#i know mushrooms aren't plants but it's close enough

[plant-dad-sulu]

in a new annual tradition i am once again sick and cannot travel for new years so to pass the time at home i've started up my mini mushroom farm that i got for christmas. Stay tuned for upcoming mushroom updates

[mochinomnoms]

How would ptm jade react if Yuu told him about marine mushrooms?

I only know what wikipedia knows about marine mushrooms...unfortunately for yuu mind reading doesn't give them sudden infinite knowledge!

“You know, with as much as you...like mushrooms and stuff, I'm surprised you haven't mentioned anything about marine fungi.”

You felt a chill run down your spine and Jade's bi-colored eyes on you.

“Pardon?” Does my darling also love fungi? How could I have not known this?

You shifted in your seat, staring down at your notebook as you doodles between the margins. A small button mushroom that you'd absentmindedly drawn minded you of Jade.

And you just happened to be doing research with him for your group project in the library this day.

“Sorry, I just was thinking about it, and it's just surprising to me that you never had, like an aquarium type terrarium or something with them.”

You let out a nervous laugh, after all, it was just you two by yourselves. Riddle and Yev were busy with their dorms due to the Spelldrive Tournament, and your dorm still didn't technically qualify, since all your freshmen were officially in other dorms.

Such a wonderful laugh, I'd like to hear it more...

“Well, to my knowledge, they don't exist.” Jade leaned in, his eyes wide and full of excitement. “By chance, do such mushrooms exist in your world?”

Please tell me more! Tell me lies for all I care, so I may hear your voice...though you wouldn't lie about such things, would you?

You perked up. It was rare that you knew something Jade, or anyone at NRC, had no clue about. It probably wasn't intentional, but the way people would look at you when you had no clue about something make you feel dumb, even though you logically had no way of knowing even the most basic things of this world.

It was kinda nice to be the one to share knowledge with another person.

“Well, I don't know a lot, but they mostly exist in marine environments. I think a few hundred?” You leaned in closer, moving your notebook towards Jade as you started drawing again.

“I can't remember their names very well, but I've always been a more visual person anyways.” You drew a piece of driftwood, a snail, and a rock covered in lichen.

“This one grows in mangroves, usually on the places. But this one grows around the shell of a snail, who eats it. And sometimes lichen will grow with fungi, but I don't know a whole lot about them.”

You paused, pursing your lips in disappointment.

“Sorry, I don't know enough to tell you about them, I know how much you...”

Your words trailed off as you looked back up at Jade, who was resting his check against his palm. He was staring at you with faint smile, and soft, half lidded eyes and pink cheeks.

So beautiful...

Cheeks and chest going hot, you stared back, opening and closing your mouth as you tried to figure out how to respond.

“Uh, Jade, you're, uh, staring...”

Jade stiffened, straightening up and covering his mouth in embarrassment.

“My apologies. I was just....enraptured by your descriptions.” And you. “I don't mind that you aren't familiar, but I would like to heard more from you about marine fungi. Perhaps you can tell me all about your world's plant life? It never occurred to me that your world would evolve differently, but saying that now, it seems obvious.”

He smiled at you again, his teeth showing a bit more as he excitedly leaned in.

“You struggle in musicology, yes? Perhaps in exchange for your knowledge, I can help you with practice?”

Please say yes!

You paused. Various suggestive scenarios that seem more apt for a risqué site or story flashed through Jade's mind in giddy anticipation.

You know better. You know what Jade's hoping for. You shouldn't string him along, you're going to get embarrassed. You're going to get uncomfortable, you're...

Another daydream, one of you two curled over a book, as you leaned into Jade's side while his arm pulled you closer, invaded your mind like a parasite in your brain. He had a tender smile as you laughed at something he said, your free hand reached up to cradle his cheek.

Maybe parasite is a harsh word. When the thoughts Jade had were so sweet and soft, it almost made you want to give in.

Almost.

“It's okay, I'm just a choir member, so there's not much for me to improve on.” You could hear your more logical voice sigh in the back of your mind. “But I'm happy to share...if you help me figure out if the mushrooms growing behind Ramshackle are edible.”

I'm weak…

Jade blinked, processing what you said.

Really? “Really?” Even Jade seemed like he was anticipating your rejection.

“Yeah, why not.” You shrugged, Jade's internal excitement flooding into your subconscious and influencing your own emotions. “Means less money to spend on food, and I'm sure you know plenty of yummy recipes we can use if they do end up good!”

Jade rarely smiled, at least not genuine, bare-teethed smiles. Despite the sharpness of them, you weren't put off by them, or him, at all.

“I would be honored.”

[sauriansolutions]

Here's a little snippet thing to get myself started at having a blog with, like, content.

I was inspired by the absolute silliness that is the class of TWST item called "Secret Snacks." I just adore the concept that you can boost your friendship with game characters by, apparently, stealthily feeding them illegal snacks during class?

All my (excessive number of) Jade cards have full vignettes *cries* but I just want to keep feeding him forever... help...

"Secret Snacks"

You are sitting next to J.ade in class before lunch. You can hear his stomach growling and whining every few minutes. 

You occasionally catch him frowning down at himself after a particularly egregious rumble, like he's trying to scold his belly into silence. You can't help but let out a quiet giggle at his stern expression, and Jade, realizing he's been perceived, shoots you a sheepish grin.

"So sorry," he mouths, sotto voce.

You reassure him that it's alright. 

Towards the end of class, you notice Jade reaching down to fold one arm around his middle. His stomach's complaints have gotten quieter, but they've also become more frequent, to the point that the gurgles have become a near-constant background noise. 

As you watch, Jade looks up to check the clock for the umpteenth time, then sighs quietly and slumps forward a bit in his chair, lips pressed tightly together in a disappointed pout. You look up, too, and note that here's still about fifteen minutes before lunchtime.

Poor Jade. Since agreeing to switch seats with Leona (who wanted a spot behind the tall student so the professor couldn't see him as well), you've noticed that Jade gets distractingly hungry like this every day, around the same time. 

Jade is usually perfectly attentive and studious during class. But you've heard he also has, what he terms, "poor fuel efficiency. So, you guess that this is around the time his energy reserves from breakfast are nearly depleted. 

His empty, grumbling stomach clearly makes the mer student unhappy and fidgety, shifting in his seat, shuffling papers aimlessly, or doodling in the margins of his notebook. 

You've seen Jade's actual sketchbook, so you know the eel is quite artistically talented. But, humorously enough, as lunchtime draws near, Jade's sketches seem to inevitably devolve from nearly-photorealistic drawings of mushrooms, trees, and plants, to simplistic and almost cartoony renderings of his favorite foods. 

Octopus dishes, you couldn't help but notice, feature prominently. 

You've even caught Jade gnawing on the decorative filigree around the edges of his magestone pen, once or twice. Thankfully, the pens are apparently spelled to be highly durable and shatter-proof. Still, the grinding sound of Jade's razorblade teeth on stone or metal makes you wince every time you hear it. 

Jade, now nearly drooling, is putting the finishing touches on a drawing of what appears to be a steaming plate of grilled octopus. 

... Not for the first time, you find yourself wishing you had something to feed Jade. 

Students technically aren't allowed to bring food into the classroom, but you've seen your fellow classmates covertly munching on candies, meal bars, and the like enough times during class, that you feel like sneaking in a snack or two couldn't be *that* big of a deal. 

Maybe tomorrow, you think, you'll slip Jade one of those packets of barbecue-flavored dried squid that are on sale right now at the Mystery Shop. 

Smiling, you jot down a quick reminder to yourself in your planner. Next to it, you draw a little cartoon eel. You give it a big, toothy smile, and add lots of cute little sparkles in its eyes. 

Satisfied with your work, you close your planner and wait for the bell to ring. 

Classes have been getting increasingly more difficult, as midterms are approaching. 

But now, you think, you have at least one reason to look forward to tomorrow's lesson.

[namedafterflowerstournament]

Welcome to the next part of this tournament : the Honorary Mentions ! You can see underneath the match ups for Round 1.

Which characters are part of the "honorary mentions" ?

Short answer : Unvalidated submissions from the original spreadsheet that didn't made the cut for any of the brackets for diverse reasons, including joke submissions

Long answer :

Unvalidated submissions because :

- the relationship between the name of the characters and the name of a plant was a bit of a stretch (wrong kanji, unlikely relationship etc.)

- I allowed mushrooms at one point as honorary plants (mushrooms, indeed, aren't plants) before the bracket became enormous and I decided to exclude them. This is why there are a lot of shroom related submissions

- there might be here and there characters that should have been in the main bracket but that I've forgotten to add

- there probably are other reasons and I'll add possible explanations when the submitters left none

You don't have to vote for "the most valid" submission, except if you want to. You can also vote for the one you like best, the one with the most absurd propaganda, the one against the one you hate or whatever. Enjoy yourself

No antipropaganda, please

However, you can go wild with your propaganda (but if you sound serious while you're spreading untrue propaganda, please use the unreality tag). Of course the initials C.R. (fake example) stands for Chlorophyllia Renonculus

[worldismyne]

When we were working on the print of the book, I wanted to include some first person fairy diaries of Bella explaining the fae lore from her POV. But that would end up being too expensive. If we ever get enough issues for an omnibus, I might put it back in. For now here's what I had.

Fairy Circle

Fairy circles are used to mark their territory; mushrooms are carefully planted to show all creatures where 'inside' and 'outside' are. Anything inside the circle belongs to them, including living things. Humans already know this, so don't worry if they wander outside the circle. They know how to find their way back home again :3 Really powerful fae could make circles as wide as whole towns back in the day! It's easier to maintain spells inside your circles too! But never, ever enter or hunt in someone else's circle, it's very rude! I think humans like to project their own fears about plopping their homes wherever onto us. If I took down someone's fences out of their yard, they wouldn't magically be homeless. I don't see why they think it would work on us.

Iron

Humans can make some pretty vile things and this is one of them! It's scratchy, it burns when you touch it and it's everywhere! I can't even eat anything that was cooked with an iron skillet, it hurts so much. Aunt Senna uses iron doorhandles on rooms she wants me to stay out of, but I have my ways ;)

Running Water

This one's really scary. When I was little, I fell in the creak and my body siezed up, I couldn't walk or move and my wings were all floppy and bloated. Even if I get too close, the noise, cold and the water in the air makes it hard to move or breathe.

Hunting

Fae need to feed on emotions to survive and humans provide a wide array of them. It's best to cultivate the emotions you favor before feeding, that way you don't empty out your host. Kinda like how you wouldn't chop down the tree to get to the apples. You'd run out! Cultivating positive emotions is very difficult to do if you're not the best and masquerading as a human. I personally prefer hearty emotions with passion as their main flavor profile, like resentment or pride. They're so much more nurishing than fear and less fleating too! A good passive way to nurish yourself are gifts. Things humans made and hold onto have risidule emotions baked into them! The less people involved making it, the more emotion it has in it. It's a shame humans have started favoring expensive rock things; the only emotions I can pick up on them are fear and bordem.

Oh except for family heirlooms! Items humans guard and pass down lovingly from generation to generation are goldmines. We used to have a bunch, like the princess's harp. Everytime you walked into the room, it was like you could taste every song ever played on it. ...it's gone now.

Gifts/Blessings/Curses

Humans like to use these phrases innerchangably, but they mean very different things! Gift giving is a way to bond with humans on their level. You give them something and they give you something back. It's a good way to start a healthy trusting relationship. And a good way to force greedy humans to be honest about themselves.

Blessings are made from the fae's own magic. It's a way of sharing your power with another person. Humans aren't the greatest at magic, so a blessing is best used on enhancing a trait they'll want to use. (Wisdom, Beauty, Fertility, etc.) It's immidiate acting.

Curses are spells with a delayed reaction. Anyone can do them, it's nothing that special. It's just, to get fairy magic to do it, very specific conditions have to be met for the curse to take place. The more specific the catalyst, the more powerful the spell. Ex. Aunt Leenan left behind a curse in the house that said the first man to propose at the house to anyone but her would get turned into an animal! It had to be at least 20 years old.

Blossoms

Have you ever wondered how humans decided what flowers mean? It's from watching fairies! People found that fairies who preferred certain emotions (like joy) would have blossoms that mirrored flowers they saw (like a daisy). If your tastes change, your blossoms and wings change too. I had always hoped I'd grow up to be some kind of rose, they're so pretty. Rose says I look like a Foxglove, but they can mean good and bad things, so I don't know what that means. Though I do prefer feeding off humans with strong ambitions >_>

Cousin Finn smells like a lavender, so I guess he prefers devotion? Sounds like it's scarce where he's from, no wonder he's too weak to hold a sword.

Talking to Humans (WIP)

Humans are obsessed with "meaning". If you're not blunt and direct; they will come to wild conclusions about what you "really mean". Even direct facts can get confused for insults if said "the wrong way". I find over explaining as directly as possible helps combat this.

There's a human saying that says "the eyes are the window to the soul" which is their way of saying they really pay attention to the eyes of the person they're talking to. Looking up or away is considered rude. Staring in one place is "off putting". So it's best to go back and forth between looking at their left and right eye.

Don't forget to blink!

Human's also do this thing called mirroring; where they copy the body movements and voice of the person their talking to. Being able to do this as soon as possible shows you like them and want to keep talking to them.

Humans strongly value how "unique" they are. They will try to express this through their apperance and hobbies; complimenting these things helps remind them that stuff they do for the sake of their emotional wellbeing has value too. Sometimes you even get free stuff! Do not bring up knowing other people who dress/do the things they do. Even to give them stuff. Aunt Senna calls it a "conversation killer", makes them clam up and stop talking :(

[positivelybeastly]

❛ maybe there's a universe out there where we're friends. ❜ [Sarcastic Woolf for Bespoke Beast. AHAHAH... *sobs*]

"Does that thought give you comfort, or does it horrify you?"

It's a remarkably convivial tone that the Beast has adopted, and why shouldn't he have? It's a jolly occasion - he has a return visitor, even if she has been rude enough to turn up in the middle of an experiment.

Oh well. If it's another lesson, another truth, that she wishes to learn, then he'll teach it.

They sit at opposite ends of a long glass table, the pane fractured like a spider's web from six separate points, each and every one crackled impact from where another pile of Beastflesh's head had gone THUNK onto the surface. From white, grey, blue, red furred necks sprout flowers and mushrooms, a bouquet of viscera and vegetation that forms the most ghoulish garden of heads one could fathom.

The Beast that's still alive, the one that can still talk, is the one she's talked to - before. She knows him intimately. It's not quite the schoolyard trope of sneaky cigarettes behind the bike shed, of course, but they have shared a puff or two, haven't they? His smile is carnivorous as he pops open the lid of a snuff box.

"In another world, another time, another place, we might've been friends. A time honoured classic. 'We're not so different, you and I.' 'There's still good in you, I know it.' 'You weren't always like this.' They tickle me, Woolf."

The bouquet nearest her twitches. The motor impulses are still firing. The smell in the air is oddly sweet, each and every Beast scented differently. Each and every one of them clutching a snuffbox in their fingers, until the spasms reach the gnarled, clawed hands and they drop with a clatter.

Unsuccessful strains, but what is science but trial and error?

"Say I wasn't always like this. The fact that I am, in fact, now like this, speaks volumes, does it not? What does that say about how things have transpired? Nothing pleasant, surely?"

The snuff he pulls from the box pulsates. There's, of course, the requisite ground tobacco leaves - a Krakoan species, of course - but something . . . else, that the Beast has added. For kick. A biological incubator, a growth accelerant. Gene markers for every flavour of petalled oil sequencable.

"It says that the seed was planted. A thought formed. An idea gained purchase. Old beliefs fell by the wayside, replaced by newer, better ones - that is the march of progress, after all."

"And what happened then, Woolf? Was the seed uprooted? Was it dug out with fervour? Was the infestation purged?"

The Beast smiled as he brought up the snuff to his nose.

"Why, no. It was left alone. It thrived in the dark, in the wet, rich soil. And the seed, well . . . a planted seed will grow."

He inhaled.

A pleasant high fell upon him, and he fell back in his chair with a rumble. His eyes lidded, and he regarded Tess with almost a fond smile.

"Aren't we friends, Woolf? Is there no friendlier thing to do than to die in front of you? It is such a very private affair, after all. I wouldn't share this with just anyone."

He laughs again, the rancorous, ugly sound that Tess has come to hear and recoil from, right before the noise stops. He gurgles and seizes, and clawed fingers dug into the armrests of the chair as he went ramrod straight. His mouth opens, and a warm yellow sunflower blooms on his tongue, from his tongue, is his tongue.

Golden petals flourish from his eyes. Stalks and roots spider out of his nose and across his jaw, forming a tight, woven net of vegetation from lip to ear. From his furry chest slowly sprouts a glimmering garden of fungus, tinged a soothing chartreuse, and it's only as she looked close that she could see the roots were tinged blood red.

From behind her, a hand clasps her on the shoulder. It's the Beast she knew first, again. He seems to like wearing this body around her. In his own, twisted way, perhaps it's his way of showing a fondness for her.

Or perhaps he just wants to fuck with her.

"Hmm. Not my best narcotic. A one hundred percent failure rate thus far. Back to the drawing board, wouldn't you say, Woolf?"

[kendylouwhoo]

Relationship to psychedelics

To do or not to do that is the question. Some say you don't need them, while others do them so often. Masters have said they live in that state, so what's the point. Others get to those states without ever smoking a joint. But if you can see the false light that peaks its head in, you see the answer you know is true for you, and it tells you it's for all men and women. If you're using psychedelics to get to a certain point, then my friend you don't understand what these spirits bring in. They aren't just objects that teach you or help you see. They are real live beings connected to all trees. They are like friends, some come and some go. Some you will always hold close to you and will always know. A question is this, if you had a dog friend, would you say, I've learned enough from you, I've got what I've came for now be on your way. I don't think so, maybe some would, but when you love a dog he's your companion not just an object you throw away when you've gotten high enough and want no more play. Plant medicine is similar, a friend, a being you get to know more and more as you go. Though some stop at the door and say this beings not my friend, and that's fine, let it end. I am not for everyone and neither is the medicine. But if you get along, and love to sing songs, if you build a relationship and get to know one another, the medicine is just like a brother, or mother or lover. The relationship is deep and takes work just like any other to keep. When's the last time you asked the mushrooms how you could serve them? What offerings have you made? Are you trying to take or are you weaving a beautiful story? The longer you work with them the more you get to know them, they are beings just like you and me. It takes practice, intention and commitment, to really have a true friend.

Like any other relationship, it's can become unhealthy. Being codependent, looking to them for all the answers, I can't do it without you. Trying to numb out parts, listen dear, the medicine won't let you do that for long. You might start to lost it and shut off some parts. Become isolated, afraid of other people. You've stepped into the false light, that person over there they are not very clear and if I spend time with them they might get their dirty energy on me. So instead I will flee. Have you trauma bonded to the medicine? It's so terrible, but then so good. Like a never ending roller coster? Are you addicted to the highs and addicted to the lows and when the question comes up are you always chosing those? I can't live without you, never leave me! Look my dear, this relationship is unhealthy. What is your relationship with these little beings? Have you come narcissistic, is your intention just to take? Show me the answers, show me the way, there's the false light, the medicine knows better than your own inner light, and you just keep seeking, I know you may.

So what does healthy look like? How can you play in a truly healthy way? Do you intend on getting to know them, want to understand who they are? Do you want them to help you be a vestle for spirit to use you for the greatest good of all beings so you can know who you are? Are you going that far? What does healthy look like for you? How do you relate? Do you treat these beings with reverence, maybe take them on a date? How do you treat a being that you love? Are you treating them with your heart? You know, having a real relationship with them is like making art.

[madmushlove]

Slime Molds

If interest in fungi is an eccentricity, interest in slime mold is downright demented.

There are hobbies most people understand even if they don’t enjoy them.  Gardening is no taboo.  Practically everyone thinks flowers are pretty.  When they don’t, they must acknowledge that it’s they who don’t fit in.  

Birdwatching might not be common, but at least most people are acquainted with birds and understand their appeal.  Even the most joyless accountants, thinking these days mostly in monotonous sums, must still feel even a tingle of sadness if a little birdie happens to meet the front end of  their Civics or Impalas.

Most the world must have been at some point a birder but probably not a mushroomer.

Isn’t that part of the appeal?  Isn’t there something wonderful about a secret love all to yourself?  The obscurity of fungus attracts even as it repels.

Naturalist pariahs, though, have weirdos of their own.

Indulging in fungiphilia to the point where crusts and resupinate polypores electrify the imagination might still leave some feeling that they’re normal people with unusual taste.  

The line is crossed with slime mold.

Slime molds aren’t fungi.  They are members of that biological grab bag called Protista.  I’m no expert, but I have hunch taxonomists happily pick out life forms that fit into more comprehensive categories (animals, plants, fungi, bacteria, and archea) only to get overwhelmed with the heaps that remain.

Screw this, taxonomists say. I give you Protista!

Some people say Fungi is the odd macro-kingdom out, because they are neither plant nor animal.  That’s conundrum enough for most.  But protists are neither plant nor animal, nor are they ‘neither plant nor animal.’

What do you think that, you stupid human?

Protists are Eukaryotic.  Most are heterotrophs, while some photosynthesize.  Most are single-celled, though some are multi-cellular.  Some start off their life cycles as individualistic cellular organisms, only to later assemble with others into a slug-like blob that moves as one before transforming yet again into sporangia.  

For a kingdom, if they can truly be called one, they are unique in that many are more closely related to members of other kingdoms than to each other.

They are sub-categorized according to their like.

Algae are like plants.  Protizoa are like animals.  And slime molds and water molds are like fungi.

At first, you feel a little self conscious about looking for and delighting in their appearance.  Then, you settle into it.

You look carefully after the rain wherever wood rots.  Just try not to confuse them with snail eggs.  

Their names are fun to say:  Pretzel Slime. Dog Vomit or Scrambled Eggs. Honeycomb Coral.  White Fingers. Tapioca.  Chocolate Tube Slime. Wolf’s Milk. Orange Pin. Raspberry Slime. Birdcage.

They are small. Look harder for them than for fungi.  And they are striking in both their complexity and simplicity.

I won’t pretend to know much more than that.  A little research quickly reveals, unsurprisingly, that I was taught almost nothing about them.

That’s the thing about much of nature, really.

It doesn’t come to you.

You have to find it on your own.