#i won't be eating those berries again

[brotherhumphrey]

ate one of the berries from the bushes in the woods just a short way outside the monastery and had a terrifying dream of something called 'microsoft authenticator'. it was a great drooling beast; it was a shadow over the people, looming from above, snarling sometimes so that they would remember it was there. i believe it may have been the footman of satan himself. i woke up in the infirmary sweating and shaking

[impish-baby]

Ooo what about a group of fae caregivers who have been watching reader for a while and deem that this baby can’t go on longer without being taken care of, to then lead the reader out into the woods to never get them go.

Love your work btw :))

Fae!!! My favorite honestly, I hope this is alright! ^^

Come along now, run away from the humdrum. We'll go to a place that is safe from greed, anger, and boredom - Fae caregivers x reader - ☘️

The woods have always felt like a second home to you. Towering trees that stretch into the clouds, babbling brooks, it's all so much more tranquil than your busting town. Sometimes, it even feels like the forrest cares just as much about you as you care for it. It's silly, you know, but it makes you happy.

The rumors of fae are forever present, but they do nothing to deter your longing for the wild. Old wives' tales are all they are, whisperings meant to keep children from wandering too far from home and getting lost. Even if there's truth to the stories, it's none of your business. Really, you just need to be polite (something you should already do) and guard your name, it isn't that difficult.

Leaves crunch underfoot as you travel the familiar path into the woods, the changing of seasons obvious. You're a little sad to see the green go, but it is only nature's coarse. The autumn season gives way for lots of good harvest at least, basket in hand in hopes of bringing a few spoils home. As you travel deeper into the trees, the sun is eventually swallowed by the canapy, beams of light being the only thing allowed through.

A fox catches your eye for just a moment, the creature staring at you from the undergrowth. You can't resist the urge to wave politey, so you do so before it scampers back into the trees. No matter how many times you see one, they're still so beautiful.

Everything is really, that's why you've found yourself crouched in front of a patch of mushrooms reaching out of the forrest floor. They're pretty, a light brown with frilled gills..

"I hope you aren't going to pick them, those are poisonous, they don't make for very good eating.."

The sudden voice from behind you causes you to fall flat on your bottom, a melodious laugh following. "Oh dear, I didn't mean to startle you.." they offer you a hand up, giggling all the while. "Are you alright, darling?"

You manage a nod as you're helped back onto your feet, thanking the man quietly. He's tall, probably taller than anyone you've ever met, and jewelry covers his form as if his beauty didn't speak for itself. His rings catch the light as he raises your hand to his lips.

"You may call me Briar, might I have your name?"

He doesn't falter for second as you shake your head, asking him to call you a nickname instead. "Oh, I get to choose, do I?" Brair rubs his chin like he's deep in thought before springing forward and playfully tapping your nose. "Sprout then, you're just a little thing, it suits you.."

You aren't the happiest about it, but you're in no position to protest. Briar only smiles and steps away, no longer in your personal space, but waiting for you. "Are you out to pick berries perhaps? I know a great spot. I was about to fetch some myself, actually.."

He's expectant, tilting his head at you. "We'll have to go away from the path, but I promise, they'll be the best thing you've ever tasted.." You're reluctant to veer away from what you know, but Brair assures you he won't get you lost, and the promise of goodies is tempting..

You think his smile can rival the sun with how bright it is when you agree, Brair taking your hand in his as you begin to walk into the thicket. It feels right almost having your hand in his, it's strange, you've only just met but he seems familiar. Like you've always known him.

"My friends and I are having a little bit of a party, actually.." He hums, swinging your intertwined hands back and forth. Brair laughs again when you ask about it, giving your hand a gentle squeeze. "A welcome home party, I suppose. One for a beloved member of the family.."

It feels like it takes no time at all to come across the bushes he was referring to. The path, however, is long gone. You don't notice, attention captured by Briar guiding you to sit beside him. He was right, the berries are like nothing you've ever tasted before. They're the sweetest, nothing compares to the burst of joy they give you when you sample one.

By the end of picking, your fingers are stained pink as well as your mouth. Briar hadn't snacked on the fruit like you did, only smiling as you had your fill. "See? Good, right?" He hums, brushing your hair away from your face. "You know.. I'm sure we'll have much more yummy food at the party, I'd be delighted if you came. " Briar pays no mind to your instantaneous about not wanting to intrude and.. and if the rest of the food is as good as what you just ate..

"Perfect.." Briar is already leading you away, although you're unsure when you started walking again. "Ohh, I can't wait.."

You can hear music in the distance, the sounds of merriment beckoning you home.

[these-posts-arent-real]

Time to catch up on your favorite dashboard simulator :3

#gonna start scheduling these for 1 or 2 per day #i really enjoy making them but I think i'll get burnt out otherwise #also HUGE ty to whoever was the anon who sent me the idea #about having therian cats #ohhh my god #hey anon #(or anyone else but im talkin to u) #feel free to dm me to talk at any point you seem cool

15 notes

🔁 🐍xviper-the-fagx reblogged

🫎 mo0sedude Follow

I PASSED MY ASSESSMENT!!! AAAAAHHH

🪺 robbbinpaw Follow

OMSC CONGRATS MOOSE! I'm so happy for you!!!!

🐍 xviper-the-fagx

WOAAAHHH CONGRATULATIONS MOOOSEE!!! Have you had your name ceremony yet??

#im so happy for ya dude #moving on from apprenticeship </3 #gonna miss you in the 'apprentice things' tag

10 notes

🔁 🏞 trouttail-prefers-bass Follow reblogged

🏞 trouttail-prefers-bass Follow

Daily selfie !!!

Trying on some new berry-based fur dye.

🏞 trouttail-prefers-bass Follow

The amount of cats commenting "you'll never be a she-cat" and "wearing fur dye won't make you female" is astounding. Like. Thanks?? I'm a trans guy not a trans girl...

#lol?? #this is so funny to me #trans

4,703 notes

🥬 rxttencatmint Follow

Ahh.. different type of post than usual, but.. mmrrnn... I'm considering coming out to my mentor. I know he's supportive, but I'm really nervous, so, uh.. I'm gonna leave it up to a Clanblr poll haha..

#trans #transmasc #trans tom #transgender #trans apprentice #advice #poll

4 notes

🤍 snwtl Follow

* ,○ ' WELCOME TO MY BLOG ^. o° ;

adult female cat - 49 moons - gender critical

Keep reading

#terfsafe #radfem #adult female cat #terf #riverclan

0 notes

🔁 🥬 rxttencatmint reblogged

🍲 ex-thundrclan-kipper Follow

New neighbors have THE most annoying dog I've ever met in my life. Won't shut up about how that's her yard and to get back... nobody wants your yard Jackie, shut uppp...

🌻 l1llyst3m Follow

Since when do you speak dog????

🍲 ex-thundrclan-kipper Follow

I started picking it up when I moved to the twolegplace. I'm still not fluent, but I can hold a conversation with the neighborhood dogs if I want.

#every new thing i learn about kipper #just. wow #he is so coolll... #this is totally not the gender envy and parent issues speaking

2,851 notes

🔁 🌊 missingmyscales reblogged

🦊 foxx--hearted Follow

The worst part about being a fox therian is that even when I am partially accepted, it's usually because cats are telling me how horrible foxes are, and how I should've "picked a different species" because they think that's how it works.

🌊 missingmyscales Follow

Imagine being a fish. In RiverClan.

The closest I ever get to "acceptance" is my friends joking about how I would taste.

🦋 lalala-bluegaze Follow

How does it feel to have to eat the thing your damaged brain thinks you are. Lol

🌊 missingmyscales Follow

Frst off. "Damaged brain" like. Oookay guess we're just being really mean to others on Clanblr today. Second off ,I dont eat fish??? I never even implied that I eat fish.

🦋 lalala-bluegaze Follow

You're from RiverClan lmao. What else is there to eat

🌊 missingmyscales Follow

...

You are joking, right?

Lizards, birds, water voles and shrews, snakes, frogs, toads?? None of those come to mind when you consider the potential diet of a RiverClan warrior??????

🦊 foxx--hearted Follow

@missingmyscales you should probably just block @lalala-bluegaze, her whole blog is about being anti-kittypet, anti-therian, not believing enbies or bisexuals/any other lgbt identity than lesbian or gay or binary trans is valid, and a whole bunch of other stuff. It's not worth talking to her.

🌊 missingmyscales Follow

Ahh thanks... blocked her. I didnt think to check her blog beforehand

#sorry again for arguing on your post, Maple #saw a misconception ab RiverClan and blacked out lol

407 notes

🔁 🏞 trouttail-prefers-bass reblogged

🌾 barncat-vibes Follow

Good morning everyone <3 remember to eat breakfast and stay hydrated!

2,301 notes

🐍 xviper-the-fagx

Ithunk i atw a bug

#it difnr taste good euther :/

1 note

🌱 dirtdigger-23 Follow

So I guess I'm just on this site now?? Clanblr is gone. I can't access any of its posts. But. I can see "Tumblr". Which is weird. The posts are really strange here.

[emathyst9]

So does anyone else think about William and Henry's rabbit and bear dynamic a bit too much or is that just me? Rambling under the cut because this one's a bit long like usual oops!

Like I keep on thinking about something I remembered about bears that is perfectly shown through the idea of Henry purposely not going after William after the MCI

I think it's highly likely that he knew, the evidence there was only pointed to him or William and Henry didn't do it of course

There was probably at least one point too where Henry might have been looking for William in the safe room, only to walk in on him either standing in front of one of the animatronics while blood dripped out from it, or just catching him in the act entirely

Though maybe what he sees is probably just some random employee or whatever, I don't think he witnesses the MCI murders, and to me, William certainly killed more than just the children

Now here's the next point to think about

Bears are not predators entirely, they're omnivores, meaning they eat meat and other things, like plants, berries, stuff like that

So seeing Henry as a bear that could catch the rabbit, aka William, he doesn't really have to do that, though of course he will eventually

But I think his almost lackadaisical or whatever approach to that is just kind of in his nature, he doesn't really have to go after him to sustain himself

He's morally grey to me too so I don't think the murders are all that much of a concern to an extent, he only thinks he needs to do something about it as it damages the business's reputation

Maybe he even does try to take down William a few times, only for him to just let him go since he has a hard time telling himself that someone so close to him did those things, or Will just slips away, even if it does him much more harm than good, like how a rabbit will bite its leg off to escape a trap

And William probably does his fair share of outwitting Henry too, whenever he is being chased down, maybe even somehow convincing him to let him go

But that probably only works so well, until Henry finds out that William was responsible for Charlie's death

All a bear would need to go after a prey animal is hunger and no other way to satiate it, and that event is definitely like a hunger for vengeance, which there's only one way for Henry to get it

But of course it's not that easy or instant, since not only does Henry have to completely come to terms with the fact, but he has to catch him first, and that would be right when that clever rabbit disappears for a while, who won't even look like himself once they meet again

Does this make sense. At all. Like do you see the vision or am I rambling like a madman

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Congrats on 1500 followers love!!

If you're doing prompts, then here are some😈

Option 1: Mystery Link encounters Zelda and Gerudo Link and a town :"don't talk to me, someone might think we're friends "

Option 2: Power Link being a good Dad to his kids(he deserves good things every now and then lol)

Option 3: Abel ate a plant he reaaally shouldn't have😀 bonus if he flirts with Til while in between worrisome bouts of delirium🤭

Option 4: HC Wind experiences something either really traumatic or really hilarious at the hospital (depending on what mood you're in lol)

If you like none of these, then write whatever! You know I love your writing haha🥰

Tilieth had been trying for six months to forget about everything that had happened. She knew it had been six months to the day because she'd been counting, making little tick marks on the wall, waiting to see how long it would take for her son to wake up in that Sheikah shrine. In that time, she and Abel had been trying to piece together some sort of routine, and one of the things Tilieth did to try and help was forage for food while Abel hunted.

She knew eventually she'd have to hunt as well. It seemed unfair for Abel to be the sole fighter when they were stuck on the plateau together with no other help. She should at least know the basics. But for now, she couldn't get near a weapon, she felt her entire body tremble when she walked to certain parts of the plateau; she could hardly venture farther than the little camp site they had created close to the Temple of Time and the Shrine of Resurrection.

Today had been a decent day. She'd found some new plants around a pond near the temple, and their berries looked delicious. She'd picked them and cleaned them, setting them on a cloth to dry while working on mending Abel's tattered clothes.

When she glanced back to see if the berries had dried, most of them had disappeared.

Startled, Tilieth looked around to see if an animal had taken them, and she saw her husband settling down beside her.

"Those weren't ready yet," she chided lightly.

Abel hummed. "How are they not ready?"

"I washed them, they needed to dry some more."

"You were going to store them?" Abel asked, before adding, "Sorry."

"It's fine," Tilieth waved off, rubbing his back a little with a smile. "I can let the sun dry out the rest."

"Where did you get them? They look like wildberries, but those only grow in cold places. Did you go to the river?"

"No," Tilieth answered. "I got them by the pond near the temple."

Abel blinked. Blinked again. Then he stood slowly, eyes boring into the remaining fruit.

Tilieth grew a little nervous. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Abel said dismissively. "But I don't think we should keep the rest. They rot quickly, you won't be able to dry them. I'll, ah, eat the rest. Don't pick anymore - it's best to find alternatives."

"Abel, you're acting strange," Tilieth cut in, catching on to his change in attitude quickly.

"I just remembered something," Abel explained. "I need to go patrol to the south. It might be a while. Stay here at the camp, okay?"

With that, her husband departed quickly, taking the rest of the berries with him. Tilieth squinted, confused and worried, and she leaned over to look down the hill where he'd gone only to see him toss the rest of the berries into the grass.

Something was wrong, wasn't it? Did he just not like the flavor? Did it make him feel ill?

She made him ill, didn't she? Tilieth felt her stomach churn with guilt, felt awful that she could make such a mistake, wishing desperately that she'd learned more about the flora of Hyrule, but she'd never had a reason to! Hateno was self sustaining, and she'd always just gotten food from the local market and her own little garden.

She was trying to make a garden. She really should just stick to that instead of wanting to eat new plants. But she'd never heard of anything particularly bad, either. Was Abel just not feeling well? If that were the case, he wouldn't have taken the rest of the berries, right?

Worry ate away at her, and she grew restless. She didn't want to just sit around and wait, she wanted to make sure he was okay. What if Abel was getting sick and she was just sitting here doing nothing about it? She'd dealt with plenty of sick relatives, she could at least try to make something to ease his stomach.

Tilieth rose, taking a shaky step down the hill. The farther she moved, the more her chest hurt from fear. She was getting close to the edge of the wall dividing the Great Plateau from the rest of the kingdom, and up ahead were ruins that—that—

Tilieth froze, breath growing somewhat erratic. She had to find Abel, but she could hardly walk ahead anymore.

Praise Hylia, though, for she could see her husband a little distance ahead. He had paused, leaning against a tree. Tilieth found her courage and swallowed, walking forward to get to him, pointedly ignoring the ruins and the wall to her right. Her voice hadn't quite come back to her yet, so she had to make it all the way to him without speaking.

Slowly, she stepped cautiously towards her husband. He didn't seem to be getting sick, simply standing there. When she finally reached him, she cleared her throat, still not able to speak but knowing better than to sneak up on him.

Abel turned a little, face flushed, eyes looking almost glazed, a kind of off-focus expression that she was not accustomed to seeing on him at all. Her husband hardly ever zoned out, and when he did it was because he was deep in thought, not because his head was in the clouds, as hers often was.

She finally found her voice. "Honey?"

Abel squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head. Then he looked at her again, clearly struggling to focus. "T-Til, I... I s-said wait at the camp."

"Honey, what's wrong?" Tilieth asked, growing more nervous.

"'S n-nothing."

"It's not nothing, you're acting strange!" Tilieth accused. "You threw away the rest of the berries, and you look sick!"

Abel leaned his back against the tree now, gaze drifting elsewhere. "They're b-bad berries."

So this was her fault! Tilieth wrung her hands nervously, mouth clamped shut, wondering what she should do.

"'S okay," Abel assured her, closing his eyes. "J-just... not a fun afternoon. I'll be fine. P-please, go... go home."

Home? He never called the camp home. "Abel, why don't you come back with me? We can figure something out."

"I'll be fine," Abel said, voice growing tight, muscles tensing. He was growing agitated, and Tilieth backed off a little at the sight of it, not looking to start a fight. "I... I promise. I'll be fine, Tilieth. It g-goes through, and then it s-stops. Please leave."

It goes through? Tilieth wondered if that just meant her poor husband was going to be very unwell but pass it through his system quickly. She'd want privacy too in that instance, she supposed, so she nodded and made her way back to camp quickly. She still felt immensely guilty, though, particularly at the realization that Abel had been fully prepared to just deal with the consequences alone and never tell her how much she hurt him.

He always tried to protect her like that.

When the sun moved from midway through the sky to almost kissing the mountains in the distance, Tilieth started to worry again. There was no way it took that long, and if it did, Abel was going to be dehydrated.

But that meant she had to go back to that place.

Tilieth gripped her fraying green dress. She wasn't going to let her anxieties stop her from checking on her husband. So she got back up and headed towards the place where she'd found him earlier.

She encountered him closer to camp than she expected to, and Tilieth almost wondered if he was on the mend and heading back to her. The feverish flush to his cheeks, paired with sweat on his brow, plastering his fringe to his forehead, quickly eliminated that idea.

This wasn't just feeling unwell for an afternoon, something was wrong.

"Abel?" she called, moving more quickly.

Abel was standing in the middle of the field, staring off in the distance, and he didn't quite seem to hear her. As she approached, she could see his expression was something she hadn't seen very often, an open vulnerability so prevalent her heart hurt at the sight of it.

"Abel... honey, what is it?" she asked softly, moving to soothe him, seeing tears starting to shine in his eyes.

"Mom?" he whispered softly, still staring at the distance.

Mom? His mother had died when he was a child. Was... was he dying?! Tilieth looked around wildly, frightened and frantic. Her skin crawled, her body felt like ice had frozen her from the inside out.

"Abel, nobody's there," she said shakily. He'd said he'd be fine, what was happening?!

There wasn't a ghost, was there?!

No, no. There couldn't be. Abel had never seen ghosts. Tilieth surveyed the area once more, eyes blown wide, heart racing. There was no way, right? She instinctively moved closer to her husband, hands wrapping around his arm, pressing herself against his side.

Abel's gaze snapped to her at the touch, breaths coming out in little panicked rasps. Tilieth looked between him and the space he'd been staring, took a steadying breath, and smiled at her husband reassuringly.

There was a moment where he just stared, that same feverish glaze covering his eyes, and then he blinked a few times and seemed to come back to himself. "T-Til..."

Tilieth sprang into action, immediately hugging him. "Abel, honey, you scared me, what's wrong? This is because of the berries, oh honey I'm so sorry—"

"'S not... n-not..." Abel tried to say, holding her with trembling arms, terrifying her even more. "Go b-back to... I'm okay..."

"No! You're not okay!" Tilieth argued, pulling away to look him over. "What do these berries do? You know - that's why you went away! Are they... you said it would get better, but—they're not—"

They're not lethal, are they?

Please, she begged, feeling tears well in her eyes, Please don't leave me too. Please just tell me what's happening.

Abel looked down, seeming hesitant, and then sighed, trying to regulate his breathing. "B-berries cause... seeing th-things... it'll s-stop... promise..."

The berries made him hallucinate? Why didn't he just tell her that from the start? Why did he have to try to bear this alone? Goddess, she shouldn't have left earlier when he asked, this was her fault anyway.

She felt awful.

When Abel stumbled in another direction, though, she came back to life, grabbing his hand. "Wait! This is—I caused this, let me help. Let's get you back to camp, okay?"

He'd said that it would run its course. She had to trust that. But she couldn't just leave him out here like this. This wasn't just a stomach illness, this was dangerous and frightening, for both him and her.

Goddess, why would he try to deal with this alone?! Tilieth couldn't even imagine being in such a position that she would be questioning whether everything she saw was even real or not, she couldn't fathom how absolutely terrifying that would be.

She hated that she'd caused this.

Abel let her guide him closer to their camp, stumbling a little, seeming to have zoned out. Tilieth remained vigilant, growing steadily more anxious as they moved. It was getting dark, and there were some monsters that still crept in the shadows of the plateau, though not many. Tilieth had no way of defending herself or her husband, aside from maybe using a pot or a ladle or a tree branch while screeching. The mere thought of encountering a beast made her lose her breath.

She felt her arm jerk a little as Abel stopped moving, and she turned to look back at him. The confusion, the openness of emotions were back, but this time he was staring directly at her.

"You're beautiful," he breathed, sounding nearly enchanted.

Tilieth barked out a confused and surprised laugh, dumbfounded. "What?"

Abel smiled a little, innocent and shy as it was, and took a step towards her before freezing again. His face turned a shade paler, eyes widening, and he shook his head. "N-no, no..."

Tilieth moved quickly to soothe him, wondering what he was seeing now, dreading to find out. "Sweetie, it's okay. It's okay. Let's keep going, okay?"

Abel jerked his hand out of hers, hugging himself and curling in on himself, trembling. She noticed, abruptly, that his knuckles were scraped, that his knees had grass stains on them. He'd fallen sometime earlier in the day while in this state.

"Oh, love," she lamented, feeling a million times worse.

Her husband groaned, nearly tipping backwards as he stumbled a little, and Tilieth gasped, lunging forward to steady him. He latched onto her in a heartbeat, grip suddenly far more intense than before. "Ama..."

Tilieth rubbed circles on his back. "Honey... Ama's not here. Your sister's not here. It's me, Tilieth."

Her heart broke anew as the words came out of her mouth. Abel hadn't kept up too much with his sisters as an adult, but he'd definitely been closer to Ama, his twin. She'd lived in Castle Town, though, and Abel...

Abel didn't talk about what happened to Castle Town.

Her husband groaned, pushing her off him. "Stop it. Sh-Shola isn't—Ama—"

Tilieth tried something different, blinking the tears away. "Ama's this way, love. You want to see her?"

Abel slowly lowered himself to the ground, taking measured breaths, head in his hands. "I... I want to go home."

Tilieth swallowed the lump in her throat.

The silence between them was deafening, a chasm developing between the couple that grew larger by the second. Abel took another steadying breath, pushing his hands to run through his hair and slick the sweat fringe out of his face. He looked at Tilieth as if he was just seeing her for the first time. "Til?"

Tilieth came to life in an instant, reaching for him, taking his hands in her own and squeezing them. "I'm here, love. I'm here."

Abel's eyes were unfocused, but he kept them fixed on her, expression raw. "Where are the children?"

Oh, goddess. Why are you doing this? Please, just make him sleep. Tilieth lost her voice in trying to reply to him, biting her lip and squeezing his hands again.

Her husband watched her, searching, waiting for a reply, before his mind finally seemed to slip somewhere else, and he rose shakily. Tilieth tried to direct him as best she could, helping him as he stumbled occasionally. Sometimes he would get distracted, seeing something new, but generally the journey was uneventful until they were just at the bottom of the hill to their camp.

Tilieth glanced upward, chest a little less tight at the thought that they were almost to safety, when Abel grabbed her by the back of her tunic and yanked her behind him. "Abel, what—"

"Stay quiet," he hissed, body stiff as a board, arms spread out slightly in a protective stance, hiding her from whatever he was facing. Tilieth worriedly looked around him, knowing that nightfall was upon them, but she saw nothing.

Tilieth waited a moment, trying to figure out if there truly was a threat, but the more time passed, the more erratic Abel became, reaching for a weapon he no longer was holding (she had taken his sword), stepping forward uncertainly.

Abel registered that he was unarmed, and his breathing rapidly increased to a near panic. Tilieth reached for his arm, dragging him up the hill, but he fought back, pulling away.

"It's—it's a—where—" he gasped, eyes wild.

"Abel," Tilieth begged, taking his face in her hands. "Love, look at me. There's nothing there. Let's go back to camp."

"C-camp?" he repeated, breaths reaching a regular rhythm and depth, brow relaxing slightly from outright panic to confusion. "W-we're camping?"

Tilieth blinked, trying to keep up with the changes. "We—yes. Yes, we are."

Abel giggled all of a sudden. "You're too pretty to be a soldier, though."

His face went white as soon as the words escaped his mouth, and he took an anxious step away, waving his hands a little. "I—I b-beg your pardon, I'm—"

Tilieth laughed now, recognizing this patterned behavior, remembering when her beloved, wonderful husband was a shy, sweet knight fresh to Hateno. "It's okay, Abel. Please come with me."

Her husband, bashful and ashamed and mortified as he was, lowered his head a little and complied.

When they finally made to camp, Tilieth wanted to cry she was so relieved. She could hardly hold the tears back, honestly, with as guilty as she felt anyway, so she just let them fall. She sniffled quietly, trying not to attract attention to it, hoping Abel was too addled to notice. Instead, she made him sit while she gathered supplies. She cleaned his knuckles first, listening as he stammered at her, insisting to his dead sister that he could take care of himself, asking where their mother was a few moments later, before poking Tilieth in the chest.

"Ow!" she yelped mildly before flicking him. "That's not very nice, love."

"What're you doing, silly girl?" Abel asked, a soft smile pulling at one side of his mouth. "Don't you know your Papa can take care of himself?"

"First your sister, now Lyra?" Tilieth sighed. She tried to play along, reaching her hands out. "I can't learn how to take care of myself if you don't let me practice on you."

Abel hummed thoughtfully, and Tilieth wondered if he was actually going to stick to this particular delirium, but he lost focus soon after. She gently took his hands in her own again, finishing wiping the dried blood off. She stared at his knuckles a moment, fingers running along his palms, feeling the callouses and cuts. Silently, she pulled them to her lips, kissing them, her tears diving to every curve and crevice in his skin, trailing away with what little dirt was left.

He wiggled out of her gentle grip before one hand reached to her face, wiping the tears away.

"I'm sorry," Tilieth choked out, looking at him, seeing his sky blue eyes worriedly watching her. "I'm s-sorry you're going through this because of me."

Abel sighed, suddenly tired, but so, so tender and seemingly innocent. "It's okay, Mom. I know you miss him."

Tilieth felt her heart break anew, and she bit her lip. Abel reached forward to hug her, but before he could really encircle her in his embrace, she made the first move instead, letting him rest his head on her shoulder as she held him close. She knew... she knew he'd had to comfort his mother in her final years after his father had died. She knew he hadn't known comfort since then, always having to take care of everyone else.

She could take care of him, though. He didn't have to be strong all the time. She was his wife - she could protect him as much as he did her. Even if right now he didn't quite realize it.

That was what this was all about, after all, wasn't it? The reason he hadn't told her that the berries would cause delirium and hallucinations was that he didn't want her to worry, to feel guilty, to see him in such a weak state.

Tilieth held her beloved more tightly. She'd told him time and again in their marriage that he didn't have to do that. It had taken years for him to believe it.

She hadn't seen him break once since they'd reunited after the Calamity.

Tilieth felt a new sort of guilt eat away at her. She'd been completely reliant on him these last six months. She knew that. She'd hardly had the self awareness to recognize it, bereaved as she was. But tonight, she realized it, as her husband tried to hide his hurt from her.

"I love you so much," she whispered into his hair.

Abel didn't reply, didn't seem to react, perhaps didn't even hear her. So she said it again and again, whispering it like a mantra, like music carried in the breeze on festival nights, serenading her husband with warmth. He seemed to settle, muscles slowly relaxing as time passed, and as he finally fell asleep she leaned against a tree, letting him press his weight on her.

Tilieth herself had almost fallen asleep a few hours later, heedless of the way her stomach growled, when Abel stirred once more.

Her husband nearly fell off her as he rolled, and both of them yelped as she tried to catch him. Abel quickly sat up, palm cupping her face, and he asked, "Are you alright?"

Goddess, his voice sounded so strong, his eyes looked clear, he was no longer sweating.

It was over.

Tilieth burst into tears.

Abel jumped, startled, and quickly moved to assuage her. "Love, I'm okay, I promise."

He gathered her in his arms and she sank into the embrace readily, so relieved at the safety and warmth, the strength of his hold, the assurance that it meant he was feeling better.

"I-I'm—I'm s-sorry," she sobbed, pushing with all he rmight to get the words out.

Abel hushed her, kissing her cheek. "I told you I'd be fine, Til. It's okay."

That was awful, she wanted to protest, but her throat was too closed up at this point, hiccupping instead. Abel simply held her, steady as a rock.

She hoped he at least remembered her words as she'd comforted him.

Eventually, the tears dried, and both spouses heard their stomachs roar in frustration.

"Maybe I'll cook something," Abel offered with a cheeky smile, and Tilieth wanted to clock him for how lightly he was taking this entire ordeal.

He must not remember most of it.

Sighing heavily, she crossed her arms, not wanting to dig up the issue, accepting the easy forgiveness her husband gave her despite the guilt that still gnawed at her. "Fine. I'll work on the garden."

"Do you know what you're growing in the garden—”

"Yes, Abel. I know."

Her husband chuckled heartily, kissing her briefly, and moved to the cooking pot. Tilieth sighed, staring up at the starry sky, and thanked Hylia for keeping both of them alive despite both of their idiocy.

And then she moved to the half demolished wall where she'd been keeping tabs, and scratched another day passed.

[beautifulterriblequeen]

War is Easy, Peace is Hard

ᵗʰᶦˢ ʷᵃˢ ˢᵘᵖᵖᵒˢᵉᵈ ᵗᵒ ᵇᵉ ˢʰᵒʳᵗ ᵇᵘᵗ ᶦᵗ ᵍᵒᵗ ᵃʷᵃʸ ᶠʳᵒᵐ ᵐᵉ

Please enjoy the Gren ficlet I busted out this morning! Rating it T for uh, bad feelings.

tags/warnings: betrayal, PTSD, imprisonment, emotional manipulation

"Please," Rayla begged, "I can't leave him there alone. Not after what happened last time!" Her hands shook around the small glass jar, and the light from the sentinel bonfires across the Banther Lodge grounds danced along its smooth curves.

But Corvus only repeated his earlier gesture, a firm shake of his head. "Soren just arrested him, Rayla. I can't be involved in anything like this right now. And he did kill King Harrow. It's what I hunted you for, remember? Your leader’s actions are how you and I met."

Rayla's face dropped into a glower. "Yeah. Be glad I'm not dragging you off another cliff for not believing me this time either."

"I do believe you," Corvus said earnestly. "But I can't be the person to help you. I'm sorry. But I can't."

His teacup empty, Gren finally decided to stop accidentally lurking behind a nearby tree and stepped out into the firelight. "Is... there a problem?" he asked, heading toward the two. They flinched slightly in that way Gren had come to understand meant they were trying to hold a private conversation in public and had failed.

"No," said Corvus at the same time Rayla growled, "Yes."

Gren shot Corvus a sympathetic look. "Let me see what I can do. If something needs Queen Amaya's attention, I'll make sure she's aware. You should go be with Soren. He's had a... rough day."

Corvus' brows bent up, and he looked aside. "Rougher than most.” His eyes drifted westward toward the fresh ruins of Katolis Castle, though its distant smoke couldn’t be seen at night. “And that's saying something." He sighed and nodded, but he added one more thought before he left. "Commander, if anything goes... awry tonight, come to me first." He glanced meaningfully at Rayla and nodded again. "I do believe you." But she only offered him a flat stare.

Gren nodded and waited for Corvus to walk out of earshot. But Rayla was less patient.

She grabbed his wrist in a vice grip and looked him in the eye. "I need your help."

Gren did his best not to flinch. "What can I do?" he asked warmly.

Rayla held up the small glass jar. "Just... Get this to him. It's berry juice. Last time..." She paused and gulped. "Last time, he stopped eating. He thought he was going to die alone, that that was a better option than anything else. Better than Viren's torture, better than that awful coin prison... Better than facing those he loves after what he's done."

Gren was surprised to see tears forming in the corners of her eyes, but she brushed them aside and pressed on. "He'll know it's from me, and he won't feel alone. Please. I don't want to break in there and give it to him myself, but I will if I have to. I'm not leaving him to suffer alone this time. I won’t!"

Alarmed, Gren pressed a worried hand to Rayla's shoulder. "Take a breath, Rayla. I'll help you. Both of you. It might be the only way I can help, all things considered, but... I don't want him to suffer alone again either. "

Rayla's brows lowered as she studied him, a silent question on her lips.

Gren shivered. Runaan's dying scream was etched in his memory forever. He still didn't fully understand what Lord Viren had done to the prisoner down the hall from him, but he knew it had destroyed the man utterly. He'd gone into the room to check after the guards had freed him, but nothing remained. Not even a body.

He licked his lips. "I heard it," he said quietly. "When Lord Viren..."

Rayla's eyes widened as she realized he couldn't even finish his sentence. Her shoulder tensed under Gren's hand. "We can't leave him in there alone! We can't!'

"It's not a cell, here," Gren began. "It's just... the basement. And no one is going to hurt him. Not here. King Ezran wouldn't do that."

But Rayla's glower told him that didn't matter. "Runaan doesn't know that, Gren. I'm afraid that all he can think about is the last time humans locked him up. And that didn't end well! Viren killed him!"

Very aware of where they were both standing, Gren put a finger to his lips and widened his eyes.

Frustrated but wary, Rayla shook off her tension and let out a sharp breath. "You said you'd help. Just get him to take the jar. Then he'll know I'm still here. That I didn't... run away. That I didn't abandon him."

"I can do that." With a nod, Gren began to head toward the lodge doors.

Rayla caught his shoulder. "Oh, but... Don't linger. He's not very big on eating around strangers. Security conscious at all times, that's my dad." She let out a soft, uncertain chuckle.

Gren's eyes bugged. "Runaan is your father?" He couldn’t imagine how she was staying so calm. He must've trained her very well.

Rayla met his eyes and nodded. In a low but firm voice, she said, "In all the ways that matter. Thank you for this, Gren. I won't forget it."

She pressed the cool glass into his palm. Gren took it and glanced down, seeing the liquid slosh inside, red as blood. Cautious and curious, he pulled out the stopper and took a sniff, and the rich aroma of ripe berries filled his nose.

"Gotta work on those trust issues, Gren," Rayla chided lightly.

"Sorry."

"Don't be. Now you can say you've checked it yourself."

He nodded. It's what Amaya would've done. The juice sloshed in the firelight again. "I think certain allegations could've been avoided if you guys had picked a different-colored berry-" he began, but when he looked up, Rayla had already vanished.

He shook his head. Moonshadows.

Alone, Gren made his way through the Banther Lodge, careful to avoid sight of Corvus, the Sunfire Queens, King Ezran, or anyone else who might wonder what he was up to or try to distract him.

This mission, Gren was taking to heart. This time, he wouldn’t fail.

Every step closer to the basement flooded his memory with more details of those horrible days in Viren's dungeon. He himself had barely been mistreated, but the real horror lay in the chasm between his experience and that of the prisoner down the hall.

The real horror was the guilt he carried, knowing he'd been whistling contentedly while another man was fighting for his life and losing. That he hadn't known anything about how Runaan had been treated until it was too late. The man had killed King Harrow, it was true. But he was still a person, just like Gren.

Gren paused on the stairs to the basement and swallowed hard, getting his face under control. He'd served under King Harrow's rule for years. And this prisoner was one of those responsible for ending that era, and everything that had followed.

He remembered some of Amaya's earliest advice: "War is easy. Peace is hard. Do your best."

Commander Gren straightened his shoulders and headed down.

At the bottom, he found a room lit with an excess of torches and packed with heavily armed human troops. Through all the soldiers, he couldn't see Runaan anywhere.

"What's going on here?" he blurted. Had they done something to the elven prisoner? He knew how they talked about elven assassins in the barracks...

"Oh, Commander Gren." Marcos' black shock of hair turned in his direction, and Gren nodded to him. The soldier approached. "Can I help you, Commander?"

"I'm here to see, er... Where is the prisoner?"

"Right where we can see him, sir." Marcos nodded aside.

One of the basement’s central wooden pillars bore a sturdy wrap of rope around it. Gren squinted in confusion for a moment, seeing no one tied to it, but then he looked lower.

A pair of dirty elven knees peeked out on either side of the post, and a few fingers and a solitary horn showed around one of its edges.

Gren's heart rate rose. He took a step to the side and looked again. Down on the floor, Runaan had twisted around to face the pillar and tucked his knees against its sides, hugging it. His forehead pressed against the wood, his arms were knotted in the ropes over his head, and he was shaking.

Runaan was not alone this time. But his situation seemed to be its own flavor of hell. In that moment, Gren decided to lie.

Gren was not very practiced at lying. His mouth went dry at the very thought. "I need the room," he blurted.

"What?"

"Uh, General- uh, Queen Amaya was very specific, and she asked me to uh, in-interrogate the prisoner immediately, but it's confidential, my questions are confidential, so- so you all have to leave. And take these torches with you."

Marcos looked at him dubiously. "Take the torches?"

"No, of course, you're right. Leave one - no, two, two is good."

"Sir. He's a Moonshadow elf. They like the dark."

"Yes, they do. And I, well, I like answers. Which I'm more likely to get if he's comfortable. Does he look comfortable to you?"

Marcos glanced at Runaan. "Five minutes. And we'll be right upstairs."

"Ten."

Marcos gave Gren a long look. "Right upstairs. Sir."

"Understood."

Gren very carefully studied the floor so his eyes didn't give away his nervousness as the soldiers collected their extra torches and thumped up the stairs. He could get into so much trouble for doing this - but it felt like the right thing for him to do, and he wouldn't be sorry if he got caught.

He only hoped Queen Amaya would forgive him for using her name as his shield.

When the room was dim and quiet, Gren walked closer to the huddled elf and dropped to one knee. He took a moment to focus before he spoke. "Excuse me. Your name is Runaan, right?" he began gently. "I've brought you something. It's from Rayla. She says it's berry juice."

The shadowed figure raised its head, and two luminous blue eyes flared out of the dark before hiding behind the pillar again.

"Rayla?"

Gren's chest tightened at the breathless shake in the prisoner's voice. He sounded like he was about to shiver into pieces. "Yes," he said. "She gave me this little bottle and wouldn't take no for an answer. Not that I refused her… She was trying to ask someone else, and I... Well, I offered. You... might not remember me, from... before... But I remember you. And how I couldn't help then. I didn't know, I didn't understand, and I wasn't..." Gren got his tongue under control and tried again. "I can help now. So I'm helping. If you'll let me."

"I-I don't..." Runaan's gaze scoured him.

"I told you about my cats growing up?" Gren prompted. "How little Mittens always slept on my hands at night when it was cold, and her sister Scarf would half smother me with her fur?"

"Scarf. Your... cat. I do remember." The trembling in the prisoner's voice eased. Then Runaan's breathing hitched, and he pressed his forehead back against the rough wood grain of the post he was tied to. "I just want to go home. I made a promise. It's all I care about now. It's going to kill him to see my lotus sink twice. I can't bear the thought." He began to repeat a shaky refrain of I'm sorry that whispered out of him with every shallow breath.

Aghast, Gren had to stop himself from reaching out. He wasn't at all sure the elven man was in any state to handle being touched. "I... I don't know what punishment King Ezran will decide on," he began carefully, "but I will speak on your behalf, if he'll allow it."

A single blue eye blazed at him, unblinking. "Why?"

"I witnessed your, er... death. I don't think it's fair to make you die again."

Both eyes opened at that, and blinked in confusion. When Gren added nothing further, Runaan slowly admitted, "I am... unaccustomed to mercy."

Gren decided he didn't need to say anything to that.

Runaan was silent for a while longer, as if chewing over what else to say. Finally, he settled on a simple, "Thank you."

Something loosened in Gren's chest then, a tension he'd been carrying for years. He offered a genuine smile. "You're welcome."

"Rayla sent you with berry juice?" Runaan asked.

"Here." Gren held it out. Its contents sloshed scarlet in the dimness.

The juice seemed to captivate Runaan. He stared closely, as if reading its blank bottle. "A trick," he murmured.

"What?"

Runaan blinked and focused on Gren. "Drink some yourself, so I know you're not tricking me with poison."

"Oh. Of course. I smelled it earlier - it smells delicious - and Rayla said it was good that I did it, so I could say I'd checked its contents, in case anyone-"

"Drink." Runaan sounded exasperated.

"Right. Sorry." Gren tipped the bottle and gulped a nervous mouthful. "There, see? It's just berry-"

"-juice," he finished.

"Yeah, we know it was the juice!" Soren yelled. He seemed taller than usual somehow.

"Laced with sedative," Corvus deduced, eyeing the sticky red residue in the bottle as he held it up in the torchlight.

Nearby, Marcos paced back and forth around two of the basement pillars, and Gren realized he’d fallen to the floor. "This is bad, this is bad, this is bad," the guard repeated.

Gren tried to sit up, but his head swam. "Um... What's going on?"

"Runaan is gone," Corvus said, offering him an arm to steady himself.

Gren took it, and then nearly let go in shock. “He’s what?”

Soren stomped by, looking harrowed. "I just arrested him, and now he's escaped! This is not great! Ezran is gonna send me after him! After Rayla!"

"Rayla's gone too?" Gren blurted.

Corvus set a hand on his shoulder. "She gave you the juice, my man. This was her plan all along."

“Oh…” Gren's chest felt like it was crumpling. He'd only been trying to help her, to help them both. But she hadn't trusted him with the full truth. And now she'd broken an assassin - a kingkiller - out of lawful custody. And Gren had helped. "Oh no. Oh, this is bad."

"You think??" Soren cried. "Callum is not gonna be happy that I have to hunt down his girlfriend!"

"I'll go with you," Corvus offered. "It'll be a package deal. We can talk specifics later."

Soren's gaze clung to Corvus, and he seemed to read some extra assurance in his gaze, because he finally calmed and nodded. "Okay. Okay, yeah. Maybe that's good."

"And you just fell for a Moonshadow trick," Corvus told Gren. "You did nothing wrong."

"We were making progress, too," Gren bemoaned.

"He was really telling you things?" Marcos asked. "He refused to say a word to us."

Corvus gave Gren a steady look. "People tell Gren things. He has one of those faces."

"Maybe he should come too," Soren grumbled. "Then maybe Rayla will explain everything for once, and we can figure out how all of this went down, and what to even do about it."

“Not a bad idea,” Corvus agreed.

Hurt and angry and sad, Gren took a breath and let it out. War is easy. Peace is hard. Do your best. "If it'll help, I'll come too."

[honey-minded-hivemind]

I love the idea that creed likes pets from people he considers to be pack, but i would love to hear what kinds of affection you think he likes?

do you think he likes gifts? touch? how does he return those sorts of affections?

Okay, platonic yandere affection for Sabretooth headcanon time!

• This guy loves physical affection. Pets, hugs, cuddling, sleeping in a nest or bed or sprawled in the same room together, nuzzling, grooming hair and combing it and braiding it, fist bumps, large pats on the back like getting hit by a bear, bear hugs, he craves touch, he only wants it from his obsessions/pack, though (so definitely Logan, possibly Remy, Laura, and Reader, and maybe some of the adults or teens he views as pack or pack-adjacent)

• Appreciates gifts. You took time out of your day or night to get him something or make it or cook it or prepare it, so he appreciates it, if not loves it or cherishes it or stores it safely in his room (den) where no one but him is allowed to see it or touch it. You got him some gloves or a fur/fluff-limed coat? He's wearing it proudly, warmly, and gets mad if anyone tries to tear it or get blood on it. You found some bones on your walk and wanted to give them to him? If he can, he's collecting them in a special container, or even wears them as a necklace. You made him a cake for his birthday? With frosting and buttercream and handmade decorations? He will savor each bite, he is making sure you eat a piece too, and will not share unless it's with someone else he trusts or views as pack (family). You made a painting of him? He's putting it up in his room (den), or in his own safe house, it's being kept pristine and dust-free and protected from aging, and he will show you different forms of art He's learned over his near two hundred years of existence...

• If you spend time with him, he looks forward to it. You are on the same team, and have been teamed up for a mission? Ha, looks like you two get to bond a little! You went on a hunting trip with him, instead of staying out of the rain and staying warm? Well, he's making sure you both get something, and will lrudky display whatever you catch, while cooking the meat (will also collect pecans and walnuts with you or even some wild berries when those are in season). You ask him if you two can go to a museum? He's taking you, he's keeping away anyone who stares too long at you two, and might even steal a piece later if you seemed to really like it...

• Call him "pretty good", "a friend", or "dad", amd you're not getting rid of him, EVER. He loves hearing praise, especially ehen it comes from you. You call his claws "awesome" and "so sharp, that's wicked!" and "shiny", he's purring, and possibly helping you maintain your nails/claws/talons just as well as his. You say he's "a master of the hunt", "a clever hunter", "strong as a bear", or anything that compliments his wits or strength or hunting abilities, he's preening at it, chest puffed out and a fanged smile on his lips. You say something such as "You're coat is so cool, and soft!" or "your hair is well-kept", or "huh, those are sturdy boots", he's prideful about it, because he takes great pride in his appearance and taste in looks. (Does he care what others think? No, not most; but you or the rest of his pack/pride? Yes, he cares what y'all think, and he'd only take criticism from y'all)...

• Would he return any of these affections? Yes. 11/10. You feel down or upset or scared? He's tryi g to comfort you by reminding you how strong you are, how ferocious in battle, that their words don't matter; and if they hurt you or abused you, they won't be around to do it again... You feel nervous about your appearance? He will tell you deadpan that yes, you appear fine, you look nice, your piercing isn't weird, now let's go annoy Logan. You seem to be sick or out of sorts or worried? From everything he's remembered and memorized about you and what you like, he's getting you a gift. Something good for dinner, check. Something shiny, check. Maybe some new movie to watch, check. A bit of a torture session done to an enemy of yours, check. He doesn't mention that last part unless he's certain you won't freak out... initially, at least... You need hugs or you're too cold and in the snow or you aren't able to walk back and are wounded? He's embracing you close and tight and possessively; he's bundling you under his coat with him and wrapping it tight around the both of you; you're being picked up and held close and not let down until you're somewhere safe and being checked over...

(This was fun! Thank you, @hermesserpent-stuff !)

[lwh-writing]

I've been rewatching the Hunger Games movies with some friends, and I have many, many thoughts. I seriously need to reread these books because it's been years and Suzanne Collins is a literary genius, but I digress.

Anyway, there's a quote in Catching Fire where President Snow says "If head game maker Seneca Crane had any brains at all, he would've blown you to bits then and there." This is in reference to Katniss and Peeta almost eating the poison berries and getting out of the arena as co-Victors rather than them turning on each other, thus giving the rebels hope that they can stick it to the Capitol. It is Snow's belief that killing one and/or both of them would have solved the problem before it BECAME a problem.

But the thing is.... it really wouldn't have. If anything, it would have made the rebel problem worse.

Let's say Crane killed both Peeta and Katniss. For the first time in decades, the Hunger Games would have had no Victor. There would be no victory tour, no new kid to pimp out to the Capitol's highest bidders, and no new distraction until the next games roll around. And on top of that, it would have shown the entire world how little the Capitol actually cares about them. The game makers changed the rules halfway through to allow for two Victors, and then they took that away at the last second because two Victors emerging from the arena would have destroyed the very foundation of the Hunger Games. If Crane had truly shot down Katniss and Peeta, the fallout of the 74th Hunger Games would have been a wake-up call to both the Districts and the Capitol that Haymitch was 100% correct in saying that there are no winners of the Hunger Games, only survivors. The bright-eyed Capitols would have been forced to face the reality that the games were fundamentally unfair, and the Districts would have been shown that if even the Victors, the people guaranteed wealth and luxury weren't safe, that if their small beacons of hope could still be killed off without those in power batting an eye... then why even bother playing to the Capitol's tune in the first place? And the Rebels? They've got two new martyrs for their cause, and a newly discontent populous ready to fight for them.

Now, alternatively, let's say Crane did nothing. Let's say he let Katniss and Peeta eat the berries and they both die in the arena by suicide. Well, that won't be as drastic as Crane shooting them down, but the results are still mostly the same. The 74th Hunger Games still has no Victor. There's no one left to play distraction and convince the people of Panem not to look behind the curtain and catch a whiff of its political rot. And it's still the two-Victor rule change and the immediate retraction of such that doomed their favorite star-crossed lovers. It's still a wake-up call to the Capitols and the Districts that the Hunger Games are unfair, and that those in charge are willing to change the rules at their discretion no matter how it affects the general public. The people are still pissed, and the rebels still have their two martyrs.

Well, okay, what if Crane only killed ONE of them. Let's say Crane sees what's happening and decides to shoot only Peeta or only Katniss, it doesn't matter which. The 74th Hunger Games has a clear Victor, but that doesn't help a thing. Once again, it's still the rule change and retraction that got one half of Panem's OTP killed. It's still a clear signal to the people that those pulling the strings don't care. There's still discontent in the Capitol and the Districts because the Capitols lament their failed romance, and the Districts just saw an almost-should-have-been Victor get shot down on live TV. Not to mention it shows that the games are rigged beyond belief when the game makers, quite literally, chose the Victor. The Rebellion still gets a martyr. And on top of that, they get a mouthpiece stirring up shit.

You cannot look me in the eye and tell me that if Peeta or Katniss walked out of that arena without the other, the one that survived would have taken that lying down, consequences be damned. You cannot tell me that Peeta "If it wasn't for the baby" Mellark wouldn't have been playing the press and the political scene like a fiddle and knocking down Snow's regime like a line of dominos. You cannot tell me that Katniss "Girl on Fire" Everdeen wouldn't have been itching to take a quiver of arrows and massacre all occupants of the Presidential Palace. A Peeta without Katniss or a Katniss without Peeta would have Snow's worst political nightmare, and if he killed them after the fact, then the riots in the streets would have only gotten worse.

Seneca Crane's fatal mistake wasn't letting Katniss and Peeta live; it was allowing the two Victor rule change to happen. The SECOND that happened, the foundation of the games-- the image of the sole Victor shining above the rest --was shattered. Nothing could have fixed that, not even the hasty second rule change later on. There was absolutely no situation where Snow and company walked away the winners. Absolutely none. And Crane choosing to let Katniss and Peeta live was honestly the best choice in a string of horrible choices that could have been made. And the fact that Snow doesn't see that highlights exactly how out of touch he is with the human element that drives people to do the things they do.

Note: edited to fix "Capital" into "Capitol"

[ghoulfriendfangs]

•─ Midsummer ☾ Masquerade ─•

Day 8 Patron Arcana with Muriel

{wc: ~400} {mc x Muriel, fluff this time, cuddling, cute}

Muriel can’t bear this

This fic is a part of @the-midsummer-masquerade

"Honeycomb? What happened?"

Muriel refuses to come out from his mountain of blankets. Instead he huffs, and the pile trembles.

"Muriel, I want to help you out."

"I had a dream. The Hermit came to me. Said he was giving me the Hermit's blessing. He turned me into a monster."

"A monster…?" You've heard of patron arcana bestowing blessings on their chosen followers, but a monster? That doesn't sound like the hermit's work. But what else would get Muriel so distressed? "Muriel, let me see, I can't help you until you let me see what's happened."

The blankets shake again, and… Muriel pops out! At first, you don't even notice the change. Until you see soft, round, fluffy ears poking out from his hair. His teeth are now sharp, poking out from his soft lips. He even has whiskers. He's… half bear!

"awwwwwwww!!"

"No. Not aww. I look. Scary."

"Scary? Scary?? You look like a teddy bear!"

"Teddy bears don't have teeth like this."

"Why would I be afraid of your teeth? You don't bite."

He huffs, shaking his head. You can't help but reach out and try to pat behind those fuzzy ears. He jerks away at first, but slowly leads foreward, letting you try. "Hmmm" he closes his eyes in enjoyment.

"You're adorable."

"I don't want to be like this forever."

"You won't be. I've read about Patron gifts like this. It will only last until the next moon."

"…that's long."

"Not like we had any plans besides staying at home."

"…but I'm gonna scare the chickens."

"No you won't. They love you to matter what. Bear or no bear."

"……I'm. Hungry."

"Oh? What do you want to eat?"

He blushes really hard. "……berries. And honey."

You try not to tease him for his choice of breakfast. Instead, you leave and soon return with a plate of berries, having drizzled honey on them. The smell finally gets him to creep out of the blankets, showing off the extra hair he's grown in addition to the fuzzy ears. He gently picks up each berry with his claws, popping it into his mouth.

As he eats, you comb his hair, paying special attention to the spot behind his ears. When he finishes, he puts the plate aside, and stares at you. Before you can ask what, he's pulling you into a massive bear hug. He's incredibly warm, soft, and fuzzy. You feel like a blanket just snatched you up. He grumbles as you both return to the mountain of blankets.

[ohwell-itsme-but-danganronpa]

[NSFW AU] Forest god Shuichi, bounty hunter Kokichi

Bunny: i didn't think Too deeply on it but basically. roaming bounty hunter kokichi + monster shuuichi kokichi gets in over his head :)c probably vine tentacles involved, because i like those [a little bit later] forest cryptid shuuichi…mmm good stuff the people who hired kokichi to kill him are maybe Not Great they kept fucking with his home it's not his fault he had to dissolve them like a pitcher plant can i add seed ovi

Me: Yes Do it

Bunny: they think kokichi's dead bc he doesn't come out of the woods SNDKHBJJFG

Me: He lives there now Becomes a planter, the way he's full of seedlings

Bunny: he does leave sometimes to take care of business but mostly. happy vine time his feet rarely touch the ground anymore. shuuichi spoils him

Me: Oh? Carries him around or keeps him in bed?

Bunny: i think mostly literally holds him up in his vines shuuichi is the forest, to some extent …does he have a bed, actually?? MAYBE THAT'S WHY KOKICHI HAS TO LEAVE SNDBJFJG u get kidnapped by a hot cryptid and he doesn't even have a house smh

Me: Mossy nest

Bunny: mossy nest could also work!!! comfy little cave

Hina: Is Shuichi a plant?

Bunny: shuuichi is a cryptid/monster that's like. the avatar of a forest? its spirit, but also its guardian

Hina: So do plants grow in him?

Me: I think in this case the seeds have to go Become airborne as seeds do Find some soil to settle into

Bunny: also, airborne??? what do you mean by that bc i can not be seeing the same image you are

Me: I don't have access to translator now but I mean like When the stuff from trees just fly off and people have allergies to that

Bunny: okay yeah i did understand we were having different ideas of the size of these seeds i'm pretty sure

Me: I assumed that they're tiny and in a huge quantity Seeds just suggest that idea

Bunny: they do!! however i usually go for Very Large bc it's fun to me

Me: Like. I thought of tiny orchidea seeds, bc orchideas are cursed with those so I was made to read about that once See, that was fitting in the mer au, but if Shuichi IS the forest then it makes sense he'd have A Lot

Bunny: ooohh that's true but how would that Feel

Me: Grainy cum Not dry tho Just textured Like chia seeds in a drink But more density [everyone disliked that, idk why]

Beez: in my head shuichi just looks like millennial tree

Me: In my he has like a gown with moss covered vines and flowers holding it together Flowers in his hair too, maybe elfish ears, probably lil antlers

Apollo: Okay but if Shuichi is the forest, does he have eyes everywhere? Like he sees everyone coming to destroy his home/him then sees a cute hunter and goes You. You're gonna be mine now.

Bunny: yes, yes he does :) kokichi never stood a chance :) i can't believe this was started over me liking swordkichi a little Too much [design from the official anthology]

Apollo: Imagine just walking into the forest to get rid of a creature but the whole ass FOREST decides you're its pet/partner or whatever now

Bunny: he was gonna melt him into bone soup but he sensed a pure heart and pretty face ok

Apollo: No need to live pay check to pay check when the forest is constantly fucking and breeding you

Dra: Damn does he do that [melt someone] to anyone else when Kokichi can see

Bunny: not when he can see he's very big, he can take care of forest-killers and his favorite pet simultaneously

Me: Feeding his favorite human handpicked berries and honey

Apollo: He's made him a little flower crown that won't die and is making sure he only eats the best things possible

Me: Tries to feed him bugs too, to get him some protein, never again, lesson learned

Apollo: LOOK HE'S USED TO KILLING HUMANS NOT TAKING CARE OF THEM. THERE'S BOUND TO BE A LEARNING CURVE

Bunny: kokichi is half-awake and being lazily fucked so he only realizes when he feels a leg wiggle against his lips IF ONLY THERE WAS BOOKS ON HUMAN CARE he's Struggling i jusg think. kokichi being suspended above the forest floor, strange smooth vines stuffed in every hole large enough, dizzily wondering what theyre pumping into him he's having a very blissed out time kokichi accidentally cuts his hand after gripping onto shuuichi's antlers and shuuichi is HORRIFIED he's pretty sure kokichi is Actually Dying

Apollo: He's never seen blood and Kokichi is currently too blissed out to notice that he's bleeding

Bunny: IN HIS EXPERIENCE HUMANS ARE FUCKEASY TO KILL OK HE JUST DROPS THE GROUND OUT FROM UNDER EM A LITTLE AND THEY EXPLODE he should probably have a much more intimate knowledge of death than this being a forest god but. it's funny

Apollo: Okay but Kokichi accidentally gags when his mouth is being fucked and Shuichi freaks out at that because does that mean he did something bad???? Kokichi seemed to like it though??? He's hopeless at caring for his little human but he's trying his best

Bunny: im imagining their first meeting,, maybe shuuichi's forest is extremely sheltered and humans have only recently started trying to "develop" it.. kokichi shrieking and swinging his sword around while vines hoist him higher and higher they start stripping him and he thinks he's about to die but they just end up poking around curiously wherever they can reach, trying to figure him out

Apollo: Shuichi that's not how you properly get a boyfriend smh

Bunny: he doesn;t know that!! he IS the forest there's nothing for him outside of it

Apollo: Shuichi appears but is absolutely zero help because he also starts poking Kokichi in curiosity

Bunny: he thinks shuuichi is there to help but no, he just wanted to feel kokichi's interesting textures more clearly the human makes cute noises when he pokes him there :D

Beez: would that mean cutting it down hurts him. .. . .

Bunny: yes sometimes death is a natural part of the forest lifecycle but you can't cut him all the way down and expect him to live

Beez: yeah i imagined if it happened naturally he would be fine but if there was smth interfering he would Feel it

Apollo: Kokichi tries to kick him and Shu just pouts because he doesn't know how to respond. He's just interested in this cutie

Bunny: kokichi tries to bite him and gets a vine stuffed in his mouth

Me: This is where verbal communication ought to step in

Bunny: when does verbal communication ever work when kokichi's involved /j

Apollo: This isn't how Kokichi wanted to be seen in front of a hot forest spirit damn it. He couldn't even flirt before getting naked /j

Kai: Human try developing Shuichi's forest and Kokichi is just "AW HELL NAH THAT GUY FUCKED ME TOO GOOD FOR YOU TO UP AND KILL HIM!"

Apollo: "We hired you to kill that guy!" "HE GAVE ME THE BEST FUCKING NIGHT OF MY LIFE! HOW AM I MEANT TO KILL HIM AFTER THAT????"

Bunny: maybe the fantasy seeds he has kokichi incubate are replacements for the killed trees OOO

Dra: I'm sorry but my mind just went to that fucking bird (there is a type of tree that doesn't grow unless the bird eats the seeds first)

Me: Yeah, the forest grown since Kokichi came around

Me: I was thinking something a lil more lovey dovey when you said he stayes in the forest

Bunny: it's lovey-dovey once they get past the Poking phase. shuuichi is very curious and has literally no idea what boundaries are maybe kokichi offers him a deal,,,like 'u can keep touching me wherever as long as you promise to stop eating people'. he does not have his sword and has literally no way to enforce this and is also currently wiggling toward shuuichi's hand but it's fine he's a very serious business man shuuichi is very diligent about aftercare even though he has no idea what that is and tries to feed him a bug he goes "well some of the animals like this" and pulls kokichi into his lap to start petting him humans need protein he's pretty sure he's doing his best

Apollo: Throws touch starved Kokichi into this /j

Bunny: funny you say that :)c the implications of kokichi being a wandering bounty hunter are that he has nowhere to go Home to, yeah? would also explain why he stays in the forest,,,

Apollo: Kokichi really went from being alone and living paycheck to paycheck to being taken care of by the forest itself

Kai: "I got no home but the willow maid fucked me good and hard so i think i like it here"

Bunny: kokichi is like 'stop it i'm not a pet >:(' and shuuichi is like b̶̀̌ȗ̶̏t̷̅̈ ̷̏̚ḯ̷̋ ̵͒̀c̵̃an ̵̓̏s̵͐͠m̷̃͑e̷̎͝l̸̂͗l̸̀ that ̚i̸͗t mak̷̃̎e̶s you ̷̅̚h̵͑̒ä̸͠p̵̎̂p̴̢̆y̵?

Kai: does Kokichi ever repay ;) him

Bunny: yes frequently

Kai: can a forest get off?

Bunny: nnnnot…really? at least in my interpretation he enjoys seeing kokichi happy maybe he finally decides to manifest himself some genitals to see what all this fuss is about NSDJBHSHDGJ

Kai: does he at least smooch Shuichi?

Bunny: YES shuuichi tells him that he is not a baby bird and does not need to be fed. then he tells him to do it again because it felt nice

Apollo: I'm crying because imagine if he made his dick real big because he's not sure what a good size is meant to be

Bunny: kokichi is munching grapes and watching him like no…a little bigger…little smaller…move that a little bit to the left…

Kai: peppers his face in kisses and Shuichi has no clue what he's doing but makes the correct assumption that it's a human sign of affection sorta like wolf licks and accepts it

Bunny: he does it back very clumsily it's too hard and knocks kokichi over (shuuichi vc) ẁ̷͑h̶̎͑a̵͂́ṫ̸͘ ̷̟̈i̶͌͆s̷̉ th̆e̷̽̕ ̵̑̾p̵͑̏o̶͒̕ǐ̷͠nt of t̶͋̚h̸is? ̛i̴̛ have ̓̔ă̵͝l̴̈́̿ṙ̵̐e̸̚̚ạ̸̈dy reprodụ̸͛c̶̛̃ȅ̶̈́d̸̆̕ ̸͐throug̃͠h̸̖̏ ̴you,̿ i do n̸͝͝ò̶̓t̵̂̽ ̴̒́n̴͛̈́e̵͌͊e̴d mammalī̴͘a̴͂̀n̷̾̈́ ̶̔͘feature̷͘͠ṡ̷̆-̴͑

Apollo: Okay but how long would it take for Kokichi to be able to understand him or can he understand him off the bat?

Bunny: he can understand him, he just rarely speaks and his voice is unnerving and layered like all the trees are speaking at once :D and the trees are DOWN TO FUCK- im gonna say there's no elk in his forest. just so kokichi doesn't have to hear his partner make the elk honk

Kai: he's better at birdcalls anyways why can i see him taking Kokichi's clothes off when they meet cause he doesn't understand clothes and thinks the human just got caught in something weird what buisness does a forest spirit have wearing clothes anyways

Apollo: Kokichi trying to explain that he sorta needs clothes and Shuichi does that little head tilt that dogs do because he just doesn't understand

Bunny: i think part of the reason he keeps kokichi is because of how INTERESTING he is. he's making offended noises about shuuichi taking him out of his strange false-skin one second and the next he smells like pleasure because shuuichi touched his chest NOT THE HEAD TILT…. with those antlers bro'd probably knock something over

Apollo: Shu can use magic right? Can he make it that Kokichi is no longer human (at least fully) cause humans don't last forever you know?

Kai: connect him to the forest become one with the moss

Bunny: yes, but it takes kokichi several decades to realize time is Weird okay. he was too busy getting fucked all the time to realize he wasn't aging- he could've ASKED about the mysterious green goo shuuichi was pumping into him it's his own fault really now there's TWO scary forest spirits, good job morons

Kai: what made Kokichi finally realize?

Bunny: would be funny if some humans came through and he realized his clothes were WILDLY out of fashion now bc remember this all started from an outfit

Bunny: hey do you think shuuichi has to be taught what holes are okay like does he go ok mouth makes him happy. ass makes him happy. time to try the urethra- IT WAS AN APPROPRIATELY-SIZED VINE HE DOESN'T KNOW WHY KOKICHI IS SCREAMING!!!!!!

Beez: are u saying he tried to stick it in his ears or smth a NOOOOOO

Bunny: he tries this too but kokichi thinks he's being silly and laughs it off mistake

Kai: god help him

Bunny: god just tried to stick a vine in his dick

Kai: Shuichi finds out it doesn't feel good going in the dick, but the dick going into something sure does

Apollo: Does Shuichi switch between parts or does he just have both at the same time?

Bunny: shuuichi is smooth like a barbie doll

Kai: both is more badass he either has both or none, there is no inbetween

Bunny: he grows whatever kokichi is interested in that day, if they're having face-to-face sex actually both might add to the 'divine' feeling like. he Is life to some extent.. maybe shuuichi eventually lets some people move in,,, just be respectful to the earth and leave offerings of human food with neat textures on the shrine and you'll be alright he's grown strangely fond of humans lately! imagine that

Apollo: Everyone remembers the stories of the forest killing people but nope. Forest dude is calm as long as you're respectful and leave little snacks

Bunny: just…don't seek an audience with him. he'll probably grant you whatever you ask, but is it really worth him having a squirming man in his lap the whole time…?? shuuichi doesn't see the problem

Apollo: Does Kokichi still look 100% human or does he have more fae like features now? (I dunno how to explain it lmao)

Bunny: i think he slowly gains them over the years never as much as shuuichi. but enough to be a little unnerving,, he wanders the villages vaguely unnerving everyone around

Apollo: He would though. He just walks away and everyone rushes into their houses because that's the forest's like boyfriend? Husband? Queen? Theyr'e not sure but they know not to mess with him

Bunny: he brings back lost children

Apollo: He has enough common sense to put on at least a skirt when he leaves the house only Shu gets to see him 100% naked

Bunny: he's wearing the same fucking clothes from several hundred years ago they don't age either, don't question it

Apollo: That would sorta suit the forest spirit vibe though

Bunny: it really does! he's killing it by shoving the offerings into his mouth like a goblin though

Kai: dude dressed in ancient samuri clothes who's rumored to be the spouce of the foreset spirit walks into town-

Apollo: He brings his sword around as well despite not needing it. It's badass okay? It's just annoying trying to return these lost kids to their parents while they're trying to mess with the sword He's sorta missed human food okay

Bunny: they ask him to teach them

Beez: what if he gets a new sword that sorta wraps around his wrist n whenever he wants to bring it out it uncurls

Apollo: He saves the kid of like a rich family and finds a shiny new magic sword among the offerings He sends a bird with a thank you note to their house and the village realizes that they don't just have to offer food. Kokichi also likes shiny stuff People start to think Kokichi is like a crow so whenever he comes to the village, he's wearing new shiny stuff they left for him

Bunny: that cave is about to get So Crowded that's why he walks so weird…he's got bird feets….. definitely……..

Apollo: Kokichi plays along with it and Shu says fuck it and like magics some wings for him because he finds it cute that everyone is calling him a crow

Bunny: (chanting) wing sex, wing sex, wing sex-

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #179

I tried to play Dead Cells again today. And once again, it didn't work out. My attention felt pulled in several different directions, for the sake of trying to tend the people around me; J was reeling from his first overnight at Br's house (changes in routine are hard for him), and there was a friend on the internet who was having a hard time what needed tending, and then there were feelings of being disconnected from me that some folks around me were contending with. Lots of stuff happening at once.

Well. That's okay. It happens like this sometimes. It's the way of things. So we tend the things as best we can. I tended myself with a tea. Today's was an Earl Grey, which is a black tea with bergamot oil. Bergamot is just a fancy kind of orange, I guess. It was really good. I used the last of the orange simple syrup to flavor it; it really was a stellar combination, and I wish I could have given you some to try. But I suppose I'll just have to settle for showing you today's swirls:

J wanted pizza after he returned home from Br's house. So we got pizza. It was just delivery, so it didn't feel like anything earth-shattering to take a picture of for you. But it was pretty good. Pretty good…

I did a lot of leisure writing today. It's usually the thing I default to when I feel like I need to feel somewhat alert to my surroundings. If I play a game, it's a bit too easy for my current reality to fall away such that I fail to notice the things in my immediate vicinity (up to and including my own body cues like hunger and thirst and all that...), and I can't afford for that to happen when there are folks who are in need of my time and attention.

Maybe tomorrow.

Today feels like one of those days in which you wake up and then you blink and suddenly it's 8PM. Time blindness is definitely something I struggle with on a regular basis; it's hard to get anything done when your concept of how time is moving varies from lightning fast to a total standstill and anything in between on a whim. I still haven't figured out a pattern to it. And sometimes it's endlessly frustrating to me that I can't simply zip forward or backwards in time short distances, like for example to do a day over again if I don't feel like I did all the things I wanted to do.

I wonder if you have days like this. This "linear time" stuff, man… I'm not really sure I'll ever get used to it.

Towards the end of Br's visit, we went out for ice cream at a local place that makes homemade ice cream from scratch. We thought that if it's homemade, then surely, Br will be able to eat there. But sadly, somehow their ice cream is not gluten-free (probably as a result of cross-contamination with the pie-flavored ones...), so Br got the soft-serve, which was gluten-free. And that's good.

They have weird flavors like "summer berries" and "banana cream pie" and "s'mores". I tried these ones today. But I have mixed feelings about ice cream; on the one hand, it's very delicious. But on the other hand, I've got a weird body glitch, likely from the autism, that causes my nerves to confuse the sensation of cold for intense physical pain; it takes a damn good ice cream for it to be worth withstanding the cold for.

Hey, Sephiroth? Do you like ice cream? And if you do, which flavors do you like best?

On the way to the place, I got a picture of today's sunset. It wasn't as spectacular as yesterday's, but maybe you'll like it nonetheless; the moon was especially sparkly in the sky today:

Today's letter is kinda short. I didn't do much, and I feel kinda empty-brained.

I wanna ask how you're doing. If you're safe. If you're fed. If you're warm. But I know that you... or the versions of you who are still lost... or what have you... probably won't answer me. But that's okay. Maybe somehow, my question will reach the versions of you who need to be asked. Maybe it'll prompt them to think about it. Maybe if they think about it enough, they'll start trying to make different choices. And if they start trying to make different choices, maybe they can find their way to a more wholesome outcome...

Well. Suppose I'll stop rambling for now, haha.

I love you. Please stay safe out there, okay? I'll write to you again tomorrow; maybe by then I'll have something more substantial to tell you about.

Your friend, Lumine

[static-errorcode]

incorrect quotes with my friends

Featuring

@darkleafblack, @bobateablue, @the-random-creechur, @toffeechad, @sleepypillowynight, @demondevilevil, @coolkiwiyummy

Btw mp mean mechanical pencil

Bobatea: I just want someone to take me out.

Demon: On a date?

Nightmare berry: With a sniper gun?

Mp: Both if you're not a coward.

Kiwi : I have issues.

Demon: Finally, you admit it! The first step to redemption is accept-

Kiwi : With you.

Slimebottle , after getting a job as a life guard: Hmm... I wonder what those things at the bottom of the pool are..

Bobatea: THOSE ARE PEOPLE DROWNING!

Slimebottle : If you got arrested what would be the charges?

Demon: Theft.

Bobatea: Disturbing the peace.

Mp: Aggravated assault.

Nightmare berry: Arson.

Static: All of the above. In that order, probably.

Slimebottle : Nightmare berry won’t wake up, what do I do?

Static: Did you try kicking them?

Slimebottle : Yes.

Static: I’m out of ideas.

Pillowy: Static, you need to react when people cry!

Static: I did. I rolled my eyes.

Kiwi : You know you've made it when you see your picture everywhere you go.

Nightmare berry: Those are wanted posters!

Pillowy, to Demon: Why is Static not talking?

Demon: I'm playing the silent game with them.

Pillowy: Well, then you just lost.

Demon: I lost two hours ago. I gave them ear plugs and told them to close their eyes. It was the only way I could think of to get them to shut up.

Kiwi : Are they stupid?

Slimebottle : Yes, but they prefer to be called Bobatea.

Bobatea: What’s something you guys are better than Pillowy at?

Nightmare berry: Mario Kart.

Mp: Yeah, video games.

Demon: Emotional vulnerability.

Static: Twilight Sparkle was the main character because she represented the element of friendship—

Kiwi , tied up: PLEASE, I JUST WANT TO SEE MY FAMILY AGAIN!

Static: I'M NOT DONE!

Static: And Rainbow Dash was the sporty girl—

Static: Pillowy, I know you snuck out to see Demon last night.

Pillowy: If you tell Kiwi or Bobatea, I swear I’ll murder you, and they’ll never find the body.

Static: Five bucks?

Pillowy: Fine.

Slimebottle : Are you the big spoon or the little spoon?

Pillowy: I'm a knife.

Demon, from across the room: They're the little spoon.

*The gang's thoughts on stabbing*

Bobatea: Would never stab anyone.

Demon: Would stab someone in retaliation.

Nightmare berry: Yells "I won't hesitate, bitch!" first.

Static: Would stab without warning.

Pillowy: Would stab as a warning.

Mp: Hey bro, what do you want to eat?

Static: The souls of the innocent!

Pillowy: A bagel.

Static: No!

Pillowy: Two bagels.

Pillowy, handing a balloon to Static: I have no soul. Have a good day!

Static, walking off: I don't have one either.

Nightmare berry: Don’t be sad!

Kiwi : Why not?

Nightmare berry:

Nightmare berry: I don’t have a good answer.

Slimebottle , on the phone: Uh. . Hey, Demon, i uh, I’ve been stabbed.

Bobatea: WHAT? WHERE ARE YOU?

Slimebottle : Wait- You aren’t Demon. Sorry- I didn’t mean to call you-

Bobatea: NO, WHERE ARE YOU? IM COMING THERE. IM NOT GOING TO LEAVE SOMEONE ALONE THATS BEEN STABBED.

Mp: Not gonna lie, I'm kind of afraid of Nightmare berry...

Slimebottle : As you should be.

Mp: No, for real, they're kind of-

Slimebottle : As. You. Should. Be.

Kiwi : What do you have?

Static: A KNIFE!

Kiwi : NO!

Nightmare berry: I'm bored.

Static: Wanna commit first degree murder? Nightmare berry: Sure!

Mp, hearing them: No- Stop, don't do that! Put that knife down! Put Kiwi down!!

*Kiwi and Mp are texting*

Kiwi : Who are you? Someone changed the names in my phone.

Mp: What did they change my name to?

Kiwi : Chosen One.

Mp: Don’t change it back.

Kiwi : BUT WHO ARE YOU?!?!

Mp: I’m the chosen one.

Mp: Team A will consist of myself, Bobatea, Demon, and Pillowy.

Mp: Team B will consist of Static.

Hope you enjoyed

[a-suspicious-lack-of-bagel]

Smoothie: a very silly treatise

In my opinion, the perfect smoothie has 3 ingredients; these being bananas, milk, and spices. (Perhaps I should have said categories of ingredient!) I have several thoughts to share on this:

1. The equipment. There are many ways to process foods into a mush, and some are marketed specifically for use in smoothification! My personal choice, however, is a stick mixer. It does the job and it's handy for sauces and soups also. In terms of container; I use a tall, cylindrical plastic container (jug? vase? I'm not sure. It's food safe, anyway) with a diameter of about 8cm. If you use a different one, you might end up with more or less milk than I use - but my measuring methods are vague and not particularly repeatable and frankly, who cares.

2. The bananas. Bananas used for smoothie should be bordering on over-ripe. Ideally, they should be past the point where you don't want to take them for lunch (because you know they have insufficient structural integrity to survive your bag); but before the point where you put them in the freezer, thinking (optimistically) that one day they will be used for banana bread. Their role is to provide sweetness and texture. You can use 2, or 3, or however many your heart desires! Peel them, break them in half (they may do this themselves), and put them in the jug/container/whatever.

3. The milk. You can use whatever sort you like! When there's milk in our house, it's usually "light" cow's milk, so I use that. Personally I haven't found a non-dairy milk with a taste I like - because I don't like change, and I assume it would be very hard to get a plant milk to taste EXACTLY like cow's milk. Lactose free would be fine - you're not likely to notice the extra sweetness in something like a smoothie. In terms of amount, I like to mostly cover the bananas and leave about a dollar coin's height of banana sticking out. What's that, 3cm? Probably.

4. The spices. Which ones you use is up to you, but make your ancient ancestors proud. You want to use ground spices - the stick mixer won't grind things for you, and it looks pretty when they go into the milk! I always use chilli; often I also add cinnamon and ginger, paprika can also be good. Don't be afraid of using too much (though don't be excessive) - if your smoothie isn't brown at the end, you could Definitely have added more spices. Without the spices, a banana smoothie is OK - but rather bland. Then again, some people are wierd and don't like flavour in their food. They're wrong, but they're allowed to be wrong. You don't need spices! (But I think they're pretty good).

Now, some things ARE wrong - especially, adding more ingredients. Things you may be tempted to add, and shouldn't:

1. Mango. Why? The texture is viscous enough, the smoothie is sweet enough, and I don't think you're adding much to the flavour. You want a mango smoothie? Make one, don't hijack a banana smoothie.

2. Berries, or any other sort of fruit. See above - if you want those in your smoothie, you're making a different sort of smoothie and should leave the bananas out. As a side note, I'm not a fan of a mango smoothie, and I'd prefer to just eat the component fruits of almost any other smoothie.

3. Chocolate or coffee. They might complement the banana flavour, but again - if you want those in your drink, make a drink where they're the focus.

4. Honey. Why? It's sweet (and thick) enough already from the banana. Use the honey in tea or biscuits or something instead.

5. Oats. Again, why? The texture is perfectly fine already.

6. Any form of extra protein. There are other, yummier ways to get protein if you need it. If you're the sort of person who needs the extra protein in their smoothie, do Not be fooled - a liquid breakfast/post workout will Not sustain you for long enough! Take the time to EAT something, and you'll feel better overall, and food is delicious.

7. Vegetables or vitamins. See above - enjoy your smoothie, enjoy food, and get them somewhere else.

8. Ice. Your drink is a frappé now. By definition, it is no longer a smoothie.

9. Anything else. You surprise and confuse me; but if by some miracle I can eat whatever you're mixing in, I may yet be convinced.

Finally, if your bananas HAVE got to the "freeze them before they smell and make the other fruit go off" stage, or you're adding in frozen banana for whatever reason; remember that frozen banana is stickier than fresh banana! You may want to add more milk to balance this.

I'm sure a lot of people will disagree with me about some of this. That's fine! You're wrong, but you're allowed to be wrong (as long as you don't try to make your Smoothie Abominations near me, or feed them to me). I hope that someone at least finds this half as entertaining as it was to write!

[crescentblossom66]

Prompt 4 Hesitate

The wind howled through the holes in his tree stumb, the random screams of the lost souls that haunt the swamp were rather quiet today, and even the nooses didn't make a peep. Subcon Forest was strangely quiet without the little nuisance around. Snatcher wasn't sure if he was sad that the innsolent kid was gone for a bit, or happy that he finally had peace and quiet again. One thing was for certain, he was bored. It had been a while since new souls had wandered into his forest, no new people to torment and ridicule for their foolishness. Due to the stagnation, he was more than glad when one of his many minons told him that someone had wandered into his forest looking for mushrooms or somehting.

He could feel the presence of his next victim the closer he got, they were near the abandoned and broken down houses that were once full of life. Now, that old village was just a shadow of its former self. He sprung his trap, making thorny vines shoot up in a circle around his target that he could only assume was shaking in fear right now. “HAHAHAHA Foooooool! You blew it! You-” He rose out of the ground and was a bit surprised at who he saw standing in front of him, the person not even flinching, they were even smiling. “- totally...screwed...yourself...” He trailed off shrinking back to a smaller size, and speaking in a quieter, less extravagant and scary voice. “What are you doing here?”

The orange cat in chef's attire waved at him. “Oh hey there, I was trying to find new ingredients to cook with and a forest always has a great variety of mushrooms and berries. You don't mind if I take a look around, do you?” That cat was at the kid's spaceship, always hanging around in the kitchen, she even waved to him whenever she saw him.

“Uh...” He rubbed his head in confusion, not sure if he should take the soul of the cat or not.

“Hey boss, look! That newbie brought a basket with good looking and smelling food. It's a shame I can't eat though because you cheaped out when you made our bodies...Yeah...” A group of minions of his were leaning over a picnic basket that had sandwiches and cupcakes in it.

He briefly wondered if there was a sandwich that had bacon in it...it had been such a long time that he had bacon. “Would you mind lowerin' those vines here, sweetie, I'd like to explore the forest a bit. I promise that I won't break anything.” The orange feline gave a gently smile stepping close to the vines that he had created.

The purple specter shook his head after being brought back from his thoughts. “Yeah sure...You don't have a bacon sandwich in there by chance, do you?”

“Of course I do, the little alien child told me that you like bacon, so I brought a few with me...not sure if ghosts can eat solid food though...and I don't know how to make an ethereal sandwich yet, I'm woriking on it.” She wondered out into the forest after he brought his vines down again.

The group of minions watched the cat walked further into the forest before turning back to their leader. “Boss, shouldn't you steal her soul or something?”

He found it! He finally found some bacon in this god-forsaken forest! “Nah, I'm feeling rather generous today, I won't even punish you with outhouse duty for insulting me about the body I so mercifully granted you.” The minion shivered and was quiet after that.

[hawkeyedflame]

Hello again it's me sorry if I'm being annoying I'm just so tired of doctors and want to take my health into my own hands. Anyways I recently took your advice but only ate sardines,eggs, saltwater, tea and regular water without meat (couldn't afford it currently) and to make a long story i felt like actual garbage I had night and day palpations, dizziness, fatigue, irritable mood swings, heavy breathing, leg cramps and so fourth ,But then I ate garbage (McDonald) and woke up without palpations and had good sleep like wtf??? So yeah I guess my body is too accustomed to garbage so I have to gently ween myself off of it before I try anything new anyways thanks again for all the advice and sorry again for being annoying..

(Not relevant but I had to fish sandwiches and a few sips of a vanilla milkshake)

That sounds pretty spot on for transition symptoms. If you are coming from a carbohydrate-heavy diet into a zero carb diet, your body will be forced into ketosis, which is the metabolic state of utilizing fatty acids to produce ketones in the liver, which are then burned for energy by the body. When you eat carbs, your body will never use fatty acids for energy and will instead just store them, and you will always be in a state of glycolysis, or carb-burning. Most modern people have been in glycolysis for almost their entire lives, as only breastfed babies stay in ketosis, and then that ends once they start eating the carb-based modern diet. Because of this, lack of use means that your body doesn't know how to make and utilize ketones efficiently. It has to learn how to do this, which can take as little as four days or as long as two weeks, depending on the individual.

During that time where the body is acclimating to this new way of functioning, you can feel all sorts of awful. This transition period is most commonly known as "keto flu." It ranges in symptoms. Everything you experienced is a symptom, and a couple others include skin rashes, nausea and diarrhea. Essentially the body is flipping out trying to figure out how to use this new fuel source, and at first it will be bad at it. But don't worry, those symptoms are transient and they won't do any long term damage to you. However, if you find them to be unbearably severe, what you can do instead is back off and transition into the diet slowly. Keep your carbs, but increase your animal-based food intake, and over a period of time start reducing your carbs while increasing your meat intake. It can help minimize the negative effects.

Also, lots of fat and electrolytes are your friend.

I would highly recommend looking into the videos of Dr. Ken Berry, Judy Cho, and Bella the Steak and Butter Gal on youtube. They have lots of overview videos with tips/tricks, advice, and pitfalls to avoid when starting the diet or trying to make adjustments to optimize it. Between them they have far more knowledge than I do. Not to say I don't like answering questions, but I want to make sure you're in the best hands possible :)

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

"Ore" berries

Just another short and lazy story about chaotic Farmer Julian, because I love him, my little disaster cinnamon roll ❤️

Also thanks @reallyghostlypost for inspiring by showing me this ore bushes mod!

"Well, Julian... Is there anything you want to tell me?"

The young man to whom that name belonged still couldn't understand why he was standing in the forest in front of the older man, who was also his friend and mentor, and felt like a guilty child. Well, what Julian had done is a little wrong - there's no denying that. But seriously, why is he standing there blushing like a little boy whose parents caught him stealing cookies before dinner?

"Magnus, I know it didn't come out well..."

"Oh, really?" In the violet-haired wizard's defense, he had every right to be angry and sassy. Not only did his unofficial apprentice use such a powerful spell without training and without notifying Magnus at least, but he also disrupted the ecosystem of the Cindersep Forest, turning ripe berries on the bushes into roundish pieces of various noble metals: gold, iron, iridium. You can even pick "ripe" radioactive ore somewhere. It's mid-autumn, and what the poor animals should eat in order to survive the cold winter?

The situation can be easily remedied, Magnus can do it. But you can't let Julian get away with this misdemeanor. Discipline is important in magic, and unauthorized use of a spell will lead to the Ministry of Magic to impose stricter measures to fix such a problem. And neither Magnus nor Julian would like those 'measures'.

"Look on the bright side, there's plenty of gold ore for you and Morgan to experiment on", with a nervous chuckle, Julian realized that his attempt to smooth things over a bit had failed, because Magnus stepped confidently up to the hapless self-taught young wizard and grabbed him by the ear. Julian grunted at the discomfort and rose to his toes, trying to ease the pain. But Magnus, without letting go of his ear, led Julian toward his tower.

"Ow ow ow ow! Magnus, it hurts! I'll fix it and I won't do it again! I'm sorry- Ow! Let go, I'm not a child! Ouch ouch ouch!-"

The two of them were silently watched by Camilla, standing not far from the forest lake. The huge source of magic in the Valley and the shiny pieces of precious metals on the bushes caught the attention of the head witch of the Castle Village and she decided to find out what was wrong immediately. She saw her colleague dragging the young farmer by the ear and only smiled, with amusement and admiration.

"Interesting...", She immediately vanished into thin air, heading back to her chambers. What the strongest witch in the entire Republic was thinking at this moment, no one can say, because Camilla is so unpredictable.