setup, to his bathroom. Everything was big and roomy, but I guess it is inexpensive to build large when you have lots of land, time, and resources. "Take as much time as you need and use any of the soaps you want. I'll put some clothes on the bed for you. Just throw your briefs in the bathroom bin," Sarah said and left.

I looked in the bathroom mirror, the first time I saw myself after the accident. I looked terrible. The haircut was ugly, of course, but the uneven stain stains all over my body made me look tan and dirty. Like I had spent all day riding a dirt bike in mud, not the last ten minutes being blasted by ice water. I looked as beaten and spent as I felt.

By "any of the soaps" she meant the Axe Total Fresh 3-in-1 shampoo, conditioner, and body wash that there were four opened bottles of in various places in the bathroom. Somehow Casy managed to both have a messy bathroom without having much in it. The water felt like a blessing on my cold, bruised body. I just stood there for a while, letting the warm water rinse me. Then I lathered myself completely and rinsed off three times in a row. Neither the foam nor the water looked discolored, and when I dried myself with the one towel in the room it didn't become stained. The image in the mirror however looked disappointingly identical to before. The same stained me, but now with a more acute headache. Everything smelled like Axe Total Fresh, and it did my head no favors.

I peeked into Casy's room. No one was there and the door to the rest of the house was shut, so I entered and looked at the clothes laid out for me on the bed. Only one of each, so no options. First black compression boxers with a wide Nike band. Then a pair of green-brown socks that looked like what the army issues. Some lightly distressed blue jeans with a black leather belt. A military green Under Armour T-shirt in a glossy material with "patriotic" print with stars and almost-US flags on it. A hunting camo baseball cap. Finally a pair of well-worn leather boots. I put it all on, including the hat to cover the ugly hair and the boots because I wasn't sure what the indoor etiquette here was. Everything fit surprisingly well, though I guess she could have looked at the size of my ruined clothes.

I opened the door and stepped out of the room, trying to find Sarah, or anyone really. How long had I been in the shower? Probably an hour, if not longer. "Hello?" "We're over here," I heard Sarah shout from across the house. I walked in the direction of her voice and was soon joined by Cliff who emerged from another room. "How are you feeling, buddy?" he asked in a concerned fatherly manner. "I think I'm about to have an episode of migraine." "That something you've had before." "Never."

"Take your seats. You over here Brad," Sarah said as we turned the corner into a large kitchen with a table laid for four. "Bud... eh, Bradly." I tried to correct her, but she had turned to the big cast iron pot on the stove. Casy already sat by the table with a phone in his hand, but his eyes were firmly on me. His face didn't reveal any expressions.

Sarah placed the heavy pot on the table and with a big ladle filled my plate with a dark stew. "Here you go, Bud," she said. As the smell of beef stock, fresh herbs, carrots, onions, and slow cooked, rich meat reached my nose I immediately recognized the telltales. Weakening of the jaw. The increase in saliva. I almost threw myself out of the chair, rushed over to the sink, and managed just in time to throw up into the sink. I realized I was sweating. Then another heave of vomit. "Oh, poor buddy," Sarah said and patted my back.  "Here, drink this," she said and filled a glass of water from a pitcher. My body heaved a third time, but nothing came out. "Thanks," I replied and took the glass with some apprehension, waiting to see if my body would do something else. Once it appeared safe I took the glass and started to empty it.

"Casy, make one of them shakes for him. He needs to get something in his belly." Almost reluctantly, like I had ruined his meal, Casy got up and moved towards a cupboard. "I just need to rest I think," I said, my head now mercilessly pounding in pain. "Out of the question. You need something to fortify you."

Casy quickly scooped powder from a large plastic container into a workout shaker bottle thing, poured in some water, gave it a quick shake, and handed it to me. I had barely put it to my mouth when Cliff said "He can barely stand. Take him to your room for a nap." "Come then," Casy said and led the way out of the kitchen, with me following sipping the chalky mixture. "You know the way though," he said once out of earshot from the kitchen. Back inside his room he motioned at the bed and said "This is a bed," deadpan to me. I wanted to say it wasn't my fault his day was ruined. In fact, mine had gone way worse than his, but my head hurt too much for me to care. "Thanks." I put my back on the bed and was out in seconds.

The hard plastic of the ear protectors was what made me wake up properly, and it took a moment to realize what it was and get them off. Almost ripped the cap off with them. These were the radio/bluetooth kind that allowed you to listen to music while you worked. Bright, orange colored cups with the rest of it black. I got up from the bed and left them on the sheets. Apparently I was already fully dressed, so I headed to the kitchen. Sarah was there preparing things.

"Mornin' Ma'am." "Good morning, Buddy." I took my seat. Sarah filled a bowl with porridge, drizzled honey over it, set it on the table in front of me together with a spoon. "Better hurry. Cliff is waiting for you." "Yes, Ma'am."

It wasn't until I began eating I realized how hungry I was, so it wasn't a problem to be quick. Not having seconds though felt rough. Just outside the house was Cliff, doing something with a quad to which he had hooked a trailer full of wooden poles. "Mornin', Sir" "Morning Buddy! Get up in the trailer and make sure nothing shakes out while we drive down the fields. "Yes, Sir."

Once we came to a stop after a bumpy ride, Cliff showed me how to operate the earth drill to make holes, then how to insert a pole, and with the sledge hammer drive it down so it fit securely. He then let me do that while he was working on putting up wires for the electric fence. After we had been at it for quite a while Sarah called on the walkie-talkie and said sheriff Miller wanted to talk to us. We unhooked the trailer and drove up to the farm on the quad, me sitting behind Cliff, straddling him.

Outside the main house Sarah and the sheriff waited for us. It was mostly a boring conversation between Cliff and the sheriff that I tuned out of, but then the sheriff turned to me and asked "And who is this?" "It's Buddy, farmhand for the summer," Cliff answered and took a slight step to the side to give room for the sheriff. The sheriff looked me over for a second. "You were here yesterday?" "Yes, Sir." "Did you see anyone come by yesterday afternoon or evening?" "No, Sir." "Anything else out of the ordinary happened yesterday?" "Yes, Sir. I threw up, Sir. Hasn't happened in years, Sir." "Hahaha." He turned to Cliff again. "If anything comes up let me know. It's not the first traveler that's gotten lost around here, but they usually turn up sooner or later." "They have a habit of doing that, causing extra work for the local sheriff while they are wandering about," Cliff answered, smiling back. The sheriff shook his head and opened his car door. "You ain't wrong."

Once the car was well on its way up the dirt road Sarah motioned at cooler that was on the ground. "I was about to come down with lunch to you boys, but perhaps you want to eat it up here." "Yeah, let's take a breather. This was a close call." Cliff opened a small tool bag that was hanging on the quad and pulled out another pair of orange ear protectors, if not the same as earlier. He turned the knob on them and put them on my head. Noise was sloshing around in my ears like waves breaking on a beach. Voices were whispering all around me. It was impossible to focus on a single voice and hear its message. Just a school of slippery tadpoles swimming around and around. Impossible to grab. Somewhere far in the distance I could hear Cliff talking.

"Let's go even harder with the programming. We don't need him cognisant for the rest of the day."

[soupandmushrooms]

Lactarius indigo

also known as the indigo milk cap, the blue milk mushroom and indigo milky.

It grows in North America, East Asia, and Central America. It also grows naturally in southern France!

Due to being a member of the lactarius genus it produces latex or “milk” when cut. The latex produced is indigo hence the name.

The species is however noted for not producing as much latex as other members of its genus.

Lactarius indigo is edible and reported to have a mild taste.

It is also one of my favourite mushrooms!

[thesightstoshowyou]

Shoot for the Moon

Bo Sinclair X GN Reader

Warnings: None. Just fluff. Who am I?

~~

Keys jingle as you cut the engine. The thrum ceases and a moment of tranquil silence passes before the nighttime sounds rise to life all around. Crickets and frogs chirp, night herons splash, a barred owl calls. Cypress, oak, and maple trees creak and rustle in a gentle breeze. Car door hinges squeal as you slip from your vehicle and your boots swish in tall grasses as you make your way to the trunk.

Carefully, you unpack the telescope, flashlight, guides, and notepads. The scents of damp earth and decaying wood wash over you as you move. Already, the oppressive Louisiana humidity sticks your hair to your forehead, yet you wear a jacket and jeans to protect your limbs from mosquitos and ticks.

Satisfied with a small, nearby clearing, you meticulously set up your equipment. You peek through the eye piece and adjust the telescope’s position incrementally. Little flashlight clutched between your teeth, you scratch notes on the illuminated portion of paper before repeating the process.

An hour or so in, you abruptly surface from the lull of peaceful concentration. At first, you’re not certain what distracts you, but then you recognize the silence. All the wildlife has gone quiet, disturbed by something close by.

You frown and quiet your own breath, tilting your head to listen intently. To your left, a sharp snap; twigs underfoot. Something stalks through the brush, just out of sight.

A bear, maybe, or a stray dog. Your mind whirs with the possibilities, but you will yourself to stay calm. Nothing you can’t handle.

However, when a man emerges from the tree line, your heart stutters. Fear and confusion take root in your brain and you must consciously fight back the panic to keep your thoughts clear.

Where the hell had he come from? There isn’t a town or house around for miles, as far as you’re aware. You’d carefully chosen this particular spot for that very reason.

The man saunters toward you, hands buried in the pockets of the deep blue coveralls he wears. His pace is leisurely, every step measured and deliberate, meant to instill dread. You can’t make out the details of his face through the gloom and the cap perched atop his head does you no favors.

“Yer out here awfully late,” he notes, the pleasant drawl of his voice disturbing the hush of the clearing. He nods toward the crescent moon hanging low in the sky as though you need his help to tell it’s nighttime.

“Could say the same about you,” you respond, slipping the flashlight into your palm. You could blind him if he gets too close.

He stops his advance about twenty feet away, head tilting slightly as he studies you and your equipment. “Folks out this late don’t often have the best intentions.”

Pot, meet kettle. You resist the urge to call him out and instead motion to your telescope. “Just star gazing. I wasn’t aware this was private property. I’ll go—

“Nah, s’not private. Yer good, sugar.” He takes a few steps closer. The muscles in your shoulders tense. You swallow thickly, mind racing. What now?

You speak before you can stop yourself, “I, uh, I just found Saturn. It’s nice and clear tonight. Wanna see?” The man stops abruptly, obviously taken aback. He’s silent for a moment, contemplating.

“…Yer serious?” he questions. His steps are tentative now, cautious. You caught him off guard, it seems.

Roll with it. “Yeah!�� You wave him over and allow the excitement to take control of your vocal cords, “And the Milky Way is so pretty right now. We can look at that next….”

He’s close enough now that you can make out the incredulous expression on his face…his very handsome face. The scents of engine oil, burnt grease, and metal hit you and the outfit suddenly makes sense. Still, you question why he’s out for a midnight stroll in such a remote area wearing his work garb.

You scoot out of the way and instruct him to look through the eye piece. He shoots you one more skeptical glance before carefully leaning over and peering into the telescope. You smell him now too: Cigarette smoke, faint aftershave, and woody musk that is not at all unpleasant.

You watch the exact moment the man spots the planet. What you can see of his face lights up and he shifts his body in toward the telescope, hunching more to get a better angle through the eyepiece. “Well, I’ll be damned,” he murmurs, hand coming up and hovering over the finderscope, hesitant to touch. You can’t help the grin that spreads across your face.

“So beautiful, right? Do you see the rings?”

“Sure do,” he replies, straightening and flashing you a hesitant, crooked smile. Your thoughts are almost derailed by the charm of it, but the eagerness to teach keeps you grounded.

“Here, scooch over a sec, lemme just readjust it….” You quickly check your notes then fiddle with the telescope. You’re overly aware of the man standing next to you, but he surprises you with polite silence, hands on his hips, apparently content to watch you work.

“Here, look,” you excitedly tell him as soon as it’s adjusted. With a quizzical expression, he leans down again, though there’s more enthusiasm in his movement this time.

“…What am I lookin’ at?” he asks, glancing over at you expectantly.

You giggle and mutter a quick, “Oh right,” before launching into an explanation. You gesture and describe, the animation in your voice and knowledge on the subject captivating the stranger.

He watches you speak with a mixture of admiration and bemusement on his face, like he can’t believe he’s listening so attentively, but doesn’t want to miss a word. All previous tension evaporates as you show him the charts you’ve drawn and move the telescope to and fro.

“Oh, and you should be able to see Phobos right now—

“What’s yer name, darlin’?” the man interrupts suddenly. You glance up at him and realize just how close he stands. Your shoulder brushes his chest, his body heat palpable. You’re glad for the darkness when your cheeks burn.

You do your best not to trip over your own name when he smirks, sudden shyness drying your throat and making your heart skip a beat. There’s irritation there too, annoyance with his smugness. You’re easier to read than you’d hoped, apparently.

“Bo,” he tells you as he holds out his hand. You turn to face him and accept his outstretched palm. It is then you notice your watch.

“Oh christ, it’s late. I really gotta go!”Hurriedly, you gather up your notes and pack away your equipment. Bo watches quietly and you can tell by the way he stands so stock still that he’s contemplating something.

You don’t give him a chance to decide on whatever it was he was planning when he entered the clearing.

“I, uh…I was gonna come back on Thursday if, you know, if you wanted to learn more.” Bo blinks at you, genuine surprise on his face. You’re just as shocked by your own words. Offering to meet a strange man with questionable intentions, alone, in the middle of rural Louisiana to teach him amateur astronomy?

Have you lost your damn mind?

Yet, the way he’d engaged with the subject and how eagerly he listened makes you think there’s something more to this man. The initial trajectory of your meeting had changed, hadn’t it? There was a spark, a yearning for connection. He wants to learn, and you want to teach.

That, or you’re completely delusional.

“Next Thursday?” You nod at his question. He tips his head again, like he’s thinking. Slipping his hands back into his pockets, he shrugs. “I can try and make it.”

**

He does make it on Thursday. You do too. And again on Saturday. And the following Friday. And Monday.

Sunday finds you seated on a blanket, Bo at your side, flashlight in your mouth and pen in had. Around you, the nighttime creatures sing their songs. Your trusty telescope points to the sky, ready to capture the comet you’re tracking.

You’re relaxed in his presence now. You’ve decided to attribute your initial meeting to simple chance. He hasn’t given you a reason not to trust him, and you’re not going to look for one.

Your name murmured in a hushed and careful tone breaks your reverie. You hum in response before lowering the flashlight and glancing up. The look in Bo’s baby blues freezes you in place and brings heat to your cheeks.

He’s closer than you anticipated. He removed his hat at some point and his dark hair is ruffled like he hastily ran his fingers through it. That self-satisfied smirk you tell yourself you hate pulls at the side of his mouth and there’s warmth in his eyes as they trace the curve of your lips.

“Been tryin’ t’kiss ya for the past ten minutes,” he teases, his hand reaching out to playfully flick the pen in your hand. You release a breathy laugh as your heart flutters in your chest like a trapped bird.

“Oh, um…s-sorry,” is all you can manage, mouth curving in a weak smile. Your teeth worry your bottom lip when Bo slides closer to cradle your face in his palms.

“Looks like I finally get t’teach ya somethin’ huh?” he jokes, lips ghosting across yours.

You huff, “Oh shut up,” but there’s no real bite to your words. Bo chuckles affectionately and smoothes his thumbs over your hair.

His next words are soft, the vulnerability in them meant only for your ears. “You been real sweet, darlin’. Ain’t nobody taught me anythin’ like you.”

“Oh,” you breathe, moved by his admission. The gratitude in it warms you deep in your chest. Bo wrinkles his nose.

“Alright, enough a’ that. Turnin’ me into a fuckin’ sap.” Your next scoff and eye roll is cut off when he finally claims your mouth in a searing kiss.

Overhead, stars twinkle, your silent spectators.

[semipreciousgemstonejade]

I would like all the plushies as small figurines, with the exclusive ones as slightly bigger figurines.

I would kill for giant versions of these plushies:

Xavier's

Teabun, Fairymare, Babymare, Nightlymare & Tidalmare.

Zayne's

Warm Snowman, Happy Snowman & Spring Snowman.

Rafayel's

Party Fish, Milky Birb & Sooty Birb.

Sylus'

Grumpy Crow, Snowfield Crow, Blue Crow & Headache Crow, Smiley Dino.

General plushies

Briny Narwie, Sailor (Dolphin) & Smiley Pig.

Do I have space for gigantic versions of all of them? I don't even have space for smaller ones, but I'll make space 🌌 !

Wouldn't it be awesome if we got a Glint Photobooth plushie pose? Wishful thinking, I know, but I want it now that I've spent too much time thinking about it.

Our MC holding a big version of each LI's main exclusive plushie.

They could call the pose, 'the plushie he gave me' to pay homage to the community fan art.

Each pose could have our MC interacting with them in different ways that signify her dynamic with each LI.

We need more backgrounds! A less detailed version of the arcade would be fine. Or even background props like an arcade machine. (Only problem is the annoying chocolate cap as per usual).

[fanboundbooks]

Sorry, fell a bit behind on posting. Time for our next story!

Choices by MesserMoon Fandom: Harry Potter Word Count: 624,178

For this story I wanted to reflect elements of night, stars, and messiness/complication. So when I found this very busy blue, black, and gold paste paper I grabbed it immediately.

We kept up the celestial theme with some nice double sided end pages that also have some darker elements mixed in.

I also found a great constellation font (Milky Way) that I was able to use for the volume numbers and chapter drop caps.

The biggest challenge with this story was figuring out how to get it all to fit into books. I ended up working to split it as close as evenly by number of chapters as possible between the 4 volumes. There was a moment when I was afraid we were going to have to move it up to 5 volumes, but after quite a bit of moving chapters around and testing different fonts and font sizes I got it all to fit eventually.

[munchboxart]

Fountain pen ink update, I've collected quite a collection of inks! Unfortunately, I underestimated how many blues I decided to get LOL I still have more on the way as well.

I just bought Machu Picchu by Diamine, Milky Way by Troublemaker, and a sample of Quantum Teal by Birmingham Pens that I'm really excited to try.

I just realised I didn't swatch another purple I had that's also called Milky Way (but it's by Pentonote). I also swatched Classic Green by Diamine but just didn't show it off because I... only have 1 green, but I'll be happy to share if anyones interested.

By the way, all of these swatches (except for the Classic Green) is done by a glass dip pen.

Some notes for similar inks: Boilers Steam by Birmingham Pens and Dragon by Octopus Fluids are pretty much identical, the main difference is that Dragon is a lot more sheenier. Maskara and Simulan by Vinta Inks are also extremely similar, the main difference is that Maskara is a little more warmer, while Simulan is cooler. Bog Sage and Snowfield by Dominant Industry look similar on camera, but Bog Sage shades a lot more, while Snowfield is just lighter (and has glitter).

As for favorite inks, my opinion heavily depends on how it looks when writing with a fountain pen, but I will say I really like Dugong Bughaw by Vinta Inks (my mega sheener ink) and Dragon by Octopus Fluids. I'm really looking forward to using Blueze Hadancourt by Dominant Industry on my pen because It looks really pretty (Yuletide by Diamine as well). Oh! Classic Green too, but I just put that in yesterday so I'll have to do more writing, but I like how it looks (but maybe it's just because it's a change from blue-purples). LASTLY, I really love the Cat swatch by Colorverse, I believe it looks best with dip pen.

As for inks I want to get in the future, the only ink I have in mind that I want to get 100% is Gyeyu Jeongnan by Colorverse. I love snow, and it looks like blood on snow which I think looks really cool. And at least one Wearingeul ink. I almost caved and bought The Great Gatsby for myself, but I heard a lot of reviews that it was underwhelming so I held back on it. I bought 1984 for a friend and red glitter on red ink is crazy. Enki, Wendy Darling, White Rabbit, I am a cat, and The Happy Prince seem like inks I'm interested in, though.

As for new pens. From left to right: Lamy Safari (M), Jinhao Acrylic 82 (M), Monteverde Ritma (Omniflex), Jinhao Tiandao 1935, and Pilot Kakuno (M)

I'm pretty sure I showed off my Lamy Safari before but I'll show it again because I like how it looks and reminds me of a Premier Ball (my fav).

I do have more pens but they're unremarkable. What I do want to talk about is my Monteverde Ritma. I've wanted this thing since the beginning of my proper Fountain Pen journey. I believe it's the most expensive pen I have so far. The capping and posting is magnetic which I absolutely love. The unfortunate part is the Omniflex nib. I never heard of it before and wanted to try it, good fucking god do not ever get this nib, it will not work 95% of the time. You need to be gentle with it otherwise you will permanently spread the tines so far apart that ink wont flow anymore. Just get a medium nib, my Monteverde has been rendered useless for now before I get a JoWo #6 replacement. It's unfortunate because the nib is gorgeous too! It just fucking sucks nut

The other pen I wanted to talk about is the Jinhao Tiandao 1935 (2 pictured under the pen pic). This is my absolute favorite pen. I wasn't sure I was gonna like it because it's the fattest pen I have but I love writing with this thing! Unfortunately, it does leak a lot more by the slit/breather hole of the nib compared to my other pens, but it's cool. I did also get this pen for the design at first. I think my friend finds the guitar clip corny but I like it a lot!!! It's funny as fuck. I might get a red version of this pen just because of how much I love it.

I'll be laying off of the pen collecting after that, I did get a Moonman M2 (not pictured) as my first eyedropper and it's just fine, I like how the ink looks in the barrel though. The only other pen I have in mind that I still want to get is an Opus 88 Demonstrator. I LOVEEE frosted stuff, I wish more pen companies did that style of design. I'm just... still working my way up on whether I am willing to spend 100+ on a pen.

I'll be slowing down a lot with these since I barely used any of the inks since I don't really write outside of work stuff, but also I've become very picky with what I want now, especially since I've made a conscious effort to go for more warmer or green inks because I have a crazy collection of cool colors right now. I'm also picky with inks in general, I really don't like normal ass inks where there's nothing special about it (no sheening or shimmer), but funny enough, I'm also very picky with the sheen was well (I don't like purple/green sheens). Also, I find that a lot of my inks look a little lighter compared to my glass dip pen samples, but I don't know if it's just that most of my pens run dry or what. If that is the case, then that's a little disappointing.

But that's it so far, I'll be happy to do a writing sample of any of the inks if anyone's interested.

EDIT: I just remembered one other thing.

I've wanted to get an ink muddler for a long time but they just do not fucking sell this one (this is by Dominant Industry) in NA for some reason OR they just sell out fast, which is really sad. I need to get one of these because my glass dip pen fucking sucks at swatching with, and I really do not want to waste Q-tips.

[prototypesteve]

Solo Travel: Find Magic.

Venturing out on a solo vacation can be daunting. There’s a shit-ton of adulting you’ll need to do:

It’s up to you to make your flight. It’s up to you to not lose anything. It’s up to you to stay hydrated and healthy and mindful and motivated.

It can be easy to give in and say “hard nope” and stay home, even if you really want to start travelling solo.

How do you get past all that, and find the will to save up, plan, gear-up, get a passport or a reliable road-trip vehicle, and go? Magic. You believe in magic and you let yourself want it.

When I was in my late teens I was in a waiting room and idly flipping through a magazine (it was the late 80s). I turned the page and there was a two-page tourism ad with a massive photo of Lake Louise, in Banff National Park. Supernaturally milky blue water, tiny red canoes, backed by a colossal wall of mountain capped by an ancient glacier. I remember murmuring aloud, “I want that.” I wanted to feel what that photographer felt. I wanted awe. I wanted magic.

Years later, I finally had enough of my shit together to go there, and it was everything I expected, and it made all the hard adulting worth it. (I wound up moving to Calgary so I could go to Lake Louise any time I wanted to.)

Photo 1: Lake Louise, Alberta. (This is from 2012, and taken with an old iPhone 4S, but it most closely resembles the view I saw in the magazine ad.)

In 2003, I saw a video about Tofino and Pacific Rim National Park. By 2003 I had plenty of experience going on budged-friendly road trips to Vancouver, where I’d stay in the (at the time, affordable) Jericho Beach Hostel. But Tofino would cost more, require a longer vacation, and take me way out of my “there’s always a city close by” comfort zone. But I wanted to see real waves, walk through a real coastal rain forest, and see the ocean fog roll in. I wanted magic,

Photo 2: My (used) 1998 Pontiac Sunfire, and a budget kayak, and my mediocre Norco mountain bike, somewhere at a rest stop along the trans Canada Highway, in British Columbia

By 2005 I had the right gear, a decent budget, and enough self-confidence to drive out and hike down sketchy wooden stairs to Half Moon Bay near Uclulet and see the actual Pacific Ocean—not the Salish Sea between Vancouver and Vancouver Island—for the first time. That week I felt the magic of being at the edge of my world. It made all the adulting easy.

Photos 3 & 4: The first time I saw the Pacific Ocean without Vancouver Island or the Olympic Peninsula lining the horizon, and the first time I saw fog move in over Vancouver island from the Pacific Ocean,

Ever since my 8th and 9th grade teachers told us stories about the old Globe theatre, I’ve dreamt of seeing a play in the rebuilt Globe in London (back then, even rebuilding the Globe was still a dream that wouldn’t be finished until the late 90s). But I live an ocean away, in Canada, I’m introverted, and no matter how much money I make, I have always felt like I’m out of my class-depth at any social gathering. Wrong childhood neighbourhoods, wrong schools, wrong career field. It took me until my 2nd trip to England to work up the nerve to buy a ticket to see a play at the Globe. I wanted to be there like one of the people I imagined during English class as we studied Romeo & Juliet, Julius Caesar, and The Scottish Play. I wanted the magic.

Friday night, August 23, 2024, I spent two hours almost dizzy with a flood of feelings I’m going to need months to process, because I sat in Bay H, Row C, Seat 29, at Shakespeare’s Globe, in London, and watched a beautiful, perfect, magical performance of Much Ado about Nothing, and like I said, I’m going to be sorting out my feelings about this for months.

Yes there’s the Osemanverse overlap, Much Ado appears in Loveless. There’s the Aroace angle, watching two seemingly aro characters get shipped by their friends and family, bla bla bla. There’s a lot. But whatever. For me the magic was being the adult who teenage-me grew up into, sitting there in my seat that I absolutely belonged in, on my trip that I put together for myself, to chase down dozens of my other lifelong dreams, sitting there, and feeling that I was allowed to be there, and then delighting in the magic of live theatre, compounded by the magic of loving myself enough to push through every excuse not to be there.

Photos 5, 6, and 7: The Globe Theatre (there’s no photography during the performance, and I don’t think I’d have bothered, if there was.

Find your magic. Thrive. It doesn’t have to cost a lot: My first solo trips cost me a tank of gas and a tenting campground fee, or a night’s stay at a hostel. It doesn’t need to be risky: Backpacker hostels and modern hotels often have more sophisticated security than your home or workplace. It doesn’t have to be ambitious: Maybe it’s lunch at a diner in a small farm town nearby, maybe it’s a low-key late summer concert in a park, maybe it’s building that sandcastle you never got to build because you grew up far away from water. Whatever it is, go find it! Let it change you.

[peachdues]

Ok first of all thank you so much for writing the fics and taking your time. I’m honestly so tired of other people and not keeping their opinions to themselves… ignore them your perfect in my eyes ✨

Also ima need you to drop more of your skincare routine/ products because I’ve never had my skin so 🤌🏼

That moisturizer you recommended to someone else for dry skin is saving me 😩

HI BABYYYY

Thank you my darling angel 😭 ngl this made me feel better — it’s been hell at work this week so I haven’t written a ton (plus, y’know, dealing with bullshit).

IM SO GLAD MY RECS HELPED!! I got another anon asking about my skincare routine and it got buried, so I’ll re-share — especially since I’ve made a few changes!

AM routine

Garnier’s micellar water to cleanse (pink cap — I think the blue and green leave a residue and I don’t like it)

Byoma’s balancing face mist

Natrium’s niaciminacide acid serum OR vitamin C (never together!)

Cosrx snail mucin essence (this is a winter step, just to make sure my skin stays nice and hydrated)

Byoma gel eye cream (the de-puffing one)

Byoma gel moisturizer

Beauty of joseon sunscreen (SPF 50)

—

PM routine

I start by double cleansing — it’s SUPER important to double cleanse with an oil-based cleanser especially if you wear sunscreen!!

Cleanser (1) — natrium’s oil balm/makeup remover with a warm washcloth

Cleanser (2) — I alternate every other day with youth to the people’s superfood cleanser (I just got it and I’m obsessed) and panoxyl (10%). I’ve also used versed’s jelly milky cleanser on non-panoxyl days, and I love that, too!

Byoma’s balancing face mist toner OR beauty of joseon’s ginseng toner (I alternate)

Natrium’s hyaluronic acid serum (apply while face is still wet from toner — otherwise it won’t absorb properly!)

*optional* face mask — usually a Dr Jart’s sheet mask, 2-3 times a week

Versed’s gentle pressed retinol serum

Cosrx snail mucin essence

Cosrx snail mucin 92 all in one cream

Versed rich skin soak moisturizer

An eye cream from No 7 but idk which one it is — brightening??

And I sleep on a silk pillow case! That helps with skin stuff (and hair)

happy skincare!

[levans44]

chapter 7 (final) - (cap)puccino, w/ milk and sugar

Loud drumming against the counter. Nervous tips of her fingers bouncing against the marble as she bites her lip, eyebrows creased, gaze tracking his every tantalizing movement.

“So, do you like it?”

They were in her coffee shop behind the counter, 2 pm on a random Saturday. It was the rare occasion that Steve had decided to take the afternoon off from work, planning to visit her at the cafe. She spent all morning giddy in excitement, coming up with the perfect new drink with only one thing in mind.

“Ya know, I might just name this one after you.” She says, placing her finishing touches on her cup. Pretends like she didn’t make this drink exclusively for him. Soft and sweet upon first contact with the tongue, but much deeper, earthy notes hiding behind that layer of light, milky foam.

“Oh yeah?”

“Mhmm” she nods giddily, before placing a playful finger on her chin.

“What to call it… hmm, how about the ‘Captain America special’?”

She laughs at the immediate frown on his face before continuing.

“The American Hero? Ooh, I know! The Mighty Patriot!"

He winces, “no, to all of that.”

“Ok...” she nods slowly and takes a step forward, corner of her mouth still raised in amusement.

“How bout a tall…” the fronts of her shoes bump against his, as her fingers make their way up the buttons of his blue shirt, teasingly slow.

“muscular…”

She raises herself on her tiptoes, nose almost brushing against his as she leans in close.

“…handsome blonde?”

He lets out a soft laugh, eyes diverting. Still a bit shy, but she’s come to adore that about him now.

“I could get behind that.”

She bites her lip, before leaning in for a quick kiss. With a warm hand squeezing around her waist, he doesn’t let her go. He pulls her in closer, thumb tracing small circles on her hip.

Then, a loud noise sounds from outside the shop, maybe a pedestrian or a car, and they pull back abruptly. It’s been about six months since they’ve started dating in secret, but you can’t ever be too careful about PDA when you’re with Captain America.

Before they get too discouraged about the ruined moment, she quickly reaches behind him for the finished coffee on the counter, thrusting it into his hands.

She licks her lips nervously, watching him stare down expectedly into the cup, and is reminded of the first time they met — that single Monday he walked in and tried her cappuccino.

“I painted those, ya know.”

His hand halts, as he looks up at her with a raised eyebrow.

“The paintings in the back?” She nudges her head in the direction of the corner both: their special spot.

“Back when you used to come in for coffee you always used to look at them and… well, I’ve always wanted to tell you that they’re mine.”

A bright smile lightens his eyes as his gaze shifts over to the back wall, adorned with new paintings she had framed just a few weeks ago. He speaks a few seconds later, voice quiet and laced with warmth.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“‘Cause you never asked.” She quips.

With an unreadable smile on his lips, he doesn’t respond, and instead raises the cup to his lips, maintaining eye contact as he takes a sip.

She holds her breath, feeling her stomach do small somersaults as she watches him swallow and lick his lips.

“Well, what do ya think?”

A pause for dramatic effect because she brings out the absolute worst in Captain America, before he grins ear to ear, nodding enthusiastically.

“That’s amazing.”

A quiet sigh of relief she’s determined for him not to hear.

“Really? You’re not just saying that, are you?”

“No, you know I never lie!” He chuckles, taking another sip. “This is very good.”

And just for the sake of evoking old nostalgia, just because she wants to catch him off guard and watch those cheeks tint pink, just because she can, she raises a question tickling the tip of her tongue.

“So you like it better than the cappuccino?"

She already knows his answer, but lets him pull her in close anyway. Closes the gap between their lips to feel just how wide his smile is. Hands curled around the back of his neck, as she savors the sweet taste of coffee on his tongue.

“Never.”

(cap)puccino, w/ milk and sugar masterlist

[mollylcairneystudio]

Indigo Milky, 2023, Mixed media drawing and collage, 12.25 inches x 16.75 inches

Image Description: blue mushroom with stem and cap in foreground with beige mining illustrations in background

[icarus-mp3]

FUN LITTLE VISUAL DETAILS IN PROMARE - PART 1

...Brought to you by a guy who has rewatched this movie well over 40 times. My insanity for this film is boundless. Here are just some fun little stuff I noticed in Promare. (Most of the stuff I say here are just my own observations so take it all with a grain of salt)

Varys likes basketball! It's easy to miss, but at the start he is shooting a basketball into a hoop

And his locker also has some basketball jerseys inside of it (and what looks like deodorant?)

Speaking of lockers, each member of Burning Rescue has special details on their lockers!

Starting off with the outside, from right to left we have: Varys, Aina, Lucia, Remi, and then Galo (Galo's is not visible in this shot.) All of them have traces of stickers that have been peeled off.

Varys' has a hart hat and some decals, seemingly more basketball-related things. One right to the left of the hard hat has a paw print on it.

Aina's locker has a baseball cap, some rainbow/emoji stickers (one that looks like it just says Inter Net? And maybe a Barbie one?) along with some motivational sticky notes (You are STRONG) and two 'A's. Probably her initials.

Lucia's locker has the most stickers, and to me, it looks like they're mostly of different candy/candy brands. Other than the T and the "ATATA" they just look like candy stuff. She doesn't have any hat hanging there (it would probably be difficult to wear a normal hat with her hair)

(Edit: To quote a-blue-revolution, "Lucia likes videogames!!!! In that close up of the lockers you showed there's an "atata" sticker that looks EXACTLY like the atari logo" There are also some other stuff that show her video game nerdiness. Thank you a-blue-revolution!!)

Remi's locker is just a hard hat and some papers. One's on white paper, and to me it seems printed, like a legal document or something. The other is on yellow paper, and to me looks more handwritten. Who knows what these are.

Here is the outside of Galo's locker. It looks like it has Matoi decals, to the surprise of no one. Some simple characters, the side of a firefighter holding a Matoi, and the tip of a Matoi at the very top. (I'm not completely sure what the dark blue decal in the lower middle is, perhaps a firefighting outfit?)

(Edit: To quote burnt-grapes from the comments: "That dark-blue sticker in the middle of Galo’s locker is actually a Bonshō! They’re large bells used in buddhist in Japan that are typically made of bronze :] (hence the sticker’s colour)" Thank you burnt-grapes!!)

Now for the insides of everybody's lockers:

(I already showed Varys' but here it is again for reference, his hand is blocking a picture of someone playing basketball (you can see it in the next picture))

Aina has some, I think, fashion stickers? There's a figure with a hat in the top left corner, and some sort of ticket or check with what I think is a barcode on the left. To the top right of the mirror, she has a picture of her and her sister (aww). She also has a geometric poster for "Division", and another poster behind that one. My gut is saying a band of some kind?

To match the outside, Lucia's locker is filled to the BRIM with snacks, featuring some great brands such as "Cheetas," "Daritas," "Skettles," "W&W," and what I think is just straight up Milky Ways? And right where her hand is reaching one that says "Trigger." My gut reaction was that it was supposed to be a parody of "Toblerone," but the letters are brown, so it might just be a normal easter egg. She also has some books and red solo cups.

Boring documents on the outside, pinups on the inside. Interesting. Remi also has a picture of him next to a blonde-haired someone, also in a Burning Rescue uniform. (I've heard that that's his girlfriend who got turned into a crocodile, but don't quote me on that) He also has some red solo cups.

(We don't see the inside of Galo's locker, but I'm gonna take a wild guess and say it's probably more Matoi memorabilia)

Speaking of Matoi, when Lucia is working on her computer at the start of the movie, we can see she's looking at Galo's Matoi Tech suit! His Matoi/the folded up version of the suit is on the right, and how he actually fits into the suit is in the middle. (You can see the spikes on the back, identifying it as his special suit)

The computer actually shows all the suits customized for their owner's body types and the suits themselves. Right before Lucia sends out Remi and Varys, the computer shows this:

You can see, Remi's figure is very thin and lanky, and Varys can barely fit in his. Remi's ice canon is contained in his suit attachment, and Vary's is mostly just the arms, with the claw he uses to pry open the door to the scientists.

As Burning Rescue is leaving, a tiny car accompanies them. (if you look closely, you can also count the pixels in that image)

This is Ignis' car, the one he drives throughout the movie. You can see him getting out of it here:

(and a better picture of the car itself)

It seems to have a spoiler on the back. A pretty flashy car overall.

Most people know about this hidden Galo:

But there's actually a second one! As Lucia is fistbumping Varys and Remi, you can see him sulking, partially hidden by the light.

Poor guy. He wants to go so bad.

Aina has a headset with a mouthpiece, which no other characters seem to.

My guess is it's due to the helicopter. It could muffle the sound, and make it so that she can still talk whether she's inside or outside. Or it might be something to do with proximity, since Varys and Remi are both in their suits, and Lucia can have higher quality communication gear in the van that might not be available for Aina's helicopter.

(You can see Lucia and Varys don't have any)

This might just be reading too deeply into it, but right at the beginning, Vary's is launched out of a canon. Perhaps this is foreshadowing halfway through the movie when Lio gets launched?

This also shows the "shape symbolism," which is perhaps the coolest visual detail of all. According to the Wiki, squares are used to represent Promepolis, the city, Kray, Freeze Force, that general sphere. Triangles are used to represent the Burnish. And circles symbolize the freedom/the future. Once you notice that it's EVERYWHERE. The lens flares, the buildings, the clothing of characters, everywhere. And even on the canons here, you can see that Varys gets launched out of a square one, and Lio gets launched out of a triangle.

Goofy little detail is Lucia uses a joystick in the van, oddly enough. While holding it, she twiddles her fingers as if she's typing on a keyboard. Either there are sensory inputs on the ball of the joystick itself, or she's just excited.

(Here, while complaining about Galo being missing, she uses a genuine game controller to move a robot's hand. She likes video games)

Part 2

[tigertaurus22]

Lempika is quiet and thoughtful, adding her two cents to certain situations when she thinks it necessary.

Souseiseki often uses her for recon or scouting but also for help with the harvesting of crops and disposing of compost.

She still has the ability to enter people’s mindscape N-Fields. Instead of simply cutting at the weeds stifling a soul tree’s growth, Lempika can cause them to decay and enrich the soil.

Her special ability outside the N-Field is causing technology to rust and decay at an exponential rate. This could be fatal to Reploids but it only seems to work on non-sentient tech.

She was created by the Mother Elf as a gift for Souseiseki, using a piece of her core energy and data from the maiden’s memories of her artificial spirit.

Lempika is the first cyber elf to resemble a fungus, specifically a Lactarius Indigo. It is more commonly known as the indigo milk cap, indigo milky, the indigo lactarius, or the blue milk mushroom. It is a species of agaric fungus in the family Russulaceae.

[sunny6677]

The Haven.

(A small drabble of Epic!Hermes and Epic!Sunny.)

Summary:

Awaking from an incident with the God of Thunder and the King of God's Himself, Sunny finds herself awakening in the arms of another deity—being slowly flown toward the direction of an unknown forest.

@rebootgrimm

————

All Sunny began to hear, as consciousness slowly streamed into her mind, was the ambience of faint wind—an odd silence to the very sound as if she were somewhere up high. The air warm, yet filled to the brim with harsh gusts of wind. Each gust practically rammed against her body like a knife stabbing into the skin of a living being—yet no matter how much it did, all Sunny was capable of doing was simply keeping her eyes shut, feeling an odd sense of something warm in her chest. The feeling of practically being bound to the chains of slumber. Perhaps she was.. considering something was quite literally restricting her movements. Or maybe there wasn't? It was hard to tell—being carried through wherever she was.. a part of her thinking it might have been Odysseus, or one of the other members of the crew. Carrying her away frantically from the scene. The idea that maybe she'd open her eyes and see the muscular shoulder of a crew member carrying her over them sounded oddly relieving. At least even if frantic, they'd still be alive.

She was sure that it was that. It must have been.. the sharp sound of something along with the gusts of wind—it almost sounded like the wings of a bird flapping harshly. Perhaps it could have been the racing footsteps of another crew member. Perhaps, in the firm grasp of whoever this was, it was Odysseus who held her—with Eurylochus and the surviving members following behind.

At the very thought, she clenched her small, pale hands—letting herself hold onto the fabric of.. Odysseus's clothing. She could hear what she thought was the sound of his breathing, so it must have been. Or was it her own?

"..mh.."

She grumbled, barely lifting her head on the firm shoulder which she rested her chin upon. "..Odysseu.." She exhaled, "Cap—Captain.."

She expected to be met with the sound of his gruff voice speaking to her. The sound of his quickly mumbling for her to hush. That they'd be to safety soon. That they found another island to stay on, and they had somehow escaped the grasp of the God of Thunder himself.

But—she found her hope met with the crushing weight of a voice that was.. almost unfamiliar.

"...hohoho..! There you are.."

..that was the laugh of an old friend which she already knew. Despite it filling her regularly with such joy and odd relief, her heart felt as if it were being struck. Hearing not the sound of the Captain she had come to trust, but the sound of a deity's.

Grunting, she grumbled again. "..wh—wha.. whuh.."

A hue of brightening blue was what began to seep through Sunny's vision as she forced her eyes open—her face enveloped with an odd tingling flush that went over her milky white skin. Rays of bright yellow streaming down the blue void like a river with several connecting ends. Like sunlight, almost.

Though—maybe it already was sunlight. It wasn't shining down onto the rocky ground if an island as she had expected. Rather, it was glowing onto a void of endless blue, and.. puffs of bright white. An idea of where she could have been formed in her head. And desperately, tiredly, she almost wanted to deny it. But she couldn't entirely push the idea away in her head—as her eyes caught a glimpse of a large, brown wing rising and then flapping downward.

She couldn't see the face of who held her—with their arm tightly wrapped around her waist and holding her close against the tall, muscular, almost comforting but firm surface of their own body. And another with their hand on her lower back—the only thing she could have thought of in this moment being that they must have been carrying her nearly over their shoulder. Flying into the sky, with her in their arms.

At the very idea of being in the sky though, an adrenaline of fear rushed into her mind, and her eyes became momentarily wide.

"Wh—agh.. ho—holy shi—!"

She nearly cursed—the inside of her chest beginning to pound heavily. Without thinking, she would have nearly fallen out of the grasp of whoever held her. Yet instead, she found the large hands on her back grow tighter in grip, the feeling being relieving—even if she was being carried through the high skies at this very moment.

"Ah-ah! Language, darling.."

"..wh—what.. what the.. what—"

"..I see you're finally awake. Hohohoho.." The voice cackled—she could sense their head slightly turning to cast a glance at her. "Good morning, sleepyhead.."

"Where.. why—why am I in the sky..?!"

"Why, we're flying, little one! That's why!"

"..of—of course we are. But why—"

She swallowed, a dryness in her throat near the intensity of realization. And the realization that washed over her—made her seem to finally really notice the absence of her captain.

"Where's.. where's Captain Odysseus?"

"Hohohoho.. he's somewhere else at the moment! You don't need to worry about him though."

"What—? No, I.. where's the other people in the crew? Where'd they go?"

"..."

"..why—where'd they go? I need to—I need to get to them.."

"Why would you need to?"

"I need to help them. I need to save them! What if they're on another island?"

"..well, they're not, dearie. I don't see any point in worrying about it. Besides—I'd say you're more of the concern here.. it's a good thing I even found you at all."

"..how.. how am I the concern? I.. wh—wh.."

She made another glimpse at the sky below, and her hands clenched onto the fabric of white which he wore.

"..I suppose that means you agree with me! Hohoho.."

"...hgh.. hhnn.."

She squeezed. Hermes went slightly quiet.

"..do you feel afraid?"

"..ye—yeah.."

"..mmh.. no need to worry. I've got you. If anything happens, I'll catch you, alright?"

"...o—okay.."

As if wanting to shield herself from the world, and from the beads of tears that were eager to slip from her eyes, she lowered her face—hiding her nose into the frame of his squared shoulder. And eventually, hiding her pair of eyes—her vision going black as she tightly shut them.

"..good." She could practically hear him smile—feeling his face slightly look back towards her yet again. The warmth of his face approaching the left side of her head. She felt him smile against her scalp, before puckering his lips, and gently gracing her with a paternal kiss. At the very touch of his lips, she briefly opened her eyes and then shut them again with a (admittedly) childish cry of fear. Not because of him, but because of the knowledge that she was all the way up here, even if she was being held.

"..it's alright, little one. Just wait a moment. We'll be down from here soon.."

She would have nodded if she wasn't so afraid, paralyzed with fear in his arms. Letting his warmth envelop her as he simply flew through the skies. Even if he was another deity, something about him made her feel safe in a way she couldn't explain. Like she could rely on him to care for her. Almost like a father, in a way. Maybe right here in this moment, she just wished he was—even if her real one had existed and been dead long ago.

She felt like curling up his arms, her thoughts beginning to wonder between her father. Between Hermes. How her father only ever saw her a few times in the past. How her father had once hit her in a shop once. Compared to the gentle, playful nature of this deity which she apparently always knew. Sometimes, Hermes felt more like she was told what father's were supposed to be like, rather than the impression her own father gave her. The gusts of wind felt like the blow he had once dealt on her sometimes, making her slightly flinch. Though it was one time. Though she had been so young then.

..she felt an odd feeling just then. Something that was a little hard to describe. As if her head were filled with a strange, ringing substance which caused her to feel as if her brain ached. The harsh winds slightly changing their direction. The near feeling of almost being dropped. She knew she wasn't of course, since she still felt the arms of Hermes around her. Despite this, her anxiety made her knowledge blinded, and she opened her eyes—and for a moment as her vision was dark, she felt a humid, wet air—like they were flying through something misty.

..white puffs were all she saw though, once her eyes eventually came open. Flatter now—a mild hole of blue made in the surface. The bright blue now a void beneath the crowded area of clouds just over Hermes firm shoulder.

Tightly, she shut her eyes again—seeing a mild glimpse of deeper blue. What.. was that? Was that the ocean? Pondering this, the little bravery she had left caused her to open her eyes again.

Met with brightness, certainly then, she saw it.. an endless sea of dark blue. An endless sea of rippling waves. Almost, she swore, she saw a rising shape—resembling a humanoid figure wearing armor, bearing a trident. And at this very thought, she winced.

"..it's okay.. we're about to get down.."

She heard Hermes gently whisper. He likely didn't know why she had just winced, and frankly, she didn't want to tell him. What was he even doing anyway? Where was he taking her? Olympus, the very place she shouldn't have been? Somewhere he happened to reside in? Another island? Perhaps even Ithaca, or.. finally home?

..a part of her mind was filled with the anxiety that he'd fly them both into the ocean. And though she knew it wasn't true, she wanted to at least look. To ensure he didn't grow so playful that he thought it'd be fun to scare her like that. The air grew less in intensity—much unlike her own anxiety.

Her eyes tensed, and finally, her lids barely opened. Expecting to be met with endless ocean. Expecting to be met with a splash, or maybe a raspy, roaring voice from below—screaming her name.

And yet, all she saw was.. blades of bright green grass on a short coast. Tall, dark strands of trees all lifted to the same high length—with their practically neon green leaves slightly rustling. Different circles of colors which passed by like a blur as they further descended, with Hermes grasp growing a little more firm. She could have only assumed the colors must have been flowers. But.. if not somewhere else, if in a forest rather than somewhere she had thought, where were they? Where was he taking her?

Dizziness slightly overcame her mind, causing her to look around. She couldn't process it all at once, of course. Long branches up in the higher areas of tall trees, which cast a green elegant light over the long blades of green. Over the moss decorated on each trunk. Over the large brown bird which she saw perched upon the branch, simply gazing as Hermes held her, zipping through the damp winds.

Flowers of different types. What she could have sworn looked like a tortoise. Something in the distance sat on a nearby branch. All of which became harder to view as Hermes pace grew quicker. Where were they about to land? He was clearly going to judging by how fast they were going, so where?

The rays of light grew brighter, into pastel yellow brightness as they shone like the beautiful nature of the Divine. She nearly shut her eyes again. And maybe she even did without even knowing from the sheer impact. Hermes wings seemed to be slowly decreasing in their speed. And as they sped over long strands of green grass, she squinted—catching a glimpse of a long, tall white pedestal. With beautiful patterns. Made in an almost pearly manner.

She glanced to the side, catching a glimpse of another made in a similar fashion. Holding what looked to be the engravement of a wing-like symbol on it. And faintly, she swore she smelt the scent of.. water. She even heard the sound of rushing water.

She then felt a sharp pull, causing her to nearly wobble in Hermes grasp. It was a firm feeling, like a car coming to a harsh stop. Herme's grasp momentarily tightened, and then after a few moments in the warmth of the sunlight, it became loose once more.

"There we go.. we made it, see? Here."

Nearly, she asked what he meant. Made it? Made it where? Back to Odysseus?

She opened her eyes, her mind still feeling as if it ached. Feeling like it had been spun around in several circles.

Though.. she then found her mouth slightly parting, her eyes lingering over bright shades of green with sunlight dancing over them. A dark green rippling pool with light lily pads, delicately floating among the sticky waters which pooled with streams of the suns glow. White, rocky ground which would be hot to touch. Bursts of plants emerging from each corner of the pedestals that surrounded each end of the pool. Moss-coveted pedestals, with several rows of them at the farther end with a delicate roof built over it, leading into some hallway-like place. Strands of hydrangea (pink, purple and blue) hung from different pedestals. And among the scent of water, the scent of grass. The sound of faint chirping from birds, and the pool running with ripples of water.

..she could only stare, the breathy words leaving her mouth on her own. "..what.. is this place?"

Hermes giggled. "Well, until I find a way to take care of things, dearie—this is going to be where you're staying!"

"..what..?"

[froppy-butterflyfan2000]

⚔️Art Trade⚔️ with twilightswordlink from Instagram

I drew his Rhombulus and Lekmet’s kid, Emris with my Tomstar kid, Milky Way cosplaying as their favorite The Legend of Zelda characters. Emris is cosplaying as Vaati from The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap and Milky Way is cosplaying as Purah from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

The cosplay costumes is design by Milky Way’s big sister, Rose and located at The Multiverse School Fashion Clubroom (The Multiverse School is also a multiverse AU too).

Yeah, Rose is tired of making cosplay costumes and tailoring Alma the Guardian Angel’s Vampire Costume (showing her dedication to finish the assignments given to her as a student of the yellow selection). This cause her peers and club mates, Diana and Maia to be worry for her. Oh yeah, the person who is entering the club right now is my Starbulus kid, Atreus, he is looking for Dana, the leader of The Fashion Club.

Atreus Butterfly is a highschool student in the blue selection and the club he attend is Cooking.

Yeah, I went overboard in my art 😓for the art trade. My plan was that after drawing a few rough drafts, I planned on having Rose finish designing the cosplay costumes at her studio, but instead I have Rose create them and Alma’s vampire costume in pigeon-svtfoe-au’s Multiverse School instead with two students.

Emris and Alma Celina Marie Diaz Butterfly belongs to twilightswordlink (Instagram)

Maia Lucitor belongs to @primarina-diamandis

Diana Butterfly Wong belongs to dreamy_artz (Instagram)

Rose Butterfly Lucitor, Milky Way Butterfly Lucitor, and Atreus Butterfly belong me (@froppy-butterflyfan2000)

The Multiverse School, The Fashion Club, and Diana (mentioned) belongs to @pigeons-svtfoe-au/@canetteto

The Starbulus Club concept (mentioned) belongs to @tolstolobik