#natural wellness box

[unopenablebox]

i'm i think 2/3rds of the way through hild and it's soooo good. idk if i'm blowing your minds about highly decorated sff hall of fame author nicola griffith being good at writing but. this book rules. thanks @hypokeimena for recommending it

[solianapaeris]

Pilates done 💕

[creepyscritches]

Sharing recipes with my mom rules bc she also just vibes her way thru things. "If it smells good, put it in too" is our general soup recipe format. We really only write down the "how to cook this ingredient" type steps. Smelling my way down my spice collection like huh I guess the soup DOES need little a bit of a pinch of cinnamon...

[ell-arts]

Home

Quickly put this together today, I hope you like it! I'm really happy with the textures and emotional storytelling in this :3

[blossoms-phan]

feeling impulsive (i want to dye my hair)

[fionnaskyborn]

People like this have made me terrified that I am mischaracterizing my favorite character by playing into his strengths and emphasizing them so much... That I'm making things "too anime", "too over-the-top", and by doing that straying away from the groundedness that made the character compelling in the first place... But I think it's better to be a fan who loves someone so much they're willing to step into goofy over-the-top showcases of strength and morals out of love than being a fake fan who only ever rags on what they proclaim is so dear to them. I dunno. I don't think I'm wrong in saying that. I'm hella insecure when it comes to my own writing, especially with this guy because I want to do him as much justice as I possibly can as a writer. But I have to convince myself that it's not too much.

[sapphicflower-ao3]

HI i just wanted to let u know that i just finished reading up to the most recent chapter of The Art of Falling, and im absolutely positively mindblown. im just in awe. the way you write their dynamic so accurately like they possessed you or something,, the buildup to their feelings ?? especially katsukis—it was so satisfying that i can’t imagine how else it would go!??? u captured this au so perfectly i couldnt tear my eyes away for even a second

and then i was like Wow author u are so freaking cool i hope U wrote more. and i find out its the same author who wrote Whats Your Type…… my jaw = on the floor. u are so insane for this. will forever be thinking of your bkdk ..

oh my god dude??? 😭😭 this made me feel so many things at once i’m so?? flattered? that you enjoyed it so much?? 😭 i’m so glad it all felt in-character and natural to you!!!!

also yes i’m the what’s ur type author… my legacy… even tho i literally always forget that fic exists until ppl mention it to me LMFAO

thank u for this dude it really made my day 🥹 my week, even.

[gingerbreadmonsters]

[facedown on the carpet] oh oolong tea we're really in it now

[ohsweetflips]

on the one hand i love harping and moaning over missed opportunities for previous dragon age companion cameos bc sometimes bioware really whiffs it (i long for the world where merrill is the eluvian expert instead of morrigan) but. on the other hand. sometimes it’s like. why would that character show up. answer quickly. the answer can’t be that it’s because you like them. it feels very reminiscent of having to accept that our wardens will never make another appearance.

[deathbydarkelves]

Do you have headcannons for night elf weddings??? There's a little canon for them, but it seems very Normal, and doesn't really seem to take advantage of what makes night elves a unique culture? Like, I imagine them more akin to traditional Buddhist weddings tbh. But, yeah, got off track. Would love wedding headcannons for night elves, or any other races too!

I’m glad I read this while I was at work, because as a result of not being able to respond right away, I had time to think it over and thus solidified a lot of the vague ideas I had :)

And yeah I completely ignore the canon one we got because it’s lame and boring <3

The whole thing is initiated with a hunt...

Technically anyone may join the hunt, but usually it’s just the betrotheds. And since polyamory is so common, that means the hunting party ranges anywhere from two people to A Lot of People.

But first, a priestess communes with Elune and requests permission for the hunt and by extension the wedding as a whole. If she permits it (she almost always does), a druid then enters a trance which may last up to a few hours to determine what animal the gods and other powers want hunted. It can be just about anything, as long as it gives the betrotheds a challenge and forces them to prove their ability to work as one. Deer, wolves, bears, sabers, hippogryphs, owlbears… smaller things too, like otters, pheasants, and quail. Not only do they have to kill the animal, but they have to find the specific individual the druid saw. So even if you’re “only” hunting a humble pheasant, you still need sharp eyes to make sure it’s the one you need, sharp ears to hear it in the undergrowth, and quick reflexes to claim it. So, while a hippogryph is certainly much more physically impressive, no animal is really seen as greater or lesser than another.

There are certain associations made with different animals, naturally. Something as dangerous as a bear is often seen as the gods either challenging what they believe to be a very capable pair/group... or a very incapable pair/group. Either way, taking that bear is a feat.

The standout exceptions are owls and chimeras. To be tasked with hunting an owl, a creature so closely tied to Elune, is considered one of the highest possible honors anyone can receive. And as for chimeras, well… marriages initiated with the hunting of a chimera are really only spoken of in legend. Or in crowded bars, by drunk patrons, who totally have a sister who hunted a chimera for her wedding.

The length of the hunt depends entirely on luck and the ability of the betrotheds, but it’s basically expected for you to practice hunting together after deciding you want to marry. Most hunts take a couple days to a week, but some stretch for months (either due to the animal's secrecy, or because... the betrotheds should have practiced a bit more). Once the animal has been claimed, the wedding truly begins. Death is part of the cycle of life, thus the animal’s death ushers in the next part of the betrotheds’ lives. The animal is butchered, with part (a stag’s antlers, a quail’s flight feathers, etc.) being set aside as an offering for the gods and ancestors. Then it’s cooked, and the next part of the wedding — the feast — begins.

The feast lasts eight days and seven nights, with food and alcohol provided by all the attendees. There may be other recreational substances too, depending on how rowdy everyone wants to get lol. Gifts are given during this time as well.

After the feast, at dusk on the eighth day, is the ceremony proper. It starts with the betrotheds giving thanks to their ancestors, the gods, and spirits. Incense is burned, shrines built and honored, and the offering saved from the hunted animal is given as well.

If the betrotheds have children in mind, they'll pay special attention to Goldrinn in hopes of pleasing him and preventing him from cursing their children with thor'drinn.

Then the betrotheds give their vows, and receive tattoos (usually on the upper chest) symbolizing their connection to each other.

I designed some quick, simple ones a while ago to get the idea across, but people will spend years deciding on a design. The only stipulation is that every other person in the marriage is represented by a solid circle, while the bearer of the tattoo is represented by a hollow circle. The solid circles hold a piece of each person’s spirit, and the hollow circle is where the bearer’s spirit can pass through to reach the others. These things can get really complicated. They can also be extremely individualized — not everyone in a polycule has to like everyone else, after all, so each person’s might have a totally different number of circles, etc. (They can also be added to or reduced over time. Magic makes tattoo modification a lot easier lol)

Many people’s tattoos incorporate something related to the animal that gave its life for their marriage, as well. It’s typical to leave a space in your design just for that. But, ah… I drew these before I decided on the hunting thing lol (granted, the second one does resemble a stag's antlers somewhat, so there ya go!)

After being tattooed, the newlyweds then bathe in a moonwell together, or at bare minimum in blessed water. This is to clean their tattoos, speed up healing, and serves to wash away the remnants of their past, unwed life.

And that’s where things officially end. It’s, um… widely understood you don’t bother the newlyweds after this point :P

((Moonwells are magic and self-cleaning and this is just an accepted role of them, alright, it’s fine. Not everyone does that, but... generally speaking, people are gonna do what people are gonna do.))

EDIT: I haven't thought much about other races' weddings, but I can tell you the hunt initiating things is a holdover from dark troll traditions, and many modern troll weddings start with a hunt as well :) Tauren do a similar thing, though they conclude the wedding with a hunt (and subsequently a feast) instead.

EDIT 2: My friend brought up a good point. What if the betrotheds are, for one reason or another, unable to hunt the animal themselves? In that case, many get help from trained hunting animals capable of taking the prey they've been tasked with. A fox for a quail, a saber for a deer, etc. Otherwise, they may invite capable friends or family members on the hunt.

[despair-tea]

no one else can have your same experience. your memories are only your own, after all.

sharing something means creating a new memory - you don't know what kind of memory that will be. after all, we can't just conveniently implant other people with our own experiences (yet. hush now, pervert girls).

so part of being friends is accepting that things will be different, but they were valuable because we had each other by our side. does that make sense? it can be so easy to forget after you grow up once.

[solianapaeris]

Pilates done 💕

[hauntingblue]

Jinbe not even on the crew yet and already talking about sacrificing himself for his captain... insane

[elysiumxflowers]

Big orders, bigger smiles! Shipping out happiness, one soap at a time 🧼

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[newtsinboots]

[selvepnea]

got me some vamp fangs! :F