#lavender is also already a plant ~ lavender

[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

[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 ⋆｡✦˚‎

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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

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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?

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username ＠yourusername

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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

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

[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!"

[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 !

[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.

[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

[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!

[gensokyogarden]

Two?

"Anti fox nets deployed."

[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.

-

[nc-vb]

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐝

it is said that distance makes the heart grow fonder. instead, it only proves to make the water levels rise a few millimeters.

pairing -> neuvillette x gn!reader

warnings -> sfw, sad neuvi & reader, smooching

notes -> reader's position is a non-canon one

character mentions -> lady furina, fontaine npcs, non-canon melusine characters

wc -> 2.1k

It wasn’t so often that the paths of you and your lover could so seamlessly cross.

As one might assume, governing a nation is not a walk in the park, nor is it a part-time position. It is a twenty-four-seven, midnight-to-midnight, no-matter-how-small-the-crisis job that someone has to take responsibility for— with Monsieur Neuvillette, the Chief Justice, leading the charge of each court proceeding and Lady Furina as its grandest witness, and you, the Maison Ordalie's Directeur Général, helping them to uphold Fontaine’s values and protecting its honour from outside the marbled walls of the Opera Epiclese, Fontaine is a tightly-run ship that seldom allows for its men to enjoy much free time.

Though when it did, finally exiting the realm of your job responsibilities only then meant having to catch up on your neglected home responsibilities— tackling the towers of only partially rinsed dishes; taking out the trash you just knew would be stinking up your foyer since you’d put it there three days ago (which had been the last time you’d even been inside your home); rewashing the load of laundry you’d run out of time to hang up to dry and now was, most likely, moulding from being left in basket, still damp. Ah, and there’s probably so much more you’d been forgetting about.

This cyclic routine of yours had become nauseating a long time ago, only proving capable of transfiguring your already sour mood into something brazenly foul. Typically, there were very few things to exist that could improve it again, but the soft, muffled knocking on your front door by one of your sweet Melusine neighbours when she realized you’d finally returned home, fortunately, is one of those few things.

More often than not, she would bake once the weekend began, knowing you to be around at least long enough to be able to consume perhaps one of her newly learned confections. Somedays, you’d even been lucky enough to sit and enjoy them together whilst enjoying the views from under your shared garden’s gazebo. Being that you lived on the first floor of a three-floored pied-à-terre with three other Melusine living above you, who had also been found lucky to have much more manageable lifestyles, they often cared for the plants of the garden when you could not.

Even luckier for you, though, was having such kind neighbours that would go out of their way to take care of those aforementioned chores for you. Garden tended; garbage bags mysteriously vanished from the inside stoop; dishes sparkling clean and put away in their respective cupboards; laundry thought a lost cause having been hung up, dried, and folded, awaiting your return for them to be returned to their drawers— none of this had been you. Elsie, your second floor neighbour, had been the culprit, you learn, having rounded up her sisters Elie and Eloie two days prior to your return to surprise you.

“Have you seen Monsieur Neuvillette lately?” Elsie inquires, looking up to you from her place on your stoop. When you step aside to let her in, she shakes her head, lavender-coloured ears whipping about. “I won’t be staying. I only came to say hello and to give these to you.”

“Oh, I see,” you say, accepting the circular tin she raises toward you. Cracking it open a few inches, you smile at the soft treats. “Madeleines! Thank you, Elzie. And, to answer your question, no… I haven’t seen him lately… not even for work.”

“You’re quite welcome. Please find time to share them with the Monsieur today, then. Sedene mentioned he looked restless this morning.”

Without missing a beat, your heart skips one of its own, and your expression twists habitually guiltily. You know full well your absence from him, and vice versa, isn’t to be helped, and that the two of you have had this same conversation many times over. But it never proves to help whenever someone else points out either of your miseries.

You’d always thought the Palais Mermonia to be particularly cold, in company’s sense. It never mattered that it was always full of people, of employees, and even of Lady Furina’s raucous, nails-on-a-chalkboard cackle of a laugh, because you knew its Chief Justice much too well. In spite of his assurances that he would be alright, mind occupied by having to organize new cases and sort out the old ones, it wouldn’t be too long of a time later that you found the skies overcast, and yourself drenched by a sudden downpour.

You supposed, after saying your farewells to Elsie, locking your front door, and making your way to the other end of the Court of Fontaine, that today would be no different. Of course, you remembered to carry your parasol on you this time, accompanied by the tin of fresh-baked madeleines you promised Elsie to eat up. Today, the sky was shining blue, quite literally only minutes ago. So, either something sad or distressing has crossed his path, or, he’d been feeling sentimental again, because it’s raining again.

At the very least, you hope the cause for it to be the latter. This way, it can easily be remedied by you appearing before him, rather than him being consumed by the details of a case so heavily, and for an unspecified period of time. And there have been too many of these as of late that compared to last year’s weather, one might consider the possibility of that prophecy coming true just a little sooner.

Clutching the cookies tighter to you and keeping a firm grip on the handle of your parasol, you hasten across the bridge of the Court Region Waterway untoward the Palais Mermonia, greeting Bruneau and Liath and Plessia as you pass. The main doors are heavy, but even with your arms full, you manage to pry one of them open enough to enter the building.

You don’t both to carry your umbrella with you — it would just be yet another mess the building’s staff would have to trail after you for to clean — and instead shove it into the corner to let it drip there, telling the one guard that you would return for it, and them saluting you in acknowledgement.

Inside the Palais Mermonia has always been a plethora of people, staff and guards and visitors alike, but it is as you’d said— there’s a certain degree of emptiness to it that unsettles you whenever you visit here. Perhaps the grave amount of case files that sat in the archives surrounding Monsieur Neuvillette’s office cast such a dreary spell over the place; having been the one to compile many of them, yourself, for his records, you know firsthand just how dark some of their contents had been— to have to pass those off and share them with your lover had been your major grievance for your position. There’d been nothing you hated more than sitting in during his readings and seeing his expression change from the joy of having you appear to him, to the rage and sorrow of taking in the details of a new case. In those moments, you made sure to hold him a little tighter, a little closer, and speak just a little sweeter to him, a little softer.

The rain would, eventually, subside.

You push open the door to his office as gently as possible, and shut it just as carefully so as not to startle him. Without looking first to confirm, you know that he sits at his desk, pouring over the day’s files and records while it pours outside. His stoicism masked the obvious, though at least, this had been to you only— something was weighing heavily enough on his mind that it’d begun to affect the weather outside. Spending enough time with the man made this easy to tell.

“Neuvillette,” you softly call to him when he’d yet to look up. He jerks slightly in his seat, stiff shoulders losing their tension upon recognizing your voice, and the corner of his lips rise before his eyes can even meet yours.

“My love.”

If having you appear in a room filled with such disheartening unkindness is his relief, yours had always been the advent of a smile on Neuvillette’s face. A rare glimpse of the peace you often find yourself daydreaming over while away, the rush of pure joy you feel at the sight of your lover relishing your presence is nearly akin to the blessing of the gods— you only embrace him tightly enough and hope this feeling reaches him.

Nose pressed into the side of your head, hands and arms cradling you almost impossibly close to him, he breathes you in as deeply as physically possible— yes, his gesture promises.

You raise your chin from his chest and peer up at him, grin lazed and tired but pleased all the same.

“You were finally released from your duties?”

“If it were easy to delegate them to my juniors, it might’ve taken less time to escape,” you muse, hands sliding down his robes to claim his hands in yours— he squeezes them gently, grateful. “No one seems to know how to write a proper report anymore; I feel like I’m grading homework.” Neuvillette laments at the sudden shift in your expression, its complete opposite serving to dim the light in your eyes. By the way your grip tightens beneath his fingers, he supposes it must have little to do with your subordinates, after all.

“It’s… been raining for so long now,” you mumble into him, cookie tin forgotten atop his desk. “I tried to hurry to you, I-I…”

Neuvillette’s hand shifts along one of yours, quick to fit thin, nimble fingers in between your trembling ones. He lifts it, and presses your palm and fingertips into the smooth, porcelain coolness of his cheek— few words are found necessary, you’d both once agreed, as he’d always been a man of sterling gestures over forced sentimentality. In each glance, each touch, each curve of his lips upward, his vehemence never went unnoticed; it’d simply been his brand of love— demure and chaste, but abundant. There’d been no questioning his intention.

“I would sooner give up my position if it meant I could stay at your side at all times, if it meant you wouldn’t cry so much. If it meant you wouldn’t suffer alone.” Neuvillette sighs, a would-be defeated sound if not for remembering who he was standing with. “I… feel useless on days like these when I’m not with you.”

“Justice cannot relent so long as villainy works around the clock. It is our sworn duty to see such justice prevail, after all.” Neuvillette swipes a thumb over your lip, and subconsciously, you lean into his palm almost delightedly. “And you have done so beautifully, and without malice. Every word written in those reports from your juniors, while, written juvenilely, speak of your fairness. Your impartiality. Your ability to see both the truth and the good in all.” He turns his hand, pressing his lips into your palm. “It is admirable. It is my pride for you. It is why, as much as I wish you could stay at my side, as you said, I hope you can see the value and honour you bring in helping to protect Fontaine. I can’t imagine many else doing so well as you do.”

You raise your free hand back up to his chest, and push. A fraction of a single second is spent wide-eyed and confused until Neuvillette’s legs hit one of the many couches within the four walls of his office, and he is forced off-balanced into its plush. Your other hand gone unrelinquished, you fall with him, knees parted to either side of his and dipped deep into the cushion; Neuvillette’s breath hitches unnoticeably, yet at your sudden embolden proximity, his pale cheeks burn with vermillion.

“I’m supposed to be comforting you, you know,” your murmur.

A kiss to his temple, to the swell atop his cheek, to the button of his nose, and to the cleft of his lip— you lower yourself into his lap, parted lips dropping to slot between his and hands rising to thread into his strands of falling starlight, pulling him ever closer into you. It’s not enough, simply consuming him. You only wish to drown his sorrows, by whatever means necessary and however possible. If this means only having mere moments to appear before him, to deliver him sweets and treats of various kinds — not including yourself, of course — and holding him as tenderly as you do now for what seconds you must have left before having to leave again—

Tongue posed at his lower lip, your gaze is brought to the side and through the glass of the window. The rain. It stopped.

“And I can promise… you’re doing a fine job of it, my love.”

© nc-vb 2023 please don’t repost! reblogs & comments are always appreciated.

[adobealmanac]

How I was taught to cleanse with fire

Many cultures around the world use smoke and fire for cleansing and purification rituals. New Mexico is not different in that manner, as often I see curanderos (and spiritual leaning Catholics) burning a variety of herbs, woods, and resins to cleanse themselves and their spaces. Sometimes we even use mezcal to cleanse by spraying it from our mouths. While not necessarily ‘fire’, it does have that flame element to it. Spraying mezcal from the mouth is often done to cleanse the body or mind of someone, rather than a space.

I grow a variety of herbs on my property and I often find myself inclined to use them over store bought bundles or incense as it feels more traditional, and connects me to the earth and to my ancestors. My grandma taught me how to burn desert sage to purify a space, which is one of my favorites to use spiritually for cleansing. It brings an energy of healing and calmness when you burn it, and also works great for purification. I think of it as the lavender of sages due to its warm hug-like energy it brings.

To begin cleansing with desert sage, you first must hold the sage in your hands, and close your eyes. Envision happiness, and warmth, and hugging your own abuelita. Think about the warm yellow energy of the desert sage and how it brings that feeling of walking through a winter landscape knowing that you will be home soon. Enjoy the feeling and scent of the unburnt sage. Once you feel ready to begin, open your eyes, and take one deep breath in and out. Now, you must open the front door of the place you are cleansing, and optionally more windows if the space is large enough. The thick adobe of my grandmothers house wouldn’t allow any spirits to leave if you didn’t allow them to exit somehow. Begin by walking around the space with the unlit sage, feeling the energies of the space and finding spots that you need to focus on. Once you have identified the dense spots, you can light the sage. I always light the largest end of the desert sage bundle as I find it is the easiest to work with, allowing you to hold it by the smaller portion. Allow a large ember to form, about the size of a dime. Then, while walking through the space blow on the ember allowing the smoke to fill the direction you are blowing into, as this brings life and soul into the sage you burn. While doing this be intently focused on removing ‘anything bad’ as my grandmother would say. Be sure to blow the smoke into each of the four corners of your house too, to fortify and protect your space. I usually include the outdoor corners too, if the weather is calm enough outside to allow my sage to burn. Once you have hit all of the dense spots with your smoke, place the desert sage into a cooking pot in the kitchen or living room until it ceases to burn. This allows the smoke to do any remaining work it needs to. Once complete, thank the spirit of the sage by holding it again in your hands, giving it a sort of hug, and verbally thanking it. You may leave an offering at the bush you collected it from if you harvested the sage itself, otherwise you could also leave the offering near your favorite plant, I suppose. Once complete store your sage respectfully until the next time you need to purify your space.

Allow the front door and any open windows to remain open for at least 30 minutes after the final ember went out. Remember to always practice fire safety and never leave a sage bundle burning unattended.

If desert sage does not grow near you, look into if it would be able to successfully grow in your plant hardiness zone. If not look into using a native sage variety that grows in your area! In my opinion it is always best to use herbs that are from the region you live in over imported ones any day. And of course, do your best, because no one is perfect. If store bought is all that is available to you then use it! Or, if you already have a store bought herb bundle go ahead and use that. Be resourceful, and stay safe out there!

[dandelionjack]

i lied. anyway i think now i’ve cracked the code. taylor, despite making incredibly mediocre music and generally not being an interesting artist, as well as a billionaire (inherently evil), is actively practicing some kind of sympathetic magic and imbuing her music with it, like she said on the album, puttng narcotics in her songs. but this witchcraft is very specifically tailored to charm every listener into identifying her generic lyrics with their specific situation/identity/interest, moreso than most other pop artists. that’s where gaylors and ‘autismlors’ (neurodivergent girls who armchair-diagnose taylor with autism, you’d be surprised how many there are) etc come from. they genuinely see themselves and their niche experiences in her lyrics and grow to believe that she is part of their community.

that’s why they start noticing cryptic symbolism as evidence of their theories (‘lavender haze’ signifying that she’s queer comes to mind) — her iconography and lore is so expansive that there is something for a person of virtually any demographic to latch on to and demonstrate as ‘proof’ that she is [insert label here]. this works wonders for marketability and popularity — every one of these demographics flock to purchase her albums and buy tickets to her shows because that’s not Pop Star Taylor Swift, that’s their icon. your own personal jesus, like depeche mode said? no, your own personal taylor.

how did i come to this conclusion? well, i have the misfortune of being a big fan of the 60-year-old sci-fi shitshow Doctor Who (it’s been my autistic special interest for 5 months now). and listening to TTPD, i found myself believing that taylor is also a fan and the relationship between a companion and the doctor is what the lyrics of Down Bad are based on (won’t go into detail, for more info literally just scroll down to my previous post). of course i didn’t really believe that, but the seed of “what if?” was already planted in my mind. and that’s when it clicked. this is the interest i’m most focused on right now, so i see it in taylor’s lyrics. a young queer girl from middle america who’s just come out will be heavily focused on her newfound identity, so of course she’ll see it in taylor’s lyrics.

this theory is semi-serious. i don’t actually believe in things like this. but if she had entered into a soul contract with some strange deity of musical correspondence. would you really be surprised?