#lavender is also already a plant ~ lavender

[windvexer]

question about animism, because its always confused me: since you (or, other animists, i cant say i know YOUR exact beliefs and practices on everything) want to respect all the ingredients you use in a spell because you believe in them all having spirits, like lets say lavender, you might ask for its permission to be used in the spellwork in a certain way, right? and that sometimes you may even give the lavender an offering, to build your relationship with lavender, and like as thanks/giving back after their help in your spell. but, my question is about that offering you might give lavender. if an animist believe everything has a spirit, doesnt that also include the things theyre offering? so, youd give an offering of, say, water, to lavender for helping you out, but then wouldnt you have to give your appreciation to water for being an offering/helping you improve your relationship with lavender? wouldnt that get you caught in, like, a loop of offerings and respect and stuff? just trying to get clarification on this idea, ive been wondering for a while and havent been able to find the answer on my own 😭💀

The act of offering water and the act of asking Lavender to do a work of sorcery for me are not equal acts that carry equal debt.

The reason I work to evoke Lavender into lavender is because the great spirit of Lavender is not already present. He is far away; he is attending to his many important concerns.

I work to call him, and when I have the sights of that powerful god on me, I thank him for his efforts and attention with the offering.

The reason I give Lavender an offering is because he has exerted energy to come to me and to help me, and that energy could be otherwise spent on tending to his personal affairs.

Where is the 'spirit' of the offering?

Well it's not there looking at me, because I never called it. Something can have spiritual presence without being an active vessel for a living spirit.

Something that shapes Witchcraft is the reality that spiritual power is not ubiquitous and evenly distributed! I think it's even fair to argue that the fundamental act of the Witch is learning how to find this power and bring it back and forth across the worlds, because it often isn't already here.

Just because I see a peacock at the zoo doesn't mean I'm in the presence of Lucifer. Just because I see a deer doesn't mean I'm in the presence of Artemis. And just because I offer a cup of water does not mean Water is with me in the room.

But even so: Water is an element. Elements are not Plants. They do not behave the same, not at all; they do not have the same concerns. Water and Lavender are not two members of the same species, they are as alike as a hydrogen atom is to an elephant.

Water is not Oceans, Streams, or Rain; Water is also not the Gray Toad, the King of Water, the Gatekeeper of the West (which is where I place water), or even an undine or a water elemental by any name.

Water is Water, which is a fundamental metaphysical building-block; it is not living in the common sense. Lavender is a living god that governs its living children in the middle world, and while it may be eternally accessible through the mystical, it could actually be killed in the physical; it is possible for this genetic strain to be eliminated and its children born no more. The same cannot be said for Water.

I belabor the point to say: just because Lavender and Water both have an essence beyond their mere physical bodies does not mean they want or need to be treated the same ways.

And just because I use an object in magic does not mean I am requesting favors from a spirit that should be rightfully repaid.

[gensokyogarden]

How well do each of your muses handle spicy foods?

Oh boy! given the fairies were discussing it I'll start with my canons/ocs at the SDM and then include some others that are interesting.

My take on Remilia comes from France so to answer this I decided to research a bit on French cooking. While there do seem to be a few spices used in traditional French meals they seem to have very few with hot spices. Remilia was born in 1491 and became a vampire in 1511. In the time that she lived foreign cuisines were not too readily apparent and I head canon she began eating a lot less upon going vamp so modern time hasn't given her much opportunity to adapt to spice. With that in mind, Remilia doesn't handle spice well at all.

A lot of the factors for Flan are pretty much the same with just slight variance. Frenchish (except technically her home is now in Belgium) born in 1496 became a vampire in 1515. The difference is that Flandre did not have a break with eating as Remi did. Since Flandre doesn't control her strength she can't effectively feed on blood so she has to eat actual meals. FDS reveals the fairy mades do a lot of the cooking but personally I headcanon that Meiling had been with the manor long before the fae staff (Sakuya may well have too). That means Meiling probably did a fair bit of the cooking in the past. Chinese food has a lot of spicy dishes. Meiling probably knew better than to just feed Flandre super spicy food but she can at least handle a bit of kick. Not Mapo Tofu but some other curries she can manage.

My Patchy was raised in China by Italian merchants. Both cultures have a good amount of spicy food in their cooking. However the issue is that Patchouli has several health problems (Anemia, asthma, etc). Personally, as someone without any of that, I am not sure what impact spicy food can have on that. For that reason I'm tentatively going to say that Patchouli handles spice okay but that they irritate her throat in large qualities. So only small doses of spice please.

Chimata is a Japanese market god. Don't know much about Japanese food but from what I can find they don't have many national spicy foods but that Chinese and Indian spicy foods have always been popular there, also some regional spicy foods. Spice itself has always been a big part of merchantry, which gives Chim-chim a good reason to have pretty big stockpiles. I think Chimata actually has the best spice tolerance of all my SDM muses. Spicy food is probably her preferred meal. Lots of Mapo Tofu for this lady.

For my rarely appearing Sakuya muse, she was raised in Mexico. Ate a lot of hot spices before being recruited by her vampire boss. Unfortunately, Remilia's distaste for spices means that since coming to the mansion she hasn't ate anything spicy. After all, the meals prepared are for Remilia (even if she often does not feel like eating). For that reason her spice tolerance has sagged with time.

Now for my SDM ocs.

Mizu is basically a water bucket brought to life. Capsaicin is an oil and her body is even more water than a human's is. Do not give her spice. It will just cause her entire body to feel like it were burning.

Fairies are nature spirits and Summer is one for the hottest season of the year. I don't think she'd have any problem with spice. In fact she enjoys some of the spicier peppers quite a lot.

Don't give the goblins spice. They're English house spirits, the hottest thing they've had is horse radish.

Lavender is not prepared for spice. She does not have Patchouli's background but does have her poor constitution so spicy food will wipe the floor with her.

Now a few other characters:

Reimu does not even seem to process that she's eaten something spicy when given it. Unphased.

Eirin will, similarly, eat some of the hottest peppers and spices known to man and look totally unphased afterwards.

Yuuka very specifically likes Mapo Tofu. Nobody has seen her eat any other spicy foods.

Byakuren can scarf down spices with no problem. Seems to really like it.

Reisen ate a bell pepper and became horrible pained. No spice for her please.

[gensokyogarden]

"GET HIM GIRLS!"

"Aye aye!"

"Not a girl!"

[fungus-gnats]

same type of mint, different amounts of sunlight

[savageboar]

im overwintering my outdoor plants this year because i love these guys way too much. so it's a jungle in here lol

[potchi-fics]

tw; g!p cait, overstimulation

      being the commander’s wife has its perks; seeing caitlyn’s vulnerable side, for instance—that is probably your favourite amongst your special privileges. that and also the fact that she worships the ground your heel walks on.

you have her wrapped around your finger, she will drop anything she’s doing the moment you utter out her name.

you knock on the door to her office, hearing her muffled voice say ‘come in’ and you do. you open it to see her eyes staring daggers into her paperwork, shoulders clearly tense, and her one hand rubbing the nail of her thumb using her index and middle finger, a habit she’s developed when under stress. you lock the door.

“you haven’t eaten, have you?” you cross your arms, rolling your eyes even, “how many times have i told you to eat on time, cait? up you go, i had them prepare us a meal.”

caitlyn massages the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes, the lights from her office hurting her tired eyes, “darling, i’ve still got a little paperwork left. i will be done in twenty minutes.” you raise an eyebrow. “ten minutes.” you refuse to budge. “okay, let’s eat but first, can you come here, please?”

      how can you refuse when she’s giving you the puppy eyes? you saunter over to her desk, walking around it so that you’re standing right in front of her. her shoulder sags at your close proximity, standing up and letting herself drape over your body.

you love it when she’s like this, all clingy and needy. she wraps her arms around your waist, shoving her face into the side of your neck, inhaling the scent that she adores—vanilla and lavender.

yours circled around her neck, staying completely still for her. her breath fans over your neck, quickly transitioning into soft pecks and kisses, leading to you giving her more access.

“i’ve missed you, darling,” her kisses proceed to the other side, “missed you so much.”

      your eyes shut as she continues to plant kisses on you, turning into open wet-mouthed some time ago, you haven’t noticed. she leaves one last kiss before burying her head into your neck again but you need to kiss her.

you pull away, and the way her eyes fill with sadness immediately makes you pull her back in—your lips colliding harshly, teeth clashing, a low moan leaving you. 

her hands go lower and they settle themselves under your thigh, lifting you and seating you on her desk: work be damned.

with a swipe over your lower lip, you open your mouth slightly to let her tongue in. caitlyn is famished: she’s licking every part of your mouth, sucking your tongue, you almost think she’s shoving her tongue down your throat. she holds your jaw, forcing you to take her violent kisses.

you try to get a word in, “i’ve missed you mor–”

      she is impatient, and so are you.

your fingers fumble with her belt, blindly undoing it and pulling it down enough to slip your hand in. her half-hardening dick is straining against her boxers, making you giggle in the kiss. you palm her and she hisses at the contact.

you swallow her groans as you massage her cock, distracting her from kissing you. you feel her pull away but a grip on her hair stops her from doing so. a whisper of ‘please’ urged you to touch her finally. 

you truly did miss her and her. caitlyn’s hips buckled towards you once you gripped the base of her cock, taking it out and you look down to see her tip already leaking her precum. 

you grin at caitlyn however she avoids your stare, hiding her head on your shoulder, embarrassment coating her face. your thumb swipes the head, and your smile widens at her reaction. who would’ve thought that the commander could swear like a sailor. you tease her by doing that continuously—oh, that is torture for the poor commander; her tip is sensitive. and one noise from you almost made you cum, she whined.

caitlyn kiramman, leader of house kiramman, a decorated officer: a commander. whined. 

your eyes shut, you can’t handle the noises coming from your wife. it turns you on so goddamn much. the neck kisses from earlier were enough to make you wet, but this? her hips buckling to chase your touch after every swipe? her whining on your shoulder to do something, it’s riling you up. 

you push her back, and the back of her knees hits her chair and makes her sit down. the sight before you made you wish you could take a picture right about now: her gaze dazed, panting lightly, her pants and boxers pulled down so that her tip was poking out.

“darling, please.” there she goes again. “i need you.”

      your composure breaks. you struggle to get out of your pants and undergarments but you do, pulling it down to your midthighs and getting off the table to face away from caitlyn. hands on your hips pull you down, gripping them that’ll leave bruises tomorrow morning. she pulls your underwear aside, her tip kissing your clit.

you take matters into your own hands and lead her right into you, your hand disappearing underneath—gasping when that familiar head breaks through. caitlyn growls lowly before pushing down roughly, your back arching at the sudden intrusion.

“g-gentle now,” you feel so good. you feel everything, you feel how she twitches, feel every vein. you feel how she faintly buckles her hips up. you slowly lift yourself,  “good boy.”

she can’t help but harshly pull you back down, your hand shoots up to cover your mouth because she is hitting you just right. “i need you, darling. i need you. i’ve missed you.”

      she stands up, along with you, her needy cock moving inside of you. you brace yourself on her desk, one hand still on your mouth and the other on the table. she uses her grip on your hips as leverage, using it to push and pull you, your cunt greedily welcoming her.

the tip of her cock is hitting your favourite spot, making you mewl in delight at the sensation, muffled moans and whimpers vibrating in the back of your throat, accompanying caitlyn’s own groans.

your cunt clenches around her and her pace wavers. she pushes you down, your breasts on top of her work, and you feel her lean down before continuing on bruising your cunt. 

“shit,” caitlyn whispers on the back of your neck, kissing your nape, “missed you so much. you have no idea, darling.”

      an unexpected pressure on your pussy makes you yelp—she managed to sneak a hand down, rubbing your puffy clit in a slow circle. the contrast of her thrusts and rubs results in you having a sudden orgasm. your eyes close shut, your toes curling in pleasure, ears ringing, and you accidentally, unconsciously, hit the things on her desk, hearing them clatter on the ground.

caitlyn whines at the feeling of you squeezing you, “fuck,” she goes back up, her hands returning to your hips, and resumes her thrusts—this time, aggressively. 

“i just c-came,” your sore throat succeeded in letting out, your hand pushing back against her abdomen. 

      she doesn’t hear you. she’s focused on the ring that’s forming around her dick, thickening as she continues to pound into your pussy. she gets off on this: you two fucking in her office, you bent over on her desk, ruining her progress, she doesn’t care. 

all she cares about is you taking her cock, all she cares about is you turning into a mess; a blabbering mindfucked mess. and you are. you’re letting out the most sinful and ungodly noises, your sensitive cunt, as well. she grits her teeth, she can feel herself about to cum, and the scene of your legs shaking, you trying to slow her down by putting your palm on her abdomen, is enough to make her cum. 

she cums with a whine, it’s too much for her. she leans down to bite at your shoulder, her cock spurting in think squirts. her cum is warm, hot enough to spread throughout your body and that’s enough for you to cum again. 

you’ve lost your voice so all you can do is hide your face in your forearm, trying your best to not scream. 

“darling,” caitlyn gasps out, dumbstruck by you’re squeezing cunt, “you’re m-milking me.”

      she stops cumming after a few seconds. she pulls out slowly, loving the way you cling to her. she falls back to her seat, admiring her work. still panting, you push yourself up with difficulty, the overstimulation still running.

“the food’s gone cold now, honey.”

[gensokyogarden]

"Madam Sakuya? Here in this world? So you're the one behind this aren't you?"

"Oh you're with him, huh? Lets get him!"

[covenists]

✦ FLOWER POWER, C. SAINZ

everyone knows that carlos is not the type of person who likes flowers. of course everyone also knows that dislike will turn into the opposite, just like him with flowers.

₊˚⊹౨ৎ ⋆｡✦˚‎

HIS QNA OVER TIME, SAME TOPIC:

TWITTER

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yourusername

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yourusername Sunday 💮

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username Carlos you can run but you can't hide

username i mean i understand why's he liking this tho... her bouquet collection are PERFECT

username This is the type of thing that I need to see in the morning

username I'm convinced that Carlos is just pretending to be a flower hater. Because who hates flowers?

username The wall he had created for them poor flowers are finally collapsed because of her

username SHE BROKE CARLOS'S ACTING?

username okay fight me, but i definitely understand on why is he even breaking his character

username I'll fight you because idk what is he looking in these posts

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yourusername

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yourusername Another collection, and it's STUNNING!

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username YESS GIVE US YOUR TOP ANGLE WITH THOSE FLOWERS TO US

username Now I wonder who's giving her those flowers...

username ＠mileycyrus Definitely oml 🙄🙄🙄

username no but for real it is stunning

carlossainz55 💐

charles_leclerc It's her second post about his bouquets and he's already got down this bad

username THE WHAT????!!!!?!?!?!11?1!

username He cannot say sike here I'm afraid

username He can't because he's blindly in love with her

username the power she held over him is so strong, he forgets about his whole dislike about this plant

yourusername

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yourusername Flower power!

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landonorris thanks to your power to break down all of his fakeness that has lasted for 4 years 😒😒 too bad that i bought it

carlossainz55 Everyone has their secret, but for this one is different

landonorris yeah keep lying to us cheater

carlossainz55 WHAT ARE YOU CALLING ME CHEATER FOR

robertomerhi I thought that this could never be discovered, but I guess you uncovered it yourself 🤣

carlossainz55 Why are you guys turning against me now

username idk guys but i guess y/n is the fourth person here

username she's so cute omg, i've never seen her full face this year

username CARLOS CAN YOU FIGHT?

username flower lover gf 🤝 flower hater bf

username forget him i want a flower lover gf too

carlossainz55 added photos to their story! · 27m

carlossainz55

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carlossainz55 Monday morning activities 🌄🌞💐

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username IT'S REAL?????😨😨😨😨😨😨

username What kind witchcraft did she use to make him like flower again?

username AGAIN?

username I need her ig user

username ＠yourusername

georgerussell63 I feel something was not quite right here...

alex_albon Yeah, me too 🤨🤨🤨

username IVE BEEN WAITED FOR THIS

username next time, she'll convince him to open a flower shop in italy

maxverstappen1 I didn't know that you liked flower, you told me that you hated it until that time one time you didn't even enters the room because there's lavender in it.

kellypiquet Love can make it all disappears 😌

danielricciardo Wait, I didn't know that

yourusername added a photo to their story! · 14m

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taglist: @queenofmanydreams @muglermami @4limq @avengers-assemble123456 @cabbyhabs @meowtastick @4mula-1 @miarabanana @amel1ee @dinosushilun1 @auggieblogs @namgification @charli123456789 @cherry-piee

[midnighthazee]

Greenridge ABO Series

a/n: I don't know how often I'll post - shooting for a couple times a week (MWF?). I'm trying to be quick caz I also hate waiting on the next part of what I'm reading. So I post as I write :) thanks for your support and patience!! Love you guys

Series Masterlist Masterlist

Warnings: angsty, explicit language, mentions of abuse/neglect, fear

WC: 3340

Chapter 4

“Minho… talk to me.” Chan insisted, coming down the stairs.

Minho plopped on the couch in the basement.

“What is it?”

Minho looked at his Alpha. 

Chan looked at him expectantly, making Minho groan.

“She’s my soulmate too.” he said, his voice barely audible.

Chan looked into his eyes, surprised. “You too?”

“At this point…it’s half the pack.” Minho threw his arms up as he fell back into the couch.

“So I guess this means you agree she should stay?” Chan smiled, his dimples showing as he poked at Minho playfully.

“Of course she’s staying. I’m not a monster.” Minho grumbled.

Chan looked at the stairs, hearing the doorbell.

“I hear Doc Quinn. She must be here to do a checkup.” Chan noted.

“This still doesn’t fix our problem. We can’t afford a fight against the Nyko pack.” Minho continued.

“I know. We will figure it out.” Chan said. 

Doctor Quinn, Felix, and you come down the stairs.

“Morning Chan. Morning Minho.” Doctor Quinn cheered.

“Morning.” Chan greeted warmly.

“Morning.” Minho mumbled, not bothering to turn around.

You three went into the med room.

“I’m going to eat.” Minho stood and jogged up the stairs to go get his plate.

Chan lingered a bit, hearing the conversation between you and Felix before he too went to get his breakfast.

“Y/n, I know it will take time, but I promise you, they are trustworthy. They will take care of you… the right way.” Doctor Quinn went on. “And I’m here for you too.”

You nod.

“Eat well, okay. And get plenty of rest. Soon you should feel normal. Or what normal should be.”

“Okay.” You say in a small voice, making her smile.

“I’ll ask you more questions next time. For now, just get acquainted with everyone.” She removed her gloves and gestured to the door. “You’re free.”

You looked at the open door, processing her words. Free. You were free? Tears filled your eyes and threatened to fall down your cheeks as you felt hopeful for the first time in a long time. You blinked back the tears, standing from the bed and stepping out of the room. Wanting some fresh air, you went out the double doors, inhaling the morning air as you fought back the tears. 

Could I truly be free?

“Hey…you okay?”

Your eyes pop open as you look at Felix standing before you. His brows were furrowed in worry. You nod but he doesn’t seem to believe you. But still, he doesn’t push you.

“How are you feeling? Tired? Hungry?” Felix questioned.

You shook your head.

“Do you want to watch tv or play some video games?”

You looked at him confused, never having done either of those things. 

“C’mon. We can pick something to watch together.”

Felix led you inside and upstairs. You noticed the kitchen was all clean, Minho putting the last of the dishes in the dishwasher. He looked up at you two and you were quick to look away. He clearly didn’t like you being here so you didn’t want to upset him further.

One of the boys was sitting on the couch watching tv already, remote in hand. He was also very handsome. His full cheeks and wavy hair drew you in, his smile was cute and contagious. 

His scent was different from Felix’s, which smelled of lavender and daisies, with a hint of eucalyptus. The other smelled like fresh cut grass and lemons, with a hint of gardenia. It was intoxicating and reminded you of a faint memory from your childhood - both their scents did. 

The memory was from one of the last days you had with your mother. You two had spent the day picking flowers in a field. There were all kinds of flowers and plants around you - daisies, lavender, roses, and gardenia. The gardenia smell was your favorite, but your mom loved the daisies. She said they were her favorite flower. Oh, how you missed her.

“Hey, wanna watch a movie?” Felix asked him.

“Sure. What movie?”

“I don’t know.” Felix sat down next to him, snatching the remote with a smile.

“Yah! Give it back.” He moved to get the remote back but Felix was too fast.

You jumped back at their interaction, not wanting to get in the crosshairs of their dispute. The two boys wrestled on the floor as Felix tried to keep hold of the remote. Minho suddenly walked into the room and towered over them with a glare. You shrunk against the window behind you, feeling his annoyance. They must have felt it too because they stopped and looked up at him.

“Best…behavior?” Minho spoke with gritted teeth.

“Sorry.” They mumbled in unison.

“We were just playing around.” Felix pouted.

“Pick a movie or go upstairs.” Minho left the room without even looking back at you.

“What’s got him so tense today?” Chubby cheeks asked.

Felix shrugged, noticing you standing by the window. “It’s okay. Come sit. This is Jisung.”

“Hi.” Jisung says with a smile and a wave.

You slowly come over and sit on the couch opposite of Jisung, Felix between you two. It was so comfy that you just sank right into it. Felix pulled up the movie list, throwing out some titles. You just shrugged, none of the titles sounding familiar. Eventually Felix decided on Harry Potter. 

“A classic,” he called it.

You only managed forty minutes of the movie before falling asleep on the couch next to them. At first they didn’t notice, but when Chan came into the kitchen and asked where you were, they looked over to see you laying down asleep.

Chan came over, not seeing you laying there from the kitchen, and smiled down at you. He grabbed a blanket from the basket at the edge of the fireplace and draped it over you. Felix and Jisung changed the channel to some soft music and headed upstairs so as not to disturb you. Chan went into his office to do some work, but not before pulling out his phone and taking a picture of you. You were too cute to resist.

“Well she’s definitely not dead…” Milo states.

They had searched all through the forest for your body.

“No shit. Obviously she got away. If she’s with the neighboring packs, Lewis is going to be furious.” Hayes runs his fingers through his hair.

“Wouldn’t the packs just give her back? We have agreements with them.”

“Did the cobalt get to your head or are you always this stupid.” 

Milo glares.

“The Greenridge pack is full of weak hybrids. They would probably nurse her back to health and hope she makes them stronger. The Okami pack fear us enough they probably would actually give her back to avoid issues.”

“So if she’s not dead, she’s with Greenridge.”

“Or Okami. Or Honshu. Omegas make hybrids do dumb things. You of all people should know this.”

“YAH! I was having fun. Same as you.”

“You crossed a line. I should have said no to the cobalt. Then she wouldn’t have gotten so disorientated and stepped off course.”

“I’m happy she did. Maybe she passed the cobalt along to the ones who tried to heal her and they got poisoned too.”

“I swear you get stupider everyday.” Hayes says.

Before Milo can pounce on his brother, the phone rings.

“Dammit. Don’t say a word.” Hayes says, answering the call. “Hey Lewis. How’s Montana and the Harlow pack?”

“They are good. We made a deal last night. I need you two to make sure the omegas are cleaned up, fed and not injured for the next few days. They need to be in their best shape. Especially my little y/n.”

“Why?”

“The Harlow pack has agreed to become our allies. Their support and numbers in exchange for an omega. Y/n is the weakest link so she should be a good one to pawn. So make sure she looks the best.”

“Okay. Yep, got it.” Hayes glared at Milo who was eavesdropping on the conversation.

“Everything alright there?”

“Everything’s great. Couldn’t be better.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I gotta go, the maids are just pulling up.”

“Okay. Have them give the omegas a little extra food.” 

“Will do.”

Hayes hung up. “We are so screwed.”

It was nearly two hours later when you began to wake. Blinking your eyes open, you noticed a figure sitting next to you. You pop up, pushing back into the couch cushions.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” he said in a sultry voice. 

This man was beautiful. Toned arms flexed as he adjusted how he was sitting so he could face you. His black hair was slightly wavy, his dark eyes fixed on you. He gave a small smile as you made eye contact and you swallowed, noticing the beauty mark he had under his eye. He was just staring at you like you were something to eat.

“I’m Hyunjin.” He smiled bigger.

“Y/n…” you whispered, looking down in your lap.

His eyes widened, not expecting you to talk since everyone said you didn’t. But he was quick to clear his throat, jumping for joy on the inside. “Nice to officially meet you.”

With that he stood, but hesitated, staring at you for a few moments before finally walking off. You watched after him, confused, but grateful for the space. Looking around the room, you didn’t see anyone. The tv was playing music and you wondered how long you had been asleep. 

You stood, walking down a hallway. There were pictures on the walls of the boys. A couple group ones, some in pairs. You smiled how much they clearly loved and cared for each other, wondering if that would ever be you. There was a cutout in the wall displaying a vase with fake Calla Lilies in it at the end of the hall. Turning you see two french doors. Approaching, you look behind you before continuing.

Upon opening the door, you step in and see an oversized desk with a computer on it. One wall is full of built-in bookcases, the other having floor to ceiling windows. There were two chairs facing the desk, a person sitting down in one. He was quick to turn around, staring at you.

The chair behind the desk spun around and revealed Chan on the phone. You should have knocked…or not been exploring at all. This wasn’t your house. 

You began to slowly back away, but Chan was quick to gesture you forward. You look back to the other person, realizing he also had an alpha scent. This slim cutie was the third alpha in this pack. He brushed his hair from his eyes, forcing a smile at you. You didn’t realize earlier how pretty his eyes were. Or how cute his smile was with his dimples.

You looked down, wanting to run far away. Why was everyone in this pack so unbelievably attractive?

Chan finished up his conversation, before smiling at you.

“How was your nap?”

You hesitated before deciding to speak. “Good.”

Chan’s eyes lit up, taken aback by your verbal answer, and smiled even bigger. Wow those dimples. “That’s great.”

He stood up, making the other alpha stand as well. You stiffened, instinctively stepping back.

“It’s alright. This is Jeongin. He is the youngest here and our newly presented alpha. So you’ll have to excuse him if he gets a bit uptight.” Chan says, resting a hand on Jeongin’s shoulder.

“I’m not uptight.” He groans, pushing his hand off.

Chan just laughs. “I have to go discuss some things with another pack. I’ll probably be gone the rest of the day. So if you need something, just ask anybody in the pack, okay?” 

You nod.

“Innie, would you like the honors of showing her to her room?” Chan asked.

You look up at him incredulously. 

“Sure.” Jeongin says.

“Room?” you echoed.

“Yes. You will have your own space. That way you can nest how you like. And you can personalize it however you want. If you don’t like the wall colors, we can change it. Want new furniture? We will replace it. Whatever you need for your nest, we can get, okay?”

You blink in disbelief, speechless. You didn’t know what he meant by nest but you didn’t say anything.

“Ready?” Jeongin asked, interrupting your thoughts.

You nod.

“See you later.” Chan smiled.

Jeongin led you back down the hall and upstairs. This was your first time up here and it was massive. There was a bit of loft space where a lot of junk as well as clothes were piled up.

“Laundry mess.” Jeongin noted. “This way.”

Jeongin led you down a hallway to the left and you saw a couple doors in the hallway. One of the doors had loud noises coming from behind it as well as two people arguing. You think one of them is Felix….if you can recognize his husky voice by now.

“They get too into their video games.” Jeongin said with an eyeroll.

You heard a door open and close behind you. Turning to see who it was, you saw the slim, gorgeous man from earlier. Starts with an H but you can’t remember.

“Innie… what are you doing?” he asked.

“Showing her to her room.” Jeongin answered.

“I think you’ll like it, y/n. It gets a lot of natural light and has calming colors in it. But if you want help painting it, I can help you.”

“Y/n? That’s your name?” Jeongin asked.

You nodded.

“How come you told Hyunjin first?” Jeongin pouted.

Hyunjin. That’s his name. 

“Because I’m special.” Hyunjin gloated.

You were quick to shake your head in defense. “No, I-”

You didn’t know what to say. He just happened to be there when you decided to start talking. It wasn’t favoritism.

“It’s fine. I see how it is.” Jeongin opened the last door on the left and walked in.

Your shoulders dropped, your feet not moving.

“He was just teasing. He’s not mad.” Hyunjin assured.

“Oh, I was only kidding y/n. Don’t be sad.” Jeongin was quick to come back to your side.

“We joke around and are sarcastic a lot. Don’t take us too seriously.” Hyunjin offered a smile.

You look to the room and begin to step inside. It was spacious and nicely decorated with neutral tones. The wood accent wall and ceiling were a soft tone, white sheets brightening up the room. Hyunjin was right, the windows let in tons of light. You had a spacious closet although it was empty right now since the only clothes you owned were shredded in the forest. You didn’t even know where they were but wouldn’t be surprised if they were thrown out.

“And over here is your bathroom. It’s a private bath, so you won’t have to share it with anyone.” Jeongin informed.

Walking into the bathroom, you were stunned. It was so clean and…and gorgeous. Worn shiplap walls, white tile in the shower and a vanity sink. This bathroom was a major upgrade from your hole in the floor of the cell.

“You like? Hopefully it’s not too much.” Jeongin’s brows furrowed in worry.

“It’s probably too much.” Hyunjin deadpanned, earning a glare from Jeongin.

“It’s….gorgeous.” You say.

“See, she likes it.” Jeongin pushed Hyunjin out the doorway as you all exited the bathroom.

“I’m hungry. Would you like something to eat, y/n?” Hyunjin asked.

Eyes wide, you nod eagerly and they both giggle at you.

“Come on. We can make something to eat.”

“When you ever need space, you can come here. Okay?” Jeongin said.

You nod before following Hyunjin to the kitchen.

Hyunjin had made you both some ramen, yours less spicy as it was your first time. It was so yummy, you ate the whole bowl. He offered you more food, but you were full, your body not used to big meals. Jisung and Felix had come down to eat too, and asked if you wanted to finish the movie. You agreed and spent the rest of the afternoon watching the first two Harry Potter movies. 

Felix explained things as they happened, making sure you were understanding the world and what was going on. You felt yourself relaxing for the first time. You enjoyed the movies and got really invested in the story. Felix was happy you liked the movies, even running upstairs to get his computer and make you take the official test and get your house. (Just use whatever house you would like if you’re into Harry Potter)

After, Minho pulled Felix to help with dinner. The thought of eating again was daunting, you were still so full from your late lunch. Eating this much in one day was new to you but you didn’t want to be rude. 

Seungmin and Changbin came downstairs and joined you and Jisung on the couch. Jisung was watching an anime but you weren’t really paying attention. Instead you were staring at the two boys talking about the show with him. You didn’t realize earlier just how buff Changbin was. He was probably three times your size with his broad shoulders. It was a bit scary honestly…. The damage he could do if he treated you like the Nykos. Thankfully Hayes and Milo weren’t this buff. He then laughed about something and it was a really cute laugh. It made him seem softer and you found yourself smiling at it. 

Seungmin was also so, so attractive. You stared as he brushed the hair from his eyes and pointed at the screen. He rambled about something that was happening, but you just watched the way his lips moved as he spoke. His skin looked so soft - not that everyone else’s didn’t - but you wondered how it would feel under your fingers. He looked over at you and caught you staring, smiling back at you. You blushed, looking over at the tv.

“Dinner’s ready.” Minho called out after nearly an hour.

Everyone scrambled up and hurried into the kitchen. You watched from the couch as everyone grabbed their plates and filled them with food. You looked at Minho, watching as he swung the kitchen towel over his shoulder before kissing Jisung on the cheek and moving out of his way. You found yourself wishing he would do that to you, his lips looking so kissable. His pointy nose was so cute you wanted to kiss it too. He was insanely attractive and you felt such a pull to him. You wanted to trust him, to lean over and touch him. All of them. You wanted to fit in and belong in a pack so badly. Especially after seeing the way they all belong together.

The chemistry they all had was undeniable. It’s like they had spent their whole lives together. You wondered how they came together. How they managed to not get overthrown by Alpha Lewis.

“Not going to eat?” It was Minho. 

He was standing right in front of you. You were too in your thoughts watching everyone you didn’t notice him approach. Now he was actually talking to you. Doesn’t he hate you?

He came around the couch and reached for your hand. “Come on. You need to eat.” 

He wrapped his fingers around your hand before you could pull away and gently tugged. You stood, letting him lead you into the kitchen. The others stopped and stared, making you look down. You weren’t going to go against what the Alpha wanted so you let him hold your hand as he grabbed a plate for you. 

Everyone else resumed what they were doing and moved to the dining table. Seungmin put some food on the plate Minho held for you - smaller portions since he knows you can’t eat much - and then Minho led you to the table. He sat you on the end next to the head chair where he had his plate.

“Enjoy.” He said to you, a ghost of a smile just barely touching his lips before he began to eat.

TAGLIST:

@estella-novella @lxvxchxrlxttxbxrsx22-blog @butterflydemons @readr1221 @gaby105-skz @notevenheretbh1 @bah2004 @sinfulfic @just-a-blackthorn-cookie @dreamerwasfound @bowsnbang

Shout out to my beta for inspiring, motivating, and pushing me! @its-the-solar-system

[whatlurksbean]

Prefacing this with a note that WLB is absolutely one of my top two favorite comics (out of many) at the moment, and I look forward to every new page. There's just one thing that's been bugging me a lot.

Do the cats on the island not have a sense of smell, is there some other explanation, or is the fact that certain things are never noticed through smell an oversight? There are two major plot points that make me ask this.

The first is Thresher being poisoned. Lavender is one hell of a fragrant plant- my shitty human nose can pick it up easily just walking by it outside. The cats even remark on the smell of lavender in contexts aside from the Big One. If the lavender was straight up visible in Thresher's poisoned prey, surely someone would've noticed the smell? Especially Thresher himself with his nose right up in it.

The second is even bigger- Gull and the Family assuming Tusk ate her baby. Even assuming Tusk could somehow have eaten an entire infant child without getting blood on her face or the ground, surely the lack of the scent of fresh blood and gore would've been very obvious. Was this just Gull that nose-blinded by hate, and got everyone else to follow along, while Tusk's supporters were too panicked to think to point this out?

If it is an oversight, I can't blame you, I also write xenofiction and it's hard to consistently consider the physiological differences another species has from us. I just keep thinking about it and I'm really curious what the actual situation is.

There is logic to my choices, but i'm surely underestimating the power of the cat sniffer.

For Thresher, I don't think the family cats are well versed in plants from the forest. The do not have an official medic role, there is very little medical training around for them about plants. Sturgeon only knows lavender is poisonous from Petrel. Thresher may have noticed a smell, or even seen the plant, and he would have just brushed it off as something the bird / mouse ate or lived near before dying.

Auklet only picked up on it being a problem because he is more perceptive to his brothers health. Initially I didn't have him say that he "noticed the lavender" but rather "I've seen plants in his food." but people were getting confused enough on what Sturgeon was doing, so I decided to clarify it better and just make Auklet a little smarter. Because I don't think he or thresher would really know what Lavender is. It doesnt grow on the beaches. But I will make that logic sacrifice for clarity.

As for Gull, I think she was already convinced by her own bigotry that Tusk was guilty, despite what logic pointed to. Tusk was alone with her deceased kitten for hours and hours, and then he disappears without a trace. And Tusk hasnt left the cave, and surely no one would help her break the law and bury ray, and hake was within her sights the whole time. There was only one option in Gulls mind, and no one else in the family cared enough to fact check her. Gull is an elder and has helped deliver most of their kittens in the family, why would she lie? Tusk must be the monster here.

And cats CAN cannibalize their newborn kittens, it does happen and it is absolutely possible for there to be nothing left. It especially tends to happen with stillborn or sickly kittens, like tusks.

The smell part is definitely an oversight on that part though, I don't think I even thought about it for that scene. I don't think about what my food smelled like after i've eaten it. But I think that even if this was brought up by Hake or whoever, Gull wouldn't be convinced she's wrong. And it's not like Tusk would offer them to smell her breath.

idk, there is logic to my choices but it is certainly not wholey realistic, and it never would be in a xenofiction story, so I am okay with that.

[all444miles]

can you do miles with and earthy black girl! Like I can see him wanting her nose rings, and accessories but don’t get me started on how he SIMPS for her waist beads. He loves seeing her at school with her hair wrap and locs and her lavender and coco sent, she’s a calm person to!

thank you so much for your AMAZING work God bless❤️❤️❤️❤️

— DOWN TO EARTH

— pairing: both miles' x black!earthy!fem!reader — genre: fluff — summary: what its like for both miles' to date an earthy girl ‹3 — a/n: quick note, the reader calls 1610 miles "bambi" as a nickname becuase he reminds her of a baby deer ‹3 (credits to my pookie for that !!) — a/n 2: I didn't know which miles you meant, so i just did both 😭 also pretend that brooklyn visions academy doesnt have a uniform.. i was tired writing this so im rlly rlly RLLLY sorry if this is bad but, i hope you like this, and enjoy !! ‹3

E-42 MILES

Miles loves being in your room. the smell of burning coconut incense, the look of your fairy lights, the small plants, it felt so chill, so peaceful. he liked that.

he always knows which incense you've used, and will pick up if you've changed them. He'll buy you some if you need any more.

"You got rid of the coconut incense? Mami, that one was my favorite." "Baby, I only have one pack left." "Oh? Aight, i'll buy you some tomorrow."

he'll never tell you, but if he misses you, he'll listen to your favorite songs that you'd always hum to yourself when you two are alone.

does he like Erykah Badu? Yes, yes he does. he'll listen to Green Eyes on his missions with his uncle whenever he gets the chance.

his uncle caught him once; one of the most embarrassing moments of his life.

"Kid, you listenin' Erykah Badu? Ian know you into allat." "Yo chill, it's only cuz my girl like her." "Mhm. You sure you my nephew or am I trippin?" "Tio, let's just roll."

he's loves to cuddle with you, especially cause you always smell like lavender. he won't let you go either.

"Miles, I gotta get some food." "Nuh, in a minute." "Hun, you done said that 2 minutes ago." "Exactly, in a minute. I like being here."

absolutely in love with your waist beads. he loves the jewllery you were (you both have matching necklaces), but your waist beads? goes absolutely crazy whenever you wearing a crop top and you have them on.

one time you two were at a beach and you wore them with your bikini, he might as well have fell in love with you all over again. bro has his hands on your waist the whoooleee time.

"Princesa, never take off your waist beads." "Why? You like 'em?" "¿Gustarme? Chica, Dios mío, estoy enamorada de ellos." (Like them? Girl, my god, i'm in love with them.) "Miles!" "What? I'm just appreciating my queen n her style, ion see no problem."

E-1610 MILES

Miles is obsessed, like, obsessed, with your style.

if you two live close, he'll style your locs and do your head wrap for you before school.

if not, he'll come to school excited to see your ootd. that is, as if you don't send them to him everyday before school.

"You look gorgeous in your outfit, amor." "Thank you Miles. You do know i already showed you it before school, right?" "So? It's always better to see my wife's outfits in person." "Bambi, you so corny."

he draws you, all the time. look through his sketchbook and you'll find drawings of his friends from the spider society, his uncle, and thousands of you.

Instead of doing what his twin does, when he misses you, he'll draw you. He misses you a lot.

"Baby, can I see your sketchbook?" "..Uhm, yeah! Sure." "You draw me? Awwe, that's so cute."

he loves how calm you are, he actually thinks of you as an angel the way you're so peaceful.

he thinks your nose rings are so gorgeous. if you let him pick which nose ring, he'll be so honored.

adores the fact you smell like lavender. he'll always lay his head into the crook of your neck because he loves your scent sm.

like his counterpart, he's so fascinated to your waist beads. like, he just thinks you look so beautiful with em. One time, you put his hands on your waist, he honestly didn't know what to do with himself.

"Mami, did you know I love your waist beads?" "Yes, bambi, i know." "Nah, but I loooovvveeeee them!" "Baby, i know!" "Like, I looooooooooooovvvvvvvveeeeee them!" "Love, please."

© all444miles 2023. do not plagerize, copy, or repost my work in any way shape or form, without my permission.

likes, reblogs, comments and asks are always appreciated !

[windvexer]

Being that helpful spirits may be absent, here are three ways to facilitate their presence

Have got a few people in the tags saying they vibe with this other post about my animistic views, so here's a tie-in with Witchcraft:

You know how in that other post I say that the spirit of Lavender isn't already present in the physical lavender, and that's why I have to call him? Well three things!

One, what you are doing when you lay a compass opening metaphysical roads and gateways that make it easier and less burdensome for spirits to travel to you!

Imagine you live in a hut in the middle of the woods with no roads leading to it. You could call a spirit to visit you and they could, but it would be a laborious journey for them because they have to hike across the rugged terrain.

But as a witch, you have the power to weave gossamer fairy roads that float upon the air like spider silk, scintillating in the moonlight, floating high above the clawing trees, dense underbrush, and slippery rocks.

Spirits can walk back and forth across these magical roads, making it easier for them to arrive much more fully to you by exerting the same amount of effort. Also, it's nicer for them!

The point of opening roads is to facilitate the movement of the spirits, so that they are not wasting energy just traveling, but may have more left over to help you with, or appear to you.

Two, one way to get Lavender fully present inside of the physical lavender is to carefully harvest the lavender under auspicious times, and using charms and techniques meant to preserve the spiritual power of the plant.

This is wild foraging magic - and it's a very powerful way of gathering and storing power so that it lives with you in the hut, and you don't have to call for the attention of faraway entities.

One way to think about going out and gathering magic in this manner is mushrooming. You know how those mushroom people are like, "wait until the weather gets warm and it rains, then a few days later look under fallen hardwood logs"?

It's the same thing when witches say "wait until midnight on a Saturday and go to the churchyard fence and sing this charm while you harvest a flower stalk."

It's the same in the sense that it's not arbitrary steps you have to do to prove you're more traditional. It's a map to instruct you how to find power that is only present sometimes!

The nature of magic is such that the datura growing on the graveyard fence may always be physically there, but its spiritual power may wax and wane. If you harvest the datura while it's spiritually hibernating (or if you harvest it in such a way that the spirit retracts itself and leaves your harvest inert), you are not necessarily harvesting something of power just because it's not commercially grown.

Three, if I have a really wonderful relationship with Lavender or I really like this spirit and would love to have it be a big part of my practice, I can go through the steps to request that Lavender enter my home and my life as a familiar spirit, a tutelary spirit, or a helper spirit.

You know how we live in a hut in the woods with no roads leading to it? Well I can build Lavender a room in my house so he can always just stay there with me - that room is a spirit house, spirit vessel, or shrine that you build which is dedicated to Lavender and is sort of like a permanent, hardwired road for Lavender to travel down.

In this way, every single time I want to call on Lavender, I do not necessarily have to lay a compass and open a road to call to him. That is because he has permanent access to my house, until such a time as I sever the relationship or remove the shrine.

With a big step like this undertaken, Lavender may then be available to help me in many more ways than just simple acts of sorcery - maybe by teaching me things, protecting and guiding me while I engage in spirit flight, becoming a guardian of my home, and so forth, while in return receiving the support, attention, appreciation, and care deserved by such helpful and venerable spirits.

[gensokyogarden]

Two?

"Anti fox nets deployed."

[folkloresthings]

thinking about fernando & reader who also loves flowers. imagine him coming home from a triple header to the house looking vibrant & beautiful & it warms his heart that the house feels truly like a home ❤️ i could also see reader sending his favorite flowers to his hotel when he’s away too & writing him cute notes to go along with them

FULL BLOOM. ❨ fernando alonso x florist!reader ❩

"statistically, eighty-eight percent of men don't receive flowers until their funeral."

it was what you had said to fernando during your first date, as an explanation for the bouquet you had just handed him. he had brought you some roses, too, but they were nothing compared to the coordinated bundle you had brought. though stunned, a smile crept onto his lips.

you were a florist, he discovered, and owned a little shop just down the street from his favourite coffee shop -- where you had met just days before, bumping into each other accidentally and ending in exchanging phone numbers. it made sense, now. your perfume was slightly floral, and your whole demeanour seemed to fit your occupation. soft, pretty, elegant.

it took three months into the relationship for fernando to give up on bringing you flowers, his often falling short of the ones you created every day. you didn't mind -- you worked with the plants all day long; you had enough to last you a lifetime. other presents ensued: chocolates, jewellery, trinkets that reminded him of you. still, you kept bringing him bouquets. he loved the new decoration of his house, suddenly much brighter than it had ever been. little pieces of you at home with him.

"you may as well move in." fernando shrugged one day, glancing at your personal touches across the rooms. "you stay here when i'm at races, and i don't like it when you leave."

it was an easy decision in the end, and most of your belongings already lived in his house. once you had settled and the space became shared, what was once fernando's bachelor pad became a home. every other day, you arrived home from work with a new bunch of flowers. and every time, fernando would sit down and listen to you list off what each one meant.

"i thought it could use a little sprucing up," you told him when he came home to carefully chosen flowers littered from room to room. fernando only crossed the room to kiss you, squashing the roses in your hands between you both.

only when he went away for races without you did he realise just how much he appreciated your floral arrangements brightening up his days. at home, even when you weren't around, he could look to one of the vases and think of you. two days into his time in jeddah and he was almost sick with missing you. the time difference made it difficult to keep up with calls, one of you just waking as the other fell to sleep.

fernando was dragging his feet back from a terrible qualifying session, pushing past the team to get to his hotel room as quickly as he could. he didn't want to talk to the press, he didn't want to see the engineers, he didn't want to hang out with the other drivers. he just wanted you.

his tiredness almost had him miss the delivery sat on the table of his suite as he locked the door behind him. a stunning bouquet of flowers in the centre, basking the room in a new light. tucked inside was a small envelope and he recognised your handwriting straight away.

"edelweiss for courage. lavender to keep you calm. and tulips, for my love for you."

fernando felt himself relax, as if you had just wrapped your arms around him and held him close. he smiled to himself, grinning like an idiot all alone, and flipped the card in his hands.

"a little bit of home to keep close by."

a little bit of home, he thought, running his fingers over the delicate petals he knows you probably spent an hour arranging. a little bit of you with him, even while you were so far away.

[whysperingwoods]

Spice Rack Sorcery: How to work magic with what you already have, and Meeting your herbs

When we think of witchcraft, it's often a classic scene: Glass jars full of vibrant herbs lining a wooden shelf, bundles of mugwort, sage, and thyme hanging from the ceiling to dry, scents of cool lavender breezing through our calm space. But right now, the soundtrack I have going on is a city street, and the only tree I have in my sight is fighting for its life in the square meter of dirt it's confined to on the sidewalk. Just because nature isn't at your doorstep doesn't mean you can't access the magic and beauty of plants.

Stuck in the Learning Loop

note: In this article I often say "herbs" for the sake of not weighing down the text, but I am referring to the items in your cabinet whether they be herbs, spices, salts, blends, etc.

There are so many herbs in our urban environment, but where I really think new witches go wrong is they get stuck in the "learning loop" (aka "tutorial hell" for the tech nerds and digital artists out there). I was definitely (and still sometimes am) this person: I want to try something new, so I spend ages and ages researching the topic. The more I research, the more I realise I don't know, and the more research I have to do! Ultimately, I end up never getting to the doing part-- I just spin in circles, reading endlessly, and feeling more overwhelmed than empowered.

We're going to cut through the noise and start working with magic that you already have in your kitchen.

You know right off the bat that these herbs are safe to ingest, which ones you're allergic to, and you probably have some pre-conceived notions and experiences with some of what is in there.

Make a list of all the herbs and spices in your pantry. Yes, you should include salt and pepper! You can even include spice blends, if you have any, and if you do I recommend writing all their ingredients. It can be a fun exercise to look at the properties of spice blends and see which ones dominate, and what kind of spell you might make of it, but let's call that an exercise for later on.

Meeting the herbs

Now we get to the hands-on part. To start with, pick 3-5 herbs. If possible, try to make them varied (different colours, or textures, or tastes), but if you're not spoiled for choice, just pick what is available.

Visit each herb with all of your senses, and really spend some time with them. (Take notes on your answers when you're asking yourself these questions: they are the foundation that will form your correspondences!) What does it look like? What colour is it? How does it smell when it's dry? How does it feel when you roll it through your fingers? How does it sound when you shake it? How does it taste? How do all those things change when the herb is wet, or boiled in a tea? Fried in butter? Does it sizzle, or crack? What happens when you break it, crush it, or rub it? What sensations do you feel in your body when you eat this herb or spice? Does your mouth pucker, or water? Does it feel intrusive?

Don't forget that intuition is also a sense. What comes to mind when you spend time with this herb or spice? Recall your past experiences with it, if you have any. What do you feel in your body? What dishes have you eaten with it, and how did those dishes make you feel? Was it a comfort food, a salad, something warm, or raw and cold? Does it make you feel at home?

There are different schools of thought on the power of personal associations when it comes to witchcraft, but personally I've always had more success when taking my strong personal associations into account for spellwork. Even in herbalism, plants can have very different effects in two different people, and the same goes for witchcraft. This is why I strongly recommend going the experiential route and meeting the plants before starting to research their properties elsewhere.

An exercise I've found particularly helpful is to meditate with the herb (I like to do it as an infusion or tea, but that is not necessary). What feelings get stirred up in me? Do I feel lighter, or heavier? Am I energised, or relaxed? Where does my mind want to go?

Imagine if the herb were a person. How would you describe them? What is their personality like? Try to be aware of any personal biases that come up here, and attempt to untangle them. This is your personal practice, no one is checking your work, so examine closely what comes up for you and be honest about where it comes from. Focus less on where the herb is from, and more on what they embody. What are their qualities? What are their flaws? If you could sit down with them, what would they tell you?

When you're done with these exercises, it's really important to summarise your thoughts. Write down the strongest impressions you had, and some of your less strong ones. Take note of your ideas for how you would like to experiment further, and what you're not sure of. This makes for an easier reference later, and you can update as your relationship with the herb progresses over time.

Putting your knowledge into practice

You thought we were done, but no! You've met the herbs, but you still need to put that knowledge to the test with a spell or working.

Look through your list of correspondences and pick out the ones that are interesting to you. At this point, focus on your personal associations, and try to ignore traditional meanings that you may have read about. Are there any that stand out as something you'd like to have more of in your life right now? Narrow your focus to one correspondence; this one will be the main focus of your spell. Now take a look at the other associations you have with the herbs that share that correspondence, and decide which ones could help bolster your main focus.

Here's an example: I associate mint with freshness and a new start, so I pick that as my main focus. I also have this association with rosemary, so I look at some of the other associations I have with rosemary, and one of them is protection. Lemon I also associate with freshness, but the other association I have with it is sourness, and defensiveness. Therefore, for my purposes, rosemary feels like a better match, so I'll use both rosemary and basil in my spell. You can do this with as many additional herbs as you want.

There are infinite numbers of spells you can try, but we want to try and do one with our own personal associates of the herbs, not a pre-made spell, so I'm going to propose a basic spell framework, but ultimately this is your spell, and I highly encourage you to do whatever you'd like here. If you're really into jar spells, try that! If you like candle magic, dress a candle using the herbs you pick. Whatever you want to do, go for it! But the key word is do. This outline I'm providing is just to help guide those who may never have done a spell before and don't know where to start.

Clean your space. This doesn't have to be a whole four directions circle casting, it can simply be having a clean surface area to work on. Set the mood if you want, but you don't have to.

Set your intention. Before you start, you should have a clearly defined goal in mind. Visualise your goal, or write it down. Include a timeline for when you intend for the working to come to fruition (i.e. within a week, two weeks, etc).

Prepare a tea with the herbs in question, and tell the herbs what you want them to do while they infuse. Strain them after a few minutes and mindfully drink the tea.

You can close the spell by simply thanking the herbs and cleaning up the space.

Keep notes! You should keep at least some quick notes about every working, but especially when you're trying something new. Write down the date when you should have results by, and set yourself an alarm for that date as a reminder to revisit it.

Acquiring more herbs

I'm sure I'm not the only person who daydreams about growing all their own herbs or foraging them from the wild, but the reality is that is simply not possible for most people. Thankfully, there are tons of ways that you can access herbs:

The Dollar store, or your local equivalent. Most places have very cheap spices available.

Grocery stores obviously have a ton of spices available and many herbs. Bonus points for these because you know they are safe to ingest. They also often have fresh herbs, which are more expensive but it can be fun to experiment and compare fresh vs dry, or even try your hand at drying them yourself without having to grow them from seed or forage them.

Local apothecary. Look online for things like "local apothecary", "herbalist", "health food store" also often has herbs, even if only in supplement form. Tea shops can be worth checking, however they will often be blended, so just be ready to work with what they have. There are also many local apothecaries that deliver by post, so take a look in your area to see if there is one that offers delivery. Many bulk herbs are incredibly cheap and high quality.

Online apothecary. There are plenty of reputable online apothecaries, however I must caution against buying bulk herbs off Amazon. Even with supplements, make sure you are buying from a reputable seller as many of them are found not to have the herbs advertised.

Growing and foraging your own herbs is of course an option, however make sure if you are foraging that you are doing research on each plant and possible lookalikes, and ensure you are harvesting sustainably.

If you start acquiring herbs, consider simple glass jars with labels or deli containers. Personally, I store my herbs in deli containers and write the name of the herb in chalk marker, along with the main properties. Right on the container! No need to fish it out of my notes every time.

Further research and reading

This was all about not getting stuck in the learning loop, which is why I'm putting it dead last, but as someone who loves research and reading, I must include it. I recommend meeting the herbs first, and experiencing them first-hand, but eventually you'll want to know more, so here are some ways you can do that:

archive.org is an incredible resource when it comes to researching old folklore about plants and herbs. Use the text search and type in the name of the plant you are interested in, and you will often find many books that mention it. Try narrowing down your search to your country or language and see if you can find folklore or tales that include the herb.

Look up the plant on Wikipedia. Many of them have sections on folklore and ethnobotany that can be incredibly interesting. Take note of the references for the entries, and use them for further research.

Many books about herbalism also talk about historical uses and folklore.

Go to your local library and ask the librarian where they keep their books on plants, as well as where they keep their books on folklore. Browse, and see what you find.

Ask your parents, community elders, local gardening clubs, etc.

I hope this gives you some food for thought, and some ideas on how to experiment with herbs safely. So take a look at your pantry, pick out those spices, and start your journey from home. The magic is already within your reach.

I'd love to hear about your experiences and if you have any other techniques to share, leave them in the comments!

[bruisedboys]

Knives out: ∗ 63﹕ sender  is  found  by  receiver  sleeping  in  receiver’s  bed . With James Potter

Congratulations on 3k, you deserve so much more though! Love you and your work! 🥰

thank you baby! love u endless amounts xx

summary: james finds you in his bed after rugby training

fem!reader 0.8k words

James gets home from rugby training and sees your shoes on his shoe rack. He blinks. Your black converse with the red hearts, sitting amongst his sneakers and dress shoes.

He grins. He’s happy you’ve let yourself in. Happy you’ve used the key he always urges you to use when you want to turn up unannounced. He just feels bad he wasn’t here to welcome you.

“Y/N?” He calls quietly. He doesn’t want to scare you though you’ve probably heard the front door open.

You don’t answer. He hears the gentle thrum of the dishwasher and follows it to the kitchen, hoping to find you there. It’s empty. And clean, he realises. Cleaner than he’d left it before training. All the mugs in their place, new fruit in the fruit bowl, his dishes from yesterday and this morning done and drip-drying on the bench.

He ventures into the living room and finds it just as empty but also just as clean. You’ve even put flowers on the coffee table.

The last place to check is his bedroom. He pushes the door open and feels like he’s been punched in the gut.

There you are. In his bed, on his side. Fast asleep, you’re lying on your stomach, one arm bent at the elbow and the other stretched out next to your face. The sheets bunch up around your lower back, your hair fanning out over his pillows. You look very comfortable.

James tries to be as quiet as possible as he puts down his bag near his dresser, and then tiptoes over the carpet so he can sit on the bed next to you. Up close you look even lovelier. Half of your face all squished into the pillow. Your lips parted as your breaths come deep and heavy. Your back rising and falling slowly. Eyelashes kissing the skin under your eyes.

He tries not to touch you, he really does. But you’re just so pretty, practically begging to be touched. It’s hardly his fault.

He drags his fingers over your cheek, down your jaw. Your skin is as soft as it looks. You smell like honey and lavender. Sweet. He’s about to lean over and kiss your cheek when you stir. Your mouth twitches and you heave a deep breath through your nose.

“S’that you, James?” You murmur. Your lips stretch into this soft smile that makes James’ heart hurt. He doesn’t feel so bad for waking you up as he should.

“Yeah, it’s me,” he says, cupping your jaw with his palm, his fingers planted behind your ear, roaming into your hair. “Sorry for waking you up, lovely.”

You blink yourself awake slowly. Your eyes appear and James feels a hundred times more lovesick than he already was. You roll onto your back, then look up at him and beam.

“Hi,” you say, your tone bright but your voice rough. You ignore his last comment. He’s pretty sure you don’t mind being woken up. Not when it’s by him.

“Hi, baby,” James says back, equally fond and twice as lively.

You sit up with an aching groan and James thinks he should move to make space for you but he doesn’t want to. He stays right where he is, and when you sit up your chest presses against his arm. You’re warm. You take the position to your advantage and hook your chin over his shoulder.

“I missed you,” you say, your lips right near the skin behind his ear. James can’t help the shiver that runs down his back as your lips graze over his skin. You smile like you know how much you affect him.

“I missed you more,” he says, argumentative. He turns his head so your lips are in line and kisses you sweetly. You’re warm and soft and you smell so lovely. He’s sure he doesn’t smell as good as you do. Probably like grass and sweat. He should take a shower.

When he pulls away the words are already on his lips. “You didn’t have to clean my house, you know,” he tells you. He reaches down to grab your hand and weave your fingers together. He wants to have you this close forever.

You huff, your eyes on your joint hands. “Yeah, I did. I wanted to do something nice for you. Surprise you when you got home.”

James grins. “Consider me surprised,” he says, craning his neck to dot a kiss to the top of your head. “Thank you, angel.”

You twist so you can look up at him, a smile stretching across your lips. James is only mildly surprised when you steal your hand away to wheedle both your arms around him in a hug, awkward in its position but nothing short of utterly fond. James slides his hand up your back and into your hair.

You squeeze his waist tight. “You’re welcome, Jamie.”

James thinks he might cry from how much he loves you.

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