#i drink a lot of herbals but not fruity or sweet

[puppadumz]

Fuck I love tea.

[writingwithfolklore]

Describing Foods - A Masterlist

                As a broke university student, I love reading about food. It’s almost like eating a real meal myself <3.

I get a little angry when characters are eating a meal and I barely get to experience it with them. In that, I mean I don’t just want to know what it is, but what it’s like to eat that food—how it tastes, smells, sounds, and feels. Is a perfect croissant still a perfect croissant without the crack of the exterior, the airiness of the pastry inside, the smell of yeast?

                Probably not. When writing about a dish, the smell, texture, technique, taste, and how it looks are all important to painting the experience, so here’s some words to use when describing a meal:

Taste:

Acidic: Sharp tasting. Often used to describe tart or sour foods as well.

Aftertaste: A different taste that remains in the mouth after eating something

Bitter: Tart, sharp, and sometimes harsh flavour.

Bittersweet: Less harsh than bitterness. Tartness + sweetness.

Bland: Has no significant flavor or texture

Briny: Just means salty. Often describes pickled foods.

Citrusy: Bright flavour like… well citrus fruits—oranges, lemons, limes, etc.

Cooling: Mimics that cooling feel—like mint.

Earthy: Reminiscent of soil. Can be used to describe wines, root vegetables, and mushrooms.

Fiery: Another word for spicy.

Fresh: Light and crisp—describes produce or herbs.

Fruity: Sweet and reminiscent of fruit.

Full-bodied: Rich and ‘feels heavy’ in your mouth. Can describe wines or soups.

Herbal: Bright, fresh, sometimes earthy from the presence of herbs

Honeyed: Sweet or candied taste like honey.

Nutty: Taste similar to the flavors of nuts. Often used to describe certain cheeses.

Rich: Full, heavy flavour. Often dishes that contain cream taste rich.

Robust: Rich + Earthy. Used for lots of wines or aged liquor.

Savory: Describes meaty, earthy dishes and soups.

Sharp: Harsh, bitter, or tart taste. Used to describe acidic foods.

Smoky: Reminiscent of the smell of smoke.

Sour: Biting, tangy, tart flavor.

Spicy: Burning taste.

Sweet: Sugary.

Tangy: Tart, biting taste—feels tingly

Tart: Sharp, bitter, or sour flavour. Used to describe acidic foods.

Woody: Earthy, sometimes nutty taste. Describes some coffees or cheeses.

Yeasty: Earthy taste reminiscent of yeast. Describes beer and bread.

Zesty: Fresh, vivid, or invigorating flavour.

Sound/Texture:

Sound has a lot to do with texture, so I've combined them for this section!

Airy: Light, pillowy texture (think inside of croissant)

Brittle: Hard but easy to break

Bubbly: Usually during heating, when bubbles rise to the surface—low sound.

Buttery: Smooth, creamy texture (think certain pasta sauces)

Chewy: Food that needs to be chewed thoroughly. Can be light and bouncy (chewy bread) or heavy (steak) and sticky (candy)

Creamy: A smooth and rich texture, comes from dairy.

Crispy: Light texture with slight crunch.

Crumbly: Food with loose structure that falls apart into crumbs.

Crunchy: Firm, crisp texture with a sharp, loud noise.

Crusty (behave): Food with a hard outer layer and soft interior (many loaves and breads)

Delicate: Light and fine, feels like it can come apart easily.

Doughy: Soft and heavy, usually pale colouring.

Fizzy: Usually liquids—a hissing sound, feels like ‘static’

Flaky: Light, characterized by layers that come apart during eating.

Fluffy: light and airy.

Frothy/Foamy: Airy bubbles, usually in a drink like a latte.

Gamey: Usually refers to meats when they’re very “meaty”

Gooey: Viscous, sometimes sticky texture from moisture in a dense/solid food.

Hearty: Firm, robust texture.

Juicy: Tender and succulent texture from liquid in a solid food (steak)

Molten: Hot, gooey

Oily: Slick, heavy, lingers on the tongue.

Silky: Fine, smooth texture that feels sleek.

Smooth: Texture free of grit, lumps, or edges.

Snap: A quick, sharp, crackling sound when broken.

Squelch: A soft sucking sound when pressure is applied. Somewhat gross.

Sticky: Gluiness in the mouth.

Succulent: Tender and juicy

Tender: Soft and easy to break down

Velvety: Smooth and rich

Smell:

Acrid: Strong, bitter, unpleasant

Comforting: pleasant, probably calls back to a nice memory

Damp: Wet smelling—probably a bit earthy

Delicate: subtle, faint, not overpowering

Earthy: reminiscent of soil

Fetid: Caused by decay—unpleasant

Fishy: reminiscent of fish

Floral/flowery: Reminiscent of flowers

Fragrant: Sweet or pleasing

Fresh: Cool, crisp, refreshing—produce, probably not cooked

Funky: Something’s gone off

Heady: Strong smell, pungent, rich

Musty: Not fresh

Perfumed: Pleasant, reminiscent of something (can be perfumed with citrus, say)

Piquant: stinging, pungent—tickles the nose

Powerful: strong

Rancid: Definitely gone off, decomposing

Ripe: Strong, usually unpleasant smell

Savory: spicy, salty, no elements of sweetness

Sour: has gone off

Spicy: Sharp, tingles the nose

Tangy: Strong and bitter but in a good way

Tart: Sharp

Woody: earthy smell, reminiscent of wood

Sight:

Usually texture gives us a really good picture of what a food looks like, so here’s some non-texture sight additions:

Blistered: Bumpy exterior.

Caramelized: Usually golden brown

Cloudy: Splotched. Almost see through if not for a slight white or grey mist.

Colourful: Bright and vibrant

Glassy: Resembling glass

Glossy: Smooth, shiny

Marbled: Two colours intertwined

Opaque: Not transparent. Can’t see through.

Ripe: Colourful (can be to a fault). Nearing the end of its edible state.

Scaly: Covered in scales, fish.

Shiny: Appears wet or glossy

Sparkling: Glimmers under the light

Stuffed: An ingredient placed inside a larger part with no additional space.

Translucent: Allows light through

Vibrant: Striking, bright

Food Prep:

How the food is prepared gives it these other attributes. If your character is familiar with cooking (or is the cook themselves!) they may describe food this way.

Baked: Cooked in an oven. Results in browned or crispy outer layer.

Blackened: When food is dipped in butter and coated with spices then cooked in a hot pan—spices darken, making it appear ‘blackened’

Blanched: Food scalded in boiling water and moved to cold water so it stops cooking. Texture comes out soft.

Braised: Food that is briefly fried in fat and then stewed in a pot. Results in seared, crispy exterior with a tender interior.

Breaded: Coated with breadcrumbs/batter then baked or fried so it turns crispy

Broiled: Food cooked with intense radiant heat in an oven or on the grill. Results in a darkened appearance and crispy texture.

Caramelized: Food slow-cooked until it’s browned, nutty, and has a bit of sweetness.

Charred: Grilled, roasted, or broiled and gains a blackened exterior and smoky flavor.

Fermented: Food that’s sat with bacteria, yeast, or another microorganism and has produced acids, alcohols, or gases. Results in a biting, pungent flavor. (Kimchi is fermented)

Fried: Food cooked by submerging in hot oil. Creates crispy, crunchy texture and golden colour.

Glazed: Food with a coating brushed onto its surface. Appears glossy with a thin, flavorful, and crisp outer layer.

Infused: Food steeped in liquid with another ingredient so it carries the essence of that ingredient. Used with herbs usually.

Marinated: Usually meat soaked in liquid containing flavourful herbs, spices, vinegar, or oil.

Poached: Food cooked in near boiling water. Results in tender, moist texture.

Roasted: Food cooked with dry heat in an oven or over the fire. Results in browned exterior and crisp coating.

Sautéed: Food cooked quickly in small amount of fat.

Seared: Food cooked in small amount of fat until caramelized. Finished by roasting or grilling. Results in crisp exterior and tender interior.

Smoked: Food exposed to smoke from smoldering wood for a long time. Results in that distinctive smoky flavor.

Whipped: Food beaten to incorporate air. Light and fluffy.

What did I miss?

[paingoes]

Have you ever thought of your characters' favorite food and/or drink?

yessss i think about everything…..

delta - raw fish and fruit. poke bowls. salted fish as well. herbal tea. really fruity girl alcohol. negroni.

paris - pure dark chocolate and cigarettes. stimulants and nicotine kill his appetite so his advisors have to remind him to drink nutrient shakes so he wont die. port wine.

lorelai - grew up on farm and had access to really high quality produce, kinda spoiled from it. favorites are apricot jam and peaches. sweet tea. white claw, partly for the nostalgia factor.

kitty - spicy ramen, strawberry shortcake, iced matcha latte. cotton candy vodka. pussy cat shots ;3c

apollo - red curry, gala apples, coffee. doesn’t drink a lot and is probs a lightweight but wholeheartedly believes in the medicinal properties of brandy and hot toddy…. can also drink blood but more on that later i guess

[supercantaloupe]

my brain is very gone. i cannot read questions but i wanna participate. what’s your fav kind of tea? how do you take your tea?

ooh i love a lot of types of tea so i could never pick a single favorite. i'd say for a single (though often large) cup of hot tea my preference is usually for something strong and fruity. i like herbal blends with hibiscus, peaflower, rosehip etc and/or dried fruit pieces, although this year i've really been enjoying a couple of fruity white or green tea/herbal blends. i love these hot and either unsweetened or with just a drop of honey. this is also usually what i take in my thermal mug to campus bc it doesn't easily suffer from overbrewing so i can brew it in the morning at 9am and have a still-hot cup of tea to drink in rehearsal at 6pm. although occasionally i'll take something black to drink as a single cup; my preference is usually for something strong and spiced, with a bit of cream and lightly sweetened. but if i'm sitting down for an hour or two and enjoying a whole pot of tea, i'm usually drinking either one of the fruit/tea blends or i'm drinking an oolong, no sweetener. i have this WONDERFUL oolong in my cabinet right now from a regional teashop i love that's scented with grape and blackberry and it's got the most well rounded, juicy body to it -- if i had to pick a single favorite it might be that but it's expensive and small batch so i try to save it for when i can really sit down and enjoy it.

as for iced teas: love a cold fruity or hibiscus tea, barely sweet; black tea, strong and lightly sweet, especially with milk (a la boba shop milk tea or chai latte); LOVE an arnold palmer (half unsweet tea/half lemonade); and whatever the hell they put in diet snapple, i could go through cases of that shit all by myself in no time flat.

basically the only teas i don't really like are anything minty, chamomile, and plain green teas and matcha. although i'm recently becoming a convert to the joys of jasmine tea. besides it just tasting good what i love about tea is that there's just So Much out there that there's always something new to try and fall in love with

[fiona-fififi]

Asks for you 😊

2 15 20 25 💜

2. Do you drink tea or coffee? How do you take it? 

Both. And it really depends. For coffee, I tend to prefer it creamy and sweeter, but not overly sweet. Hot or iced depends on the weather and where I am. At the moment, because it's too damn hot here, I'm obsessed with a lightly sweetened latte from a nearby coffee chain that's made with coffee ice cubes, so it doesn't actually get watered down. For tea, I love fruity herbal teas or a good English breakfast tea. For the herbals, I sometimes drink them as is or with honey and lemon. English breakfast, I usually take with either a lightly sweetened creamer or cream and honey.

15. What’s your favorite season? 

Winter. I love winter. I love the chill in the air and wearing cozy sweaters and drinking hot beverages to warm up. I love the snow and the way it sparkles during the day and lights everything up a little at night, and I love watching my puppy play in snow that's literally taller than her while she's all dressed up in her winter gear. I love the lights and the general spirit and the way everything feels kind of sleepy and sharp. I just really love winter.

20. What/who do you miss? 

Right now, I'm missing @messyhairdiaz, which is silly because we talked a few hours ago, but still. work has been a pain, and I haven't been as available as usual.

I'm also missing home and my grandparents and my puppy and I guess my parents, as well.

25. What’s your favorite decade? 

I don't know. I think it's probably the 90s, if we're talking, like, aesthetic. I have a lot of nostalgia over the 90s, because I was a 90s kid. I'm also super attached to the aughts, but that's more a personal thing because of specific memories and people, not like a general liking of the decade itself.

♡ asks ♡

[iamthecomet]

Hi Comet! I am coming to you with yeat another headcanon ask. I caught a cold so I have been drinking a lot of teas and herbal infusions.

What opinions do the band members have when it comes to hot drinks? Who will take their black tea with 7 sugars? Which ghoul is a coffee only type of ghoul? Do the vocalist ghouls only drink hot water with honey and lemon on tour? - Ghoulette Anon

oohh I did morning drinks AGES ago but now I can't find the ask to use as a reference haha, so I'm just gonna roll with it. Hot drinks here we go!

Mountain is a big fan of herbal teas. He and Sunshine make them together and between the two of them they have an extensive collection. Mountain drinks, a LOT of tea. It's his drink of choice as a general rule and he drinks multiple cups a day. He drinks it black. Occasionally (depends on the tea) he will have it with honey. Sunshine also drinks a lot of tea, but coffee is really her favorite. Dark roast. She likes it milky, with a little sugar and vanilla. She has a special tea she and Mountain made that the vocalist ghouls drink on tour to help keep their throats happy. It doesn't taste great, but it just the job. They force at least one cup of it onto Copia a day too--he hates the stuff, but will do anything for his ghouls. Swiss loves a good dirty chai. Nice and spicy and sweet. He tries one at every coffee shop they stop at that sells it. But they are never as good as the ones he can make at home. He says it's because they're using shitty espresso. Everyone knows it's because Mountian and Sunshine's chai is superior. Rain's favorite hot drink is earl gray tea, with a splash of milk, and lavender syrup. He will drink any tea that's handed to him, but he always prefers earl gray. He hated coffee when he was summoned, but Dewdrop has gotten him to come around to it, and he likes to drink it now, but only if it's milky and sweet. Rain also really loves hot chocolate, especially with whipped cream. Aether loves English breakfast tea, and also coffee. He has a cup of coffee first, and then tea after. On tour he drinks mostly tea because most of the coffee they come in contact with tastes like burnt garbage to him and he can't stand it. Cumulus loves fruity teas. Lemon being one of her favorite. She always adds honey and a little splash of lemon juice to it to make it a little sour. She usually only drinks hot drinks in the winter or when she's sick. When she's sick she's a big fan of hot water with whiskey, honey, and lemon. Dewdrop likes black coffee. Quality does not matter. He likes it as hot as it can get. He usually drinks an entire pot of black coffee before anyone else gets up in the morning. He's a big fan of gas station coffee. It's always SCALDING hot and tastes a little like tar and for some reason he really likes that. He will drink some "fancy" coffee in order to appease Rain. But generally just wants it as black and hot as possible. Cirrus' favorite is hot cider. She drinks it all through the fall and winter. Always with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Sometimes with a splash of whiskey. She also really enjoys mulled wine and drinks it with Aether, and Swiss sometimes on very cold nights.

[boundlss]

my muses except i assign them to loose leaf tea flavors i currently have in my house

please read my posts about tea i have kind of what my detractors might call an obsession.

apple cinnamon french toast - currently my second favorite tea. delightfully sweet and bold, has a strong smell and a rich taste. i would assign this tea to roland fortis!

savannah sunrise - citrusy but not too strong, a very clear and vibrant tasting tea. it's new to me so i haven't had much of it. i would assign this tea to ty lee!

lavender raspberry honeybush - a very subtle but rich fruity tea, easy to brew and drink at any temperature. i would assign this tea to cahir mawr dyffryn aep ceallach!

blue lady grey - very strong and unique tasting, sort of not what you expect upon seeing it but a very memorable tea. i would assign this tea to roy mayrana!

tangerine ginger - extremely flavorful but VERY heavy on the ginger flavor. if i drink it in the wrong mood it feels sort of like i'm being attacked but i actually like the way it looks and smells a lot. i would assign this tea to stella!

peach ginger detox gold - actually very good, has a more muted flavor than you'd think but the low brewing temperature means it's easier to drink fast. the ginger is also not noticeable in here. i would assign this tea to pleasant clemens!

pacific peppermint - smells almost exactly like a candy cane. tastes like a very muted candy cane. actually very good for a dessert or afternoon tea in my opinion. i would assign this tea to aurilis ayeva!

earl grey supreme - a plain tea but actually quite good as far as earl grey goes (i am an earl grey fan though). i would give this tea to mukuhara kazui.

decaf earl grey - i didn't honestly like this one that much, it was bland and taking away the caffeine is kind of detracting from earl grey in general ... i would assign this tea to vernon roche! because that man does not need to be more wired than he already is all of the time.

caramel toffee pu-erh - a VERY sweet tea with a very long brew time, but i really enjoy it as a dessert. i would assign this tea to luminous!

white cherry - it smells exactly like cough syrup. the taste is fine but i can't get over the cough syrup thing. i would assign this tea to five pebbles to help with his rot. feel better soon five pebbles!

apricot white - a VERY very good and light white tea, it's very appealing to look at and very nice to drink. i've been debating ordering some more of this. i would assign this tea to dandelion!

chocolate covered strawberries - it was alright. it actually didn't stick out to me really at all. i would assign this tea to benjamin clemens!

pomegranate green tea - a very strong tea, the pomegranate flavor really comes out and i usually drink this before my friday dnd! for that reason and because it looks a lot like blood i'm going to assign this tea to cyran azerrad kapral!

elderberry fortress herbal tea - it's a good tea and one of the only actual medicinal teas i have in the house. genuinely like it, but we save this for when we have sore throats or allergies. i would assign this to ankita culathene!

houjicha - a VERY VERY VERY good japanese green tea. my favorite tea we currently have. it's moderately sweet and nutty and amazing and i drink it almost every sunday night before bed. i would assign this tea to yanna lazaros!

moringa tulsi - why is it spicy ................ i would assign this tea to jet!

international breakfast tea - my best friend. he's like a brother to me. very plain and slightly bitter but i drink this tea every morning for breakfast. i have an industrial sized bag of this tea so i can drink it every morning for breakfast. very high in caffeine. i would assign this tea to shirogane kei!

[cold-heart-warm-writings]

The Host Club members are coming over! Based on the tea I currently have in my tea organizer, here’s what I’m giving each member:

Honey: Bigelow Botanicals Cold Water Infusion blackberry raspberry hibiscus (... that’s an aggressively long title for a tea flavor. also, where tf did this come from. I have one singular crumpled up bag of this... okay. but also it sounds really sweet and fruity and that gives me honey vibes)

Tamaki: Big Heart tea Co Cup of Love nurturing rose (cause Tamaki + roses just makes sense. this is also my favorite comfort tea, and I just like the idea of giving tamaki a mug of genuine love. someone please give him a real hug)

Hikaru: (omitting local tea company name) Red Hot Cinnamon Black (it’s the only loose leaf I actually can be bothered to make because it’s SO GOOD! It has actual cinnamon candies in it and it’s almost... spicy? idk, but it���s really good. And the surprise spicy makes me think of our resident little devil. <3) 

Mori: Dynasty Chinese Restaurant Tea, blend of Oolong, Jasmine, and Green tea (this is also random af, but it’s tea I had all the time in China, and maybe it’ll remind Mori of the dojo? And feel calmed? There’s a lot of chaos in the host club, so drink a hot cup of tea, and breathe) 

Haruhi: Nordovist Moominmamma’s Magic Potion, Black tea with rhubarb and strawberry flavors (because haruhi is making some real magic potion getting the entire host club addicted to cheap ass commoner coffee. And you know what? Good for them. plus haruhi totally mom’s the host club, and i love them for that)

Kaoru: Nordovist Snufkin’s Adventurer’s Snacks, green tea, pear, and vanilla flavors (cause snufkin looks angsty on the packaging, like it’s him against the world, and kaoru can get that vibe sometimes, especially when he starts to branch off from Hikaru. So here’s a cup of hot tea to aid you in your adventure of self discovery.)

Kyoya: Celestial Seasonings Peppermint herbal tea (i know this tea is the opposite of fancy, and kyoya would probably have one of the highest expectations of fancy teas, but this with a little bit of honey always makes me feel better if im ever feeling sick, plus it helps me with headaches. And i really think kyoya needs something because i bet his stress is destroying his head and his stomach, so please relax, sir.)

[watsername]

So is salted caramel your favourite kind of tea

its nowhere near actually I have so many that I love but I work in the tea shop Ive always gotten my tea from so I want to tell u about my favourite tea without doxxing myself

anyway for black tea I LOVE this bitch that has strawberry rose and lotus petals she's sweet and fruity and I love her without milk she's my go to when im on shift

for green teas I LOVE a cherry blossom tea the one we sell has additional cherry flavouring and what I personally fond with a lot of fruit teas is that they promise the flavour but you get it more through the smell which is why im not a huge infusion drinker but I LOVEE cherry blossom she's my baby girl to the point where if someone asks for a green tea rec in the shop they get passed off to me so I can yap about how good it is she TASTES LIKE CHERRY and its not as bitter as green tea can be even when I overbrew it

oolong im so indecisive I love milk oolong she's such a little freak of a tea theres no additional flavouring its just a plain oolong leaf she's a high altitude Taiwanese oolong she has a natural creamy almost burnt cramamel flavour its a very light coloured tea I love her . also love peach oolong she's in my bedroom rn

for white I have a white tea with rose petals that I genuinely lived off for like 4 months she's iconic

for like rooibos and herbal and infusions I dont drink them much but I do LOVE a good chai and I recently got a pomelo and dragonfruit infusion which is quite nice

[contemporarybardess]

Help Wanted || Elora & Alistair

Location: The Sugar Pot

Timing: Current-ish

Parties: @deathsplaything & @contemporarybardess

Triggers: Parental death (mentioned), Partner death (mentioned)

Summary: Elora goes into The Sugar Pot wanting some tea after a rough day, leaves with far much more.

Well this was just fucking peachy. Elora had gotten a tip on a revolutionary treatment for her hand that might be able to restore function to it, and she gets fucking rejected. Something about candidates with a longer duration of disability being favored first. It wasn’t her fault she wasn’t born disabled, but a recent injury should have just as much weight as those who have been managing the burden their entire lives. 

She was upset, and she always began shaking when she was upset. She needed something to calm her nerves. While she loved a good cup of coffee, it would do nothing to relax her in this moment. As she walked down the street, she saw a sign for a new shop she hadn’t seen before. 

“The Sugar Pot”, she muttered under her breath. She could use a nice cup of hot tea to steady her nerves. 

As she entered the store, she was greeted by a man behind the counter wearing dark glasses that completely obscured his eyes. She appreciated the apothecary theme, and figured if the tea was good this might already be a new favorite spot of hers. She approached the counter, hoping to see some sort of menu that she could order off of. 

As the door opened to the shop, the bell attached to the door jingled, alerting Alastair that there was a customer. “Welcome in!” He greeted her with a customer-service-grade smile. “If yer new, the shop is set up for you to pick out some flavors, and then we mix and pack it for you. The menu is below me if you’re looking for a certain brew.” He patted the counter he stood behind. The menu was on the wall of the counter. 

The menu consisted of herbal blends sorted by white teas, green teas, black teas, oolong teas, and fruit tisanes. “We’ve got floral, citrus, fruity, sweet, and umami teas.” He explained as a woman stepped out of the curtained back door. She closed the back door rather loudly as to alert Alastair to her presence. “In front of you.” She spoke to him, which caused his attention to shift from the sound of the bell ringing on the door to directly in front of him. He didn’t quite look directly at Elora, nor did he turn his head to look at the woman who had stepped behind the counter. He looked in their general direction without looking directly at them. 

“Thank you, looks like a big selection” she said to the man behind the counter. She could tell from the dark glasses and the way he wasn’t quite looking at her to speak that he must be blind or have some sort of serious vision impairment. She saw his assistant emerge to redirect his focus so that he had a better idea of where she was. 

“I think I’ll have the ‘Pear With Me’ please!” she went to point at the sign, a strange thing to do when speaking to a blind man but it was habit for her. She forgot, as always, that pointing with her left hand was an impossibility, and she was left with more of a three fingered gesture towards the area of the sign that displayed her drink. She quickly pulled her hand back, being glad the man couldn’t see her mistake. While there was certainly no shame to an injury, she didn’t want any form of weakness to be perceived by people in this town. 

“I don’t think I’ve seen this place before. Don’t usually come to this side of town, I was just out here running errands. Do you get a lot of people over here?” 

She wasn’t familiar with Old Town yet, she didn’t have much reason to stop by until today.

Alastair smiled, nodding his head. “I like to give my customers a lot tae choose from. If you have too little, then what fun is that?” His tone was jovial but almost as if it was practiced to be that way. As Elora gestured to the sign, Melody, the assistant shopkeeper, frowned. She leaned over to Alastair and whispered into his ear. “Left hand, potential medial nerve injury.” She pulled away from the man, who had already turned around to find the correct blend, slipping his fingers along the glass jars that held the herb mixtures until he came across the one that said “Pear With Me” in bold letters. He plucked the jar off the shelf, and Melody grabbed a cup and tea bag, scoping the mixture into the bag. 

As Melody set to preparing her drink, Alastair turned around with an almost ghoulish smile that quickly drifted back to a practiced politeness. “Oh, we’ve been here for about three years now.” He spoke with a nod, his hand drifting over the old-style register and feeling the buttons before pressing down on the correct ones to ring up her total. “Busier during the mornings and weekends, get some wanderers from time to time throughout the day, though. We have enough regulars to keep the business afloat.” After he finished speaking, Melody turned around to hand the cup of hot tea over to Elora with a friendly smile. “Alastair and I opened up the shop together.” She further explained, taking over the register with ease. “Your total is 5.48.” She added. 

Alastair tapped a finger on the counter. “Tell your friends about us! Oh, and we’re hirin’ if you know someone looking for a job. We hire all kinds here!” He grinned wickedly, as if trying to let her in on something without saying it aloud.

There was a certain charm to the man’s Scottish accent. Elora had noticed the pair whispering, but couldn’t quite make out what was being said. Didn’t they know whispering was rude. Especially in front of a paying customer! 

“Well it’s good you have a steady stream of business. Nowadays it’s hard to keep a good business going. Guess I’d be considered a ‘wanderer’, eh?” she said teasingly. “Well I’m glad to hear you’ve been here for a while, means what you sell isn’t shit. So how long have you two been together” she asked, careful to gesture with her right hand as she moved it between the two of them. 

“As a matter of fact, I’ve been in the market for a good job. If you take ‘all types’, maybe I could put in an application?”

Alastair’s smile turned from friendly to genuine as Elon’s called herself a wanderer. “An’ there’s nothin’ wrong with that either. Best people I know are wanderers themselves” he gave a nod. When asked how long they’d been together, his smiley turned to a disgusted look. “Oh, I’m far too gay tae be with ‘er.” He spoke in a conspiratorial whisper towards Elora. That earned an eye roll from Melody, who knelt beneath the counter. 

“Oh ye are, are ya?” Alastair remarked, tilting his head to the side with a grin. Melody popped back up, sliding the application towards Elora with a smile. “Melody here helped me out when I lost my sight.” He explained. “Been business partners since I moved here three years ago. Anything other than that is strictly platonic. Like I said, definitely too gay for that.” He chuckled softly, shaking his head. “New to the area, then?” He asked, curious to learn more about the prospective hire. 

Since her colony’s fall, Elora had never been anything other than a wanderer. Just another soul passing through; here today and gone tomorrow. Hearing there was nothing wrong with that was certainly reassuring. 

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to assume,” she uttered, feeling herself starting to blush. She very often made assumptions about other people, and sometimes those assumptions lead to embarrassment. 

“I came here a couple months ago. I’ve uh…been off to a bit of a rough start. That goo outbreak certainly didn’t help things. Not a lot of places that are busy when half the town is completely unnavigable. But yes, I could really use some extra income. Well, any income, really.” 

She felt the inevitable follow up question of where she was before coming next, so she decided to pre-empt the man. She could tell by his manner of speech he was probably from somewhere in Scotland. 

“Grew up in South Carolina, very remote small town.” If you could even call it a town. “Decided I should try branching out a little bit. So I moved out and decided I’d try my luck up here.” She decided to leave out the tragic backstory. Not exactly appropriate for a first encounter, especially with a potential employer. 

Melody rolled her eyes and whacked Alastair in the arm. “Don’t mind him, he’s ridiculous.” She spoke as she took payment from Elora, charged the card, and handed it back to her. This earned a wide grin from the man in response, who seemed quite proud of himself. As Elora said she had a rough start to moving to Wicked’s Rest, Melody frowned, then spoke up. “Well, we are in a position where we need someone, so maybe Alastair here can talk to you about the position while I tidy up in the back.” She suggested, nudging the man so that it was less of a suggestion and more of a demand.

As the blonde passed the curtain and into the back room, the flash of something small toddled across the room as the door shut behind her. “She likes you,” Alastair told Elora with a knowing smile. “If you are rather interested, the position is for a barista. Our recent employees left because they wanted to focus on school, and we allow them to have summer jobs and over their breaks. We’re looking for someone who would be willing to work full-time. A thud came from the back, drawing Alastair’s attention toward the noise, but then he let his head drift back to the direction he last heard Elora. 

“The goo has most definitely made things harder for people to navigate to our shop, but I think that makes it the perfect opportunity to train someone who may not have prior experience.” He smiled, trying to let her know as slyly as possible that he would be interested in her working for him. “Though I do feel bad for the victims of the goo, I try to see things in a positive light when I can.” He then added, deciding it was not the best look to say he liked the goo. He didn’t. He’d been sleeping there at the tea shop because of the goo.

After all of her applications and interviews, it couldn’t be this easy, could it? Had she finally found stable and long term employment? Well, as stable as you can get in this town. The pair seemed kind enough, and she was certainly never one to look a gift horse in the mouth. 

“Really? It’d be great to work here, especially full time. I do have some barista experience too! Another small mom and pop shop back near where I grew up.” One that didn’t look too closely into validating I-9 documents like a bigger coffee chain might have done. 

“I understand what you mean” Elora said, nodding even though it served no purpose. “Gotta find the silver linings wherever you can see them”. She immediately bit her tongue in frustration at her words. Definitely not off to the best of starts, but he didn’t seem like the type to be easily offended. “So to speak, of course” she added on, hastily. 

“The goo’s been an absolute pain for me too. Most of the streets are completely unnavigable and my side of town is far away from pretty much everything. If it weren’t for my gymnastics training I wouldn’t even be able to get groceries.” 

Gymnastics training, supernatural agility, po-tay-toe po-tah-toe.

“Anyway, I’d be ready to start whenever if you’re serious about hiring me!”

Alistair stood there for a long, quiet moment as he debated whether or not to crack a joke at his own expense. “Where ye can see ‘em, nice.” He muttered with a crooked grin on his face. “Gymnastic trainin’? Bet that’s absolutely come in handy with all of it. Poor Brutus was leading me in weird patterns an’ I had no idea about the goo at first until someone kindly pointed it out to me. I thought my dog had gone rogue.” He shook his head, snapping his finger down at his hip, which caused Brutus to sit up in his bed and lazily walk over to Alistair’s side. “Y’ have a problem working with dogs?”

It wasn’t that Alastair had a bleeding heart. He didn’t. With what he did for a living, he couldn’t afford to. But when someone obviously struggling to get by in town just waltzed into his shop, he couldn’t just turn them away, now could he? So that’s how he ended up feeling bad for the woman before him. And if she said she had experience, then… well, that was just a helpful addition now, wasn’t it? 

Alastair couldn’t help but smile in amusement as she talked about seeing something. He didn’t say anything, but he was already coming up with a multitude of different responses in his head. He drummed his fingers against the counter, knowing Melody had already given him the go-ahead, meaning it was entirely up to him. He hated being the one to make decisions regarding hiring and firing. He tilted his head to the side, deep in thought. She was friendly, she was available to work full-time, and he could use a day off every once and a while. “Yeah, alright.” He finally said, letting his head turn back. “I do have a weird question, though.” He spoke, tapping his finger against the counter again, this time more in nervousness. “I need t’know what you know about the supernatural.” He spoke, gripping Brutus’s harness. “See, I heal people.” He further explained. “The methods I use are…” he trailed off, trying to find the words to use. “Different than what you’d find in a hospital.”

While Elora was a bit mortified at misspeaking, at least the man seemed to take her slip up in stride. It probably wasn’t the first inappropriate comment he had heard regarding his blindness. 

“Right, my gymnastics training. Comes in handy when you’re moving around rooftops across town. You’d be surprised how bad the goo situation is in Worm’s Row.” 

She looked over at the dog, who looked like such a good boy. But she knew better than to try and pet him, working dog and all that. 

“He seems like a very good boy doing great work. You both could’ve been swallowed up if he wasn’t on his guard!” 

She was momentarily overjoyed when she heard his very casual acceptance to allow her to work there. This quickly went away as he asked her about what she knew of the supernatural. She was a bit hesitant since they were in a public space, she never knew who could be listening in. Eventually, however, she decided to answer the man’s question. She was all too curious about his “unconventional methods”. 

“Well, I know that there are creatures that exist who aren’t exactly what they seem to be. Some friendly, others very much not. I also know that magic does exist, and can also be used to help or harm someone at the user’s discretion. Also nasty goo that turns people into statues, can’t forget about that.” 

She withheld that she was supernatural of course. Some old school apothecaries and other potion brewers still harvested siren organs for certain concoctions. She didn’t want to end up on the man’s grocery list, blind people were still dangerous after all. 

“Please, do tell about these methods of yours.”

Alistair sighed, knowing he’d have to explain it sooner rather than later. He’d much prefer if he could control the narrative before Elora found out for herself. As Melody came out of the back room, the spellcaster tugged on the harness, speaking “doras cùil,” which caused Brutus to walk toward the back door that Melody had exited. “Mind the store,” he spoke to the blond as he passed her, pulling the door open again and holding it out for Elora. 

As they entered the back room, the first thing that could be noticed (by those with sight) was the circular, emerald rug on the floor with sage green sitting cushions around in a circle. “The Law of Equivalent Exchange,” Alistair spoke after the door had closed, “means that I cannot heal without doing harm to another.” Brutus guided Alistair to the middle of the rug, then sat obediently at his side. “My family comes from a line of necromancers. Instead of raising the dead, I use it to heal people.” Brutus stood from his owner’s side and walked to the door on the far side of the room, then sat in front of it. “Beyond that door is what I use to heal those who need it or even deserve it.” 

He paused for a moment, waiting to see if she had any questions. When Elora said nothing, he continued. “The bigger the injury, the better the sacrifice must be. I can’t just use a lab rat for a sacrifice when the person has been stabbed through the chest. It has to be an exact exchange. While I, luckily, don’t deal with larger scale injuries, sometimes the sacrifice needs to be greater. People who have done harm, people that deserve punishment.” He pointed to the door again. “That’s who I keep beyond there.” 

Brutus watched Elora with a curious gaze, as if he knew more than a normal dog should. Alistair stood still, waiting for the woman to speak or run. If she ran, well, that’s what Melody in the front of the shop was for. If she didn’t, then maybe she’d stand a chance after all. “You wouldn’t deal with this,” he added on. “But you would have to deal with them coming into the store asking for me. If you decide to work here, know that when I’m not working, I live above the shop, so I’m only a phone call away to get here as soon as possible.” He tilted his head to the side and raised a brow. “So. Thoughts?”

Elora, quite frankly, didn’t know what to think. On the one hand, this man was a healer, and could do beautiful work for those who deserve it. On the other hand, someone else would need to be hurt. Elora, unlike those she grew up with, had a very firm “do no harm” stance. Still… harming those who were bad to benefit those who were good would end up as a net positive, right? She glanced down at her left hand, wondering if she herself would be considered “deserving”. 

“Who determines who’s ‘deserving’ and who’s ‘bad’?” she asked, cocking an eyebrow in spite of serving no purpose towards who she was speaking to. “Are we talking biblical, eye for an eye type of punishment? Murder a murderer, cut the hands off a thief? Or is it more cutting open someone with overdue parking tickets? I understand the concept of give and take, but I’m a bit uneasy at the concept of one man playing judge, jury and executioner. I don’t know your judgment.” She let her words hang in the air for a moment, debating if she should really allow herself to try and benefit from a clear moral gray area. 

“However, if you can prove to me that more good is done than harm, I’d be happy to help people find their way over to you. As fate would have it, I’m a bit in need of healing myself.” she said, raising her left hand up again. “Some kind of nerve damage to my left hand, at least that’s what the people at the hospital told me. Said there’s nothing they can do at the moment. The issue is, I’m a musician, so I sort of need my hands. I would love for you to help me, but only if nobody truly… undeserving gets hurt.”

This had been about the most selfish Elora had been in years. She felt as though she were making a deal with the devil. But if they were truly bad people, didn’t she deserve to have a fully functional body more than they did? 

When Alistair hadn’t heard footsteps running away from him, he was surprised. He was expecting Melody to have to wipe the poor girl’s memory of the last several minutes and have her go on her way, but she was asking follow-up questions instead. How curious. He thought about her question, mulling it over in his head, chewing on his lower lip as he tried to formulate the correct words in his head before speaking them aloud. “We’re talking more biblical, aye.” He answered, arms crossing over his chest. “I don’t go out an’ find ‘em myself, mind.” He added, pointing towards his sunglasses. “I don’t think I’d be very good at it, quite frankly. But these people, they’re killing people for fun, not survival. Living in excess at the expense of the innocents, that sort of thing.” He waved a hand, then let his arms drop back down to his sides. 

He listened as the woman tried to rationalize why she deserved to be healed, even after knowing what she knew. He was always fascinated by the mental gymnastics people had to do in order to feel better about the decisions they were trying to make. Alistair had resigned himself to being a bad person a long time ago, so the only times he truly grappled with a sacrifice was when someone was dying in front of him. Like that lady from the other day who had been stabbed in the chest. He’d felt bad about it for a little bit, but not enough to stop him from following through.

“If it’s your left medial nerve you want healed, I can do it. You need only ask.” He said with a shrug of his shoulders and a gesture with his left hand. “But there’s no going back once it’s been done. And I require payment for my services. Something valuable that isn’t money.” His face went stoic as he crossed his arms over his chest once more. “If I sacrifice something, I ask my clients to do the same.”

In her brief time here, Elora had learned that there certainly were bad people in this town who killed just for fun or personal gain. She’d honestly be doing the town a favor if she helped dispose of these types of people. 

Her blood ran cold at the mention of a sacrifice. He was already doing great harm, and possibly even killing people for his “magic” to work. What more would a sacrifice do? Is it necessary or was this just some what to get his jollies by seeing how desperate someone is to be healed? She nervously ran her right thumb over the ring her mother had given her as a teenager. She had stolen it off the body of an unfortunate human woman who had wandered too close to their colony. At least, that was what she was told at the time. 

“What do you gain from doing this? Is it out of the goodness of your own heart? I mean, if that were the case, you wouldn’t be asking for a sacrifice. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for the healing, but you seem like this isn’t your first time negotiating an equal sacrifice. Speaking of which, could you say that you’re making a sacrifice? You’re not really losing anything, just throwing some other unfortunate soul into the fire.”

Her ring was the only thing she really had left of her family back home, but she also knew it was the only real thing of value that she had with her. She had no other jewelry or clothes that cost more than $10, and she doubted a laptop would be of much use to him. Besides, she had her suspicions that he was speaking of a different kind of value anyway. After all, he sentimental items certainly did fit the theme of sacrifice much better.

Alistair’s stoic gaze soured as she questioned him. “What do I gain? I gain something important to the person. If what they need healing, and it is truly worth it to them, then that’s what it takes.” She was poking holes into his already flawed logic brought on by his own trauma. “I have sacrificed myself before.” He spoke, voice distant and far away. He pulled off his glasses, and the glamour he’d put on himself drifted away. Instead of the man's unflawed skin, a large burn scar covered his right eye and across the bridge of his nose. “I’ve sacrificed enough.” He snarled, then put the sunglasses back on, and the glamour was back up. There was no trace of the scars on his face the second he concealed his eyes. 

He blinked behind his glasses, and he saw the man sending a ball of fire right at Mikael’s head. Alistair remembered the horrible screams that accompanied the blast. He remembered having to choose between saving the man he loved or the man who tried to take Mikael away from him. He chose to save his beloved. He remembered the agonizing pain of burning flesh as he desperately attempted to reverse the damage that had been done, but it was too late. Mikael was gone, and he had failed.

He blinked, and he was back in the back room with the girl who accused him of not knowing sacrifice. “You don’t know true sacrifice. No one does.” He snarled, dropping his hold of Brutus’s harness as he paced around the room, desperate to get the visions of that night out of his head. “Either you want it or you don’t. Either you can live with the knowledge, or you can’t.” Alistair stopped pacing, shaking his head. “The people that come to me are desperate enough to make that call for themselves, deciding the exchange is worth it.” He sighed, shaking his head. “There’s no such thing as healing someone without sacrifice. The laws require that magic maintain an equilibrium. Nothing comes without a price. You either pay the price or you don’t.” He tilted his head to the side, waiting for an answer.

In asking her questions, Elora couldn’t help but notice she hit a major nerve within the man she was speaking with. While he had seemed very jovial and friendly up until this point, that demeanor completely changed as he showed her his burn scars. He had been using some type of glamor to conceal the scars before, but his eyes told her everything she needed to know. 

“I’m sorry…” she said quietly. The whole rant had really let her know that he was no stranger to sacrifice, he knew the pain of losing something very important. “I guess I assumed that you were born that way. I have a good talent at putting my foot in my mouth… a lot.”

She still contemplated her answer to the man. On the one hand, could she really knowingly cause harm to somebody else for her own personal gain? But on the other hand, the sacrifices the man speaks of can’t be chosen or taken lightly, since he clearly knew all too well what sacrifice means. His loss of sight started to make her nerve damage seem extremely minor in comparison. 

Without another word, she removed her mother’s ring from her finger and took the man’s hand to place the ring in his palm. 

“My mother’s. All I have left of her. I’m willing to pay the price. I’m willing to do what it takes. I think I’ve learned enough about you to where I can trust you now. I didn’t mean to bring up any…harsh memories for you.”

Alistair huffed indignantly, shaking his head at the girl. “Afraid not,” was all he said in response. “So it would see you do.” He noted. He took a moment to stand there and re-compose himself. He could still see Mikael in his mind, see the happy moments along with the last. It was the happiest memories that now hurt him the most, he found. 

He felt his hand touch the metal object placed within it. He closed his hand, feeling the material around until he was able to identify it as a ring. He hummed, then held it back out. “I’ll need a couple of days to prepare what’s needed.” He told her as he handed the ring back. “Hold onto it until then.” His voice was soft as if he didn’t want her to part with the ring. “Come in on Monday with your hair tied back. Melody will get you set up on training and food safety.” He spoke to her with a raise of his brow. “When you come in, I’ll see to it that your hand is fixed.” Alistair pulled on Brutus’s harness and instructed him to bring him to the door and pulled it open, ushering the woman out of the back room.

“I’ll see you Monday.” He said, then paused for a beat before adding, “Enjoy the tea.”

[anfie-in-the-box]

A dream that comes crashing down

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Notes

Oh my god it's here! I just finished the translation and it's finally here! I can't believe I did it! It took forever but it! Is! Here! Wahoo!

Also, it's mostly fluff, but with angst right underneath. Lots of manipulation, because it's Ragdollsverse! Be careful.

。。。

V.

The other village looks the same as the one Dream knows but more refined, perfect almost. Led by the determined crowd of the villagers, Dream doesn’t have the opportunity to look around; yet even in a hurry it's hard to miss how every house shines under the sun, all neat and clean; they look new, not at all inhabitable — how good are they taking care of the buildings?.. The path under Dream's feet is surprisingly smooth and clean as well, every single stone in its place; such a road is so nice to walk on that one would want to return just to feel it again. Dream looks at everything with his sockets wide open, drinking in the familiar yet completely different sight. At least he doesn't have to orient himself — the village is rather small, no way one would lose their way even if they try. Every street leads to either the central (and the only one) square or the nearby river. Or both, stretching in-between.

The lightest breeze brings an aroma so bright and rich it catches all of Dream's attention and fills his whole being. It smells savoury and sweet, fruity and herbal, and the others as well — every single one and all of them delicious. Perhaps Dream doesn’t have to eat, but he'd like to try whatever smells so nice.

Or at least breathe in deeply.

Again, and again, and again.

Dream has so many questions and impressions that if he had a moment to stop and process everything, he's feel dizzy for sure. Everything's so much, other humans and other monsters surround him, chatting excitedly, and other Nightmare walks so close their shoulders meet. In the corner of his eye Dream sees his ever-present smile, although he tries not to focus on it — it's rude to stare, and, well… He's not ready to look anyone here in the eye. He looks at the back of those who walk ahead, or at the neat houses, or at the smooth pathway under his feet; it's much easier. Dream promises himself he'll get used to it. Other Neil is right, he just needs time.

The houses give way just as suddenly as always; just now the crowd was leading Dream through the narrow street, and then there's a wide space with the fountain in the middle in front of them. Humans and monster alike loved to spend there hot days, and deep inside Dream also wanted to sit on the stone parapet, enjoying the coolness and rare sprinkles of water, if only for a minute. But the chance was never there — Dream was always busy helping the villagers whenever he visited. Then he just stopped leaving the Tree of Feelings and his brother; except for that one and only time when…

"What keeps you so deep in thought, my darling little brother?" other Nightmare's voice is fond but persistent, and Dream, losing his train of thought, focuses on that. Other Nightmare continues, "I don't like it when you frown. Whatever makes you sad, forget about it. Instead, look around and tell if our preparations for your arrival are to your taste.

Other humans and monsters are well-coordinated when they disperse, as if they are under command, so after merely a moment Dream finds himself with enough space around. There are voices and laughter everywhere, and the smell of pastries, sweets, and fruits fills the whole being of the little guardian, and finally he can look around for real. Other Nightmare is right, there's a lot to look at — Dream's never experienced anything like that before!

There are plenty of tables on the square, Dream thinks they're from every single house of the village. The nearest ones to Dream have tablecloth with lovely embroidery, and the others are barely different; on those tables there are numerous plates and jugs, filled to the brim — that's where the wonderful smell comes from! Dream stands on his tiptoes to see more and instantly notices how the roofs are decorated with long ribbons, flags, and ornaments in the form of apples — not only golden but black as well. It seems here in the other village not only his other brother is respected but his duty as well. Dream breathes out loudly in surprise when he realises that.

It's so, so awesome Dream can't help a wide smile. He turns to other Nightmare and says with delight, "Dearest other brother, everything's so amazing! I've never seen anything like it!" Realising it must me a surprise Brooke talked about, he leans forward, "But is it truly all for me?"

Other Nightmare doesn't hurry to answer, only tilts his head slightly, showing he's listening attentively… patiently.

And so Dream realises he really isn't done talking.

"It's so much work to arrange all that, after all. Maybe I should go help with the dishes or something?.." he finishes, awkwardly.

Other Nightmare shakes his head slightly, his wide smile ever-present, and gently touches Dream's shoulder, as if not wanting to let go.

Poor him, Dream thinks. Other brother must really want to take my hand, but he can't. Why are his fingers even like that?

Dream wouldn't ask this question though. Perhaps other Nightmare will tell his when he's ready. For now, he chuckles fondly, "No, my dear, your help isn't needed. Or, well, the best help from you is you resting and enjoying yourself — all of us tried so hard to make you comfortable! We don't want all of that to be for nothing, do we?

" Of course not!" Dream presses his hands to his chest, where his — he still can't believe it — his soul pulses. Not too long ago he didn't have anything like that, he existed differently, not influenced by time and laws that the other are under. But now evergy that's himself has a culmination, and it feels like it was always this way.

It's very strange. Not so much existing differently, more remembering and realising that it used to be the other way. Which is even more strange.

Perhaps Dream will get used to it as well.

But right now he'd better have fun and appreciate the hospitality of this other version of his home.

"Why don't you look around?" other Nightmare suggests. Dream shifts from one foot to another and presses the ragdoll to himself, something nobody's noticed yet. Maybe it's better this way.

"I don't know what to start with…"

"The decision is yours, but," other Nightmare responds amicably, calm and sure, "if I were you, I'd experience the familiar first and then proceed to the new. So many impressions and feelings…" he shakes his head. "We don't want you to be overwhelmed."

Dream nods uncertainly. Other Nightmare claps his hands once — his fingers do something uncomfortably strange to get out of the way. It's unsettling, but his other brother didn't choose to be like that. He'd be hurt if he knew about Dream's discomfort and would be right.

"You look worried," other Nightmare notices; of course he does. Dream awaits questioning, but what he gets is simple, "I won't tire you anymore, dear brother. Go see what drinks there are, find something for yourself, fresh juice or spring water are sure to help you freshen up. I'm certain there's a lot for you to talk about with other Neil, and other children will be happy to play with you, while other adults would be delighted to teach you how to dance."

Dream wants to ask something, but in that moment somebody yells energetically and then there're the sounds of music everywhere. Looking around, Dream finds the musicians on the rooftops of the nearest houses — some sit on the edge, some dance to their own music, and the melody is light and swift and vaguely familiar to Dream. The little guardian didn't hear a lot of music in his life; he only attended the celebrations to help and he's never been to an event this well-attended.

Dream easily gets to the tables with drinks and food. It's like the crowd gives him way without thinking, and although he doesn't look them in the eyes he sees their friendly smiles. Dream even manages to smile in return — fun's just that infectious.

"We are happy to meet you," other people say unobtrusively, so sincerely Dream's soul clenches, a wonderful new feeling that seems to never end in this lovely place.

"We are grateful to have you," the others say, their voices painfully familiar, something Dream never expected to hear again. Especially so soon, so simply.

And they indeed have been waiting for him. "All this time" — what does it mean? Could it be he was needed and loved all his short life, without knowing it?

Here, it's so easy to feel wanted. Bright smiles and light, reverent touches leave no doubt.

Then Dream grabs the first thing he can reach — a glass of juice and a small cupcake without elaborate frosting, exactly what he needs to start.some dishes, Dream notices, are beautifully decorated — skillfully and not at all excessively, so it's not a pity to eat them. On the contrary, it's a pity not to eat them, strange to leave them to spoil. In Dream's village not even Ivory could do that; she was a master but used to go overboard, at least from Dream's point of view. The villagers liked her food, though.

The sockets open wide. Dream's barely able to compare, he's never tried what his villagers made, but if this is from other Ivory, her talent's just undeniable. Dream's never tried anything better in his life! Not that the guardian of positivity has had a lot of experience but… It doesn't stop him from biting off more and then getting another one of those cupcakes.

"Dream!" he instantly turns to the familiar voice. It's Wynne, rabbit-monster working as a seamstress for Ramona. Dream's helped her and Glenn move the fabrics a lot of times. Now he's looking at other Wynne, only not in her eyes. The same green dress, the same creamy fur (not covered in bright red, oh no, he can't think about it, Dream's on a celebration and it's a celebration for himself, he just can't ruin it all), as if nothing ever happened. And nothing did, gere. Everything is alright. Dream is alright.

He forces a smile, "Other Wynne, right?"

"That's me!" Dream sees her smile in return. "Want to dance with us? Everyone is going to be delighted to have you!"

Dream's smile gets a bit more genuine, although still awkward.

"I can't dance," he admits, shifting from one foot to another.

Other Wynne laughs, and the sound makes Dream warm all over.

"Not everyone dancing can actually dance! It's just for fun! But if you want to, I can ask other Glenn to teach you. Everything and anything, for you."

Anything and everything, for him. So easy and natural, like that's how it's supposed to be. Dream can't help reminiscing how he used to feel about the villagers. Here, they seem to reciprocate.

It feels amazing.

" Then it's an honor to be taught by other Glenn. I'm not as agile but…"

Other Wynne laughs again, "Don't worry about it! As I said, it's all for fun! I'm sure other Glenn will agree."

In that case Dream simply can't refuse. Would be silly. And other adults look like they're having great fun, and besides, a dancing lesson would be a good distraction from unwanted thoughts. Dream's happy to focus on something else.

Other Wynne holds his hand and pulls him to the dancing crowd.

"Other Glenn! Everyone!" she yells gaily. "Look who decided to join us! Other honorary guest!"

If only Dream could blush, he'd shine like a LED garland.

Dream doesn’t know how much time he spends dancing — just that he's having a great time. Moving to the music, getting into a rhythm — it's simply amazing!

He's not tired at all when the other children call for him to join them. Dream responds easily, and together they move to the edge of the square and play.

It's fun, resonating inside with fuzzy happiness that makes you smile. Dream's never played with children from his village, only observed during breaks between helping the adults, so the new experience makes him dizzy.

Abruptly, everything stops. Dream turns around and sees other Nightmare with his ever-present smile, right now vaguely fond.

"Are you having fun?"

Nobody answers, and although the other children don't have eyes, it seems they're all staring at Dream, so the little guardian of positivity responds himself, "Very much!" His voice sparkles with delight. Other Nightmare carefully pets his shoulder with barely tips of his sharp fingers, never tearing the fabric of Dream's clothes. Other Nightmare's so caring, so thoughtful…

"It's such a pleasure to watch you play," he nods a bit indulgently. "It's my main happiness to see my dear brother so happy."

Dream can't help smiling. The other brother's words make him warm all over. It's been a while since Dream's heard anything like that. It hurts to think about it, so Dream doesn’t. He holds other Shane's hands — she's a human girl around the age of ten — and suggests, "A race around the square?"

The other children all nod agreeably, obviously satisfied with his idea. Dream expects more uproar, but something tells him they're so timid in front of other Nightmare. He seems well-respected here indeed.

"I'll leave you to it," he tilts his head, reminding, "Don't forget to go see other Neil when you're tired. He's been waiting more than anybody, but do not fret, he'll wait a bit more. No rush; here you can do whatever you wish."

And isn't that new? The first years of his life Dream could indeed do what he wanted, but ever since the village nearby was established, he just tried to help the villagers and support his brother.

An opportunity to relax after everything…

Don't. Do not think about it. Just run ahead, enjoy the wind in the face, the smell of pastries and fruits, the cheerful buzz of the singing and dancing crowd… the absence of any emotions around… But that must be nothing. They're from the other world, so of course they have other emotions, ones Dream cannot feel. But how peculiar, like there's only emptiness all around.

What emptiness when there are pats on the back and hugs from every direction? When there are conversations and singing everywhere? Dream just has to stop paying attention, then he will get used to it.

When he's out of breath, the other children easily let him go. Dream asks the nearest person — it's other Eloise — where other Neil is, and she directs him to the place they used to meet with his Neil; does other Neil also live outside of the other village?..

Only Dream doesn’t have to leave the village after all. He finds other Neil a few streets away from the square, and the cat monster is sitting on the doorstep of a small house that Dream doesn’t recognise; as far as he remembers, his village had someone's garden in its place. Maybe a few.

Other Neil gives him the warmest smile, "Dream." The little guardian of positivity automatically looks him in the eyes and instently looks away, meeting with two black abysses, and then the other one where other Neil's soul should be.

Other Neil continues, tenderly, "I'm happy to finally meet you. To finally be there for you."

Dream is a bit lost in the warmth of the familiar voice.

"Say something else, something good," he asks, lowering his hands clenched in fists.

Whatever happened to his Neil?.. He wasn't among the villagers whom Nightmare… Nightmare…

No. No. No. No.

He's distracted by other Neil's voice, "Now that you're here, everything is okay. We'll take care of you. Rest. Recover. Come on, breathe in and breathe out."

Dream does just that, and suddenly, he's much calmer. Apusing awkwardly, he asks, "Um, other Neil… Can I ask you a question?.."

Other Neil shrugs, "Sure, kid. What is it?"

"Do you... um... Do you have a family? Or, well, did you? Like my Neil?"

Other Neil smiles lightly, "No, Dream, I've never had a family. Why would I? For me, there's nothing to regret, nobody to miss. Only you."

Dream really doesn't know how to respond to that.

Other Neil switches the topic, "How's the celebration? Do you like it?"

Dream nods readily and breathes out, "It's amazing! I've never had a celebration of my own… I just helped to prepare them and clean up. It turns out the celebrations are so fun! Everyone's found a couple of sweet words for me, everyone keeps telling how happy they are to see me…" He concludes," I feel wanted. "

Other Neil gugs him lightly with his only good hand. In return, Dream hugs him with both his and squeezes.

"I'm happy to hear it," other Neil says, quietly.

For a while, they just sit in companionable silence. It's still easy to hear the music and the singing, so there's also that to enjoy.

"I missed you," Dream whispers.

"I've never met you, but other Nightmare told us a lot about you, so it feels like we know you nonetheless. So I missed you too."

"Is that your house?" Dream asks quietly. He doesn't want to ruin the moment.

Other Neil nods, and his fur tickles back of Dream's head.

"My Neil didn't have a home," Dream shares, unexpectedly even for himself. There's longing in his voice. "His house burned down, and that's how Neil lost his arm. How did you lose yours?" He realises suddenly how personal it is. "It's alright if you don't want to tell me! Sorry. That was noisy of me."

Other Neil pats his shoulder and assures, "It's okay. Ask away, I'm always ready to answer. As for my hand, I was created this way; we're all reflections of those you used to know, so…"

Dream sighs, reassured, "I'm glad you didn't have to live through such a tragedy… But I'm sorry you don't have a hand."

Other Neil shrugs, "It's nothing. The other villagers help."

"Are you well here?"

"As well as everyone. We work together and rest together, we overcome obstacles together. We've been waiting for you together." Other Neil stops talking. Dream squeezes him a bit tighter, not too much, just perfectly.

"Do you want to go back?" Other Neil asks after a few minutes of companionable silence.

Dream thinks about it.

"No," he answers, finally. "Let's just sit here?.."

"Of course," other Neil responds. "Whatever you want."

They sit like that, hugging each other, listening to the music and the sounds of bells on other Neil's door.

Dream doesn’t know how much time passes before other Nightmare finds them.

"I knew I'd find you here," he says calmly.

Other Neil stops hugging Dream and stands up awkwardly, bowing lightly. He whispers to Dream, "Everything I have, I have thanks to other Nightmare. As well as everyone else here."

Dream, feeling other Nightmare's gaze on himself, stands up as well and smiles, "I'm a little tired of the hustle, so…"

"Then you're ready for the last surprise," other Nightmare says, satisfied, and reaches out his hand, even though Dream can't hold it. "Let us go."

Dream holds his other brother's sleeve and, excited, asks to go ahead. After a few steps he remembers himself, quickly turns around and waves his hand at other Neil. He waves in return with his only good hand and smiles widely.

Dream sees the surprise well before they reach the Tree of Feelings. Right around it there is a small house with flat roof that lets the crown of the tree out. It's breath-taking.

"Is it for us?" he asks in utter disbelief.

"Well, of course," other Nightmare nods. "We can't possibly live outside, and here, with me, you don't have to be afraid of the thunderstorms anymore."

Dream is once again warm all over, and he can't stop smiling. They come closer to the house, and other Nightmare takes the key from his neck and opens a small wooden door with painstaking embroidery. They come in, and Dream looks around excitedly. There's a rack and a cross-stitched carpet in the entrance hall, there's a secure roof over their heads, and then there's a small kitchen and two bedrooms with simple beds, bedside tables, round tables, and neat little chairs.

Dream's eyes shine before his very own place to live.

"And all of it is for us?" he asks again.

"Of course," other Nightmare responds. "Better choose the room and make yourself comfortable than doubt."

There's a wide smile on his face and his fingers keep moving unnaturally. Dream tries to look at his other brother without any discomfort, look at his hands, at his sockets without eye-lights, but…

Dream walks away to see the rooms, grateful for the distraction.

"Uh... Other brother?.. Is that what I should call you?"

"You can call me whatever you'd like, dear Dream. Although, that's not what you wanted to ask, is it?"

"Yes... You're right. I just noticed... Everyone seems to respect you." He doesn't use the word obey, for it would have sounded almost ominous. "Are you the one in charge here?"

"Well, of course I am! They are nothing more than some meat and magic, and we are the guardians of the Tree that defines them, lets them exist as they are."

Dream's sockets open wide.

"But I've always thought if we help the Tree and the Tree helps humans and monsters, we must help humans and monsters as well…" Then he realises something. "Wait, why are you talking about them like this?"

Other Nightmare doesn't hesitate for a second, "Am I wrong? Am I telling lies?"

Dream feels puzzled.

"Well, no, but…"

"No need for buts! They come and go, while we stay. We are here to serve the Tree, and they are here to live their little lives. Nothing ever was in order back where you lived before, and that's what made you so unhappy—" Dream tries to interrupt, but other Nightmare doesn't let him, keeps pressing, "don't tell me otherwise, I know you were. I'm your big brother after all. What a relief that you are finally here, where everything is in order indeed, all thanks to me! Here you will always be happy, I know you will."

Dream tries to guess, chuckling weakly. "After all, you're my big brother?"

Absolutely right!" Delighted, other Nightmare claps a few times, his long sharp fingers never tangling up by some miracle. "You do get it now, don't you?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure... I've never thought about it this way, and everyone has told me completely different things…"

"Oh, my dear little brother, I'm sure you'll see they were wrong and I am right in no time. No need to hurry though, I understand if you need some time to mull over the idea. Besides, today might have been a little overwhelming, perhaps right now turning in for the night would be the best. What do you think?"

" Sounds good, yeah," Dream agrees carefully.

"For entities such as yourself there's no need to sleep, but it doesn't mean it won't help," other Nightmare steps closer and suddenly hugs Dream's shoulders, so gently, so carefully, as if Dream's the most precious thing he has. Doesn't touch Dream's back, keeping him safe from his own sharp fingers. The embrace doesn't last long, but it's enough for Dream's soul to feel warmer. To the point of tears in the corners of his sockets.

But in the end other Nightmare lets him go and steps away.

"Rest, dear little brother."

Peaceful and pleasantly tired, Dream merely nods in response. He goes to his very own room, lays down in a comfortable bed, lays his head on a soft pillow and covers himself with a fluffy blanket. Feels in the darkness for the ragdoll of himself and, hugging it, closes his sockets. He still hears music from the distance, but it's different, not happy and energetic anymore but calm and soothing.

Clear night ends for Dream when he falls asleep and doesn't dream about a single thing.

。。。

Credits

Undertale © Toby Fox

Coraline © Neil Gaiman

Original Dreamtale © jokublog

Ragdollsverse © me (anfie / anfie-in-the-box)

Read it on ao3

Read Russian version on ficbook or fanficus

。。。

Notes

There's fan-art by wonderful @zu-is-here!

No references in this chapter!

Neil is canon Dreamtale character so he belongs to joku, but other than that, Dreamtale and other Dreamtale are my versions of it with my versions of the villagers and the other villagers.

Thanks for reading, and take care 🌻

。。。

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[the-travelling-witch]

*pops out of scara's hoodie*

peach juice, peach tea, milk, chocolate milk, hot chocolate, carrot-lemon-orange juice aaaaaaaand idk usually i only drink sweet stuff c:

also sorry for disappearing, real life is as disappointing as it is demanding and idk if i should give you my reply to something else so for now i'll just leave this for your coffee addiction~

— ❄️

ohhh i’m the opposite, i don’t like if it’s too sweet jsjsh so i don’t drink a lot of hot chocolate (what’s worse caffeine or sugar?) but i do enjoy it when i do; i’m normally a herbal/green/black tea girlie and a lot of fruity or floral teas have been too sweet for me in the past but i do like peaches so maybe i’ll give it a try!!

don’t worry, you also have nothing to answer bc i haven’t some of your other asks yet (i’m building another modern au backlog now that i just fixed the last one ㅠㅠ); i’ve not had the time and emotional calm to answer asks that require any sort of writing (modern au and om! ocs), so they’re fermenting in my inbox rn (i haven’t forgotten about them though)

help me solve my caffeine problem

[lgcjinyoung]

「     personal youtube channel  ⇛  taste testing detox teas   」    

once again his viewers find themselves in the kim brothers' kitchen. with jinyoung bustling about. he's made it a habit of including a blooper in the beginning just to give his viewers something to laugh at. so when she tries to neatly put his samples into place and one of them tumbles over in a way that has him solely hold the empty cup it used to be in, he snorts out a laugh before the scene cuts and the actual video begins.

"welcome back gym rats! today we're going to sample some detox teas! I did some research lately on teas and herbal teas especially for all sorts of purposes and I stumbled over this one section that had me quite curious so uhm... yeah!" he doesn't go into detail while he originally began researching teas just for the off-chance sanghyun would ever come to watch his videos. while he considers that quite impossible, he didn't want to take his chances.

"disclaimer here that I won't be testing if they actually promise what they claim but more so just if their flavor is something i would personally recommend to you guys," he clarifies before any misunderstanding can occur while making a mental note to also mention it in the description of the video.

"as you all know I'm a bit of a sweet tooth and very picky with what kind of teas I drink. I especially like fruity teas with citrus flavours- so i mainly took to those made up from berries, lemon and orange- there's lots of different versions out there with more herbal notes containing different mints as well."

he proceeds to sample each of the teas, explaining where he found it and about how pricey it was. giving honest reactions and explaining the flavour to the best of his ability.

"all in all... i feel like... the second one will be one i'll actually try drinking on a daily basis to see if it truly is a detox tea as well and not just... pleasantly sweet on the tongue. all things considered though... none of them was as sweet as I hoped but also not as bitter as I expected... I feel like especially cold this could be a refreshing drink on the go during summer," he concludes, smile on his lips.

"that's all from me for today though. please leave some comments if you tried any of them or if you got any experiences with them. i'd love to read your thoughts! see you in the next one, good bye!"

[coochie-sniffer3000]

you are all DELUDED 😭😭 im going thru all of these with my opinions bc im RIGHT /j

meta knight at 400% prefers tea over coffee. hes a complete tea connoisseur, knows everything about tea remedies, can make the perfect blend out of anything. he has a cupboard dedicated to fancy tea-making contraptions and all the little tools that solves problems in tea brewing you didn’t even know existed. like, forty different tea sets and even more standalone glasses and teapots. he gets offended when you offer to make him a cup and return with a little mug of hot water and a trader joes green tea bag. and when hes on missions, he’ll horf down lizard jerky and mend his wounds with plants, but he’d NEVER drink a mediocre cup of herbal tea.

king dedede is a hard call.. i think he’d say it depends on the meal its served with. a coffee alone never hurt anyone, but he’d say without a pump of caramel and creamer and a few scones, it wouldn’t deserve an argument. then, for tea, you need some kind of dessert like a slice of cake or pie, or a nice pavlova. then the aesthetic portion (hmo hes a king he would worry abt this..) where tea you’d have on a sunny day behind a lacey tablecloth, and a coffee you’d have on a cold day (rain, probably) when you’re cooped or on the go. i guess it just depends on where he is or what he’s doing.

magolor daroach and susie i think are all same story, all of them doing similar things for different reasons. daroach is always on the go, hopping from place to place, so a coffee is what he’d grab and down just because its more available. magolor is always stuck manning magoland or even cooped up in the lor for work, so caffeine is good for the energy. for the both of them i think theyd prefer tea, for the leisure associations they have with it, but their tastes are extremely different. then finally, susie will take both as long as they’re way oversweetened; she brings coffee (a frappe) into the office more often because its more business chic but will treat herself to some kind of iced fruity tea or something with boba pearls every so often. still favors coffee though, probably—i think she’d see them the same way, but like the caffeine more.

my vote goes to dark meta knight, pre warning to how painfully obvious i make this. i think he’d prefer coffee to tea, not because he likes coffee all that much but because he just LOATHES tea. unafraid to call it grass water, often does! thinks its the ultimate sissy drink, with its dainty preparation and cutesy herbal flavors. in all honesty, hes just looking for things to bash to feed into his ego, so he ends up having a lot of these unusual, higher than life opinions. in turn, he becomes a coffee superfan in defense of just how unusually deep his hate for tea runs for literally no reason. says he also likes the caffeine. can’t list any other reasons.

shadow kirby… i don’t really know why hes listed here, too young to acquire tastes for either, but definitely has a little bitch in their ear (dmk) telling them that tea is the grossest. get on git, little boy, scurry home

the 0.5 votes for taranza is well placed, but for galacta knight, i think it deserves a word or two. he existed in a time before coffee did, so theyve never had any. theyve since forgotten the taste of tea. you cant apply much of anything to poor galacta knight. sad, but true.

escargoon… im drawing a blank. i’ve been writing for WAY too long so now im brain tired. on days like these, i empathize with him. but if i were to at least TRY, though, i think he’d prefer tea. something he grew up seeing mom drink, so he became just the same way. a hot cup of tea makes him think of home on sunny days, when mom would buy a glass of pre-made sweet tea for herself, later learning its better to just buy two so he can have one himself rather than ask for sips as often as he dared. he thinks of her rickety car and the bumpy road home. he thinks of sitting in the open back with tied up furniture, mom yelling at him every once in a while to watch his feet. 

as a bonus, and in addition to escargoon, i wrote a little something for anime meta knight. i feel hes pretty different from his game counterpart (that’s y im writing for him at all lol) especially with their super different circumstances. his tea cabinet would be much more humble. hand-me-down china and old tools. souvenir nick nacks he still remembers how to use. LOTS of foreign flavors from different planets, well preserved by yours truly. all of his supplies are stocked away in the kings grody castle, in one of his identical kitchen cabinets, but he makes a grand spanking cup of tea anyway. holds the same passion for tea as his game twin, but years of humble living whittled away at it pretty noticeably. 

thank u for reading so so so much btw i had a lot of fun writing and im happy u care :)!!! i’ve been writing for about 2 days now (a lot longer than i thought allat would take) but there is something else i’d like to say, just 1 last thing. im a little annoyed with how easily meta knight tends to sweep in every poll i come across. no, meta knight wouldn’t excel in baking, it doesn’t suit him at all. i thought we agreed he was banned from the kitchen. you don’t have to go on a speil like i did to express that, but if you’re reading this, could you put a little more thought into the characters who aren’t really fan faves? be the change you want to see in the world! even if that’s for kirby fandom lmaoo

Bonus Poll! :D

One of mod's friends came up with this topic! It was super fun to think about, so it's becoming a poll now ^-^

All options are based on what mod's friends responded with! :3

*It doesn't have to be plain coffee! They can add sugar and creamer if that affects your choice :3

[blujaydoodles]

So, recently I thought it’d be fun to do some art for a ko-fi button on my blog-- admittedly, mostly just as an excuse to make a widget and draw a bunch of my characters drinking coffee or tea :D

[dirt-goth]

ooh ok so gin cocktail suggestions? i expanded from super briny martinis to what the back of the mint-blueberry-lemonade mixer bottle said (2 oz blueberry syrup, 1.5 oz gin, 2 oz tonic water and ice) i really like ‘savory’ drinks tho

Okay so I love this and will help the best I can but tbh I tend to prefer fruity cocktails myself but!!

When it comes to gin I'm very biased to london dry style (and specifically Tanqueray) which definitely makes a difference.

A lot of the gin drinks I enjoy are jist variations of the classic gin and tonic. Lately my favorite "twist" has been a little muddled rasberry in the bottom of my glass and some extra lime<3 I also love just some gin and creme de violette over ice and a decent gin fizz.

As far as more savory options a coupleI generally enjoy are Classic Negronis (Gin, campari, SWEET vermouth) and French 75s (gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, champagne)

Depending on the gin YOU like and the botanicals in it you have a lot of options but honestly gin + tonic/soda + citrus + herbs/fruit and you have a great cocktail. I've been playing around with some options but rosemary, basil, mint, and lavender have been some herbal elements I've had really good luck with💖💖💖